WESTFIELD – During public participation at Thursday’s City Council meeting, At-large Councilor Dan Allie read a letter from former Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell. The letter spoke of O’Connell’s gratitude for all the work behind the Act signed by Governor Charles Baker on August 8, authorizing Westfield to accept certain ways as Public Ways.
“I’m so grateful to all the councilors who supported the Home Rule petition,” O’Connell wrote. “It was a very long journey to get here and we would not have arrived had we not worked together. This certainly allows some short cuts for the acceptance of Private ways in our great City, something that is desperately needed.”
The Act, which City Clerk Karen Fanion submitted and the City Council accepted and filed, authorizes the city to accept as public ways any one of 61 listed private ways, provided the layout of the way has been approved by the City Council after a public hearing; and after a determination that the city owns the land or easement for the purpose of the public way, or has acquired the easement. The Act and list of private ways is on file at City Hall.
During the meeting, the City unanimously approved two grants for immediate consideration, including one for $2.7 million from the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport improvement program to increase airfield drainage at Westfield-Barnes Airport. Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski, Airport liaison, said the city portion of the grant will be $150,000, which will be part of the airport budget for 2020.
Also approved for immediate consideration was a grant in the amount of $50,000 from the Mass. Clean Energy Commission for the Department of Public Works, Wastewater Treatment Plan Innovative Technology Pilots program.
Jeffrey Gamelli, Deputy Superintendent of Water Pollution Control Division, Water Resources Department. (Photo by Amy Porter)
DPW Director David Billips introduced and credited Jeffrey Gamelli, Deputy Superintendent in the Water Pollution Control Division of the Water Resources Department, for obtaining the first-time grant. Billips also encouraged councilors to visit the Wastewater Plant to see the work Gamelli is doing there. He said immediate consideration of the grant is necessary because the testing has to be done this season.
The grant is for testing of a new ammonia-based aeration control. Gamelli said it is newer technology that was implemented a year ago at the treatment plant. The test will be to quantify energy savings of the new technology and other impacts, both positive and negative. He said the cost to the city would be $5,000.
Following the acceptance of these two grants for immediate consideration, At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty asked for clarification from the Law Department for the next meeting on Council rules which state that resolutions involving spending require two meetings.
Two other grants, one for $65,170-Federal share from the Department of Homeland Security and a $6,516 city share to the Westfield Fire Department to train EMS personnel for Active Shooter incidents; and one for $13,760 from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to the Westfield Emergency Management Agency, were referred to the Finance sub-committee for review.
Also approved for immediate consideration was the transfer of $77,548 from Off Street Parking to the City Clerk Department. Allie said the License Department has been transferred from under Off Street Parking to the City Clerk’s office, and the transfer of funds is necessary to pay the employees.
“I’m very much in favor of this. License (now) is where it belongs,” commented Ward 3 Councilor Andrew K. Surprise, before a unanimous vote was taken.
Final passage was also voted at the meeting for the Outdoor Dining/sidewalk café ordinance.
