MARY ANN BABINSKI
Happy and Healthy New Year wishes to all! Where did 2016 go? My first year as a city councilor was busy, educational, challenging and definitely exciting. It literally flew by. 2016 provided many opportunities for me to meet and work with several Ward 1 residents and I expect that 2017 will have more of the same. It has been my pleasure to serve as your representative. Thank you to all those who called, sent emails, attended my office hours and ward meetings, and kept on my case. I appreciated everyone’s willingness to share their concerns and ideas.Going forward, it is my intention to continue this dialog and to take advantage of every opportunity to engage and involve residents and business owners in Ward 1 and the city as a whole.Together, we can work to achieve and maintain a healthy, safe, sustainable and just community for all.I will continue to do my best to represent you and your concerns in the new year. There is much to do and I look forward to working with and for you going forward.
One of the many highlights of the year for me was seeing more residents get actively involved in the process of local government. When it mattered most, neighbors got organized, got educated, spread the word and showed up to city meetings to address their concerns to city boards and council members. Their actions demonstrated the importance and effectiveness of public involvement in the process. Kudos to everyone who showed up in person, emailed city officials, did their homework, watched meetings on Channel 15 and stayed informed. You all were awesome and a very critical part of the process. Citizens exercising their right to be heard and their right to be involved in matters that directly impact their quality of life is always a good thing. Keep up the good work. Don’t ever give up. An engaged community always reaps positive outcomes for the city in general. At its best, a government of the people, by the people and for the people needs to connect with, listen to, engage with and, when appropriate, defer to the wishes of its residents. All citizens should have a voice and feel empowered to use it and the “powers that be” need to be receptive to their concerns.
As we start 2017, issues will continue to be discussed and debated by City Council in the new year. Some I wish would start sooner than later, namely budget discussions. I invite residents to stay tuned in and I invite city officials to find more ways to engage citizens in discussions. If you haven’t already guessed, I am all about putting people before politics, power and profit. We need to be mindful that the first priority for the decisions we make should be to first do no harm to people and the environment. Elected officials need to support campaign acclamations that promise a safe, healthy, and improved quality of life for all residents in the city with actions. If we don’t, then those promises are simply a collection of empty meaningless words. We need to pay attention and do better.
That being said, work on several agenda items will continue to be discussed in the new year. Stay tuned for these following issues: Review & Strengthening of the Water Resource Protection District Zoning Ordinance; Single Use Plastic Bag Ban; Complete Streets Initiative; Implementation of Projects that Protect, Educate and Enforce Actions Related to the Barnes Aquifer; and Resolving the Growing Need for Oversight and Enforcement of Zoning Ordinances and Permit Conditions. It is evident that there is room for improvement in how we, as a city, recognize our responsibility to protect our citizens and our natural resources. Our ordinances and special permit conditions have to be more than just words on paper. Westfield needs to demonstrate by its local actions that it understands the impact their decisions can have on other communities and future generations.
I may have mentioned this before and because of recent issues with water contamination, I mention it again. Westfield residents and city officials need to be informed, accept and understand the importance of protecting the Barnes Aquifer. We have a valuable resource in having the expertise of the Barnes Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee (BAPAC) which is made up of members from each of the four towns (Easthampton, Holyoke, Southampton and Westfield) where the aquifer is located. As the City Council liaison to BAPAC, I have the opportunity to observe the city/town representatives along with their Pioneer Valley Planning Commission facilitator and expert advisor from Smith College provide valuable input on what needs to be done to protect the aquifer and how to best do it. Their advice should not be taken lightly or set aside.
I invite everyone to check out BAPAC’s website at www.bapac.pvpc.org. Comments I have heard expressed within city government about the value of their input are very concerning to me. We as a city need to recognize and embrace the importance of our shared role in protecting this aquifer. We can be good neighbors by following and enforcing the recommendations this committee of experts provides. It doesn’t do anyone any good, if we cannot enforce conditions that are placed on developers seeking to carry on business in the water resource district. The city needs to clearly demonstrate that they understand and will, from the top down, implement measures that will place a high priority on protecting the aquifer and the people who depend on it for their water supply. Perhaps it is time for an attitude adjustment. Residents on city water and private wells have a right to clean water and deserve to have their water supply protected. We need to do whatever it takes to make that a reality.
On the matter of keeping informed, I hope many of you have taken the time to check-out the city website. There are some new features and some old features that you may find very interesting and helpful to use.
Westfield’s Public, Educational, and Governmental cable access service has recently added and expanded services for the community. Public television has expanded to two channels. There is a new Community Public Television website, www.westfieldtv.org. Check out the details at the city website. The Westfield Community Bulletin Board service on Channel 12 is open to all not-for-profit agencies in the city to announce upcoming events. Event information can be submitted through the WestfieldTV webpage (www.westfieldtv.org) or emailed to [email protected]. Check out the Westfield Community Calendar which may be used to “promote educational, social, charitable, fraternal or educational organizations of interest to residents and visitors.”
I also strongly encourage residents to take advantage of the Report a Concern and Notify Me options on the Home page. Report non-emergency issues to the City of Westfield from your smartphone, tablet, or web browser using SeeClickFix. Citizens can use this system to report and track non-emergency issues as individuals or collectively and help improve the City.Some residents have informed me that they have successfully used it to get potholes fixed.
The Notify Me option allows you to subscribe to Alerts, News Flashes and Agendas of your choosing. They can be sent to your email or phone. A great way to be notified about ongoing events and issues up for discussion on city agendas. Being informed is critical. Share information with others in your neighborhood who may not have access to the internet.
For your information, I will be holding Ward 1 office hours on Monday, January 16, 2017,in the Barnes Regional Airport Conference Room located at 100 Airport Road from 11:00 am to 12:30pm.
As always, I encourage you to reach out to me with your questions or concerns: [email protected] or 413-568-8562
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Babinski, Ward 1 City Councilor
