Assistant City Solicitor Shanna Reed meets with the Legislative and Ordinance Committee Feb. 19, 2020. (AMY PORTER/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD – The Legislative and Ordinance subcommittee met Feb. 19, with the specter of a recent Open Meeting Law violation raising questions as to how the meeting should be conducted.
Attorney General Maura Healey found the Finance Subcommittee violated Open Meeting Laws June 18, 2019. A letter outlining the finding was sent to the city Feb. 13.
Legislative and Ordinance Chair William Onyski, members James Adams and Michael Burns, and Assistant City Solicitor Shanna Reed participated, with Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy and At-large Councilor Cindy C. Harris in attendance. Even though there were less than a quorum of seven councilors present, Figy and Harris did not participate due to an abundance of caution.
In considering the review and possible increase of the rate of compensation for members of the Westfield School Committee, Reed said there hasn’t been an ordinance change since 2001, when compensation for the committee members was set at $5,000 effective Jan. 1, 2002.
Onyski acknowledged that Figy is the liaison to the School Committee and had originated the motion.
Reed suggested that the committee go ahead and make a recommendation to the City Council with an educated guess on an amount, or with no amount. Burns made a motion to recommend a possible increase for members of the School Committee.
Figy had also co-sponsored the motion with Burns for a city ordinance dealing with rental properties of 30 days or more. Short-term rentals of 30 days or less were covered under a separate ordinance.
Burns said their work on this ordinance began more than two years ago and would hold landlords to greater scrutiny.
Onyski said part of it is a self-certification for a rental permit which also required a parking plan, and there were blank spaces on the actual application.
Reed said a working group had modelled the ordinance after one in Amherst. She said the discussion had left off with concerns about cost to different departments, such as staffing issues brought up by the building and fire departments about increased obligations that would be put on them by the ordinance.
Onyski asked if a working group could happen while it remains in L&O, or whether the committee should go with what they have to the City Council.
“I don’t think we should bring it out on the floor yet,” Adams said.
“It might be worth a second look,” Reed said, adding that she would like to regroup with the building, fire, police and health departments, who already have a copy of the ordinance, and bring in the two councilors, Burns and Figy, who made the motion.
Burns said he also wants to meet with a realtor group.
Onyski asked if there is a fee to the permit, whether that would cover half a person.
The motion remained in committee.
Following the meeting, Figy said the original motion was intended to give emergency responders a method to be able to contact owners, and to be able to verify who is supposed to be living in an apartment.
In other business, a motion to ask the Law Department to map out a process to combine the Water Commission and the Board of Public Works was removed from committee with no action. Reed said a charter change would be required. Burns, who originated the motion, said he still thinks it is a good idea, but it did not have the support of the commissioners and mayor at this time to move forward.
Burns said one upcoming issue with having two separate commissions is the impending retirement of Public Works Director David Billips in October. Both commissions will vote on his replacement, which could result in a 3-3 tie.
