Finance Committee Wraps up Day One of Budget Request Hearings
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TONIGHT Showers, t-storms likely. Low of 64. Search for The Westfield News The WestfieldNews Search for The Westfield News “EXUBERANCE Westfield350.com The Westfield News IS BETTER “TIME IS THE ONLY Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns THAN TASTE.” WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT TONIGHT — GustaveAMBITION Flaubert.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.comWestfield350.orgLow of 55. Thewww.thewestfieldnews.com WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHERVOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75CRITIC centsWITHOUT VOL. 88 NO. 143 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019 75 Cents TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL.Finance 86 NO. 151 Committee wrapsTUESDAY, JUNE up 27, 2017 75 cents day one of budget request hearings By PETER CURRIER city sanitary landfill, for which he said there would be little in Correspondent the way of capital expenditures. His only request was to set WESTFIELD- The City Council Finance Committee met aside money in the event of an equipment or vehicle failure. Tuesday evening at City Hall for the first set of hearings for Rouse said that there would be some Department of city department’s FY20 budget requests. The first departments Environmental Protection (DEP) mandated engineering work to come before the committee were health, treasurer, auditors, on the landfill this year to curb erosion and make some repairs. City Councilors Daniel Allie, Brent B. Bean II, and John J. purchasing, and fire. He said he anticipated having to dip into their purchase of Beltrandi III listen on as Fire Chief Patrick Egloff lays out There were more than eight city councilors in attendance at service fund to do so, which he estimates will cost $40,000- the fire department’s budget. (Photo by Peter Currier) the hearings, meaning that they could not engage in discussion $50,000. Rouse added that he expects a three percent increase or debate about any of the requested budgets because it created in the cost of trash service recycling costs. an $8,000 item in the purchase of services account for an a full quorum. They could, however, ask questions for clarifi- When asked about possible personnel additions by Councilor emergency expenditure for when someone is moved from a cation. Brent B. Bean II, Rouse said that he is expecting the retirement condemned house or if there is an emergency cleanup. The first hearing was for the Health Department. Westfield’s of one working foreman. He added that they are in need of two Director of Public Health Joseph Rouse first spoke about the heavy equipment operators in the near future. There was also See Budget Hearings, Page 5 MusicFest Old Dominion hearing, Concert stormwater fee increase Cancelled on City Council agenda The Westfield on Weekends Summer By AMY PORTER MusicFest concert sched- Correspodent uled for Thursday, June WESTFIELD – The City 20 has been cancelled due Council will hold the last regular to the expected poor meeting for fiscal year 2019 this weather conditions. The Thursday, June 20, before next Years ago, the Westfield show is tentatively week’s public hearing and FY20 police printed trading rescheduled for September. budget review on Tuesday, June cards for each of the The next MusicFest show 25, and final passage on Thursday, serving officers includ- will be Thursday, July 18 A younger Chief John June 27 at a Special City Council ing – of course – Chief on Park Square. Camerota marches in one of meeting. JOHN A. CAMEROTA John A. Camerota. the city’s parades. Ward 2 Councilor and At this Thursday’s meeting will City Council President be a public hearing on special Ralph J. Figy (WNG File permit/site plan application for a Photo) truck terminal for Old Dominion Police Chief Camerota reflects Freight Lines at Medeiros Way. Old Dominion withdrew its School meal application without prejudice in October for a truck termi- nal at the site. prices to on 42 years on the job Several letters to the editor of The Westfield News have By CARL E. HARTDEGEN hooked.” He became a reserve officer in been written against increasing the truck traffic in the area Correspondent 1978 and a full time officer in September of and urging people to come to the public hearing. One letter increase in WESTFIELD – After 42 years, John A. 1980. He was promoted to sergeant in 1986 was also written in support of the commercial enterprise. Camerota is about to become a civilian. and became a lieutenant slightly less than a Council President Ralph J. Figy said following the clos- Camerota started working as a Westfield year later. ing of the public hearing, the request will be referred to the Westfield police dispatcher in 1976 and will end his Camerota said that (except for the traffic Zoning, Planning and Development (ZPD) sub-committee. By AMY PORTER career – as the city’s Chief of Police – on bureau) he worked in all of the department’s The special permit application from Old Dominion is Correspondent Friday, his 65th birthday. bureaus during his career but he was happi- available for review at www.cityofwestfield.org under City WESTFIELD – School meal Camerota said in a recent interview that est as a lieutenant when he commanded the Council, Special Permit Applications. prices will increase across the the year he worked as a dispatcher “really A potential action item for Thursday’s meeting that has board by 20 cents on Aug. 29, got me focused on police work …I was See Chief Camerota, Page 5 according to Food Resources See City Council, Page 8 Director Rachel Kania in a report to the School Committee on Monday. Kania said the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 mandates that full price school breakfast and lunches be gradu- ally increased in cost until the selling price equals at least the difference between the federal reimbursement rates for free and paid lunch. Currently, a review by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) showed that Westfield’s prices are too low, Kania said. She said the district received a waiver from corrective action to raise prices this past year, but were asked to take corrective action going forward. DESE also recommended that the district’s increases occur over a period of time, which is why they will be raising prices Moving up! 20 cents this year, and in a cou- ple of years, another 15 or 20 Franklin Avenue Elementary School cents. hosted its annual kindergarten gradu- Kania said the average cost to ation celebration June 18. Students prepare a breakfast in Westfield performed songs for the audience of is $1.58; and the district cur- family and friends before receiving rently charges $1.15. For lunch, certificates indicating they completed the average cost to prepare a kindergarten and moved up to first grade. (Photos by Grace Pressler) See Meal Prices, Page 5 PAGE 2 - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019 WWW.THEWESTFIELDNEWS.COM THE WESTFIELD NEWS Veterans honored Last month a new Veteran’s Memorial was dedicated by the Hampden Village Association to the Hampden Village Community. Mayor Brian P. Sullivan, Rep. John Velis and Ward One City Councilor Mary Ann Babinski attended and spoke at the cer- emony. Raising the flag were veterans Barry Plumley and Joe Mucha and looking on was fellow veteran Tom Lawson. (Photo by Marie Boccasile) ODDS & ENDS LOCAL LOTTERY LAST NIGHT’s numBERS Thou shalt not steal MASSACHUSETTS THURSDAY FRIDAY MassCash TONIGHT 09-15-22-25-35 thy neighbor’s Mega Millions 12-14-22-24-48, Mega Ball: 21, Megaplier: 2 surveillance Estimated jackpot: $50 million Numbers Evening 8-0-9-3 camera Numbers Midday Chance of Showers. Showers, t-storms likely HAUGHTON, La. (AP) — Louisiana 5-7-7-6 authorities say a burglar effectively caught Powerball himself red-handed, unwittingly Estimated jackpot: $92 million 71-74 73-76 livestreaming his theft of a neighbor’s new surveillance camera. Today, becoming mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Tonight, chance of showers, with thunderstorms. The Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office says Showers, t-storms likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain, with the neighbor watched the crime unfold in a low around 64. Thursday, possible midday thun- real time, and recognized the culprit as derstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy 43-year-old Franklin Welzbacher Jr. rain, high near 74. New rainfall near half of an inch. Thursday Night, Showers, thunderstorm, Low of 63. A sheriff’s statement says the stolen CONNECTICUT 64-65 Friday, early showers, then partly sunny, high of 76. camera also showed things inside Cash 5 08-26-27-29-32 Welzbacher’s house. Lotto 01-09-12-18-31-37 Sheriff’s spokesman Bill Davis said Estimated jackpot: $17.8 million WWLP.COM • Working For You Tuesday that Welzbacher told deputies he Lucky Links Day had permission to borrow a paint brush, 05-06-09-11-12-14-15-18 but had nothing to say when asked about Lucky Links Night TODAY the camera. 03-04-06-08-12-13-19-20 His bond was set at $10,000 on a simple Play3 Day 8-7-1 5:16 AM 8:31 PM 15 hours 15 Minutes burglary charge. Davis said he doesn’t Play3 Night 2-5-0 SUNRISE SUNSET LENGTH OF DAY know whether Welzbacher has an attorney Play4 Day 5-1-7-0 who could speak for him. Play4 Night 0-3-8-6 TODAY IN HISTORY TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, THE 170TH DAY OF 2019. THERE ARE 195 DAYS LEFT IN THE YEAR. n June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in In 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved by the ONE YEAR AGO: Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War U.S.