Public Safety Committee Meeting March 10, 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 3-10-21 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: 837 0721 2897 Meeting Passcode: 441312 or by call in at 1 (929)205-6099 with same Meeting ID and Passcode. ***

Item 1: 6-16-20 MURPHY — Ordered that the public safety committee meet with the director of the board of health and representatives from Holyoke Health Center, including Darren Beek,  as well as Jose Bou as a representative from the school department, to discuss any ideas to improve the environment within the four lower neighborhoods where statistics indicate the highest levels and most severe cases of asthma.  Asthma has also negatively impacted school attendance. Ideas to be discussed could include planting many more trees in each neighborhood; getting real-time air tests throughout the city by seeking volunteers who would use asthma inhalers embedded with GPS trackers to identify the most polluted neighborhoods.

*Tabled 2-10-21

Item 2: 12-15-20 MURPHY — Ordered that the mayor and the health director appear before that public safety committee to provide an update on the potential for the city to establish a homeless shelter, potentially at the War Memorial Building.

*Tabled 1-6-21

Item 3: 2-16-21 LEAHY — Ordered, that the Department of Public works and SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions provide a timely plan to the Holyoke City Council regarding street sweeping of city streets in Spring, 2021.  The report should be specific as to when sweeping will take place by neighborhood to ensure compliance with contractual obligations.

Last year a similar order was filed, and it took many follow-up calls/emails to get a response.  I have been advised that there is an obligation to sweep every street at least once.  Verification of this minimum standard and a plan to exceed it for our residents is appreciated and emailed to me as chair of the Public Service Chair.

Item 4: 8-4-20 Ordered, that a traffic study be done on Sargeant Street observing traffic between St. Jerome and Sycamore. Residents have mentioned several accidents in this area, possibly due the speed and obstructed views as vehicles travel around the bend. They have suggested a four way stop may be helpful at either Magnolia or Sycamore.

*Tabled 9-30-20

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.