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Date: 6/11/2019
CHICOPEE – The City Council approved Mayor Richard Kos’s proposal to allocate $1 million from the free cash account to help reduce the tax levy and supply some tax relief to the city’s property owners at its June 4 meeting.
“This is a no brainer,” Councilor James Tillotson said.
The council also approved using funding from its account to pay firefighters to buy needed equipment. As Fire Chief Daniel Stamborski wrote to Kos, “In the time since the calculations for FY19 were completed we have had multiple retirements, two of our military reservists firefighters were activated to extended military duty and our intentions of hiring new firefighters was delayed significantly due to full academy classes, As a result we have sufficient funds remaining in our salaries that could be used to offset the cost of some urgent and high priority needs of the fire department with a transfer of funds rather than an appropriation of funds.”
The chief went on to write the department needs a new Jaws of Life that is capable of dealing with modern vehicles.
Funding would also be used to convert the department’s fire hoses from five-inch to four-inch hoses, which now is the standard for neighboring departments and is lighter to use.
Switching to the different size hoses would make receiving mutual aid from other departments easier. Councilor Frank Laflamme called the switch “a critical thing.”
The chief also requested to purchase 20 sets of ballistic vests and helmets and specialized gear bags “stocked with supplies necessary for quick victim extrications and treatment for our first responders in the event they should be called to an active shooter situation.”
Kos told the councilors during his briefing the department was being “proactive” in preparing for this scenario.
Repairing instead of replacing a 2002 pumper truck as also on the chief’s list.
The department also needs replace its self-contained breathing apparatus or SCUBA.
The council approved the transfer of $331,000.
The council approved spending $180,000, which will be returned to the city through grants, for the continued demolition work at the former Uniroyal tire pant. City Planner Lee Pouliot explained to the council that work on two buildings remain, with the remaining building in sound enough structural shape to be sealed and held for future redevelopment as the administration building was preserved. He said there has been interest expressed in the property by developers.
While the council approved a declaration submitted by Councilor Joel McAuliffe to name June as “Pride Month,” it sent to committee a proposed ordinance to supply feminine hygiene products in the rest rooms maintained by the city.
Speaking about Pride Month, McAuliffe said, “Given all that is going on nationally to roll back anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people and the banning of transgender troops in our military, I’m proud our city has taken a stance to speak out in favor of our LGBTQ friends and neighbors.”
The city has flown the Pride Month flag in the past.
He said about his other proposal, “Women should not have to worry about whether they have access to these products. Men have everything they need in public restrooms to go about their day, if women are without these products, it causes an unnecessary interruption to their day. As a city, we should be doing everything we can to remove barriers and make it possible for women and girls in our community to live up to their God given potential.”
He added, “Nobody ever asks about what it costs to supply a men’s bathroom, these things only seem to come up when they benefit women.”