Public Safety Committee Meeting February 16, 2022
6:30 pm City Hall Holyoke
536 Dwight St, Holyoke 01040
City Council
Holyoke Massachusetts
Pursuant to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25,
and Section 20 of Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021,
notice is hereby given of a meeting of the committee on
Public Safety
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
6:30 PM
Meeting to take place at
Holyoke City Hall, 536 Dwight St
and can be accessed remotely on Zoom Meetings
Per order of the Chair: Israel Rivera
Remote access via www.zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85609739186?pwd=M3RsS1F1NFdlT3M0NWNqaFZRY2RHZz09
Meeting ID: 856 0973 9186 Meeting Passcode: 049394 or by call in at 1 (646) 558-8656 with the same Meeting ID and Passcode.
Agenda
Item 1: 4-6-21 BARTLEY — The City Forester report to city council’s public safety committee an update on requests for tree remediation proximate to 54 Lawler St. and 219 Suffolk St.
*Tabled 1-24-22
Item 2: 1-18-22 ANDERSON-BURGOS — Ordered that SUEZ and the Holyoke Housing Authority meet with the public safety committee to discuss how to fix the flooding issues that residents from Beaudoin Village have been experiencing for years.
Refer to Public Safety, copy to Suez, HHA
Item 3: 3-16-21 LISI, ANDERSON-BURGOS, HERNANDEZ, LEBRON-MARTINEZ — that in an Effort to obtain neutral, fact-based data and statistics, the City contract an independent assessment of Holyoke Police Department’s structure, policies, and practices.
*Tabled 4-21-21, 8-25-21
Item 4: 9-7-21 HERNANDEZ, TALLMAN — Ordered, that That DPW and or Holyoke Police department provide an update on what was the agreement when the Dunkin Donuts was built as to designate certain parking spaces for Eddie’s Furniture located at 865 Hampden Street, to allow their delivery and Large cargo vehicles to have the necessary clearance to enter and exit safely from their lot. As it stands there are provisional handwritten no parking signs posted on cones that continually are being taken down thus preventing their business to function properly.
Item 5: 12-15-20 MURPHY, LISI, HERNANDEZ — Ordered that the mayor and the health director appear before that public safety committee to provide an update on the potential for the city to establish a homeless shelter, potentially at the War Memorial Building.
*1-6-21, 3-10-21
Item 6: 12-1-20 MURPHY — Ordered that the public safety committee meet with representatives from the Opioid Substance Abuse task force, the health director, to discuss the need for a short-term residential transition program to assist individuals returning from a treatment program. The goal of this would be to improve the chances of long-term success for these individuals. The resident capacity would probably be around 20 beds.
*Tabled 1-6-21
Item 7: 1-18-22 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI, RIVERA_I — Ordered that the City of Holyoke equally and equitably investigate air quality concerns relating to commercial uses in and around the IG zone, regardless of whether the commercial use is a cannabis business or non-cannabis business.
*Tabled 1-24-22
Item 8: 6-16-20 MURPHY, LEBRON-MARTINEZ, TALLMAN, LISI — Ordered that the public safety committee meet with the director of the board of health and representatives from Holyoke Health Center, including Darren Beek, as well as Jose Bou as a representative from the school department, to discuss any ideas to improve the environment within the four lower neighborhoods where statistics indicate the highest levels and most severe cases of asthma. Asthma has also negatively impacted school attendance. Ideas to be discussed could include planting many more trees in each neighborhood; getting real-time air tests throughout the city by seeking volunteers who would use asthma inhalers embedded with GPS trackers to identify the most polluted neighborhoods.
*Tabled 2-10-21, 3-10-21, 5-21-21
Item 9: 2-1-22 BARTLEY, PUELLO — The city engineer review the signaling at the Maple St / South St. / Parenteau Dr intersection. Multiple accidents and near-accidents have occurred there over the years as motorists from Maple St turn Left against oncoming traffic on South St (heading downtown). The intersection is proximate to the former Whole Donut and the Fitzpatrick Ice Rink. Refer to Public Safety with copy to City Engineer.
Item 10: 1-18-22 ANDERSON-BURGOS — Ordered that DPW and Parks & Rec look into making Rohan Park a kids and dog park. As it stands only half of the park is being utilized.
Refer to Public Safety, copy to DPW, Parks & Rec
Item 11: 1-18-22 ANDERSON-BURGOS — Ordered that “cross street does not stop” signs be placed on the stop signs where Locust meets Hampshire. There have been many near misses from drivers on Hampshire likely expecting drivers on Locust to stop at the intersection.
Refer to Public Safety, copy to DPW
Administrative Assistant: Jeffery Anderson-Burgos
The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law. Also one or two items may require the committee to enter into executive session at this meeting. Agenda subject to change up to two business days (48 hours) prior to posted meeting time.