Charter and Rules Committee Meeting December 9, 2025

Published December 5, 2025, 4:00 p.m.

City Council
Holyoke Massachusetts

Pursuant to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25,
Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025,
notice is hereby given of a meeting of the committee on
Charter and Rules

Tuesday, December 9, 2025
6:30 PM

Meeting to take place at
Holyoke City Hall, 536 Dwight St
and can be accessed remotely on Zoom Meetings
Per order of the Chair: Meg Magrath-Smith
Remote access via zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86283320007?pwd=SQJbMXN0Efkv0RRwYavG9TaHmm5hBF.1
Meeting ID: 862 8332 0007 Meeting Passcode: 286711 or by call in at 1 (646) 558-8656 with the same Meeting ID and Passcode.

Live Spanish interpretation will be available on local access channel 15 using the television’s SAP option, through the live stream on the city website, as well as on the Zoom feed by clicking the interpretation option and choosing Spanish.

Agenda

Item 1: 3-18-25 Magrath-Smith – ordered that Charter and Rules holistically review and reorganize how information on sub-committees is presented in the rules for the sake of clarity in Section 9.
*Tabled 4-2-25, 10-29-25

Item 2: 5-6-25 Magrath-Smith-Ordered, that City Council Rule 9.I be revised from “Subcommittees should not be allowed to meet at the same time/same night.” to “Subcommittees should not be allowed to meet at the same time/same night unless the Chairs of two or more Sub-Committees have called for a joint meeting.”
Amended to “Subcommittees should not be allowed to meet at the same time/same night unless previously approved by a vote of the full Council. If a joint committee comprises a majority of the full Council, then the Council can call a committee of the whole.”
*Referred back 10-21-25

Item 3: 11-18-25 Magrath-Smith-ordered that the roles and responsibilities given to different subcommittees in the rules be revised for clarity, purpose, and functionality.

Item 4: 5-6-25 Jourdain- Rule 8 be amended by adding a new Rule 8P:
In case of the failure of the mayor to transmit to the city council a written recommendation for an appropriation for any purpose not included in the annual budget, which is deemed necessary by the council, after having been so requested by vote thereof, said council, after the expiration of seven days from such vote, upon its own initiative may make such appropriation by a vote of at least two thirds of its members, and shall in all cases clearly specify the amount to be expended for each particular purpose, but no appropriation may be voted hereunder so as to fix specific salaries of employees under the direction of boards elected by the people, other than the city council. [Reference: MG.L. c. 44 § 33]
The annual budget shall include sums sufficient to pay the salaries of officers and employees fixed by law or by ordinance. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of any city charter, no ordinance providing for an increase in the salaries or wages of municipal officers or employees shall be enacted except by a two thirds vote of the city council, nor unless it is to be operative for more than three months during the calendar year in which it is passed. No new position shall be created or increase in rate made by ordinance, vote or appointment during the financial year subsequent to the submission of the annual budget unless provision therefor has been made by means of a supplemental appropriation. No ordinance, vote or appointment creating a new position in any year in which a municipal election is held shall be valid and effective unless said ordinance, vote or appointment is operative for more than three months during said municipal election year. [Reference: MG.L c. 44 § 33A]

Item 5: 5-6-25 Jourdain-Rule 8 be amended by adding a New Rule 8.O as follows:
No sum appropriated for a specific purpose shall be expended for any other purpose, and no expenditure shall be made nor liabilities incurred by or in behalf of the city until an appropriation has been fully voted by the city council, sufficient to meet such expenditure or liability, together with all prior unpaid liabilities which are payable out of such appropriation, except in accordance with the recommendation of the mayor to the city council, approved by the yea and nay vote of two-thirds of the council: provided, however, that after the expiration of the financial year and until the passage of the annual appropriations liabilities payable out of a regular appropriation to be contained therein may be incurred to an amount not exceeding one third of the total of such appropriation for the preceding year. Every bill, pay roll or other voucher covering an expenditure of money shall be approved by the signatures on the back of such bill or voucher of the majority of the board or committee having control of or incurring such expenditure, and after such approval such bills, pay rolls or vouchers shall be turned over to the auditor. The financial year shall begin with the first day of July in each year. The provisions of this section shall apply throughout the entirety of the financial year, [Reference: City Charter Section 49, MG.L. c. 44 § 56A and MG.L. c. 44 § 338]

Item 6: 10-21-25 Bartley- The city of Holyoke apply to the legislature for a Home Rule petition that allows the city to expand the use of M.G.L. chapter 40, §22A ¾ which grants authority to municipalities to designate a parking space at City Hall for Veterans.   If the petition is granted, the city could create a local ordinance that would designate parking for veterans at municipal buildings other than City Hall.  Refer to Charter & Rules.  Copy to Parking Advisory Committee.

LAID ON THE TABLE
(Items taken up at previous meeting(s) and laid on the table. Discussion has not been planned, but any item may be removed from the table upon motion of the committee.)

Item 7: 4-2-24 BARTLEY, JOURDAIN, VACON – The City of Holyoke amends any charter, ordinance and any other regulations relative to its Tax Collector and combines the office with its City Treasurer so long as a charter change to appoint rather than elect Holyoke’s City Treasurer is approved by the legislature and Holyoke voters.
* Referred back 6-30-25, Tabled 8-27-25

Item 8: 5-21-24 DEVINE – Ordered that the City Council consider a rule addition to to RULE 6C (DECORUM/SPEAKING), adding the following words as a second paragraph:
“No Councilor shall speak more than 4 minutes during debate. The President/and or the City Council Administrative Assistant shall keep track of the minutes. A (1) one minute reminder shall be given at the 3 minute mark during debate.”
*Amended to “3 minutes at a time,” referred back 2-4-25, tabled 3-3-25, 10-14-25

Item 9: 11-19-24 From Atty Jane Mantolesky, Asst City Solicitor, City Council Voting Specifics
*Tabled 1-27-25, 3-3-25

Item 10: 12-5-23 VACON — Ordered, That we amend our charter and ordinances to change from an elected Mayor to a City Manager/Chief Administrative Financial Officer, appointed by the City Council.
*Tabled 5-13-24, 6-10-24, 3-3-25, 10-14-25

Item 11: 10-3-23 GIVNER — (Rule change) With community support, order that the following section of our Codes of Ordinances and charter be updated to reflect use of email as sufficient for special meeting notice:
Sec. 12. – Special meetings of city council.
The mayor may at any time call a special meeting of the city council by public posting through the city website along with written notifications thereof, together with a statement of the subjects to be considered thereat, to be deposited in the post office, postpaid and addressed to the persons to be notified, at least forty-eight hours before the time appointed for such meeting, or to be left at the usual place of residence of each member of the council, by email at least forty-eight hours before the time appointed for such meeting.
(Acts 1965, c. 187; Acts 1992, c. 189)
*Tabled 12-22-23, 2-5-24, 1-27-25, 3-3-25

Item 12: 3-18-25 Magrath-Smith – ordered that Rule 4E be revised to create a system that assigns a specific number to each order, allowing for better tracking across multiple committees and over time. Rule 4E is “All city council orders introduced to the City Council shall be numbered consecutively,  and a log of all orders be kept by the City Clerk and the Council’s Clerk of Committees  showing the order number, the date the order was brought before the City Council, the  action taken by the City Council on the order, or the Council Committee or city  department the order was referred to, the date the order was referred back from the  committee or department, and the final action taken by the City Council.”
*Tabled 4-2-25

Item 13: 3-4-25 Jourdain, Vacon- Ordered, amend Rule 6E by adding the following: that no member of the City Council shall make references to or about another member but in respectful terms whether inside or outside the City Council Chambers including on social media.  That the City Council also taken into consideration this time how the City’s social media policy should help guide our final rule.
*Tabled 4-2-25

ADMINISTRATIVELY LAID ON THE TABLE
(Per City Council Rule 9P, “Any order not acted on within 45 business days shall be deemed tabled.” Items within this section are laid on the table by virtue of being in the committee more than 45 business days. Discussion of these items is unlikely, but any item may be removed from the table upon motion of the committee.)

Item 14: 9-17-25 Vacon, Greaney – ORDER: add a rule that any city councilor named by a speaker during public speak has 2 minutes to respond at the end of public speak.

Administrative Assistant: Jeffery Anderson-Burgos
The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law. Agenda subject to change up to two business days (48 hours) prior to posted meeting time.