WESTFIELD – Due to the absence of two city councilors on Thursday, President John J. Beltrandi, III asked for a motion to table the second reading and final passage of the $13 million water filtration bond until the Special City Council meeting scheduled for next Thursday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers. At that meeting, the council will also vote on final passage of the FY19 budget, following a budget review by the Committee of the Whole City Council on Wednesday, June 27 beginning at 6 p.m.
Metal Fire Pit (WNG File photo)
Progress was made on Thursday in the form of a first reading to amend the city ordinance on open burning regarding fire pits.
Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski brought forward the ordinance with a 2-0 recommendation from the Legislative & Ordinance sub-committee. Onyski said it represented three years of great work by At-large Councilor Dan Allie to modify the existing fire pit ordinance; and the new amendment has received preliminary approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The amendment was crafted after a previous ordinance passed by the City Council that exempted certain items like fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and chimeneas from the open burning regulations failed to get approval of the DEP, due to how open burning is defined. Allie said that fines for not following state regulations could start at $1,000, and increase in cost with each fine.
The new ordinance lowers the fines to $50, $100 and $150. There are also provisions to protect people, safety, and public nuisance, including a requirement that pits be 20 feet from a structure, twice the manufacturers’ recommendations.
Allie thanked First Assistant City Solicitor Meghan Bristol for her work on this ordinance. “If we approve this, Westfield will be the first city to go through the DEP process,” Allie said. He said the new ordinance will protect residents from massive fines and allow the city to maintain control.
Allie also said the DEP approval is not guaranteed. “I’m hoping nothing’s changed since last summer,” he said, adding that the ordinance also went through two Public Health & Safety committee reviews.
Allie said he would like to see more changes in state laws, which he said should never have lumped fire pits in with open burning. The ordinance passed unanimously, and is scheduled for a second reading and final passage in July.
Also approved on Thursday were three resolutions authorizing intergovernmental agreements between the City of Westfield and the Westfield Gas and Electric Light Department. The agreements are for 15 one-gigabit wide area network connections to the Technology Center via the fiber optic ring; for a 10 gigabit fiber optic ring with 12 one-gigabit wide area network connections to the Tech Center for school sites; and for a one gigabit fiber optic internet connection for the City of Westfield.
Also receiving unanimous approval was the second reading and final passage of an ordinance amending the code of ordinances concerning parking prohibited at all times on the following streets: Root Road on both sides from North Road to Woodson Road; and Chapel Street, north side from the intersection of Elm Street and Chapel Street, from 124 feet easterly to 160 feet easterly, and from 324 feet easterly to 368 feet easterly. Deleted from the parking prohibited ordinance were two spaces on Main Street formerly designated as “No parking, Senior Center drop-off only,” where parking will now be permitted.
