HAMPDEN – Donald Davenport is running for the Hampden Select Board seat held by incumbent Vinnie Villamaino.

“I decided to run because the town is at a crossroads,” said Davenport. He said the town’s future is being driven by outside forces, namely, the solar companies and proponents of a hotly contested water and sewer project. He also pointed to the closing of Thornton Burgess Elementary School (TWB).

“The Selectmen settled in the TWB closing,” Davenport said, despite opposition by many in town. Davenport said that the Select Board isn’t giving “residents the consideration that’s needed.” He also said that the Select Board has been “dragging their feet” in acquiring a new emergency services radio system.

“I do feel I could do it better,” said Davenport. He cited his experience as both a former Chair of the Hampden School Committee and his time as Chief of Staff to former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger during the 1990s. Davenport said he also has a master’s degree in business administration.

Davenport described his vision for the town as preserving what they have while understanding that they need to grow.

“We’re in this together – we could solve this together,” Davenport said.

“A lot of people have invested in their homes. They appreciate safe streets, good schools, and open spaces,” Davenport said.

“We need to balance planning and reasonable growth, and address public safety issues,” he said.

Villamaino also wants to address public safety. Ideally, Villamaino said he would like to see a restructuring of the Fire Department to a full-time fire chief and six firefighters.

“Most of the time they’d be sitting around,” Villamaino said, “but when they save one child, it’ll be worth every penny.”

Recently, Villamaino took point on negotiating a contract with East Longmeadow and American Medical Response, an ambulance service, that provides service at no cost to the town.

Villamaino said that he and Police Chief Farnsworth have been negotiating since the fall, since they knew this was coming.

Villamaino said he was most proud of the work he had done in improving the Department of Public Works and the increased financial stability of the town. When Villamaino began, he said, there was no money in the Free Cash fund. Today, the town has about $7,000 in Free Cash. Similarly, he said, the town's Stabilization Fund has grown from $2,000 to over $1 million.

Villamaino told Reminder Publishing that he first ran for Selectman in 2007 at the behest of former Selectman John M. Flynn, the father of current Selectman John D. Flynn. Villamaino said that when the elder Flynn, a family friend, was retiring, he asked Villamaino to run for the seat.

Now that he’s been on the Select Board for 12 years?

“There’s things I have to finish,” Villamaino said of why he was running for a fifth term. “Life is passion; I’m going to be 65. God’ll tell you when it’s time,” Villamaino said.

Among the projects that Villamaino would like to see finished is a Senior Center expansion. He said it was needed since the town’s older population is growing and people from surrounding communities use Hampden’s center. Villamaino also wants to add an addition to the DPW facility.

The adoption of a District Improvement Zone, the first step in obtaining District Improvement Financing (DIF) and a proposed water and sewer system is the topic on which the two candidates differ most.

“It only will help us,” said Villamaino. “You need a private partner and a town to work together.” He said that businesses and homes using the public water system would generate revenue for the town by incurring water bills. Villamaino also said that the accompanying fire hydrants would make the town safer.

Davenport disagrees and is concerned about how a water and sewer plan would allow the GreatHorse Country Club to expand, leading to a change in the character of the town.

“Condos would significantly change what Hampden is like,” said Davenport. He said that he believes GreatHorse’s “real plan is to create an entertainment complex.”

Villamaino, a member, an abutter, and his business is contracted as a vendor of GreatHorse, said that he’s only concerned with what is in the best interest of the town.

“I’ve never had an agenda about anything,” Villamaino said.     “You’re not always going to make some people happy, but you have to try to make the town happy,” said Villamaino.

Davenport stresses that no independent study has been done on a potential water and sewer system, and as such, the town should not define a zone for the DIF. Villamaino said that defining the boundaries of the zone is the first step to getting that study done. He acknowledged that the DIF is controversial, in part because in its initial stages it would mainly serve the downtown area.

“You’re not going to be able to do water everywhere, but you do what you can,” said Villamaino. He said that “change is a hard thing to accept, but nothing ever stays the same.”

The Town Election is May 20.