Update from At Large Councilor Dave Flaherty
Hopefully winter is finally over and we’ll start seeing flowers and hearing ballgames in the coming weeks.
We’ve had a busy couple of weeks at City Council meetings.
Pot (aka Marijuana and other names) was a topic this week as we’re getting closer to opening a growing and retail establishment near the airport. The state has issued a license to a new locally owned non-profit corporation and they are expected to begin operations in the coming months. I’m not really a big fan of this, but it’s one of those situations in Massachusetts where Boston is telling us what we have to do (after the public approved Marijuana on recent statewide ballots). A unique part of the law allows the city to negotiate a Host Community Agreement with the operator. In this case, the business will pay property taxes (even though it’s a non-profit), 3% of gross sales to the City as a Host Community Fee, an Abuse Prevention Payment of twenty-five thousand dollars per year, and a Utility and Infrastructure Fee of 1% of gross sales. They will also pay the normal permitting, licenses, and utility fees. According to City Advancement Officer Joe Mitchell, the fees are expected to be in the range of $250,000 per year in addition to their property taxes. Congrats to Mr. Mitchell, Mayor Sullivan, and the City Hall team for putting this deal together. The city can certainly use the revenue.
I’m not an advocate for Pot, but I know it is very beneficial for certain health conditions, and I know it is used on a regular basis by millions of adults. I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s and lived through the “just say no” era. I can’t see myself saying both “just say no” and “buy your weed in Westfield because we need the money to fix the roads”. I think I’ll stick with “just say no” when interacting with kids. I’ll probably end up voting to approve the agreement since the state tells us we have no choice other than to accept the law, and because the deal that was put together seems consistent with expectations. I’d love it if the City Council and Mayor would agree to allocate all of the Host Community Fee revenues to fixing potholes.
Speaking of potholes, it’s that time of year again. I haven’t counted all the potholes, but my guess is that we have more potholes than voters in Westfield. DPW will be out in force in the coming months doing their best to fix up the roads. The budget is always tight, and there are many many miles of roads in Westfield that need more than a patch – they need redesign, new road beds, proper drainage, and appropriate resurfacing (tens of millions of dollars in work). Hopefully, with our normal engineering and DPW budgets, Chapter 90 money from the state, and the extra revenues from the Meals Tax, we’ll be able to address a few more roads this year. If you have a special pothole or other road hazard you’d like to see fixed, the city has a service that will allow you to report it electronically. To do this, visit www.CityofWestfield.org and click on the “Report a Concern” link. You can use your cell phone to mark the location, take a picture, and track progress. If you have a true emergency, you can call 413-564-3119 and a DPW staff member will take your report and direct an appropriate response.
The Mayor and his team are working on the budget for next year. It’s challenging to say the least. The City Council Finance Committee is also working on updating a five-year plan. Sadly, it’s a lot worse than challenging – it’s horrendous. Given the expectations of revenues (including massive tax increases) and expenses (including known contractual pay raises and reasonable estimates for increases in other costs) the budgets for each of the five forward looking years is in deficit by millions of dollars (between $3 and $9 million per year) – not including the tens of millions of dollars we should be setting aside to pay for the long-term healthcare benefits for employees. This is a major problem, and serious adjustments in the budget are needed. As mentioned in the past, we’ve pretty much maxed out what we can charge in property taxes – we need new revenues and reductions in expenses.
On a good note, Whip City Fiber is moving along. In the next 18-24 months, they will be able to serve over 70% of the city. This will give businesses and residents super-fast internet and the ability to replace expensive TV, telephone, and audio services with low cost streaming alternatives.
Kudos to Eagle Scout JD Huntley of Troop 821 for being selected as the American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year!
Kudos to the ski, hockey, basketball, track, and swim teams for great seasons.
Wherever you go and whatever you do,may the luck of the Irish be there with you.
Dave Flaherty
Westfield City Councilor
[email protected]
