Agawam City Councilor George Bitzas holds up a copy of the council’s rules after it was found his comments from the Feb. 17 were legal under the council’s rules.
Photo credit: Agawam Media
AGAWAM — After paying off a loan for a golf cart 22 months early, the Agawam Municipal Golf Course was recognized at the Agawam City Council’s March 2 meeting.
The recognition for the course came with a resolution to transfer $507,866 in retained earnings from the Municipal Golf Fund to the Municipal Golf Stabilization fund. With this appropriation, the town had paid off a loan for a new golf cart with interest 22 months early.
Councilor Robert Rossi said he was happy to see the loan paid early despite some of the pushback the council has received about the course.
“I’m very happy to show the community that the golf course is alive and well, and thriving, and I think they should be applauded for that,” he said.
Councilor Anthony Suffriti said that paying the loan off early highlighted the leadership in town as well as at the golf course.
“To have a mayor who actually said they’re going to repay it back not only just repay it back, but with interest and now 22 months early, that goes to show you the kind of leadership we have in our administration but more importantly it shows you the kind of leader we have up at that golf course,” Suffriti said. “He’s a great asset as he runs that golf course, allowing it to continue to grow and build, it’s a great asset to have.”
Councilor George Bitzas reflected on the challenges getting the golf course into the shape it is now.
“We worked very hard for that golf course, the mayor and I was the main forces to get that golf course with many, many opposition, but we did it, it’s working and pays well, and everybody’s happy now,” he said.
In the final portion of the meeting, where councilors are allowed to speak about any matter that may legally come before it, Bitzas discussed his response to public comments and comments made about him and on social media at the council’s Feb. 17 meeting after he said he did not want Agawam to become an “extreme, radical, left-liberal” city by adopting an ordinance that would have allowed municipal benefits for domestic partners.
At that meeting, Council President Anthony Russo said that Bitzas’ comments were against the rules but following the Feb. 17 meeting, Bitzas said he received an email from Russo after he spoke to the law department and the city solicitor stating that his comments were legal.
“I did check with the city solicitor, I met with him, he viewed the tapes, we went over the rules of the council, and he did rule there were no violations of it that evening,” Russo said.
Bitzas pushed back against Rossi and Councilor Rosemary Sandlin, who was absent, after they had both made point of order objections during Bitzas’ comments at the Feb. 17 meeting.
“I’m not going to start to criticize the left or the right councilors that have suggested that we cannot talk at our time here and not have a response,” he said.
Bitzas also held up a copy of the council’s rules and said, “I hope we make some copies for some people that should know the rules.”
During his comments, Rossi said that freedom of speech does not protect all kinds of speech.
“Freedom of speech according to the First Amendment of the Constitution is not absolute, there is limitations by government and there should be limitations by the City Council. You cannot say what’s on your mind anytime you want for any purpose you feel necessary, it has limitations,” Rossi said.
In response Bitzas said, “He is absolutely wrong, Freedom of Speech is for everybody.”
During the meeting the council also recognized the Rosie Robotics team, which is ranked sixth in Massachusetts, 13th in New England, 116th in the country and 145th in the world out of over 3,700 teams across the globe.
The Agawam City Council next meets on March 16.
