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The Westfield News
“The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration then more practice and more concentration.” — BABE DIDRIKSON ZAHARIAS
Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
VOL. 84 NO. 160
75 cents
City solicits for tax consultant
MusicFest
Country recording artists Waterloo Revival and Mo Pitney kick off MusicFest last night at Westfield’s Park Square in the center of Westfield. MusicFest is the third annual series of free summer concert series on the city’s town green. See additional photos Page 5. (Photo by Marc. St. Onge)
By DAN MORIARTY Staff Writer WESTFIELD – The city is seeking to hire a consulting firm to review the operations, standard procedures and staffing with bids due July 9 by a 2 p.m. deadline. Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said that retirement of Collector Michael McMahon triggered the search for a consultant to assess the department. “Any other time, at least during my term in office, when we’ve had the retirement of a department head, we’ve brought in a consultant to do an assessment of that department,” Knapik said. “Retirements give the city the rare and unique opportunity to look at a number of things.” “So this is the perfect time to bring in an organization to review our practices and to see if we can make any improvements,” Knapik said. “We are considering recombining the Treasurer and Collections departments, going back to what we had, so a review of the staffing is critical.” “We also have robust technology throughout the city governmental structure so we want to know if we can use that available technology to increase efficiencies in those departments,” Knapik said. Knapik said that another part of the study is to examine the practice of sending the city’s tax receipts to a private firm, rather than having the Collector’s Office process tax bill payments which was formerly done in-house to avoid the fees charged for that administrative function by the private company. Knapik said that he did a similar assessment following the resignation of James Mulvenna, the long-time Public Works superintendent. The consulting firm of Tara & Howard of Marlborough was retained last August to assess the city’s departments currently performing a number of public infrastructure maintenance functions to determine if consolidation of those departments would benefit the city. “What (Tata & Howard) recommended is consolidation of those departments,” DPW Superintendent Dave Billips said last summer. “There will still be four divisions, Public Works, Water, Wastewater and Parks & Recreation. Within those divisions there will be subdivisions.” Tara & Howard also recommended that the city’s infrastructure management structure be modified with a director and assistant director, as well as four division deputy superintendents overseeing the newly consolidated department which will have more than 100 employees. The City Council approved the consolidating of those departments into one administration when it approved an ordinance amendment in February. The Board of Public Works and the Water Commission took the last step under the Tara & Howard recommendation earlier this week when it named Billips to the new superintendent’s post. The new consolidated Department of Public Works will officially come into existence when the 2016 Fiscal Year begins, given that the City Council approves a budget by July 1, 2015.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Rain forecasts cancel Westfield fireworks WESTFIELD— The Westfield Rotary Club has announced that the fireworks scheduled for Saturday night June 27th, with a rain date of Sunday June 28th, are being postponed to later this summer due to the heavy rains expected in our area this weekend. A new date will be chosen once schedules can be coordinated between Atlas Pyrotechnic, Stanley Park, the Westfield Rotary and the Westfield Police Dept.
SOUTHWICK FIREMAN’S ASSOCIATION
Photo fundraiser to benefit fire department By HOPE E. TREMBLAY Staff Writer SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Fireman’s Association (SFA) has partnered with Lane Photography for a fundraiser this summer. Lane is offering family portrait sessions at the Southwick Fire station for a $25 donation to the SFA. For every paid session, Lane will give families a complimentary 8×10 photo. SFA member Jessica Bishop said letters will be sent to Southwick residents next week and she wants everyone to know it is a legitimate fundraiser. “There are a lot of scams and we want residents to know we truly do benefit from this,”
Bishop said. Photo sessions – with a professional background – will take place at the station Aug. 1 and 2. “People will mail in the $25 donation and Lane will schedule the photos sessions,” said Bishop. “Then he will be back Aug. 8 and 9 for people to review the photos.” Everyone will receive the free 8×10 and those who purchase a photo package will further benefit the SFA because Lane will donate a portion of each package to the Association. Bishop said she was approached by Lane for the fundraiser, which has been successful for other departments.
“I called other fire departments that have done this and they were so happy with it,” Bishop said. Funds raised will be used toward the purchase of equipment and training. Bishop said the department needs new meters, which can cost thousands of dollars. They also need new hose nozzles. “Right now we’re in the process of sending firefighters to arson investigation training,” she said. “Eric Brogan is working in his certificate in arson investigation and this would help defray training costs.” Bishop said anyone with questions about the fundraiser should contact her at 413-569-6363.
JESSICA L. BISHOP