Council to host golf course workshop, awaits legal opinion

Date: 9/5/2014

AGAWAM – At its latest meeting, the City Council set a workshop date to review an ordinance creating an ad-hoc subcommittee to review the financials of the Agawam Municipal Golf Course.

On Sept. 2, the council tabled Resolution TOR-2014-30 until the workshop scheduled for Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Agawam Public Library, 750 Cooper St., is complete.
   
At the Aug. 8 meeting, the council clarified that the purpose of the motion is to take a closer look at how the course is doing. Vice President Dennis Perry, one of the councilors sponsoring the resolution, explained that the motion was “not against the golf course,” but was meant to create a tool to research the functionality of the enterprise fund that sustains the course to see if it’s still adequate for operations. 
   
A vote on a proposed ordinance to redefine the use of municipal vehicles that would supersede any existing policies was also tabled by the council.
   
“We’re awaiting word from the Law Department,” Council President Christopher Johnson said.
   
This ordinance has caused contention between the council and the mayor. Its creation was prompted when money from the compost bins account was used for the purchase of a municipal vehicle.
   
On July 30, Cohen sent a letter to the council regarding the resolution. He wrote, “While some Agawam City Councilors ‘believe’ that the town of Agawam should adopt this ordinance, I find it completely unnecessary. Currently, the town has a proper vehicle use policy in place.”
   
The ordinance proposes to restrict municipal vehicle use to “official town business;” ensure that all vehicles are “appropriately marked with departmental or town seals or appropriate letter that is highly visible;” prohibit unauthorized users from taking vehicles to and from work; enforce that municipal vehicles are parked in designated space in town lots; and to enforce penalties of $25, $50 or $200 if the policy if employees fail to adhere to the policy.