Select Board Enters Session on Staff Contract Talks

Select Board · Meeting of July 1, 2026

Hadley's Select Board pressed Fire Chief Mike and Deputy Fire Chief Bob on ambulance costs and understaffing. Board members said the department remains out of OSHA two-in, two-out compliance and that a push toward advanced life support certification was "an end run around our directive, which was no more." Chief Mike said the department paused ALS licensing and instead submitted for BLS relicensure in June, while a paramedic costs about $1.52 more per hour than a firefighter-EMT plus a $6,500 annual stipend. The board also heard that local meals, lodging and marijuana excise taxes brought in nearly $1.9 million this year, approved fiscal 2027 committee reappointments and liaison assignments, and voted 4-0 to enter executive session on bargaining strategy for the fire chief, deputy chief, treasurer, and the DPW Supervisors Union.

In the full story:

• Consent Agenda and Conservation Restriction
• Fire Department Staffing, OSHA Compliance and the ALS-BLS Debate
• Boards and Committees Reappointments
• Agricultural Preservation Restriction Co-Holder Agreement
• Town Administrator's Fiscal 2027 Goals
• Employee Anniversary Recognition
• Town Administrator's Report
• Liaison Assignments
• Future Agenda Items and Announcements
• Executive Session
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,387 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 1, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.