Public Safety Committee Meeting November 12, 2020

Holyoke City Council

Public Safety Committee

There will be a meeting on Thursday 11/12/20 at 6:30pm remotely by Zoom

Agenda:

1. McGee/ Ordered that the sidewalk on Dartmouth Street near Jefferson St, be repaved and

leveled off.

2. Anderson-Burgos/Greaney/Leahy: Ordered that the sidewalk on the southeast corner of

intersection of St Jerome and Dwight be repaired. This particular concern because it has been

a recurrent safety issue for a child with a disability that lives near the intersection.

3. Anderson-Burgos: Ordered that the city engineer attend a committee meeting. Residents

have expressed ongoing concern regarding large trucks traveling up and down West Franklin

Street with particular concern about speeds traveling around the curve at the intersection

with St Jerome. Signs are posted but are not being adhered to.

4. Murphy: Ordered that the public safety committee solicit councilor input for streets on which

raised sidewalks might have a significant impact on reducing speeding and improving traffic

safety. The goal would be to put a list together of city streets which need safety

improvements, and then seek funding to make those improvements. One request would

include the curved roadway on West Franklin Street, as well as other request already made,

including Main St and Pleasant St. Suggestions to date include: Crosswalks on Homestead

Ave; Crosswalks on Whiting Farms Rd; Crosswalk on County Road; Crosswalks on Westfield

Rd; Crosswalks on Cherry St; crosswalk on South St by Elmwood Towers; one by PVTA bus stop

at Sav-a-lot; Westfield Road across from Blessed Sacrament School; Homestead Ave near HCC

main gate; Bemis Road

5. Hernandez/Lebron-Martinez: Ordered, residents/constituents from Pine St near Appleton St

have expressed concern of the increase in drug trafficking and transients in their

neighborhood, parking and idling in front of their properties, and inquired as to where are the

Neighborhood watch signs that are in possession of the DPW. I would like to order that they

are installed in an attempt to display that the community meets and is vigilant.

6. Leahy: Ordered that proper procedures should be set forth at city hall in regards to an

emergency, or threat of violence. There needs to be a clear plan of action.

7. Murphy/Bartley: Ordered that the health director, the building commissioner, representatives

from the police and fire departments meet with the public safety committee to consider a

request from Williams Auto to create a locked in fence at the alley entrance on Hampshire

Street between High and Maple, and also another locked fence at the northerly line of the

property of 412 ½ Maple Street. This is needed both to prevent illegal drug activity and

excessive littering in the alleyway. Currently, trash has been dumped in the alley, and needles

are consistently left there as well.

8. Anderson-Burgos: Ordered that the city council form a volunteer commission to study and

recommend solutions to comprehensively address panhandling in the city of Holyoke.

Members of the commission should have a range of backgrounds and expertise related to

various concerns and contributors to panhandling. These should include but not be limited to

public safety, public health, employment and education.