Hampden Raises Transfer Station Fees, Appoints ZBA Member at April 13 Meeting

HAMPDEN — April 13, 2026 — Hampden Select Board votes to raise transfer station fees and advances regional dispatch talks. The board unanimously adopted Board of Health recommendations to increase large trash bag rolls from $40 to $45 and small rolls from $20 to $25, effective May 1, with annual permit fees rising from $70 to $80 and senior permits from $40 to $50, effective July 1, as hauling costs climb and a new trash contract is projected at roughly $90,000. In regional dispatch talks, members expressed support for a proposed four-year agreement with Wilbraham running through fiscal year 2030 at a base assessment of $125,000 for fiscal year 2027, with annual increases of 2 percent in year one and 3 percent in each of the three following years, though no formal vote was taken. The board also approved the appointment of ZBA associate member Tom Attucks to a full seat following Fred Lesniak's resignation, and approved two one-day liquor licenses for Senior Center events in April and May. A joint meeting with the Wilbraham Select Board on the regional school agreement was tentatively set for April 30, with a proposed agenda focused on a five-year maintenance plan, a repair cost cap, and a joint commitment letter to the district — but not, after board deliberation, a proposal to relocate eighth graders to the high school.