Southampton Board Accepts State Offer to Fund Rail Trail Gap Design and Permitting

Other Committee · Meeting of July 28, 2026

EAST HAMPTON — Southampton Select Board accepts state offer to fund full Rail Trail design at no cost to the town. Kurt Gartner, Assistant Secretary of Environmental Policy at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, presented Monday alongside a team from Stantec and Brown, Richardson & Row, offering to pay for the full design, permitting, and construction-document work — estimated at roughly $115,000 for the preliminary phase alone — needed to close a nine-and-a-half-mile gap between the existing Southampton Greenway and the Columbia Greenway in Westfield. The board agreed informally to move forward cooperatively with at least two public meetings planned, with a preference for one in person.

In a separate matter, Town Clerk Lucille Dalton told the board she would "prefer that you don't" run a concurrent special election in November to fill the board's vacant fifth seat, citing the significant cost and staffing burden of separate ballots, separate mailing, and matching early-voting obligations, leaving the vacancy to the May 2027 annual election. The board also approved the hiring of Brian Foy as a part-time COA van driver at up to 18 hours per week, fully reimbursable under the town's FRTA grant.

In the full story:

• Background and stakes
• The question before the board
• Substantive content
• The deliberation
• Procedural steps and outcome
• Implications and what is next
• The complete report — 3,483 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of July 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

Southampton Rail Trail Presentation: State Team Proposes Full Design and Permitting Partnership

Background and stakes

Southampton has been assembling the pieces of its Rail Trail Greenway for more than two decades, acquiring right-of-way from the Pioneer Valley Railroad and working through prior design phases with consultant Ty and Bond. Despite that work, a nine-and-a-half-mile gap between the southern end of the town's current trail segment and the Women's Temperance Park in Westfield has remained unbuilt. Separately, the City of Westfield has been working with the state's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to design the Columbia Greenway extension northward from that park. Monday's presentation was an offer to connect both efforts into a single funded package.

The question before the board

Whether the Select Board would accept a state-funded proposal under which Energy and Environmental Affairs, working through an existing contract with Stantec and Brown, Richardson & Row, would design, permit, and prepare construction documents for both the Westfield and Southampton portions of the trail gap — at no design cost to Southampton.

Substantive content

Kurt Gartner, Assistant Secretary of Environmental Policy at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Secretary Tepper's designee to the Massachusetts Trails Team, led the presentation. He described the project as part of a key statewide trail network linking Connecticut through Southwick and Westfield to Northampton and potentially New Hampshire. The proposed Southampton segment runs approximately 1.8 miles within the abandoned railroad right-of-way Southampton has already purchased, from College Highway Route 10 near Sheldon's Ice Cream south to connect with the Columbia Greenway extension coming up from Westfield.

The preliminary design phase is estimated to be worth approximately $115,000 to Southampton and is expected to take about one year. That phase includes field survey, wetlands delineation, wildlife and priority habitat review where required, and preliminary structural assessments. Gartner described the overall design process as following standard engineering checkpoints — conceptual, 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent construction documents — with the full process expected to take several years. Construction is intended to be funded by MassDOT through the Transportation Improvement Program, with Southampton and Westfield treated as a single construction package.

The Westfield side of the project is described as significantly more complex: it requires a purpose-built tunnel under the Massachusetts Turnpike and new bridges over active tracks in downtown Westfield. That complexity will influence the overall timeline and the staging of Southampton work.

The deliberation

Board members asked directly about the Route 10 crossing near Brickyard Road, described in the meeting as the principal design challenge on the Southampton side. The intersection is a multi-leg, off-angle crossing where traffic descends at speed from the Westfield direction toward Sheldon's Ice Cream, and the historic Old Canal area sits directly at the crossing point. Elise D'Onofrio, principal engineer at Stantec, walked through the firm's toolkit for complicated at-grade crossings: rapid flashing beacons, overhead hawk signals, trail jogging approaching the intersection to slow trail users, textured pavement crossings, advance signage, and where appropriate, roadway narrowing to shorten crossing distance.

"We have a variety of treatments. We will sometimes — leading up on the roadway — include signage and signaling indicating for folks to slow down as they are coming down." [00:26:17] — Elise D'Onofrio, principal engineer, Stantec

One board member noted that residents adjacent to the right-of-way in the Brickyard Road area — where the abandoned rail corridor runs close to the backs of existing homes — have been the most consistently expressed concern at prior public discussions. The design team acknowledged that corridor section as one requiring particularly sensitive handling and said it had already anticipated it as a priority issue.

Board member Doug Hamill said he had no particular design objections at this stage and supported moving the project forward, adding a specific request that at least one of the required public meetings be held in person rather than virtually to maximize community participation. Gartner and the Stantec team agreed, suggesting the in-person meeting should happen once graphics are sufficiently developed to be useful to the public — not at the earliest stages.

Greenway Committee member Mark Cassis raised two additional items: first, that deed exclusions in the railroad transfer may create uncertainty on at least two parcels along the southern portion, and that those documents should be reviewed carefully; and second, a concern about managing the upcoming MassDOT 25 percent design public hearing for the north portion of the trail separately from any discussion of this new south-side design effort, to avoid public confusion about which process addresses which segment.

Tammy Malinus, 298 College Highway and president of the Southampton Historical Society, spoke during public comment. She expressed appreciation that the team was aware of the historic buildings and canal at the Route 10 corner and asked directly whether the state team was committed to ensuring the Southampton portion gets completed rather than indefinitely delayed.

"I was on this when this first started. So it's 20-something years going on to get it completed. Is your group willing to make sure that the Southampton part gets our stuff done also?" [00:37:30] — Tammy Malinus, president, Southampton Historical Society

Gartner gave a direct commitment: the Gateway City Parks program does not operate on annual grant cycles and stays with projects until completion, citing the Northern Strand as one example that took roughly three years and others that took five to eight.

Procedural steps and outcome

No formal vote was taken on the rail trail presentation. The board chair indicated, speaking on behalf of board members, that Southampton welcomes the state's assistance and will move forward cooperatively, with a minimum of two virtual public meetings during the preliminary design phase and a preference for at least one in-person session. Field work is expected to begin within the next couple of months.

Implications and what is next

The design team will be in contact with the Greenway Committee and appropriate town staff before beginning field work to ensure abutters and neighbors receive notification in advance of surveyors appearing on or near their properties. The MassDOT 25 percent design public hearing for the north trail segment is expected this fall and will need to be kept procedurally distinct from any public engagement on the new south-segment design work.

Town Administrator's Report

Background and stakes

This was the second edition of a redesigned town administrator's report format. The board used it as a standing agenda item to surface several pending financial and operational matters.

Substantive content

Town Administrator Scott reported the FY27 state budget has been finalized and cherry sheet aid figures have been released. Some aid lines came in slightly above projections, others slightly below, with some assessments also rising. He did not have a net figure available at the meeting. Senator Villas is continuing to push for a $200,000 earmark for Norris School; if approved, funds would likely arrive around the beginning of 2027.

The Finance Committee has approved approximately $130,000 in capital improvements at Norris School, focused on water remediation and sidewalks. Doug Hamill elaborated: the Finance Committee has approved $30,000 for sidewalk repairs (a trip-hazard item with quotes already in hand) and approximately $100,000 for flooring replacement where buckling poses safety risks inside the school.

Chris reported attending webinars on federal infrastructure funding programs, noting two items on the horizon: a new grant program called MassBuild for municipal infrastructure, and a separate low-cost revolving loan program. Neither is yet available online, with an estimated one to two months before details are posted.

On year-end financial close, board member John raised an email from Don indicating the School Department plans to work on its closeout around August 10 and is seeking a state extension on its DESE year-end report, which is technically due September 30, with an expected extension request to October 31. Since approximately 70 percent of the town's budget flows through Hampshire Regional and Norris School, this affects pre-cash certification timing, which is now expected to slip to October.

Town Administrator Scott also noted the town has qualified for the next Mass Trails grant phase for Phase One of the Greenway.

Implications and what is next

The delayed school year-end report will push pre-cash certification into October, affecting the town's fiscal position verification timeline.

Appointments and Resignations

The board voted unanimously to accept two personnel actions: the resignation of Jessica McConnell from the Library Board of Trustees, effective July 8, 2026, and the reappointment of Christina Madsen as an at-large member of the Master Plan Implementation Committee for a one-year term expiring June 30, 2027.

Personnel Policy Review: FMLA and Bereavement Leave

Background and stakes

Town Administrator Scott initiated what he described as a structured effort to review and update the town's personnel policy manual. He selected the FMLA policy and bereavement-leave policy as the first two items, describing them as relatively straightforward starting points before the board moves to more complex topics like vacation, sick time, and compensation.

The question before the body

Whether to accept both policies as first reads and proceed with a two-week input period followed by a required public hearing before final adoption.

Substantive content

On FMLA, the principal change is structural: rather than restating the specific terms of federal and state law (leave duration, qualifying conditions, eligibility thresholds) in the town's own policy, the revised version refers employees back to the governing statutes. This makes the town policy self-updating if law changes. Where the town has discretion — such as whether to use a rolling 12-month period or a calendar-year period for leave calculations, and how accrued paid time off interacts with FMLA leave — the policy spells out the town's specific choices. The Massachusetts Small Necessities Leave Act, which allows employees up to five days for events such as children's school conferences or medical appointments, is incorporated by reference.

Scott also noted that a separate packet summarizing specific federal and state leave programs — the FMLA, SNLA, pregnancy act, and medical insurance programs — would be provided to employees alongside the policy manual as a reference booklet.

On bereavement leave, the revision adds flexibility in two respects: it allows leave for a person who served in a parental role but was not a biological or immediate family member, and it permits leave to be taken at the time of a memorial service or celebration of life rather than only at the time of death, subject to supervisor approval.

The deliberation

Chris raised a question about the service-member provisions that appeared in the prior FMLA policy but are absent from the revision. Scott confirmed those provisions were removed because they simply restate federal law and would require a policy update if the law changes. Board member Mike endorsed the discretion built into the bereavement policy but recommended a 15-minute supervisor training session to ensure discretion is applied consistently and documented.

"I believe in giving discretion. I just think everybody needs to understand what that word means and how to apply it and document it." [00:57:44] — Board member Mike

Board member John clarified the process: after a second read in two weeks, the town will post the revised policies for a period specified in the existing manual (either 10 or 15 days, to be confirmed), hold a public hearing for affected employees, and then the policies take effect. The board discussed batching multiple future policy revisions for a single quarterly public hearing.

Procedural steps and outcome

Moved by Doug, seconded by Charlie. Approved unanimously 4-0 to accept both policies as first reads.

Legal Update: Elections and Board Vacancy

Background and stakes

The Select Board has a vacant fifth seat. Separately, the town has a pending question about changing the treasurer-collector position from elected to appointed, which was approved at town meeting with language authorizing the board to approach the legislature. Both items involve questions about ballot placement and statutory requirements.

The question before the body

Whether to pursue placing either or both questions on the November 3, 2026 state election ballot, and what steps each would require.

Substantive content

Town Administrator Scott summarized his conversations with town counsel. Both questions, as he understood them, would require state legislative approval to appear on the November state election ballot. Town Clerk Lucille Dalton then appeared and provided additional detail, citing an email from Kelly Emmons, elections specialist at the Secretary of State's office, dated July 28, 2026 at 2:34 p.m. The key distinctions Dalton laid out

For the select board vacancy, no state legislation is required for a special election. The town can call a special election to be held concurrently with the November 3 state election. The two elections run on separate ballots at separate tables, voters receive two distinct ballots, early voting opportunities must match what is offered for the state election, and all costs — printing, mailing, staffing, programming memory cards for voting machines, additional poll workers, and police officers — fall to the town. The town did this in 2018 on a state primary.

For the treasurer-collector ballot question, state legislative action is required before the question can appear; it is intended for a regular annual election, not a special election.

The deliberation

The board chair pressed on whether the August 3 deadline to call a November special election for the board vacancy was real and achievable, and whether a Friday-through-Monday emergency meeting could meet it. He argued that leaving a four-person body in place for six months, through to the May 2027 annual election, was a governance risk given the board's current age profile.

Another board member countered that the practical gap being filled is only about six months, and that the cost and administrative burden on the clerk's office may not justify it. Dalton stated directly that she would prefer not to run a parallel November election, calling it a significant workload for her two-person office at a moment when she is already managing primary ballot mailings.

The board reached an informal consensus not to pursue the November parallel election for the board vacancy. The treasurer-collector ballot question will be targeted for the May 2027 annual election, subject to the required legislative process.

The board directed that the full Emmons email be made part of the public record.

Implications and what is next

The board's vacant fifth seat will remain unfilled until at least May 2027. The current appointed treasurer-collector, Megan, continues in that role until a successor is elected. Town counsel will need to be engaged on the legislative timeline for the May 2027 treasurer-collector ballot question.

COA Van Driver and FRTA Program

The board approved hiring Brian Foy of Southampton as a part-time COA van driver, working up to 18 hours per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at $1,998 (as stated in the motion). COA Director Kate explained the position fills scheduling gaps alongside existing driver Tim Huber, who covers Tuesdays and Thursdays. The position is fully reimbursable under the town's FRTA grant. Foy holds a CDL license with six years of relevant experience. Onboarding is expected to take approximately three weeks given MassDOT training requirements for FRTA drivers, including drug testing, accessible lift use, disability awareness, and CPR.

Kate also reported that a new FRTA contract — with the budget increased from $30,000 to $75,000 to cover additional drivers and some staff support — has been signed by the town administrator and is being returned to FRTA. The town is also transitioning to the Eco Lane scheduling system, which will allow both vans to be dispatched with coordinated scheduling.

Part-Time Administrative Assistant: Board of Health and Building Department

The board approved on second read the job description for a shared 16-hour-per-week administrative assistant position supporting both the Board of Health and the Building Department. The position was proposed and included in the prior fiscal year's budget. One board member noted the job description reads as complex for what may be an entry-level wage position and flagged a potential turnover risk, but agreed not to block the posting. Town Administrator Scott indicated the position would be classified through the existing compensation plan process and is expected to fall within the range of other part-time administrative positions.

Warrant, Minutes, Temporary Clerk, and Executive Session

The board approved minutes from May 26 and June 1, 2026. Warrants totaling $4,035,581.56 covering FY26 and FY27 town bills, educational assessments, biweekly payroll, and biweekly deductions were entered into the record; no separate vote was required. The board voted to designate Doug Hamill as temporary clerk of the Select Board pending election of a fifth member, a practical necessity raised when the question of who signs the minutes arose with the former clerk's departure. The board then voted 4-0 to enter executive session under MGL Chapter 30A Section 21A subsections 2 and 3, covering strategy for non-union contract negotiations and litigation strategy, and adjourned from public session at 7:27 p.m.

Select Board members present: - Chair (first name only, surname not identified in transcript) — Chair - Charlie Kinecki — Member (also seconded motions throughout) - Chris (surname rendered in transcript as "Pauls," "Balls," and "Falls" — likely ASR errors; exact surname unverified) — Member - Doug Hamill — Member; designated temporary clerk during meeting - John (surname not identified in transcript) — Member; asked questions throughout

Note: Transcript refers to four of four members present. A fifth seat is vacant.

Staff: - Scott — Town Administrator (surname not provided in transcript or documents) - Lucille Dalton — Town Clerk - Kate — COA Director (surname not provided in transcript) - Don — referenced in connection with school department year-end reporting; role not specified; not present at meeting

Presenters: - Kurt Gartner — Assistant Secretary of Environmental Policy, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; Secretary Tepper's designee to the Massachusetts Trails Team - Imogene Hatch — Brown, Richardson & Row, landscape architects and planners - Elise D'Onofrio — Principal Engineer, Transportation/Trails Group, Stantec - Allison LaFleur — Associate and Senior Planner, Stantec - Sue Kim — Senior Planner, Stantec

Public commenters: - Delta Cohen — resident, Citizens Speak; expressed concerns about town transparency and budget management - Mark Cassis — member, Greenway Committee; spoke to deed exclusions and historic site concerns - Aaron (surname not identified) — Greenway Committee member; spoke to residential areas and coordination needs - Tammy Malinus — 298 College Highway; president, Southampton Historical Society; spoke to trail completion commitment and historic resources at Route 10 corner

• Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs — state agency funding the rail trail design and permitting via the Gateway City Parks Program
• Massachusetts Trails Team — interagency group convened by EEA, includes MassDOT and DCR; advancing key statewide trail network
• Stantec — engineering and planning consultant under contract to EEA for trail design; designers of the Columbia Greenway extension and Northern Strand among other projects
• Brown, Richardson & Row — landscape architects and planners; prime contractor to EEA for trail design work
• Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) — aware of the project; intended to fund construction through the Transportation Improvement Program; also manages driver training for FRTA van drivers
• Pioneer Valley Railroad — former owner of the railroad right-of-way Southampton acquired for the Greenway
• FRTA (Franklin Regional Transit Authority, referred to in transcript as "FRIDA") — federally funded transit authority providing van, vehicle maintenance, and driver funding for the COA transportation program
• PVTA (Pioneer Valley Transit Authority) — referenced in connection with the COA access ride program
• Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — state agency to which the school department must submit year-end financial reports; extension to October 31 being sought
• Hampshire Regional School District and Norris School — together represent approximately 70 percent of the town's budget; relevant to year-end financial close and pre-cash certification
• Gateway City Parks Program — state program through which EEA funds trail projects; operates on a project-completion rather than annual-grant-cycle basis
• MassBuild — new federal/state infrastructure grant program referenced by Chris as forthcoming; not yet online
• Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A Section 21A — cited as authority for executive session (subsections 2 and 3, covering non-union contract strategy and litigation strategy)
• Email from Kelly Emmons, Secretary of State's office, dated July 28, 2026 — laying out the legal procedures for a concurrent special election; entered into public record at the meeting
• Town Personnel Policy and Procedure Manual — document being reviewed and updated; existing posting requirements (10 or 15 days) govern the public hearing process for policy changes
• Massachusetts Small Necessities Leave Act — Massachusetts statute allowing employees up to approximately five days of leave for routine family obligations; incorporated by reference in the revised FMLA policy