Council approves spending, grant requests

Date: 3/29/2011

March 30, 2011

By Debbie Gardner

Assistant Editor

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Town Council approved spending for the Phase II feasibility study for the new West Springfield High School, a supplemental appropriation to update school technology and the library's pursuit of grants for continued work on a proposed new building at its March 21 meeting.

It also heard a plea from residents and Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society to address ongoing issues with animal control.

Eight residents, including Michelle Serafino, of Woodland Terrace, a representative of the West Side Parent Group, spoke in support of funding the high school's Phase II feasibility study during the public hearing portion of the meeting. Serafino said her group believed when "the Town Council voted to begin the process, the new high school was a certainty." Now her group is "working to get the word out about upcoming meetings and votes, and passing out blue ribbons so people can show their support of the new project."

Irene Schuh of Kings Highway questioned Mayor Edward Gibson regarding his statement at the previous meeting that the $80,000 to fund Phase II was to come out of the town's stabilization fund. Gibson denied making the statement. Schuh also questioned repeatedly why the West Springfield High School project had a price tag of $96 million when the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School district was spending $77 million for a new Minnechaug Regional High School, which would accommodate more students than the West Side project.

"Bottom line, our school is overpriced," Schuh said. "Twenty million is a huge differential and burden on our taxpayers."

During deliberations, Councilor Lisa Powell asked if the town had received any reimbursements from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Super-intendent Dr. Russell Johnston said the project had. Gibson later told Reminder Publications a request for reimbursement had been filed the previous Friday and no funds had been received to date, but when they were received the monies would be applied to a bonding account set up by the Town Council to fund the Phase II feasibility study.

The council approved the $80,000 loan authorization for Phase II .

Public hearing discussion on the technology appropriation centered on the need to replace aging equipment in the town's schools. Johnston said this appropriation was to fund the first phase of a two-part plan, which would upgrade the technology infrastructure at the middle school and make e-mail, printing and other services faster and more efficient. Councilor Robert Mancini said he had sat in on a meeting about the upgrades recently. "I think we need to spend a certain amount of money to keep the town moving forward. The town is a business," he said.

The motion to appropriate $62,060 for technology upgrades passed.

Library Director Antonia Golinsky-Foisy gave a presentation on a proposed relocation of the public library to the site of the Mittineague Elementary School, which the School Department has slated for closure in the future. Golinsky-Foisy outlined previous feasibility studies that had examined expanding the current library at its Park Street location; indicating issues such as space and parking were insurmountable obstacles. She then presented a proposal to construct a new library and community meeting room on the Mittineague site.

Councilor George Kelly spoke to the fact that the Mittineague School is a "very controversial site" and a popular school, suggesting that the question of where to build at new library be put to a public vote.

Councilor Powell said Mitteneague School was in her district, and she would vote "no" on the request to peruse grant funding.

The motion to allow the library to pursue grant funding to continue plans for a new building passed with six councilors in favor, two opposed.

Leslie Harris, executive director of Dakin, addressed the Town Council with a request that West Springfield move forward on securing its own animal control services.

She said there had been no provisions for animal control in the town since the beginning of fiscal year 2010, and encouraged the town to "at least get a dog officer." She said when residents call the police to report a stray dog, they are often told to bring the animal to Dakin.

"Dakin is providing a lot of services for [your] community, but do not provide for public health and safety" as a dog officer would, she said. She encouraged the town to renew its agreement with the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center or "find another way to handle animal control."

Town Council President Katheen Bourque said she would "bring these concerns to the mayor."