Select Board closes warrant for Oct. 27 special town meeting; members debate start time and several funding articles

The Hamden Select Board voted to close the warrant for a special town meeting scheduled for Oct. 27, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. The board discussed adding a warrant article to change the start time of the annual town meeting and reviewed draft articles that will appear on the special meeting warrant.

Select Board members debated whether to propose moving the annual town meeting start time and agreed to place a proposed bylaw amendment on the special-warrant agenda for public discussion. “If we don’t do it now, it’s a year-long thing,” one member said, arguing a change would take effect only after the town’s schedule process. Board members expressed mixed views about earlier starts and noted the consent agenda can shorten the evening.

The board reviewed a series of funding requests that will appear on the warrant. Items discussed include: - Senior-center operating shortfall: board members said a lost state grant of roughly $7,500 will create a shortfall; the warrant contains either a direct appropriation or a proposal to repurpose existing appropriations or transfers to cover the gap. - Facilities and personnel adjustments: members noted a restoration of a full-time facilities-manager salary and some unbudgeted insurance payouts tied to an unexpected retirement; one participant said departments and advisory had previously discussed budget latitude to cover benefit changes. - HVAC replacement at town/town-hall facilities: contractors’ preliminary ballpark estimates were discussed; board members cited a working figure in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars and said $250,000 was a likely planning estimate for the HVAC replacement, though exact bids were not yet available. - Transfer-station electrical and signage: the board discussed a $12,500 estimate to run power to a shed at the transfer station, described in the meeting as roughly $10,000 for electrical work plus $2,500 for signage. - Vehicle and equipment requests: the warrant includes money requested for a police vehicle (the interim police chief proposed choices including an interceptor SUV and a truck), a highway loader discussed at roughly $175,000, and a parks pickup truck estimated at $20,000. - Cemetery turnaround and CPA funds: the cemetery commission has requested Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to build a cul-de-sac/turnaround in the older section of the cemetery; board members asked the town administrator to confirm whether CPA funds can be used for construction versus historical-conservation work and noted a state grant opportunity that could cover open-space study costs. - Lodging excise: the board reviewed the state lodging excise (cited as Chapter 64G, Section 3A) and discussed adopting the local option; members noted the statutory maximum is commonly 6 percent and that the tax is collected by lodging providers and remitted with sales/use tax filings.

Board members also reviewed standard warrant housekeeping items including transfers from free cash and stabilization to reduce the tax rate and other routine financial transfers. The Select Board moved to close the warrant with the amended list of articles and placeholders for additional HVAC and repurposing requests; the motion was seconded and the board approved closing the warrant.

Members asked staff to investigate funding alternatives (unused appropriations, enterprise fund implications and grant opportunities) and to confirm legal constraints for CPA spending prior to the advisory hearing.

The special town meeting warrant and supporting materials will be posted with the town clerk’s office and advisory committee prior to the Oct. 27 meeting.