Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 7/2/2015
CHICOPEE – The status of key streets in Ward I dominated the neighborhood meeting presented by Mayor Richard Kos at the Willimansett Heights Improvement Building.
About 50 people attended the hour-long meeting on June 29 attended by the Kos, various department heads and members of the City Council, including the Ward 1 Councilor Adam Lamontagne.
The meeting was one of a series of such gathering Kos is attending around the city. “There’s a lot of good things happening,” the mayor said. “This is great way to get your concerns and thoughts.”
Kos said the repaving of Dale Street is scheduled for this construction season and City Councilor James Tillotson urged the mayor to have the work done before the opening of schools. Department of Public Works Superintendent Jeffrey Neece said the job was going out to bid for the job.
Kos said what delays the paving projects such as this one is a 90 waiting period after any work is completed on a roadway before paving is undertaken.
He added the city is considering install some new sidewalks along Dale as well.
City Councilor Robert Zygarowksi asked about traffic issues on Grattan Street due to the combined sewer overflow work there. Kos said that he and members of his administration met with Aldenville merchants about scheduling the work.
The business owners said they would prefer 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. schedule five days a week which would allow some time without construction.
Kos said the job is complicated by the fact the sewer pipes to be replaced are gravity fed and are buried as deep as 24 feet.
A resident asked about the status of the city accepting private ways, making them city roads. Kos explained the effort is still in the works as there are about 100 such thoroughfares. He said the legal steps to accept the streets are ready to transform about half of them.
He said that between $30,000 and $40,000 is still needed to convert the rest of the streets.
Residents also asked about the traffic study at intersection at McKinstry Avenue, Montgomery Street and Granby Road. Kos called it “one of the most involved intersections around.”
The mayor said a traffic count must be done to start a process to revaluate the intersection.
New road lines should be painted some residents said and Kos replied the city has bought a striping machine to paint new lines for the lanes.
When asked about the status of homeless families in motels, Kos said the number of such families has decreased dramatically from 217 in April 2014 to currently 30 families.
He said of the practice of using motels as homeless shelters is “a program that made no sense.” He added the educational, health and in some cases psychological needs of these families were not being met.
A question about panhandlers received a response from Lamontagne who explained the city is holding off of a revised panhandling ordinance until the one passed in Worcester completes a test at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
“We’ll see what that decision is,” Kos said.
Residents also complained about people who put their garbage out for pickup days before the garbage truck arrives. Kos advised people with such complaints to download the “See Click and Fix” app for their smartphones to report such problems. Other residents complained about people who go through their garbage looking for materials can be recycled and leaving a mess.
Police Chief William Jebb reminded the residents that once they put the garbage on the curb they “surrender ownership” of it.
“There are no laws to prohibit scrapping,” he added.