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Select Board debates hours, benefits and scope for new Hampden staff roles
Summary
The Select Board discussed timing and job scope for several town positions — including a board of health coordinator, a combined facilities role and temporary clerical help for the planning board — and set a recruiting timeline for the health coordinator.
The Town of Hampden Select Board reviewed multiple open positions and job descriptions during its Jan. 21 meeting, discussing expected hours, benefit thresholds and whether certain duties should be combined or remain distinct.
Board members considered whether a town administrative position could be kept under 20 hours to avoid benefit thresholds and discussed trade-offs between a nonbenefited, part-time appointment and a full-time, benefited role. One board member said, “I would think 15 to 19 hours,” while others emphasized that recruiting could be more difficult for nonbenefited positions.
Workforce discussions focused on three roles in particular:
- Board of health coordinator: The board asked staff to advertise in early February with a goal of hiring by early March and discussed removing facilities duties from that job description so the coordinator’s scope would be primarily public-health-focused.
- Facilities manager (including buildings and maintenance): Members expressed reservations about combining facilities maintenance and janitorial responsibilities in a single hire. Several said the technical aspects of boiler, electrical and structural maintenance may require different skills than daily janitorial work, and some suggested the facilities role would likely be a 40-hour position if it included both sets of duties.
- Planning-board clerical help (temporary): The planning board requested continuation of a previously authorized clerical position for a limited period prior to the fall town meeting. The transcript records a motion and an affirmative voice vote approving continuation; staff said the TempHelp account has had approximately $2,000 expended and available balances were discussed, though precise account totals were not specified.
The board directed staff to clarify current incumbent status for certain positions, to confirm cost impacts on the FY25 budget, and to return with a hiring plan that addresses overlap and training time for any successor hires.
Ending: The board will advertise the board of health coordinator role in early February and return with updated job descriptions and budget impacts for consideration before formal hires.
