LONGMEADOW – The Longmeadow Select Board met for a regularly scheduled meeting on July 20 to approve a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis, a continued public hearing over installing a new utility pole on Williams Street, and to make Greenwood Center the new polling location for the fall elections.

As one of the first orders of business at the meeting Town Manager Lyn Simmons announced that the town had opened two satellite offices in the Community House.

She said, “They will be staffed by the treasurer collector’s office on one side and the town clerk on the other. They’re open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon.”

Simmons added that residents can set up meetings with other departments in the Community House as well by phone appointment.

During the meeting, the select board continued the public hearing over a petition for the implementation of a new utility pole on Williams Street by Verizon from its July 6 meeting.

Joe McCarthy, the engineer who designed the project, jumped into the call to explain the necessity for the new utility pole.

He said, “Eversource intends to install a new meter coming out of their substation on Williams Street. It’s for load growth, relief load, and reliability. In order to do that they need to upgrade the utility poles on the road and in some cases reduce long spans between poles.”

Former Tree Warden David Marinelli jumped into the call to express his concerns over installing larger poles. “It seems like a number of poles are being replaced with taller poles all along Williams Street and that does have a significant impact on the trees. A number of trees will need their large branches pruned off which will have a negative impact on the trees,” he said.

Ultimately, the board approved a motion to accept the project on the conditions that Verizon be responsible for moving the pole if necessary and replacing any trees that have to be removed or substantially trimmed.

The next order of business was further discussion about the resolution to declare racism a public health crisis in Longmeadow after it was initially brought forward at the July 6 meeting.

During resident comments, several residents voiced support for the proposed resolution. One resident, Bill Johnson, said he has never felt welcome and saw racism as a problem in the town.

He said, “In the 11 years I have been here, I have never, ever, felt welcome. I have neighbors who have never said hello to me, waved to me, or never welcomed me into the neighborhood. As I look through town, I can share with you that I know people of color have left town because of their experience at LHS and lack of support from staff, or the same experience I had.”

He added that he has never seen a person of color in the police department, fire department, or any of the other departments in Town Hall.

Board Vice Chair Marc Strange said he was again in favor of the resolution and said, “I think the result is really good, it’s impactful, and I think it will move the town ahead in a way we haven’t done so before. I foresee this as the beginning of a working group that has tentacles that reach through the town. This is long overdue, but the time is right.”

The board unanimously approved the resolution.

During the meeting, the board also voted to move article 14 from the Annual Town Meeting to raise the tax levy, which was shot down at the meeting, to the Annual Town Meeting in 2021 when the board can properly present the issue.

As part of the board’s annual business, it also approved the auditor engagement for the town’s 2020 fiscal year audit.

With the 2020 primaries and presidential election looming, the Longmeadow Select Board also discussed moving the polling location from the Community House to Greenwood Center to accommodate any restrictions caused by COVID-19.

Simmons explained the restrictions that would be in place on election day and said, “It splits up the five building precincts into separate sides of the building. It would be one-way traffic in each hallway and then you would exit out on the daycare side or adult center entrance. It has adequate parking and we would add additional handicap parking for that day.”

She added that the town would also use the center as a place for early voting as well.

The board ultimately agreed to make Greenwood Center the town’s new polling location for the state primary on Sept. 1 and presidential election on Nov. 3.

The Longmeadow Select Board next meets on Aug. 3.