Whately approves library access deal with builder

Select Board · Meeting of September 6, 2026

Whately and Hatfield float sharing a police chief to save money. Select Board members said a joint meeting with the Hatfield Select Board produced support for a three-phase proposal starting with a single shared chief, which would let Whately pay only half of Chief Jim Savini's salary while Hatfield covers the rest. A six-member working group, including one member from each select board plus both town administrators and police chiefs, will begin drafting a memorandum of understanding as soon as next week, driven by Hatfield's chief retiring at year's end.

Member Brad said floating the idea to residents drew "what's-in-it-for-us" pushback over losing roughly 20 hours a week of the chief's patrol time. Separately, the board unanimously appointed Lisa Ward to the Giving Garden Committee, approved a license letting JDR Builders cross Memorial Library's lawn in exchange for trenching power to a new $5,000 donor-funded library sign, and voted to let the transfer station recycle one-pound propane tanks, fire extinguishers and torches.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of September 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.