This Week in Government Affairs

Week of September 19, 2022

The Public Safety Committee

Trash & Solutions
City Councilor David Bartley, the Department of Public Works and Mayor Joshua García are looking into placing trash and recycling receptacles throughout the city.
“Im not saying we’re going to be Disney World but we can be more attractive to pedestrians,” said Bartley. The proposal was tabled until next meeting.

Partnership Between City and Roca
A proposal filed by then City Councilor Terry Murphy 2021 to meet with Roca representatives on ways the city and the agency can partner.
From its mission statement, Roca “finds and focuses only on young people at the center of urban violence – those who are traumatized, full of distrust, and are trapped in a cycle of violence and poverty that traditional youth programs alone can’t break. But to heal the trauma of urban violence and the extreme racial disparity of its impact, it’s going to take all of us. That’s why Roca also builds relationships with the institutions young people interact with – like the police and other system partners – to spark new thinking about working with young people who are traumatized and stuck.”
“I think it’s a great order that Terry Murphy filed,” said Public Safety Committee Chair Israel Rivera. Roca has started a program for young mothers in Springfield and Holyoke. “Our goal is to reach as many young people as possible in the city of Holyoke… We’re doing relentless outreach,” said Solomon Baymon, director of Western Massachusetts office. More about ROCA here.