I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer! We can only hope that September and the beginning of fall will bring lower humidity 
and much needed rain.
City Council meetings resumed on Monday, August 22. The Thursday, August 18 meeting was moved because of the Babe Ruth World Series championship game at Billy Bullens Field. The regular City Council meetings on the first and third Thursday of the month will begin again on Thursday, September 1.
My sincere congratulations to Dan Welch and his team of organizers for a job well done in the months before and during the Babe Ruth World Series ten day event. The series didn’t come without its challenges weather-wise and otherwise. In the end, it was a great accomplishment and opportunity for Westfield to put its best foot forward and that it did. The Westfield Babe Ruth Team deserves congratulations for their determined efforts. They represented their hometown well and I hope they came away from the event with many great memories. After taking some well deserved time for rest and relaxation, perhaps the organizers could offer some constructive feedback on the overall experience. Lessons learned and shared would definitely provide valuable information for future events. I’m guessing someone may have already started a list.
The August 18 Legislative and Ordinance (L&O) meeting and the August 22 City Council meeting had the Airport Noise Compatibility Program on their agendas. I appreciated hearing from residents who came forward at both meetings to talk about their experiences with this project and their concerns about the next phase. It appears that continued open dialog and clarification would be very helpful for all of those involved. Addressing concerns and providing an opportunity for open discussions tonot only those directly impacted by this project but also other city residents would be important at this stage of the project. This phase of the project provides for the formation of a noise mitigation advisory committee. It is my hope that more residents will have the opportunity to participate on this committee. It would be helpful if those most directly impacted by this project as well as other residents could have a voice at the table.Those who wish to review the final report and the details contained in the Noise Program Documents can visit the Barnes Airport website at http://www.barnesairport.com/part-150 . After the report is sent to the FAA for approval there should be an opportunity for public comment. If you have concerns or questions, please take the opportunity to share your comments.
Another issue I would like to address is the contaminationof Wells 7&8 on the northside and our need to protect the Barnes Aquifer. As most of you may already know, these wells were shutdown and further testing continues. The shutdown contributed to the issuance of a water use restriction even before this summer’s drought. Both factors, clearly illustrate the importance of taking seriously our responsibility to protect the aquifer located within the Water Resource Protection District on the northside. The Barnes Aquifer cannot be moved. It is my opinion that we can implement and enforce measures that set as a priority the protection of this valuable drinking water resource. We cannotafford to risk endangering the future of the aquifer.
Some say, we can just clean it. Cleaning it is not always a simple or possible solution. Cleaning takes time. Remediation programs can last years, or decades (or millions of years). The cleaning process is complicated and very expensive.Prevention is easier and cheaper than cleaning it. Because it is out of sight it cannot and should not be out of mind. Going forward, it is my hope that we will do what needs to be done to protect this aquifer.
Schools will be opening on September 1. It is time to remind everyone to please drive carefully. The AAA offers these recommendations to drivers to keep kids safe:Slow downin school zones; Come to a complete stopfor children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding; Eliminate distractions while driving; Be aware of your vehicles blind spots; Watch for bicycles; Talk to your teen driver about school zone safety; and know and obey the rules when children are entering or exiting a school bus.
I will be holding office hours for Ward 1 residents at the Barnes Regional Airport Conference Room located at 100 Airport Road on Monday, September 19, 2016, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
I want to thank residents who reached out to me over the summer months with their comments and concerns. I encourage you to continue to reach out to me at [email protected] or 413-568-8562
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Babinski, Ward 1 City Councilor
