WESTFIELD – The Finance Committee will make a positive recommendation for funding to the School Department maintenance account, to rehabilitate three ball fields at the North Middle School and to address instructional needs at Westfield Vocation Technical High School.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik is seeking City Council approval to transfer funds from the city’s undesignated or “free cash” account to the School Department accounts.
Knapik said earlier this week that unanticipated expenses depleted the school maintenance account and that the $100,000 transfer will restore funded needed for maintenance projects originally programmed in the department’s budget.
Knapik is also seeking a $86,150 free cash transfer to rehabilitate three ball fields built during construction of the North Middle School. The project will restore a softball field and two baseball fields, one with the standard 90-foot base paths and a second with 60-foot base paths for Little League use.
Knapik is also seeking to transfer $100,000 to WVTHS to address issues identified in a recent audit performed as preparation for the accreditation process. Deficiencies include the lack of state code regulations needed by students in various shops as well as minor safety violations.
Frank Maher, director of operations, maintenance and food services, Chief Financial Officer John Kane and Rich Jablonski of the Maintenance Department presented details of the transfers to the Finance Committee members last night.
The committee also voted to give positive recommendations to at $100,000 transfer to the Technology Department for purchase of equipment and $300,000 to Barnes Regional Airport for purchase of services.
The committee members also endorsed a Community Preservation Committee appropriation of $737,400 to the WHIPP Museum at 360 Elm Street. The CPC approved the funding to restore the exterior of the whip manufacturing facility, constructed in 1889 and listed on the National Registry of Historical Buildings.
The interior of the building will be renovated through private funding and grants to create a “living” museum displaying Westfield’ s industrial history.
