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Date: 1/26/2021
EASTHAMPTON – The City Council invited the School Committee to their Jan. 20 meeting to discuss issues that were brought to the council’s attention regarding free meals and students experiencing internet problems.
A prepared statement from the council to the School Committee read, “In recent weeks, there has been an increasing number of questions, complaints, and frustrations directed to the city councilors, with respect to the ability of families to obtain adequate and affordable internet access for remote learning. We have also learned that some families who qualify for free lunches are unable to participate because of lack of transportation or conflicts with schedules.”
City Council Chair Margaret Conniff said almost all of the councilors have received emails and phone calls in regard to school meals and internet access. Conniff said it all comes down to equity and whether or not the city is serving the children in Easthampton equitably and completely.
Superintendent Allison LeClair shared that free and reduced lunches were stopped last spring and they received a waiver that all children in Easthampton qualify for free meals. While that waiver was set to end in June, they were able to get another waiver to offer free breakfast and lunches in the summer. This winter they applied and received another waiver that will take them to the end of the school year.
Ken LePage who works with the food service that provides the free meals said right now they are feeding approximately 300 children out of 1,434.
After a great deal of conversation around why only 300 children are being fed, why people with no transportation are not receiving the meals, and why not everyone knows about this program, the two groups found a solution.
“Let’s put meals in the hands of kids. We have volunteers who will bring them to neighborhoods, I know other school districts and departments know that. I bought three vans with COVID money, the school has one, there is a 15 passenger white van that can be used and driven by any city employee, Council on Aging has another small transit van that can be used in the off-hours. This can start tomorrow and I heartedly apologize for missing the boat on this but enough,” said Mayor Nicole LaChapelle.
School Committee member Shannon Dunham said any child from 0 to 18 is eligible to receive a meal. They do not have to be a student in Easthampton Public Schools and they do not require any personal information when you receive your meal. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., families can pick up their meals from either Easthampton High School or Maple Street School.
On the scheduled pick-up days, the child will receive two breakfasts and two lunches to make up for the days that there are no pick-up options. On Fridays, the child will receive six meals to get them through the weekend.
Dunham told Reminder Publishing that the group A Knee is Not Enough (AKINE) has offered to help deliver meals to children and help alleviate the transportation problem. Also during the council meeting councilor Erica Flood offered to deliver meals to nearby families.
Those who would benefit or know someone who would benefit from these free meals call Dayle Doiron at 529-1500, ext. 128, or email her at ddoiron@epsd.us. Dunham also noted that if transportation is an issue then in their email or phone call to Dayle they should let her know that they have a hardship and require delivery.
When meals are being delivered, your address will be given to the driver but there will be no other information involved.
The group moved on to the topic of internet access for students. LeClair and Conniff both shared that the school department is providing 25 hotspots, 12 wireless access points that replace routers in the home, three English language learners have hotspots and or T-Mobile wireless access points, and paying two families Spectrum bills through June. LeClair stated that these two families were brought forward by their principal stating that they needed help.
The internet issue will continue to be worked out between the two committees. In the meantime, those experiencing issues should email their building principal:
• Center Pepin Elementary School, Dr. Jill Pasquini-Torchia at jpasquini-torchia@epsd.us;
• Maple Elementary School, Judy Averill at javerill@epsd.us;
• White Brook Middle School, Meredith Balise at mbalise@epsd.us; and
• Easthampton High School, William Evans at wevans@epsd.us.
The City Council also approved the installation of two poles along Main Street approximately 118 feet west of Truehart Drive to provide electrical service for KC Small Arms, a retail firearms store located at 412 Main St. That item was a continuation of their Dec. 16 meeting.
The council also voted to approve seven supplemental budget appropriations at the meeting.
The first was a $1 million appropriation from free cash to general, capital, and tax rate stabilization accounts. Councilor Dan Rist said the stabilization accounts are equivalent to saving accounts and make the city look stable to any agency or anyone concerned about their fiscal account.
The second appropriation was transferring $25,000 for repairs to the floor of the Fire Department apparatus bays. Rist said the concrete around the drain grates is falling and prevents a safety hazard.
Greg Nuttelman, director of Public Works said the issue is from ongoing deterioration from the trucks coming in and out with salt or debris on their tires.
The third transfer was transferring $50,000 for the yearly replacement of water meters. The money will replace old meters and update other meters so they have radio control. Rist said they do this every year so the city does not waste any water.
The fourth appropriation was transferring $10,000 to purchase a tank to store odor control chemicals at the water waste treatment plant (WWTP). They were previously renting a tank but it was costing the city more in the long run.
The fifth transfer was $93,021.74 to replace the return and waste pumps at the WWTP. Rist said the current pumps are 50 years old and the newer ones have a life span of 20 to 30 years and said they should have been replaced 20 years ago.
The sixth transfer was transferring $30,000 to purchase dumpsters for grit disposal at the WWTP.
Nuttelman shared that these dumpsters collect solids that the plant cannot process such as flushable wipes or rags and says they need to do more catch basing cleaning to meet the requirements of their stormwater permit.
The seventh appropriation was transferring $20,000 to replace doors at the Daley Field Pump Station and WWTP Headworks Building. Nuttelman said the doors are original from the 1970s and they are corroding.
Also at the meeting on Jan 20, Conniff and Councilor Owen Zaret read their resolution letter in condemnation of the events that took place at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6. While many people were angry that they have not heard anything from elected officials, because of open meeting laws, they could not speak on the event before this meeting.