Public Safety Committee Meeting February 6, 2020

City Council
Holyoke Massachusetts

Notice of Committee Meeting
There will be a regular meeting of the committee on

Public Safety  

Meeting to take place remotely on Zoom Meetings on Thursday February 6, 2020 at 6:30PM
Per order of the Chair: Terence Murphy

Agenda:

Item 1: Murphy et all: 1/21/20: Ordered that the public safety committee meet with the chief of police, the sheriff, the mayor, the school receiver, Ed Caisse, Betty Medina, representative Vega, someone from the district attorney’s office and Congressman Neal’s office to discuss concerns about the recent gun violence. Included in that discussion needs to include the following:

Are there any federal or state grants available to increase police protective services around the schools, especially those most impacted by the gun violence, including Morgan Lawrence and Sullivan schools? If so, how quickly might the city be able to receive them.
What actions can be taken to improve community awareness and involvement needed to reduce this violence?

Item 2: Murphy 11/19/19: Ordered that the mayor, the law department and the police department provide an update to the public safety committee regarding the nuisance complaint for the buildings on Appleton and Elm St and 556 S Bridge Street. Can we expect a greater police presence with the landlord’s cooperation in the near future?

Item 3: Bartley 1/7/20; Ordered the DPW superintendent report to the city council regarding who is responsible for clearing sidewalks after a storm. The public sidewalks. at Crosier Field on Northampton Street as well as the sidewalks at Whiting Farms Rd from Northampton St to Gordon Drive and the sidewalk from McDonald’s to St Vincent Ave are snow filled or ice-covered for days. This is unacceptable especially in light of state law requiring landlords to clear its sidewalks within 24 hours after a storm. Further, please explain why neither Brightwood Ave nor Oakwood Ave were not plowed even one time after the most recent storm.

Item 4: Lisi 5/7/19: Ordered that the DPW work with the city council to develop a process for residents to request tree pits on city sidewalks near their home. There may also be a fee associated with this process.

Item 5: Murphy 9/4/19: Ordered that the city engineer consider the possibility of constructing a speed bump on S Bridge Street adjacent to Valley Arena Park. There have been several incidents of drivers speeding while children were crossing the street from the park.