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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
“In order to go on living one must try to escape the death involved in perfectionism.”
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— HANNAH ARENDT
TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2015
VOL. 84 NO. 164
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City Council cuts budget by close to $2 million
A Southwick Department of Public Works employee mixes a salt/sand mixture at the former DPW yard. (WNG file photo)
Grant signed for new Southwick salt shed By AMY PORTER Correspondent SOUTHWICK – Near the end of Monday’s Board of Selectmen meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart announced that a $450 grant from the state for a new salt shed for Southwick has been signed. Stinehart said that the money will be put in a grant account that would work similarly to Chapter 90 funds reimbursement. He said that Department of Public Works Director Randy Brown did the legwork, and the legisla-
tives delegates were very helpful. Chair Joseph Deedy said he had spoken to the legislators a few months ago. Brown said that Senator Don Humason and Representative Nicholas Boldyga were very active in providing the assistance needed to release the funds. The new site plan has also been approved. The current shed, an old wooden building, sits behind the police and fire stations. The new shed will be built behind the DPW garage on College Highway. “That would be wonderful
to have everything under one roof,” Deedy said. “And to have enough salt for one year,” Brown said. Brown said two winters ago, salt was $53 per ton. This year, it was over $90 per ton. After the meeting, Brown said that he had records going back to the mid-80s talking about the need to replace the salt shed. “We’re going to get a shed that best suits our needs in terms of materials and size,” he said. He said that he would love to have it ready for next win-
RANDY BROWN ter, but, “We’ve got to see how the process plays out with funds being available, and also the procurement process. I want to make sure we do it right and don’t rush the process.”
By HOPE E. TREMBLAY and DAN MORIARTY Staff Writers WESTFIELD – The Finance Committee conducted a Committee of the Whole Monday night to allow all City Council members to review the proposed 2016 fiscal year budget to make motions to cut spending in advance of the meeting slated for tonight to approve the budget and shaved $1.8 million off the Mayor’s $120 million budget, with the largest cut to the city’s health insurance trust fund which currently has a balance of over $8 million. Cuts included $1.3 million from the insurance line item, $400,00 from the overall school budget, $5,000 for a music festival, and $100,000 from the Siemens line item. Discussion became heated several times, with councilors David Flaherty and Brent B. Bean II exchanging words, as well as councilors Brian R. Hoose and Christopher Keefe. Flaherty propsed several cuts with the goal of reducing the budget by more than $2 million. He requested a $40,000 cut in the collections department from a salary line item because of a retirement and a $10,000 cut to the $20,000 redevelopment line item, among others. He made a motion to cut $1.3 million from the city’s health insurance trust fund which currently has a balance of over $8 BRENT BEAN II million, which was passed on a 9-4 vote. The Finance Committee, comprised of Bean, Robert A. Paul Sr., and Christopher Crean, were joined by Council President Brian Sullivan in opposition. “It’s a bit of a shell game,” Bean said this morning, “but it gives the Council a little more control of the city’s money. If we have a healthy year, we won’t need that money, but if we need to we can return funds to that account.” See City Budget, Page 3
Athenaeum board hopes to fill position soon By LORI SZEPELAK Correspondent WESTFIELD – Close to 10 people have applied for the director’s position at the Westfield Athenaeum, and a search committee will begin reviewing resumes next week, according to Susan Kingra, president of the board of directors. Kingra said she is optimistic that a replacement for Cher Collins, who recently left to take a position at the Agawam Public Library, will be among the current applicants. The Susan Kingra, president of the Westfield deadline to submit an application is today. Athenaeum’s Board of Directors, looks The Westfield Athenaeum has been part of over resumes of applicants for the director the downtown landscape since 1864 when it position. (Photo by Lori Szepelak)
was incorporated by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature. Today, the landmark at 6 Elm St. includes the Jasper Rand Art Museum, the Edwin Smith Historical Museum, a Teen Loft, the Donald W. Blair Research Center, the Lang Auditorium, and the adult and children’s library areas. “It’s a beautiful building and we want our new director to build on the programs we already have here,” said Kingra, who had worked for 25 years in the technical services department. There are local candidates, as well as some from neighboring states. “We have some promising applicants,” she
said. In addition to Kingra, Susan Drummey, Linda Saltus, and Mark Morin, all members of the board of directors, as well as Dr. Robert Brown, and one staff member, Candy Pennington, will be serving on the search committee. “We will be looking for someone who has experience as a library director, is enthusiastic about being a part of the community and working with nonprofits, and is familiar with union negotiations,” said Kingra. The library’s workforce unionized last year. See Athenaeum, Page 3
Select Board passes motocross fees By AMY PORTER Correspondent SOUTHWICK — The Southwick Board of Selectmen voted on Monday night in favor of the $5,000 fee to the American Legion Post 338 for use of the town land for motocross. The motion also included an increase to $3 million on insurance. Michael Sullivan of Post 338 read a letter during the open session of the meeting, saying that the fee would be a hardship. “The Post has been struggling for the last 10 years,” Sullivan read. “Last year, motocross could only run two events all
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year.” He said there has been a large increase in expenses, and although it is a non-profit organization, they have to pay expenses. “That will now be the end of motocross in Southwick and the end of Post 338,” he said. Robert Horacek, vice chair of the finance committee, also spoke during the open portion. He said the finance committee voted unanimously to uphold the $5,000 fee for motocross. During the discussion of the vote, vice chair Russell Fox said he met with Sullivan. He said
they went over two one-year options to renew the permit, giving the League the option if a national promoter came along and wanted to do something a couple of years down the road. Chair Joseph Deedy, who abstained from the vote, asked, “How do we look at selling them that land, or swapping it?” The American Legion owns a piece of land similar in size and makeup right next to the parcel owned by the town that the Legion uses for races. At a previous meeting, it had been suggested that the town and Post 338 might swap ownership of
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(FILE PHOTO 2014 WNG)
the parcels to eliminate the need for the fee. A transfer of land would need approval from Town Meeting. “It’s not an easy thing to do,” Fox said. “I only tried
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to sell town property once, to a resounding no. People are not in favor of releasing town property. They’re just not. We can form a committee to look into that.”
“We’ll do our due diligence ahead of time, not two weeks before April of next year when you need your permits,” Deedy said.
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