City Council - Ordinance Committee

CHICOPEE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE ACCEPTED MEMBERS James Tillotson, Chairman Gary Labrie, Vice-Chairman Robert J. Zygarowski Frank Laflamme Timothy McLellan MINUTES March 11, 2014 The following are the minutes of a public hearing held Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers, Fourth Floor, City Hall Annex, 274 Front Street, Chicopee, MA 01013. Members Present: Tillotson, Labrie, Laflamme, Zygarowski, McLellan Also Present: Councilor Roy (At-Large), Dan Garvey (Associate City Solicitor) Thomas Charette (Chief of Police), Frank Czepiel (Commission on Disabled), Jeff Neece (DPW Superintendent). The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM. ITEM #1 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL THAT CHAPTER 7 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF CHICOPEE FOR THE YEAR 1991, AS AMENDED BE AND HEREBY IS FURTHER AMENDED BY STRIKING OUT SALRIES AS THEY PERTAIN TO THE FOLLOWING NAMED ACCOUNTS AND INSERTING IN PLACE THEREOF THE FOLLOWING: TO BE OPERATIVE JANUARY 6, 2014 LAW COUNCIL LEGAL COUNSEL $40,000.00 CITY SOLICITOR $40,000.00 ASSISTANT CITY SOLICITOR $40,000.00 ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR (2) $40,000.00 CHIEF OF LITIGATION $42,718.74 LEGAL STENOGRAPHER $38,023.07 Councilor Tillotson stated that this adjustment for the Law Department is already in the budget. Zygarowski motion to approve – McLellan 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable. 1 ITEM #2 ORDERED THAT the attached Application for Disabled Parking Only Sign be reviewed by the Ordinance Committee for possible adoption. Frank Czepiel stated the Request for the Handicap parking sign begin with the Commission on Disabled for pre-approval. Dan Garvey stated even if you disagree with the Commission you can still forward it on to the City Council. Frank Czepiel stated that this type of pre-screening would save the City Council a lot of time. Committee vote 5 – 0 unfavorable. ITEM #3 ORDERED THAT the Ordinance Committee propose an ordinance to regulate shopping carts. Councilor Tillotson stated if you drive down Memorial Drive the shopping carts are all over the place. In my observation the biggest offender is Walmart. I would like to proceed without their presence, they had the opportunity to come tonight but they chose not to. Dan Garvey stated we tried to get Walmart to cooperate and hire a cart retrieval team on a periodic basis and from what we’ve heard already it’s not working. We could enforce it by retrieving the cart and in order for them to get it back they have a cost of retrieval and a fine. Councilor Zygarowski stated what about the pole system where the carts can’t get out of the store. Dan Garvey stated we would have to do this for every store and it would be impossible for customers to unload their carts. Frank Laflamme stated that the D.P.W. could retrieve the carts and with the cost of retrieval and a fine, I think they will get the message and cooperate. Councilor Tillotson stated it will be cheaper for Walmart to get someone to retrieve the carts than to pay the fines. Jeff Neece stated we could contact the State Mass DOT because we would be working in their right-of-way. Chief Charette stated Walmart has phenomenal video inside and outside the store, they could easily monitor what’s going on outside. They could hire a security guard to stop people from leaving the property with their carts if they know it’s posing this big of an issue. The Manager will not want to report to the Cooperate office that they’ve lost another five hundred carts with the fines imposed. Councilor Laflamme stated when we retrieve the carts we will notify the Walmart store and Cooperate office so they are aware of what’s happening. Councilor Tillotson stated we could send a proposed ordinance to the Cooperate offices so we can get a response. Progress towards creating and ordinance. Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable. Minutes – February 10, 2014 . Motion made to approve. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 7:18 PM. 2 3