HAMPDEN – The Hampden Board of Selectmen met on March 18 to decide on plans for a new business and upgrades to the town’s fire equipment and senior center.

A permit was issued to Joe Mascaro to open a used-car lot on North Monson Road. The lot will be allowed to have up to six vehicles for sale at a time. Mascaro, the owner of Northeast Automotive in Wilbraham, was granted the permit with the stipulations that no vehicle repairs were to be done on site and the property was to remain free of damaged vehicles and parts.

“We’re expecting a little nicer operation,” Selectman John Flynn told Mascaro, referencing the auto repair business in Wilbraham.

The Select Board looked at the fire department’s need for a second tanker. The department has been running with only one tanker for six months, since the retirement of a 1974 tanker which lacked modern safety features. Flynn proposed waiting another year to purchase a tanker in order to space out the incursion of debt. He said the fire departments in surrounding towns had been assisting, as needed, and that could continue until a tanker is purchased next year.

A feasibility study was discussed for the expansion of the Hampden Senior Center. A shed for more storage and upgrades to the parking lot are needed.

“We have the potential for a large acquisition of debt,” Flynn said, pointing out that some of the current debt will be paid off in the next year, allowing for needed purchases and upgrades.

In continued discussions, it was noted that with Earth Day coming up, the Polish National Credit Union has proposed bringing 200 environmentally-friendly shopping bags to the Town House in order to provide a central location for people to pick them up. Regarding the date for the town-wide clean-up, which is usually close to Earth Day, – April 22 this year– the Board also considered the idea of moving it closer to the Memorial Day parade at the beginning of May so that the streets are clean for the event.

Flynn said that the town has little room to negotiate a contract for recycling services due to the poor state of the market for recyclables.

“The agreement we get is the agreement we get,” Flynn said.