PRESS RELEASE:
HOLYOKE CITIZENS FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT
For more information:
Lillian Santiago-Bauza
Cell 413 427 7764 lsantiago@eldialogo.com
Co-chairs of the Holyoke Citizens group are:
Mara Dodge, tel. 413-534-3779 maradodge@hotmail.com
Helen Norris cell 413-531-3264 HelenNorrisWard3@aol.com
Holyoke Citizens For Open Government to Hold Public Meeting
Monday Nov. 15th 7 pm in Metcalfe School, 2019 Northampton Street
On Demands for Public Access to Information on
Proposed Privatization of Wastewater Treatment Plant
Featured Speaker: Lee Town representative, Dierdre Consolati, whose Concerned Citizens of Lee group defeated their town¹s proposed private contract for water and sewer last month after demanding public access to ongoing negotiations.
The Holyoke Citizens for Open Government invites the public to an informational meeting to examine the process of the city¹s negotiations with a private company to run the wastewater treatment plant of the city in a 20-year $100+ million contract.
The group last week succeeded in winning an extension on the deadline for public comment on the proposed contract to Nov. 29th from the Board of Public Works.
³We hadn¹t even been given a copy of the contract ourselves,² said Kevin Jourdain, city councilor-at-large, ³ at a meeting of the newly formed citizens group Monday Nov. 8th.²
The group is demanding an extension of the deadline for public comment to six weeks from the date the final contract is made available for review by all ratepayers. The group is also demanding that ratepayers be notified by postcard of the availability of the contract in public buildings and on-line and that a public meeting be called for questions after some time for review.
Five city councilors (one third of the council) have joined a group of citizens seeking a re-opening of the deadline for public comment on as-yet-to-be released contract for more public discussion. They are seeking more transparency in the process.
The citizens decided to invite Dierde Consolati, Lee Town Rep., whose Concerned Citizens of Lee successfully won access to a similar contract being proposed last month and launched a far-reaching citizens investigation into the process.
City councilors supporting the citizens group include: Jourdain, mentioned above; Helen Norris, Ward 3; Lilian Santiago. Ward 1; Mark A. Lubold, Ward 6, and Elaine Pluta, at-large. Holyoke citizens launching the group included Jeremy Smith, Ken Harstine, Sandra Ward, John Bates, Mara Dodge, John Treworgy, and Carolyn Oppenheim.
