Public Safety Committee Meeting January 27, 2021

City Council

Holyoke Massachusetts

Notice of Committee Meeting

There will be a regular meeting of the committee on

Public Safety

Meeting to take place remotely on Zoom Meetings on Wednesday 1/27/21 at 6:30PM

Per order of the Chair: Terry Murphy

*** Meeting will take place remotely and can be accessed via www.zoom.us Meeting ID: 814 5471 5221 Meeting Passcode: 237400 or by call in at 1 (929)205-6099 with same Meeting ID and Passcode. ***

Item 1: 12-1-20 Bartley – The Property Preservation Group (f/k/a problem property group), Building commissioner, and Mayor’s Office come before the city council’s public safety committee and provide an update to City Council regarding the “top 20” list of problem buildings, the efforts of the City to remove these buildings from the list, and an update on the balance of funds in the City’s vacant property budget.

Item 2: 9-4-19 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 the various concerns and contributors to panhandling. These should include but not be limited to public safety, public health, employment, and education.

Item 3: 10-17-17 Leahy – Ordered that representatives from Action Ambulance come to a meeting of the public safety committee to discuss response times and other pertinent issues.

Item 4: 1-5-21 Anderson-Burgos – Order that the city engineer look into potentially changing the driveway into Peoples Bank off of Beech St to only be an entrance. There have been safety concerns related to the slope of the driveway leading cars out of the property into traffic that is often rushing to make the light.

Item 5: 1-5-21 Greaney – Ordered that three additional speed limit postings of 30 miles per hour be placed in strategic locations on Mountain Road. Excessive speed on that road has become a severe safety hazard.

Item 6: 1-5-21 Hernandez – Ordered, that In an abundance of caution and taking into consideration all of the continuous accidents on Walnut and Cabot, a bigger Stop Sign with lights on it would be most beneficial and would make this corner much safer. Lots of pedestrians utilize this intersection and although most of the accidents are involving vehicles, these measures will ensure pedestrian safety.

Item 7: 1-5-21 Vacon – Ordered that the Police Department provide an update on drug overdose/deaths for the last two years. Also provide an update on drug dealing arrests and crime stats, including shootings & murders in the last two years.

*This was amended at the 1/5 Council meeting to include statistics that show Holyoke residents versus those who are from out of town.

Item 8: 1-5-21 McGee – Order that the public safety committee invite in David Conti and the water commissioners into discuss and get an update on the water filtration system.

Item 9: 1-5-21 McGee – Order that the public safety committee invite in Jim Lavelle and/or a representative of the HG&E with regard to the Valley Heights Street area.

Administrative Assistant: Jeffery Anderson-Burgos. The listing of matters are those reasonable anticipated by the chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law. Also one or two items may require the committee to enter into executive session at this meeting. Agenda subject to change up to two business days (48 hours) prior to posted meeting time.