CC MTG MINUTES AUGUST 2 2010 •
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF THE AGAWAM CITY COUNCIL
August 2, 2010
President Rheault — Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Regular City
Council meeting of August 2, 2010.
• Item 1. Citizen's Sneak Time
President Rheault — We have a few speakers wishing to address the Council this
evening. If you have not spoke before, you have up to five minutes. State your name and
address for the record if you would please. The first speaker is Patti-Ann Dombrowski.
Patti-Ann Dombrowski —My name is Patti-Ann Dombrowski. I live at 12 Sunnyslope
Ave in Agawam, MA. We heard that you were gonna be talking about some no parking
signs for Six Flags so that's why we came down because we live in a small area of houses
past Six Flags and we know that there's some no parking signs in our area, not on all the
• streets, one of the businesses there actually took down a no parking sign that was on their
lot. I told her to put it back and she wouldn't. So we're just curious about the whole —I
don't understand why there has to be no parking signs way over on that Mark Drive. We
have a lot of issues just getting to our own home with the pedestrians walking in the road,
so I didn't know if there was something more gonna be done about all the pedestrians
• walking on the highway, cutting in front of me when I'm trying to drive on the State
Highway, things more to that affect rather than just that Mark Drive getting some no
parking signs. Okay, I'm just letting you know that that's our very big concern. We're
very concerned about all the pedestrians walking on the highway, cutting in front of my
vehicle. I've got people conducting business, taking money for people to park in a
• parking space and I'm trying to just get to my house. It's more than just a parking sign.
Somebody's gonna get hurt.
President Rheault — Thank you. Gerald Piesz, is it? And there's another name, is it
Ecodia?
• Gerald Piesz—My name is Gerald Piesz and I live at 32 Sunnyslope Avenue. My wife
and I have been living there approximately 12 years and 15 years on that street and since
that time the parking has really gotten hazardous in that area and stuff and many a time
you're turning off 159 onto Woodcliff Avenue and the woman that's running the parking
lot there will stop you in the street so the people can back into the parking places. I can't
• see them doing business out on the road like that. They have no business doing it and
then they have another one down, if that parking lots full at her place, they send them
down to another field they cleared out on Sunnyslope Avenue and that's a ? street that
comes out there and they're parking vehicles on the ? street that's in that field. They
have no business doing that there, I don't think and in fact, when, there's another house
• across the lot that belongs to Papke, they have a fire hydrant right there and he parks the
car in front of the fire hydrant. The police say nothing about him parking next to the fire
hydrant, blocking the fire hydrant, so I don't know. I'd like to see something done about
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that situation and these people are parking cars taking'money for parking cars, are they
paying the tax on these funds they are taking in towards the town? To the town or
• anything, or are they just pocketing the money? If Six Flags was taking in the money for
their parking, they'd have to pay tax on that money. These people don't have to pay tax.
The old A & W Rootbeer stand down there,they have the parking down there,the people
come up, they're walking in the turn Iane that goes in there. Sooner or later somebody's
gonna get hit and I think that somebody will probably sue the town, the townspeople, the
taxpayers, will end up paying what the town gets sued for so I'd like to see something get
done with the whole situation cuz before they had that parking there, the people used to
park on the street there, I'd go down in the morning when I was walking, you'd find dirty
baby diapers off to the side there where they'd change their kids and everything else you
know? So I'd like to see something done with this situation. Thank you for your time.
•
President Rheault — Thank you. There were two names listed. Is the other person
gonna speak as well?
Elodia Piesz — Hi. My name is Elodia Piesz. I live on 32 Sunnyslope Avenue in
Agawam and just to continue with what my husband was saying, I've also heard that
there's drug dealing going on there and people are sleeping in their cars or eating out of
their cars. They're very rude when you ask them to get out of the way. It's a very
narrow road— Sunnyslope Avenue and Wilcox—and people are walking in the middle of
the road. Now especially at night, I get home from work at 9:30 at night. I can't see
anybody walking in that road, not unless my headlights are right on them. You hit
i somebody, who's fault is it gonna be? Ours? Or the people parking there? And yet
there's no no parking signs there. The police don't respond when you call them. And I
also heard the Mayor won't touch this. I don't understand. He's blaming this in the
newspaper as to being the reason why he didn't get re-elected because of those people
wanting to buy permits. Don't allow them to do the parking at all and there won't be any
• need for permits. It's not a public parking lot. It's a road into another street, into a
residential area. I try to get to work. I can't get out of there to get to work on time.
Sometimes I feel I have to leave a half hour before usual just to get to work. I don't think
it's fair as a tax payer and there are altercations and some day something is going to
happen and then the police — they'll be there to blame somebody for something when it
• shouldn't even happen in the first place. Thank you.
President Rheault—Thank you. Mr. Griffin?
Alan Griffin — Is it my turn? Hi. My name is Alan Griffin. I'm at 104 North Street in
! Agawam. I'm here to talk about my goats. I'm gonna tell you right out, you know? And
so forth. There was statements made by the Agawam Advertiser that my goats ran in the
road, my goats created a nuisance and smell. Well I'd like to have some proof, you
know? If they're gonna say something about this, I'd love to have some proof, so would
you show me some proof? I would like to see some proof on this, you know? If you
can't show me proof, put up or shut up. Simple as that, you know? I would love to see
some proof that my goats smell and they were in the road, you know? I mean they're not
there now but I mean last year, I'd like to see some proof. I got it right here in the
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Agawam Advertiser, right here, you know? I mean you don't make statements in the
paper on that unless you have the proof, there's no proof, so I'd like to have some proof.
• So it's up to you guys to get me some proof, you know, cuz my goats never been out in
the road, they never been outside of the pen, and they did not smell, they did not stink.
You had no odors or nothing. I clean my pen every morning at 7:00 in the morning.
They were not dirty. They did not smell. They did not stink whatsoever or what not. I
mean that's false accusations they're making. Well if somebody wants to make a false
• accusation, talk to me about it, you know? This is definitely wrong. You call this the
Town of Agawam? Freedom? God walked around on earth with goats and sheep and all
that stuff. Did somebody come up there and say Hey, you gotta get your goats outta
here? Hell no! Know why? Cuz he was God, you know? I'm not God but you know I
shouldn't be picked on because of my goats and this is definitely wrong. So you guys do
a lot of thinking about it. I mean you guys are pretty intelligent guys when you want to
be but right now you're making a big foolish move. So I'm telling you guys that you are
wrong in things that you do and so forth. This Council needs a lot of straightening out.
People on this Council half the time they don't know what the heck they are talking
about. They're taking a wild guess, well you can't do that. You've gotta be right and I
• would like to have some proof on this and I will repeat it again so give me some proof
That's all I got to say. Thank you very much.
President Rheault—Thank you.
Item 2. Roll Call
•
President Rheault—Will the Clerk please call the roll?
ROLL CALL — 7 PRESENT, 4 ABSENT (Councilors Bitzas, Messick, Mineo and
Simpson)
•
President Rheault — Seven present, four absent, we have a quorum. Councilor Mineo
phoned and Councilor Simpson phoned, they're both not feeling up to par. Councilor
Bitzas has an out of town engagement and Councilor Messick is away.
Item 3. Moment o Silence and the Pled e o Alle iance
President Rheault — Please rise for a moment of silence, Pledge of Allegiance and
silence.
Item 4. Minutes
(a) Regular Council Meeting—July 6,2010
President Rheault — Moved by Councilor Perry, seconded by Councilors Rossi and
Magovern. Any questions, additions? If not, voice vote is sufficient. All those in favor?
Opposed? Unanimous.
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Item 5. Declaration from Council President
• President Rheault — Just one quick comment. The speakers, Barb, you can let Tony
know,they're not coming through here still and I couldn't - they are so you are recording
okay — well we hope. We don't hear anything in fact if you could draw that to his
attention again. Thank you.
Item 6. Presentation of Petitions.Memorials&„Remonstrances
(a) Resolutions
I. TR-2010-35 -A Resolution Authorizing the Reservation and
Appropriation of Funds from the Community Preservation Fund (CPA)
•
President Rheault -- Council's pleasure? Moved by Councilor Walsh, seconded by
Councilor Rossi. Any comments? That's the Resolution for the public's information; we
have to declare a certain percentage reserve for open space, historic resources,
community housing, well there's administrative expenses in there and for budget reserve,
♦ so if you're in favor of the Resolution please vote yes, if not, vote no. Clerk, please call
the roll.
ROLL CALL — 7 YES, 0 NO, 4 ABSENT (Councilors Bitzas, Messick, Mineo and
Simpson)
•
President Rheault—Seven yes, four absent, we have approved the Resolution.
Item 7. Report of Council Committees
0 None.
Item& Elections
None.
• Item 9. Public Hearings
I. PH-2010-5 -(TR-2010-34)Resolution in the Matter of a Petition of
Western Massachusetts Electric Company(Mayor)
• President Rheault—I believe we have representatives. I now declare the public hearing
open. We have representatives, would you please put that light on and step forward and
you have up to ten minutes to present your presentation.
Jeff Martin — Thank you very much. My name is Jeff Martin. I am a Project Manager
• with Western Mass Electric Company and I will try to make my remarks as brief as
possible, such that I don't use the ten minutes. I'm sorry, are you having trouble hearing
me?
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President Rheault—Yes, we can't hear anything.
Jeff Martin--Okay, I will belt it out. How's that? A little better?
President Rheault—That's better.
! Jeff Martin — Okay. Thank you once again. My name is Jeff Martin. I am a Project
Manager with the Western Mass Electric Company and I'm here tonight because we had
filed with the Town of Agawam a Petition for a Grant of Location to approve the
reconstruction and replacement of existing transmissions and distribution circuits that
currently cross Walnut Street here in Agawam. The work that's being proposed on or
across Walnut Street is part of a larger project that we refer to as the Agawam to West
Springfield Circuit Separation Project. That are currently two 115 KV transmission lines
that connect our Agawam sub-station to our West Springfield sub-station along an
existing right-of-way that's roughly 2.5 miles in length. The larger project involves the
reconstruction of both of those transmission circuits to place them on separate and
distinct sets of towers rather than to allow them to continue to share the existing set of
lattice towers that you see if you are out there today. The petition itself is for a grant of
location only for the crossing of Walnut Street and once that work.is performed, the wires
if you will that currently cross Walnut Street will remain within the same general
location, within that same right-of-way, but will be in slightly different locations within
that corridor because again they are being separated and placed on a different set of
! towers. The clearance between Walnut Street and the lowest hanging conductor will
actually increase as a result of this project by roughly fifteen feet. With that I'd be happy
to take any questions. The schedule for the project —we expect to begin construction in
certain locations as early as next week but the work across Walnut Street is not expected
to commence until October of this year and will be completed in January of 2011. Again,
we don't expect any interruption of traffic along Walnut Street while we're doing this
work. Thank you.
President Rheault—Thank you. Any questions from the Council? Councilor Letellier?
Councilor Letellier—Thank you. Will customers have to worry about any interruptions
in service?
Jeff Martin —No. We actually have a very rigorous outage planning process that we go
through that we work with the independent system operator of New England to schedule
the necessary outages. The plan right now calls for the removal from service of one of
the two transmissions circuits so that we can commence work on the new structures while
the other circuit remains in service so that we can continue to serve the local community.
Once we have new towers in place and are ready to energize the new conductors, then
we'll take the last of the old transmission conductors out of service and remove those. So
we don't expect any significant disruption of service to the local community.
Councilor Letellier—Thank you. That's all that I have.
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President Rheault —Thank you. Any other questions? If not, thank you very much for
the presentation.
Jeff Martin—Thank you.
President Rheault—Anyone else who'd want to speak in favor? Anyone who'd like to
! speak against? Anyone who'd like to be recorded in name only in favor? Please step
forward.
David Morin—David G. Morin, 437 South Westfield Street.
a President Rheault—Any one else in favor who would like to be recorded only? Anyone
against? If not, any further questions from the Council before I close the public hearing?
If not, I declare the public hearing closed. What is the Council's pleasure? Moved by
Councilor Rossi, seconded by Councilor Magovern, as attached it's fairly lengthy so I
won't read it. It will be recorded fully in the record—
Councilor Perry — Point of privilege, Mr. President? This woman wanted to say
something. She raised her hand and we all missed her. I know it's been closed but
President Rheault — I'm sorry. Well, moved by Councilor Letellier, seconded by
Councilors Walsh and Perry to re-open. All those in favor? We are now open. I'm very
11 sorry. I didn't see your hand.
Setta McCabe — That's okay. I just wanted to ask a question. I don't know if that's
okay at this point. One, when the gentleman said there would be no significant disruption
in service—
President Rheault—We are not hearing anything. I'm not anyways. Does yours work?
Jeff Martin —If I may repeat, I think the question was whether or not I could clarify my
earlier statement that we don't anticipate a significant disruption in service. What I
meant by that and I do apologize if it was too vague. When we do this type of
construction and we have to take some circuits out of service while leaving others in
service, the system is at higher risk than under normal operating conditions. We do not
anticipate a loss of service to the local community. It's simply recognition and a
disclosure on the part of the company that while we do that work there is simply a higher
risk than what you would expect to see today. The good news is that because we're
doing the work during the off-season period between October and January or February of
2011, that is typically a lower-usage period so we don't expect demand to be so high that
we would encounter those types of difficulties or the types of conditions that might result
in an unanticipated outage.
President Rheault—Okay. It has to be recorded so maybe you could use her mic. See if
that works.
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Setta McCabe—Okay. My other question was simply—thanks—oh that works so well—
was simply what happens after the wires cross the road? Is that a subject for a different
hearing? In other words, I think they're going through my back yard.
Jeff Martin — I'm sorry. I might interpret the question to be whether or not there are
other approvals for the project that are required beyond the grant of location application?
Yes. The project is subject to the larger project — the Agawam to West Springfield
Project—is subject to several local, state and federal permitting processes. In fact, we've
completed the local Conservation Commission review process here in Agawam already.
We're also in receipt of our Mass. Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S.
Army Corp of Engineer permits. We've also received in March of this past year, the
order from the Department of Public Utilities for the project as well. So the larger project
# if you will has received all of the necessary approval to support construction. The grant
of location is one of several local approvals that we need in order to support the actual
construction for the project. And if you'd like I'd be more than happy to speak with you
off-line if you have concerns about the project. Okay, thank you.
President Rheault—Councilor Perry?
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Councilor Perry—Yes, if I may, Mr. President, through the Chair to Jeff if I could and I
appreciate you coming up and trying to satisfy her fears but I think the question is
currently you know the lines are going through your back yard ma'am and what type of
change will she see if any to what currently exists through her property?
Jeff Martin —Ma'am'if I may, where is your property specifically? Is that the Fredette
property? (off microphone —no two house up from there) It's a little difficult for me to
answer the question specifically or directly not knowing as I stand here right now exactly
which property we're talking about but we don't anticipate a significant visual affect or
impact as a result of the project because again we are replacing existing structures and
wires with structures and wires. So we're not anticipating in this particular area and
perhaps I can introduce Andy Ruth who is one of our Engineering Consultants with
Bums and McDonald but I don't think in this particular area we have a significant
amount of additional clearing required to support the project. Is that right, Andy? (Yes)
Again, I'd be more than happy to speak off-line and we could pull out the plans and you
could show us exactly what area you're concerned about. Okay? Thank you.
President Rheault — Just, I received a copy from our Engineering that states per your
request, Engineering has reviewed the pole and wire location petition for stringing wires
across Walnut Street near 299 Walnut Street and we have no comment at this time.
Engineering reserves the right to make additional comments as new information is
submitted. If you have any further questions, please contact our Engineering
Department. Just for the record. Are you satisfied with the information? Okay? We're
all set. No further questions? I now declare the public hearing closed. Now, what's the
Council's pleasure? Moved by Councilor Letellier, seconded by Councilor Perry. Any
# further dialogue,questions or continents? If not, Barbara,will you please call the roll?
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ROLL CALL -- 7 YES, 0 NO, 4 ABSENT (Councilors Bitzas, Messick, Mineo and
Simpson)
President Rheault—Seven yes, four absent, you've approved the Resolution.
.Item 10. Old Business
1. TOR-2010-4 -SUGGEST A PUBLIC HEARING FOR 916110-PH-20I0-6)
An Ordinance Adopting the Stretch Energy Code for the City of Agawam
(Tabled 7/6/10) (Two Reading Required) (Councilor Messick)
President Rheault — The item's on the table, move to take it off. Moved by Councilor
Rossi, seconded by Councilor Walsh, all those in favor?
Councilor Letellier Point of information? Why are we taking it off if we're just setting
the public hearing date?
President Rheault — Well, to make sure the Council agrees and take a vote of the
Council to set that public hearing.
Councilor Letellier— We usually don't take a vote to set a public hearing. We usually
just say is that okay and everyone just says yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
! President Rheault—Well, if I say "is it okay", that's a vote.
Councilor Letellier—Okay, all right.
President Rheault — Just in case there was some opposition to it. If not, then the first
reading will be for 9/6/10.
Councilor Letellier — I'm sorry. I don't mean to be difficult. So we need to set the
public hearing date, right? You came off the table—
President Rheault—And I said it would be 9/6/10.
Councilor Letellier — Okay, I'm sorry, Barbara couldn't hear you. So we're all set,
Barbara? And we need to put it back on the table.
President Rheault—Oh, I'm sorry.
Councilor Letellier—Until 9/6/10.
President Rheault—I'm sorry. I thought we put it back.
Councilor Letellier—No, we didn't.
President Rheault—Okay.
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Councilor Letellier—So motion to put the item back on the table.
! President Rheault—Move to put it back on the table then. Moved by Councilor Rossi,
seconded by Councilor Walsh. All those in favor? Opposed? Back on the table. Our
next meeting is the date that it would appear anyways.
2. TO-2010-23 -Transfer of S130.00 from Line Items—Reserve Fund
(16605-57300)to Auditor—Regular Permanent(11341-51010) (Mayor)
President Rheault — Council's pleasure? Moved by Councilor Letellier, seconded by
Councilor Rossi. Any comments?
Councilor Cichetti- Mr. President?
President Rheault—Yes, Councilor Cichetti? Do you want to put your microphone on?
Councilor Cichetti — I do have a conflict with this item so I'll be abstaining from this
vote.
Councilor Letellier — Point of information? We need eight votes for a transfer and we
only have sixx eligible voters. Shouldn't we table it to the next Agenda?
President Rheault — I don't believe we need the eight votes. It's a line item from the
Reserve Fund to the Auditor, six votes should suffice.
Councilor Letellier—Okay, okay.
President Rheault—Clerk, please call the roll?
ROLL CALL -- 7 YES, 0 NO, 4 ABSENT (Councilors Bitzas, Messick, Mineo and
Simpson), I ABSTENTION (Councilor Cichetti)
President Rheault— How many no's? Zero. I'm sorry. One abstention. Six yes, zero
no, one abstention, we have approved the transfer.
3. TO-2010-24 - Order Granting or Renewing a Junk Dealer's License—
Baki's Fine Jewelry,Oussoud Abdul Baki,360 North Westfield Street,
Feeding Hills,MA. (Clerk)
! President Rheault -- Moved by Councilor Rossi, seconded by Councilor Cichetti. Any
further discussion? If not, Clerk please call the roll.
ROLL CALL — 7 YES, 0 NO, 4 ABSENT (Councilors Bitzas, Messick, Mineo and
Simpson)
President Rheault — Seven yes, four absent, you've approved the granting of the Junk
Dealer's license.
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Item ]]. New Business
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1. TO-2010-25 -Voucher List for MMA Dues ($4,827.00)
President Rheault—Next Agenda. Well we know what it is.
2. TR-2010-36 -A Resolution Establishing a No Parking zone on Mark
Drive(Mayor)
President Rheault — Next Agenda. The review should go to the Ordinance Committee
(Public Safety).
3. TR-2010-37 -A Resolution Authorizing the Posting of the Warrant for
the State Primary Election on September 4,2010 and the General Election
on November 2,2010(Mayor)
President Rheault—Next Agenda.
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4. TOR-2010-5 -An Ordinance to Amend the Code of the City of Agawam
Chapter 175 entitled"Water and Sewers"by the Addition of new Sections
and Language(Mayor)(Two Readings Required)
President Rheault — That'll go to the next Agenda and go over to the Ordinance
• Committee as well for a review.
Item 12. Any other matter that may legally come before the Ci Council.
President Rheault — I think you all got a copy and let's clear this out up front.
i Councilor Bitzas is asking for a poll regarding the reception at the Big E whether the
money would be best suited for bullying and drug use and so it will be officially on the
record, do you want to state your opinion, Councilor Magovern?
Councilor Magovern —I look forward to going to the Big E this year and be a guest of
Wayne McCarry so I decline Councilor Bitzas' proposal.
President Rheault—All right. Councilor Rossi?
Councilor Rossi — I am absolutely opposed to this idea. I think it's even rude to even
suggest that they take the money that was set aside as to this good will gesture as offered
by the Big E every year to invite elected and the business community in for a social event
because they want to I guess contain it somewhat and control it somewhat I guess the
Councilor feels as though maybe we should ask for the money instead to be donated to
his personal interests. Which brings me to another point here and I know that this has
• been done in the past because I've read it in the newspapers that recently this Councilor
has gone to Berkshire Power and asked for $5000 to makes some disks for this bullying
thing and I'm under the impression that if it's a sanction by this town that any gifts that
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are donated to this town for any purposes for this town has to come to the City Council
and to be approved. That gift has to be approved by this Council. I don't know that that
• was done. I don't remember that being done and I think that what is happening over here
is I don't have any problems with Mr. Bitzas if he wants to go around as a private citizen
asking for donations for his personal causes but when he goes around as a City Councilor
he lends credence that this Council is approving or authorizing that money and that's not
the case necessarily, at least I have not been aware of any situation where we've
authorized anyone to go around and get donations for any cause. Not that I'm opposed to
the idea I just think it should be coming from the Council, I think it should be voted on by
the Council, approved and authorized by the Council and I think it's gotten a little bit out
of control and I think maybe if there's some kind of a poll, I think maybe the poll should
be taken in that direction by the City Council but I am opposed to this idea totally.
9 President Rheault—Councilor Walsh?
Councilor Walsh —I am opposed to the idea because we are gonna be the guests of the
host. If we were conducting the event and being the host then I would think that's a
different story. We could then suggest that we might make a donation but I think under
the circumstances it is best left alone. Thank you.
President Rheault—Councilor Cichetti?
Councilor Cichetti—I am opposed to this idea also. I think it's an honor for the Big E to
!� have,well, it is the New England Great State Fair and they choose Agawam to have a day
for us and so again I am opposed to this and let it just go on record.
President Rheault—Thank you. Councilor Letellier?
Councilor Letellier-- I am opposed to the idea that we're taking a poll about this. This
is not a proper subject for a City Council meeting on the record. If you recall, we got in
trouble with the U.S. Department of Justice because we took a poll on something that was
not part of our meeting Agenda. I don't think we should be participating in this poll at
all. Granted it's not something as big as dorming for tobacco farm workers but the
precedence has been set that you don't take a poll on something if it's not a part of the
Council Agenda so I'm not participating in this poll one way or the other.
President Rheault—Councilor Perry?
Councilor Perry—Yes, thank you Mr. President and Gina makes a good point. We did,
this Council, did get into trouble with a straw vote on an issue pertaining to the town, not
that this is an issue pertaining to the town. I understand George's intent. I think his
intentions are good. I would have liked to see in the memo from him that he contacted
the powers to be at the Big E and said that well, yes, if that's the way the town officials
feel we will gladly donate that money and again we didn't have to do it officially on this
floor. I understand, Mr. President, that he was asked in a memo to take this poll this
evening but again just to suggest it without even talking with the people that are offering
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this to us is to me not right and I feel that we need to accept the gracious offer from the
Big E and next year maybe George can talk with them and it could be a different story.
i So that's where I stand. Thank you.
President Rheault — Thank you. Any other business before the Council which starts
with Councilor Magovern tonight.
Councilor Magovern — Thank you Council President. I just wanted to, some of the
people here this evening were concerned about the parking issue up at Six Flags and not
to touch the third rail but I did want to say a few words about it. I never want to see us
return to the fiasco which was an absolute utter fiasco the last time we had a parking
ordinance that was passed but I do think that something has to be looked at as far as the
9 safety up there for the pedestrians and more importantly for our own town's liability.
There is some very legitimate parking situations up there. They're parking cars
legitimately in my mind. They are recording their income. They're doing it in a manner
which I think is consistent with some of our Town Codes but I don't think that our Town
Codes are really understood by many people and I feel that we should look at the Town
Codes that are up there. I think that as we tried to do the last time before the previous
Ordinance was passed that there were Codes that should have been enforced that I don't
think were enforced properly to curtail some of the parking. I think that the rudeness of
some of the people that are there to be putting their diapers in the streets, to be treating
the residents shabbily the way they do, I think some of this can be enforced by our local
authorities. I've made the suggestion several times that there should be a motorized
i Police Officer on a motorcycle or on a bicycle going up trying to do something to control
some of these pedestrians. This is not being done at the present time. We have the
crossing police up there. They're doing a very good job but I think that there's more that
can be done — that has to be done — otherwise we are going to have a liability problem
should somebody get hit. They're rude in the way that they walk up the streets. They're
0 almost asking for some type of injury and then they'll turn around and sue the town, sue
Six Flags, sue the people that parked them there and I think it is an open disaster waiting
to happen and again as I said I do not want to see us return to the fiasco that we had the
last time. It was mishandled from the very beginning and I think that something can be
done legitimately and it should be looked at so that's my comment for this evening.
Thank you.
President Rheault—Mr. Rossi?
Councilor Rossi —Yes,just briefly, for those residents up on Sunnyslope, Kanawha and
• those areas up in there,there is relief available through the Police Department. If you call
the Police Department, whether there's No Parking signs on those streets or not, it
doesn't really make any difference. There is a Code in the Statute that says you must
leave ten feet of unobstructed lane in the roadway so if a motor vehicle is parked and he
leaves less than ten feet of unobstructed lane, it's a violation and subject to be ticketed.
So if that happens to be the case up there, you can call the Police Department and they
0 CAN right a citation, a parking ticket, under that Code violation. So my suggestion to
you is you can call the Police Department and they can give you some relief on that and I
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think that once they start blanketing those cars that are leaving those roadways with less
than ten feet of unobstructed lane, they probably won't be back. I don't think they'll
• want to continue to get the tickets. So there is relief through the Police Department if you
would call them.
President Rheault—Okay, Councilor Walsh?
• Councilor Walsh — Yeah, I want to basically comment on our new microphones. The
old system, we used to have the voice feedback right through our speakers and I'm hard
of hearing so I'm running into a problem depending on who is talking as to whether I can
hear them or not. Some people are coming through very well over the PA system in the
house, other people are not projecting well enough that I can pick it up and I hate to be up
here missing comments that I should be hearing. So I would think that maybe by the next
meeting if these are not designed to have the speaker coming back through what we have
in front of us then perhaps we should have speakers set up directly in front of our panel
so that we can hear theta and that's my comment.
President Rheault — Thank you. Actually just to let you know, when we first
established these, everything was absolutely flawless but when it came to reality and
we're putting them on, everything went the other way. So the experts are gonna have to
figure out how to get these things functioning properly. Councilor Cichetti?
Councilor Cichetti—Nothing tonight.
•
President Rheault—No? Councilor Letellier?
Councilor Letellier — Yes, thank you. I have three things. I'd first like to very shortly,
quickly, respond to a letter to the Editor in the Agawam Advertiser which indicated that I
• did not want Councilors Rossi, Magovern and Walsh to have a chance to speak against
those persons who had questioned their motives with regard to the School Budget and if
the person had actually listened to the meeting they would have found that I was not
opposed to Councilors Rossi, Magovern and Walsh speaking but rather I wanted them to
have to speak on the budget item itself and not under Declarations from Council
President because Declarations from Council President is just that Declarations from
Council President.
President Rheault — Excuse me Councilor. If you are gonna speak, speak correctly. It
was not under Declaration of Council President, it was under Remonstrance.
i Councilor Letellier — Either way the point of order that I made was that it was
appropriate for them to speak on the budget item, not on another item and the letter to the
Editor was incorrect because it said that I did not wish for them to speak at all. Second, I
think that instead of doing street by street piecemeal No Parking zones, I'd like us to have
a Traffic and Street, I'm sorry, Public Safety Committee meeting with perhaps the Safety
Officer from the Town to get a suggestion as to what other streets need a No Parking
zone because of Six Flags parking. We've heard from Kanawha. We've heard from
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Sunnyslope. I think instead of doing this and waiting for the residents to come to us one
street at a time, we know the areas that have a problem. So I think that a Public Safety
meeting would be appropriate. Meet with the Police. Meet with members of the public
and try to get some more of these No Parking zones established. And last but not least,
myself and another person are creating an Agawam against Alzheimer's team for the
Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk on September 11, 2010. If anyone is interested
in walking it's September 11, 2010, Saturday, at Holyoke Community College. We will
soon have our website up and our page registered with the Alzheimer's Association.
Again it's Agawam Against Alzheimer's. If you want more information, please contact
me. Thank you.
President Rheault—Thank you. Councilor Perry?
Councilor Perry—Nothing this evening. I'm all set. Thank you.
President Rheault — All right then I'll entertain a Motion to Adjourn. So moved. All
those in favor? Opposed? We are now adjourned. Thank you and good evening.
Adiournment.
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