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Date: 7/21/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – Negotiations with Ronald San Angelo to become the next East Longmeadow town manager were terminated by the Town Council on July 12 after a discussion in executive session. The council had been negotiating with San Angelo since he was chosen for the position on May 31 after the town’s second professional search. The first turned up three candidates who were disqualified upon further review of East Longmeadow’s Home Rule Charter.
“The Town Council’s next scheduled meeting is currently Aug. 9,” newly selected Town Council President Ralph Page later told Reminder Publishing. “The council will be discussing all options regarding the search for a new town manager at that time. I do not know how long it will be before a new town manager is chosen. Currently, Mary McNally has agreed to a short-term extension while the council continues to look for a new manager.”
Council housekeeping
The council also reorganized itself at the July 12 meeting, as is required by the charter. The presidency was passed from Michael Kane to Page, who had served as vice president in the last term. Councilor Marilyn Richards was selected to fill the role of vice president.
The council attested to reviewing and abiding by the council rules. At Page’s suggestion, the council specified that the council president’s position on subcommittees is a non-voting position, ensuring an odd number of votes for each body.
Traffic
Page mentioned several residents had approached him about traffic at the end of Kibbe Road, where it meets Somers Road. While there is a median and “keep right” signs at the intersection, Page said cars enter Kibbe using the right lane, risking collisions. Page said that he had had just such a close call earlier that day.
Richards agreed, “I almost hit a car head-on,” when a vehicle tried to tun onto Kibbe Road using the right lane. She said the vehicle swerved and an accident was narrowly avoided. She added that the “keep right” sign is difficult to see when driving southbound on Somers Road.
“The last thing we need in this town is another major accident,” Page remarked. McNally told the council she would address the issue with the Police Department and the Department of Public Works.
Waste hauling
The trash hauling issue in East Longmeadow has been resolved, McNally said. A contract with Casella Waste Systems began on July 1, after several weeks of residential pick-up inconsistency at the end of Republic Services’s contract. McNally said that in the first week with the new vendor there were a few issues but that they had been worked out and collections were now running smoothly.
McNally praised four members of the Health Department, including Director of Public Health Tammy Spencer, and eight members of the Department of Public Works (DPW), including Superintendent Bruce Fenney, Deputy Superintendent Tom Christensen and Highway and Utilities Manager Darrell Keane, for handling the trash collection difficulties. The town employees fielded resident phone calls and personally collected trash. McNally announced that she had provided those employees with a stipend paid for with money withheld from Republic Services during its period of erratic services.
Community event safety
McNally thanked the East Longmeadow Rotary Club for organizing the annual 4th of July Parade, which she said, “went off without a hitch.” The people at the Independence Day parade in Highland Park, IL were not so fortunate, she said, referring to a mass shooting at a parade there. She added that safety is something to keep in mind when organizing community events. “The world we live in presents a danger that is real,” she remarked.
She reminded the council that National Night Out would be taking place Aug. 2. The event “honors” police and other first responders.
Miscellaneous
The Eastern Hampden County Veterans Service District is interviewing a replacement for Michelle Barrett, who recently announced her departure as the district’s veteran service officer.
The town received a $159,000 Information Technology Community Compact grant to expand the fiber optic data network to the town’s Water Department buildings. On another finance topic, $7,124 in unused funding was transferred from salary accounts to non-salary accounts to cover year-end deficits.
McNally addressed a proposed amendment to the state budget that would require all open meeting laws to be conducted with a remote participation option. The amendment has not yet been passed by the state House of Representatives. McNally said it would be “another unfunded mandate,” that would put a hardship on some municipalities.