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Date: 6/30/2021
WILBRAHAM – Two young men who died saving others from drowning in 2018 were honored by the Wilbraham Board of Selectmen ahead of the third anniversary of their deaths.
Theeb al-Yami and Jaser al-Rakah, two engineering students at area colleges, drowned in the Chicopee River near Wilbraham’s Red Bridge while rescuing struggling swimmers.
The board issued a proclamation declaring June 29 of this year Theeb al-Yami and Jaser al-Rakah Remembrance Day. Board of Selectmen member Carolyn Brennan choked up as she read the formal decree.
Attorney Cynthia Fareed, who represented the families of the two men, said the name Theeb translates to “wolf," and that wolves will sacrifice themselves for their pack and that al-Yami had chosen to include the strangers in need as part of his pack. Jaser means “fearless,” and she said that he, too, had lived up to his name with his final actions. The men’s family members participated via Zoom from Saudi Arabia and after the proclamation was read, Board of Selectmen Chair Robert Boilard had attendees observe a moment of silence.
Serving as the Board of Health, the board members moved closer to a vote on the expansion of capacity and hours of operation at the Western Recycling facility at 120 Old Boston Rd. Town Attorney Stephen Reilly reminded the officials and residents that the Board of Health must base the decision to allow or prohibit the expansion on whether it would pose a “danger to the health, safety or the environment” of Wilbraham based on the testimony and submitted evidence from a June 15 formal hearing. He noted that neither the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or the town’s expert, Tighe & Bond, found that the expansion would meet that legal standard for refusal.
When asked, Reilly confirmed that if they voted to refuse the expansion, an appeal process was available to the company.
Brennan shared that she personally dislikes being in the position to make the decision. Despite her sympathy for the concerns of the neighbors, she said she does not believe there is enough evidence to vote no.
“We’re really in a tough position,” Board of Selectmen member Terry Goodrich agreed. “Ultimately, we have to look at the facts.”
Boilard addressed the misinformation around the topic that he said has circulated on social media. He said Town Administrator Nick Breault and the Department of Public Works (DPW) have been answering questions from the public and the documents are available to the public on https://www.wilbraham-ma.gov.
If the Board of Health approves the expansion, there will be a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing, likely in August on whether to issue a special permit for the project, Reilly said. Residents will again have a chance to speak on the issue.
The board stopped short of taking the vote, as final clerical details must be made to the motion. Instead, the vote will be taken at the next meeting, on July. 12.
During the citizens’ open forum, resident Jim Anderson asked, “Why is Wilbraham going into the trash business?” He said the town stands to make “significant” money through the host community agreement. He also claimed property values will drop if the change goes through.
Resident Michael Squindo opined that much of the resident frustration with the 120 Old Boston Rd. project is from neighbors who feel as though they have not been heard because the board did not directly address their questions. He said it is a good example of why the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Health should be separated, as their interactions with the public are different under state law.
Resident Dave Sanders told the board that the townspeople don’t know about major projects that have been proposed or are in various stages. He suggested using the town’s website to publicize projects or have the department heads put together a weekly press release to run in the newspapers. Resident Lisa Andre agreed and noted that the website needs to be more user-friendly. She asked about a “Reverse 911” service. Fire Chief Michael Andrews explained that the town uses a similar service called “Blackboard Connect,” which can be signed up for on the website or with help from the fire department.
Resident Matt Villamaino observed that many people who have a frustrating interaction with the website will stop using it. He suggested that the town not simply use a municipal site template, but have a site tailored to Wilbraham.
Brennan stated that the problem is more about not having the personnel to keep it updated. Rather than leave it to the department heads, she said, the town would have to hire someone specifically to keep up on the site.
Goodrich encouraged citizens to send them links to sites they find easy to use to help the town understand what people want from the digital platform.
On a separate topic, resident John Broderick asked about signs directing the public to stay off school property during school hours. Boilard suggested that it may have to do with people not picking up after their dogs, but Police Chief Robert Zollo said that the chief concern is the safety of students and unknown adults on school property.
The memorandum of understanding regarding grant-funded shared-health services with Monson, Hampden and Longmeadow was approved. The next steps in the process involve sending a letter of intent to the state.
Wilbraham resident and former Hampden Police Chief Jeffrey Farnsworth was appointed to the Finance Committee. He said that in his previous position he worked closely with the municipal governments. Boilard said that Farnsworth would be able to provide the committee with insights from his career.
Discussing the Oct. 18 Special Town Meeting, the board discussed a suggested vote to rescind the non-partisan elections measure passed at the Annual Town Meeting in May. Goodrich said that she has concerns that the article in question was among the last on the warrant and most of the voters had left by the time it was presented. Brennan said holding a second vote sets a precedent that anytime an article is voted on at the end of the night and doesn’t go in someone’s favor, it could be brought up again at the next meeting. Goodrich and Boilard agreed with Brennan’s reasoning, though both stated that they were opposed to the adoption of non-partisan elections.
Aug. 20 is the deadline for citizens’ petition articles.