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Date: 7/17/2015
CHICOPEE – City councilors and residents were stunned and angry during the Public Safety Committee meeting on July 14 when officials from Westover Job Corps cited a federal regulation prohibited them from speaking in public about concerns over their students’ behavior.
Resident Mark Farrell said, “I’m actually disgusted.” He added, “It’s a disgrace. They should be embarrassed.”
The chair of the committee Councilor Robert Zygarowksi noted that he had spoke with Job Corps management the day before about the meeting.
“We’re not a lynching mob. We just wanted a discussion,” he said.
The six officials waited in the hallway outside of the council chambers in City Hall while the councilors and others discussed the first item on the agenda. At the conclusion of the discussion, councilors went out to invite the Job Corps representatives in. It was then they were told the representatives could not speak at a public meeting. According to Zygarowski, they were under the impression the meeting was just going to be between them and members of the council and in private.
The meeting with members of the council and residents came about from comments made at a neighborhood meeting on June 1. Neighbors close to the Job Corps location asserted that some students have been violating rules that were set up several years ago. Among those are Job Corps students stay off of side streets and walk only on James Street on their way to shopping areas and only four students could walk together instead of a larger group.
Residents have said students have been hanging out in parks and going through residential areas.
Farrell said, “We’re not asking for much – just to abide by the rules.”
Police Chief William Jebb said he would schedule a meeting with the director of the Job Corps facility as well as its security personnel.
The chief added, “If they [the students] are breaking the law, we’re going to enforce it.”
The councilors voted to notify Congressman Richard Neal about the situation.
The committee also discussed the on-going traffic safety concerns at the intersection of Arcade Street and McKinstry Avenue.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Jeffrey Neece said the city could undertake several measures including installing new LED lights that are brighter at the intersection, repainting the stop line and the cross walk box on Arcade, painting the words “stop ahead” on the street surface and trimming a tree on the south bound side of Arcade visibility.
Jebb, though, the basic problem is that people speed on McKinstry.
“The real issue is the general public, Jebb said. “They don’t want to slow down.”
He suggested the city invest in a plate recorder that would costs $25,000. The device would detect speeders through radar and then take a photo of the car and its license plate. Jebb said his traffic division would then send the motorist a citation.
The equipment is mobile and could be then used on any city street at which there is a problem with speeding, Jebb added.
Some of the councilors resisted the idea of spending $25,000, although Councilor James Tillotson pointed out the city could easily recoup the cost through the tickets.
Several councilors said a four-way stop at the intersection or installing larger stop signs could be an answer.
Jebb, however, didn’t agree a four-way stop would be effective.
No definitive decision was made about actions at the intersection.