City Council - Ordinance Committee

CHICOPEE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVED 6-1-2014 MEMBERS James Tillotson, Chairman Gary Labrie, Vice-Chairman Robert J. Zygarowski Frank Laflamme Timothy McLellan MINUTES May 28, 2014 The following are the minutes of a public hearing held Wednesday, May 28, 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: Dan Garvey (Associate City Solicitor), Councilor Krampits The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM. In compliance with the open meeting laws the Chairman asked if anyone in the audience was recording the meeting. ITEM #1 OREDERED THAT the Ordinance Committee hold a meeting to discuss the shopping cart problem with managers of Quality Inn and Days Inn and local supermarkets be notified. Councilor Tillotson stated we can work together to help solve the shopping cart problem that exists on Memorial Drive. Our intent is to try and get the carts off the streets. Do you have any suggestions how we could help solve this. Nima Patidar, Manager of Quality Inn stated that our Maintenance crew is collecting the carts on the property and putting them in one area to make it easier for Walmart to come and collect them. Councilor Labrie stated that Walmart would supply a corral for Quality Inn for the carts to be stored in until they pick them up. Kanti Patidar Owner of Quality Inn stated he will work with us on this. Councilor Zygarowski asked how many carts per day are at the Quality Inn. Kanti Patidar answered ten to fifteen per day. Councilor Zygarowski asked if the Big Y stores do an inventory on their carts. 1 Maureen Fuller, Loss Prevention Field Manager for Big Y answered yes we do and inventory on our carts and lock them at night. Councilor Krampits asked what is the price for each cart. Maureen Fuller answered they are about one hundred and forty dollars. We want to keep our carts on our property because they are expensive to replace. Councilor Zygarowski asked what are the responses of the residents of Quality Inn in regards to taking the carts. Kanti Patidar answered “they don’t care”; they use the cart for their personal use and do not return them to the stores. Councilor Laflamme stated we need to get the Days Inn to comply with the Shopping Cart Ordinance and work with the city like the Quality Inn is already doing. Councilor Tillotson stated even though the Days Inn was notified about tonight’s meeting he will contact them. Nima Patidar stated we follow all of the rules that the State provides and we have our own hotel rules that we follow. The State residents of this hotel have to sign and state that they will follow these rules, if they don’t they will get a violation and the State will be notified and they may be terminated from the program. Maybe the City Council can ask the state to put this in our hotel rules regarding the carts. Councilor Laflamme agreed that this is a good idea and then the hotels can enforce the rules. Councilor McLellan stated we can contact the State and let them know what’s happening. Nima Patidar stated the carts are a safety hazard to the children in the hotel. Councilor Tillotson stated he will contact the Massachusetts State Housing Department as suggested by Nima Patidar. Councilor Laflamme stated we are not out to hurt the business or the residents we are just trying to make the public safety better. Councilor Tillotson asked what percentage of the residents in your hotel are homeless. Kanti Patidar answered sixty five percent. Discussion on how to control the shopping carts. Motion to approve – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable. ITEM #2 Minutes – April 28, 2014. Motion made to approve. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 7:02 PM. 2