AGAWAM — The Agawam City Council last month accepted a $100,000 grant for road repairs from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, along with several other state grants.

City Councilor Dino Mercadante said, “This is to be used for engineering, consulting, redesign of the Suffield-Cooper and Rowley Street intersections. It’s made to the town in three payments and there is a specific purpose to these allocations by the Gaming Commission.”

He explained that the town applies and shows the need for this funding, and then the Gaming Commission approves it.

At its Dec. 20 meeting, the council also unanimously accepted a $14,300 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection to “implement specific programs [and] policies, proven to maximize reuse, recycling and waste reduction,” according to Mercadante, the chair of the council’s Finance Committee.

The council approved using $6,500 from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency “to purchase a portable weather station to assist in responding to emergencies for the town,” as Mercadante described it in his committee report. He added that this will be “useful” and “instrumental” when conducting search and rescue operations.

Council President Christopher Johnson read a resolution authorizing the appropriation of $4,606 from the Energy Management Project Stabilization Fund for costs related to the electric vehicle charging stations.
Mercadante explained that the money is taken from a fund that currently has over $100,000 in it. “It’s for subscriptions fees for all the charging stations. The service won’t be interrupted in the town, and the subscription fees are basically the payment processing.”

The council unanimously approved this resolution.

Tedeschi thanked

As the final meeting of 2021 was also the last with Mario Tedeschi as a councilor, the other members expressed their gratitude for his two years of service on the council, along with his work in town.
Tedeschi was unable to attend his farewell meeting.

Councilor Robert Rossi said, “Mario will be very much missed on the City Council. He has contributed quite a bit over the time he’s been here. He’ll be missed by everyone here and the townfolk, as well.”
Council Vice President Cecilia Calabrese added: “I appreciate all of the service that you’ve done — not only on the City Council but in the Golf Commission and all the other different commissions … you’re very engaged and a valuable citizen to our community and I hope you remain so.”

Johnson said, “To Mario — thank you for two very productive years of service. You are my friend — I value your guidance, I value your input — please stay involved in Agawam. He was [involved] before he was on the council, and I hope he will be after.”

Reappointment

The City Council approved the reappointment of Dean Godek to the Agawam Municipal Golf Commission, along with Marilyn Lake and Susan Cameron, to the Thomas Pyne Fund Commission. All of their terms will expire on Dec. 31, 2024.