The City Council has approved borrowing $129,465 to construct building to store items the Building Maintenance Department buys in bulk.
AGAWAM – The City Council has authorized borrowing $129,465 to construct a building on Main Street for a storage area for the Building Maintenance Department.
The council voted 9-0 to take that action last week at the request of Anthony Albro, director of building maintenance.
The building is needed because the department has been asked to move out of its current quarters at Agawam High School, according to him. It will be used to store paper supplies and other materials the city buys in bulk to save money.
Mayor Richard A. Cohen said the space at the high school is needed for a television studio for video production and classes to help maintain the school’s accreditation. The building will create a central shipping and receiving area that Cohen said will eventually track material electronically.
“I think this is great,” Cohen said of the vote.
The building will be constructed at 1347 Main St. next to the old Department of Public Works facility, which will be used to house the rest of the Building Maintenance Department’s operations.
The vote will allow the city to hire the low bidder for the project. R.A.C. Builders Inc.
City Councilors Robert E. Rossi and George Bitzas said they feel that although times are tough the community really has no choice but to construct the building because of the savings that are realized through bulk buying.
“There is really no place else to store the supplies,” Rossi said, explaining that the city needs the building to keep its ability to save money by buying in bulk.
“I know it is tough economic times, but this is a necessity, not a luxury. The more we wait the more the cost will be,” Bitzas said.
City Councilors James P. Cichetti and Dennis J. Perry voted against the borrowing.
Given that city employees have been asked to agree to a pay freeze and the School Department is laying off workers, Cichetti said he would have liked to have waited on making a decision at least until the mayor releases his proposed fiscal year 2012 budget.
Cichetti said it is time for officials to “think outside the box” to resolve the problem.