Ward 3 Councilor Andrew K. Surprise speaks with constituents following the Special City Council meeting on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – City Councilors met on Monday in a special session to take care of unfinished business before continuing their break until the next regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 24. Only one councilor was absent on a scheduled vacation. All items under consideration passed unanimously, with the exception of one motion which appeared late on the agenda.
The first item requested immediate consideration for a Resolution authorizing an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Westfield and the Westfield Gas & Electric Municipal Light Department for internet connection services. Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy said the resolution would allow the city to give Comcast, who held the previous contract, a 30-day notification. The resolution passed unanimously with no discussion.
Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski made the request for immediate consideration on the $250,000 appropriation from the Community Preservation Committee for the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail. Onyski said the Law Department had answered questions from councilors and others at the CPC meeting as to whether design work on the Rail Trail fell within the guidelines for Community Preservation Act funds, stating that the application was legal and correct.
At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty thanked the mayor and the Law Department for getting the information together in a timely fashion.
City Council President Brent B. Bean, II then said he would allow two or three residents in attendance to speak, even though it was out of the regular order.
“We’ve talked about this project for a long time. It’s another milestone, the central section finishes (the Rail Trail) at 3.2 miles. It’s all about federal and state (matching) money of $6.25 million,” said Dan Call of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail (FCGRT). He encouraged all of the councilors to vote in favor of the funding.
“I question this rush of approving this appropriation,” said Westfield resident Frank Mills, who also said he was not against the bike trail. “The information I’ve read is this is a $250,000 installment…the first in a series of installments… I hate to see the CPA be lulled into being a funding source in perpetuity,” Mills said. He also questioned the use of CPA funds for design.
Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell thanked him, saying he raised some valid points. She said she and other councilors also had some concerns regarding using the fund for design work. She said she reached out to the state Community Preservation Commission, who said “it’s perfectly okay to use CPA funds for design work.”
Flaherty said when the funding was before the Finance Committee, it was never their intention to stop funding the Rail Trail. “Our goal was to free up some money to make it available for roads,” Flaherty said. He said the CPA is one way to fund it. Other suggestions include using Stabilization, or the “Fish Fund.”
“I’m convinced according to the letter from the Law Department, which eliminates any doubt that I had. I feel fine voting for this. It’s a good use of CPA funds,” Flaherty added.
After a few more questions and answers, a vote was taken to unanimous approval for the Rail Trail funding from CPA. Also voted unanimously for immediate consideration and approval was a gift from the FCGRT for two manufactured bike racks, valued at $750, for two local businesses that requested them in front of their shops.
A resolution approving the appropriation of monies for the creation of an accessible playground at first was referred to the Finance Committee by chair and Ward 5 Councilor Robert A. Paul, Sr.
Flaherty said this was “one of the best things that have happened” in the city.
Onyski said the city has requested a grant from Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) that would pay for the bulk of the project.
Ward 3 Councilor Andrew K. Surprise said that resident Mandy Riel and her family were the forces behind the playground. He noted that it was appropriate that they received an initial grant of $52,000 from the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities, which he felt was an appropriate funding avenue for the project.
“Such a worthy project I think should be for immediate consideration,” said Figy. The motion was moved and passed unanimously.
A special permit for Boise Cascade to expand its hours was then considered. Onyski said the L&O Committee approved the special permit on a 3-0 recommendation, adding that the request for the expanded hours was first made in March. Onyski also said that the change in permit would require nine councilors to vote for it, and that only nine in the room were eligible to vote because three had missed previous votes.
Onyski went on to say that Boise Cascade had done a lot of work to make the operation more amenable to neighbors including altering lights and adding fencing. He said the Special Permit, which is requesting a 24-hour operation, will put up an 8-foot vinyl white fence between the facility and all of the abutting properties. He said residents would own and maintain the fencing.
“Originally I was opposed to this. Boise Cascade has gone out of their way to make (neighbors) feel comfortable. The neighbors I spoke to spoke very highly of Councilor Onyski and how much time their ward councilor spent on this,” said Flaherty, adding that it was good for the reputation of the Council.
Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski said she sometimes had issues with projects like this, but echoed Flaherty’s comments. “Businesses need to be good neighbors. Neighbors need to be good neighbors,” Babinski said.
At-large Councilor Dan Allie, who was one of the councilors who couldn’t vote on the permit, urged the other councilors to support it. “As the Councilor living closest to this, I commend Boise cascade, Rob Levesque and Bill Onyski,” Allie said. The motion passed with the nine votes required, with no opposition.
Ward 3 Councilor Andrew K. Surprise speaks with constituents. (Photo by Amy Porter)
The sole motion not to gain approval was listed on the agenda as a motion by Councilor Surprise to consider the adoption of a medical district zone in the City of Westfield at the site of Baystate Noble Hospital.
“I’m taking my name off this motion,” Surprise said. He said initially he was asked by the Law Department to present the motion, being in his district. He asked for information on it first, and said he only received it earlier on Monday. He also said when he saw the initial plan, which calls in part for a parking garage, and spoke to some of his constituents, he changed his mind. He said there should be a presentation by Baystate Noble to the Council, as well as community meetings about the plan.
Surprise also asked that his constituents who were in attendance be allowed to speak.
“I think having anyone comment at this time without any ordinance on the books is premature,” said Figy, who was also asked to sponsor the motion. “All this will do is send it to Zoning, Planning & Development and Legislative & Ordinance,” he added.
After more discussion and several councilors commenting on there being no documents attached to the motion, O’Connell said that fifteen years ago a similar draft was floated, but received no support from the City Council. “I don’t think this should be put on our agenda without a draft,” O’Connell said.
At-large Councilor Cindy C. Harris then made a motion to withdraw the item from the meeting’s agenda. The vote passed with one no vote (Figy) and two abstentions.
The discussion continued following adjournment, when Surprise met with his constituents and shared the information he had received.
“I don’t know how my name got attached to it,” Surprise said at the end of the meeting.
