HATFIELD — A first step toward getting to an around-the-clock fire and ambulance service comes at annual Town Meeting Tuesday, where voters will be given the opportunity to weigh in on adding close to $500,000 to the department’s operations, a week before a Proposition 2½ tax-cap override is on the town election ballot.

The $480,200 in spending, which would be added to the $15.87 million operating budget for fiscal year 2026, is among 38 articles on the warrant. Town Meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Smith Academy gymnasium.

For the fire department, a successful override will mean two firefighters on overnight, and a third firefighter on during the day, with the additional money going toward training, overtime and housing.

“Everything that it would cost to go 24/7, two people (for) two shifts a day and three people (for) one shift a day,” Select Board Chairwoman Diana Szynal said at a recent joint meeting with the Finance Committee.

Capital expenses

Also on the warrant is $3.37 million to replace the boilers and roof of the Hatfield Elementary School, and to mill and pave the surface of Billings Way and the parking lots at the elementary school and Smith Academy. That requires a two-thirds vote to give borrowing authorization and will then be a Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion override at the town election.

The base budget is up 6.4%, or $959,030, from this year’s $14.91 million.

A significant increase is related to the debt for projects authorized in recent years, such as the wastewater treatment plan overhaul, and those bills coming due, Town Administrator Andrew Levine said. The amount related to debt exclusions is increasing from $628,767 to $984,665, and the impact will be noticeable, with an 8% increase for taxpayers.

Retirement and health insurance are both up dramatically, as well, said Finance Committee Chairman Sean Barry said. The employee benefits line is going from $1.81 million to almost $2 million. Spending for the Hatfield Elementary and Smith Academy, though, is a combined $6.95 million, up by 3.6%, or $243,093, from the $6.71 million spent this year.

Of the $1.11 million available in free cash, $397,077 would be spent or transferred, including $100,000 being moved to the stabilization account and $94,000 to cover snow and ice expenses.

Going to capital improvement projects are $140,000 for upgrades of the Department of Public Works building on Elm Court, $85,000 for purchase of a new police cruiser, $76,200 for replacement of carpets at Smith Academy, some of which date to the 1980 construction of the building, $42,000 for the repair and replacement of six fire hydrants and $27,837 to create the Stomwater Asset Management Plan.

CPA spending

Spending will also come from the Community Preservation Act accounts, including $91,700 for rehabilitating and restoring the town-owned Day Pond, at Smith Academy. “This is the final piece to get that pond fixed up,” said Select Board member Ed Jaworski.

Another $48,000 from CPA goes to install the new Oliver Smith Park within the Main Street Cemetery, and $20,000 will restore and rehabilitate the walkways, fences and other historical features in that cemetery, while another $14,000 will expand and rehabilitate the main roadway into the Main Street Cemete1y.

CPA money also includes $40,000 to restore and rehabilitate the Cutter Farm Museum Barn siding and roofing, $35,000 to restore and rehabilitate the main roadways on the east and west sides of the Bradstreet Cemetery on Depot Road and $30,000 to install an irrigation system for Smith Academy Park.

Bylaw changes

Two bylaws are being presented. One is a general bylaw, “Construction and Post-Construction Stormwater Management,” which is mandated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, as the town is facing an order to be in compliance by Feb. 2, 2026.

The bylaw will establish minimum stormwater management requirements and procedures in order to minimize damage to public and private property and infrastructure; safeguard the public health, safety, environment and general welfare; protect aquatic resources and wildlife habitat; protect the quality and health of water resources; conserve groundwater supplies; and foster climate and flood resiliency.

Levine said it creates a new stormwater management permit for construction activity that disturbs at least an acre of land, but there are exemptions for agricultural and roads and waivers can be issued. This will be followed by the Planning Board developing rules and regulations associated with this.

A zoning bylaw will bring accessory dwelling units into compliance with state law. The biggest change is to remove the requirement that these units be owner occupied.

“What it does is it matches the state’s requirements while also, I think, keeping very much intent the regulations they passed last year,” Levine said.

Other articles include spending $90,000 to pay for engineering services associated with permitting requirements under the Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems, or MS4, transferring $20,000 from free cash to the Other Post Employment Benefits Liability Fund, appointing the town treasurer as trustee of the Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund, and adopting the provisions of state law that allows town trust funds to be in accordance with the so called “Prudent Investor Rule.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.