September 2025

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Town Manager Steve Williams

The days are getting shorter, and fall is just around the corner.  I’d like to remind you to save the date for this year’s Belchertown Town Fair, “Shake, Cattle and Roll,” happening September 19, 20, and 21.

The Fair kicks off Friday evening with Wristband Night—always a favorite for the young and the young at heart. On Saturday, the Parade begins at 10:00 a.m., but be sure to stop by Clapp Memorial Library at 9:30 a.m. to enjoy a performance by the Belchertown High School Band before the parade steps off.

Throughout the weekend, you’ll find delicious food, live music, local vendors, crafts, rides, performances, contests, and plenty of opportunities to spend time with friends, family, and neighbors. Check out the fair poster and more information on the Belchertown Fair below and at the fair website, www.btownfair.com.

As we head into September, I’d also like to remind everyone to stay extra mindful on our roadways. With kids back in school, there are more buses and students walking around town. The late-summer weather also brings out walkers, runners, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Please stay alert, take your time, and keep our community safe.

– Steve Williams, Town Manager

Town Updates

Join us for the 166th Belchertown Fair and Parade, September 19th through 21st!

THE THEME OF THE 166th FAIR IS: "Shake, Cattle, and Roll"

The Belchertown Fair reflects Belchertown’s strong agricultural roots and has been at the center of our town’s social and geographic history. There are special theme awards in the Parade, vendor booths, and an Exhibit Hall. It is fun to see how people interpret the theme every year. What does it mean to you? Put your thinking cap on if you are a participant. If you are a visitor, we look forward to showing off our Belchertown farming community.

We are a community fair that celebrates our agricultural roots as well as our active growing community. We offer a wide variety of family-friendly activities throughout the weekend. We are proud to be able to continue to say most activities are free, including admission! The Fair is coordinated by a town-appointed group of volunteers who work with community volunteers, town departments, and sponsors to make this Belchertown’s biggest community event each year.

A few reminders as you prepare to join us this year:

• We love our dogs just as much as you do but please leave them at home for the fair. Service animals are always welcome.
• Alcohol is never allowed on the Fair grounds during the fair.
• Be kind to your fellow fair goers and please do not smoke on the fair grounds.

Ready for a fun weekend? Check out this year’s schedule here: https://www.btownfair.com/event/

The Town is working across multiple departments and committees to manage its response to a hike in health insurance costs by the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, announced on July 30th and effective October 1st. The change in rates has caused a $911,000 shortfall in the Town’s health insurance budget.

A Tri-Board meeting of the Select Board, Finance Committee, and School Committee met on August 11th to discuss solutions that maintain town services without imposing additional taxes.

Click here to read an article on the Town website with more information about the budget issue and possible solutions.

Honoring Work Anniversaries

This month, we’re excited to celebrate two wonderful members of our Town team who have reached special milestones in their service to Belchertown.

Zachary Bombard, Assistant Assessor, is marking an incredible 25 years of service! Zachary’s knowledge, dedication, and steady support have been a true asset to the Town and to our residents over the years.

Dystiny Gamache, Building Custodian, is celebrating 5 years of service! Dystiny’s hard work and positive spirit help keep our buildings welcoming spaces for everyone who walks through the door.

We’re so grateful for all that Zachary and Dystiny do each day, and we congratulate them both on these meaningful milestones!

Welcome to Our New Administrative Assistant – Abby Lamborn

The Town of Belchertown is pleased to welcome Abby Lamborn as the new Administrative Assistant in the Town Manager’s and Select Board’s Office. Abby began her role on August 4, 2025, and will be an important point of contact for residents, staff, and community partners.

In her position, Abby will support the daily operations of the office, assist with communications, and help ensure that Select Board and Town Manager business runs smoothly. She brings strong organizational skills, a commitment to public service, and a welcoming presence that will be a great benefit to our community.



We are excited to have Abby on board and look forward to the contributions she will make in supporting the work of the Town Manager, Select Board, and the residents of Belchertown. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Abby as she begins this new chapter with the Town.

The Belchertown Cultural Council (BCC) is excited to announce the opening of its 2026 grant cycle, to support cultural programming that benefits the Belchertown community. The BCC is committed to fostering a vibrant cultural landscape in Belchertown by funding a diverse array of projects, from arts and humanities to interpretive sciences.

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to apply for funding to support initiatives that enhance the cultural vitality of our town. Past grant recipients have successfully brought enriching programs to our community, including musical performances, educational workshops, public art installations, and more.

Belchertown is part of a network of 351 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) in the Commonwealth. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each LCC. Based on community input, the BCC determines local priorities to fund. 2026 funding priorities are for: public events; nature, science, and environmental education; and programs celebrating local history and cultural diversity.

Key dates for the 2026 grant cycle:

September 2: Applications open

September 9: Virtual info session webinar at 6 p.m. Register at https://massculturalcouncil.org/event/local-cultural-council-grants-info-session-2/

October 16: Applications due

Prospective applicants are encouraged to explore the LCC grant program at https://belchertown.org/bcc.

Applications can also be submitted through the Massachusetts Cultural Council Website: https://massculturalcouncil.org/communities/local-cultural-council-program/

Contact: Molly Robinson, Belchertown Cultural Council, BCCgrantsMgr@gmail.com

On August 5th, we hosted National Night Out at Chestnut Hill School. The turnout was outstanding, with families, neighbors, and community partners coming together for an evening of connection and fun. Check out photos on our Facebook post here.

At the end of July, Comfort Dog Oliver turned two years old!

Join us for our Open House and 1st Annual Resource Fair!

Friday, September 26th, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m., 60 State Street

Learn more about your Senior Center!

• Join us in celebrating our amazing volunteers, instructors, technicians, and group leaders! They’ll be on hand to showcase their programs, answer any questions you might have, and help you feel at ease as you think about getting involved!
• Connect with our dedicated staff to discover their roles and find out how they can assist you!
• Savor delicious samples from our lunch menu and meet our Nutrition Team!
• Explore our Transportation options that are available for your convenience!
• Take a guided tour of the Senior Center and see all that we offer!
• Don’t miss out on a visit to Second Best Thrift Shop, conveniently located on-site and open for special hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.!
• And NEW THIS YEAR: Meet representatives from local programs and services that support older adults in our community. A wealth of information and resources will be available covering topics such as Safety, Health & Wellness, Civil and Social Outreach, Health Care, Future Planning, Living Accommodations, and much more!

We look forward to meeting you!

In DPW Administration:

• All attended National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The DPW hosted and displayed tables providing a wide array of information and educational materials from all aspects of DPW operations, displayed vehicles, answered questions, etc. 
• SAVE THE DATE: Hazardous Household Waste Collection Day is Saturday, September 13, 2025, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (noon). Belchertown residents and reciprocal neighbors can now pre-register to attend this event. You can find more information and the pre-registration from here: https://www.belchertown.org/206/Hazardous-Waste-Day-Information.
• New Vehicle Purchases: The DPW will soon be acquiring two New Ford F350 trucks for our Highway and Maintenance Divisions (funding approved to purchase at the May 2025 Annual Town Meeting). These much-needed trucks will be a great addition to our fleet.

In the Highway Division:

• We prepared streets for a second round of paving. 
• Road closures are scheduled for resurfacing on Stebbins Street and associated side streets, South Liberty Street, and Federal Street. 
• Seasonal roadside mowing continues.

In the Maintenance Division:

• The crew is mowing town grounds daily and has been removing overgrown brush and low limbs from open spaces and sidewalks.
• In preparation for the fall sports season, the High School fields are being mowed and lined. 
• The reconstruction of the Town Hall elevator project is complete. Prior to reopening, all required testing and state inspections must take place, and these are scheduled over the next few weeks. 
• Finnerty House has received a face lift. New storm windows and doors have been installed and all corner boards and window trim scraped and repainted. 
• The staff continued to assist with weekend summer events on the Common including Food Truck Fridays, the antique car show, the St. Francis tag sale, and the BOAT candlelight vigil.

At the Transfer Station & Recycling Center : 

• The Universal Waste Shed is a success! Residents are happy to have a designated drop-off shed to properly dispose of batteries, bulbs, and mercury-bearing items.  The shed is open during Transfer Station normal business hours.

At the Waste Water Treatment Facility:

• Annual mowing of sewer easements continues, and we have been working closely with the contractor installing the new trail along the sewer easement at Lake Wallace.
• The sludge holding tank cover has been repaired and newly coated. We began surface cleaning the exterior tank.
• We oversaw the connection of two new sewer services: a commercial connection on Front Street and a residential connection in the Tri-lakes collection system.
• We continue jetting sewer lines in all areas.

Stormwater 

Stormwater bills for Fiscal Year 2026 have been issued as of September 2, 2025 and are due by October 2, 2025.

Why Stormwater Management Matters

Did you know stormwater runoff is the leading cause of water quality problems in Massachusetts? Increasingly common problems like water contamination, habitat loss, beach closures, and depleted groundwater are the result of non-treated or poorly controlled stormwater runoff. 

The Town of Belchertown has monitored stormwater systems under the legislation of the Clean Water Act since 2003. A municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit issued under the Clean Water Act is currently in place to regulate stormwater discharges and improve water quality. An updated MS4 went into effect on July 1, 2018, requiring stricter stormwater management, without additional federal funding. With approval from the voters of Belchertown through the Town Meeting process, a stormwater utility was created to pay for increased requirements under the MS4 permit regulations and to create a fee-based funding source to cover the costs associated with the new requirements. 

Stormwater Utility Fee Structure

Please note that the stormwater fee is a utility charge, not a tax. As such, it applies to all properties that have impervious cover—this includes residential, commercial, nonprofit, and tax-exempt properties.

Revenue collected through the stormwater enterprise fund is used exclusively for stormwater-related expenses.

• Billing unit definition: 1 billing unit = 1,000 square feet of impervious/hardened surface area.
• Rate: The current flat rate is $6.65 per billing unit.
• Calculation: The flat rate for a billing unit was calculated by dividing the amount to be raised, by the total area of impervious cover in the town excluding public roadways. 

For questions regarding your property’s impervious area or stormwater billing, please contact the Conservation Office at (413) 323-0405. 

Payment Responsibility 

As a property owner, you are responsible for timely payment of your stormwater utility fee—even if you do not receive your bill due to loss, misdelivery, or transfer of ownership. Unpaid fees will be added as a lien to your real estate tax bill.

To ensure you receive timely notifications, we strongly recommend enrolling in email reminders through the Town’s UniPay system.  Visit the Town’s Payment Center at UniPay to sign up: https://unipaygold.unibank.com/default.aspx.

Thank you for your continued cooperation in protecting our community’s water resources!

The Assessors Office continues to accept applications for real estate tax exemptions for disabled veterans, seniors (70+ with income and asset criteria), surviving spouses (with asset criteria), and the legally blind.  All criteria for exemptions must be met by July 1, 2025 to be eligible for FY2026.  Please contact the office if you need an application: phone (413) 323-0413; email afilipkowski@belchertown.org.

During the month of September, the FY2027 Ch. 61A and Ch. 61B applications will be mailed to taxpayers who are currently enrolled in these land tax programs.  The deadline to submit the completed applications to the Assessors Office is December 1, 2025.  Taxpayers who are renewing their ten-year forestry plans for Ch. 61/61A should also submit their plan renewal and application to the Assessors Office by December 1.  If you have any questions or need an application, please contact Andrea Filipkowski in the Assessors Office.

The Assessors Office staff continues to perform cyclical inspections of residential properties in the north end of town.

Belchertown Fire Rescue sent three firefighters as mutual aid to the Town of Colrain to assist with a large brush fire. Belchertown firefighters responded with multiple other Hampshire County fire departments as a strike force on August 19th.  

Keep your eye out for notification on the final review of the Hazardous Mitigation Plan. This will be a public meeting happening in mid- September. A date will be sent out soon!

Belchertown Fire Rescue will hold its annual open house on October 11th to close out Fire Prevention week. Save the date and come on by and see the live demonstration on how home sprinkler systems work!

The Planning Department continues work on improving outdoor access for recreation and health benefits. The Lake Wallace Sensory Trail is in its final stage of completion and we all look to celebrate at the Lake Wallace Fall Fest on October 4—you don't want to miss it! We are also working with the Mass. Office of Outdoor Recreation on the Trail Access Working Group, an effort to improve access to trails for everyone in the state. A public forum is set for September 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. For information, contact the Planning Dept. at planning@belchertown.org. 

Belchertown was represented well at the UMass and Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Community Breakfast, where we continued to develop our relationships with UMass and the area's business community to boost our local businesses and to highlight the many assets of Belchertown. One comment from the UMass team was essentially, "Wow! We didn't know this is all here! There is a lot of opportunity here!!" 

In July, the Planning Board adopted revised subdivision regulations. This was the culmination of several years of research, discussion, public outreach, and editing. We are proud of the result; we believe this is a model for other towns, just as our commercial solar zoning bylaw is used state-wide as a model.

Fall is here, school is back, please see our website to see what programs, activities, and events we have to offer. Sign up now for our First Annual Lake Wallace 5k run at our Fall Fest Event on October 4th! 

Even though we are just starting youth fall sports, please look at the basketball signups for our tryout information. Tryouts begin at the end of September and we are trying to get dates and information to participants.

Be on the lookout for upcoming programs as well as opportunities to host parties or events at our Chestnut Hill Pool, Old Town Hall, and the Recreation Center. Information is located on our website (belchertownrec.com) or call us at (413) 323-0419.

The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) will be accepting applications for grant requests for the 2026 fiscal year starting on October 1st and running through early November. The current application form can be found on www.Belchertowncpc.org.

CPC-approved grant requests will be considered for the May 2026 Annual Town Meeting. Approved grant requests will be funded during the 2027 fiscal year. Any questions on the application process can be sent to Jim Natle at Jnate7007@aol.com.

Community Updates

For local historians and genealogists, Rural Cemetery is a key source of family history, chronicling generations of local residents.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Belchertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

This event is FREE, however advance registration is requested. Please follow this link to register.

Please wear comfortable shoes and prepare to be out in the grass. You may want to bring bug repellant and sunscreen.

Join the Friends of Lake Wallace for 3 events in September:

Clip & Chat Friends Meeting

Sunday, September 7th, 8:30–10 a.m.

Meet at the parking area by the Skatepark (5 Whitlock Way). Bring clippers and rakes to help redefine the edges of the trail.

Critter Sampling with Ms. Levy!

Friday, September 12th, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Meet at the picnic tables by Foley Field. Practice respectful exploration and learn to identify the diversity of life in fresh water.

16th Annual Lake Wallace Cleanup!

Sunday, September 28th, 2:00–4:00 p.m.

This event is part of the Connecticut River Conservancy’s Source to Sea Cleanup across 410 miles of the Connecticut River watershed! More information and sign up for the Friends of Lake Wallace Cleanup event here.

And remember to mark your calendars for the Lake Wallace Fall Fest on Saturday, October 4th!

• Sign up for a Fun Run or Stroll at the Recreation Department’s event registration page.  
• Check the Facebook page for the Lake Wallace Fall Fest for additional pre-Fun Run Trail crew events!
• Email questions (with “Lake Wallace Fall Fest” in the subject line) to recreation@belchertown.org.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 17 at 6:00 p.m. at the BHS stadium field for Youth Soccer Night, hosted by the Belchertown High School Boys Soccer Boosters and Belchertown United FC.

This is a fundraising event, and in addition to the game there will be raffle items, a lottery tree, and Chuck-a-Duck. Please visit our Facebook page for more information.

We ask all youth soccer players to come in their club’s soccer gear. Any youth players wearing their team jersey will gain free entry to the game, and all youth teams will be called out onto the field during half-time.  Come join the fun and represent your team!

Before You Hop Off