Councils pass inter-municipal agreement to regionalize all animal control services

Date: 6/29/2010

June 30, 2010.

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor

GREATER SPRINGFIELD -- The Agawam City Council followed the lead of its West Springfield counterpart by approving an inter-municipal agreement for regionalization of animal control services on June 21.

The agreement calls for a full time animal control officer under the employ and benefits of the Town of Agawam, who will split her time between the two municipalities. All costs will be split evenly between West Springfield and Agawam, totaling $24,905 each.

However, not all councilors in either community totally agreed with the contract citing concerns over the shared duty throughout such a large catchment area. Some Agawam councilors were dis-pleased with downgrading the animal control officer from full time to half-time within the fiscal year 2011 budget, a measure deemed necessary by Mayor Richard Cohen.

"I would prefer a full time animal control officer but if you vote against [this agreement] you vote for the town having to pay unemployment," Agawam City Councilor Joe Mineo said.

Cohen explained that if the council hadn't approved the inter-municipal agreement, the current full time animal control officer would have been able to collect unemployment to make up for the hours lost.

"Is it the best? No. But it will save $30,000. We have the ability to do this," he said. "We have the obligation to save money and do what the community is asking us to do: regionalization of services."

Cohen informed councilors of the "escape clause," however, some were not convinced.

"The escape clause is very, very limited," City Councilor Gina Letellier said. "For those of you who think the escape clause is going to save us -- it's not."

Councilor Dennis Perry voiced his reservations but later echoed Cohen's sentiment about giving the agreement a shot for the next year.

The agreement passed with a vote of eight yes, Councilors Letellier and Jill Messick voting against and Jill Simpson absent.