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Date: 3/11/2020
CHICOPEE – At its March 6 meeting, members of the city council expressed satisfaction with the recent meeting with officials from the Chicopee Wal-Mart addressing the number of police calls.
Councilor Derek Dobosz said at a recent Public Safety subcommittee meeting the number of police calls at the retailer have decreased 40 percent since the last meeting in October. He said the staff at the store has “helped the Police Department quite a bit.” He added the property has been kept clean and the retailer has been managing its carriages.
Dobosz added the councilors are still encouraging Wal-Mart management to hire extra duty police officers. He said the city would hold other businesses in the complex to be accountable for its trash and carriages,
Councilor Robert Zygarowski said, “They’re not having riots up there.” He explained that police calls are being better classified for the department’s records.
Councilor Gary Labrie said that routine drives through the parking area were being included in the calls.
In other action, the council approved an order of assessment that would order a construction of sewer infrastructure serving the Bluebird Acres Mobile Home Park.
In accompanying paperwork, the project was described as “the construction of a public sewer, sanitary sewer pump station and force main to replace a series of large private septic systems.”
The narrative continued, “Bluebird Acres is a privately-owned mobile home park located off Fuller Road Extension with approximately 170 mobile home units and several administrative and maintenance buildings. Sewage flows generated by the park are currently directed into at least three existing communal underground sewage disposal (septic) systems. Since the system’s estimated design flow rate exceed 15,000 gallons per day and discharges into the ground without MassDEP Groundwater Discharge Permit, it is in violation of MassDEP regulation 314 CMR 5.03(1).”
This is the first of a “betterment project” undertaken by the city with the city’s percentage of the funding of the estimated $2.1 million project yet to be determined.
Councilor James Tillotson was with other councilors supporting the effort as the completion of a modern sewer system will allow people to stay in their homes.
“We need to keep these people in their homes,” he said.