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Date: 2/7/2023
EASHAMPTON – In a video released on Jan. 30, Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle gave her annual state of the city address for 2023, highlighting the projects planned for this year and beyond, including addressing climate change and its impact on the city.
LaChapelle also reflected on the coronavirus pandemic and how the city was able to push through it with the help of the state and federal government.
“Even though the specter of COVID-19 and its variants continues to affect us all, overwhelming our hospitals and continuing to cause disruptions, I am hopeful that we are through the worst of it,” LaChapelle said.
She thanked the city’s local and federal officials for their support during COVID-19, including former Gov. Charlie Baker, former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, US Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, and US Rep. Richard Neal.
LaChapelle also reflected on the impending cliff with state and federal funds released during COVID-19 set to be fully expended or expire in the near future.
“In advance of this, Easthampton is investing in capital projects that buttress human and physical infrastructure, while building reserves to support these expanding services in our operating budget. This is how we build a more financially secure, just, equitable and resilient city,” she said.
LaChapelle also addressed the ways that the city is preparing for climate change.
“We are building a city that is more prepared to withstand the increasingly erratic and severe weather that comes with climate change. Specifically, Easthampton has major road, sewer and wastewater projects scheduled through 2030,” she said.
While she said these projects aren’t as “sparkly” as others, they are still important in addressing the impacts of climate change.
“Sewer projects aren’t just about making our stormwater cleaner, but about ensuring that businesses and residents don’t face future problems like expensive backups and overflows,” LaChapelle said. “Each of these projects is an environmental justice neighborhood and is meant to future proof our city against the changes in the world around us, creating a cleaner environment as well as expanding economic development possibilities in the coming years.”
As a part of addressing climate change, LaChapelle said the city is also working on its first climate action plan, “cataloging what steps we will take next to minimize carbon output while maximizing positive impact.”
Included in the plan are goals including “negotiating solar PILOTS [payment-in-lieu of taxes], electrifying the city fleet and migrating to more efficient water, sewer and wastewater technology.”
To combat the “digital divide” introduced by COVID-19, LaChapelle said the city is working with the Mass Broadband Institutes’ Municipal Digital Equity Plan to provide additional access and affordability to help more residents in Easthampton have access to remote and digital options for work, with a focus on high-speed broadband internet.
In terms of other developments, LaChapelle said that the city’s Main Street Transportation Improvement project is in the design phase and has $13 million in federal funds set aside for the project. She also noted that the city has several housing projects in the works, including the Tasty Top Development and the project slated for 19 Cottage St. and reflected on the importance of more housing.
“We do not grow just for the sake of growth but for a more sustainable future. Denser housing uses fewer resources, are accordingly better for the environment and ultimately contribute to our tax base more than single family homes on a per acre basis,” she said. “By building density we are creating a more environmentally and fiscally sustainable, and resilient city.”
LaChapelle also highlighted the fact that the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce is opening an Easthampton office.
“Their presence in Easthampton signals there is a safe space to incubate where there was not in the past,” she said.
Citing the success of collecting data during COVID-19, LaChapelle said the city will also be using “dynamic data to drive our decisions in municipal decisions around issues like parking, plowing and potholes.”
In 2023, LaChapelle said the city will be undergoing its first coordinated review of the city’s spending, its division of labor, operations and policies of City Hall. At the same time, the city and the school department are working together on an audit to “identify inefficiencies, overlap and unexpected bias.”
“One deliverable will be an outwardly facing dashboard with key community indicators. This will provide an extra layer of transparency that will allow residents to track outcomes along with city officials as well as determine our future based on data rather than antidote,” LaChapelle said.
In her closing statement, LaChapelle encouraged residents to come together and embrace diversity and change to build a better future for the city.
“We are all caretakers of our community, stewards of our economy and trustees of our environment. It is up to us all to keep an eye on the future as we tend to the needs of today. Together we can build a more just, compassionate and resilient city for the future,” LaChapelle said.
LaChapelle’s full state of the city address is available online on the Easthampton Media YouTube channel.