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Assistant Civil Engineer Jeremy Cigal addressed the CPC Committee on behalf of the Engineering Department. (Photo
by Amy Porter)
by Amy Porter)
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The Community Preservation Committee considered the request for CPA funds for the Rail Trail on Thursday. (Photo
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In all nine councilors attended the CPC discussion. Pictures are Councilors Cindy C. Harris, Andrew K. Surprise and WIlliam Onyski, and DPW Director David Billips. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Community Preservation Committee acts on Rail Trail funding By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – The Community Preservation Committee considered the City of Westfield’s request for $250,000 for design work on the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail in front of a room full of city councilors and Rail Trail supporters on Thursday. While the discussion was mostly supportive and ultimately victorious, concerns were raised about the legality of using CPA funds for the work. CPC Chair Joe Muto opened the meeting asking if anyone wanted to speak on items other than those on the agenda. Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell, one of nine councilors attending the meeting, asked if people would be allowed to speak on agenda items as they came up, and Muto said they would. City planner Jay Vinskey gave an update on available Community Preservation Act funds, which amounted to $315,000 in the undesignated category, and $50,000 each in Open Space, Historic and Housing. CPC vice chair
Thomas E. Sharp asked what percentage match for CPA funds was included in the Governor’s budget for the next fiscal year, to which Vinskey replied 15%. He said originally the state matched the CPA funds at 100%. Sharp replied that there were significant requests in front of the committee that could spend all the remaining funds. He said he was concerned that the funds would not be replenished at a very great level. “We always looked at the state match as gravy. There is enough to cover what’s before you right now,” Vinskey said. Muto then opened the Rail Trail discussion, inviting Jeremy Cigal, assistant civil engineer to speak on behalf of city engineer Mark Cressotti, who was away. Cigal said there were five bridges in the Rail Trail, one on East Main Street, bridges crossing side streets and a historic bridge over Elm Street with 20 feet in width. He said work began this week on the railroad bridge over the Westfield
River. “We’re right up against a timeline. If we don’t get the design done, we’ll be bumped,” Cigal said, referring to the $6.25 million state and federal match for the central portion of the trail, currently slated for 2019. Cigal went on to say the $250,000 before the committee was for this year to keep them moving. He said the design work included a list of things the state won’t pay for, including lighting, amenities and right of way easements. He also said there would be additional work at a similar cost to the city for the next two years. He said the first year of funding would be dedicated to design work, the second year to design and right of way, and the third year to construction. Cigal referred to a letter sent to the committee by the city, which asserted that the Rail Trail fit well with the goals of the CPA. “Would you expect to come back here for three consecutive years for the funds,” asked Vincent Olinski, the Parks and Recreation
Clean out efforts underway at Park Street home By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—Efforts to clean out a home where two people died during a fire last month are underway, according to Westfield director of public health Joe Rouse. Rouse gave an update on the emergency condemnation and clean out of a home at 40 Park St., during a board of health meeting yesterday. The home had an emergency condemnation placed on it by the health department June 30 and required emergency clean out, according to the condemnation. Clean out was expected to finish by July 13 and a second assessment of the home will be done by the end of the week to determine if further work is necessary. “It was in unsanitary condition,” Rouse said of the property following the meeting. The property had a fire on June 16, and according to a press release sent out by the state fire marshal: “The fire started on the kitchen gas stove top at about 2:30 in the afternoon. On top of the stove was a power strip, underneath a pile of possessions. Whether the materials were ignited by the normal heat emitted by the power strip, a failure of the power strip, or by the gas pilot light, cannot be definitively determined, but the fire is considered accidental. Two people in the home, Mary Woodworth, 92, and Theresa Woodworth, 54, died because of the fire, after Westfield Fire personnel and the state fire marshal reported the lack of working smoke detectors and an array of items and clutter that impaired rescue efforts. “The house was filled with excessive clutter that not only trapped the victims inside, but also made it difficult for firefighters to gain See Park Street Home, Page 3
The home at 40 Park St. Westfield where a fire took the lives of two women. (Photo by Lynn Boscher)
Smoke detectors with installation being provided to residents By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—The Westfield Fire Department, along with the American Red Cross and the Westfield Council on Aging (COA), are working together to get more working smoke detectors in homes this month. The three entities are having a “Smoke Detector Blitz,” as Tina Gorman, director for the COA called it, on July 24. The event will be taking place to try and put working smoke detectors in homes in Westfield that need them, specifically
homes that were built prior to 1975. Sign-up is through the COA and although that is scheduled to end today, July 14, Gorman said that people can still sign up through the end of next week. “This is a huge opportunity for us to get smoke detectors in homes that need them,” Westfield Fire Deputy Chief Eric Bishop, said. The groups will be installing into homes 10-year sealed smoke detectors for free that are provided by the American Red Cross, similar to the ones that were installed during an event ear-
lier this year at the Hampton Village on Southampton Road. During that event, Gorman said that approximately 40 smoke detectors were installed. According to a flyer for the event provided by Gorman, you are eligible for the smoke detectors if your home was built before 1975 and your smoke detectors are older than 10 years old. “We’re really trying to target those older homes that either don’t have any detectors at all or are rendered pretty See Smoke Detector, Page 8
Commission member on the committee, to which Cigal replied they would. “I feel the return on the investment is significant funding coming back, something we always pursue,” Muto said. He also said he would like to see signage on the trail that CPC funds were used. A discussion followed concerning the appropriateness of using CPA funds for the design work on the trail. Vinskey said several communities have used CPA funds in the same way. Cigal said the city’s Law Department had been consulted, and concurred. Vinskey also said that prior to 2012, CPA funds would not have been allowed for use on parks not purchased with CPA funds, but the laws had changed. “This is certainly a project everyone is in favor of, I just want to make sure nobody comes back at us,” said Historical Commission representative Cynthia P. Gaylord. See Rail Trail Funding, Page 8
Code enforcement officer to begin soon By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD—The city will be getting some additional help for code enforcement this week, according to Mayor Brian Sullivan. Sullivan said that the position of code enforcement officer will be starting this week after it was not cut from the city’s budget two weeks ago. While no one has been officially named to the position, Sullivan said that he knows who he would like to perform the task, which will be Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan through the Westfield Police Department. The position will be used to help improve enforcement and compliance of codes and ordinances throughout the city, which has had some complaints in recent history. “The city had one years ago and over time it was eliminated from the budget,” Sullivan said. “I thought it was something that we needed to reenact and get back on the street.” The position will be used to enforce a number of city ordinances and codes, from building to health department to zoning to animal control to water bans and more. “Some of the areas that he’s going to concentrate on are building code, unregistered vehicles, some of the issues that city councilors have been talking about for a while that they can’t really enforce,” Sullivan said. In addition, Sullivan noted that the city’s building inspector is currently drawing up a list of areas within the city that have become a problem for the city recently, which will also be focused on. According to Sullivan, the position is being funded through community development block grants that are available through the city’s community development office. However, in spite of the funding coming from there, it will be a position filled through the Westfield Police Department and Chief of Police John Camerota. The position will not be full-time and scheduling will be done by Camerota, as well, Sullivan said. In addition, the position would require additional training, which may be alleviated if the correct person is chosen. “There would have to be training in our own codes and ordinances so they know what the legal qualifications are, and we do have a person who is very educated in that,” Sullivan said. Sullivan also said that the new code enforcement officer may train others in code enforcement, which could allow the city to maintain the position going forward.