City Council approves a package of appropriations for vehicle repairs, police training, radios and safety gear

CHICOPEE — The Chicopee City Council voted March 18 to approve a series of mayor’s orders appropriating funds from the city’s undesignated free cash to cover vehicle repairs, police training and equipment, and several staff sick-buyback payments.

The actions, presented by the mayor and discussed during the council’s regular meeting, included a $120,000 appropriation to the Department of Public Works central maintenance account to cover extensive repairs to sanitation and other city vehicles; $47,100 for police education, training and travel tied to recruits and Fort Devens training; $46,150.65 for the purchase of 28 mobile radios; $14,300 to purchase bulletproof vests (with staff noting federal and state grants will be sought to reimburse much of the cost); and smaller appropriations for indemnification of police and fire ($8,978.37), claims and accounts for the city council ($5,000) and personnel sick-buyback amounts for DPW sewer ($19,213.32) and health ($3,805.76). The council also accepted $5,304 in donations for the Chicopee Senior Center for senior meals for February 2025 under Massachusetts law.

Why it matters: City staff told the council the DPW has had unusually high repair needs while the delivery of newly ordered trucks is delayed; police leaders cited recruitment and readiness needs for training and radios; and several buyback appropriations were tied to upcoming retirements.

Most of the items drew only brief questions from council members before final votes. Liz Bautista, identified in the meeting as the superintendent responsible for central maintenance, told the council the DPW had ordered three new sanitation trucks, received one and still awaited two, and said heavy wear and a post‑COVID manufacturing backlog had increased repair needs. “We ordered 3, and we've received 1. We still have 2 that have not arrived,” Bautista said during the meeting.

Chief Major (police) explained the training and equipment requests were linked to current and recent recruitment. The radio appropriation would buy 28 radios: 11 for recruits and 17 as spares or replacements; meeting materials noted the radios’ total price was $61,285.28 with the appropriation covering most of the balance and an existing radio repair account to cover the rest.

On vests, the chief said the department routinely seeks reimbursement through the Department of Justice’s bulletproof vest partnership and through state funding, and that the city had received partial reimbursement in past rounds.

Votes at a glance: - Mayor's Order 1 — $120,000 to DPW central maintenance (vehicle repairs): Motion received and passed on the written recommendation of the mayor. Roll call recorded 11 yes; outcome: approved. - Mayor's Order 2 — $8,978.37 to human resources special account (indemnification for police and fire): approved, roll call 11 yes. - Mayor's Order 3 — $47,100 to police expense accounts for education/travel related to recruits: approved, roll call 11 yes. - Mayor's Order 4 — $46,150.65 to police special account for mobile radios (28 radios): approved, roll call 11 yes. - Mayor's Order 5 — $14,300 to police special account for bulletproof vests: approved, roll call 11 yes. - Mayor's Order 6 — $5,000 to city council claims and accounts special account: approved, roll call 11 yes. - Mayor's Order 7 — $19,213.32 to DPW sewer pretreatment salary account (sick buyback): approved, roll call 11 yes. - Mayor's Order 8 — $3,805.76 to health salary account (sick buyback): approved, roll call 11 yes. - Donation acceptance — $5,304 to Chicopee Senior Center for senior meals for February 2025 (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 44 §53A): received and accepted; recorded vote indicated 10 yes, 1 abstention; outcome: accepted.

Councilors asked for additional cost details on a few items (for example the per‑truck cost for DPW vehicles); Bautista said she could provide that information later. The mayor and department leaders noted several items are expected to be reimbursed partially by state or federal grants where eligible (bulletproof vest grants were cited as an example).

Public-finance context: meeting materials and speakers said the DPW will build higher repair line items into the next fiscal year’s budget to avoid mid‑year replenishments, while police leaders tied appropriations to a multi‑class recruitment and training cycle.

Provenance: meeting statements introducing and debating these mayor's orders appear in the council transcript beginning with the mayor’s opening of mayor’s orders (excerpt: “For consideration, I'll start with mayor's order 1…”) and run through the council votes that concluded with the mayor’s orders being passed (excerpt: “And the mayor's order be, passed.”).