To the Citizens of East Longmeadow:

 

     Greetings from your Board of Selectman Kim Wiezbicki, Chairman, GaryDeLisle, Chairman of our Board of Health and Attorney John Claffey, Clerk of the Board.  We all want to acknowledge the trust you have placed in us as your elected leaders of our community to supervise Town affairs and manage our budget, and we welcome this opportunity to review this past year from our perspective.

 

      Our annual report to the Town is being delivered in a new way this year.  Along with our written commentary, we decided to explore videotaping our report and placing it on CDs for your review.  The entire Town Report in fact will be available on CD Rom.  Welcome to the 21^st Century East Longmeadow!  In order to accomplish this technological feat we needed the help from the following people, and we thank them for their guidance:  George Herrick, Editor of the Annual Town Report, John Somsen, Department Manager of our MIS or Management Information Systems Department, Ryan Quimby, a member of John’s staff who recently returned home from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, and the Executive Secretary to the Board of Selectmen, Leon Gaumond.

 

     We begin this report by reflecting upon the passing of many dear friends this past year and wish to recognize three men who devoted many years of devoted service to our Town.  Corliss Wright capably served the Town, most recently assisting the Board of Registrars of Voters at Town Meeting; Richard Hawley and his brother Fred were lost to us as well.  Ritchie was a dedicated member of our Fire Department while Freddie was just as loyal an employee of our Department of Public Works.  All three loved this Town, they made a difference and we would do well to follow their example of selfless service.

 

     We also wish to acknowledge and extend our sincere thanks to a man who faithfully served our Town for over twenty years.  Alvin O’Brien retired in December as the Town’s Electrical Inspector.  He is a decorated WWII veteran as well.

 

     There are a few elected and appointed officials and Town employees who have retired or will retire from public service, and we thank the following for their roles in serving the residents of East Longmeadow:    Richard Brown, Town Moderator; Joyce Horner, Board of Registrars of Voters; Barbara Hill,  Library Board of Trustees;  Sid Starks, Planning Board; Bruce Stebbins, School Committee; Richard Bangs, Police Department;  Rita Marks, Olive Daniels, Jack Coughlan, Council on Aging; Walter LaBroad, Department of Public Works.

 

     The Board believes that the strength shown by our community in weathering tough times is due to the strength of her citizens.  It’s our Townspeople who make this Town work!  From those who run for office or are appointed to boards, run fund-raisers to help our children and commissions or provide needed items or service, clean-up our Town, respond to fire calls, make sure our children cross our streets safely, explore ways to manage our finances more efficiently, figure our a better way to dispose of our trash, work at the polls, run the best parade in the U.S., fund our fireworks display, decorate the gravesites of veterans and honor them on Memorial and Veterans’ Day, coach our

children, repair ball fields, playing hosts for public safety day, strategize ways to be well prepared to handle emergencies, help senior citizens prepare their taxes, shoveling sidewalks…everywhere you

look, you see a Town that cares about their quality of life and are willing to help make all of our lives better!  

  

     Quality of life issues confronted the Board weekly this past year.  Managing our $40 million budget was our #1 priority.  The Town should be proud of the cooperation and creativity shown by our departments in meeting the challenge of “living within our means”.  Investments, cooperative purchasing, a new telephone system, putting in extra time to get a job done without overtime pay, offering a tax amnesty to taxpayers to collect back taxes, working towards reducing the Town’s insurance premiums, and lots more!

    

      The Board is appreciative to the leadership roles played by Town Treasurer Tom Florence and Accountant Sandy Choquette. Everyone remains vigilant in making sure Town dollars are well spent and to avoid making further demands on the taxpayer.  As it was, fee and license prices were increased to cover the cost of administration and not as a way to increase the general fund.  The Board is mindful of the tax demands on our citizens especially on those with fixed incomes.  The Board will be offering a tax abatement program for seniors who volunteer to work for the Town in designated jobs.  The program is planned to begin at the start of our next fiscal year in July.

 

     A discussion on the merits of overriding Proposition 2 ½ to fund our operating budget for our next fiscal year should be a lively debate among the Board Members as we approach May Town Meeting.

 

     The Board has addressed liquor licensing issues and refined the definition ensuring that the service of alcohol accompany the service of food; is now in the process of hiring a consulting firm to aid in the Town’s search for a new police chief; reviewed the impact of the proposed Center Village Shopping Center on public safety… and continue to monitor this project; will be asking the Town at May Town Meeting about the merits of purchasing a building for Town Hall expansion; discussed the

needs of our senior population and how they are being met with our current senior center and even to consider building a new center, and continue to support the efforts of our Animal Control Officer Natalie Rice, Health Inspector Fred Kowal; Building Inspector Tom DiMarzio as they deal with inspections and enforcement of regulations.

 

     The Selectmen’s Office has the responsibility of acting on human resource issues for all Town personnel.

 

     We remain extremely proud of the service provided to the Town by our public safety personnel and the leadership of Fire Chief Bob Wallace and Acting Police Chief Walter Niznik.  We congratulate the appointment of Richard Bates to Sergeant and the hiring of new fireman Benjamin Cote and Police Officer Dan Feliciano.

 

     Finally, the Board could not deal efficiently with so many different subjects without the help of our Executive Secretary Leon Gaumond and our staff of Sally Basile, Joan Burke and Lorraine Banspatch.  We remain indebted to their assistance and positive attitudes!

 

     Thanks go out to our young cameraman Matt Atwater for filming our Selectmen meetings.  We hope to see him run for public office someday!

  

     In closing, your Board of Selectman remains dedicated to thoughtfully discussing future issues, passionately supporting the rights of citizens and always being accessible when you voice your concerns – either at the office or at home.  After all, we are here to serve and we take that charge seriously.