Charter and Rules Committee Meeting February 5, 2024
6:30 pm City Hall Holyoke
536 Dwight St, Holyoke 01040
Posted February 29, 2024, 3:58 PM
City Council
Holyoke Massachusetts
Pursuant to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25,
Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023,
notice is hereby given of a meeting of the committee on
Charter and Rules
Monday, February 5, 2024
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 www.zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125130709?pwd=aFNUN2syWWRnc2tMUnVUZFNiZWxTUT09
Meeting ID: 861 2513 0709 Meeting Passcode: 046030 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: Minutes of December 11, 2023 meeting.
Item 2: 01-22-24 MAGRATH-SMITH – Ordered, that the City Clerk provide information outlining the procedures for submitting changes to Municode and ensuring accurate publication of the City Charter.
Item 3: 10-3-23 GIVNER, TALLMAN — With community support, order that all ordinances and charter rules reflecting city council and city council subcommittee meeting notices be updated to reflect acceptance of email as sufficient method of notice, and city website posting as sufficient method of public notice.
*Tabled 12-11-23
Item 4: 10-3-23 GIVNER — 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 12-11-23
Item 5: 01-02-24 GIVNER, JOURDAIN, GREANEY — Ordered that the City Council make a rule change to be added to “meetings” section for our first meeting:
2. MEETINGS
A. Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 o’clock p.m sharp. All City Councilors are to be in the City Council Chambers or present by remote access by 6:45 p.m.
B. No meeting of the City Council shall go beyond 10PM EST unless, upon a motion of any councilor, the meeting is extended for a period of time stated in the motion, and so long as the motion is unanimously approved by all members present. If a motion to extend the meeting past 10PM EST is not approved, all remaining items shall be continued until the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting. If items are continued to the next meeting pursuant to this rule, those items shall appear at the beginning of the next agenda
B. The President and/or Committee chairs can cancel meetings due to inclement weather.
Item 6: 01-22-24 DEVINE, J. RIVERA, GIVNER – that RULE 3 MEETINGS 3(A) be changed to reflect that City Council meetings shall be held on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. (change from 7:00 p.m.)
Item 7: 01-22-24 DEVINE, J. RIVERA, GIVNER – that RULE 4. CITY CLERK section A: In case of the absence of the City Clerk, a Clerk Pro-Tempore shall be appointed….the words Clerk Pro-Tempore shall be deleted and changed to “Assistant City Clerk, 2nd Assistant City Clerk or Administrative Assistant to the City Council shall resume the duties of the City Clerk when the City Clerk is absent.”
Item 8: 01-22-24 DEVINE, J. RIVERA, GIVNER – RULE 6 DECORUM section E add the words or city employees after the words “another member”
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. Also one or two items may require the committee to enter into executive session at this meeting. Agenda subject to change up to two business days (48 hours) prior to posted meeting time.