HADLEY — Covering a warrant agenda spanning 22 articles, the spring Town Meeting first was witness to a promotion/pinning ceremony for four members of the Hadley Fire Department ahead of the reading and vote on the articles.

With Article 1 concerning the notice for the annual town election not requiring a vote, several listed articles — Articles 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 12, 13 and 14 — were designated and approved for the consent agenda.
Those articles concerned School Board authorization of Massachusetts Small Cities Program, state of federal grant monies received or applied for. In addition, funding and contracts from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation or Highway Division.

Also included were the transfer of $50,000 from the Water Reserves to the Water Plant Filtration Stabilization fund, authorization for the town administrator or Select Board to award contracts exceeding three years and $50,000 allotments from the Community Preservation Fund for Open Space Preservation, Historic Preservation and Housing Resources plus $10,000 to fund the committee for fiscal year 2024.

Deadline extensions for Community Preservation Act project and prior balances for transfer within CPA specific funds were also included in the combined articles for vote.

The consent agenda articles were motioned and passed.

Budget articles including the omnibus-general fund, calling for the transfer of $20,461,072 from available funds for the maintenance and operation of the town in FY24 passed near unanimously.

Appropriations of $402,307 from free cash and a Special Revenue Fund with the intent to seed and enhance ambulance service including Basic Life Support passed 149-1, followed by a round of applause from the audience.

In some contrast to recent discussions regarding the next steps for the future of the Russell School building, the annual town meeting made expedient work in passing approval for the funding of a feasibility study to determine what comes next for the 130-year-old structure.

Prior discussions and surveys have looked to town residents for input on what should be done with the building, which was decommissioned as an elementary school in 1996.

Most recently, the options of conducting the feasibility study prior to or during a potential stabilization effort have been on the table for consideration before the Russell School Committee, the Select Board and the Community Preservation Committee.

Speaking on behalf of the Select Board, Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan outlined Article 18, which requests the allocation to engage a firm to undertake the study. Addressing the meeting, she said the study will help frame the decision making for the town, regarding potential funding, future use of the building, tax credit eligibility as well as any sale or lease options and a review of demolition prospects.

Brennan indicated the study will also look at prior inquiries and research conducted on behalf of the school.

“Part of that scope of work is they will be looking at other studies that have been done previously with the Russell School,” she indicated.

Public comment during the May 4 Town Meeting went both against and in favor of approving $40,000 to fund the feasibility study. Questions were raised as to eliminating the possibility of any potential demolition and the elimination of the prior article 19, which addressed a $1.2 million building stabilization effort.

The article vote passed by a margin of 140-10.