The Easthampton City Council met on Jan. 7 to welcome its new members for the upcoming term.
Photo credit: E-Media
EASTHAMPTON — In its first regular meeting of 2026, the first with all of the newly-elected councilors and Koni Denham’s first as president, the Easthampton City Council set the stage for a successful and productive new year.
At the beginning of the Jan. 7 meeting, the council took a few moments to recognize the years of service of former president and current state Rep. Homar Gomez. Presenting him with a plaque, Denham noted that it had been “a great honor to work with you.”
Gomez thanked the council and said that it was also an honor for him to serve as council president. He recognized that the council has two women in its highest positions for the first time ever, Denham as president and Felicia Jadczak as vice president. “This is a great example of what we need,” said Gomez.
The day’s earlier events in Minneapolis, when an ICE agent shot and killed Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good, also weighed heavily on the proceedings.
Councilor James “JP” Kwiecenski rose during public comment time to speak as a private citizen and voice his concern over what happened. Later, Mayor Salem Derby spoke of the situation as well, noting that it’s important that people “know what’s happening now. It’s not okay, and it’s not normal.”
Affordable housing, as well as rent control, were also topics labeled as important to the council this year. The council is currently working on updates to the Affordable and Fair Housing Partnership zoning recommendations. It approved sending sections one to four to the Planning Board for a joint public hearing. Those deal with items like required minimum parking and a more inclusive definition of the term family. Denham explained that conversations about these topics have been happening for the last year or so. The council also mentioned that it will be seeking to work on issues with rent control in the coming months.
As the council discussed what it hopes to focus on in the coming months, many also congratulated the new members of the council. Derby expressed gratitude for the “capable and competent people to help lead the council forward,” while former mayoral candidate and Executive Assistant to the Mayor Lindsi Sekula offered her congratulations to the council, adding, “I’m just so proud of you all.”
