At-Large City Councilor and 2018 City Council President John J. Beltrandi, III.
WESTFIELD – On Thursday, the City Council will elect a new president for 2019 as the first item on the agenda. 2018 Council President John J. Beltrandi, III said he will not be putting in his name for the office. Beltrandi said typically presidents rotate, although there have been exceptions in recent years. He said the office involves a lot of extra meetings and a lot of extra time.
“I appreciated all the hard work councilors did, and the support that I received,” Beltrandi said, adding that he felt that everybody contributed, and was, for the most part, respectful. “It was an interesting year,” he said.
Beltrandi acknowledged all the extra work the councilors did around certain issues, in particular the water issues facing Westfield. He said everybody had input, and everybody put a lot of work into it. He also acknowledged the “incredible amount” of work done by members of the community in learning about the issues, mentioning Kristen Mello in particular.
“I appreciated their efforts,” Beltrandi said.
As president, he said he tried to be fair and give people the opportunity to be heard, although he admitted he didn’t have patience for what he called campaign speeches.
Beltrandi said he does plan to run again as an At-large Councilor this fall. “If I’m fortunate to get elected again, I’ll probably throw my hat in again for president,” he said.
At least two councilors are interested in putting in their names on Thursday as president for 2019. Beltrandi said whoever is voted for by a simple majority of the councilors, will take the seat and run the rest of the meeting. The new president will also hand out new committee assignments at Thursday’s meeting.
On the agenda from the Mayor’s office are requests for action on two grants. The first, is a request to accept a grant of $5,500 from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs to the Westfield Council on Aging’s food program’s partnership with the Horticulture Department at Westfield Technical Academy.
The second is for a resolution of the City Council authorizing a grant from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development in the amount of $1,926,745 to the Engineering Dept. The grant has been awarded from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program for the Springfield Road Traffic Signal Project, for a new traffic signal at 99 Springfield Rd.
More grants will be brought forward from the Finance sub-committee for acceptance by the City Council; for Barnes Airport, and a Community Preservation Commission grant of $75,000 for additional affordable housing units at Powdermill Village apartments, as a part of a planned renovation program. The Finance sub-committee will also bring a positive recommendation on a proposal from the Department of Public Works for an increase in stormwater fees for residential and commercial customers, to help pay for a 5-year $14 million capital plan for needed stormwater work in the city. The City Council is expected to discuss and possibly vote on the plan at Thursday’s meeting. Reports and recommendations will also come from the City Properties, Public Health and Safety, and the Ad Hoc Charter and Review committees.
A second and final vote is expected to take place on an order terminating easement rights to a piece of property off of Turnpike Industrial Road and discontinuing a portion of Turnpike Industrial Road as a city way, both of which passed the first reading unanimously at the Dec. 20 City Council meeting. The easement and discontinuing a portion of the road, which is already blocked off, will help pave the way for the James Hardie Building Supply Company to move into the Old Colony Envelope building at 70 Industrial Park Road. The Company, which makes fiber cement siding, anticipates using a rail spur, and transporting unfinished boards from the south for finishing at the Westfield site.
A second reading and final vote will also be taken for a zone change at 595 Southampton Road from Business A to Industrial.
