WESTFIELD – The City Council narrowly approved a $1.8 million bond Thursday night that will be used to rehabilitate recreational and athletic facilities across the city after nearly five months of discussion.
Former Mayor Daniel M. Knapik submitted a bond request of $4 million bond, on May 7, 2015, to improve athletic fields and recreational facilities, which was opposed by a significant number of councilors who requested Knapik to submit a more moderate bond figure
Knapik then revised the bond and sent the $1.8 million bond request to the council on June, which the council sent back to the mayor to change the language of the bond authorization.
At-large Councilor Brent B. Bean II, chairman of the Finance Committee, requested that Knapik submit a “gender neutral” bond request which would be used for a wide range of facilities supporting both male and female activities.
Knapik sent that bond authorization, with the revised authorization language, which was approved last night by a 9-4 vote. Bond authorization requires approval by a minimum of nine councilors.
The discussion last night, in particular among councilors who voted against the bond, is that there are other needs which should have a higher priority for funding.
At-large Councilor Cindy Harris was the first council to state she would vote against the recreational and athletic bond.
“I’m sympathetic to this,” Harris said. “But we need a roads program, that what people were asking for while I was campaigning. So until we have a roads program I will not vote to approve this bond.”
Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul Sr., also said that there are a number of other needs which should be addressed as higher priorities than the athletic and recreational bond.
Paul said that the School Department needs money for infrastructure repair, such as roofs and air conditioning systems, and that there is a need to improve technology system-wide in that department.
“There is a remedy,” Paul said. “There is a $4.2 million bond sitting on the mayor’s desk to fix school infrastructure and get new technology. There is no way I will support this $1.8 million bond. We have the ability to quickly get that $4.2 million bond through (the council).”
Council President and Mayor-elect Brian Sullivan said that he investigated his authority as acting mayor and that he can not submit a bond until he is sworn into office in January.
At-large Councilor David A. Flaherty, who voted in support of the $1.8 million bond package, said that there is a need for “maintenance of lots of thing, but this (bond) is a good investment. We’ve gone 20 years without fixing bathrooms (at athletic and recreational facilities) that don’t work.”
”We’ve just invested between $35 and $40 million over the last several years in our schools,” Flaherty said. “This is a high priority. I can’t see holding it up any longer.”
At-large Councilor Bean said that he is “in complete support” of the revised bond.
“I held this back to discuss gender equality which has been addressed,” he said.
Harris, Paul, At-large Councilor Matthew VanHeynigen and Ward 1 Councilor Christopher Keefe voted against the bond. Sullivan, At-large Councilor James R. Adams, Bean, Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean, Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, Flaherty, Ward 3 Councilor Brian Hoose and Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell voted to approve the package.
