Ward 2 Councilor and City Council President Ralph J. Figy (WNG File Photo)
WESTFIELD – The City Council will meet this Monday evening, April 22, after rescheduling from April 18 due to school vacation week with a packed agenda. The meeting will open and immediately go into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to litigation concerning an eminent domain, before returning to regular session.
Following public participation, the first item on the agenda will request immediate consideration of an Order of Appropriation of $307,500 from Free Cash to the Law Dept. Judgment account, related to the confidential matters discussed in executive session.
Council President Ralph J. Figy said the next request for immediate Council approval to allow the Mayor to transfer between and within departments, and between personnel services and expenses, is something that the Council does every year. Figy said the practice allows the Mayor to wrap up the budget for the end of year, and avoid carryover into FY20. Figy said in the past, the Council has set a cap on the amount permitted without coming before them.
The Mayor is also submitting two appropriations for Community Preservation Act funding, which were approved at the Community Preservation Committee’s meeting on April 11. The first is a grant of $145,000 for exterior restorations to the historic Landlord Fowler Tavern. The second is a grant of $90,000 for the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail for easements on the Central Downtown section. The Council will also be voting on an Order of Taking for a permanent easement and five temporary easements to construct and provide public access to the CGRT from downtown.
There is also a request to transfer $125,454 within the Airport Department from the Capital Project Account for frost heave repair, and for ramp design. The transfers are amendments of requests that were presented at the City Council’s April 4 meeting.
Later in the agenda, a second reading and final passage of a bond order of $10,250,000 to pay the cost of capital improvements at Westfield Barnes Airport will be taken, following a 2-0 recommendation from the Legislative & Ordinance sub-committee.
Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said on Thursday that the bond is for $10.5 million worth of infrastructure work at the airport, including repaving the runway, which will be paid for by a grant from the MassDOT. The city will not be selling the bond. “We have to show the financial people that we do have the means to pay for it. We won’t be selling that bond because of the MassDOT grant. In the end, it will cost us $400,000 for all the projects,” Sullivan said, adding that Airport Manager Eric Billowitz has done a great job in getting grants for the airport.
The Mayor is also submitting a Resolution of the City Council authorizing a Special Tax Assessment (STA) for Toll Brothers on Apremont way, a building products manufacturer that is currently operating and has plans to expand. City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell, whose last day is on Monday, said the company plans to invest an additional $1.3 million this year, and up to $3 million next year. Mitchell said Toll Brothers will also be adding 15 new manufacturing jobs, with plans to add more in the future, ones that he called “good jobs that don’t require years of education and training.”
Figy said the STA gives a decreasing percentage tax break over five years on the expansion only, while existing taxes will continue to be paid.
A Resolution of the City Council accepting the BRAVE Act, which originated with Veterans Agent Julie Barnes, concerns a new state law enacted in Feb., according to Figy. The new law allows for a property tax exemption to the surviving parents of soldiers and sailors, members of the National Guard and Veterans who died as the result of injury or disease suffered during active duty. Figy said previously there was a cap of $400 on the benefit.
The Mayor is submitting the appointment of Margaret Doody as a member of the Board of Health to Feb. of 2022, replacing Michael Paquette, who resigned; and the reappointment of Donald Nicoletti as a member of the Airport Commission, to Feb. 2022.
The Mayor is also submitting the reappointment of Building Superintendent Carissa Lissee to May, 2022.
City Clerk Karen Fanion will be submitting the list of Board and Commission members and Department Heads with appointment dates as requested by motion at the April 4 City Council meeting.
Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski will be submitting petitions for street acceptance for Devon Terrace, Gloria Drive, Hillary Lane, Nancy Circle, Frank Circle, Rachel Terrace, and Hillcrest Circle in his ward.
Along with reports from the Finance, Legislative & Ordinance and Personnel Action committees, several public hearings are scheduled for Monday’s City Council meeting.
A public hearing will be held on a petition to add a new zoning ordinance for Short Term Residential Rentals. There will also be two continued public hearings on petitions by Verizon New England and Westfield Gas & Electric to place a jointly owned pole on Westwood Drive, and place six jointly owned poles and to relocate six jointly owned poles on Western Ave. due to upcoming construction, according to Figy.
A second reading and final passage of an ordinance to restrict heavy trucks on Paper Mill Road from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. will be held.
A reconsideration of an order establishing a special purpose stabilization fund account for road and sidewalk maintenance and repair will also be taken. Figy said the order was defeated at the April 4 meeting with a vote of 6 to 6; but a vote for reconsideration passed at the same meeting, 7 to 5.
