HADLEY — A panel focused on providing advice for what the town should do with the historic Russell School building in Hadley center is disbanding, one of a handful of committees being eliminated by the Select Board.

During the Select Board’s July 5 meeting, when reappointments to various committees were being made, the board decided to formally end the Russell School Committee, which it had formed last summer, as well as close down the Municipal Buildings Committee, the Public Shade Tree Committee and the Hadley Media Advisory Committee.

The Russell School Committee created a community survey on the future of the vacant 1894 building, which has sat idle for several years, and met regularly to discuss the building for several months, leading to a proposal to spend $1.2 million from the Community Preservation Act account to stabilize the building. That proposal was the result of the surveys that appeared to show support for saving the building, making sure that it doesn’t continue to deteriorate and possibly need to be demolished.

But the Select Board replaced this request at annual Town Meeting with $40,000 to pay for a reuse feasibility study. That means there will be no advocacy for the building until a report from a consultant is completed.

“I think they’ve done a great job, but I don’t know that we need them at the moment, until we move on to the next steps of where we’re going,” said Select Board member Jane Nevinsmith.

Once the feasibility study is done, Select Board Chairwoman Amy Parsons said a committee could be reactivated or a new committee could be created.

The other active committee, the Municipal Buildings Committee, recently reported to the Select Board on the status of the renovations to the Goodwin Library building. But much of its work is on a maintenance plan for town buildings, something that can best be done through other town staff.

The other committees going away have been mostly dormant.

Though the Hadley Shade Tree Committee had a ceremony to plant trees on the Town Common in honor of residents last November, it was down to one member. In addition, that committee no longer has its previous responsibility to take care of the tree nursery at the elementary school and work with the tree warden on plantings.

The Hadley Media Oversight Committee has had no members since a mass resignation occurred in 2020.

Select Board member Randy Izer said the committee isn’t useful, in part, because Alex LaMarche, who took over as Hadley Media’s director last August, is doing an excellent job.

One committee that was kept intact, though hadn’t met in over two years, is the Cable Franchise Renewal Committee. The Select Board is reducing its membership to five people, while seeking two residents interested in serving so that it will be ready to discuss terms of a new contract with Charter Spectrum.

The Select Board also preserved the Agricultural Commission, even though it has been struggling to get to a quorum to meet. That commission may be invited to a Select Board meeting in the fall to discuss topics related to farming.

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