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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
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www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 73
“To silence
criticism is to silence freedom.” — Sidney Hook
75 cents
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
Westfield Public Schools budget increase reduced By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – At a public hearing on the FY18 budget for Westfield Public Schools on Tuesday, the district demonstrated that a lot of work has already been done to reduce expenditures. The original projected budget of $61,802,493, an increase of $2.9 million over FY17 to maintain services at the current level in the district, has been decreased to $60,345,300, or $1.4 million over FY17. “A lot of folks have spent a lot of time and energy on it,” said Ronald Rix, director of technology and business services at the start of a presentation laying out the numbers. Rix said the $2.9 million deficit came in part from a “perfect storm” of severance and longevity payments. The $351,177 increase in severance payments resulted in a total of $906,000 on the line item. However, Rix said that next year (FY19), the projected severance payments will be $660,000, and by FY20, $300,000. Severance payments will no longer be offered in 2023, a change that was worked out in union negotiations. In the FY18 budget, there is also a $1.8 million increase in salaries, including longevity and step increases, which were also a part of the
Baker-Polito Administration announces New Broadband Grant Program BOSTON – Today the BakerPolito Administration announced the Last Mile Infrastructure Grant Program, a new, flexible grant program designed to speed the deployment of broadband internet networks in more than 40 unserved Western and Central Massachusetts communities. Under the new Last Mile Infrastructure Grant Program, the Baker-Polito Administration will make grants directly to rural communities currently unserved by high-speed internet access, for the design, engineering, and construction of publicly-owned broadband networks. The grant program will award up to $20 million in capital funds directly to Last Mile towns, and will be administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the broadband gaps currently facing rural Massachusetts towns, so our administration is empowering communities to pursue the solutions that are most appropriate for See Broadband, Page 6
negotiations. “One reason we worked on severance so hard, is to make the budget more predictable,” said School Committee member Ramon Diaz, Jr. “That money in severance will come back. We said it was going to be worse next year.” “With $500,000 coming off in two years, I couldn’t agree with you more. From the business side, it’s more efficient,” Rix said. Another increase in the budget for next year is $142,000 more in deferred maintenance, a priority of the new superintendent, according to Rix. He said a new roof is needed at Abner Gibbs and another for the high school gymnasium. Also included in the line item, which totals $510,000 in FY18 is the cost of relocating Russell School in June 2018. Rix said the district was able to offset the increases with reductions in several areas. He said right now they have projected 60 retirements in the district, and have 26 unfunded positions in the budget. These two factors allowed them to be able to reduce personnel costs by $784,000. Rix said the budget calls for 22 total fewer positions than in FY17. Of those, three are teachers and five are administrators.
Other savings included $94,000 less in utilities. Rix said the refurbished HVAC system in Franklin Avenue alone showed significant savings. He said schools also set back their thermometers during vacation weeks. That in addition to the second mild winter in a row and energy markets which have stabilized all helped. Another savings was gained from the renegotiated lease for the Russell Elementary School, which was reduced by $150,000. These and other savings combined added up to $1.49m off of the previous projected increase of $2.9 million. In the Governor’s budget, which Rix said is traditionally the lowest of the three (House and Senate) budgets, there is also an anticipated increase of Chapter 70 money for Westfield, for a total of $532,049. Rix said he is hopeful that amount will increase, further reducing the increase needed to maintain level services in the schools for FY18. At the start of the meeting, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski outlined his priorities for the district in FY18 which are reflected in the budget, the first being to maintain class sizes at 20 for K-2, and 25 for 3-12. Strengthening the district’s business and community partnerships is another priority,
“We’ve been an MLP since our inception in the 1890’s. Many of these towns have been following Whip City Fiber. They approached us. We answered their questions. They’ve contacted us because of our ownership in Westfield. A lot of them
DAN HOWARD want to own their own system,” Howard said. What has held up the process in the hilltowns was a falling out in December of 2015 between MBI and WiredWest. Since that time, MBI has been holding on to approximately $40 million in funds allocated for engineering and design costs to help underserved and unserved towns obtain broadband connectivity. According to an article from the Berkshire Eagle, reprinted on the WiredWest website, WiredWest now proposes to help towns operate their eventual broadband
(WNG file photo)
which he said will result in increased mentoring programs, career events and internships. Czaporowski said another goal is to begin embedding career pathways into existing curriculum. To continue to prioritize academic growth at all levels, the focus will be on health and science curriculum work at all levels. Other initiatives include freshmen academies at Westfield High School, dual enrollment expansion with area colleges, and Universal Design for Learning on all See Schools Budget, Page 6
East Main St. restaurant reconstruction revived
Westfield G+E is reaching out to the hilltowns By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – It’s hard to go to a meeting in the hilltowns these days without someone mentioning Westfield Gas & Electric, who many believe could be a key to solving longdelayed access to hi-speed internet in their towns. WG+E General Manager Dan Howard said most of the hilltowns in the WiredWest consortium had to become municipal lighting plants (MLPs) as they pursued broadband access through the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) and WiredWest.
Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski speaking to School Committee.
networks. Previously, before the falling out with MBI, it sought to build and own those networks on a cooperative basis with member towns, by acting as a municipal light plant under state law. At the meeting of stakeholders and MBI in late February described in the article, the towns demanded that MBI release the funds for design and engineering. Soon afterwards, MBI agreed. Howard said that MBI sent out a request for proposal (RFP) to providers in late 2016. MBI asked what their model was, and how much penetration rate they could have, Howard said. “Out of all those respondents, we were unique,
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–The McDonald’s on East Main Street is moving forward with previously stalled plans for reconstruction after meeting with the city’s Conservation Commission last night. The McDonald’s on East Main Street presented plans related to the commission’s purview last night, since the building is currently in a flood plain. The plans include a complete reconstruction of the building. The plans, according to Jim Cranston, project manager for Bohler Engineering who is overseeing the project, are similar in design to the plans presented in 2013 that were never fulfilled. The building, according to Cranston, is expected to be around 3,900 square feet, and will include a more “modern design” that will be in line with other McDonald’s locations throughout the area and country. This includes more earth tone coloring and paneling. The project was first brought forth in 2013, but the permit lapsed after costs to improve the sewer water treatment were more than expected, according to Cranston. The plans regarding the Conservation Commission were OKed, moving the McDonald’s reconstruction forward. Also discussed in the commission meeting was an emergency request to replace one of the boat ramps that is located at the Hampton
See Hilltowns, Page 6
See Restaurant, Page 6
Firefighters continue to train and learn By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WESTFIELD–A group of Westfield firefighters recently completed training, highlighting the need for continuing education and preparedness in the potentially high-risk field. Firefighters Ben Hogan, Lee Kozikowski, Steven Makos and Captain Keith Supinski all attended the Advanced Structural Firefighting Program at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow, recently. The one-day, eight-hour program focused on different methods for fire suppression, and also
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functioned as a bonding exercise for the group, whom work together on the same group at the department. “Just because you get on a department doesn’t mean you don’t stop training,” Hogan said. Hogan was said to have organized the group’s participation in the training, which was free to the firefighters and the city. Supinski said that although the training involved fire, it was a safe exhibition for the firefighters to partake in and it gave them the opportunity to hone their collaborative skills together. “It’s uninterrupted training with those who you work with,” Supinski said.
Upgrade to senior center arriving sooner than expected By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – In late January the Southwick Council on Aging’s Director Cindy Sullivan met with the Select Board to discuss a proposal she had for her upcoming budget. The requested items were two electric handicap doors for the two main entrances the seniors use when they get into the building. It was approved by the Select Board in This is one of two doors that will have an electric handicap door opening. (WNG File Photo)
See Southwick Senior Center, Page 6