Transcript: Chicopee City Council meeting December 17, 2024

 The below transcript was created using automatic speech recognition software  from a video recording of a meeting. It is unedited and contains spelling and other errors. 

Meeting video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_HrI83WXZs&

[Transcript length: 03 hrs 48 min / 32,045 words, 35,272 tokens]

[Speaker 1]
2017-2024 City Council meeting to order.

[Speaker 3]
Please rise to the Pledge of the Flag and now we'll take a moment of silence for those who protect us home and abroad.

[Speaker 1]
Thank you. If everyone could just check your phones and make sure you mute your phone for tonight's meeting it'd be appreciated. Do we have Sandra Perrette out in the audience for this evening who is our liaison?

Okay and now we'll take a roll call please.

[Speaker 41]
Here.

[Speaker 1]
Here. Here. Here.

Here. Here. Here.

[Speaker 36]
Here.

[Speaker 1]
Here. Here. This evening we have no City Councilors on Zoom this evening.

In compliance with the Open Meeting Law the City of Chicopee is broadcasting live and for future broadcasts this meeting on Chicopee TV. Is anyone in the audience or on Zoom audio or taping this meeting? Please state your name and reason for doing so.

Is there anyone on the floor audio or taping this meeting? Is there anyone on Zoom audio or taping this meeting? Is there anyone on Zoom?

Seeing none.

[Speaker 7]
President Flam if I could make a statement prior to the start of the meeting. You may sir. This evening I'll be recommending to the full board that items 26 and 27 be sent back to the Licensed Subcommittee for an additional public hearing on Tuesday January 14th at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium. And the rationale is there were concerns raised about the inability of the parties who are opposed to this project to rebut the applicants presentation last evening. Although taking items 26 or 26 and 27 out of order will be subject to a vote. Knowing full well that the this suggestion may not be accepted and we may end up taking the items up tonight.

But I want to be very clear for the viewing audience at home and anybody who's here this evening for those two items specifically. Thank you. Thank you.

[Speaker 1]
And now we'll turn over to the Mayor for his remarks.

[Speaker 3]
Thank You President LaFlam. Esteemed members of the City Council I have numerous orders for requests for your appropriation this evening and for your approval. I also want to welcome everyone to City Hall Auditorium.

I'll start with Mayor's Order 1. It's a resolution to file and accept grants with and from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities Program for improvements to Sarah Jane Sherman Park. Be it ordered that resolution reads be it ordered that the City of Chicopee City Council orders as follows.

Whereas the premises known as Sarah Jane Sherman Park is by and far a community-wide asset and the preservation improvements to this park are a city priority as evidenced in the most recent open space and recreation plan. And whereas Sarah Jane Sherman Park is dedicated to park and recreation purposes according to Mass General Law chapter 45 section 3. And whereas Sarah Jane Sherman Park's ultimate restoration as detailed in this city's application plans will greatly enhance the park with improved infrastructure, upgraded accessibility walkways, inclusive play areas, and improved playing fields.

And whereas the main focus of the plan as detailed in our application is to achieve goals from the city's open space and recreation plan. And whereas the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs the EEA is offering reimbursable grants to cities and towns to support the preservation and restoration of urban parks through the Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities Grant Program 301 CMR 5. And whereas the cost to complete the work as detailed in the city's grant application and to remediate the PCP contamination totals $1,948,403.

Now therefore be it ordered that the Mayor be and is hereby authorized to file and accept such grants from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Mayor be and is hereby authorized to take such other actions as are necessary to carry out the terms purposes and conditions of this grant to be administered by the Parks and Recreation Department that the sum of $1,948,403 be hereby is appropriated to the following named account DPW Park special account for Sarah Jane Sherman Park improvements set amount to be taken from the available funds in the stabilization fund.

This resolution shall take effect upon passage so as you can see from the background information we have this opportunity to receive a grant in the amount of a half a million dollars and like I had mentioned the Parks Commission I haven't mentioned but I know that Ben is here our Parks Commissioner but the Parks Commission has approved the requests in October and what we're asking in is is for the city to appropriate the entire amount like I had mentioned this will also include replacing the spray pad park and we will be receiving back a half a million dollars in grant once the whole funds are allocated.

Ben anything you'd like to add?

[Speaker 40]
No Mayor you covered it we've been doing when we apply for these grants is we take a holistic look at the parks not just one single area and here at Sarah Jane Sherman Park we have an opportunity to improve the accessibility throughout the entire park replacing a walking loop that is not ADA accessible replacing an aging playground structure that is close to 25 years old with an inclusive play structure that will allow children of all ages and abilities to come and play and recreate at Sarah Jane. We'll also be doing field upgrades all three diamonds will be renovated we'll be adding bleacher seating accessibility to all the fields upgrades to the skate park and other minor improvements benches trees of that nature. As the mayor also mentioned there is a buried waiting pool there that community development has allocated funds for the replacement of the splash pad however we need to remove the waiting pool which is contaminated with PCBs and as a requirement through the US EPA to have those removed.

[Speaker 1]
With that I any questions from the floor? Councilor Balakir.

[Speaker 4]
Yeah thank you mayor and superintendent a couple quick questions projected start date and how long is this project going to take for completion? Please.

[Speaker 40]
So the timeline for the park grant should it be approved tonight we would get an engineer on board they would have until June 30th to have the design done we'd go out to bid construction can begin July 1st 2025 and the whole project needs to be completed by June 30th 2026.

[Speaker 1]
All right thank you very much gentlemen any other questions from the floor?

[Speaker 3]
Yes Oh Councilor Chomsky has his hand up Thank you.

[Speaker 5]
I was wondering if we are going to apply for this grant in the future for other parks in the city?

[Speaker 40]
Yes our plan is to apply for this part of this grant as often as we're able to. One of the stipulations with this is the park needs to fall within an EJ neighborhood which majority of our parks now do so we do have a plan moving forward with other parks we would like to target with this grant moving forward to make improvements to.

[Speaker 1]
Okay thank you. Any other question? Seeing none.

[Speaker 3]
Thank you for your consideration and thank you Ben the superintendent parks for being here. Mayor's order two it's the appropriation of forty thousand four hundred and forty seven dollars and sixty-two cents the following named account DPW water expense account for insurance other from available funds in the water surplus account as you can see from the background information I know our superintendent Elizabeth Bautista is joining us remotely that this this amount will cover work where workman's comp payments made in fiscal year 2024 was anything you want to add I know that the Commission has voted unanimously in favor and they need this money to move forward in accordance with Mass General Law chapter 44 section 64 the requesting the appropriation to fund the prior year bills in the current budget anything you'd like to add superintendent thank you any questions from the floor seeing none seeing none thank you again for your consideration move on to mayor's order three it's the appropriation of fifty one thousand one hundred and forty three dollars and ninety eight cents to the following named account DPW administration salary accounts environmental program coordinator ten thousand two hundred and eighty four dollars and thirty two cents sick buyback forty thousand eight hundred and fifty nine dollars and sixty cents for a total of fifty one thousand one hundred and forty three dollars and ninety eight cents from the available funds and the DPW highway salary account for maintenance man as you can see from the background information one of our longtime employees Barry Brewer yard will be retiring as our environmental program coordinator effective January 3rd of 2025 and according to his contract and his agreement he is entitled to balance of his unused vacation and personal time as well as a portion of his unused sick leave and the amount owed to mr. Brewer yard is a total of fifty one thousand one hundred and forty three dollars and ninety eight cents per the contract any questions

[Speaker 6]
Barry if your wager thank you mayor I was absent for the last Finance Committee meeting my question would be why do we keep taking from salary line items he's spent these expenses I'm pretty concerned that we are keeping on doing that I mean I know we've got the money in them but is there any effort to try and fill these positions that are open that we're just taking money from

[Speaker 3]
salary line items for absolutely there is the we have many postings that are open to the anyone who's interested in applying to him and it makes sense to take money out of a line item that hasn't been filled in order to not take it out of the stabilization account it's a creative way to pay for his sick buyback so that position is not filled that position positions are posted there are many open ones we're talking about better ways of getting that information out to the general public about job postings and opportunities here in the city working with the HR department now is acting CHRO until we hire an HR director our goal is to enhance opportunities for people who work for the city of Chicopee looking at technology innovation for upgrading how we onboard and those opportunities where we post jobs in different forums throughout not just Western Mass but also on Indeed and other sources and actually had a an online zoom meeting today with a platform opportunity that we're looking at to again enhance technology and and really modernize what

[Speaker 6]
we do in the HR department so any effort potentially to undertake a salary compensation study I know several other communities have done so recently including Springfield they found out that they're pretty ahead of the pack in some regards and I look at chickpea jobs I look at other communities that do you think we're under funding some of these positions more substantially than

[Speaker 3]
we should be well it's not on the agenda but I can answer the question the answer is I believe in pay parity for employees and we definitely plan on doing that Tim I'm sorry councillor Wagner that's something that's in the future right now the the HR department again I want to share with everyone the viewing audience we have a very dynamic talented team that's working they're making sure that the the daily duties of that department are carried out thoroughly and and they're taking care of those responsibilities on a day-to-day basis until we get an HR director we look that job is posted we're excited to fill it as soon as the City Council approves the funding for it we're going to start interviews and as those applications come in but the idea is to modernize and continue to professionalize that department and moving forward it is really the hub and core of employment here in the city of chickpea and again we have a wonderful dynamic team but we do need an HR director and the goal is to look at pay parity for every position you know the the ultimately as mayor I want to retain the talent of the people who work for the city of chickpea and that's a goal that we've set since I've been here and we're going to continue to look at pay parity and moving for me mayor can I just add

[Speaker 12]
something yes sure so something that I do is I do manage monitor since we have been struggling to fill positions I do track what other communities in the surrounding area and comparable to chickpea what their wages are compared to ours and we're still in a very good position we're not in my opinion underpaying as far as the comparison to other communities the issue is licensing there's just not enough CEO licensed individuals out there and that's something that we're still working through so hopefully in the near future we'll have a solution but right now that's that's our main struggle and it's not just that's all communities are having that same struggle thank you any

[Speaker 3]
other concerns I just want to take an opportunity to to thank Barry Breu yard Barry if you're watching thank you for all your dedicated years of service to the city and we wish you the best in your retirement concert Costello yeah I

[Speaker 9]
was going to do the same thank you any other questions from the floor seeing

[Speaker 3]
none Thank You president with flam and I thank you for your consideration move on to mayor's order for it's the appropriation of $8,000 to the following named account health expense account for special services from the available funds in the health special account for court-ordered cleanup it's no secret that there's a clean city initiative and we're trying to clean up those what used to be called problem properties throughout the city and we've now been working intimately with the health director and her team and the code enforcers of getting out those letters and court summons to those property owners that are neglecting to take care of their property that account needs to be replenished the health director is here if you have any questions Lisa

[Speaker 1]
thank you for being here any questions from the floor Thank You Lisa

[Speaker 3]
thank you and thank you for your consideration move on to mayor's order five it's the appropriation of five thousand two hundred and twenty five dollars to the following named account health expense account for special services from the available funds in the stabilization fund as you can see from the background information that they are requesting this it's for a staffing service for temporary part-time clerk and the director can elaborate a little

[Speaker 38]
bit yes so we had a we were using a temp agency for a part-time clerk we

[Speaker 35]
there were some it took a while before HR actually hired this person so we have invoices that need to be paid thank you any other questions from the

[Speaker 1]
floor Thank You Lisa you're all set mayor thank you move on to thank you for

[Speaker 3]
your consideration mayor's order six it's the appropriation of twelve thousand eight hundred and fifty nine dollars and eighty cents to the following name to count human resources special account for indemnification of police and fire from the available funds in the stabilization fund as the City Council knows the city of Chicopee is self-insured and this is the medical bills for those who are injured on duty in our police and fire department and if you can see there's been a significant savings from the actual billing to what we actually paid any questions from the floor thank you for your consideration mayor's order seven order that the City Council accept the donation in the amount of $17,000 from the Friends of the Chicopee Public Library to the Chicopee Public Library said donations are accepted in accordance with mass general law chapter 44 section 53 a this is the annual donation from the Friends of the Chicopee Public Library to our library and I want to thank them publicly for their generosity and continue to support library and our public library and and really an asset to our community any questions from the floor seeing none thank you for your consideration move on to mayor's order eight be it ordered in accordance with mass general law chapter 30 B that the City Council hereby authorizes the city treasurer to enter into a contract exceeding three years for the procurement and rental of postage machine a copy of which is herein attached if you can see from the background information that any leases well first let me give you some background any leases over three years need City Council approval that's why it's on the agenda the existing lease is up the old machines are over ten years the machines are currently ten years old and we had issues with the machines this past year during the elections when we had thousands of pieces to mail out and the company will no longer be able to get parts for those machines so currently we have a quote for a five-year lease and I'm asking and the treasurer is asking on behalf of me as mayor for you to allow her to enter into contracts for five years for the new mailing machine any questions from the floor seeing none thank you for your consideration for mayor's order eight mayor's order nine to the City Council you're hereby notified that I have this day appointed James Dawson as the development manager for the planning department for the City of Chicopee for a three-year appointment expiring on the first day of January of 2028 to which appointment I asked the confirmation of your Honorable Council Jim is here Jim has been a do an extraordinary asset to the City of Chicopee for many years and I want to thank Jim for continuing to work for our city and ask you again for the reappointment of Jim Dawson and again that position is the development manager for the planning department yes

[Speaker 4]
council about here yeah I thank you mayor I want to echo your sentiments Jim is very professional anytime I have questions with the planning department especially being in charge of zoning he's a walking encyclopedia and he's very helpful getting back to you if he doesn't have the answer he looks it up and I appreciate it so yes he's a he's truly an asset for the city and for the department and I recommend saying I'm on for many many years thank you thank

[Speaker 1]
you any other questions from the consular

[Speaker 44]
crampets I'll be brief I'm just gonna echo that every time I've had an issue Jim has been extremely responsive answers my questions so appreciate his

[Speaker 6]
reappointment thank you contour Wagner same sentiments I worked with Jim on the Historical Commission he's always been been there whenever we need an answer and quick order he's very good at his job and I trust his judgment I look forward to voting for his reappointment any other questions

[Speaker 1]
mayor's order 10 order that the City Council accept the donation in the amount of $2,000 from the country bank to the chickabee chickabee console on aging said donation is an acceptance in accordance with Mass General Law chapter 44 section 53a as you know this is the donation we some donations we get for the Senior Center I will send the thank you letter out for this one is there any questions seeing none mayor's order 11 order that the City Council accept the donation the amount of $6,085 and 70 cents to the chickabee console on aging for senior meals for the month of November 2024 said donations are acceptance in accordance with Mass General Law chapter 44 section 53a as you know we do this every every month we have to approve this donation that we get for the money so that's what this one is is there any questions seeing none mayor do you want to take the last ones it's just what do you want me to do appointments Frank you can take those okay mayor's order 12 you are hereby notified that I have this day appointed Claire gem 104 Johnson Road apartment 602 to chickabee mass to the console on aging to serve in such office expiring on the first day of September 2027 to which appointment I asked the confirmation of your Honorable Council again this is another appointment for this positions Claire's been in there for many many years and been doing a good job so we'll take that up any questions mayor's order 13 you are hereby notified that I have appointed Stephen to 87 wood wood Wilwood Street chickabee to the console on aging to serve in such office expiring on the first day of September 2020 said 26 to which appointment I asked the confirmation of your Honorable Council again this is another one for a reappointment this evening and finally mayor's order 14 you you are hereby notified that I have appointed Karen Russo PhD RN of 42 Voss Avenue chickabee to the city console on aging to serve in such office expiring on the first day of September 2024 to which about to which appointment I asked the confirmation of your Honorable Council

[Speaker 9]
concert Costello you got your mic on okay we're very fortunate to have Karen Russo who has a PhD and an RN to serve on our chickabee council on aging she's a very dedicated and professional individual and I think the mayor and his team for reaching out and make sure that we've retained her talent and her abilities in medicine and understanding the needs of our seniors thank you okay

[Speaker 1]
is there any questions on that one see none mayor do you want to I just want to

[Speaker 3]
take an opportunity as it's as we approach the holidays seven days till Christmas I want to wish everyone a happy healthy safe holiday season and healthy prosperous New Year to all and to this wonderful city we all love I hope that all of our residents and our community get to enjoy some downtime with their families and loved ones and I wish you all the best so happy New Year and we won't be revisiting till after January so again happy healthy New Year to all of you and your families thank you thank you we will now move into

[Speaker 1]
public input public input is limited to three minutes or less is anyone else in the audience and anyone in the audience who want to speak on public input please come to the mic give your name and address for the police

[Speaker 15]
it's not Jean it's public input Lisa Bienvenue 34 Everett Street I was at the license meeting last night and there's a couple of things that struck me I actually live in Ward 9 I don't live in Ward 6 one thing is at multiple subcommittee meetings last year probably earlier this year there's been a lot of talk about who from the council could be at a meeting who was not on the subcommittee that was the topic of discussion by many things I never agreed with what the president of the council said said that it only could be the members of the license committee at the any subcommittee at the meeting so long as the other members who were there did not speak but the president Laflam felt that it should only be the members on the of the subcommittee so there would be no looking that it was a violation of the open meeting law and yet last night in the corner was who were not on the committee president Laflam mr. Chomsky mr. crocheting I believe mr.

LaBrie mr. Zagorowski so apparently these rules that were imparted by the council are not universally done across the board the other thing that really caught my eye when they were doing the voting was when councillor Brooks made the comment that these plans for this Travel Center truck stop whatever you want to call it did not go before planning because they had already been looked at in 2022 hmm well they got voted down in 2022 they are not being well received by the community one would think that we would err on the side of caution and that we would have all of these plans two years later looked at again and maybe looked at in more detail and maybe have more input on the SPRAC report now that you have a little more education on what is going on but this is getting pushed through quickly very quickly with limited information to the public the last time I saw this is when the City Council voted in pay raises for themselves and they pushed it through very quickly because they did not want the citizens to realize they were doing it so I filed an open meeting law complaint against them because it was not done properly and they were found that they were violating the open meeting laws and they had to rescind their pay increase and go through it again and it took them a couple of times to get it right so just because things are being done in this chamber does not mean they are always being done correctly and we the citizens have the right to look at this thank you and ask for more information thank you thank you

[Speaker 1]
is there anyone else here for public input who's ever next please

[Speaker 6]
Tim Wagner 210 7th Street apartment to our Chicopee Massachusetts what I will say in respect of the issue of counselors attending subcommittee meetings that was an effort led by myself after having done my homework on the matter and having found that Westfield two towns over had been found in violation of open meeting law by having multiple counselors attend in being attendance of and participate in subcommittee hearings I feel the need to clarify that the Attorney General has ruled that it's so long as these people are present but not actively participating as members of the committee and as long as there is not a quorum of the whole city council that that has been found to be legally appropriate I just want to make that clear for everyone here the counselors are still citizens as well and they have just as much a right to attend and to listen to issues coming before boards and committees in this city in fact it's a fundamental right so thank you very much for your time and your consideration I just thought that I would clarify this matter for you mr.

president and for the benefit of the

[Speaker 36]
public thank you yes I Derek Dobis 70 Post Road former city council for Ward 6 I just want to touch on a couple of things the first off there's been like a false narrative that myself and Burnett Road residents are somehow at fault for the Tesla dealership falling through and I just wanted to come out I was in favor of the Tesla I voted for the Tesla and subcommittee at the main meeting I told local media at the time I was in favor of the Tesla it's just completely false the Burnett Road residents are not at fault for that falling through I don't know what happened either the developer or the planner or they just found a better deal somewhere else but that is a false narrative I'm also highly offended at a mailing that went out citywide I guess Burnett Road got one mailing and the rest of the city got another and it basically villainizes Burnett Road it's saying that it Burnett Road residents are the reason your taxes are going up and I just think it's outrageous you know some kind of mailing that's dividing the city saying you know one neighborhoods at fault for something I hope the board as a whole rejects that kind of rhetoric and the mailing was kind of sketchy there was no return address on it we don't know who it's from and it's just in general I think it's bad politics and bad practice but finally I just want to mention to again another false narrative in my opinion that somehow if we don't approve every single development that like you know your taxes are gonna go up if you don't approve this we're gonna raise your taxes well between free cash and stabilization we have over 30 million dollars from my understanding that's a lot of money for a community our size and the tax dollars from the proposed Burnett Road truck stop for example according to counselor about care would be somewhere between four and five hundred thousand a year if you gave that money back to the taxpayer it'd be like five or six dollars per household it'd be almost nothing right we have 30 plus million dollars in free cash just sitting there so it has nothing to do with our taxes obviously that property will be developed eventually but you know there should be other factors when you vote it should be is it safe does it make sense is it good for the neighborhood it shouldn't just be taxes vote for this or your taxes are gonna go up I just don't agree with that narrative thank you thank you sir

[Speaker 34]
good evening my name is Kevin Roberts and I live at 45 LaFawn Drive in Chicopee Ward 6 of a 55 year resident of that area and part of that 15 years I lived in Ludlow so I'm very familiar with the traveling Burnett Road for almost 70 years I've been traveling back and forth on Burnett Road several times a day now I personally have no objections to mr. Patel's efforts to use his his land for some sort of business function however I do object to the addition of additional trucks being compelled to come in and go to another truck stop or fuel station whatever the hotel arrangements that he had planned four years ago I'm perfectly okay with that I'm okay with restaurants I'm okay with the gas stations even but another truck stop in that area is just going to be problematic to the issues and concerns that we have in the area I also noticed that last night when I was here at the License Commission meeting that there were a number of people that were in favor of the truck stop being added and I also noticed that most of them if not all of them were not residents of Ward 6 or even Chicopee many of them had familiar names too you really have to live in that area to understand the traffic concerns the safety concerns of the residents you really have to be have sit at the end of your street trying to exit onto Burnett Road for five or ten minutes or more and sometimes you can't even you have to go the opposite direction and pull in the other side and turn around to go in the direction that you really wanted to go to because the traffic is so heavy adding trucks to the area is not the solution I also noticed that many of the trucks are all the trucks as they exit from Turnpike or from the current truck stop make a wide arc across all three or four lanes and block traffic for a few seconds or a few minutes three times today that happened to me as a long time long-term resident of the area my neighbors and I request that you reject the plan to build a truck stop and petition Mr. Patel to find a friendlier gentler use to that property which we can all support and benefit from thank you thank you

[Speaker 32]
Sam Newell 398 Front Street Chicopee Massachusetts I'm going to read the letter from Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce that was drafted on December 3rd 2024 and signed by Melissa as well as AJ crane who is the chair of Chicopee Chamber of Commerce regarding fiscal year 2025 tax classification to Mayor view and members of the Chicopee City Council on behalf of the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors thank you for the opportunity to address an issue of critical importance to our business community the recent increase in the local commercial industrial and personal property tax rate at this as these rates climb they significantly impact the sustainability of our businesses and the affordability for our residents over the years Chicopee's commercial tax rate has been significantly fluctuations with one consistent factor being the limited commercial and industrial development in our city this lack of development creates a shrinking tax base placing greater financial pressure on our existing businesses and residents we recognize that decisions made in the past both by this body and the other factors beyond our control have created obstacles for new development with some opportunities being delayed or untimely lost we also know that these decisions are rarely easy and often involved balancing competing priorities that said it is vital that we shift focus to creating an environment where commercial and industrial growth can thrive the solution lies in fostering a proactive approach to development by prioritizing initiatives that attract new businesses encouraging industrial expansion and reinventing the underutilized properties we can expand the tax base and reduce the need to burden existing business with higher rates we urge the council to work collaboratively with the chamber and other stakeholders in the city to address those challenges head-on together we can explore incentive for development streamline permitting process and make strategic investment in infrastructure that will attract commercial opportunities these efforts will not only stabilize tax rates but also position chicopee as a vibrant hub for economic activity thank you for your time for your dedication to our city and your willingness to listen to the concerns of the business community we look forward to working with you to build a stronger and more sustainable economic future for our city I appreciate it and if we vote this down we are gonna be the next holyoke so

[Speaker 1]
please vote in favor for it please thank you anyone else for public input

[Speaker 16]
good evening folks Seth Wilson I represent a lot of the residents of Burnett Road yes please hand out so these what's being handed out right now is what I'm going to be reading from it addresses the traffic study that was advocated for last evening as many of you know last night's licensing subcommittee meeting resulted in an unfavorable recommendation on this license in other words suggesting that you deny this license that is not withstanding several procedural objections that I raised including raising those in writing today to counsel for the city in order to preserve the record my clients have preserved that record and want to make this very clear this application presents a major public safety issue the new traffic study admits that it makes the problem worse the traffic study itself admits that it makes that problem worse not better as pilot has suggested pilots argument that the project will improve traffic is a false narrative and is directly contradicted by the conclusions in the traffic study see page 48 of the PDF and page 31 is paginated nowhere does the traffic study say it will improve traffic burdens instead it says quote the preceding analysis in other words the entire report this is from the conclusion indicates the traffic operation deficiencies exist now or are expected to occur at some of the study area intersections even without the proposed fueling and rest station it estimates that this project will add on average 534 new tractor-trailer truck trips to this intersection every day any particular day could be much much higher and a total of 5285 vehicle trips through those intersections into the facility it's important when you read this traffic study that you understand that that number is just the ones into the facility the total number of trips that will go into the facility and go buy it as a result of this facility is 7271 trips per day and I have specifically clipped from that traffic study a picture that shows the total trips and new trips and you can look at it for yourself in the traffic study if you care to review that so their study tells you on its face that it will make a bad problem much much worse in addition their study doesn't consider crash data for 2024 the newly constructed road layout that's just been completed that was built on a hotel design and traffic flow not on the truck stop traffic flow the report says crash data for the study area intersections were obtained from MassDOT for the most recently available five-year period which is 2019 through 2023 I will allow some others to finish this reading but at the end of the day you got this decision right when you denied this license application back in 2022 it was held it was upheld by a Superior Court judge they filed an appeal and then dropped it because they knew they weren't going to win there was plenty of evidence there there were 300 signed petitioners objecting to that process those should be of the record and I like to incorporate by reference the entire record of that entire proceeding and all of the things that were presented to the court for that process thank you thank

[Speaker 14]
you Kimberly Rodrigo 49 Lord Terrace as the roadway infrastructure has not changed significantly since these data were collected this information should provide a fair representation of the current crash experience in this area see p18 of PDF and page 15 we know this is false because we know that the route 90 291 improvements drastically changed the makeup of the interchange that was just finished earlier this year the grass hasn't even grown in yet more importantly this study admits it doesn't take into the account the actual 2024 crash data even though the study was done in late October slash November of 2024 when the year is almost over when the police report over 27 crashes in the last six months in this area and most importantly the crash data the report uses shows that crashes are increasing at an alarming rate doubling at the pike from 6 in 2022 to 12 reported in 2023 again not figuring 2024 and worse at the driveway site skyrocketing from 1 in 2022 to 5 in 2023 with no numbers for 2024 so a 5 times increase see page 19 and PDF and 16 as paginated how can that possibly suggest that the intersections will get safer by adding the burden of 7271 additional trips per day the answer it does not and one of the main reasons it doesn't is that the just-finished Matt did the mass dot road improvements were designed for a hotel at the site and plan for that traffic use not a truck stop and at 48,000 gallons of diesel make no mistake this is a truck stop these sure look like trucks in the picture the report admits that what we all know that use this interchange that this project will have a devastating and disastrous public safety impact that will exacerbate an already serious traffic problem in this compressed and confusing cluster of interchanges as far as cost and taxes go this response need will necessarily this response need will necessarily work a huge financial burden on the police fire and EMT responders of chickabee and massive increase in the cost to all to be residents for those services that far outweighs any completely uncertain and minimal tax benefit claimed by pilot and its cards and its presentations thank you for a drive just finishing up

[Speaker 12]
what Kim said most importantly the study confirms exactly what the residents have impressed on all of you it adds a huge increased risk to the life and limb of everyone here who travels those intersections now or may need to in the future I will say that I was at the License Committee meeting last night I will echo the same sentiments that some of my neighbors did you heard from a lot of people and there were some mixed reviews the people who live off of Burnett Road have all asked you but one I should say have all asked you to vote no every other person who asked for a yes vote does not live in this neighborhood or does not live in this city and I leave you with that thank you

[Speaker 19]
good evening thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak tonight my name is Kimberly Carter I live at 67 Coal Drive yesterday I stated that I lived at 54 Coal Drive which is the house I grew up in I am here not just as a resident but as someone who deeply loves and is invested in this community I grew up on Coal Drive and when it came time to buy my first home I chose Zatella Drive off Granby Road but when the time came to settle into my forever home I returned to the neighborhood I loved growing up in I now live directly across from my childhood home I love living in a neighborhood surrounded by many of the same neighbors I grew up with I have neighbors who still make candy bags for my teenage children on Halloween neighbors who will drop anything to help my family get our car fixed after we have been in an accident we have neighbor we have a neighborhood plumber who fixes my toilets my leaking sinks broken washing machines my refrigerators clogged dishwashers and even my broken garage doors I see mr. Gerard my elementary school principal taking his daily walks down Burnett Road these people are just a few examples of what makes this neighborhood so special I teach at Litwin school the very same school that I attended as a student this community has shaped me and I care deeply about its safety and its quality of life and its future just like I am passionate for the school and the city that I teach in I am also that passionate for the neighborhood that I live in while I understand that the proposed plans don't directly impact Burnett Road the reality is that it will increase the traffic flow onto it although the trucks won't physically be on Burnett Road they will impact those who travel travel there my mother lives on Beauchamp Terrace and is anxious about driving to my house she merges onto 291 from Fuller Road where fast-moving cars are entering the turnpike coming from 291 or heading home through routes on Burnett Road while we wait at the lights we hope drivers will see us this traffic and congestion will only get worse should we build this gas station for our residents or simply to serve passing travelers we already have gas stations off the Ludlow exit on the turnpike and on Memorial Drive similar to how Memorial Drive features multiple car washes do we really need another gas station on Burnett Road have we considered what businesses would truly enhance the lives of chickpea residents do we need yet another Wendy's they there are already new locations off the turnpike in Ludlow and on Memorial Drive what we want and what we need is a neighborhood restaurant a place where families can gather neighbors can connect and this community can thrive together thank you good evening mr.

[Speaker 28]
president members of the council my name is Thomas Murphy and I apologize for not having a tie I didn't know if this was moving forward tonight I'm Tom Murphy and I'm here tonight representing mr. Dinesh Patel who's the petitioner in this project in my three minutes I'm allotted I'm like to summarize the obvious pilot is not a truck stop it's a gas station a truck stop like pride is a large facility with paid parking for over a hundred and fifty trucks those trucks can drop trailers load and transfer freight pilot is not a truck stop it has 100 free parking spots 75 for cars and 25 for trucks and dropping or transferring freight is not allowed it also contains a restaurant in a convenience store in a rest area for weary travelers and while pride is on Burnett Road pilot is on route 291 because prize pumps are close to the road trucks waiting to fuel can cause stacking on Burnett Road and when those trucks exit they have to exit across four lanes of traffic and head towards the pike which can be dangerous pilot on the other hand is next to the mass pike has a safe new intersection and fueling for trucks is in the rear of the building so stacking will not occur clearly trucks and cars coming off the mass pike for fuel can go up to pilot and return to the pike without ever going on Burnett Road let me repeat that cars and trucks coming off the pike to fuel at pilot and go back on the pike will never go on Burnett Road and remember this project received unanimous approval by the planning board and the new traffic study states that this will create 975 less trips than the original proposal which included a hotel and restaurant on September 5th each of you reluctantly agreed to extend the moratorium on Burnett Road for one year and each of you to a person said it was contingent upon finding a solution to the traffic problem that these people have experienced I'm telling you that this is a partial solution to that situation pilot is the parcel solution it's also a solution that improves the area it generates substantial tax revenue and creates much-needed jobs you know in your hearts this is better and safer and the right thing for this neighborhood thank you entire community thank you thank you very much for your time

[Speaker 39]
hi my name is Isaiah Francisco Gomez and I have lived in Chicopee since I was seven years old I currently reside at 276 Meadow Street and I would like to begin with a quote from a mass live broadcast I am not against housing I just don't want low-income housing said a Burnett Road resident in regarding to the prior development of the Dr. Deegan property our housing property I personally experienced life on food stamps subsidized health insurance and lived with various low in various low-income housing situations so I want to take a moment to thank the people working to make sure that the people in similar situations to me are not included in their neighborhood a select group of Burnett Road residents have systematically kept new developments and people like myself away from the value of their homes or affecting the value of their homes welcome to modern-day redlining where a minority Indian developer such as the Nash is being manipulated and bullied by a group of generationally wealthy generationally wealthy white individuals and their representatives the Burnett Road residents have continuously time and time again blocked any new developments from this area all they claim is that they are waiting for the next right decision or development when none can be made this project benefits all of chickabee which was one of the most diverse cities in our area it houses 55,000 people including people of color low-income individuals first generational college students and many minorities just like us likes of in the likes of which people vowed to keep out of their neighborhood this project which is a chickabee project not a Burnett Road project will help bridge that gap I urge my counselors to vote with integrity and prioritize the common people of chickabee over their local friends at Burnett Road thank you thank you

[Speaker 33]
good evening council president address please I'm sorry oh my apologies that's my name is John Kibble I live on Maryland Avenue I don't have a speech I came here tonight I found out about this meeting last minute a lot of things are said a lot of people make some great arguments pro and con for me personally I have nothing against this adult development I've been to a lot of pilots throughout the country many between here and Tennessee and I see a lot of people complaining about it calling it a dump and it's gonna bring less desirable type of clientele and I want to ask these people have any of them ever stepped foot in a pilot just directly everything to the chair my apologies I've stepped in tons of them between here and Tennessee and they're gorgeous they're very well maintained they're very clean they would be a massive step up from the current location that's up on Burnett Road I have a problem with the fact that every time something's presented to be built up there it is shot down and the same excuse is always given traffic or this or that the other thing and I want to address something that the former councilman of Ward 6 said he says that Burnett Road people residents never hinder any kind of development I have to laugh at that comment because three years ago at a subcommittee someone on the subcommittee when I asked the question why do not we not put the food bank up at that same exact location I was answered with well if we did that the entire room would be filled with very angry residents of Burnett Road so that really contradicts what that gentleman said earlier I like that I love this city I've been a resident here for over 15 years I bought a house here married a resident from here I am all for development but I have a problem with any time that something's presented to be built there it is shot down just because people don't want to be inconvenienced by traffic you're talking about a two-lane road that hasn't been expanded on in decades and you keep developing housing up there you build more homes increases the resident population you want to have a problem with traffic stop building houses up there the point is we're always gonna have to deal with traffic it's unfortunate and it's just a way of life we have to deal with it but we can't let this development in this property go undeveloped just because we're worried about some traffic there's traffic all over the city that's all I have to say I really didn't really have a speech like I said but I feel that there's no legitimate reason to shoot this down if all you're gonna say is traffic and undesirables when you have that motel 6 right up there so that's all I have to say thank you for your time everyone have a wonderful evening thank you

[Speaker 29]
hello hello I'm Katie LaPlante 71 Angela Drive I am here to respectfully ask that the council members vote no on the proposed pilot will Travel Center like many others have said there's been many individuals that have been voicing their opinions about the Travel Center but the voices that should be heard in terms of this Travel Center should be the people that live and are going to be directly impacted by it I ask that the voices of those residents be listened to closely and are heard most thoughtfully today at the end of the day and I would also like to summarize the obvious this decision is neither for the greater good of Chicopee it is only or the Burnett Road residents of Chicopee this pilot center is for the greater wealth of the wealthy this center is not being proposed for the direct benefit of the residents it's not being proposed to reduce or improve by any means the horrific traffic from 291 that goes down into Ludlow it's not being proposed to keep tired truck drivers or drivers off the road and it's not being proposed to create job opportunities for anybody in Chicopee the pride stop is the pride truck stop is one minute away from the proposed center and it is open already 24-7 causing a plethora of issues since it's been there there are rest stops on the east and westbound sides of the turnpike that are also open 24-7 just six minutes away so the argument that we need this truck stop to keep people off the roads is completely false the same way that others have said we don't need another car wash a Memorial Drive is the same reason we do not need this this is not going to bring anything good to the city of Chicopee or for Burnett Road so I strongly ask that you vote against it I'm also going to read the rest of my dear friend Kimberly Carter my high school friend who also grew up on Burnett Road right down the road for me finish her speech Kimberly shops at Ludlow Big Y she orders Starbucks in Ludlow and her family's dentist is in Ludlow her daughter attends Ludlow High School through school choice and she plays soccer for a club team in Ludlow she recently got her permit and will soon get her license she drives to Ludlow High School every day and feels extremely safe and confident there is a large number of teenagers who live in Burnett Road that are about to get their license and they are going to raise many new inexperienced drivers on Burnett Road this threat raises significant concerns as a staff of Litwin she faces another challenge on half days and professional development afternoons there are no nearby options to grab lunch most of them end up driving all the way to Randall's in Ludlow what we want is a local restaurant or a place to gather and relax with family and friends and patrons after work thank you thank you

[Speaker 6]
motion to allow the person to finish public comment if they leave it was a motion to suspend the public comment rule to allow the person to finish your

[Speaker 1]
statement they so choose let's have a roll call to allow the person to unless

[Speaker 6]
it was it was the comment to the person who was just speaking was the did you have more to say or was a her pet you finished but I made a motion to emotions

[Speaker 1]
on the floor to allow her to speak concert oh no I gotta go with the

[Speaker 6]
counselor not with the and I'll withdraw mr.

[Speaker 1]
president I'll withdraw okay okay

[Speaker 23]
sir you're all set sorry about that Kevin the plant 80 post road back in 2022 two counselors recuse themselves and unless anyone who previously recused can explain why that recusal is no longer applicable applicable on the record I suggest that recusal is still required for any part of this proceeding including discussion and voting nothing new has been offered except deceptive cards that don't consider real offsetting costs or services and a DOT letter that confirms dangerous double lane turns are required in the intersection was not designed for a truck stop project just a hotel with no trucks counselor Chomsky has filed a resolution requesting DOT to conduct a comprehensive safety review of the 291 intersections in Burnett Road any consideration of pilots project in advance of that is premature and should be stayed until DOT's independent perspective of the entire interchange is offered including any new traffic study but only if that specifically incorporates the actual projected vehicle traffic for the proposed truck stop with all projected annual fuel sales shown to corroborate those use numbers and be sure they are accurate as well as the projected taxes that is the only way to make a considered reason decision otherwise must deny no guarantee of license no prior license to pilot like not transferable the Supreme Court judges decision which is attached confirms denial is discretionary it was proper and it is now and was fully supported last time and will be this time nothing has changed to make it allowable now or to require allowance license is discretionary otherwise would fill out application and hand to a clerk and they would issue it the language in chickabees licensing provisions specifically 188 dash 14 reads licenses may be granted not shall otherwise why are you here pilot claims that you are just figureheads and wasting all your time listening to resident concerns and agonizing over these decisions no this is your decision and is your choice to say no it if is not in the city's interest the notices are wrong and deceptive this is not an amended license there is no existing license how and why was it framed that way license and counts licensing and counseling item 26 this needs to be resubmitted as a fresh and fully new application they list shows as auxiliary services and of item 27 should be denied for this reason alone this is not a show venue it is a truck stop are we talking a strip club adult shows music festivals read pilots binder cover read special permit they admit this license is the equivalent of a special permit which under Mass General Law 48 is discretionary thank

[Speaker 1]
you I had three more seconds no sir I shut it I shut it off always three if I just can make a quick comment here's this gentleman said that he had three more minutes three seconds I'm sorry I shut it off with three seconds and I wait at least five seconds because it beeps it makes noise and I have to reset it so I apologize I'll tell you ahead of time I stop it at three seconds

[Speaker 26]
average thank you go ahead good evening this is Alika I live in Shikopee like since five years thank you so much I'm reading this letter behalf of owner operator independent driver Association December 16 2024 mr.

shame books city license committee to support like for proposed pilot travel center in Shikopee Massachusetts the owner operator independent driver association is the largest trade association representing the views of small business truckers and professional truck drivers it has like one like 50,000 members located in all 50 states that collectively own and operate more than two like 40,000 individuals heavy-duty trucks its mission is to promote and protect the interest of its members on any issues that might impact the economic and well-being working conditions and the safe operations of commercial motor vehicles on our nation's highways we are writing to express support for the proposed pilot travel center located in Shikopee Massachusetts on I-90 exit 51 professional truck drivers depend on the access to safe parking to do their jobs as safely as possible and this project will help them meet this need expansion of truck parkings capacity like this project will provide is especially important because the United States faces a serious shortfall of truck parking capacity the US Department of Transportation has found that truck parking shortage is a major problem in every state and region of the country and the shortage exists at all times of the day week and year professional drivers regularly encounter difficulty accessing safe parking especially during times of high demand surveys conducted by our association reveal most truckers have been forced to drive beyond the point where they feel safe and alert simply because they could not find a place to park this not only jeopardize their own safety but also the well-being of the motoring public with whom they share the room pilot's proposed travel center will be another step toward elevating this national safety crisis we are also encouraged that pilot has said it will make all parking spaces at the center available to drive our drivers at no charge recently our members have reported that previously free parking at some truck stops have been converted to a pay model this is frustrating for truckers who spend hundreds of dollars on fuel showers and other goods and services at a truck stop only to be told that they have to pay to park at a

[Speaker 27]
facility thank you good evening City Council my name is Richard Tyrell I actually live on urban Lane and off the Burnett Road resident of 17 years past and owned my house over there as a father of two young teenagers one who just obtained their license and the other one going to retain their license by June of next year I find it really hard to believe that we're setting ourselves up for success with the truck stop as far as we can call we do not need another Wendy's we have a Wendy's on the other side of the city we have a McDonald's right there 16 gas stations and 48,000 gallons of fuel if you're trying to tell me that it's not a truck stop it's I'm mistaken for anyone that actually lives on that side of the city and understands because it's not just about Burnett Road you have to come off the mass pike and you form a single lane behind major tractor trailers that's already happening with the pride stuff that we have now you want to add a pilot which is going to double just think about to that single two car lane drive that goes into first happen could we talk about the tractor trail accident that just happened in October 24 and a West Springfield man lost his life because it was a trailer involved then so I would ask you my wife is also an educator at Bellamy she drives in the morning should she have to double her time to get to work because trucks are going to come out because as they come out you can only fit two in a lane to get back into the mass pike so I challenge you and ask you are you going to allow two tractor trails each time to get out before the light changes what are you going to do with the rest of the thing people coming from First Avenue people coming from Burnett Road people coming from 291 the design of the 291 is it's ridiculous enough as it is because you have to take a turn you're practically turning into a guardrail with a design it has meanwhile you're merging with 50 mile an hour oncoming traffic if you add more trucks to that not only the pollution but there's no need for it absolutely none we asked bring a restaurant many people said bring a hotel but why do we need two truck stops next to each other and if you don't live there it's not Burnett Road versus chickpea it's we are citizens of a chickpea and you don't live next to it so if you're we going out of the middle we can go anywhere you want but I'll tell you right now I don't want to do that I've I'm an experienced driver I can tell you right now Mac trucks don't stop for you so what are you going to do how are you going to improve it because the 291 design is poor the Burnett Road you for the lawyer that can tell me you're not on Burnett Road how do you sleep at night I just don't understand so you guys stand there we we went through this two years ago it went all the way up mr. Chomsky why are we doing it again please tell me you're part of our ward how are you not outspoken against us if you want to listen to your constituents and I put you in office vote the way you're

[Speaker 21]
supposed to know thank you okay this is continuation from everybody before my name is Wayne lozier 101 Carpenter Avenue not my glasses either so bear with me no company or lawyer has the right or the power or the bully you to force you into ignoring your common sense this is an automobile service station it's a truck stop adding 7,500 vehicles a trip a day most of those trucks are 70 to 80 feet long to a location that is too close to the pike to handle long trailer trucks back too wide to get in or out with cars mixed in the other change is into into and out of the facility was not designed to handle trucks in or out it was designed for a hotel not a truck three or four trucks in a row gridlocked the whole intersection in and out mass DOT in December 6 24 letter admitted to the ramp from the pike onto Burnett Road was designed using only hotel traffic model trucks and not added to truck stops so that tractor trailers would swing wide into both lanes in the same directions the former police chief provided significant testimony at the initial hearing in 2022 about this volume crime and issues at truck stops the second truck stop would add huge burden to public resources his prior testimony and submitted it concerns are bone out brought out by reports back directly from to give you police record lies we have reports from the police a thousand calls from the police trips and dispatch in this section and we all know the same stuff as much as defending the denial here the cost the city it pales in comparison to the cost of full traffic impact and local economy just one injured child one massive even a minor few spill and clean up health impacts there are already abnormal high asthmatic levels around Monsanto Westover Air Force Base Chiggy be industrial complex and hundreds of thousands of additive idling trucks waiting to fuel while eating not to mention the cost of suits from residents challenging any voter license and I I'm going off this I'm a chiggy be resident three parts of the city live up on came from Sarah Jane Dana Park Burnett Road and we get called names we get called Westover Ludlow and we're called NIMBY's now come on we're for the city and if you think that this is gonna change our taxes that our water bill should go down so we got 10 what car washes in this to our water bill should go down which we know it's not gonna go down and I gotta say this I like oil good

[Speaker 37]
evening my name is Jeanette Jez I live at 71 Fairway Drive Chiggy be mass and this is hard stuff and I try to step back and look at all that has happened and how long we have struggled with this and I think about a few years back I'm not sure whether it was Western Mass Development Corporation down off of East Main Street there was a roadway and sewers put in with the hope of attracting businesses because we'd already have the infrastructure there so I say to myself why have all these years past and now that there's a proposal for pilot that it seems to be the residents are having to struggle with and figure out what DOT or the city of chickadee should be doing to fix the roadways fix the exits make it safer it just seems that sometimes we have it backwards where was planning on this I'm not quite sure whether planning should have said to the City Council you know we have a potential developer maybe you know and this is pre-pilot you know maybe we need to look at expanding this roadway before we get there to make it safer and less congested but here we are it's all upside down and I don't know how to fix it I think we all would like to see development but where do you go I mean our backs are against the wall they have plans that have been planned forever and there's no budging either way but we have serious safety issues in that area there needs to be a need to help with what's going on up there you know what the residents need what brings in business but doesn't just blow up the whole intersection and then create another big problem for this city that this council will have to wrestle with but then you're going to be in a tighter position than you are today so

[Speaker 41]
thank you thank you I'm Lorraine Barron I live on Simon Drive Chicopee Ward 4 lifelong resident I don't live in the area but I have empathy for people who do live in that area and I would not want to live in an area with two truck stops let me say having two truck stops across the street from each other absolutely makes no sense to me especially so close to residential area redeveloping a parcel of land should be a thoughtful process which considers the impact the development would have on the surrounding area its residents and how well it fits in increased tax revenue should not be the prime and only factor to consider the residents living in the Burnett Road area are supporting the city with their real estate taxes and deserve to have a decent quality of life in their neighborhood and their concerns to be taken into consideration and not and they should not have to contend with increased traffic and worse air quality from the motor vehicle pollution anyway that's about all I have to say and I thank you for your consideration thank

[Speaker 18]
you good evening my name is Glenn and plant 71 Angela Drive I first want to remind all of you on the council the reasons why you denied this in the first place back in 2022 I'm going to say some certain things that I believe that are very important today pilot first of all if you want a website they charge $12 to park a truck there and $12 to take a shower so that's clear it's on their website okay mr.

Patel is trying to take credit for the traffic light on First Avenue in actuality the city under mayor costs put in a grant for 1.29 six million dollars to approve Burnett Road and First Avenue that was done in October of 2019 public safety should come before any project in a city no matter where it goes especially if there's a public safety issue there already one quick comment on something said last night that crime is down the motel six alone has had a hundred and sixty seven calls there in the last year 52 of those are unknown so I'm glad somebody brought it up so I didn't have to feel bad about bringing that up okay retired police chief Jeb said it best that adding another truck stop to this area will only make serious matter worse and stated his reasons why the police record for Burnett Road alone from June 12th of this year to December 3rd doesn't does not include the side streets this is from the level line traffic to the entrance of the Mass Pike which is just under two miles 1001 thousand calls on record 26 accidents 299 of these calls are within the blue area in the middle 18 of these accidents are in the blue area in the middle also 19 unknown calls in this area that's 30 percent of the calls are in this area alone six confirmed accidents actually happened at the exit of the turnpike were 291 and that's basically from the state police okay no the DLT letter all of you had a letter from the DLT that says you can't take a come up the exit ramp on a tractor-trailer unless you take two lanes that's a problem the traffic problem already exists both the property owners and the city already have acknowledged this the city recently sent a unanimous resolution to the state and DLT for help in the traffic issues there are currently 37 companies from First Avenue and Moody Street in Ludlow that use this area including tractor-trailer trucks buses delivery trucks tanker trucks and cars contribute to the already congested area of these companies there are 12 located just alone on First Avenue and those companies also have tractor-trailer trucks and also to remind you there are two trucking companies on Moody Street on New Lombard Road they claim that their project will lessen the traffic but that's not true because the situation already exists and the companies that use Burnett Road will be using their facility will not be using their facility they want us to believe that every truck and vehicle that exits the Mass Pike to Burnett Road is going to go to their location well DLT acknowledged that letter that trucks exiting Burnett Road again have to go to the far left lane so their plan will know no way make the traffic any better in this area this is a problem that already exists thank you thank you Glenn thank you

[Speaker 12]
my name is Susan LaPlante 71 Angela Drive I am speaking to you about the concerns of our area the proposed truck stop should be a no or a gas station with trucks in it as we were just told the entire process for this truck stop coming up for the second time is confusing for all of us little known notification of our procedures change in the way meetings are run little information of our from our ward representative because he's being told he can't talk to anyone because he could be disposed or taken to court that is upsetting in itself because he was elected by us to represent us the people of Ward 6 the bullying and harassment we have had to hear to see on social media calling us names like elites the NIMBY's the crybabies etc these postcards that were sent out one to the Ward 6 residents and one to the rest of Chicopee which is deceiving in itself they have created division in the city caused people to be bullied and harassed including our ward counselor Sam including myself and my family at one point I had to go to the police station this week to file harassment because somebody threatened me on Facebook because I put up a post about these meetings so people would know about it and I want to read to you what they're that person's post was he hopes that people will go to this meeting and stay calm and not harass anyone like what happened to poor Ward 6 counselor Sam Chomsky in which they loosened his lug nuts I pray that God saves you and your family souls for what you have done to this community you do remember what happened to the CEO in New York and that can happen to anyone at any time that is a threat that I have taken I'm taking it seriously and it's ridiculous that threat was by somebody who is associated with city government this city government I was going to say his name but in my heart I can't do that I can't do it all right I will his name is Jeffrey Trask I am asking nicely that you vote no to this truck stop no to people no to the people who cause the vision into people who harass others no to the people that think they can throw their money around like Denise Patel did yesterday 10 feet away from where I'm standing right now right after that meeting he walked up to my husband and I after the meeting and said I want to give you a hundred thousand dollars for you to give to your community

[Speaker 1]
we're all set so you decide thank you

[Speaker 35]
hi good evening my name is Rebecca work I live at 20 Riverview Terrace and I'm a fifth-generation chicopean just because my address is not located in the Burnett Road area does not mean I do not understand the root of Burnett Road I traveled that road 20 plus years for a family that lived there friends to bring my children to the parks etc I am no stranger the proposed configuration shows Burnett opposite of first Ave with westbound signal being modified so there will be one exit lane with centerline being shifted north for a wider entrance for trucks signal phasing will be modified to reflect the new structure mass DOT has been notified of the proposed change and do not have any concerns a direct entrance off the pike and 291 with more than adequate space and rotation allowing for a contained area off the main road for trucks or others to gather as well as a traffic light for safety when entering and exit exiting the roadway mostly the pilot will provide many accommodations food options a place to rest in safety another loss of such a diverse new business will only lessen our job losses reduce tax revenue impacting the city's ability to invest in education and other essential services these factors have contributed to a decline in the quality of life for some residents and their families as well as putting many of our small businesses and debt and forced to closed contributing to the decline in our community this project is in fact going to bring a million dollars or at least close to a million dollars a year to our city so I urge my ward counselor Mr. Ballack here to vote favorably we need to address these challenges work together and build a stronger future for the greater good

[Speaker 38]
thank you thank you my name is Sharon Martel and I reside at 116 Sesame Drive chickadee for the last 38 years I'm not much of a public speaker but after last night's meeting I felt have to speak up my concern on this project is the added pollution which I haven't heard very many people talking about two truck stops in one location doesn't make much sense to me it also isn't going to be being a friendly neighbor to pride we have all become a society that is all about money and not values our area consists of three gas stations we also have several businesses such as quality beverage Republic Service express all have trucks running on a daily basis all eliminate gas fumes not only that we have three closed dumps that give up methane and carbon dioxide fumes not to mention the chemical smell from the former Monsanto plant all the above cause kidney brain cancer respiratory and lung damage I myself have just been recently diagnosed with asthma at the age of 68 I have lost too many of my neighbors I beg you to consider the health of the children that are growing up on Burnett Road it isn't right for mr.

Patel to get richer while we get sicker I ask the council to please vote with your heart and your conscience put your head down to sleep tonight knowing you all made the right decision thank you thank you Merry Christmas

[Speaker 25]
hello my name is Matt Chris Billowitz I grew up on Burnett Road I I'm actually a truck driver I go to pride about three four times a week I go there all the time the hardest part is getting in and out and I'm not gonna lie everyone complains about the mass bike it's the highway coming down the highway and I think that's one of our biggest problems in the city right now you you see an abundance of accidents ever since they redid the mass bike entrance right there and right now people are focused on a gas station and I think we should be focusing on reconstructing that that entrance that was already reconstructed one of the other things is is you're gonna put in another truck stop there's gonna be more of us there truck drivers you're gonna have people coming in and out of two separate entrances now you only have space you got to realize you got 20 to 30 to 40 foot trailers pulling out of two stops so you're gonna have that entrance by the AMF bowling alley there and then from pride it's just gonna be a backup even people come from Ledlow it is just absolute chaos but our real main goal to me that's a prime location I get it Mr. Patel has a prime location but coming down the highway people are getting accordion hit at the back and everyone wants a gas station there's gonna be more tractor trailers come in there's gonna be more of us coming in to go get gas and when those pumps are filled guess what you're gonna be lined up you can be lined up all down Burnett Road I still get stopped over 291 bridge waiting 20 minutes just to get to the light just I'm not even on Burnett Road yet it it just boggles my mind how we're sitting here debating about a gas station when no one's thinking about safety at all we're not thinking about all the accidents that have occurred over the last couple years with this new construction but we want a gas station it it's just unfathomable and to me this just tells you how someone with money can persuade people on this board that people sitting here voted you

[Speaker 1]
in thank you is there anyone else here for public open in any audience

[Speaker 24]
Eugene Prisbillowitz 11 Caddyshack Drive Chicopee first of all and foremost I misspoke yesterday and when I realized it I am here to ask Mr. Laflamme I used his name in a context that he didn't mean to so I just asking for his accept my apology it was a passionate speech and I want to leave it at that okay Frank we could take it up where we left off we agree I'm still I'm still not in favor of this it's a dangerous situation extremely dangerous and I don't see any benefit to enticing more tractor-trailers off the highway to get gas like I said if they're coming off the highway to get gas they're going to sleep otherwise they'd stay on the highway get their fuel they can even eat drive straight in drive straight out I'm sure they don't want to come into a city and make all these turns just to get filled up with gas they are gonna sleep there if mr. Patel's lot overflows with 25 trucks yeah they'll go to pride but it's still a big problem and it's super dangerous the other thing is if you remember where this started the first application I believe everybody here except the new four new people we're gonna vote yes we went through the same issue and it's pitted neighborhood after neighborhood because we had to point out to you what you said word by word about the proposed Cumberland farms on Grat Street in Aldenville none of our neighbors I could say 100% nobody from Burnett Road called you complaining about their taxes if that Cumberland farms was not built it was highly debated that night like I said people listen to meetings they listen to the recordings and they put it back at you word by word and the excuses the reasons were for not approving Cumberland farms was to support the residents in that neighborhood if we keep flip-flopping it's going to just cause more problems more threats and more controversy online on social media I'm not on social media I don't put up with that but a lot of people are I want to bring that to your attention and ask you to vote like you

[Speaker 1]
did last time thank you thank you anyone anyone else in the audience for public

[Speaker 31]
input you go to Mike sir I am Emmanuel Andrews I leave at 59 you log the road to copy I'll read the letter from the Latino economic development corporation 20th 4th Street Springfield Massachusetts 0 1 1 1 0 3 to mayor view and the members of the Chicopee City Council on behalf of the Latino economic development corporation LEDC and its board of directors I thank you for the opportunity to address an issue of present importance to the business community the recent increase in Chicopee's commercial industrial and personal property tax rates Chicopee's long-standing struggle with limited commercial and industrial development has created a shrinking tax base resulting in an over reliance on existing businesses and residents to shoulder the financial burden while we recognize that many factors some beyond the city's control have contributed to this challenge now it's time to act decisively and create an environment conducive to businesses and economic opportunity LEDC we work to support Latino owned and other minority owned businesses providing them with the tools and resources to succeed yet higher tax rate and limited development opportunities make it increasingly difficult for these businesses to grow and thrive Chicopee has immense potential for economic growth and dissolution lies in fostering proactive development strategies we urge the council to consider bold initiatives to attract new businesses revitalize on their utilized properties and create pathway for industrial expansion streamlining permitting processes offering targeted incentives for developers and investing in infrastructure improvements can serve as a foundation for economic revitalization such actions will not only help stabilize tax rates but also ensure Chicopee becomes a welcoming hub for diverse businesses creating jobs and enriching the city's economy the LEDC stands ready to partner with the city of Chicopee the mayor's office and other stakeholders in the vital effort together we can address these challenges to secure the city's financial future and build a Chicopee that is both equitable and prosperous for the residents thank you thank you

[Speaker 1]
okay is there anyone else for public input that that is not has not gone up

[Speaker 17]
yet good evening my name is Brian Clark 54 Dobeck Ave I grew up on 93 Fairway Drive as well I've been up in the Burnett Road area since 1979 I recently moved back in 2001 about my own house up there I don't want to keep beating this down I am in favor of the pilot program I am that one Burnett Road resident that wants to see this project go through I am a Burnett Road Brett as we were called when we were growing up I am that Burnett Road Brett and the way I look at it is I want to ask the council how many of you get Amazon packages delivered to your house how many of you get your groceries delivered to your house how many of you get services going to your house on a daily basis I can tell you that the safety is not about having a business it is the Amazon drivers driving through our streets in our neighborhoods not obeying our stop signs our neighbors our own neighbors just blowing through the stop signs because why we want to get that package from Amazon we want to do those things we cause the traffic up on Burnett Road or anywhere in the city we do not just because somebody wants to put a business it's not about getting rich it's not I am a commercial landholder as well in another city I've been trying to get rid of my property too I have gone up against neighborhoods that don't want those project it gets frustrating but again we all want to bring good businesses to the city of where we live and that's all I think mr. Patel wants to do so again I vote you know I hope you all vote in favor of it and again it should be the neighbors looking out for their neighbors slowing down on their stop signs on Morrow Drive we just had blinking stop signs go up Ogle Circle that was a big topic recently and it kept going on it was the same neighbors over and over and over and over again the city did something now Litwin Lane is finally recognized as a street that is what we need I understand there's a divide of what's going on but again look at your own neighbor that is flying through our residents our homes going through I put up cameras throughout my whole house why because they live right at a stop sign and I watch all my neighbors do what they call a California stop and go through and I pray that there is no young child that is living in a neighborhood that gets thank you thanks is there anyone okay

[Speaker 22]
hi good evening everybody my name is Rishi Patel I'm talking on behalf of the developer I'm his son a few things I've been listening to all the comments so I just want to make a few points but just from the development side people talk about have these people live in the area my family's lived at this site on Burnett Road for 15 years I'd like to ask if anybody else has lived on this exact area for 15 years not two miles down the road now people talk they say we want a hotel restaurant why is dr. Deegan's closing why are there no other new restaurants in the area there's other sites available for it I think there's a reason for that they talk about hotels they're saying Motel 6 is adding to the crime what do you think a hotel right behind pride is gonna do it's what it probably likely do the same thing would it not at least you have a pilot that's a Warren Buffett owned company with very high standards over 900 locations in America they're not like pride they have much higher standards the whole point of the pilot is that it has its own light to take traffic off of Burnett Road a truck that's not going to the pride is going to the pilot off of Burnett Road and stacks onto the private property not onto Burnett Road that is going to cause those accidents that they're seeing today all this accidents data that's without this project that's due to the misdesign of the pride at that time this this is a partial solution to correcting that mistake that was made years ago they talk about adding capacity to the police and fire department our mixed-use development that's proposed before would add more you know how many tenants would stay at a hotel stay at a restaurant that's more that's a more capacity than this would provide they talk about the traffic study this traffic study yes is dated in November 27 2024 but you look at the data it was collected in October 2024 one of the busiest times at Western Mass with the foliage why is that not being considered we did that to give give more assurance to the city and the residents we added significant margin by doing it at the busiest time of the year yeah pilot has another website they charge for parking we've already said upon pilot that we're not going to charge parking at this site they still have the right to charge parking and all their other 900 locations they talk about pollution pilots were the largest providers of green biofuel can you say the same for pride we're doing EV charging does any other locations around there have EV charging for people to park coming off the highway and eat and rest to talk about traffic patterns mass DOT has already analyzed we have a letter dated this month that they've already reanalyzed the traffic patterns they already understand the traffic lights and patterns and how the flow is going to work otherwise we wouldn't be standing here today presenting this project thank you sir is there anyone

[Speaker 1]
else for public input from the floor

[Speaker 30]
thank you president thank you all the councillor thank you for the chickpea community and all the members my name is Dennis Patel I am I bought this property in 2000 and I leave 2000 to 2015 for 15 years I am the one who must be made at highest left turn in Bernard Road than any community here standing in 15 years because I crossed a four lane every single day when I stayed 15 years of there I'm a real estate developer I we understand the traffic pattern we understand the traffic situation also we develop throughout to the country in a different different state different different way different different traffic patterns we understand how the traffic pattern going to be working Bernard Road and we we feel we will be the solution for the traffic at the Bernard Road location before the Bernard Road entrance going to be traffic it we will take some traffic away in our location and we will develop that way and that's the way the DOT also I think my son speaks very well today and the DOT also sent a letter to the December right to the every one of them and it's explained kid this is a sleep lane with the safest to the tractor-travelers designed on and according to the mass DOT my location is controlled by mass DOT because it is in juridic sense of 291 with mass DOT also everybody talk about I pilot pilot is a travel center building inspector from Frank commissioner out of chicopee who certified the letter to the planning board and the city councilor in July 2022 that travels pilot is the travel travel center is not a truck stop we getting frustrated a little bit to hear from the community for last four years truck stop truck stop truck stop we did not ask for the permit for the truck stop we asked for the pilot travel center it's and later also certified by zoning by right allowed to use to the travel center we are the developers so we look at the properties throughout to America and and and we look at the zoning by law and we follow through zoning by law we asked for the permit we not asking it dislocation any waivers any tax refund or any tax deferment or any infrastructure money from the city of chicopee one of the question comes get this infrastructure paid by mass city of chicopee I am the one who signed an application to the planning board able to get that fund for that improvement of that location so I signed an application to the planning board planning board received application as a

[Speaker 1]
developer because I'm sorry your time is up and okay your time is up no you're all I told you earlier I shut it off between three and four I'm sorry because it beeps thank you thank you is there anyone else here for public input from

[Speaker 45]
the audience and Bruce Socha from LaBelle circle Bruce Socha from LaBelle circle it's good to see everybody here I think this is a great healthy exhibition of what government is supposed to be the people come out to speak for themself in light of that I'd like to remind you all of the oath that you swore when you agreed to represent us the people not outside influences we you know you have to take your your oath serious we're not arguing about developing the property it's just that this particular type of business would bring much too much confusion into a small area and I thank you thank you sir is there anyone else

[Speaker 1]
for public input in the audience I'm gonna ask a second time then I'm gonna close it and there will be no more public input from the audience and I'm gonna go to zoom is there anyone else here for public input from the floor okay we're gonna now gonna go and see if anyone on zoom wants to talk into public input if you do if you could just wave your hand okay I see one up Javis you have the floor for three minutes go ahead can you hear me there you go you

[Speaker 42]
have to my name is Javis Garcia I live in 120 Jean Circle in Chicopee and I'm voicing my support for this project because I believe solutions for this problem will come from working with development and city and with added revenue and the added um you know of pool that we also have with babysitting issues to be able to solve the Burnett traffic issue that it won't happen by itself but the city or the government it has probably be all hands a fair to get this thing to work so I'm uh understand it's not if you don't live in a perfect world and sometimes many hands will carry a load faster and I believe relieving the pressure on Burnett Road with its price station and then maybe after that lesson then we could address the root of the problem which is that how we exit but shutting down a business is gonna send the wrong message to any development in the city even for the one downtown they're trying to get that delivered that the city of Chicopee does not want business it doesn't work anybody they just want to stick their head in the sand and let more stores front shutter and let the city die out and let business go to Springfield or any other city that's you know want to take people's money and they want to be able to improve their cities and so I'm just going to take it away for the time and then I hope that you vote for a solution that we everybody works together to get

[Speaker 1]
this thing fixed thank you thank you okay is there anyone else on zoom is there anyone else on zoom for public input I'll say a third time is there anyone else on zoom for public input seeing none I'll take a motion motion to close motion make input oh I'm sorry go ahead there was someone on zoom okay I'll take a motion to close public input motion I

[Speaker 2]
put motion made in second to close public input roll call yes and a motion

[Speaker 7]
passes communications can we make a motion just for a five-minute comfort

[Speaker 1]
break please could we just get through the turkey for that thank you communications no communications minutes please

[Speaker 5]
concert Shumsky motion that the minutes be approved from the November 4th special meeting November 7th council meeting November 13th special meeting

[Speaker 1]
and executive session motion made in second that the minutes be accepted for the November I mean yeah November 4th special meeting November 7th regular meeting November 13th special meeting and the executive meeting on the motion

[Speaker 2]
please self-explanatory thank you roll call please yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes and a motion person you want to make a motion

[Speaker 1]
for a five-minute five-minute recess motion made a second for a five-minute

[Speaker 2]
recess roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes and a

[Speaker 1]
motion passes take your seat I'm going to start thank you all okay

[Speaker 7]
on with our agenda okay mr. president I would make an emotion to take items 26 and 27 out of order in an effort to address the items that most of the folks

[Speaker 1]
here tonight are here for okay motion made in second to take items number 26

[Speaker 2]
and 27 out of order roll call please yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes and a motion passes item number 26 okay we have a report from the license for an application for an amended fuel storage license located at 357 Burnett Road total quantities of all flammable liquids to be stored 28,000 total quantity of all combustible liquids to be stored 48,000 previous amount of gallons 32,000 25,000 and 7,000 applicant should be in

[Speaker 7]
counselor Brooks make a motion to receive the License Committee report and to refer back to the License Committee motion made in second that the committee

[Speaker 1]
report received and referred back to the License Committee for a public hearing

[Speaker 7]
on the motion please on the motion there was some concern last evening that were raised by many members who spoke in public this public speaking portion of the meeting that they weren't allowed the allotted amount of time they felt that the applicant was allowed so in speaking with our council this evening and throughout the day he had suggested that items number 26 and 27 might be considered to be referred back to the License Subcommittee for an additional public hearing I'm open to discussion on this item and to hear what others think about that and then ultimately if it gets voted down then we would take up item 26 and then proceed to item number 27 okay

[Speaker 5]
counselor R Shams key Thank You mr. president first and foremost I was wondering if if it was the will of the council they'd be in favor of resolving this tonight because we've asked residents to come twice back-to-back meetings two nights in a row and the tone has not changed the resident response from the residents majority wise from the amount of phone calls I received the amount of emails I've received Facebook messages has been an overwhelming no I am NOT going to support this project based based on a plethora of reasons many that were raised by the good residents concerns here and I also want to take a moment to address a few things there have been a lot of stipulations that I do not care about residents up off of Ward 6 I have lived up here for 16 years even before I lived here we spent every Christmas at my aunt uncle's house that live off of Burnett Road so I have literally grown up on Burnett Road my best friends that I'll have for the rest of my life work from Burnett Road we lived in the same neighborhood I'm very attached to this area I graduated my first school Litwin school I was a neighborhood resident I was a neighborhood kid I you know I was one of those kids when you're in that stage you know ride our bikes ride our scooters go to the park have fun play manhunt at night I I did all those things and I really do love this ward I rode my first bike here I drove my first car here I even worked my first job at Williams Park that now is what 10 years ago it feels like forever ago but you know I had I even had my first drink in my first kiss here I mean I'm very attached I'm very attached to Ward 6 and you know I've heard tonight a plethora of different things regarding Burnett Road and not like you know we heard tonight there's the stigma of racism at Burnett Road I truly do not believe that I know people from all race creeds sexual orientations colors all that stuff we are not racist I mean that is a blanket statement that is not factual that really irritates me because and my family and everyone else here because we have neighbors from all nationalities all different races I'm not gonna go over it again but that was just that was uncalled for and I really you know if that stuff that that gentleman said you know I'm sorry for circumstances I really am those are very sad and just you know it was it's very sad and it's unfortunate that that was the case and I do apologize for that I also want to talk about the harassment the threats and all the crazy bullshit basically that's happened over the last two months and it's just it's it's insane and I condone all violence I can don't all of it no matter who it's at this is not right this should not happen and quite frankly the fact that it did happen it's pretty concerning and I'm going to spend the remainder of my term trying to figure out ways that we can reunify the city and bring civility and respectful dialogue back to a conversation because this should never happen again and quite frankly I just I'm disheartened and just utterly disgusted at the way this was all brought about and we talked about safety and Burnett Road I am the first counselor since Keith Hotel and nothing against my predecessors in the audience you know it's um to look at Burnett Road at the moratorium you know for years it was just pushed through pushed through pushed through the solution and the core problem of it was never looked at I was the first counselor to go up to a planning go to engineering and say look 25 years this is older than me I mean we said happy anniversary keep this Keith hotels the actual originator of the moratorium nothing's changed nothing's improved this hasn't I'm sorry to say it hasn't accomplished its goal traffic is still bad safety concerns are still bad so it is my goal when hopefully the first of the year that we'll get an actual estimate of how much a concept will cost to redesign Burnett Road to make it safer for our neighborhood for our kids for our school and for everyone who travels on it every day this is long overdue and it needs to be done and I will keep pushing for that and the I know I heard a comment today about the resolution for a Schwinnigan Drive that entrance trip I didn't do that just because a pilot you know my next-door neighbor was almost killed there twice in two years you know that he what I think it was um Christmas last year he was in the hospital with a few broken ribs and he's lucky to be alive I actually had a opportunity to go witness the vehicles involved in that deadly crash that occurred a few weeks ago I I'll be honest when I say it I'm not always the best at putting my seatbelt on after seeing that car crash after seeing those wrecks I'm pretty adamant about putting my seatbelt on now and it's I'm kind of grateful that I saw that because it gave me a whole different perspective and I've also want to address another thing I've heard a lot of stipulations regarding I'm being groomed and I'm in the pocket of the mayor and a bunch of other elected officials that's that's not the case you know I was kind of when I heard that was disheartened I'm my own person I'm able to think for myself I've had several public disagreements with the mayor and other individuals here I mean it's it's noted like the superintendent for say I was the one who nominated the current superintendent dr.

where the mayor wanted at the former superintendent Alvin Morton we went back and forth on it for days and you know we shook hands afterwards we moved on that's just how politics works and it's business it's not personal and I just I really hope that my colleagues on the council listen to the residents and I hope that you know you really take a look and see that these are serious concerns and I mean this is the same proposal nothing's changed and that's all I have to say I'm not going to reiterate everything that residents have said back-to-back in the last 48 hours because it's kind of it's just going to be redundant at that point it's been made obvious by emails phone calls residents at public input and countless other ways that you've communicated and you know I we talked about the last meeting and I you know I told everyone I would do better and I did I notified everyone I put notices up at the training post I even doorknocked a neighborhood in the middle of winter it was cold I went with them one person that's on zoom right now Chris mr.

Kristen Risley we doorknocked I'd say maybe a hundred doors and I got to hear actual feedback from a random population of residents it was a resounding no I didn't have one person tell me yes they wanted this so that is why I'm voting no and this is why I'm not going to support this and I hope that my counselors will support me and that and the residents

[Speaker 1]
of Ward six thank you thank you concert Wagner this has been one of the most

[Speaker 6]
stressful weeks of my life to the point where I had to have a co-worker ask me after I had broken down crying in the entranceway to work if I'm okay I have fielded hundreds of calls and emails from residents from all areas of the city both in favor and against I've always said that I will give the project its due consideration as this is my first time on the board but I have to agree with my friend from Ward six that the way in which people have conducted themselves in advocating for what they want here has not been the most respectful there have been insinuations that counselors have been bought off either directly with payments or indirectly in the form of campaign donations which I have exactly zero dollars and zero cents sitting in my campaign account I don't do what I do here for money I do it for the betterment of my community because I felt I could make a difference I watched my grandfather do it I watched my father do it for the first 18 years of my life I wanted to do it but this entire issue has called into question my entire notion of what public service means it is disheartening to have had any of this happen to counselor Chomsky and any of the other counselors who might have received the same unpleasant phone calls and emails that we have I don't I don't envy counselor Chomsky and I don't wish this position on anyone with all of that said I've given this a lot of thought there is near unanimous support for it from residents outside of the district and near unanimous opposition from at least the residents who live near Burnett Road within Ward six the feedback I've gotten from the couple of people who live in Ward six outside of the Burnett Road area has been somewhat mixed with all of us in mind I've come to the realization that I'm going to vote my district which is the entirety of Chicopee and I'm gonna vote with everyone who's spoken in support of the project unfortunately because I do think that what we've done here over the last several years is show that we're unfriendly to any business opportunity and we've discouraged further business development within the community and as a result what has happened is that people who are already struggling to get by have been hemorrhaged further and further through property taxes to income taxes through sales taxes through the ever-increasing price of goods and their property and water bills aren't going down but we're not doing anything to even try and offset that I think it's an important thing to show that we're at least open to the possibility of new development in the city and I think that this council has made a good faith effort to try and share those residents concerns and take in residents concerns with the project that we have on the floor here today I I really I really am just sad about this whole process though I wish it could have been done in a more respectful and open manner I'm gonna vote for it I think but I just I'm really I'm really just sad that this is what it's come to in Chicopee and some of some of what's been said over the course of the last couple of weeks and advocating for this have really sullied my opinions on what I thought Chicopee was what I thought it meant to be a public servant it really is just making me sad.

[Speaker 1]
Thank you. Councilor Villegas.

[Speaker 10]
I agree I'd like to see this resolved tonight I think we just keep coming back to see the same thing over and over again I want to thank everyone that came out and as a voice their concerns I'm here to represent my word and I want to thank all of my residents have reached out to me I can appreciate where everybody's coming from I understand both sides it's not an easy decision it's hard to listen to both sides because I feel for both the disrespect that I have gotten from certain phone calls I stopped calling people back just because the way I was getting spoken to also over the weekend I actually turned my phone off just because I couldn't handle it anymore myself but I appreciate everybody that reached out that was at least friendly about it and I am here to represent my ward which I understand we don't live in Ward 6 but they elected me to represent them so I'm voting for Ward 1 tonight and I want to encourage everyone to know that it's all in good intentions and nothing is malicious between any of us I have reached out to Councilor Chomsky making sure he was okay and felt that we were all supporting him also nobody should go through that none of us should go through that we're all human beings and have families and none of us should feel unsafe no matter who we are where we live or how we vote so I again thank you all for being here I appreciate it and I've definitely heard you so I appreciate it

[Speaker 9]
Councilor Costello I want to thank the residents and the people from the business community for their input and their time and their patience this is definitely a teachable moment for me because with this type of dialogue we've learned that taxes are very very important and sometimes we take taxes for granted but what I did learn through the residents and through the business community is we're gonna have to do better at looking at how we do our taxes how we set our tax rate and a lot of calls that I got was about how do you spend your money and can you do better and we're gonna have to come up with a way to figure that out because taxes keep coming up we want more business we're not business friendly having a moratorium for 25 years is not business friendly just simply not business friendly that's not the right message we want to give to our business community what we want to give that to our business community is that we've got fair taxes that we're not spending foolishly and we're holding the bottom line people come up today and said jeez you've got a surplus between your free cash and other accounts some people said 27 million some said 30 million can you do better at addressing our tax rates so residents can afford to stay here and pay their taxes and then not keep going up and business come in we also have to look at business development the Chamber of Commerce came in and said that to us what about Center Street anybody go down there you're going down to Bay State you're going down to New England dermatology whatever why are we doing something with Center Street why aren't we making that an extension of the Springfield Medical Corridor why can't we do that that's going to bring in taxes bring in quality jobs medical jobs jobs that are doctors nurses nurse practitioners why can't we do that I will compliment the mayor in regards to the infrastructure he's improving in regards to Westover and Westover development on say it's this would be a counselor Shumsky's Ward on Johnson Drive very very good job by the mayor to get those infrastructure streets addressed and he did it in a miraculous time that's a good plan that's going to bring in jobs quality jobs and it's going to help our commercial base but I want to thank everybody for the teachable moment because without you we don't learn and without you we have to listen I want to thank counselor Shumsky for taking his leadership role on this he said tonight where he's going to vote last time this was on the agenda in 2022 I said I voted for what the counselor wanted back then because we always respect the counselor that represents the ward so I'm very happy that counselor Shumsky has taken the initiative to tell us as a council what he would recommend for his ward the other situation is I agree with counselor Arriaga I'm in Ward 9 I got a lot of calls that want this development a lot of calls they don't live in Ward 6 I understand that but they want this development because of taxes but they also want us to do a better job in regards to how we handle our taxes this is not the first time that people have been threatened that's the unfortunate thing chicka bees got to do better in regards to public discourse unfortunately my ward was threatened a couple of years ago that wasn't right and till this day people remember that thank you thank you I will go to

[Speaker 11]
counselor Kushain's next I was a part moving this through tonight too I'm not sure I was there last night to observe as I have a right to do I did not participate in the meeting but I found a little confusing where the confusion was with public input and an applicant in front of a committee that he requested to be in front of so he could pitch his you know his thing so the attorney for Burnett Road wasn't denied any due process of time three minutes is our ordinance it's what it's supposed to be the applicant isn't public input he's the applicant he sailed out an application paid a fee to come before the committee to be heard we have to hear from him so we know what we're voting on you can't gonna do that in three minutes so I'm not sure why the attorney feels he didn't get his you know fair share of speaking time when it's not the same thing it's apples and oranges public input and the applicant before a committee trying to get his what he wants to pass through earlier today I found out that and I'll take it as a threatened being bullied that there's evidence evidence against me speaking with or meeting with mr.

Patel I don't even know what he looked like until yesterday I had a conversation with him he invited me to go to stir bridge to check out what they do there which I thought was a good idea because I'd like to see what he's proposing here but I actually declined and then not go to that meeting so unless I can be otherwise tone or showed I don't have any recollection of ever meeting this guy never knew what he looked like till yesterday had a short conversation on the phone and then I texted another party saying I won't be there so never had any influence my decision for this was made at the tax classification hearing when we looked at how dismal our new growth was compared to 2024 which was in 2024 we had 4 million 4.2 million dollars in a new growth and last year we had 1.3 that equates to a lot of the last tax money that increase that and also means that we're never gonna lower taxes I don't know how anybody thinks we can lower taxes because of the economy and everything everything is going up it's just a matter of life but we need to go up as little as possible and we only do that with tax revenue I think the only thing in that postcard it was misleading is reducing taxes it's not gonna reduce taxes I'm gonna be honest and straightforward with you because I'm not gonna lie to you we're not gonna reduce taxes but we need to reduce the amount it goes up to be feasible for everybody including the business owners I have a friend who's doing her business tomorrow because of all this stuff so she can't afford as a small business owner to keep paying these taxes we have to bring the revenue into the city and I'll debunk all the other stuff later on

[Speaker 1]
thank you is it let me see let me just see if there's anybody at our first time

[Speaker 20]
is there any other consular concert golf I just want to say every every I'm for this project I am and I and I feel bad for the residents in Ward 9 and I especially feel bad for councillor Chomsky I would not want to be in his position whatsoever but I'm voting for my ward the ward that I was elected in and I've heard everyone say that they are for this project from my ward it and all I've heard here is tax revenue you know it's not going to be that much it's not going to lower your taxes but what you don't understand and one thing that was brought up to me before it's not just the taxes you know it's the local economy you know you're gonna get property taxes and licensing fields sales taxes you're creating jobs you're attracting a custom customers outside of the city I was actually shocked when I heard the people that live in that ward don't even shop in the city because they don't want to drive through traffic they talked about accidents I live off my ward is in Chicopee Street how many people in my ward were killed a lot more than what's happening on the Pike the whole city is loaded with traffic there's nothing it's just the city we have 55,000 residents you know I was not voted in my position I was voted in my position to represent my ward and the city of Chicopee we cannot set a precedence of constantly turning down or making it impossible for businesses to open in the city I mean every time you turn around and I don't care if it's in Ward 9, Ward 3, Ward 1, somebody is always against something nobody likes change change is gonna happen thank you.

[Speaker 1]
Thank you. Councilor Breenix.

[Speaker 8]
Yes, thank you all for coming. Two years ago when we took up the application nobody was calling us pertaining to the tax bills the last two years our taxes have gone up on an average of a little over $200 a year before the flyer went out I don't particularly like the flyer before the flyer went out we've all been getting calls about how come the taxes are going up two years in a row you know by that amount of money and you know the answer to that is pretty simple we need to retain our you know police department we need to retain our fire department we need to you know pertain retain our school department our teachers we were you know at one point we had lost 70 teachers at the beginning of the year you know and then you know during public input at City Council meetings you know we get you know I don't want to say chastised or whatever but how come we're not cutting the budget you know where where should we cut first should we cut the police department should we cut the fire department should we cut the school department you know where do you cut you know they work hard to get down to the bare bones of what they need and so you know people ask me you know what did what's the difference between two years ago and now you know I think the the ramp that they built it might need a little bit of work but I think the traffic would be better off going off of if that's going to happen to go you know into that pilot station and I think maybe you know the police department and you know the planning department can keep an eye on that and make our own improvements as councillor Chomsky you know has been working on trying to improve the traffic on Burnett Road since we had a discussion on the moratorium you know and we all agreed that it was going to be the last year on the moratorium and we all had you know conversations about it and you know we had good dialogue and I think things are going to happen for the for the better and you know a nice clean you know I'll call it a travel center I think it is a travel center it would be good for the taxpayers of the city again you know there's one representative in Ward six and you know we're all you know from we're representing the city but my people from Ward 8 this is the most calls I've gotten since you know I had a situation in Aldonville where you know Cumberland Farms wanted to put up a mega store but you know we definitely did not have any infrastructure at all you know no two lanes of anything and no intersections that could handle that kind of traffic and you know if you've been through Aldonville and then go down to the DD bridge or go to CVS intersection you know those are all my intersections so I know traffic and you know I've been to Burnett Road quite often it's no different there than it is you know in a lot of parts of the city I believe in Ward 8 I have the most traffic somebody might disagree with me they might say Chicopee Street has the most traffic but you know that's what we're faced with today years ago you know people had one car two cars that's what our roads were built for Burnett Road was a dirt road at one time people didn't have three and four cars you know they if the kids had licenses they use the parents car so you know I'll just in that you know I'm sorry I went so long but you know I'm gonna be for this tonight and if we're gonna vote on it

[Speaker 1]
tonight thank you I'm gonna continue it one concert ballot here then concert Roy yeah I thank you mr.

[Speaker 4]
president yeah this is this has been an interesting one folks and it's it's difficult we have some people that are for this some people who are against it some are diametrically opposed to change first of all I want to express my support for counselor to my right councillor Chomsky councillor Chomsky this is his first try at the City Council he's a young man he's bright he's 24 years old I wish I was 24 but I'm not and he he went through a lot and I I was really disheartened as well to hear some of the trials and tribulations that this young man went through and it's it's not right it's not right we can disagree but we can do it in a civil manner and some of the things that were done to him not only through threats but physically were uncalled for but I just wanted to shed light on one thing last night I did comment about some of the proposed taxes tax revenue that would be coming out of here and I said that there were some ranges so I did do some further research and analysis and I'll be brief based on this project of approximately a cost of twelve million five hundred thousand and a mill rate of thirty two dollars and sixty two cents the proposed real estate taxes would be approximately four hundred seven thousand seven hundred fifty dollars but then of course the question is what would the personal property taxes be on that I did have a meeting earlier this morning with the assessor's office and we worked kind of a range and it's estimated somewhere in the vicinity of perhaps a hundred thousand to one hundred fifty thousand without knowing all the particulars so we're somewhere in a range of approximately five hundred to maybe on the the plus side maybe to six hundred thousand and again based on fiscal year 25 the other thing I want to mention is we have a city we our city budgets approximately two hundred sixty million dollars of that two hundred sixty million dollars the school committee budget is approximately almost fifty percent almost a hundred thirty million dollars we have the police department we have a budget of approximately fifteen million dollars we have a fire department approximately fifteen million dollars in order to support city services which we've all almost I'm not going to say taken for granted but we've expected we have our trash picked up we have police we have fire protection we have schools this money has to come from somewhere and of course if we do not have commercial growth in the city this has to fall on the backs of the good citizens that we have I lived in the city pretty much all my life except when I was away at school and I've been paying taxes for a number of years and I did pay my tax bill the other day so I won't be on a delinquent list so the money has to come from somewhere folks and it's not every day that we have a commercial entity or commercial project that comes before us recently we lost the Tesla and that was unfortunate because again there were concessions that were made in order to try to bring that project to fruition and unfortunately there was not a meeting of the minds and they backed out so we have something else across the street something on 357 Burnett Road and the DOT has made some modifications to the roads there we've had proposals from Councillor Murphy from the from the Patel family and this is something that it's it's something that we really have to think about because we just don't have a lot of other commercial development coming on at this point in time and we've also had small businesses that have come forth and are pleading for tax relief again earlier in my comments I referenced that we have a mill rate of $32.62 for commercial property and that is taking more of a lion's share of taxes so this is something that we really need to think about thank you thank you and Councillor

[Speaker 43]
Roy yeah I'd like to thank everybody for coming this evening this has been a very like Councillor Wagner said a very stressful event for all of us but I haven't changed my stance I believe that was the only one last last time around that voted against the project and I still stand that way I'm gonna back councillor Chomsky and Ward 6 residents it won't be popular but that's my stance and I hope mr.

Patel will further his involvement in the in the structuring of new business up in that particular area and I hope everything works out thank you council Wagner Thank You mr.

[Speaker 6]
president I'd just like to read something it was mentioned earlier of a message on Facebook had been asked to read it into the record because apparently I understand it what was read regards to one mr. Jeffrey Trask was not accurate and that after having seen the post now myself I'd like to I've been asked to correct the record and and I quote I just hope it is peaceful chickapee is no place for vigilante justice look at the recent threats against the poor city councillor Samuel our Chomsky I fear for his safety there are a lot of angry residents that need to be watched look what happened in New York if I think it can't happen the insanity with three exclamation marks that's that's quite a different reading than what was read during public comment I'm going to chalk that up to to an error potentially in that person's memory I'm not going to say that they intentionally misrepresented anything that mr. Trask said I had simply been asked to read that into the record because that was apparently what was

[Speaker 1]
being referenced okay thank you any other comments from the concert Brooks

[Speaker 7]
first time very clear this is going to there's going to be potentially two votes it's on sorry there's gonna be potentially two votes there's the vote that's on the floor now to refer back to the License Committee if that vote would fail then we would take up the committee report I would read the restrictions into the record I would respectfully report out the tallies both favorable non-favorable and any abstentions so really the first vote on the floor if it does not go back to committee we will take up item 26 here in this chamber tonight I just want people to be very clear about that so there's no one who can say I wasn't understanding and what the the process was I wasn't given due process this is how it's going to work the bills there could potentially be two votes on item number 26 and then we could potentially be doing the same thing on item number 27 but I think for most logical people if item 26 doesn't make it back to committee then trying to refer item 27 back to committee is kind of a point so we'll be taking item number 27 up on the floor this evening and people will have on this council of the opportunity to weigh in I'm not sure anybody can say much of anything else because I think it's already all been stated people have been very eloquent in their positions on this project so I you know I don't think we're going to relitigate over and over item number 27 because it really doesn't differentiate from 26 it goes hand in hand so people are gonna have the same strong feelings about it either way so I would ask that you just you move the vote on sending it back to committee and we'll see where

[Speaker 1]
we land I will so I'm gonna ask the clerk to please read read it again what

[Speaker 2]
you're voting for should be clear well there was a motion to send item number 26 back to license committee roll call please president of flam yes Roy yes Wagner no Zagorowski yes Arriaga no Brooks no no no no crampets yes Chomsky no Shane no no yes okay so the motion to send it back to the committee of the license

[Speaker 1]
committee hasn't been defeated now we are going to vote on read and vote on we need the motion regarding this one I'll make a motion that we accept the

[Speaker 7]
license committee report as written and I will read all the restrictions and it was made as a motion to approve yeah you want a second motion yeah I want a

[Speaker 1]
second motion made in second that we approve the the license for 357 Burnett

[Speaker 7]
Road on the motion please on the motion it was a split vote so it does come back to the full committee and as an unfavorable recommendation just to be very clear there were two members voting in favor one member abstaining and then two members who were not in favor the restrictions that were put on the application were from the chickpea fire department and all state related compliance issues as well as the other department had to wait in and by and large most of the department heads supported it and the only thing that the chickpea fire had to say about it they deferred to the state fire marshal's office with respect to any storage that would occur in the location of any fuel or any other flammable materials I think that again we've we've talked about this at great length and unless somebody else has something else to weigh in and I think we've all had an opportunity to weigh in on this item and I'll defer to

[Speaker 1]
the chair thank you I'm all set thank you is there any other comments from anyone on the council is there anyone other council councilor Chomsky yeah I

[Speaker 5]
just want to say one thing two years nothing's changed seven out of 13 of you voted with the residents last time thank you okay thank you okay

[Speaker 44]
concert crampets just to clarify so we are tonight assuming it goes forward we would be voting to approve the license not to accept the unfavorable committee report we would be voting to approve the license correct correct I just wanted to

[Speaker 1]
confirm that thank you okay is there any other comments any other comments see now we're going to take a roll call for the approval okay to approve the license

[Speaker 2]
president Laflamme yes Roy no Wagner yes Zagroski yes Arriaga yes Brooks yes yes yes Val Kyr yes crampets no Chomsky no who Shane yes debris yes Pena Costello yes ten yes three no and a motion passes item number 27 we will report from the License Committee for an application for service station license at 357 Burnett Road applicant pilot travel centers number of pumps 16 number of storage tanks 6 type of fuel stored gas diesel DEF stored tank capacity 68,000 gallons 28,000 gallons 48,000 gallons 12,000

[Speaker 7]
gallons yep concert Brooks I just wait for the dog to quiet down make a motion that the License Committee report be received and the motion to approve granted with restrictions and again I'll after you second the motion I'll read into the committee report and any restrictions motion made in second that

[Speaker 1]
the application for a number 27 for the pilot travel center be approved this evening regarding the storage tanks on the motion please on the motion again

[Speaker 7]
this was a split report there was one counselor who abstained and there are two counselors in favor and two opposed so it is an unfavorable committee report coming back to be voted on tonight an affirmative vote from any council member would approve item number 27 this evening it's pretty straightforward and

[Speaker 1]
clear-cut thank you any other comments from the floor so the approval if approved this eat tonight if you vote yes we'll approve it correct any other comments from the floor seeing none roll call okay president Laflamme yes

[Speaker 2]
Roy no Wagner yes Zagorowski yes Arriaga yes Brooks yes God yes Falkeer yes crampets no Chomsky no who Shane yes Marie yes Pena Costello yes ten yes three no and a motion passes I'd like

[Speaker 43]
to make a motion to take items number 20 through 24 out of order place motion

[Speaker 1]
made in second we take item number 20 to 24 out of order roll call please

[Speaker 2]
president flame yes Roy yes Wagner yes Zagorowski yes Arriaga yes Brooks yes Bob yes here yes ramp it yes Chomsky yes Shane yes Marie yes any episode yes 13 yes and a motion passes item number 24 we have a favorable port from the Finance Committee or that the sum of four hundred forty seven thousand four hundred sixty one dollars being hereby appropriate to the following name the count police expense account for computer software that amounts be taken from the available funds and a stabilization fund concert Zagorowski

[Speaker 13]
motion that the order be received and passed for all stages on the written

[Speaker 1]
recommendation of the mayor I'm sorry motion that the committee report be received and passed motion made in second that item number 20 on the agenda this evening be approved this evening look on the motion please on the motion this

[Speaker 13]
is this is for what we had a meeting with this week could you pull a mic closer to you because it's hard to hear you yeah we we had some financial orders that were given to us this past week in our Finance Committee for some work that was going to be done to bring us into the out of the Stone Age for the Police Department and this is just the start of it and it's an expense account for

[Speaker 1]
computer software it's available from the stabilization account thank you any other comments from the floor any comments from the floor seeing none

[Speaker 2]
let's have a roll president yes Roy yes Wagner Zagorowski yes Ariaga yes Brooks yes yes yes and a motion passes favorable report from the Finance Committee order that the sum of forty three thousand two hundred fifty dollars being hereby appropriate to the following named account police salary account for information and technology systems engineer said account said amounts be taken from the available funds in the stabilization fund conscious you're Garowski motion that the finance report be received and passes

[Speaker 1]
evening motion made in second the favorable Finance Committee report be received and approved this evening on item number 21 on the motion please with

[Speaker 13]
the first order that we did in the succeeding orders we're going to have this all comes together for information and technology system that we're going to do at the police station so I asked you to look at all these orders that I forgot what the exact amount is it's over 400 some thousand dollars but this is all intermingled so that the police department can do this technology system

[Speaker 1]
in the police station thank you any other comments from the floor any other

[Speaker 2]
comments from the floor see none roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes and a motion passes a favorable part from the Finance Committee order that the sum of fifty seven thousand five hundred dollars being hereby appropriate to the following named account police salary account for real-time investigative crime analyst supervisor said amounts be taken from the available funds in the

[Speaker 1]
stabilization fund concert Zagorowski motion at the finance report be received and passed this evening motion made in seven the favorables Finance Committee report be received on item number 22 and be approved this evening

[Speaker 13]
on the motion please like I said for the last couple of orders the it's the same thing this is for a crime analysis supervisor because the implement these technology that we're going to have we need this backup thank you any other

[Speaker 1]
comments from the floor any comments from the floor seeing none roll call

[Speaker 2]
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes in a motion passes a favorable report from the Finance Committee or that the sum of $35,000 being hereby appropriate to the following named account police salary account for real-time investigative crime analyst that amounts be taken from the available funds in the stabilization fund concert Zagorowski motion at the finance report

[Speaker 1]
be passed this evening also motion made in second that the favorable will finance report be received item number 23 and approved this evening on the motion

[Speaker 13]
please it's all on a motion this has to do with a police salary account for a real-time investigation crime analysis this is all intermingled all these

[Speaker 1]
orders thank you any other comments from the floor any comments seeing none

[Speaker 2]
roll call yes yes yes yes and a motion passes we have a favorable part from the Finance Committee or that the sum of $147,000 being hereby appropriate to the following named account police expense account for computer software said amounts be taken from the available funds in the stabilization fund the same

[Speaker 1]
course mr. chairman motion made in second to favor will be fair favorable Finance Committee report be received and approved this evening this is on this

[Speaker 13]
order this is a police account for computer software which we need to work

[Speaker 1]
with all the other orders thank you any comments from the floor I'd like to speak on this if I could a minute motion I'll let president Laflamme speak motion roll call please oh everybody's here all in favor well I just want to take a minute to thank the Police Department on behalf of the whole City Council I remember seeing something a concert Wagner all this these items is a good thing for the city of Jigabee and we all think that way whether it's police or fire they it's a tough job out there and the tools we are giving them to work that we were shown through the demonstration we did and I mentioned this at the last night we are not just here tonight just voting and spending this money we all went and see the progress of it the center and everything so it's it's a matter of doing what's right for the taxpayer as the mayor always says if you don't feel safe in your city while you're sleeping at night it's a tough one so I'm thank all the city councilors voting for all this tonight I think it's just very important thank you concert Costello yeah I don't want to belabor

[Speaker 9]
the point but I do want to especially thank the police chief and our entire Police Department doing an excellent job and they're enhancing our department with modern technology thank you no more comments

[Speaker 2]
seeing none Rocco president of the flame yes Roy yes Wagner yes yes Brooks yes yes yes yes yes and a motion passes all right thank you gentlemen back to number one number one all right item number one a resolution to file and accept grants and with and from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the parkland acquisitions and renovations for communities program for improvements to Sarah Jane Sherman Park

[Speaker 10]
contrary I motion that the mayor's order be received and passed through all stages on the written recommendation of the mayor motion may be second that the

[Speaker 1]
motion be received and passed all stages on a written recommendation the mayor

[Speaker 10]
on the motion please this is a fantastic way for us to get our parks just really in up to shape we use this park for so many things my kids play sports here I think this is a great opportunity to just make something that's used by so many just updated and safer especially we were talking about the splash pads you know in summer it gets really hot not everybody can have ACs this is for pretty much all the residents within the area and like I said I use this part too so I think this is a fantastic thing and I want to thank parks and recs for this I hope to see more of this come I'm sorry thank you any other concert golf like to thank the park is parks and recs department also

[Speaker 20]
for this I'm excited this this is the first part being done and this is in my ward and the fact that it's being made into an all-inclusive park is something that I've been pushing for since the beginning that I started this so thank

[Speaker 1]
you thank you any other concert cushion I too would like to give my appreciation

[Speaker 11]
Ben the Parks Department they do a good job of finding these grants I've received multiple grants in my ward worked on some before I was in and but they systematically going through the city and fixing everything as they can with the grants and unfortunately some of those grants are very specific like you said environmental justice grants and all that stuff so sometimes they're stuck in a certain spot with those grants but they do a really good job of slowly going through the city and bringing everything back up you know to current times because obviously we're an old city with a lot of old parks and you can't get them all at once and we can't afford to do it so again they do a great job of finding that money to help get our parks modernized thank you any

[Speaker 1]
other comments from the floor seeing none Rocco oh this is not a yeah this is a financial so conscious you're out one thing I'd like to say that this we're

[Speaker 13]
going to be reimbursed amount of about five hundred thousand dollars for the renovation at park and that whole project is going to be over a million dollars so I really applaud the Parks Department for their work saying that we have a great park system in our city I hope this kind of grants will end up someday at Zod Park because that work had nothing's been done in that place for about 45 years so I like the idea of this Sarah Jane because I go in a Zod Park a lot I know a lot of people they're walking around and I've talked to you been about Zod Park I hope to see someday you come in to us and say well we received 50 million dollars it's not a park over let's read the grandstand

[Speaker 2]
thank you thank you okay any other comments yes I'd like to make a motion

[Speaker 8]
to take number nine out of order and number 25 out of order motion made in

[Speaker 1]
second to take item 9 and 25 out of order roll call please Oh No all in favor aye opposed and the motion passes okay item number nine is

[Speaker 2]
the reappointment of James Dawson as development manager for the planning

[Speaker 1]
department Oh consular Shumsky I'm gonna keep them in order motion that the

[Speaker 5]
mayor's order be received and passed through all stages on the written

[Speaker 1]
recommendation of the mayor motion made in second the order be received and the appointment approved this evening on the motion please this is the reappointment

[Speaker 5]
of James Dawson for the development manager for the planning department I've had the pleasure of working with Jim these last four years he's a stand-up guy and I look forward to working with him for the next hopefully for a long

[Speaker 1]
time thank you any other comments from the floor all in favor aye opposed and a

[Speaker 2]
motion passes thanks Jim we have a favorable report from the zoning committee for a special permit application under section 275 dash 58 c7 for the purpose of operating a towing and storage business located 78 West Street cruise control transport constant ballot here motion to receive

[Speaker 4]
the favorable zoning report and refer back to the committee for new site plans

[Speaker 1]
were detailed designated parking let me just let me just motion made in second that the favorable zoning committee report be received and refer back to the zoning committee for a public hearing right yes sir

[Speaker 4]
motion thank you this was an interesting situation that we met with the prospective applicant and we've had we had some discussion but appears that further after our discussion there were more questions so mr.

president the thing is to refer back to committee for new site plans or detail designated parking for towed vehicles for storage on the premises is going to be required so in addition we would also like to take a look at some leases and get a better understanding of this particular property because apparently there's there's two properties in question here there's 78 West Street there's 58 West Street they share this this area and there's an auto body building and there's also a towing an auto body office so there were more questions that came about after the meeting and the prudent thing is to refer this back to committee for new site plans for a detailed designated parking for the towed

[Speaker 1]
vehicles for storage and leases thank you thank you any other comments from

[Speaker 6]
the floor contra Wagner if I may ask what what would some of those concerns be through you to councillor Belic here sure yeah through it through the chair

[Speaker 4]
yes it clearly the site plan that we were given unfortunately there was only one area where there was some designated parking however this seemed to be in the auto body area in that particular building not necessarily with the rest of the schematics that were there so it clearly wasn't delineated and based upon the regulation that we have which is let's see I believe chapter 275 section 58 subsection c7 one of the areas on that counselor is c7 and this references subsection D there should be a minimum of 10 motor vehicles within a city where the towed vehicles would be parked so that clearly was not listed so therefore the consensus is that a better plan to lay this out specifically so that this way here there would be no problem with deciding where would these cars be parked so therefore there were more questions that came out so it was therefore the recommendation is to ask for something that is more specific so that we don't have a problem with parking if it's for one entity versus the other thank you

[Speaker 2]
Rocco oh any other comments seen and Rocco okay and the motion was to send it back okay to zoning for a public hearing okay president of lamb yes Roy yes Wagner no Zagroski yes Arriaga yes Brooks yes God yes Falkeer yes Krampus yes Chomsky yes who Shane yes Labrie yes Vinnie if it's done yes 12 yes one no the motion passes number no

[Speaker 1]
which number was yelling nine we didn't both okay we go back to the mayor's

[Speaker 2]
meeting number two or that the sum of forty thousand four hundred forty seven dollars and sixty two cents being hereby appropriate to the following name the count DBW water expense account for insurance said it must be taken from the available funds in the water surplus account concert Costello

[Speaker 9]
your mic on motion that the mayor's order be received and passed through all stages on the written recommendation of the mayor motion made in second the

[Speaker 1]
order mayor's order be received and passed through all stages on the

[Speaker 9]
recommendation on the motion please yes this approach be this appropriation will cover workman's comp payments made in fiscal year 2024 thank you thank you any

[Speaker 1]
other comments from the floor seeing none mayor's order so it's a roll call

[Speaker 2]
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes the passes or that the sum of fifty one thousand one hundred forty three dollars and ninety eight cents being hereby appropriate to the following name DPW administration salary accounts environmental program coordinator ten thousand two hundred eighty four dollars sorry ten thousand two hundred eighty four dollars and thirty two cents sick buy back forty thousand eight hundred fifty nine dollars and sixty six cents for a total of fifty one thousand one hundred forty three dollars and ninety eight cents said it must be taken from the available funds in the DPW highway salary account for maintenance man

[Speaker 44]
concert cramp it's motion that the mayor's order be received and passed for all stages on the written recommendation of the mayor motion made in second to

[Speaker 1]
the motion be received and passed through all stages on a written

[Speaker 44]
recommendation the mayor on the motion please yeah our environmental program coordinator Barry Brouillard is retiring and this is money that he's owed contractually I wish Barry well in his retirement he was probably one of the first people that I had to deal with when I was sworn in on the on the board of aldermen so he was very much involved with like the sanitation department at that time so he was very helpful when folks would call me and say that their trash wasn't picked up or whatever so he will be missed but I hope he enjoys his

[Speaker 1]
retirement thank you any other comments from the floor concert

[Speaker 11]
cushion yes I want to wish him well and unfortunately he's been a big part of see click fix working when it comes to sanitation because he was always on top of the dozens of things that came in for sanitation or where it had to be referred to and people referred it to the wrong place so being one who follows closely on everything that comes through the city I will miss his attention to detail and liber a lot of other or things fall through the cracks if you will so hopefully he's trained somebody to take his place as well as he did he

[Speaker 9]
missed thank you any other concert Costello I echo the sentiments of the other councillors thank you he will be missed thank you thank you any any other

[Speaker 2]
comments seeing none yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes in a motion passes order that the sum of $8,000 being hereby appropriate to the following name the account health expense account for special services set amounts be taken from the available funds in the health special account for court-ordered cleanup concert Wagner motion that the mayor's order be

[Speaker 6]
received and passed through all stages on the written recommendation of the mayor

[Speaker 1]
motion made in sec the motion be received and passed to all stages on the written recommendation of mayor on the motion on the motion this is a request for money

[Speaker 6]
to deliver notices and second notices and hearing notices from the health department to mostly landlords and buildings and that and they use the sheriff's office for that which is efficient but quite expensive so they

[Speaker 2]
need some money thank you any other comments from the floor seeing then yes and a motion passes or that the sum of $5,225 being hereby appropriate to the following name the count health expense account for special services set amounts be taken from the available funds in the stabilization fund concert

[Speaker 43]
Roy motion that the mayor's order be received and passed through all stages on the written recommendation of the mayor motion made in second the motion

[Speaker 1]
be received and passed through all stages on a written recommendation the mayor

[Speaker 43]
on the motion please on the motion Lisa Sanders the director of the health department respectfully requesting an appropriation in the amount of $5,225 for the health expense account special services to cover invoices incurred from masses staffing services for the temporary part-time clerk which has now been filled as a permanent position thank you any other comments from the

[Speaker 2]
floor roll call please yes yes yes yes yes yes yes and a motion passes number six or that the sum of twelve thousand eight hundred fifty nine dollars and 80 cents being hereby appropriate to the following name the count human resource special account for indemnifications of police and fire set amounts be taken from the available funds in the stabilization fund concert LaBrie motion

[Speaker 1]
that the mayor's order be received and passed for all stages on the recommendation of the mayor motion made a second that the order be received and passed to all stages on a written recommendation the mayor on the motion please this is a

[Speaker 8]
contractual obligation we have to pay their bills thank you any other

[Speaker 1]
comments from the floor seeing none roll call yes out of chair Wagner yes yes

[Speaker 2]
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes well yes one out of chair and a motion passes or that the City Council accept a donation the amount of $17,000 from the Friends of the Chigabi Public Library to the Chigabi Public Library said donations are accepted in accordance with Mass General chapter 44

[Speaker 1]
section 53 a conscious you're asking a motion that the order be received in a donation accepted motion made second that the mayor's order be received and accepted this evening on the motion please on the motion this is a $17,000

[Speaker 13]
from the Friends of the Chigabi Public Library to the library thank you any

[Speaker 2]
other comments from the floor seeing none roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes well yes one out of chair and a motion passes be it ordered accord in accordance with Mass General chapter 30 B that the City Council hereby authorizes City Treasurer to enter a contract exceeding exceeding three years for the procurement and rental of postage machine a copy of which is hereby attached concert Ballack here motion that the mayor's order be

[Speaker 4]
received and passed through all stages on the written recommendation of the

[Speaker 1]
mayor motion made in second to the motion be received and passed through all stages on a written recommendation the mayor on the motion please on the

[Speaker 4]
motion the treasurer is entering into a contract which is exceeding three years this is for a five-year lease for the rental of a postal machine and the other machines are over ten years old so this is something that they need in order to complete their work so this is an order that we need to pass this evening thank

[Speaker 1]
you thank you any other comments from the floor seeing none roll call yes yes

[Speaker 2]
Brooks yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes well yes one out of chair oh she passes we're at the City Council accepted donation the amount of $2,000 from Country Bank to the Chigabee Council on aging said donation is accepted in accordance with national law chapter 44 section 53 a consular golf motion that

[Speaker 20]
the mayor's order be no it is I already did no I did number nine so you do number

[Speaker 5]
10 go just it's me go ahead the mayor's order to be received that's

[Speaker 11]
through all stages on the written recommendation mayor and the donation accepted this evening on the motion standard second that motion made in second and just donation from Country Bank to the Council on aging and I'm

[Speaker 13]
assuming we'll send them a letter thank you any other comments anybody on zoom no on a motion please call the roll president of flame abstain Roy yes Wagner

[Speaker 2]
yes there's a grouse yes Arriaga yes Brooks yes yes no cure yes crampets yes Chomsky yes who Shane yes debris yes yes and a motion motion motion passes order that the City Council accept the donations in the amount of six thousand eighty five dollars and seventy cents to the Chigabee Council on aging for senior meals for the month of month of November 2024 said donations are accepted in accordance with Mass General chapter 44 section 53 a councilman golf motion

[Speaker 20]
that the mayor's order be received and passed through all stages on the written

[Speaker 13]
recommendation of the mayor motion made in second at the motion be received and passed through all stages on the motion on the motion self-explanatory any other comments anybody on zoom

[Speaker 2]
president of flame abstain Roy yes Wagner yes Zagorowski yes Arriaga yes Brooks yes yes no cure yes crampets yes Chomsky yes Shane yes yes yes okay we have the reappointment of Claire gem as a member of the Council

[Speaker 7]
on aging concert Brooks make a motion at the mayor's order be received in the

[Speaker 1]
appointment granted this evening motion made in second that the order be received in the appointment of Claire gem be approved this evening on the motion

[Speaker 7]
on the motion this is a reappointment so it's been our policy just to go ahead and approve tonight thank you any other comments all in favor aye aye

[Speaker 2]
opposed and the motion passes for the reappointment of Stephen McCulloch as a member of the Council on aging concert Arianna motion of the mayor's order be

[Speaker 10]
received and the appointment be passed tonight motion made in second that the

[Speaker 1]
order be received and the nomination be approved this evening on the motion

[Speaker 10]
please same as the last one it's a reappointment so I did we can just pass it I just also want to say thank you for all the reappointments for volunteering again you know it's important that we have everybody involved so thank you

[Speaker 1]
thank you any other comments roll call I know all in favor I oppose and the

[Speaker 2]
motion passes we have a reappointment of Karen Rousseau as a member of the

[Speaker 9]
Council on aging concert Costello yes motion that the the appointment be done

[Speaker 1]
tonight on Karen Rousseau motion made in second the appointment of Karen Rousseau

[Speaker 9]
be approved this evening on the motion self-explanatory she's done a great job

[Speaker 1]
thank you any other comments all in favor I oppose and the passes motion

[Speaker 2]
passes favorable report with a motion to postpone from the Human Resource Committee on the appointment of Denise Langeville as a member of the License

[Speaker 8]
Commission okay Oh country LaBrie motion to receive the favorable Human Resource Committee report and mayoral appointment of Denise Langeville postponed to the call of the chair she was on vacation motion made in motion

[Speaker 1]
made in second to the favorable human resource to be received and referred back to the human resource for the call of the chair motion on a motion she was

[Speaker 8]
on vacation thank you any other comments all in favor I

[Speaker 2]
oppose the motion passes a favorable report from the Human Resource Committee on the appointment of Casey Croteau as a member of the License Commission

[Speaker 8]
concert LaBrie motion that the favorable Human Resource Committee report be received and the appointment of Casey Croteau member of the License Commission be approved this evening motion made second the favorable Human

[Speaker 1]
Resources Committee report be approved this evening on the motion please on the

[Speaker 8]
motion Casey Croteau was very impressive as somebody else might attest to but he I was very impressed with him thank he's gonna make a good license

[Speaker 1]
commissioner thank you any other comments seeing none all in favor I

[Speaker 2]
oppose and a motion passes a favorable report from the Public Safety Committee be an order that the Public Safety Committee meet to discuss the intersection of st.

Onge Street and Dale Street and Kendall Street and Dale

[Speaker 13]
Street concert Zhigarovsky a motion of the Public Safety Committee report be received and placed on file motion made in second the favorable Public

[Speaker 1]
Committee Safety Committee report be received and placed on file on the motion

[Speaker 13]
please on the motion this order was filed by several councilmen I'm gonna revert this back to Councilman LaBrie because he was so involved in this we had everything in there from clashing lights to speed bumps to gig problems so I'll let Councilman LaBrie entertain it okay

[Speaker 8]
Council LaBrie yeah we had a pretty good meeting that night you know a lot of residents showed up and we went over some things that we were thinking of doing and City Engineer was there I followed up with the City Engineer and some of those things making the end of Kendall Street a one-way stop signs flashing stop signs and things like that so it's gonna be you know something in the works some of this stuff is gonna have to be moved out till spring obviously but you know it is in the works thank you thank you

[Speaker 5]
Councilman Chomsky yes I just wanted to add I said it at the meet that public safety meeting if maybe we could send a letter on behalf of the City Council requesting that the back gate be closed because of all the concerns related to traffic because I know there was an agreement made with the school are you

[Speaker 8]
talking about the morning and the afternoon yeah because I from my

[Speaker 5]
understanding that there was a agreement with the neighborhood with the condition that school was built that gate would be shut that agreement has been breached so I was wondering if that would be yeah well we can put them on

[Speaker 8]
notice they know they've breached the agreement but they're calling in an emergency they had that leak in a ground that went into the brook that they had to fix that was the first emergency now the second emergency is they're gonna start construction on the rotaries next year so you know we definitely can send them a letter to let them know they have breached that you know agreement that was not in writing by the way but it was an agreement with the neighborhood okay

[Speaker 5]
yeah it's up to you as the ward alderman if you want to do that yeah no okay

[Speaker 1]
thank you we can do that thank you I'll send it on behalf of the council if you

[Speaker 11]
want the answer cushion has anybody referred to the fire department for this as now that we're closing an exit most places have to have two exits and that would limit that would make one exit through the chair you want to know yeah maybe chime in with the fire department to make sure it's okay to have that shut

[Speaker 8]
during school hours yeah so it's a one-way right now coming out in the morning and it's I believe it's a one-way going in in the afternoon they had a whole design even when we got to our first meeting which it took seven weeks to get a meeting with the superintendent the principal the mayor and whatever they already had the design you know and everything but and I've been following up one lead I've been getting complaints that the buses are coming in the wrong way and I just want to get a picture of that before I send it to the superintendent or the police department for that matter and would it

[Speaker 11]
be worth having this agreement in writing because I'm not sure how legal

[Speaker 8]
a verbal agreement is yeah once I get a picture you know of that and you know it's an emergency gate and there's really really one-way traffic but people sneak in that back way and you know how do you catch him you know I want

[Speaker 10]
to thank everyone on their hard work on this this does affect Ward 1 also since we kind of meet on tail the flashing stoplights I had bring up during the meeting so I appreciate that being pushed forward I think it'll make a big difference I currently have a child in comp and it was agreed that that back gate was going to stay closed and that the fire department slash also the police department would have a key to it for parents we get like this is how you drop off your kid it's considered a whole one way we're not supposed to be using that back gate according to what they give parents to so there is a lot of confusion even in what I've heard as a parent that uses uses the high school it is randomly open even during like late-night practices where it should really honestly be closed because the school isn't really operating at full capacity at that point so there is a lot of confusion and I'll just say it because I've seen that gate open when it really shouldn't have been so it is very confusing I appreciate the work that's being done across the council for this like I said it's kind of Ward 1's just kind of sits on it so I've gotten a lot of phone calls concerning Dale and surrounding streets and the residents that are over there just like everywhere else in Chicopee we deal with accidents speeding so one street at a time one I just want to say I appreciate it one thing at a time nothing's perfect one day at a time to fix this so just we need to keep implementing anything that works I saw a huge difference with the radar sign that went up and I have had so many people call me saying what a difference it's made so at least something has helped so thank you thank you any other

[Speaker 9]
comments Conster Costello Costello thank you this group of counselors did an excellent job in addressing the problem here what I'm hoping is that citywide we're able to improve our signage not only one here one there but citywide we become aggressive improving signage otherwise it's not fair it has to be done citywide thank you thank you okay conscious you're gonna just one

[Speaker 13]
statement up I've gone down that street many at times as council will agree as stated also one and some days that gate is open some days it's closed so I can understand the confusion as far as signage goes you know there's about 10 thousand signs in the city I think miss Costello put up about a hundred thousand

[Speaker 1]
so thank you okay we're gonna move we got a record long agenda tonight so let's get through it our agenda okay any other comments seeing none let's see roll call counselor I'm coming back no that's just a report that's all in favor I always in

[Speaker 2]
the motion passes report from the Finance Committee or that sum of $75,000 being here by appropriate to the following named account wastewater expense account for special services set amounts be taken from the available funds in the following named wastewater salary accounts chief operator 50,000 assistant chief operator 15,000 DPW operations assistance assistant 10,000 for total

[Speaker 1]
$75,000 concert Zygorowski motion that the order be received and approved this evening motion made second the favorable Finance Committee report be received and

[Speaker 13]
approved this evening on the motion on the motion this is something that needs to be done because of the amount of money and it comes out of if you look at the order or set amounts be taken from available funds in a salary accounts so

[Speaker 1]
it needs to be approved this evening thank you any other comments from the

[Speaker 2]
floor seeing none roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes in a motion passes we have a favorable report from the Finance Committee or that the sum of $61,781 and 97 cents been here by appropriate to the following in the human resource salary account for chief human resource officer slash director so that must be taken from the available funds in the stabilization fund concert Zygorowski motion that the human resource the finance order be received

[Speaker 1]
and passed this evening motion made in second the favorable Finance Committee report be received and approved this evening on the motion the funds from this

[Speaker 13]
will be taken from the stabilization fund as you know we are in the mayor's in the process of looking for a new human resource director and this money will be used to work with the Human Resource Department thank you any other

[Speaker 2]
comments from the floor roll call yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes in a an application for a new special permit under section 275-9 l2 of the municipal zoning ordinance for the purpose of amending a special permit granted by the City Council for the redevelopment of Baskin parcel on West Street 75 West

[Speaker 1]
Main Street special 275 concert Alec here yeah motion made to receive the new

[Speaker 4]
special permit application and refer to zoning planning building engineering for

[Speaker 1]
a public hearing motion made a second that the application for a new special permit be received sent to zoning planning in engineering for a public hearing on the motion please well the motion mr.

president will take the second committee thank you any other comments from the floor all in favor I oppose the motion passes okay

[Speaker 2]
an application for a new class 2 license applied for by assaultant LLC 238 Meadow

[Speaker 7]
Street concert Brooks make a motion at the new application for a class 2 license be received and referred to the license subcommittee for a public

[Speaker 1]
hearing motion made in second the application for a new class 2 license be received and sent to the license committee for a public hearing on the motion we'll take it up a committee thank you any other comments from the floor all in favor I oppose and a promotion passes sorry we have an

[Speaker 2]
application for a new auto repair license applied for by all Sultan LLC 238

[Speaker 7]
Meadow Street concert Brooks make a motion that the new auto repair license be received and referred to the license subcommittee for a public hearing motion

[Speaker 1]
the application for a new auto repair license be received and sent to the license committee for a public hearing on the motion please take it up thank you any other comments on the floor all in favor I oppose and a motion passes

[Speaker 2]
31 through 33 or 2025 class 1 license renewals curry automotive LLC Metro Motors of chickapee Inc rally automotive LLC doing business as curry

[Speaker 7]
Nissan of chicken concert Brooks make a motion that the applications for the 2025 class 1 license renewals be received and approved with existing

[Speaker 1]
restrictions motion made in second to 2025 class 1 license renewal application be received and approved this evening on the motion on the motion unless there's any concerns any concerns from the council seeing none all in favor I

[Speaker 2]
motion passes 34 through 59 or 2025 class 2 license renewals and a model sales and repair LLC absolute Motors Inc Al LeFleur Inc doing business as East Main Auto B&L Automotive Inc Baskins Inc Broadway Auto Shop Inc our master to be auto farm D&B auto sales and service LLC Dowd's EDW auto doing business as Fairview Service Center family auto sales and repair LLC frontline Motors Inc Kaputz auto body Inc Kim's auto sales KLM auto repair Mar auto service Matt's auto mall Montgomery Street truck and auto equipment sales LLC reliable auto sales Roy's motor Inc Sonny's auto repair Inc Tony's auto sales unique auto Inc unique Motors Inc Westover auto repair LLC concert Brooks make a motion

[Speaker 7]
at the 2025 class 2 license renewals be received and approved this evening with

[Speaker 1]
existing restrictions motion made in second the application for a 2025 class 2 license renewals be received and approved this evening with the restrictions on the motion unless there's any concerns any concerns from

[Speaker 2]
the floor seeing none all in favor I oppose and a motion passes okay 60 through 62 our 2025 class 3 license renewals to be auto farm meadow auto parts Willamette's at waste company counselor Brooks make a motion that the

[Speaker 7]
2025 class 3 license renewals be received and approved this evening with

[Speaker 1]
restrictions motion made in second the 2025 class 3 license applications for renewal be approved this evening with the restrictions on the motion unless there's any concerns any comments seeing none all in favor

[Speaker 2]
I oppose and a motion passes okay 2025 auto body license renewal DMS auto body

[Speaker 7]
and collision concert Brooks make a motion at 2025 auto body license renewals be received and approved with existing restrictions motion made in

[Speaker 1]
second to 2025 auto body license renewal application be received and approved this evening with restrictions on the motion once anybody has seen any

[Speaker 2]
comments from the floor all in favor I oppose and the motion passes 64 through 98 2025 auto repair license renewals A&M auto sales and repair ABM transmission engine technology absolute Motors Inc.

aliflur Inc. doing business as East Street main sorry East Main Street auto you know automotive Inc. Broadway auto shop Inc.

car master center auto repair LLC D&B auto sales and service LLC DNL auto doing businesses auto test world Daigle's truck master Inc. EDW auto doing businesses Fairview Service Center euro glass and frame and automotive freedom cycle frontline motors Kaputz auto body Inc. Kim's auto glass Kin's auto repair to KLM auto repair Inc.

Lloyd's transmission Inc. Mar auto service Inc. meadow auto parts Metro Motors of chickapee Metro Lube enterprisings doing business as Valvoline instant oil change Montgomery Street truck and auto sales and equipment Murray automotive rally automotive doing businesses chickapee sorry curry Nissan of chickapee reliable auto sales Roy Motors Inc.

Sonny's auto repair Sullivan tire commercial truck repair Tony's auto sales used tire max LLC Yankee glass Inc. Westover auto repair

[Speaker 7]
LLC concert Brooks make a motion at 2025 auto repair license renewals be received and approved this evening with current restrictions motion made in

[Speaker 1]
seconds at 2025 auto repair license renewals application be received this evening and with restriction approved which which restrictions on the motion

[Speaker 7]
please unless there's any concerns any concern

[Speaker 2]
seeing none all in favor I the motion passes 99 through 102 2025 auto body auto repair license renewals chickapee auto farm Inc. curry automotive LLC doing business as curry Honda family auto sales and repair LLC unique motors Inc.

[Speaker 7]
concert Brooks make a motion that 2025 auto body auto repair license rules be received this evening and approved with current restrictions motion made in

[Speaker 1]
second to 2025 auto body slash auto repair license renewal application be received and approved this evening with restrictions on the motion unless there's any concerns taking any concerns from the floor seeing none all in favor I

[Speaker 2]
oppose the motion passes 103 through 111 2025 auto detail license renewals absolute Motors Inc. center auto report center auto repair LLC chickapee auto farm Inc.

D&B auto sales and service LLC EDW auto Inc. doing business as Fairview Service Center family auto sales and repair LLC Mar auto service Inc. Metro Motors of chickabee Inc.

Montgomery Street truck

[Speaker 7]
auto and equipment sales LLC concert Brooks make a motion of 2025 auto detail license renewals be received and approved motion made in second 2025 auto

[Speaker 1]
dealers license renewals application be received and approved this evening with restrictions on the motion unless there's any concerns any concerns seeing

[Speaker 7]
none all in favor I oppose the motion passes

[Speaker 10]
constituent first I want to start off by saying happy 13th birthday to my son we celebrated over the weekend so I now have official household of teenagers pray for me and then I just want to say happy holidays to everybody enjoyed some time with your family be safe be warm to all of you here I hope you enjoy your holidays with your family and I will see you all in the new year thank

[Speaker 9]
you concert Costello I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year but I want to thank my fellow counselors they're always there to make a night right decision and they're always there to help guide others so thank you

[Speaker 44]
have a great Chris concert crampets well I wish my fellow counselors and also the general public a Merry Christmas a Happy Hanukkah and a Happy Healthy New Year be

[Speaker 6]
safe out there concert Wagner thank you I just want to say Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone

[Speaker 43]
concert boy I also like to say Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year to all the counselors and their family and all our constituents out there and have safe and happy holidays all of you and this is your city take

[Speaker 8]
pride in it thank you concert libri Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all the counselors and all the residents out there thank you thank you concert

[Speaker 13]
Zigurowski Merry Christmas a Happy New Year to everybody I hope you have a safe and productive year to come happy new year to me

[Speaker 1]
concert ballot care yeah I think mr.

[Speaker 4]
president I also want to echo my fellow counselors sentiments Merry Christmas Happy Healthy New Year to all peace on earth and that situation regarding the pilot travel center it was difficult but we came to a decision thank you Chomsky thank you mr.

[Speaker 5]
president my first want to thank all the residents who came out tonight all those who voiced concerns and contacted me over this last month and a half it was a very hectic period in my life and all of our lives and I want to wish you all and everyone here a very Merry Christmas Happy Hanukkah Happy Festivus whichever whatever you celebrate and a Happy New Year thank

[Speaker 1]
you thank you the concert cushions also to wish everybody here and at home

[Speaker 11]
Happy Holidays Merry Christmas Happy New Year you know for many years I was a very active counselor in Ward 6 many things that went on and you know and but this time we actually think of our own words for a change you know so unfortunately I couldn't be as much of an advocate as always had been for Ward 6 and some of the issues that came up over the years but you know we all try to do what's best for the majority of the city because that's really what we're here for but I believe we should try to minimize the negative impact on the minority so I'm hoping there will still be some conversations between piloting the residents to help ease some of their concerns but you know ultimately we're here to do the best for the city as a whole thank you concert golf I just like

[Speaker 20]
to wish everybody my fellow counselors and everyone out there Happy Holidays Merry Christmas Happy New Year and I'm glad this year is over it's not over

[Speaker 7]
yet concert Brooks yeah I just happy holidays to all my colleagues and all the constituents in Ward 2 and I definitely for a lot of reasons will be happy to put 2024 in my rearview thank you and I too want to just wish

[Speaker 1]
everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and a healthy one and we'll see you next year for this our next first meeting in 2025 good luck motion to adjourn motion made Rocco all in favor opposed have a good night

[Speaker 44]
all right well good luck I hope everything works out for you