Agawam mayoral debate was mannerly, substantial and long

AGAWAM - The candidates for mayor covered a lot of ground at their first debate Wednesday morning at Chez Josef, the scene of a well-attended business breakfast hosted by the West of the River Chamber of Commerce.

The candidates -- James P. Cichetti, Vakny Chonmany and William P. Sapelli -- cited their commitment to Agawam and fleshed out political platforms with similar themes: taxes, housing, education, economic development and public safety. But they mostly focused on what sort of experience and skills they would bring to the $85,000-a-year job.

The master of ceremonies for the two-hour session was West Springfield Mayor William C. Reichelt, who briefly addressed the big crowd before passing the mic to debate moderator Robert MacDonald, executive director of the Work Opportunity Center in Agawam.

All debate questions were submitted in advance to the West of the River Chamber, said Robin Wozniak, WRC's executive director. The first half of the debate featured questions submitted by the public and chamber members, with candidates responding to queries read by MacDonald, while the second half featured a Lincoln-Douglas-style format, with candidates posing questions to each other.

The exchanges between the candidates, not all of whom were asked the same questions, were mannerly with no interruptions or off-the-cuff remarks.

Outgoing Mayor Richard A. Cohen, now a candidate for Agawam City Council, was not mentioned by name, but there were multiple references to the "mayor" and his "administration."

Cichetti, president of the City Council, said he would bring "positive change" to the mayor's office by improving communication between the city's top official and councilors and department heads. Cichetti, who has publicly criticized Cohen's leadership, pledged to "bring all parties together" to ensure officials are on the same page.

Asked what he believes the biggest issue facing Agawam is, Cichetti, an Agawam native who owns a real estate business, was quick to respond. "The lack of leadership," he said. "I feel the leadership that we have in our current administration is just very combative."

When asked the same question, Chonmany, a small business owner and boxing coach who was born in Laos, said he believes Agawam is a good community that is doing well.

"It depends on how you define 'the biggest problem.' I mean, I'm not going to go talk in circles, because every issue could be the biggest problem," he said. "It's how we look at it and how we perceive it, and that's what we have to look at."

"Right now, we really don't have a lot of big issues in our town, only concerns for the citizens," he said, adding that he plans to make fighting blight and keeping taxes low his main platform issues.

Sapelli, a 40-year educator who retired as superintendent of Agawam Public Schools in July, said the biggest problem in Agawam at the moment is the political sniping and the negative tenor and tone of city government.

"I don't believe government is functioning in the way it should be right now. I think we have too many people in government presently that are taking an approach that it's about them instead of about the residents, quite frankly," he said.

"If we don't get our act together as a group to govern properly ... we're not going to be in here too long," he said, referring to voters' ability to sack ineffective leaders.

On the issue of potential fallout from MGM Springfield, which is slated to open across the river from Agawam in fall 2018, the candidates expressed concerns about public safety, the casino's ability to serve alcohol until 4 a.m., and other problems that may arise.

"I have a huge concern with something like that," Sapelli said of the 4 a.m. closing time, "because you're not immune to having people come over the bridge and come into Agawam for a variety of reasons after that happens. It creates problems for us."

Sapelli said he is also concerned about zoning issues that may arise in Agawam due the presence of a gambling facility across the river. As an example, he cited the possibility of pawnshops proliferating in Agawam unless city leaders take a proactive approach to zoning, rather than a reactive approach.

"When people are desperate for money, they're going to start pawning off their jewelry, or things of that nature," Sapelli said. "Pawnshops will be popping up all over the place if we don't get out in front of that and set up a zoning overlay, where, if they do come in, we can control where they go and make sure we're protecting our community."

Agawam has a habit of trying to come up with a plan after the fact, according to Sapelli. "We're constantly being reactive instead of proactive," he said.

Cichetti echoed similar concerns in regard to the casino, saying the safety and protection of Agawam "taxpayers and businesses" should be the top priority of city leaders.

"I think the major concern of this issue is the safety aspect of it," he said, adding that Agawam should renegotiate its mitigation plan with MGM for additional funding, so the financial burden does not fall on city taxpayers.

"Your'e going to have people leaving that casino at 3:30 or 4 o'clock in the morning, and that is going to put a little bit more stress on our local police," Cichetti said.

Cichetti asked the former school superintendent to identify the city's "most pressing capital need." Before responding, Sapelli said the problem stems from one person making decisions about capital projects, rather than a group of people making decisions together. He pledged to involve all stakeholders in the process.

"I think the days of one individual making these important decisions has got to stop," he said.

Sapelli identified roads, sidewalks and new buildings, such as an early childhood center, police station and town hall, as items that should be placed on a capital improvement priority list.

However, he also cautioned against making plans that are never realized, reiterating his concerns about too many plans and not enough action. "Once again, not just develop a plan, but actually utilize the plan, put it into action," Sapelli said.

Cichetti asked Chonmany if he supported the idea of building large-scale solar facilities in Agawam's agricultural zones. "Leave it up to the people," Chonmany said. "Put it on the ballot."

Cichetti said he supports the idea, while Sapelli raised concerns about "spot zoning," or granting a use classification that differs from the classification of surrounding land within the same zoning category.

Looking ahead to January 2018, when the next mayor of Agawam is scheduled to be sworn in for a two-year term, Sapelli was asked what the first 100 days of his administration might look like.

Lots of meetings with department heads to "set goals and objectives," he said. "It's all about communication. It's all about being visible. It's all about being out there."

The No. 1 skill a mayor, the CEO of a municipality, should bring to the table is the ability to unite people so they feel supported and valued, Sapelli said. "Get people to know who you are. Get people to know you care," he said.

Chonmany said he is "uniquely qualified" to be mayor because of his background, describing an early life that resembled a veritable Horatio Alger story: He was born in Laos, where he experienced the tail end of the Vietnam War, spent time in a refugee camp in Thailand, then immigrated to the U.S. as a young boy.

In Agawam, Chonmany attended city schools, earned a bachelor's in computer science from Westfield State University, and worked in the software and information technology fields before starting his own boxing and muay thai business.

"I came from a world of nothing," said Chonmany, who arrived in America wearing only a T-shirt, pants and sandals.

As a lifelong boxer, Chonmany said he wants to fight for Agawam, and that includes fighting to keep taxes low. "I want to see this town in great shape," he said.

Cichetti said he worked his way "from the bottom up" and now owns a "thriving" real estate business. He began his career as a city councilor eight years ago, was elected council president, and is now seeking the office of mayor, he said.

Cichetti said his ambition, his experience in the private and public sectors, and his years of public service to Agawam as a coach and elected official are among his qualifications to be mayor.

"I think my uniqueness to communicate, to bring people together, to be accessible and to hold people accountable is ... going to make me a successful mayor," he said. "I want to be the leader of this community because I want to bring this community forward."

Sapelli said his roots run deep in Agawam, the city he has lived and worked in his entire life -- except for his college years at St. Anselm's in New Hampshire, where he earned a degree in economics. After graduation, he went on to earn a master's in education from American International College and an advanced graduate studies certificate in administration from Westfield State University.

"I've been running the school district for the past six years," said Sapelli, who retired in July.

As superintendent, Sapelli oversaw 700 employees, negotiated with five unions, and was responsible for the "safety and education" of 4,000 students, he said. He also oversaw an annual school district budget representing roughly 60 percent of the city's overall annual budget.

"It's been proven," Sapelli said of his ability to budget, manage and lead. "I think with me, what you see is what you get. ... I grew up in this town; you all know me."

Whenever people ask him why he is running for mayor after retiring as superintendent, Sapelli, who is in his sixties, has a standard response: "I still have a lot of energy," he said.

Sapelli also has a skill set "that lends itself to this job," he said. "I see Agawam in dire need of big changes."

Asked about the roughly $85,000 salary he would earn as mayor -- on top of his pension from the school district, where he earned over $165,000 annually as superintendent -- Sapelli said he long ago decided to forgo a career in the private sector, where some of his college buddies were earning two or three times more than his salary as a young teacher.

"But I decided I wanted to look at the bigger picture," Sapelli said, pursuing a public-sector job with the promise of a pension at the end of the line. "It's interesting, you know, that someone would even go there with an individual, because, quite frankly, your retirement is your retirement."

It is not unusual for some public-sector employees, especially people who retire from law enforcement jobs, to embark on post-retirement careers, he said. "Many of them start a new career, and I think that's a good thing," Sapelli said.

The preliminary election is Oct. 10, followed by the general election Nov. 7.

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