This Week in Government Affairs

Public Safety Committee

What Do The Police and Firefighters Do Off Duty?
That the Fire Chief and Fire Commission please provide the following information to the City Council within 30 days: Do any fire personnel of all ranks work second jobs that exceed 30 hours per week? If yes, how many? How does the department manage those second full-time obligations when Ordinance 2-35 states that fire class of the public safety group are supposed to be working a 48 hour schedule? After the report is received, please invite in the Chief and Commission to discuss if appropriate. The city’s lawyer, Bissoneete, said essentially that what they do is protected by right to privacy laws. Councilor Juan Anderson-Burgos added, “It is definitely not our business.”

Proposal For Program to Handle Recycling and Waste
City Councilor David Bartley proposed that the DPW and Mayor locate public spaces where trash and recycling receptacles be placed and maintained. This should start off as a pilot program and it will require funding and management to ensure the debris/recycling bins are maintained. According to Bartley, this type of program was launched by former Mayor Elaine Pluta. Councilor Bartley says that responses along the lines off there aee staffing issues at DPW “are not sufficient.”

Traffic Calming Needed
Speed was a recurring theme in this week’s Public Safety Committee. At-Large Councilor Tessa Murphy-Romboletti and Ward 5 City Councilor Linda Vacon each proposed that the City Engineer review traffic patterns in the city in response to concerns from residents.

Complete meeting here.

Historical Commission

Farr Alpaca Mill Complex Moving Forward

Discussion on the new housing project called the Farr Alpaca Mill Complex in Holyoke is proposed to renovate the old mill building into 88 units of mixed-income, age-restricted rental housing, complimented by green space and public amenity space.

One of the questions is whether the project should receive tax credits because the buildings may be historical.The motion was approved.

“Built in 1912, the historic mill complex consists of six buildings, totaling 168,000 s/f, that have sat vacant since 1990. The project will preserve 86,000 s/f in Buildings 5, 6 and part of Building 4, with approvals from the National Park Service and the Massachusetts Historical Commission. It will be designed to meet the sustainability criteria of Enterprise Green Communities,” according to the New England Real Estate Journal.

Complete meeting here.