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Holyoke committee weighs moving parking enforcement to police, speed-trailer deployment and traffic staffing
Summary
Committee discussed transferring parking enforcement to the police traffic division, implementation status of speed trailers, stop-sign installation, truck/drag-racing complaints, and a traffic-squad staffing shortfall tied to contract and hiring issues; several items were tabled or marked complied with.
Holyoke City Councilors at a June Public Safety Committee meeting discussed multiple traffic and enforcement items, including a request to make parking enforcement a subdivision of the police traffic division, stop-sign enforcement at Brown Avenue and Laurel Street, truck traffic and speed complaints on Homestead Avenue, illegal drag racing on Biblio Drive, deployment of speed trailers, and the city ordinance requiring a traffic squad.
Councilors opened discussion of an order filed by Councilor Israel Rivera asking the mayor, Department of Public Works and the Parking Advisory Committee to consider making parking enforcement part of the police traffic division. Chief Brian Kean said he was interested in transferring parking enforcement to the department: "parking enforcement is certainly it falls under, in my opinion, the purview of the police department," Kean said. Because Councilor Rivera was absent, the committee tabled the item for a future meeting but noted the chief's interest.
The committee also reviewed an older order about installing a stop sign at Brown Avenue and Laurel Street. That item was referred to the Holyoke Police Department and the committee recorded the order as complied with.
Two items about truck traffic and illegal drag racing (Homestead Avenue and Biblio Drive) were tabled for future discussion; Councilor Bacon was not present to lead those items.
On speed trailers and data collection, Councilor Giffner asked for more frequent rotation so more neighborhoods would be covered. Sergeant Bartolome said the trailers are being moved regularly to collect data and that he would confirm ongoing deployment. The committee recorded the order for rotating speed trailers and for a public calendar of deployment as complied with.
Members discussed an ordinance (city ordinance section 5-50-42) that requires the police chief to designate six traffic officers. Chief Kean said the department lacks the bodies to meet that requirement because of recent losses and recruiting shortfalls. "If I had 6 people, I would put them there," Kean said, noting recent unexpected departures and failed recruit fitness tests. He said the department is using grant money to augment traffic enforcement and has increased citations on traffic shifts.
Committee actions recorded in the meeting ranged from tabling several items to recording others as complied with. Where votes occurred they were taken by voice and recorded as "Aye."
