One official said engineer William Rockefeller described himself as being "in a daze" before the wreck.

In this photo taken on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, Metro North Railroad engineer William Rockefeller is wheeled on a stretcher away from the area where the commuter train he was operating derailed in the Bronx borough of New York. The National Transportation Safety Board reported Monday that the train Rockefeller was driving was going 82 mph around a 30-mph curve when it derailed killing four people and injuring more than 60. AP Photo/Robert Stolarik 

YONKERS, N.Y. (AP) — The engineer whose speeding commuter train ran off the rails along a curve, killing four people, nodded at the controls before the wreck, and by the time he caught himself it was too late, a union official said Tuesday.

William Rockefeller "basically nodded," said Anthony Bottalico, leader of the rail employees union, relating what he said the engineer told him.

"He had the equivalent of what we all have when we drive a car. That is, you sometimes have a momentary nod or whatever that might be. How long that lasts, I can't answer that."

Rockefeller's lawyer did not return calls. During a late-afternoon news conference, federal investigators said they were still talking to Rockefeller, and they would not comment on his level of alertness around the time of the Sunday morning wreck in the Bronx.

Separately, however, two law enforcement officials said the engineer told police at the scene that his mind was wandering before he realized the train was in trouble, and by then it was too late to do anything about it. One of the officials said Rockefeller described himself as being "in a daze" before the wreck.

The officials, who were briefed on the engineer's comments, weren't authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Questions about Rockefeller's role mounted rapidly after investigators disclosed on Monday that the Metro-North Railroad train jumped the tracks after going into a curve at 82 mph, or nearly three times the 30 mph speed limit. In addition to the four people killed, dozens were hurt.

"He caught himself, but he caught himself too late. ... He powered down, he put the train in emergency, but that was six seconds prior to derailment," Bottalico said.

Rockefeller, who was operating the train from the front car, was treated at a hospital for minor injuries and released.

National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener repeated that it was too soon to say whether the accident was caused by human error. But he said investigators have found no problems so far with the brakes or signals.

Alcohol tests on the train's crew members were negative, and investigators were still awaiting the results of drug tests, the NTSB official said.

On the day of the crash, Rockefeller was on the second day of a five-day work week, reporting at 5:04 a.m. after a typical nine-hour shift the day before, according to Weener.

"There's every indication that he would have had time to get full restorative sleep," Weener said.

Bottalico said Rockefeller "never said anything about not getting enough sleep." But he said the engineer had switched just weeks earlier from the night shift to the day shift, "so he did have a change in his hours and his circadian rhythms with regard to sleep."

The New York Police Department is conducting its own investigation, with help from the Bronx district attorney's office, in the event the derailment becomes a criminal case.

Rockefeller himself, meanwhile, stayed out of sight. But his union and former co-workers spoke up in his defense.

"This is a man who is totally distraught by the loss of life, and he's having a tough time dealing with that," Bottalico said.

He added: "Once the NTSB is done with their investigation and Billy is finished with his interview, it will be quite evident that there was no criminal intent with the operation of his train."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday the engineer could be faulted for the train's speed if nothing else.

"Certainly, we want to make sure that that operator is disciplined in an appropriate way. There's such a gross deviation from the norm," he said.

Steven Harrod, University of Dayton professor who studies transportation, said that trains typically do not have a speed or cruise control, but a power control, and once it is set, a train can pick up speed on its own because of the terrain.

"Thus, if the engineer loses attention, the train can gain speed without intervention," Harrod said. "The power control could have been set" as the train left a station, "and then forgotten by the engineer."

In case of an engineer becoming incapacitated, the train's front car was equipped with a "dead man's pedal" that must be depressed or else the train will automatically slow down.

Rockefeller, 46 and married with no children, has worked for the railroad for 15 years and has been an engineer for 10, according to Weener. Rockefeller lives in a well-kept house on a modest rural road in Germantown, N.Y., about 40 miles south of Albany.

He started as a custodian at Grand Central Terminal, then monitored the building's fire alarms and other systems, and ultimately became an engineer.

"He was a stellar employee. Unbelievable," said his former supervisor, Michael McLendon, who retired from the railroad about a year ago.

McLendon said he was stunned when he heard about the crash, shortly after opening his mail to find a Christmas card from Rockefeller and his wife.

"I said, 'Well, I can't imagine Billy making a mistake,'" McLendon said. "Not intentionally, by any stretch of the imagination."

Rockefeller's work routine had recently changed. He had begun running that route on Nov. 17, two weeks before the wreck, said Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for Metro-North's parent, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Bottalico said Rockefeller was familiar with the route and qualified to run it.

Bruno Lizzul, an MTA machinist who met Rockefeller when they both worked at Grand Central around 2000, described the engineer as honest, hard-working and helpful — so much so that he took it upon himself to show up and help Lizzul renovate his home ahead of a baby's arrival.

"He went the extra yard. He just decided to extend himself to me," Lizzul said.

Lizzul said Rockefeller was very serious about his work: "He would not do anything to upset anybody or in any way cause harm."

___

Associated Press writers Frank Eltman in Mineola, N.Y., Jim Fitzgerald in Yonkers, N.Y., Michael Gormley in Albany, N.Y., Michael Hill in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., and Meghan Barr and Jennifer Peltz in New York City, and researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report.

A patrolman passing a closed store in Gettysburg says he saw flashlights inside, so he went in and handcuffed and searched the three ghost hunters.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Police in Pennsylvania are investigating a complaint concerning a ghost hunt that went bust after a police officer mistakenly thought it was a burglary in progress.

The Gettysburg Times reported Tuesday that the Thanksgiving night ghost tour ended with two tourists and their guide being detained at gunpoint.

A patrolman passing a closed store in Gettysburg says he saw flashlights inside, so he went in and handcuffed and searched the three ghost hunters.

Police called the owner, who confirmed the tour operator had permission to use the allegedly haunted Civil War-era building. The first Union general killed in the Battle of Gettysburg was brought to the building after being fatally wounded.

The owner of the Victorian-style photography studio that occupies the building and permitted the tour has declined to comment.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik, along with 25-30 city officials, were reintroduced to their office spaces Tuesday when they were taken on a tour through the newly refurbished City Hall, a project that took $3.4 million and six months to complete.

WESTFIELD – In just six months, City Hall has been transformed from a building with falling wall panels, popping tiles, drafty windows and leaking ceilings to an energy-efficient structure that combines modern conveniences with historical integrity.

Beginning next week, departments will start moving back into City Hall from their temporary offices in the Westwood building, and on Monday, Mayor Daniel M. Knapik will move from the office space the city is leasing on Washington Street to his office on the second floor.

Knapik, along with 25 to 30 city officials, were reintroduced to their office spaces Tuesday when they were taken on a tour through the refurbished City Hall where department heads measured walls and planned how best to utilize their reconfigured areas.

For most, it was the first time they had been in the building since the $3.4 million in renovations got under way in May. The changes were greeted with enthusiasm, and all said they were looking forward to working together under one roof to better serve the public.

“Our goal from the beginning was to have every space utilized for personnel,” Knapik said, noting that with the addition of some school department employees, the building will house about 100 municipal workers instead of 85.

“Thirty percent of this building was unusable,” said the mayor. “Now, three-and-a-half floors are fully operational.”

Parking Clerk Denise L. Carey surveyed her new office and said she is excited by the changes where the Parking and Business License office will now have enough room to conduct business properly.

“I used to say I worked in a shoebox,” she quipped. “This is safer and better for the public.”

City Clerk Karen M. Fanion, as well as collector Michael J. McMahon, said the counters with teller stations in their respective offices second-floor offices will provide the public more privacy while conducting business.

“The counter is a lot bigger,” McMahon said. “It will allow us to be more efficient.”

View full sizeThe city clerk's office in the newly renovated City Hall now features a teller station counter to provide visitors with more privacy.Manon L. Mirabelli photo 

On the third floor, Community Development Director Peter J. Miller and City Planner Jay Vinskey admired their adjacent office suites where Vinskey now has a map room.

“It will make things a lot easier,” he said.

In terms of the entire project, Miller said he likes best the fact that the building was modernized while retaining its historical value with original moldings and wainscoting and other architectural details refurbished and intact.

“This is just right,” he said of the renovations when the tour reached the basement. “It’s not overwhelming.”

Michael A. DelVecchio, project manager with P3 Project Planning Professionals of Norwell, said the building is equipped with the same energy management system and green energy resources that are now in use at Westfield Vocational Technical High School.

“The heating, cooling and fresh air systems are all new,” he said. “There are going to be a lot of happy, comfortable people with the fresh air coming in.”

In the bowels of City Hall, the building now boasts high-efficiency condensing boilers manufactured by Mestek.

New sprinklers and a state-of-the-art fire alarm are also key to protecting the city’s investment in its municipal building.

“This will be a very safe building,” DelVecchio said.

The project is considered the first comprehensive repair project for the building, built in the 1800s, in the last 30 years and is being paid for through bonding and $400,000 in Community Preservation Act funds.

Emergency repairs were done in 2011 at a cost of $193,000 to secure the building from water damage. Also, in 2009, the city completed a $32,000 emergency repair to the City Council chambers to replace a ceiling support beam.

MGM has until Dec. 31 to submit its application to the state for a casino license.

WILBRAHAM — Selectmen and MGM Resorts International are negotiating a mitigating casino agreement in the event MGM receives a casino license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for its proposed casino in Springfield’s South End.

MGM has until Dec. 31 to submit its application to the state for a casino license.

If selectmen approve the mitigating agreement it will be submitted as part of MGM’s casino license, Town Administrator Robert Weitz said.

MGM also is negotiating mitigating agreements with six other communities – Ludlow, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Agawam, West Springfield and Chicopee.

According to the agreement being negotiated between MGM and Wilbraham, MGM is proposing to give Wilbraham $100,000 a year for the first 15 years of its license to operate a casino in Springfield. The payments would be for consulting costs and mitigating costs of the proposed casino, including traffic, schools and public safety impacts.

Wilbraham selectmen said they expect to meet with MGM representatives again on Dec. 10 to hear MGM’s final proposal to compensate the town for mitigating costs from the Springfield casino.

MGM Resorts International is the only casino applicant remaining in Western Massachusetts after results of a recount of a Nov. 5 ballot question in Palmer confirmed the defeat of a resort casino planned in Palmer by Mohegan Sun.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has scheduled public hearings for MGM on Dec. 9 and Wynn Resorts on Dec. 16, respectively, in Boston to release and discuss reports by the agency’s investigators on the suitability of each of the two companies to apply for licenses to operate casinos in the state.

The commission will hold hearings on the reports on those dates and then will likely vote later on whether the companies have passed background checks and are suitable to apply for final licenses to operate casinos, said Elaine Driscoll, communications director for the commission.

In the reports, investigators might make recommendations on the suitability of the two companies. If found suitable, the companies could submit final applications for the casinos.

Longmeadow residents will see a 2.7 percent increase in their taxes in 2014.

 

LONGMEADOW – The fiscal 2014 tax rate has increased by $1.61 per $1,000 assessed valuation, said Robert P. Leclair, the principal assessor in Longmeadow.

On Nov. 18, the Select Board voted to keep a single tax rate for all classes of property.

The new tax rate has been set at $23.15 per $1,000 of assessed valued.

Leclaire said the increase is due to the normal 2 ½ percent allowable under Proposition 2½ as well as the excludable debt from school projects, new growth and an overall decrease in residential property values.

The average single family home in Longmeadow is assessed for about $326,500, down from last year's $341,789. That means that the owner of the average home will see an increase of about $192 in his tax bill from the previous year, from $7,366 to $7,558.

Although the Longmeadow High School project has been completed it will take several years for the town to pay off its $44 million portion of the building. The state School Building Authority has reimbursed the town $34 million for the project.

Third quarter real estate and personal property tax bills will go out at the end of December.

The annual impact of the increase will be split between the remaining two bills which are due Feb. 1 and May 1.

Leclair said Feb. 1 is also the deadline for filing abatement applications if a property owner believes the value to be excessive.

Questions about the assessed value should be addressed to the Assessors’ Office at (413) 565-4115. Questions about payments should be handled by the Collector’s Office at (413) 567-1066.

Hard copies of assessed values are available at the Assessors’ Office in Town Hall, the Council on Aging and Storrs Library.

The rate is not finalized until it is approved by the state Department of Revenue.

Ludlow Town HallRepublican file photo 

LUDLOW - The Board of Assessors on Tuesday presented a proposed fiscal 2014 tax rate of $17.31 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Assessors Chairman Beverly Barry said the proposed rate is 14 cents more than last year’s rate of $17.17 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

The new rate is contingent upon approval by the state Department of Revenue, Barry said.

The average home in town is valued at $210,600, Barry said.

That is an $800 increase over last year’s average home, which was valued at $209,800, she said.

On the average $210,600 home, the tax rate will increase by $22 for fiscal 2014, or $5.50 per quarter, Barry said.

Selectmen at Tuesday’s meeting approved a single tax rate for residential, commercial and industrial property.

Selectman Brian Mannix said he favored splitting the tax rate so that commercial and residential properties would pay a greater share of the tax burden, but the other selectmen said they were opposed.

Mannix said he commercial property owners could better afford a higher tax rate.

He said he wanted to give residential taxpayers a break.

“Times are still tough, and people are still struggling,” Mannix said.

Finance Committee Chairman Maureen Downing said commercial taxpayers could afford a split rate once the percentage of commercial and industrial taxpayers increases to 30 percent of the taxes paid.

Currently, residential and commercial taxes are 18 percent of the taxes paid.

“The best way to encourage commercial growth is to keep a single tax rate,” Selectman Aaron Saunders said.

He said he would consider a split rate when the percentage of taxes paid by commercial and industrial users reaches 25 percent.

“We have a number of Mom and Pop businesses in town,” Selectmen Chairman William Rooney said. “We want relief for all taxpayers.”

Selectmen voted 4 to 1 to approve a single tax rate for fiscal 2014. Mannix opposed the single rate.

Once the state Department of Revenue approves a tax rate, tax bills will go out by Dec. 31, Barry said.

The action, which means the state would pay 57 percent of the costs, is the first step to determine whether the 73-year old structure should be repaired, or if building a new school is the best option for the town.

Granby selectman Mark Bail chairs the school building committeeJim Russell 

GRANBY – The Massachusetts School Building Authority approved Granby's request to fund an $800,000 feasiblity study for the aging West Street School at its November meeting.

The action, which means the state would pay 57 percent of the costs, is the first step to determine whether the 73-year-old structure should be repaired, or if building a new school is the best option for the town.

Contacted Tuesday, Granby Selectman Mark Bail, who chairs the town’s school building committee, said selecting a project manager to oversee the work is the next step.

He said a three-person subcommittee would vet the applicants wishing to serve as the project manager. That panel includes Town Administrator Chris Martin, school Superintendent Isabelina Rodriguez, and architect Jim Morrissey.

Now “we can conduct a feasibility study and can expect 57.11 percent reimbursement. It allows us to hire a project manager so we can study the existing building and develop options for dealing with that building,” Bail said.

The only down side is the town must pay for the entire $800,000 estimated cost of the study before the state will reimburse it, Bail said.

“That is not typically the case, but we have the money in the stabilization account to pay for the town’s share,” he said.

In an email, the authority said the Granby project is eligible to access the state agency for technical assistance and guidance. Granby must utilize “MSBA-specific procurement processes and contracts to procure a team of professionals.”

Once a decision is made whether to build or renovate, the town can apply for state funding to pay for the construction costs.

An increase would have raised the average sewer-rate payer's bill to $540 a year from the current $486.

HOLYOKE -- The City Council Tuesday voted 9-6 against an 11 percent increase in the sewer rate.

Supporters of the increase said the city by failing to provide extra sewer-fund revenue now only assures taxpayers -- some of whom aren't on the city sewer system -- must pay later for a sewer fund deficit of nearly $900,000.

But councilors who voted against the increase said United Water, the private company that runs the wastewater treatment plant on Berkshire Street, and the Department of Public Works failed to address councilors' questions.

Such questions include current and projected United Water expenses, whether such expenses can be cut and why more isn't being done such as hiring a collection agency to track down delinquent sewer bills instead of hitting rate-payers with an increase, they said.

The current sewer rate is $5.40 per 1,000 gallons of usage for an average 90,000 gallons used, or $486 a year for the average household.

To eliminate the deficit, the council Ordinance Committee had recommended the rate rise to $6. That would increase the average household sewer-use fee to $540 a year.

The council on Nov. 19 left the proposed sewer rate increase on the table. So while the item was on Tuesday's agenda, some councilors expected that it would stay there for a future meeting.

But Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin moved to remove the item from the table for a vote. Numerous factors are at play, councilors said.

The City Council later this month will vote to set the new tax rate. Such a vote can happen only when the budget is balanced. Costs are outpacing revenue in the sewer fund, so a cash transfer would be needed to cover that fund's deficit before a tax-rate vote.

What's unfair about that, McGiverin and others said, is not all taxpayers are on city sewer lines. Some in West Holyoke have private sewer systems, for example. Why make them pay for a service they don't get, he asked, rhetorically.

"That in itself is a travesty. That in itself is wrong," McGiverin said.

Councilor at Large James M. Leahy said the travesty was United Water taking so long to answer councilors' questions about its expenses and the need for more effort to reap revenue by hunting down delinquent sewer bills.

"It's not quite clear," council President Kevin A. Jourdain said.

Voting in favor of the sewer rate increase were councilors Anthony Soto, Gordon P. Alexander, Gladys Lebron-Martinez, Rebecca Lisi, McGiverin and Aaron M. nVega.

Voting no were councilors Peter R. Tallman, Linda L. Vacon, David K. Bartley, Jason P. Ferreira, Brenna Murphy McGee, Todd A. McGee, Daniel B. Bresnahan, Leahy and Jourdain.

A man with a gunshot wound walked into Mercy Medical Center on Tuesday evening, but police are still trying to figure out where and under what circumstances he was shot.

SPRINGFIELD — A man with a gunshot wound walked into the emergency department at Mercy Medical Center on Tuesday evening, but investigators are still trying to figure out where and under what circumstances he was shot, police said.

The man, whose name was not released to the press, has since been transferred to Baystate Medical Center, where he was being treated last night, said police Lt. Alberto Ayala.

Reports on his condition were not available.

The man apparently drove himself to Mercy and walked into the emergency department at around 8:30 p.m.

The man told detectives that he had been shot in the area of Plainfield Street in the Brightwood neighborhood in the North End, but Ayala said his story is considered "sketchy" by investigators.

"We're not sure where it happened," he said.

The police Criminal Investigation Bureau is investigating.

Ludlow became the 1st surrounding community to sign a mitigation agreement with MGM Resorts International for its proposed Springfield casino after members of the town Select Board endorsed the pact at Tuesday's meeting.

LUDLOW — Ludlow became the first surrounding community to sign a mitigation agreement with MGM Resorts International for its proposed Springfield casino after members of the town Select Board endorsed the pact at Tuesday's meeting.

 

Ludlow Town Select board member Aaron Saunders told CBS 3 Springfield, the media partner of The Republican and MassLive, that MGM will provide Ludlow with an annual payment of $75,000 a year.

Ludlow and MGM will now hire a third party group that will look into the effects the casino would have on the town if it is built, CBS 3 reports.

MGM is proposing an $800 million casino in the South End of Springfield. The project was solidly endorsed by Springfield voters in July, while competing plans by Hard Rock International and Mohegan Sun were rejected by voters in West Springfield and Palmer, respectively.

Although MGM is the lone proposal still standing in Western Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission still has the final say about the project.

Before any casino is given a green light, Massachusetts is requiring developers to reach separate, written mitigation agreements with each community that might border or be close to a "host" community.

Several towns that surround Springfield have passed non-binding referendums against a Springfield casino.

The Gaming Commission will take the opinions of surrounding towns into account when deciding where a casino would go in Western Massachusetts.

Bouquillon was put on paid administrative leave after her arrest. She retired from her job with the city on June 5, according to the office of Mayor David J. Narkewicz.

Karen BouquillonMichael Pattavina 

Karen Bouquillon, 56, of Montgomery was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, illegal possession of a firearm and five counts of illegal possession of prescription medications as a result of the April 28 incident.

Northampton police arrived at Hatfield Street to find Bouquillon’s Suburu crushed against a tree. A utility trailer she had been towing had been separated from the car and was also damaged. According to police reports, an officer detected the odor of alcohol on Bouquillon’s breath.

Police later found a can of pepper spray and some vials of prescription medications in the car. Bouquillon admitted that she was supposed to destroy the pepper spray, which was handed over to the Department of Public Works by police, but kept it instead. Prosecutors maintained that Bouquillon also kept the medications, which were turned in to the city at a Drug Take Back event the day before, but Bouquillon’s lawyer said some of the drugs were prescribed to her.

Bouquillon was put on paid administrative leave after her arrest. She retired from her job with the city on June 5, according to the office of Mayor David J. Narkewicz.

In October, Bouquillon admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding on one of the drug counts in Northampton District Court. Two other drug charges were continued without a finding until Oct. 17, 2015, and two more dismissed, as were the negligent operation count and the firearms charge, which pertained to the pepper spray. Bouquillon admitted to sufficient facts on the operating under the influence count.

As a result of her admissions, Bouquillon can take no unauthorized drugs and may not volunteer for drug take back events until Oct. 17, 2014. She was also fined a total of $600 and had her license suspended for 45 days.[

Blanchette asked if another voting location could be found so Converse Middle School would not have to be used.

 

PALMER - The School Committee and Town Council met recently in a joint session to discuss school funding issues and the overall state of the schools.

School Committee Chairman Gary Blanchette told the council how pleased the committee was to be able to meet to brainstorm ways to move forward together.

"It's no surprise how the town is at a crossroads - a little bit fractured, a little bit divided. I hope this can be a step in moving us in the right direction and starting the healing process," Blanchette said. "We're here to let you know we need help."

Blanchette said he hoped that these meetings could happen more often as the budget process moves along. Topics covered at the meeting included minimum net school spending given to the schools, location of future voting, the carpet problem at Old Mill Pond Elementary School, and budget cuts over the last several years.

While a Facebook page had been created in response to the meeting to "Save Converse Middle School from closing," officials did not discuss shutting the town's oldest school.

Finance Director Brad Brothers said a school closure or cuts to athletic, transportation or arts programs could be eventual possibilities if budget problems continue, but stressed nothing is set in stone.

Superintendent Thomas A. Charko said carpet replacement needs to happen at Old Mill Pond after mold issues there this summer forced the school opening to be delayed a week.

State officials recommended that the 1991 carpet be replaced; mold grew on the carpets due to food left behind, combined with unusually hot and humid weather.

Charko said the goal is to replace all the carpeting, a costly project that preliminary estimates have pegged at $1 million.

"We're going to need help to do that," Charko said.

Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said Reinhardt Associates has been selected to study options for flooring replacement. The council recently approved spending $20,000 for the study.

Blanchette asked if another voting location could be found so Converse Middle School would not have to be used. He cited concerns about school safety and learning disruptions. He mentioned using St. Thomas Church or the Palmer Public Library as alternatives. School was closed for the Nov. 5 Mohegan Sun casino vote.

At-large Town Councilor Paul E. Burns noted the issue has come up before, but nothing changed.

"It certainly makes sense to me to get it out of the school," Burns said.

Blanchard said it can be studied. School Committee member David Lynch said Wilbraham holds its town elections on Saturdays, something Palmer also could consider.

Brothers discussed ongoing issues, such as fluctuating special education costs, declining enrollment and decreasing grants. Since fiscal 2001, the student population is down 716 students. Employees dropped from 290 to 220 in that time, he said. School officials said an early retirement incentive will be offered again to help control costs.

Blanchard showed figures that put Palmer's per pupil spending at $12,541, above that of Belchertown at $11,396; Monson, $11,811; Easthampton, $11,382; and Ware, $11,919. He said school funding has increased $843,000 from the tax levy over the last three years. The total fiscal 2014 school budget was $14.7 million.

Town Council Vice President Barbara A. Barry said, "It's not a matter of not wanting to give more money to the schools. It's not there."

Amherst looking at ways to prevent housing subsidies from decreasing.

AMHERST – The Amherst Housing Authority Board of Commissioners is looking at every avenue possible to avoid reducing section 8 rental housing voucher payments.

The commission met Tuesday evening and heard from many not to cut subsidies. Some proposed alternatives to reducing them.

“None of us want to have program participants have to pay more. It’s just a matter of whether we can make it,” said Denise LeDuc, authority executive director. But the authority is looking at a $154,000 shortfall. “It’s our best guess scenario,” she said. And its has to find a way to meet it.

The commission meets again Dec. 12.

Voucher amounts are based on many factors including income and the geographical area in which the vouchers are issued.

Years ago the town applied to the federal department of Housing and Urban Development for a waiver to raise the payment standard for Amherst to 120 percent of the fair market rent.

Amherst is part of the Springfield “Metropolitan Statistical Area,” which establishes the standards, but Amherst rents are much higher than those averages, in part because of a large student population that drives up the costs.

The authority could vote to reduce the percentage, which means tenants would have to pay more. Town officials will ask the Community Preservation Act Committee for funding to cover the deficit and LeDuc said she will find out whether HUD would accept it. Money from the preservation act can be used for affordable housing.

Initially the authority was facing about a $250,000 shortfall but 20 fewer people are now receiving vouchers - 393 down from 413, LeDuc said.

The authority cannot issue new ones with the funding shortfall. She said the person at the top of the waiting list applied for a voucher in June of 2008.

If subsidies do decrease they would not be immediate unless commissioners applied for an immediate waiver to change the funding standard and HUD approved it, LeDuc said. She said the housing agency “has not approved any immediate waivers in 2013.”

 

The resident of the home at 33 Lorimer St., Michael Spillane, 39, had been under investigation for two months for selling handguns and marijuana from that address.

Michael Spillane 

SPRINGFIELD - A police raid of an Indian Orchard home Tuesday afternoon as part of an investigation into possible illegal gun sales revealed the suspect also had a marijuana operation set up in the basement, according to police.

Members of the Springfield police along with the state police Warrant Apprehension section and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Task Force executed a search warrant at 33 Lorimer St. just after 10 a.m., said Sgt. John Delaney, aide to Police Commissioner William Fitchet.

The resident of the home, Michael Spillane, 39, had been under investigation for two months for possibly selling handguns and marijuana from that address.

When police approached his house, Spillane attempted to escape out a second-floor rear window, but when he saw the property was surrounded, he went back inside to wait for police, Delaney said.

A search of the property uncovered a .22-caliber handgun and several rounds of ammunition. In the basement, police found a marijuana cultivation operation complete with hydroponic lights and a heating and water filtration system, Delaney said.

Spillane was charged with possession of a firearm without out a license, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, unlicensed sale of a firearm, possession of a firearm with a prior felony conviction, and the manufacture or cultivation of marijuana.

State police said they stopped Lebron because he was driving with an invalid inspection sticker.

Republican fille photo 

SPRINGFIELD - A state police trooper, stopping a 24-year-old city man in the Forest Park neighborhood Monday night for having an invalid inspection sticker, arrested him after determining that he was a habitual traffic offender driving with a revoked license.

Trooper Brian Clapprood stopped the suspect’s brown Honda Accord at about 9:30 p.m. at Oakland and Orange streets, Trooper Nicole Morrell, a state police spokeswoman said.

In Massachusetts, a habitual traffic offender is any driver who over a 5-year-period has been convicted three or more times on motor vehicle violations, including driving while drunk or on drugs, driving to endanger, operating a vehicle without a license, or using a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony.

A habitual traffic offender has their license revoked by the registry and is not allowed to have it restored for four years.

State police did not specify what offenses Lebrun had been convicted of to earn the habitual traffic offender designation.

Joshua Lebron was charged with refusing to identify himself and operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license as a habitual traffic offender.

The tax rate for Springfield homeowners matched last year's rate, but the average bill for a single-family home will rise.

SPRINGFIELD — The City Council voted Wednesday to keep the tax rate for homeowners at $19.71 for fiscal year 2014, the same as last year, but the average annual tax bill for a single-family home will rise by $91 due to an overall increase in property values.

The council vote was 11-1 in favor of setting the residential tax rate at $19.71 per $1,000 property valuation. In addition, the council set the commercial-industrial-personal property tax rate at $39.04, an increase of six cents per $1,000 valuation compared to last year’s rate.

“I think it was fair to everybody — to the residents and to the businesses,” said Councilor Clodovaldo Concepcion, chairman of the Finance Committee and its special tax rate subcommittee. “There is no way you can please everybody.”

There were three hearings on the tax rate, and the committee worked hard in considering the rates, Concepcion said. The hearings were attended by just a few people, he said.

Councilor John Lysak cast the sole vote against the new rates and Councilor Kateri Walsh was absent. Lysak said he cast the vote against the new rates because he is concerned about increasing taxes when times are difficult and unemployment is high.

The average single-family tax bill will rise from $2,507 in fiscal 2013, to $2,598 this fiscal year. Seventy-one percent of the homeowners will have some increase, and more than half of those receiving an increase will be $150 or less, Board of Assessors Chairman Richard Allen said.

The new tax rates are for the current fiscal year that began July 1, 2013 and ends June 30, 2014. The city sent out estimated bills for the first two quarters of the year, and will send actual, adjusted bills for the final two quarters, officials said.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno recommended the residential rate remain at $19.71.

Jeffrey S. Ciuffreda, executive director of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, had recommended on behalf of the chamber that the residential rate be four cents higher, at $19.75, and the business rate be reduced to $38.93. While the chamber knows that the economy is difficult for businesses and homeowners, it had hoped its proposed rates to slightly ease the business tax rate burden would be one incentive for creation of jobs, he said.

Allen said that after repeated declines in the city’s total property valuation in recent years, the values rose from about $6.7 billion in fiscal year 2013 to $6.9 billion in fiscal 2014.

The average single-family home rose in value from $127,200 in fiscal 2013 to $131,800 in fiscal 2014, according to assessors' records.

Last December, when new tax rates were set for fiscal 2013, the average annual bill for a single-family home decreased by about $146.

Allen said that out of 2,200 commercial properties in Springfield, 1,955 will have some increase. Of those, 1,649 would face an increase in their bills of $50 or less.

The Springfield ordinance to regulate the mobile food trucks follows a home bill that passed the City Council but never passed the Massachusetts Legislature.

SPRINGFIELD — The City Council will consider a new ordinance to regulate roadside food trucks through a permit process and with conditions to protect public safely.

A proposed Mobile Food Truck ordinance was presented to the council’s Public Health and Safety Committee on Wednesday, and if passed by the full council would create a committee to oversee and grant permits for the roadside trucks, such as parked hot dog vendors.

Representatives of the police, health and public works departments and of the downtown business district said they believe the draft ordinance provides a needed course of action to regulate the businesses properly.

“It looks like a hopeful situation,” said John C. Verducci III, who has operated a food truck downtown for about 28 years and attended the meeting. “It looks they are really working on it fast and looks like they want to resolve this issue.”

In 2010, the council approved a home rule bill that was intended to set guidelines for licensing and regulating of food vendors. However, the bill never received subsequent approval needed from the state Legislature and thus never took effect, officials said.

City ordinances, in contrast, do not require state legislative approval, and the proposal considered Wednesday is similar to a local law in Boston, said Anthony Wilson of the city Law Department.

The issue resurfaced in November when Verducci appeared before the council and said he was getting parking tickets on a daily basis because the home rule bill never passed. He was ticketed for having an unattached trailer in the road beyond a two-hour parking limit.

Councilor Thomas M. Ashe, chairman of the public safety committee, said he is optimistic that the proposal can be reviewed, improved and finalized within about 45 days.

“I think it’s time there are uniform standards for food trucks across the city,” Ashe said. “My primary concern, as I stated, is how it is related to public safety. There isn’t any teeth in the regulations we have now. It’s very vague. This actually spells out what the regulations are in very clear terms.”

It provides guidelines for the police and health departments and the responsibilities of the vendors, he said.

Police Commissioner William Fitchet and Health Commissioner Helen R. Caulton Harris said their departments will work with councilors to address any public health and safety concerns.

The proposed Mobile Food Trucks Committee would consist of representatives of their departments along with the Fire Department, Assessing Department and Licensing Department.

Each applicant for a permit would have to provide a name, description of the business, proposed service route and locations or stationary location, proof of passage of inspection, proof of access to restroom and hand washing facilities and other materials, under the draft ordinance.

It would be subject to rules and regulations, such as not creating unreasonable noise, and complying with health and fire department regulations. The proposed ordinance suggests a $500 application fee and renewal fee.

Police said a man was openly doing cocaine on a motel bed when they executed a warrant.

HOLYOKE -- Police seized three handguns and some cocaine and other drugs in arresting two men and a woman at the Budget Inn, 579 Northampton St.

The arrest occurred Tuesday just before 7 p.m. as police were executing an arrest warrant on a woman and saw a man openly using cocaine on a bed, Lt. Isaias Cruz said Wednesday.

Jose Kuilan, 24, and Angel Kuilan, 28, who gave the Budget Inn as their address, both were charged with three counts of possession of a firearm without a state firearms identification card, possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card, possession of a large capacity feeding device for a gun, meaning one that can load 10 or more rounds, and two counts of possession of stolen property, he said.

Angel Kulian also was charged with possession of cocaine, illegal possesson of Percocets and conspiracy to violate the drug law, he said.

Marilyn Martinez, 24, of 164 Sargeant St., the woman sought in the warrant, was charged with possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine and conspiracy to violate the drug law.

Police seized a .38-caliber Colt Special revolver, a Smith and Wesson 9mm and a .40-caliber Taurus pistol, he said.

Police also seized 8 grams of cocaine, 2 1/2 grams of marijuana and 45 Percocets, along with $950 in cash, he said.

The Kuilans and Martinez were scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Holyoke District Court, he said.

The couple was going through a Dunkin' Donuts drive-through when police boxed them in.

A new Palmer police cruiser, with the new black and white design. Lori StabileThe Republican / Lori Stabile 

PALMER - Palmer police arrested a 20-year-old Randall Street man on drug charges as part of an investigation into heroin sales in the downtown area.

Matthew R. Chichakly, of 33 Randall St., was arrested on Nov. 30, just after 7:30 p.m. Police boxed him in as he was going through the drive-through at Dunkin' Donuts on North Main Street, Sgt. Christopher J. Burns said.

Chichakly was charged with hashish possession, and possession with intent to distribute heroin and oxycodone.

His passenger, Sara J. Seymour, 22, of 1608 North Main St., was charged with possession of hydrocodone, police said.

Sgt. Christopher J. Burns said police obtained a search warrant for Chichakly's apartment, where they found 200 bags of heroin, $6,500 in cash and 129 oxycodone pills.

Chichakly and Seymour denied the charges at their arraignments Monday in Palmer District Court before Judge Michael Mulcahy, who set bail at $750 for Chichakly and released Seymour on $1,000 personal surety. Chichakly must remain drug free and submit to random screens and return to court on Dec. 30 for a pretrial hearing. Seymour's next court date is Feb. 5.

According to court documents, Detective Sgt. Scott E. Haley said the investigation began after reports of heroin sales in the downtown area.

Chichakly's court file includes a statement by him which states that he was allegedly selling heroin because "the profit was good and that was why I did it. I wanted to support my family."