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03-17-2014 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETINGREGULAR MEETING OF THE AGAWAM CITY COUNCIL Minutes dated March 17, 2014 President Johnson – I’d call the meeting to order. Item 1. Roll Call President Johnson – I’d ask Barbara to call the Roll please? ROLL CALL – 11 PRESENT, 0 ABSENT President Johnson – With eleven present, we have a quorum. Item 2. Moment of Silence and the Pledge of Allegiance. President Johnson – I’d ask everyone to rise for the moment of silence and Pledge of Allegiance please? Item 3. Citizen’s Speak Time President Johnson – We have no one signed up for Citizen’s Speak Time. Item 4. Minutes 1. Regular Council Meeting –March 3, 2014 President Johnson – Is there a Motion? Moved by Councilor Rheault, seconded by Councilor Cichetti. Questions or discussion on the minutes? Seeing none, all those in favor say Ay? Opposed? They are approved unanimously. Item 5. Declaration from Council President None. Item 6. Presentation of Petitions, Memorials & Remonstrances None. Item 7. Report of Council Committees None. Item 8. Elections None. Item 9. Public Hearings None. Item 10. Old Business 1. TR-2014-9 - A Resolution confirming the appointment of Jennifer Towne, 11B 775 Springfield Street, Feeding Hills, MA. to the Agawam Housing Authority for an unexpired terms expiring the second Monday in January, 2017 (Mayor) President Johnson – Is there a Motion? Moved by Councilor Rheault, seconded by Councilor Cichetti. Ms. Towne notified us that she is unavailable to come this evening so questions or discussion on the Resolution? Seeing none, I’d ask Barbara to call the Roll please? ROLL CALL – 11 YES, 0 NO President Johnson – With eleven votes, she’s been confirmed to the Agawam Housing Authority. 2. TR-2014-10 - A Resolution confirming the appointment of John W. Bennett, 15G Mansion Woods Drive, Agawam, MA. to the Agawam Housing Authority to a term expiring the second Monday in January, 2017 (Mayor) President Johnson – Is there a Motion? Moved by Councilor Letellier, seconded by Councilor Rheault. Mr. Bennett is here this evening if anyone has a question – he’s the gentleman sitting in the front row. Seeing none, I’d ask Barbara to call the Roll please? ROLL CALL – 11 YES, 0 NO President Johnson – With eleven votes in favor, John Bennett has been confirmed to the Agawam Housing Authority. Thank you, sir, for your willingness to serve – the same to Ms. Towne as well. 3. TR-2014-11 - A Resolution accepting a grant from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws ($70,000.00) (Referred to Community Relations & Finance Committees) (Mayor) President Johnson – Is there a Motion? Motion made by councilor Rheault, seconded by Councilor Cichetti. The matter was referred to the Community Relations and Finance Committees. Councilor Calabrese? Councilor Calabrese – Yes, respectfully I’ll be submitting a report on behalf of the Finance Committee and the Community Relations Committee. I do sit on both of those committees. Both committees met jointly together on March 12th. Present were myself and Joe Mineo as Chair of the Finance Committee, Council President Chris Johnson, Council Vice President Dennis Perry, George Bitzas, Gina Letellier, Tony Suffriti, Don Rheault, James Cichetti and Bob Rossi. We had reviewed the item that was attached to the Resolution and included in that was a statement for legal fees from Bacon & Wilson. There were two fees – one totally approximately $1,300; the other one totally approximately $18,000 – for legal service that were rendered between the dates of January 23, 2013 and through til approximately October of 2013. It’s just a draft bill without any itemization, no indication as to time spent on each matter, hourly fees, who rendered the services for those fees. Both committees moved and accepted a Motion to table this matter until we received an itemized bill from Bacon & Wilson for the services that were rendered and so it was the recommendation of both the Finance Committee and the Community Relations Committee to table this matter until we receive the additional information with regard to services that were rendered and detail to support that. Thank you. President Johnson – So the Chair would entertain that as a Motion to table. Is there a second? Councilor Letellier – Just as a point of clarification? CeCe, I think there were three bills and they totaled just about the $70,000 of the proposed grant. Councilor Calabrese – I’m sorry, yes, you’re right, I’m actually missing a portion of the attachment on that. Councilor Letellier – Okay, I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page. Councilor Calabrese - Okay, great, thanks. President Johnson – So we have the Motion to table made by Councilor Calabrese, seconded by Councilor Letellier. Since there’s no discussion on a tabling motion, if you’re in favor, vote yes. If you’re opposed, vote no. I’d ask Barbara to call the Roll please? ROLL CALL – 11 YES, 0 NO President Johnson – With eleven yes, you’ve tabled TR-2014-11. 4. TR-2014-12 - A Resolution Accepting a gift in the amount of Ten Thousand ($10,000.00) Dollars from the Friends of the Agawam Senior Center pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44, § 53A for the Agawam Senior Center Nutrition Program (Mayor) President Johnson – Is there a Motion? Moved by Councilor Bitzas, seconded by Councilor Cichetti. Questions or discussion on the Resolution? Councilor Bitzas? Councilor Bitzas – Yes, this is great, great thing. I visit the Senior Center many, many times and also I’m a member of the Friends of the Seniors and they do a fantastic job. They raise money, they sell cookies, they have a tag sales and this monies go to the Senior Center, most of the donations. They’re great group of people and this is a very, very good gift to us and we greatly appreciate it. I don’t want to name any names because I don’t want to leave anybody out but they’re doing a fantastic job and we really, really thank you all. Thank you. President Johnson – Other questions or discussion? Seeing none, if you’re in favor of the Resolution, vote yes. If you’re opposed, vote no. I’d ask Barbara to call the please? ROLL CALL – 11 YES, 0 NO President Johnson – With a vote of eleven yes, you’ve approved TR-2014-12. Item 11. New Business 1. TOR-2014-1 - An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Agawam to allow Registered Medical Marijuana Facilities (Planning Board) – Set a Public Hearing Date suggesting April 22, 2014 President Johnson – At this point, we’d be setting the Public Hearing date for April 22nd and referring the matter to the Legislative Sub-Committee, Councilor Cichetti, next Agenda. 2. TR-2014-13 - A Resolution appropriating $35,979.60 from the Community Preservation fund and authorizing the expenditure of Community Preservation funds for the replacement of benches at Veterans Green and Feeding Hills Center (CPA) President Johnson – That I think goes to the Finance Sub-Committee, next Agenda. 3. TR-2014-14 - A Resolution authorizing the preparation of a Statement of Interest for Renovations to the Agawam High School located at 760 Cooper Street, Agawam, Massachusetts (Councilors Cavallo and Rossi) President Johnson – Does any sub-committee want that or do we want it to go on – so that’ll go on to our next Agenda. Item 12. Any other matter that may legally come before the City Council. President Johnson – This evening we’ll start with Councilor Rossi. Councilor Rossi – Nothing, thank you. President Johnson – Councilor Calabrese? Councilor Calabrese – Nothing tonight. President Johnson – Councilor Cichetti? Councilor Cichetti – Just like to wish everybody a Happy St. Patrick’s Day and that’s it. Thank you. President Johnson – Councilor Mineo? Councilor Mineo – Nothing tonight. President Johnson – Councilor Perry? Councilor Perry – Yes, thank you Mr. President. Just real quick, I want to wish all my colleagues, people in the audience, Barbara, our camera crew, a Happy St. Paddy’s Day and just want to wish my wife, AnnMarie, a happy 35th wedding anniversary. We were married 35 years ago today. So happy anniversary Ann! President Johnson – Congratulations Dennis! I didn’t know that you’re wife got married when she was only six! Councilor Rheault? Councilor Rheault – I second the congratulatory to Dennis and his wife. Thirty-five years is significant and nothing else. Thank you. President Johnson – Councilor Suffriti? Councilor Suffriti – Yeah, I want to say Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everybody and congratulations and proud of you. Thanks. President Johnson – Councilor Cavallo? Councilor Cavallo – Yeah, I just had one comment. I’d like to thank the members of the School Budget Sub-Committee that came to the meeting. It was well done. I think those present felt that we did get a clear understanding of the budget that evening. I’m sure that when we do have our meeting with the School Committee, the joint meeting, that all of you will come here and listen to the presentation. I thought Mr. Sapelli did an excellent job. I also like the articulation between the Council and the School Committee. I think all of you received a copy of those minutes of that meeting and you also received, I was away this week, but Barbara told me that you did get a copy of the Administrative Report via email regarding the Facility Needs Committee and one of the items that’s gonna be presented at the next meeting for your approval hopefully. So again I commend both ends of it and I think it’s good that we can communicate like that and we don’t have any squabbles or if we have concerns, and Councilor Rossi brought up a couple of points and he got his questions answered and Mr. Mineo and Mr. Rheault and I thought it was a well-run meeting. That’s all I have to say. President Johnson – Councilor Letellier? Councilor Letellier – Nothing, thank you. President Johnson – Councilor Bitzas? Councilor Bitzas – Thank you Mr. President. As a member of Track Facility and Athletic Facility, some councilors asked me at the last time to get some information how the track stands. I talked to Administration and the Mayor sent you all the latest information, you got in the package, I’m not going to read it. I’m going to put this for the record please, Barbara, and the other thing is the Massachusetts School Building Association cannot loan us any money for the park, only for new buildings, so the money hopefully will come from CPA and the rest of it we bonded. Our committee discussed this in length about how to fund this and we decide and the Mayor and the Administration, they agreed to do so. Very soon we have more information, maybe even in a couple of weeks. We get you involved so you know what’s going on. I think it is a big project and it needs to be done. I’m disappointed take so long. I know it’s bureaucracy but we didn’t forget it and I hope your support, previous support, will continue and I hope you help fund it with your vote and we have track pretty soon. Thank you. President Johnson – Thank you. Barbara forwarded an email to all of you this evening regarding instructions if anyone’s gonna march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Holyoke. If there’s any questions or the information didn’t come through in the email, just get a hold of Barbara. Second on the topic that Councilor Bitzas just spoke of, probably at one of our April meetings, immediately after the meeting, we’ll be holding a workshop where we’ll get an update on the conceptual plan for the track. I spoke to the Administration and they’re supposed to get back to us which of the April meetings they’ll want to do it and I said it would probably make sense rather than doing it on a separate evening, we could just adjourn our meeting here and go into the cafeteria and do it there as we’ve done a couple times in the past. With that, the Chair will entertain a Motion to adjourn? Moved by Councilor Bitzas, seconded around the house. All in favor of adjournment, say Ay? Any opposed? We are adjourned. Adjournment at 7:16pm.