Wilbraham Casino Taskforce to deliver impact letter
Date: 7/18/2013
By Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.comWILBRAHAM — Town Administrator Robert Weitz told the Board of Selectmen at its July 15 meeting that he and the committee assembled to address concerns regarding a potential casino in an abutting community would be taking action shortly.
“The Casino Impact Taskforce will be drafting a short letter for the board to review at its next meeting to send to developers,” he said. “It will basically outline the possible impacts that the town foresees and expresses its desire to be considered a surrounding community.”
Two communities that are attempting to get a casino development approved abut Wilbraham. Springfield has a community host agreement with MGM and a city referendum reflected that the majority of residents support an $800 million casino project proposed for the city’s South End neighborhood.
Palmer, which is the proposed site for a $1 billion Mohegan Sun development, does not have a host community agreement signed yet, however, one is expected to be completed within the next month. Once an agreement is signed, a referendum would be scheduled.
Board of Selectmen Chair James Thompson further addressed the casino issue, stating that state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr. has offered his help.
“Rep. Puppolo’s office had called and said that they had some ongoing conversations with Mohegan Sun representatives and offered their assistance at any time through the process, whether we’re dealing with Mohegan Sun or MGM,” he said.
Weitz also updated the board on the status of the transition of control of the Memorial School building and the leasing of the property to Cathedral High School.
“The transition is going well. The electricity got switched over today with no issues,” he said. “The agreement has not been signed yet, but both lawyers have been working on it, so that should be done shortly.”
The selectmen recently unanimously accepted the request for proposal from the Diocese of Springfield, the sole bidder, for the amount of $360,550 for one year with two one-year options.
Memorial School was closed as part of a district restructuring effort in 2010, but the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD), which leased the school from the town, rented the space to the Diocese as the temporary home of Cathedral, whose building was heavily damaged in the June 1, 2011 tornado.
Effective July 1, the lease between the town and the HWRSD was terminated, requiring a rental agreement to be established between the Board of Selectmen and the Diocese.
The board also appointed Maggie Wurm to the Commission on Disabilities.
Wurm, a resident of the town for 4 1/2 years, explained that she felt her experience as a woman with a daughter with a disability gave her a perspective through which she could serve the town.
She is also a regional representative for Massachusetts Family TIES, a program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, that “provides information and referral services, emotional support, and trainings to parents of children and youth with special needs,” according to its website.
Wurm, who spent the majority of her life traveling the globe because both her father and husband were in the Navy, said Wilbraham was the first place she felt she could truly call home and was looking forward to serving.
Her term will expire on July 30, 2016.
The board also decided to allow the Wilbraham Public Library to hire a new library page.
Library Director Karen Demers told the board that the new hire would replace Rebecca Berezin, a student at Westfield State University who opted to live on campus this year and accepted a position at the Westfield Public Library.
“We spent a few months not filling the position to see how we could operate without it,” Demers said. “We found we could work well without it because of the senior tax volunteers, but that is not a full-time solution and we have found that we have scheduling and coverage difficulties.”
