WESTFIELD – Since Mayor Daniel Knapik chose not to reappoint Community Development Director and Senior Planner Larry Smith earlier this month, the Westfield Planning Board has shrunk from seven members to just four.
At least one of those members, Andrew Denardo, said the decision not to reinstate Smith for another three years after his contract expired Dec. 4 was the reason for his resignation.
“I’m very disappointed in the mayor’s decision,” said Denardo. “Larry did an outstanding job for the city of Westfield.”
According to Denardo, his resignation was effective Jan. 1.
Board Chairman Anthony Petrucelli also resigned as of Dec. 11 and board member Dori-Ann Ference resigned Dec. 6 with an effective date of Jan. 1. Member Randal Racine resigned his position last spring to take a job out of the country, and member Casey Berube left the board when he became the assistant deputy superintendent of public works.
Knapik said he chose not to reappoint Smith because they did not share a vision for the direction of the city, particularly in the community development department.
“I did not believe the direction of the community development director had been, the last couple of years, the same as the direction I want to take for the city,” Knapik said.
While Petrucelli and Ference did not say the mayor’s decision regarding Smith was the reason for their resignations, they both said they resigned because of “politics.”
“When I came on the planning board I made it clear that once it became political, I would step away,” said Ference. “I don’t want to be involved in the politics.”
Petrucelli said he vowed the same thing when he started on the board more than a decade ago.
“I promised that when it became political I would disengage myself,” he said. “I’ve been on the board 14 years and now it’s become political.”
Ference and Petrucelli both expressed concern early in December when scheduled board meetings were cancelled.
Ference said before the cancellations, she had a meeting with Knapik to discuss Smith’s position.
“The mayor was very nice and professional and met with me for about an hour,” Ference said. “He gave me his reasons (for not reappointing Smith), which he didn’t have to do, so I respect him for giving me the time, and I respect him for his reasons.”
Ference said they met on a Friday and the next meeting of the board was set for the following week on Dec. 6. She said she received an email from board secretary Christine Fedora notifying the board that the meeting was cancelled.
“I called Tony (Petrucelli) and he said he did not cancel, so I called the city solicitor,” said Ference, who said the solicitor confirmed her belief that only the chairman can cancel or call meetings.
According to Ference, she received an email at 3 p.m. the day of the meeting saying it was back on. However, she had made other plans and did not attend. Ference said she thought about the situation that night and it “did not sit right with me.”
“I went home and wrote a letter and resigned,” she said, adding that she hopes she “did some good” while on the board.
Ference said she was looking forward to the scheduled Dec. 20 meeting when she received another email notifying the board of a special meeting on Dec. 21, again, said Ference, and not called by Petrucelli.
Ference questioned why the meeting was called when there was one already scheduled. She said it was then suggested via email that the Dec. 20 meeting be cancelled, and then another email notified the board that all meetings were cancelled until the end of the year.
Denardo, Ference and Petrucelli said they are still not sure who cancelled the meetings.
“It is one of my decisions as chairman to cancel or hold meetings with proper notification and I did not cancel any meetings,” said Petrucelli. “They were done without my knowledge. We are appointed by the mayor, but we are an independent body and no one can cancel or schedule without the chairman’s permission, which I never gave.”
Denardo said the cancellations caused confusion and no one seems to know exactly what happened.
“I don’t know what caused this and that’s what troubled me,” said Denardo. “We’ve always had a good board and had a quorum and that’s partly because of Larry. It’s sad.”
Knapik said the meetings were cancelled through his office.
“For the Dec. 6 meetings there were a few issues on the agenda that required technical assistance from the planner, and we did not have one,” Knapik said. “The following Tuesday I was informed by the chairman that there would not be a quorum so the decision was made to not hold a meeting.”
Knapik said Petrucelli told him a number of board members were upset over the Smith decision and were planning to resign. Knapik said that while he believes the board did a good job, if members did not agree with his vision it was their prerogative to resign.
Next week, Knapik will bring forth several candidates for the board for approval by the City Council.
“I have a replacement for ward five, four and two, and an alternate,” Knapik said. “Alternate Chris Wilkie will move to the ward six seat.”
The city web site lists only planning board vice-chair Phillip McEwan, William Onyski, Matthew VanHeynigen and Christopher Wilkie as current members.
Petrucelli and Ference expressed concern for companies with applications that could be left in a lurch, including Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
“This could cost them money,” said Ference.
Petrucelli said he believes that if no action is taken within 90 days of an application, it automatically passes.
Knapik said the lack of meetings will not adversely affect any applicants.
“Home Depot is all set and Wal-Mart has a revised site plan that has to go through the planning board,” said Knapik. “In their preliminary run-through, there were some conservation issues so it was decided that they should go back to the conservation commission. There is nothing ready to go from Gulfstream yet – I took all this into account with this decision.”
The city is currently seeking to fill the position of community development director and, separately, a planner position.
