Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 4/15/2020
CHICOPEE – The City Council took care of necessary city business in a quick meeting conducted remotely on April 7. Only City Clerk Keith Rattell and City Councilor Robert Zygawrowski were in the City Council chambers.
City Council President Shane Brooks explained with the new open meeting laws, the council has temporarily suspended the public input portion of the meeting.
Councilor Gerry Roy presented an explanation for the next agenda item: an appropriation of $5,444 for planning to include Chicopee in the ValleyBike Share program.
The program describes itself on its website as “The communities of Amherst, Easthampton, Holyoke, Northampton, South Hadley, and Springfield, along with the University of Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission have contracted a collaboration and partnership with Bewegen Technologies and Corps Logistics to bring bike share to our region. To meet Pioneer Valley’s unique challenges, ValleyBike Share is designed to promote short bike trips within core communities, where clusters of large employers, colleges, shopping, tourist destinations and residents can readily be connected.”
There are presently stations in Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Hadley and Amherst. Riders can join the program at several different levels and then can pay a rental fee for the bike use according to the website (https://www.valleybike.org/).
Roy said bicycle riders rent bikes to be used on the various bike trails in the valley. Roy said the city would receive a grant for participating and there would be three renting stations established in Chicopee. There will be 18 bikes at each station and they can be rented either by phone app or by using a credit card at the station. Roy added the rental fee is $6 a day.
Councilor Jim Tillotson added the bikes are electric-assist bicycles and that a renter can return the bike at any station in a participating community. He said the city will have a five-year commitment and a grant will pay for much of the installation of the three rental stations.
The program was going to start in Chicopee this summer Tillotson said, but because of COVID-19, undoubtedly it will be delayed.
According to the website, the organization was going to begin renting bikes for its 2020 season on March 27 but because of the health crisis that too has been delayed.
Zygawrowski said he had noticed the bikes at the Holyoke stations always seem to be in use and expressed his support for the program. The council approved the appropriation unanimously.
In other action, the council approved the allocation of $8,737.61 from the free cash account to cover medical expenses of police officers and firefighters.
The council also approved that $10,340 be allocated to the mayor’s salary account for the chief of staff to pay for the continued temporary employment of the former mayoral chief of staff to complete several projects.
The council re-appointed Janina Surdyka as a member of the Board of Registrars of Voters.