Hadley Board of Health: staffing, events, synthetic-drug review and next meeting set for Sept. 10

At the July 29 Hadley Board of Health meeting staff reported progress on several administrative items and local public-safety issues. A staff member said the board has four nursing candidates under consideration, that a screening committee (staff plus one board member) will interview finalists, and that finalists will appear before the full board for a hiring vote.

Staff also notified the board of a temporary event planned for July 26 at Texas Roadhouse, explained that public-safety departments are coordinating approvals with vendors, and recounted outreach during a recent heat wave to summer camps, Parks & Recreation and youth sports with safety recommendations for at-risk groups.

On synthetic-drug policy, the staff member said they had consulted Cheryl Sabara (legal counsel who works with boards of health statewide) and expected to present legal background and a draft for the board to review at a future meeting before any vote. Peter (S6) gave a fiscal update noting the transition to FY27 on July 1 and an approximately 13% increase in cash receipts compared with FY25; the town-accountant’s FY27 numbers align with earlier negotiations and do not present immediate operational reductions.

The board discussed cemetery commission feedback on green-burial feasibility — several cemeteries were reported full or nearly full — and decided to pause the August meeting and reconvene on Sept. 10. A motion to adjourn was seconded (Margaret) and the meeting ended at 7:15 p.m.