CC MTG MINUTES FEBRUARY 19 2013 REGULAR MEETING OF THE AGAWAM CITY COUNCIL
0 Minutes dated February 19, 2013
President Johnson—I'd call the meeting to order.
Item 1. Roll Call
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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 Z Moment of Silence and the Pled e of Alle 'ante.
President Johnson — I'd ask everyone to rise for a moment of silence and Pledge of
Allegiance please.
Item 3. Citizen's Speak Time
President Johnson — Next is Citizen's Speak Time. As I call, I'd ask everyone to
♦ approach, state their name and address and understand you are limited to five minutes.
Since we have a number signed up this evening, we'll have to unfortunately enforce the
five minute limitation. The first person signed up is Deborah Dachos.
Deborah Dachos — Good evening. As you probably know I'm here to speak on the
School Street Barn. According to renowned Agawam historian, Edith Lafrance, in 1635
0 William Pynchon with a small group of men explored along the Connecticut River with
the plan in mind to bring their families, establish a new town or raising corn and cattle
and trading with the Indians. She goes on to say that when they arrived, the land now
known as Agawam, they found an open flood plain whose rich soils were cultivated by
Indians for uncounted generations. And so the story goes, for hundreds of years hard-
working, dedicated settlers came for cultivated Agawam soils and laid the foundation at
which the Agawam we all know and love was founded. This evening I'm before you
with two Resolutions which if adopted would preserve one of the remaining pieces of
Agawam's rich agricultural heritage — the School Street Barn. Others more
knowledgeable than I will be speaking—every time I read I get nervous so excuse me—I
should just wing it — other more knowledgeable than I, Marguerite Rodney from
Crosskey Architects, will be speaking and Elizabeth Rairigh will be speaking on the
specifics of the proposed project, Agawam's historic significance in architecture. I would
like however to answer a couple of questions before they speak. These are questions or
comments I have heard during my many discussions with elected officials and residents.
I'm gonna start off with saying "It's a barn!" What was the importance of a barn in the
1800's? Barns were more than utilitarian structures. They were signs of prestige and
success. The early farmers did not have the resources to construct a barn and had to farm
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for many years to be able to afford one. When the day came,the raising of the barn was a
community event and a celebration of the farmer's good fortune. It's a sad commentary
on our modern society that many of us don't know where food that we buy at the grocery
store comes from. Corporate farming has driven many farmers off the land and the barns
that once were seen throughout New England are gone. In Agawam alone, two-thirds of
the barns that existed in 1985 are now gone. The School Street Barn is the only barn
standing in the part of town settled by William Pynchon. Another question I hear "Why
not use CPA funds for roads, sidewalks, to fight teen suicide or a whole host of other
very important projects?" The funding being sought to restore the School Street Barn can
only be used to `acquire, preserve, rehabilitate and restore historic structures' — to
acquire, preserve, rehabilitate and restore historic structures. There is currently
$438,000 in the CPA Historic account. The CPA application for the School Street Barn
would use $315,000 of this money leaving over $100,000 for other important historic
• preservation projects. The Commonwealth enacted the Community Preservation Act for
projects just like the School Street Barn. The Act was adopted to pay for projects that
would otherwise be unfunded. This is a town-owned structure. It must be maintained. If
it is not, like the other lost barns, it'll succumb—
Clerk—One minute please.
Deborah Dachas — Uh oh, it'll succumb to the elements. The roof, siding, windows,
doors and foundation are all in need of repair. The work costs approximately $350,000.
Without CPA funds, the town would have to pay for these repairs. "Using the barn for
activities other than farm-related activities would make the barn no longer historic", say
some. A structure is deemed to be historic if it meets a number of different criteria. It
has to be old, a famous person may have lived there, a historic event may have occurred.
I won't talk about the National Register nomination but the School Street Barn definitely
fulfills these requirements. The actual use of the barn could change without the building
losing its historic significance. There are numerous examples of this in Agawam. The
Captain Charles Leonard House was originally a single-family home. Today it is used as
event space with rental apartments. No one would question that the Captain Leonard
House is historic. The Agawam Fire House — now the Agawam Fire Museum — is
certainly not used for its intended, original use. I agree there is much; there has been
much discussion about the use of the barn. Further study, I agree, is warranted however
the next use of the barn should not be impacted, should not impact the need to take every
possible step to insure that this unique, impressive, historic structure is saved for future
generations. Thank you.
President Johnson —Thank you. Next is Marguerite Rodney.
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Marguerite Rodney— Good evening. My name is Marguerite Rodney. I'm the Director
of Historic Preservation at Crosskey Architects and I'm speaking this evening on behalf
of architect, Bill Crosskey, who could not be here tonight. Our firm is based in Hartford,
Connecticut. Last summer, Bill Crosskey and I did a `conditions assessment' of the
School Street Barn and in general the findings were as follows. The wood timber frame
structure, the heavy timber structure, is essentially in great shape. The exterior envelope
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has suffered as you would expect from years of weathering but it is capable of being
rehabilitated. The main concern with the barn at this time is the foundation. It has an
atypical foundation structure — it's brick and it's parched with a cement coating. Any of
you that have been to the barn will see that it is deteriorating. The parching is coming
off. What's happening is the brick being submerged in the soil is absorbing moisture and
it's moving and deteriorating and softening and those movements are stressing the wood
structure and eventually will cause harm to the barn itself. So the proposed project, phase
one of the proposed project, is mainly a rehabilitation of the exterior and replacing the
0 foundation. The proposed project includes a new concrete foundation, excavated further
down to the frost level, pouring footings and so forth, and replacing the first floor
framing. It involves restoring the exterior envelope including the sheathing, doors and
windows. It includes making the property, the building accessible and adding some basic
electrical services and lighting for basic uses. So that is in a nutshell what the project is
proposing. Thank you.
President Johnson — Thank you. Next is Elizabeth Rairigh? I apologize if I
mispronounced it but I pronounced it the way Deb did.
Elizabeth Rairigh — Good evening. My name is Elizabeth Rairigh and I'm the Senior
Historic Preservation Planner at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and I'm here to
speak to you tonight in support of Agawam's application to the Massachusetts
Preservation Project Fund for assistance with the rehabilitation of the School Street Barn.
The Preservation Project Fund is a 50/50 matching reimbursable grant for properties that
have been listed in the State Register of Historic places. It was established in 1994 and it
has been a continuous source of funding for structures that are municipally or non-profit
owned in the Commonwealth. It's anticipated this year that there'll be about $780,000
spread across the Commonwealth for support of projects like this. We are eligible to
apply for the Massachusetts Preservation fund because the barn is eligible and listed in
the State and National Register of Historic Places. It was placed on the State Register in
July of 2012 and in the Federal Register in September of the same year. As you may
know, there are four areas under which a building or a property may be eligible for the
National Register — significant events, significant people, its architecture or its ability to
yield information about history or pre-history which generally includes archeological
reasons. The School Street Barn is eligible and listed in the National Register per criteria
0 (a) and (c) for its association with specific events in the Town of Agawam and for its
architectural integrity and importance. In terms of architecture, the School Street Barn is
the last remaining 19t' century barn in Agawam center. It is the only double-ramp or
high-drive barn in Agawam and only one of two known barns of the same type in
Western Massachusetts — the other being in Franklin County. The double ramp is an
• uncommon design solution to the flooding issue that it faced when placed in that site. It
allowed animals and their hauls to be brought in on one level and continue out the side of
the barn without having to turn around and at the same time it provided for storage space
above the potential flood zone areas. The barn, in terms of its history, was used
originally as an all-purpose family barn, moved into an investment and general barn
property and then became a solution to municipal problems later on in the years and was
a jail farm where excess produce that was produced and tended by prisoners was sent to
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homeless families in Springfield and nearby Holyoke thereby helping feed not only
Agawam but the region as well. For all of these reasons, the School Street Barn was
• deemed significant enough to earn a place on the National Register of Historic Places as
well as in the State Register and overall the town should definitely consider supporting
this application to the Preservation Project Fund. We are preparing to ask for a$100,000
match which will ensure that the barn can be retained and preserved for future
generations to enjoy. Thank you.
President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Richard Bennett.
Richard Bennett — Richard Bennett, Willow Brook Drive. I'm a member of the
CPA/Historical Commission. As the council members are aware, this project has been
cut practically in half. The money that we're seeking here tonight or approval of the
application for money to be used for the restoration of the structure itself, almost all the
money is going to that end, a small amount of money is for a stairwell between the lower
level and the main level of the barn. A lot of us have been working on this project for ten
years and on CPA when an application comes before us, one of the things we ask is `what
is the benefit to the residents of the Town of Agawam' so we were pushing for the
• restoration and public use. Well when we got the prices back, as we all know, it
exceeded what we had expected. I think we may all agree that the restoration of the barn
is worthwhile. We cannot let this barn fail so I think if we do approve the money or the
application for the money tonight, this is a good long-term step to preserve the structure
for future use. Thank you.
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President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Sahar Kafi.
Sahar Kafi—Good evening. My name is Sahar Kafi. I live at 42 Cricket Road, Feeding
Hills, Massachusetts. I am a lifetime liver in Agawam. I've always lived here. I've
grown up here. I've graduated from here. I'm here in support of the barn project as a
younger generation that everybody keeps talking about. As Agawam becomes more
developed, I feel that the barn is one of the things that we have left that we have left that
ties us to the history of a rustic feeling of a farming town. As far as Community
Preservation as well as a community feeling, the School Street Barn is one of the best
• projects. I personally did work on it in the Planning Department and I could not be more
in support of this project as well as it's very near and dear to my heart. This is one of the
things that I feel like will benefit our younger generations; give them somewhere to go,
because right now in this town we really don't have a lot of things like this. Like they
said before, it is one of the last barns left in this area like this and I am in full support of
this and I feel like it would do nothing but bring positivity to the town as well as more of
• a community feeling. Thank you.
President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Helen Chester.
Helen Chester—Good evening. Helen Chester, 320 Barry Street. Recently the barn was
• listed in the National Register of Historic Places. To expend funds to alter it to the extent
that it would be transformed into some sort of banquet house with plumbing, heat, air
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conditioning, restrooms, and a kitchen would, I believe, change its true historic
significance not to mention the ultimate cost to the city for maintenance. With some
rehabilitation, it could be used for other purposes which would still retain its historic
significance. Thank you.
President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Ceil Rossi.
Ceil Rossi—Hi. I'm a member of the Agawam Cultural Council as well as the Agawam
Community Artists and I feel that when we have Summerfest on Wednesday nights in the
summer, Phelps School right now is at capacity. Once the second phase of the School
Street Park happens, the barn would be a great asset for arts and crafts, for our young
kids, for the Summerfest as well. So I am in favor of keeping the barn and keeping it for
our, and keeping it in our community. Thank you.
President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Carolyn Reed.
Carolyn Reed — Good evening. My name is Carolyn Reed. I live at 29 Nolan Lane in
Feeding Hills. I am a Title One Math paraprofessional at Robinson Park School and the
proud parent of Doering and Robinson Park School students but I am also a member of
the Agawam Cultural Council and I am here tonight to represent to you the Council's
views on the School Street Barn project. The Agawam Cultural Council would like to
state our enthusiastic support for the conversion and renovation of the School Street Barn
into a usable community space. From our point of view, we continue to believe that the
renovated barn could serve as an interesting multi-use, multi-seasonal cultural space. At
the present time, the Cultural Council must rely on the Agawam Public Library or the
Senior Center to present our very popular Applause series featuring diverse arts groups
once a month for nine months out of the year. Space constraints, limited seating and
lighting configurations as well as calendar conflicts with other town programs using the
0 library often make it difficult to schedule the types of artistic events experience tells us
are of continuing interest to our community. So the creation of a new, intimate, coffee
house style of performance space such as that we envision for the School Street Barn
would be of great interest to us. We imagine a space fully fledged with at least minimal
lighting and sound capabilities just enough to elevate the events we present to true
performance level, a level of professionalism which remains frustratingly just beyond our
0 reach at the present time. But having the School Street Barn available as a performance
venue would only be part of its possible future. We see no conflict with the idea that it
could also be a place for regular, continuing exhibitions of the works of local artist,
teaching presentations geared to younger folk as well as a small museum displaying items
of historical significance relating to our rural heritage. The design of the renovated
• building itself for example could incorporate weathered barn boards from other structures
from around the area deemed worthy of conservation. We firmly believe that with
appropriate design considerations such possible uses for the School Street Barn are not
mutually exclusive that they would be an enhancement to the Town of Agawam, a
forward-thinking town, seeking to step fully into its future potential while paying homage
to its past. We hope you would take these thoughts under consideration now and during
the design and implementation phase of this worthy project. Thank you.
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President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Brian Wesley.
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Brian Wesley — Hi. Brian Wesley, 15 Kosciusko Avenue, Feeding Hills. My topic's a
little different from everybody. Mine is in regards to the special election on April 30`f'.
The election is always held in all the schools, my concern is it opens the schools up
where anybody can walk in while the children are in school. I'd like you to take under
• consideration that they need to be moved. With the recent events that have occurred, the
tragedy in Connecticut and again down in Alabama, you've put measures in place in the
schools to lock the doors, even the after school program, they don't let them in unless
they know who they are to pick their children up, so why in the world would the Town of
Agawam, are we gonna let people in our schools even though they are our own residents,
all due respect to everybody, why open the schools and subject our children to potential
risk when we are here to protect them? So I'd like that taken under advisement. I'm not
sure what can be done about it. I called a couple years ago and talked to the Town Clerk
about it and nothing has changed. I bring it up again now after the recent tragedies. I
don't want anything to happen to them. I have children at this school and at Robinson.
Something does need to be done, I come to the Council for you guys to take this under
• consideration for something to be put in place in time for April 30a' and any special
elections in the future for all schools. Thank you.
President Johnson—Thank you. Next is George Galiotsos.
• George Galiotsos — Hi. I'm George Galiotsos, 21 Maple Meadows Lane in Agawam.
I've been sandbagged a little bit--my wife jumped up here and put her name in and she
said George Pm gonna speak unless you do. She knows I hate doing this. Anyway, I did
go to the last meeting we had on the red barn. I sat there in the gorgeous Senior Center
and heard various people bad-mouth the project and I was a little aghast. I'm saying my
• God, I'm a senior. The seniors in this town judging by the Senior Center have it made.
It's a wonderful complex. It's great and then I saw other people with the letters we've
been reading say we really need a place of our own. We need this. We need that and
they didn't have it. So I thought to myself well if the seniors have it, well certainly that
same sort of courtesy can be given to other groups. Again, I told my wife on the way
down, I hope somebody from the Cultural Council comes and speaks and thank God the
• two ladies came and they have spoken much better than I could. It's certainly an event
that I endorse. Additionally, I always was a white-collared guy. The barn for me stands
for obviously farmers; it's a certain precious time in our society. I don't have farming in
my family but we had working guys and blue-collared guys my brothers were. To me it
celebrates the working, the blue-collared guy. I went out on my skis the other day to
• commune with the barn. I looked at it for quite a while. I stood there in the snow and it
did. It did speak to me and it said George get up and speak and that's what I'm doing. I
think it's obviously the other concerns about this historic portion of it, it's such a
memento. It doesn't do anything for Agawam to have another Dunkin Donuts, another
McDonald's, there's nothing special about those places even though I frequent them.
• What is special is a place like this barn. It gives a special quality to Agawam. It's the
kind of thing, the same sort of thing that the Senior Center does -- it's a wonderful place.
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We've got so many other things that have been happening -- the River Walk and other
places that you know better than I--my point here is that all of these nice happenings in
our community may be even elevates the prices of our homes. In other words when I'm
ready to sell my house and you're ready to sell your house, this money that we invest via
the Community Preservation Fund, it brings you back interest. I hope I've made myself
clear with that. So those are my three points. Thank you for letting me speak.
President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Jill Messick.
Jill Messick — Good evening. Jill Messick, 118 Princeton Avenue, Feeding Hills. I'm
here tonight to speak in strong support of appropriating $315,000 from CPA funds to
restore the School Street Barn in a way that will allow it to be open to the public. I also
recommend approving the grant application for $100,000 from Mass. Historical. I've
been on the barn study group for a number of years and I'm very pleased that we have
finally gotten to this point. You have on the desk in front of you a screen print of a web
page in the National Historic Register, the National Register of Historic Places. This is
our barn's web page. This is a big deal! It was very difficult, it took a lot of work, there
were documents, after documents, research was done, people, many people, not just from
• Agawam but from Pioneer Valley, historical experts worked on this to get it on the
National Register of Historic Places. It's an honor for the barn to be included on a list
that also includes Faneuil Hall and Boston Commons and many other more well known
historic places. It also confers responsibility on Agawam to preserve, protect and
maintain the barn for future generations and to open it up so that people can see how truly
i unique it is. We have lost two-thirds of Agawam's barns over the last fifteen years. I
went on a survey to find that information out as part of the application to get our barn on
the National Register and I saw barns, dead barns, laying all over our town, skeletons that
once used to be working barns on farms that supported families. Someday the School
Street Barn may be the only one left. It may seem like a lot of money to restore our barn
• but let me assure you that we are asking for the minimum amount of work to be done that
will accomplish the goal of opening our barn up to the public. There are building codes
that must be met and it has to be ADA compliant to open it up. There has to be a
wheelchair lift. The foundation, sills and the roof must be replaced in order for it to
remain standing. The barn doors need to be repaired. There's a long list of repairs but in
the end, we will have a barn that can be used by community groups, some of whom
you've heard from tonight, opened up during sporting events for families and children to
see. It could be used for cultural events, music events, the sports leagues have shown
interest in holding their sign-ups there, the possibilities are endless and this request
represents a first step in a process that could result in a building that could be used year
round — a goal that I believe is a very worthy one. It has been suggested that eventually
• the lower floor could house the Park& Rec Department. I think that's a very appropriate
idea. A number of years ago, I was in the basement of the barn in old clothes, work
gloves and a face mask, shoveling years of accumulated dirt out of the basement, carrying
out trash from years of the town using it to store junk and I looked forward to tonight.
Tonight I ask you to approve the CPA request and the grant application request so that we
• can start looking forward to the day that we have the grand opening of our newly restored
School Street Barn. Thank you.
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President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Corinne Wingard.
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Corinne Wingard — Good evening. My name is Corinne Wingard. I live at 194 Elm
Street in Agawam. I'm also a member of the CPA and an increasingly senior citizen,
having a birthday in two more days that are pushing me right more up there so there are
definitely are seniors in support of the barn. We all know that there's many opinions on
what should be done with the barn, many, many different opinions on what should be
done but one thing I think we can all agree on is everyone loves the barn. I was at an
earlier meeting and I happened to mention to one of the people there that I was coming to
this evening about the School Street Barn and the person said `Oh, I love that barn' and
that's the reaction you get pretty much all over town when you talk to people about the
School Street Barn. Everybody loves the barn. I have to really congratulate and thank
• the staff for figuring out to break this project down into three phases because that's the
only thing we need to decide tonight is phase one. We don't have to decide tonight if it
should be three season, four season, no season. We don't have to decide any of that
tonight. All we have to decide, excuse me all you ladies and gentlemen have to decide to
tonight is for phase one so we can preserve the barn and have the options in the future of
• doing more. So I hope that we all can agree on that and thank you for letting me speak to
you again.
President Johnson—Thank you and happy birthday. Next is Billy Chester.
• Billy Chester — Yes, Billy Chester, 320 Barry Street in Feeding Hills. This is a barn.
Just plain and simple, it's a barn and it should be kept as a barn. The $60,000 they want
to shore up this barn, it should be given to them to make it safe and leave it at that. The
money they want to invest in this thing does not make any common sense to me and I'm
sure to a lot of people. If people were interested in this barn, this auditorium would be
filled, I'm sure, with people wanting that thing restored the way they want to do it. So I
ask the Council just to give them the money, the $60,000,to shore up the barn,to make it
safe and leave it at that cuz you know they're gonna come back in the future and they're
gonna want more money to do what they want to do and I hope you don't give it to them
because it's just a barn. That's what it is. Thank you.
President Johnson—Thank you. Next is Gary Janulewicz.
Gary Janulewicz—Good evening. My name is Gary Janulewicz. I live at 41 Elm Street
in Agawam. I grew up in Agawam. I went away to school, left school, went in the
service, went back to school and engaged in a forty year teaching career. I retired and
• moved back to Agawam in '08. In '09, I purchased a home in Agawam. I call this my
nostalgia tour. The cost of the CPA to me is less than ten cents a day so I think it's a
good investment. I'm in support of phase one to preserve the barn. I was appointed by
the Mayor to the Historic Commission in '09 and I came in in the middle of this. I've
heard lots of ideas bantered around about what could be used for the barn. My major
• concern and I agree with Debbie and I agree with Corinne, there has to be further study
on the future but I think to save the barn is number one, the cost associated with the other
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phases I can't imagine what they might be and I need to see a plan for that. I meet
Debbie's criteria for historic structure — I'm old but I would like to agree that the barn
needs to be preserved. Thank you.
President Johnson—Thank you and the last speaker this evening is Taylor Newton.
Taylor Newton — I didn't really expect to be speaking tonight but after my friends here
suggested I do that—I came basically just to offer my support for preserving the barn. I
think it's a unique structure. We see a lot of these tobacco barns around but this is
certainly unique and going through the process of getting it on the National Register
which took so much effort, that I think it would be a shame not to do the necessary
spending now to stabilize the structure, make some basic improvements — electrical —to
the exterior to see that it doesn't deteriorate any further but my real reason was to suggest
a use for it that I thought maybe this is getting the cart before the horse if you excuse the
pun here but for the barn, just to keep it as a barn would be my favorite ideal use for the
thing, would be a farm museum which could be an educational resource. You could get a
lot of farm implements and other farm family type things donated or lent to the use of it
for that particular purpose but I think it's certainly in keeping with the town's history and
• the prior use of the structure. In terms of cost, I think it certainly would be a lot less than
possibly some of these other ideas that have been floated so thank you for hearing me.
President Johnson — Thank you and again thank you to all the citizens who came this
evening.
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Item 4. Minutes
1. Regular Council Meeting—February 4,2013
President Johnson — Is there a Motion to approve? Moved by Councilor Magovern,
seconded by Councilor Rheault. Questions or discussion on the minutes? Seeing none,
all those in favor say Ay? Any opposed? Please note Councilor Mineo's abstention and
Councilor Rossi's abstention.
Item S. Declaration Lrom Council President
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None.
Item 6. Presentation of Petitions Memorials& Remonstrances
1. TR-2013-8 -A Resolution accepting a grant from the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency pursuant to Massachusetts
General Laws, Chapter 44, Section 53A to the Agawam Emergency
Management(Mayor)
• President Johnson — Is there a Motion? Moved by Councilor Cavallo, seconded by
Councilors Magovern and Cichetti. Questions or discussion? It's a grant in the amount
of$1,589.00. Seeing none, all those in favor say Ay? Any opposed? It's unanimous.
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2. TR-2013-9 -A Resolution accepting a grant from the Massachusetts
• Historical Commission pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws,Chapter
44,Section 53A to the Town of Agawam (Referred to Finance Committee)
(Mayor)
Councilor Perry—Point of privilege?
• President Johnson—Your point Councilor Perry?
Councilor Perry — I would make a recommendation that we suspend the rules and put
this behind TR-2012-9 to vote on 2013-10 first before -9 only for the simple fact is we're
voting on the cart before the horse, exactly, the pun that was used earlier so I am making
• a Motion to suspend the rules and move TR-2013-10 ahead of TR-2013-9.
President Johnson — We have a Motion made by Councilor Perry, seconded by
Councilor Letellier and others. Questions or discussion on the Motion to reverse the
order of the next two items. Seeing none, all those in favor say Ay? Any opposed? It's
• unanimous. So our next item is TR-2013-10.
3. TR-2013-10 -A Resolution appropriating from the Community
Preservation Fund and authorizing the expenditure of Community
Preservation funds for the preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of
historic'resources,the School Street Barn.(Referred to Finance Committee)
• (CPA)
President Johnson — And that's in the amount of$315,000. Is there a Motion? Moved
by Councilor Letellier, seconded by Councilor Cichetti. The matter was referred to the
Finance Sub-Committee so I'd ask Councilor Mineo for a report?
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Councilor Mineo — If it's okay, I'm feeling a little bit under the weather tonight. I
haven't been feeling well and if it's okay that Councilor Letellier read the minutes for
me.
• President Johnson—Certainly. Councilor Letellier?
Councilor Letellier-Thank you. Yes, I took the meeting minutes that night. If anyone
feels that anything's been left out, please let me know after I read the minutes. These are
the minutes from the Finance Sub-Committee meeting on February 13, 2013. Present
from the Finance Committee were Joe Mineo as Chair, Councilors Rheault, Letellier and
Magovern and absent was Councilor Calabrese. Also in Attendance were Councilors
Bitzas and Johnson, Cheryl St. John, the Auditor, David Cecchi, Deborah Dachos,
Director of Planning and Henry Kozloski. The two items of Agenda were TR-2013-9 a
Resolution accepting a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission pursuant to
Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 44, Section 53A,to the Town of Agawam and then
• TR-2013-10 a Resolution appropriating from the Community Preservation Fund and
authorizing the expenditure of Community Preservation funds for the preservation,
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rehabilitation and restoration of historic resources, i.e. the School Street Barn It began
with a PowerPoint presented by Deb Dachos. She talked about the brick foundation and
the block foundation. The north side of the barn has brick and the south side of the barn
has a block foundation. The south side of the barer used to be open. There are no
footings in the foundation; it's just sitting on the ground. The cinder blocks are popping
out, some of the sills have rotted, some of the wood siding is rotted, there is jury rigging
on the exterior to try to protect the rotted sills, the shingles are shot. It's just a matter to
time before the roof starts leaking which would be a death sentence. The architect met
with the advisory committee and discussed various scenarios. The utilities such as water
and sewer would be accessible from School Street. The architect looked at a four-season
barn and made designs that were in the February, 2013 binder which we all received.
The architect was asked about retaining tack room. The binder that was provided shows
a large first floor open space with ground floor meetings, rest rooms, a closet, and a lift
for handicapped accessibility. The exterior of the barn will look about the same in order
to meet with Department of Interior Standards. The ramps need to be restored; the
windows need to be made air tight. The four-season option is "the Cadillac of all
possibilities." There are three alternatives. One is stabilization and repairs, two is a
three-season barn and (3) is a four-season barn. Regarding the stabilization and repairs,
there would be no guarantee the barn would be standing over a long period of time, no
work would be done on the foundation, just a new roof, fix the doors and the windows.
For a three-season barn, it would cost $681,000 for everything but the HVAC. The four-
season would cost $812,787 for everything to be done including the HVAC. Debbie said
that they took to heart public input, the CPA budget for historic preservation, and did a
hybrid of basic repair and opening to the public. They asked the architect to go back to
the drawing board and come back with a more realistic proposal. If they just made the
repairs, the public could not enter because it would not be handicapped accessible.
Everyone agreed the foundation was critical. The hybrid enables the town to make all
necessary repairs on foundation, it allows for handicapped accessibility, no bathrooms,
and if there's an event scheduled, there'd need to be portable toilets brought in. The
Mayor and the DPW would be doing additional "in kind"work to bring the water and the
sewer to the basement and it would still need some electrical work for emergency
lighting. This proposal would cost $412,000. Regarding the two resolutions on the
Agenda - the $315,000 from the CPA funds leaves $100,000 in the Historical account.
The town would apply for $100,000 Mass Historical Commission funding and it would
need to be on the National Register which has already happened. The application for the
Historic Commission funding is one hundred pages long. I think I got that right Deb—oh
the instructions are one hundred pages long, forgive me, okay. We lost two-thirds of the
barns in Agawam since 1985. This is a 130 year old, post and beam construction barn
with no nails and it is still standing. The Cultural Council has a desire to use the barn and
• sports organizations want to use it for sign-ups and meetings. Do you want me to go
through the question and answer period as well or is that sufficient?
President Johnson —I believe that's sufficient.
Councilor Letellier--Okay, respectfully submitted, Gina Letellier.
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President Johnson — Thank you Councilor Letellier. There was no recommendation
made by the Finance Sub-Committee relative to either item?
Councilor Letellier — I'm sorry yes the conclusion was that the committee voted 4-0 to
not make a specific recommendation and rather wanted to hear more from the public.
President Johnson— So now the floor is open for discussion on TR-2013-10. Councilor
Magovern?
•
Councilor Magovern — I just want to say that I am in favor of preserving the barn.
There is nobody that is more interested in the agricultural history of Agawam than I am
personally. My family was here with William Pynchon back in the 1630's and they have
been part of the agricultural community of Agawam from the 1630's up until the 1930's
• when they sold the farm. But I feel that a proposal that's being presented tonight is
overkill. It's not preservation of the barn. This recommendation this evening is step one
of step two, of step three which is $800,000 for a cultural center in Agawam. If they
want to spend $800,000 for a cultural center I think there's other ways that can be done.
I'll say more later but that's my initial response.
•
President Johnson—Councilor Calabrese?
Councilor Calabrese — Uh, yeah, I just want to follow up on a couple of comments that
were made during Citizen's Speak Time. Well aware of the use of CPA to "acquire,
preserve, rehabilitate and restore". That's not what's going on here. This is a complete
re-use and re-purpose of a historic structure and it's gonna change the very nature of the
structure itself. My personal favorite use was the last gentleman that spoke — keep the
barn as a barn and use it as a farming museum to celebrate the rich cultural farming
heritage of the Town of Agawam but I just cannot swallow what's going to end up being
close to a million dollar project for an old barn. We could build a beautiful new structure
somewhere in town, we've got enough land and I'm sure we could probably site
something for a cultural center but what's proposed here is not preserving a barn. It's re-
purposing a beautiful historical structure and I just can't support this.
President Johnson—Councilor Bitzas?
•
Councilor Bitzas —Thank you Mr. President. I do agree with the previous speakers and
I do love the barn. I love the barn to see as a barn. I don't want to see the barn to have
heat, air conditions, kitchen,bathrooms, elevators, dining areas, then it's not going to be a
barn. It would take all the historical significance out of it. I like to go to the park and see
the barn there and have the people go and see it. If you don't go inside, it's fine. You
don't have to go inside, the doors are open, they can see one open the other, they can
explain to them. In many, many buildings, many historic buildings in Europe, we don't
allow to step into the building. For example, my home town Acropolis, they have a rope
around it,you don't go inside, you don't walk in the Acropolis but you can see,you know
• it and people can tell you about the historic significance of Acropolis. Other areas in
Italy you don't go in there,the Coloseum, you don't climb up the Coloseum anymore. So
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I am afraid by doing that, you will destroy the barn. There's not going to be any more
barn, the way it used to be years and years ago. Spend the money and restore...I have an
amendment, I can wait now or we can put it now to amend the amount of the $315,000 to
$62,000 and if we want to make an amendment now Mr. President or I can wait to later
on,what you prefer?
President Johnson — I believe it would be more fruitful to allow discussion to be
* completed before we offer amendments.
Councilor Bitzas—Okay, I agree with that. Thank you.
President Johnson—Councilor Letellier?
• Councilor Letellier — Yes, thank you. In keeping with the theme of the cart before the
horse, I want to remind everyone that we are not voting on a four-season barn. We're not
voting on plumbing, we're not voting on bathrooms, we're not voting on a kitchen.
We're voting on the application before us which is for $315,000 from the CPA and then
to ask for $100,000 from the Historical Commission. I would like to see it used to keep
• its historic character. I think using it as a barn or something like that is a great idea,
keeping it as a museum but if we want to do anything, we have to make it handicapped
accessible. We can't say that if there's a school field trip to the barn, sorry Susie, you
have to stay outside because there's no lift. So I think we need to keep that in mind or if
there's adults that want to see it. We can't exclude them because of the cost for the lift. I
was never in favor of it being a four-season barn until we know for sure that there's going
to be a use that would justify the expenditure of a four-season barn. That's why I am in
favor of the proposal tonight. Let's fix the foundation. Let's fix the windows. Let's fix
the roof. Let's shore up the foundation. Let's make it handicapped accessible so the
maximum number of people can use this barn. I know when we were at the sub-
committee meeting, Council President Johnson had some ideas as to how it should be
used in the future. I think everyone has ideas as to how it should be used in the future but
until we do this work and make it handicapped accessible, there are no uses in the future.
All you can do is look at it from the outside and go isn't that a great looking barn? To be
able to go inside, to see the interior construction, to see the tack room, to show kids what
could be done without nails. Kids don't realize that sort of things these days! That's the
beauty of it, it's not just an exterior postcard, it's a living, breathing, historical thing that
you can go in and you can see. So I think that by bickering about how much money
could be spent in the future, we're missing the opportunity to preserve our past. So I'm
in favor of both 2013-9 and 2013-10. Thank you.
• President Johnson —Councilor Rossi and then Councilor Mineo?
Councilor Rossi—Thank you. I'm in favor of restoring this barn. I think this barn is an
important project to the Town of Agawam. I've had a lot of discussions with a lot of the
members and some sitting out here in this audience today about the barn and what its use
• is and regardless of what its intended use will be in the future and I think that remains to
be seen because I think as mentioned here I think there's a lot that has to be discussed
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about its future uses but I honestly think and listening to some of the people talk and I
listened to Corinne and she hit home with one particular item that we're not voting for
this as an end all thing over here. We're only voting for the first phase and that led me to
believe that maybe we should give this project the chance. I don't think that by the
amendment that, I know the amendment is gonna come through about the $60,000, that's
pretty much just gonna take care of the basic things, taking care of post and beams and
stuff like that and it's not gonna really cover the restoration significantly enough to try to
do something in the future and I think for the sake of this barn, the history of this barn
0 and unique architecture of this barn, I think it needs a chance to survive in this
community and I think without promoting this money, the $315,000, I don't think we're
gonna give it that chance. As I said earlier and I don't want to repeat myself, I think we
can decide later on as to what we want to do in the future with it, with this barn, but I
think at least for now I think we should restore it and rehabilitate it to include the
foundation, the sills, the windows and the doors and the roof and I understand that this
calls for a chair lift also, included in the money that's being asked for tonight and as Gina
said I think that's important, I think we need to have that so I'm gonna be in favor of this.
I'm gonna give you this money and in a second level is there is $400,000 in that
Historical Account and it's used for historical purposes so we can't really use it for
anything else. If we have our Historical Committee and our Cultural Council and
everybody else agreeing to use that money, I say why not. That's what it's there for.
We're not using undesignated funds. This is money that's been earmarked for this
purpose and if not for this reason, I don't see anything on the horizon that's as worthy as
this cause so you can count on my support for this first phase. Thank you.
•
President Johnson--Councilor Mineo?
Councilor Mineo — Yeah, I'm not gonna repeat everything that Councilor Letellier and
Councilor Rossi said but I do agree with everything they have said. I think we need to
move forward with the first phase here, find a use and go ftom there.
President Johnson—Councilor Cavallo, I'm gonna do first speakers before we go back-
Councilor Cavallo -- Yeah, I, well I feel the same way. My problem is of course it's a
lot of money but I certainly would be averse to the next phases of the project. I believe
0 it's an historic site and it should remain that way and I don't think adding all the bells and
whistles and making it a Cultural Center, I don't think that's the object of any historic
building or anything historic, you retain the way it was. You try to retain it to the best of
your ability and that's what I'm in favor of it for but I'm not in favor of going beyond
that. God knows when you're gonna have enough money in your account to go into
• phase two or phase three but it's history then and you've gotta make the foundation solid,
you have to put windows in it and I agree with that and I have to concur with Bob Rossi,
Councilor Rossi, when he says the money's there. We can't use it for sidewalks. We
can't use it for roads, any of that, so we are really, we have to use it for something
historical. We've already done the Captain Leonard House. We did the house up in
40 Feeding Hills and we've done a lot of other projects so just to go on record I will vote yes
for this this evening but in the future if who knows if I'm gonna be around when it
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happens and you have the money, but you know we always have to keep in mind too that
some of this money that we're spending is also the taxpayers' money. Let's not forget
• that all of us must pay a tax bill and we have a little amount of money down the bottom
that says this goes for CPA and a lot of people you know, they are a little concerned
about how there money is spent. Some don't even know what it's for and they just pay it
so but I will vote yes tonight and hopefully it'll just remain that way and that's it.
President Johnson—Councilor Cichetti?
•
Councilor Cichetti— Thank you Mr. President. After listening to everyone speak about
this and everybody in favor of it and from what I've seen outside of the four walls of this
building being in favor of it, I'm definitely showing my support. One thing that I do
agree with is that the $315,000 to give us the opportunity to get the $100,000 grant.
• Things that we've let fall through the cracks up here on the floor, like not passing the
Stretch Code, that a couple people in the audience supported before, God knows how
much we lost in grant money by not supporting that alone, so I am in full support of this
and I hope everybody else is also.
• President Johnson—Councilor Magovern?
Councilor Magovern —As I said before, I'm very, very much in favor of preserving the
barn however the way this proposal comes before us tonight, I think it needs more
investigation. We're gonna vote to spend $315,000 plus another$100,000 in a grant on a
• project that I don't think it would really cost that much if you had some other people
come in and take a look at it and say it's gonna cost x amount. I mean everybody says
you should put projects out to bid. Well, I asked the question is the barn gonna be
dismantled? The architect said that the frame is sound. I still think that the barn could be
restored without tearing the whole thing down and making an erector set out of it and
putting it back. I for one would love to be able to go in there and see the original pegs in
place that the farmers put in 150 years ago, This isn't gonna be the case if we vote this
this evening. They're gonna go ahead and tear the whole barn down, put it back together
again. I'd rather get another barn person in to take a look at it and say this is what it's
gonna cost for the basic preservation of the barn period. I want to see the foundation. I
! want to see everything done but I don't think it's gonna cost $400,000+to make that barn
so it can stand and withstand the weathers for the next fifty to one hundred years. Once
the barn is preserved, if somebody could come forward as President Johnson has said in
some of our meetings, with a plan as to how it could be utilized — fine — that's another
phase down the road. Right now, the barn has to be preserved but I don't think it's gonna
cost $400,000+ that's what the architect has said but I think that if you get another
practical old Yankee barn repair person in here and I think that barn could be done for a
heck of a lot less. I've seen barns done. Thank you.
President Johnson—Councilor Bitzas?
! Councilor Bitzas — Thank you. If we vote it tonight, if you support the $400,000
whatever cost $415,000, it is actually supporting the half a million, the million dollars
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barn because we come for sure in a year or two, the people going to come down here to
us for the rest of it because if you spend $683,000 not including the grant from the state,
that's like you are approving half or a million dollars expenditure and in this economic
time with the people unemployed, all the peoples in the street, we spend $5 million plus
on the park, a beautiful park we have, do we have to spend right now, the $600,000 to put
elevators, to put all the doors, to put the barn down, that's not to restore for the barn, at
least we have the barn ready for the next step, that's in disguise. I can see it. A blind
! person can see it what's going on here. You vote this tonight; you go to the records that
you're going to spend in the future another $600,000. My amendment, the $62,000,
doesn't stop you there. You come next year if you need another $50,000 to $100,000 to
put a foundation there or whatever, it's nothing prevent us to come here and put another
$50,000. It's nothing. They can come down a year from now and say okay we need
another $50,000 but if you put the $315,000 now plus the $100,000 from the state, I think
• my opinion you approving a barn to be conformed to the future for four season barn.
Thank you and I can't support it for that. I'm sorry. I loved to see the barn historic if we
do that I'm not doing a favor to the town. I'm doing a disservice to the town because the
barn would be destroyed its historic significance, and also I care about the taxpayers'
money. They pay the money. They pay the taxes. The taxes are going up and up and up
and now you ask them to spend five million dollars plus another million dollars, six
million dollars, million dollars for a barn? Nobody be down there. I guarantee it. Thank
you.
President Johnson—Councilor Rheault?
•
Councilor RheauIt — Yes, I don't usually agree with George or Councilor Bitzas too
often but I get around town and so does George and so don't all of us I guess and I have
not had honestly one single person speak up, other than Citizen's Speak Time, in favor of
the expense that's in front of us this evening. This is phase one that's the issue that's in
front of us this evening but it's not gonna stop and I've been around for too long to
realize that that's the first step and then the second step—well you already gave $400,000
why quit now and then before you know it we're up to a million dollars. I'm totally in
favor of restoring the barn. I think it's got a lot of character and it fits very well where
it's located but if you continually make changes and add to it, you're really changing the
real structure and intent of the historic part of the barn in my opinion anyways. So I will
support Councilor Bitzas' amendment and that money's still gonna be there after the
initial stage and if we can do it for a lot less, that's fine but I'm not in favor of spending
over $800,000 for restoring the barn.
President Johnson—Councilor Perry?
•
Councilor Perry—Thank you Mr. President. I've fought with this issue and we've been
dealing with this issue for a long time, there's no question, the School Street Barn has
been the subject of many meetings that we've all attended but let's keep it in perspective.
We're looking at phase one right now. I know in the book it shows phase two and phase
three and what that cost is. In regards to Councilor Magovem's estimating the cost to
repair this barn, if you remember the Thomas Payne House, how small that project was
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and how much money that cost. What we're getting out of this is I feel worth the money
in restoring this barn so it can be around for another hundred years. Beyond that, if I'm
• still on the Council when it comes up, I don't want to see it turned into anything other
than possibly what the gentleman at Citizen's Speak Time said in regards to a museum.
I think that would be ideal for that barn. That's my future site for it from this councilor's
standpoint but I think we need to invest this money to make sure that that barn's there
one hundred years from now and I will be supporting it this evening because I know and
I'm not an expert but Pm sure it's on the National, the state and the federal, Registry and
• there's gonna be guidelines on what you can and what you can't do in taking it down and
restoring it. There's all kinds of guidelines that whoever goes in to restore this barn has
to go by. We've learned that with the Thomas Payne House. You can't have the average
Joe Carpenter come there and do it. It takes someone who's a specialist to go in and
restore these historical buildings and it's gonna cost that much just to get it to where it's
• gonna last another hundred years and yes, we're gonna add some other things to it. If we
want to use it for a museum we'll have the requirements for the handicapped there so I
feel the money's there. It can only be used for historical projects and I think this is
worthy of that. That's my opinion. Thank you.
President Johnson — I'm gonna step from the Chair since everyone's already had the
opportunity at least once to speak. I support both items that are before us this evening but
no kidding aside it is only the first phase. So don't sit up here and say that you're gonna
support the $415,000 and stop there because that's not a wise expenditure of taxpayer
funds. This is only wise if the plan is to complete either to a three or a four season
structure. Otherwise if you just want to maintain it as "a barn" then this is not a wise
expenditure in my humble opinion. Relative to the historic aspect of it, the roof on the
barn's not the original roof. The siding on the barn's not the original siding. Essentially
what's historic in that barn is the timber frame and the tack room, pretty much that's it,
and a couple other small features. As the owner of several historic properties myself and
as the President of the Captain Charles Leonard House, I can tell you that all older
structures aren't original. Most have been changed over the course of the years. What
makes them historic is the history of the structure itself, how it looks but not necessarily
what's there because what's there gets changed over the decades and over the years. So
the reality is I support taking the first step which is what's before us tonight. I also
support taking the next steps but I think it's critical as I said at the Finance Sub-
Committee, that we have to find a permanent use and I beg to differ with those who want
to use it for this on this night and that on this Saturday, it doesn't work folks. Sorry. You
need to get a permanent Monday through Friday use in this structure before you take the
next few steps. I'm gonna offer one amendment because it's a housekeeping amendment
and then I'll open the floor to any other amendments. It's my understanding that the
CPA voted to recommend the appropriation of the $315,000 subject to the town getting
the $100,000 Historic grant. So this is the language that I'm offering because our
Resolution doesn't reflect that. In the NOW THEREFORE provision of our Resolution,
after where the word or the numbers `$315,000' appear, I would add `subject to the
receipt by the town of a grant in the amount of $100,000 from the Massachusetts
• Historical Commission' and I understand it's more than seven words or ten words but it's
pretty simple and that puts it in line with what the CPA voted. What that means is that if
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the town is not successful with the grant, that the $315,000 cannot be spent until they
come back to the CPA and then back to the Council because that's my understanding
from talking with Mr. Kozloski as to what the CPA actually voted. So that's the
amendment that I offer. There's a second to that amendment (by Councilor Perry).
Questions or discussion on the amendment simply to bring it in line with the CPA?
Seeing none, just for housekeeping purposes, I'd ask Barbara to call the roll on the
amendment.
ROLL CALL— 11 YES,0 NO
President Johnson — With eleven yes, we've approved the amendment. At this point,
the floor is open to further discussion or amendments? I saw lights over here before—so
I would refer to Councilor Magovem and then Councilor Rossi and then Councilor Bitzas
i and Councilor Cavallo.
Councilor Magovern — 1 just wanted to state again that you know where I stand on the
barn. I want to see it done. I can see that this is gonna pass tonight from doing the head
count and I want to thank everybody for the work that they've got into but I'm still gonna
vote no. I know I'm gonna be on the losing side of the vote but I'm voting no not
because I'm against the restoration of the barn, I'm voting no because I think that the
price that we see here is too high. I think that it could be bid out and get some people
other than just one company in that has done barn restorations and take a look at that barn
restoration and say can it be done without dismantling the entire structure because as the
architects have said that is a firm solid, post and beam construction. It can stand for
another hundred years. It does need the sills replaced but I've seen buildings done where
you can jack up the building, hold it together, replace the sills and put it back down on
the new foundation without dismantling the whole barn and I think to be able to keep that
post and beam construction original to the way that it was constructed, I think is a plus
for that barn and for the historic significance of the building. So it's gonna pass but I still
don't like the amendment the way that it's written so thank you.
Councilor Rossi — Thank you. This Resolution that's before us I think deserves our
consideration and deliberation on the face of this Resolution only. I don't think it should
be based on what future uses or intended uses are for this building. I know in the
brochure it says that it could be as high as $800,000 but we don't know that. We don't
know if they'll come back for any more money at all. I do know what I have before me
is that they're asking for the $315,000 plus this grant and I agree with the amendment
that we just made, that's what they're asking for and I think it deserves in all fairness, our
deliberation and our thoughts on this, on the merits of this Resolution not on what may be
• in the future down the road. I think if you're in favor of the Resolution of this barn I
think you need to vote yes on this thing. If you're not well then obviously you vote no
but in fairness of this Resolution I think it deserves our consideration and deliberation on
the face and the merits of this thing and not on something that may be down the road.
What may be is gonna happen as a result of this City Council's deliberations in the
• future, not tonight, and I think we should probably stick with that. That's just my view. I
think that they deserve that. I think that the people that put this thing together deserve
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that from us so I think that, I'm gonna be voting on the face of this thing and what I
believe to be a sound Resolution. I think the money is in line with what we have in our
! Historical budget. I think it's in line with the restoration with putting this barn back
together to try to get some public use out of it. I think the architecture I think is worth
saving. I understand it's probably not in its original condition but I don't know that
anybody might think that it is or not but we're gonna try to get it back to as original as we
can but I think again without trying to repeat myself, I think in all fairness of the
Resolution, I think we should decide on the merits of this Resolution and not what may
! be down the road. Thank you.
President Johnson —Councilor Bitzas?
Councilor Bitzas — I strongly disagree with respectful Councilor Rossi and I do agree
! with Councilor Magovern. Councilor Rossi, we're spending tonight — I agree with the
Resolution — but I don't agree with the amount of money. It's $315,000 plus another
$100,000 we may not get it. Nobody guarantee the $100,000 grant will be us, its
application, otherwise you be $415,000 something that you don't know what will be and
somebody decides on their own what will be? What will be the barn? A restaurant? A
! recreation center? Offices? Who's paying the maintenance for that? The cost will be
going up and up and up and the taxpayers they're going to have to pay the cost. Now
how can we vote for $415,000 restoration which is not restoration exactly, it's not
restoration at all, what the architect said "to restore the barn and rehabilitate the barn, to
stand up there for many, many years, we need $62,000", that's what he said and that was
! the expert and as Councilor Magovem said before some other people they talk about the
barn, it would stand for another hundred years. If the $62,000 is not enough for what we
do to preserve it,what, why, it be easy for them to come back to us here and say okay we
need another $50,000 but we'll see if they really need $50,000, I would have no problem
to give them more money to leave the barn like a barn. Now you voting for half a million
• dollars something you don't know what will happen to that building? What will be
there? I mean this is insane. I'm sorry Councilors but you don't even know what will be
there but this is the first step for a one million dollar project that nobody going to use and
we destroy the whole barn, it would be no more historic, and with that I make an
amendment in the eight paragraph in the amount of$315,000 to strike this out and put
"$62,000" to restore and rehabilitate the School Street Barn and strike out the rest of the
• paragraph, the three lines. This is my amendment.
President Johnson— So as I understand the amendment, the amendment is to change the
amount of the appropriation from $315,000 to $62,000 and to strike the balance of the
language which would include the recent amendment plus the balance that appears.
Councilor Bitzas—Correct.
President Johnson—So we have the Motion to amend. Is there a second to that Motion?
We have a Motion made by Councilor Bitzas, seconded by Councilor Rheault. Questions
or discussion on the amendment? Seeing none, I'd ask Barbara to call the roll on the
amendment?
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ROLL CALL — 4 YES (Councilors Bitzas, Calabrese, Magovern and Rheault), 7
YES (Councilors Cavallo, Cichetti,Johnson,Letellier,Mineo, Perry and Rossi)
President Johnson — With a vote of four yes and seven no, the amendment leas gone
down to defeat. We're back to the main Motion as amended. Any further discussion on
the main Motion as amended? Councilor Rheault?
Councilor Rheault — Just one quick point. The, you know these are not all easy votes.
We're all basically on the same wave length up here and we all each have an opinion and
we're all entitled to the opinion. I respect all of yours and I would hope that you respect
mine. There's nothing personal involved. It's, my inside says no so that's what I'm
gonna do and the majority of people I spoke to agree with me but that doesn't mean that
• they're right or I'm right. I just want to clarify that point. There's no hard feelings. It's
just we're up here to do a job and in our own conscience we do what we do. Thank you.
President Johnson—Any fiarther discussion that hasn't already been made.
r Councilor Cavallo—I think I was next.
President Johnson—I don't want to keep going around the table fifteen more times.
Councilor Cavallo -No I'm not. I've only spoken once. Okay, I'd like to speak again.
President Johnson —Councilor Cavallo?
Councilor Cavallo — My only concern is I feel that if we spend this money, we will be
able to do something. We'll have that barn open. We can still run programs. I disagree
0 that it's just gonna sit there. There's a lot that can be done. There are elementary schools
in this town, those young kids can come in, if it's handicapped accessible, the ramp is
there, even though we don't have the bells and whistles and I told you I'm not in favor of
the bells and whistles, but it can be open after you've finished the renovation and do the
job. So and again, the other issue is that it only can be used for historic buildings so the
money will just sit there and unless you find another building that you want to
0 rehabilitate or do something with, it cannot be used for anything else. I know I said that
before but I really believe that after we invest that $315,000 and the $100,000 match
grant, I don't think it's gonna sit vacant because the people on the committee, you've
done a lot of work where you can initiate some programs and get things going. We may
not have a kitchen and all that stuff, all the other things we've been talking about but we
• don't need that. That's where I stand.
President Johnson—Any further discussion? Councilor Magovern?
Councilor Magovern — Just one comment. Very quick comment and that is that I just
• hope whoever is in charge of this project will look and see if they can get another price
and retain the barn without dismantling it because I still feel it can be done without
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dismantling the barn. So that's my only comment. I want to see the barn stay the way
that it is with the original post and peg construction. Thank you.
President Johnson—That leads us to TR-2013-10 as amended. If you're in favor of the
Resolution vote yes, if you're opposed, vote no. I'd ask Barbara to call the roll please?
ROLL CALL — 7 YES (Councilors Cavallo, Cichetti, Johnson, Letellier, Mineo,
! Perry and Rossi), 4 NO (Councilors Bitzas, Calabrese, Magovern and Rheault)
President Johnson — With a vote of seven yes and four no, you have approved the
Resolution as amended. (APPLAUSE)
President Johnson—Moving on to:
2. TR-2013-9 -A Resolution accepting a grant from the Massachusetts
Historical Commission pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws,Chapter
44, Section 53A to the Town of Agawam (Referred to Finance Committee)
(Mayor)
President Johnson — Is there a Motion? Moved by Councilor Letellier, seconded by
Councilor Cichetti. We previously heard the report from the Finance Committee which I
believe covered both items. Again, this is a grant application in the amount of$100,000.
Questions or discussion on the grant application? Seeing none, I'd ask — Councilor
Letellier?
•
Councilor Letellier -- I have a quick comment. I would ask that those councilors that
may have voted against the prior Resolution vote in favor of this one because I think it
strengthens the application to have a unanimous vote in favor. The Council's voted to
spend the $315,000 if the $100,000 get approved, so I would just ask that you consider
• voting yes. Thank you.
Councilor Bitzas—I have no problem with that.
President Johnson — If you're in favor of the Resolution, 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 a vote of eleven yes, you've approved TR-2013-9. Thank
i you.
Item 7. Report of Council Committees
None.
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Item 8. Elections
None.
Item 9. Public Hearin s
Item 10. Old Business
•
1. TO-2013-5 -An Order Granting or Renewing a Weekly Amusement
PERMIT for Siana,Inc.d/b/a Take Five,944 Springfield Street,Feeding
Hills,MA.(Referred to the Administrative Committee) (Clerk)
President Johnson — Is there a Motion? Moved by Councilor Rossi, seconded by
Councilor Cichetti. It was referred to the Admin.Sub-Committee, Councilor Rossi?
Councilor Rossi—Thank you. The Admin Sub-Committee met and unanimously agreed
to send a positive recommendation to the full body.
i President Johnson — Questions or discussion on TO-2013-5? Seeing none, all those in
favor say Ay? Any opposed? It's unanimous.
Item 11. New Business
1. TR-2013-11 -A Resolution Opposing the Increase in Massachusetts State
Income Tax by Governor Deal L.Patrick from 5.25%to 6.25% (Councilor
Bitzas)
President Johnson—That'll just go on to our next Agenda. Pardon?
Councilor Bitzas—Shouldn't that go to a committee?
President Johnson — Which committee though? I think it doesn't require committee
study so it'll go on to our next Agenda.
2. TR-2013-12 -A Resolution authorizing the Acceptance of Donations of
Temporary and Permanent Easements for the Construction and
Maintenance of the Connecticut River Walk Loop Project(Mayor)
President Johnson — That I would refer to the Community Relations Sub-Committee,
i next Agenda.
3. TR-2013-13 -A Resolution authorizing the Adoption of Orders of Taking
for the Connecticut River Walk Loop under the Authority of Section 14 of
Chapter 40,and Chapter 79 and Chapter 84 of the Massachusetts General
Laws for the Construction and Maintenance of the Connecticut River Walk
Loop(Mayor)
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President Johnson — That requires a public hearing. I'm gonna set that public hearing
for our March 18'' meeting because that'll give us the requisite amount of time and
publication after it appears later this week. That item I'll also refer to the Community
Relations cuz it's intimately related with TR-2013-12, next Agenda.
4. TR-2013-14 -A Resolution authorizing the Placement of Historic
Restriction on a Portion of School Street Park(Mayor)
President Johnson —That'll go on to our next Agenda. That actually deals with the two
items that we had today.
5. TO-2013-6 -An Order Granting or Renewing LICENSE for a Class 2
Dealer(s)-Town Motors H,393 Main Street,Agawam,MA(Clerk)
•
President Johnson--That'll be referred to the Admin Sub-Committee, next Agenda.
6. TO-2013-7 -An Order Granting or Renewing LICENSE for a Class 2
Dealer(s)—Richard Conlon,Jr. dlb/a Motor City Car Co.,91 Ramah Circle,
Agawam,MA(Clerk)
President Johnson —That'll also go to the Admire Sub-Committee,next Agenda.
7. TO-2013-8 -Budgetary Transfer$14,000.00 from Line Items Reserve
Fund (#16605-57300)to the Town Clerk Regular Temporary(#11611-51020)
• for the Special Elections on April 30,2013 and also June 25,2013 (Mayor)
President Johnson — I don't think that needs it since its so straight forward. That'll just
go on to our next Agenda.
• Item 12. _Any other mutter that may legally come before the City Council
President Johnson — I think I started with Councilor Letellier last time, so Councilor
Cavallo?
Councilor Cavallo—Nothing.
President Johnson—Councilor Bitzas?
Councilor Bitzas—Nothing.
President Johnson—Councilor Calabrese?
Councilor Calabrese — Good luck Rosie on the upcoming robotics season. Their robot
shipped today.
• President Johnson— Councilor Perry?
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Councilor Perry—Nothing.
President Johnson—Councilor Rheault?
Councilor Rheault—Nothing.
President Johnson—Councilor Magovern?
• Councilor Magovern—Nothing.
President Johnson—Councilor Mineo?
Councilor Mineo—Nothing. Thank you for reading the report for me Gina.
i
Councilor Letellier—Oh no problem.
Councilor Mineo —Thank you.
i President Johnson —Councilor Rossi?
Councilor Rossi—Yes,just briefly. Barbara, would you just add the two licenses to the
Admin meeting on Monday? Thank you very much and I just want to remind my
committee that there is an Admin Committee meeting on Monday, Senior Center, 7pm,
topic for discussion we're gonna talk about some of those sewer issues and invite as
many people down as they can to try to get some information out to them and believe it
or not, there's still some misconceptions out there as to how this thing got going and I
hear such comments as the `sewer to nowhere'. So maybe we can get some of those
things out and talk about some of those things. So hopefully we can get a good-spirited
debate going and thank you. Hope to see you all there.
President Johnson—Councilor Letellier?
Councilor Letellier — Yes, just quick. At tomorrow's Rotary Meeting at 12noon at the
• Storrowton Tavern, our speakers are going to be Police Officer Robert Burke and DARE
Officer Karen Langevin and they're gonna talk about the DARE Program and also the
Agawam Addiction Resource Center so if any parents want to come and be part of the
meeting, please join us. Again it's again at - it'll be 12:15 at the Storrowton Tavern
tomorrow. Thank you.
President Johnson—And I just wanted to echo the comments of Councilor Rheault who
wisely pointed out that we had a very lively discussion this evening and I commend all of
you on the professional way in which it was conducted. With that I'd entertain a Motion
to adjourn. Moved and seconded all over the house. All in favor of adjournment say Ay?
Opposed? We are adjourned.
i
Ad
ournment at 8:.24pm
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