ANDREW K. SURPRISE
WESTFIELD – The City Council meeting on Dec. 19 closed on an emotional note, as members said goodbye to four councilors who would be leaving them.
The next scheduled meeting of the City Council has been moved to Monday, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m., the day of the inauguration and swearing in of new councilors.
At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty said he wanted to thank all of them for their work. He said people don’t realize that councilors don’t just show up on Thursdays for an hour, or sometimes for nine hours, but many spend 15 to 20 hours during the week on the work behind the scenes.
Flaherty said Councilor Andre K. Surprise was one of those leaving who had spent an inordinate amount of time doing Council work.
“You’ve seen him take leads on financial issues and water issues, and he’s certainly made an impact in the city. Hope to see you sometime in the future,” Flaherty said as he presented him with a plaque.
“I would just like to say it’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to work for the City of Westfield. I don’t have a family yet, but I do appreciate those of you with a family. It’s an inordinate amount of time away from your family, in addition to all of the other things that most of us on this Council do in the community besides city council,” Surprise said, adding that people don’t realize how much time councilors dedicate to other organizations and non-profits in the city.
He said going forward, regardless of whether or not he agrees with councilors on issues, he hopes they will all do what they think is best for the City of Westfield. “I do appreciate all of your experience and your time, and having worked with you, and the relationships we’ve formed,” Surprise said.
MATT EMMERSHY
Flaherty then presented a plaque to At-large Councilor Matt Emmershy, saying, “Same message. Matt spent a lot of time on the water issues, and he’s been chasing DPW issues for a long time. He made a huge effort on behalf of the citizens of Westfield,” Flaherty said, adding that he “came out of nowhere and won an election, and made a difference in those two years.now, you’ll have time for your family,” Flaherty said as he thanked him again, and told him he hoped to see him in the future. “He’ll be following us for sure,” he added.
“When I set out to do this, I had no idea what I was stepping into,” Emmershy responded, saying that the most rewarding part for him was knocking on doors. “The connections, people that you meet in this city; it’s truly remarkable the scope of people you meet. Friendships made, professional contacts, people that I’ve met that I wouldn’t have met otherwise without doing this. We’ve obviously had some issues, the water is still ongoing, but I can say I was glad I was there to be part of it,” he said.
Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy then presented a plaque to Ward 5 Councilor Leslie LeFebvre, who replaced Councilor Bob Paul in January. “You joined us halfway through the term,” Figy said, saying he was still a rookie, but adding that he did it with flair and vigor and jumped right in. He said LeFebvre did great things with the board of Public Works and the Water Commission and “never hesitated to ask a question, get a clarification. I appreciated that,” Figy said, thanking him for his dedication and service to the city of Westfield.
LESLIE LEFEBVRE
“I really enjoyed being on the council for this year,” LeFebvre responded, noting that it was challenging and sometimes reminded him of his job as an aerospace engineer and project manager for UTC, in which he celebrated 40 years last month. He said he met a lot of people in his ward, and felt that he responded to their requests in a timely manner, which was rewarding.
LeFebvre also said that he would like to continue with public service, on the council, or on a commission.
The last plaque was given to Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski by At-large Councilor Brent B. Bean, II.
“Last but not least. When I looked at this plaque, I was put back at just our years. I feel like Mary Ann’s been here as long as I have,” Bean said. He said she had represented Ward 1 with real grace and honor, and a kind of “pitbull attitude,” adding that she had been advocating for the ward for many, many years, probably more than he had been on the council.
“I know I’ve learned from you. All of us have learned from you, I’ve been around some strong councilors, and I put you right at the top of that list. We hate to see you go, hopefully this isn’t the last time. It’s my honor and privilege,” Bean said as he made the presentation.
Following Bean, a member of a contingent of Ward 1 residents who came to honor Babinski at the meeting approached the council and presented her with a bouquet of flowers in gratitude for her service to the ward.
Also speaking in her honor were Councilors Burns, Flaherty, Onyski, and Allie, who thanked all of the departing councilors for their dedication.
Council President pro tem John J. Beltrandi, III said that he and Babinski couldn’t be farther apart on the spectrum, he as a builder, and she an environmental activist. “I have the utmost respect for her. She and I have had discussions and we’ve been this far apart, but at the end of the whole thing, we can sit down and have a glass of wine. Ward 1 has been well represented. She’s a great person,” Beltrandi said.
Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski (WNG File Photo)
“I feel like I have been here for many years. I sat over on that side in the public seats going back 10 years ago, even further. When I ran for City Council the first time I came up a little short. I did come back for two years before I ran again. One thing I’ve learned that sitting on that side and then coming to this side, it’s a whole different story; you realize that what you think you know when you sit over there, you realize when you come over here really don’t know,” Babinski said.
Babinski added that she has appreciated all of the questions from the people in her ward, which allowed her to go to the departments for the answers, and learn about all the people that work in them and on the commissions.
“The first question I posed I had a question about sewers on the north side. I went to visit (DPW Director) Dave Billips, and he proceeded to give me a three-hour lecture on sewers and how they work. What I came away with from there is everything has a lot to do with elevation and gravity. There are a lot of things we deal with that have to do with elevation and gravity,” she said.
“I now know more than I ever thought I would want to know about planes, trains, automobiles, Open Meeting Law and pigeons (long story),” Babinski said, admonishing councilors to “listen, learn, pay attention, do your homework, as we all know how much is involved in that, and help each other out.”
Babinski said she now has a chance to step back, and take inventory on what the next chapter will be. ”This has been a wonderful chapter I’ve added to the book of my life,” she said.
Figy then presented a gift to Donna Roy, who was Clerk pro tem at the meeting, for all of the employees in the City Clerk’s office on behalf of the City Council.
