Finance Committee Meeting April 28, 2025

Posted April 23, 2025, 11:45 a.m.

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

Monday, April 28, 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: Patti Devine
Remote access via zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82409680195?pwd=EePffgZQzPMUwbIcmNqstfmVsOZTJJ.1
Meeting ID: 824 0968 0195 Meeting Passcode: 877651 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 April 14, 2025 meeting

Item 2: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025 THREE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($3,000) as follows:
FROM
11611-51210 ELECTIONS OFFICERS                     $3,000
TOTAL            $3,000
TO:
11612-53420 POSTAGE – REG OF VOTERS                     $3,000
TOTAL            $3,000

Item 3: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025 THREE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($3,000) as follows:
FROM
11611-51210 ELECTIONS OFFICERS                     $3,000
TOTAL            $3,000
TO:
11612-52700 EQUIPMENT               $2,000
11612-54200 OFFICE & PROF SUPPLIES               1,000
TOTAL            $3,000

Item 4: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025 THREE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($3,000) as follows:
FROM
11611-51210 ELECTIONS OFFICERS                     $3,000
TOTAL            $3,000
TO:
11612-53030 PRINTING/BINDING              $3,000
TOTAL            $3,000

Item 5: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, THREE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND 00/100 Dollars ($3,800) as follows:
FROM
13003-58000 SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY                          $3,800
TOTAL $3,800
TO:
14222-52519 R&M PUBLIC LIBRARY                      $3,800
TOTAL            $3,800

Item 6: 4-15-25 Devine-Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “2024 MASSDEP RECYCLING DIVIDENDS/SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS RECOVERY PROGRAM, $7,800, NO MATCH” grant and authorizes the establishment of a Fund or other method appropriate for the accounting of the receipts and expenditures of all resources associated with the administration of said grant.
Sec 2-509 – Grant Reporting
Any city department, of which has received grant funding by approval of the city council pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, or any other authorizing criteria, shall within a reasonable period of time, but no later than 60 days from the conclusion of said grant, generate a detailed report which outlines the planned outcomes with the documented actual results. Said report shall be submitted to the city clerk for addition to the city council’s next agenda.

Item 7: 4-15-25 Devine- Ordered, that the amount of NINE HUNDRED FORTY FIVE AND 00/100 Dollars ($945.00) be authorized from the DPW-PROPERTY Department’s R&M SENIOR CENTER (14222-52505) appropriation in fiscal year 2025 for services rendered in fiscal year 2024 which were unencumbered at the 2024 fiscal year end.

Item 8: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY SEVEN AND 89/100 Dollars ($847.89) as follows:
FROM
12101-51510 SICK LEAVE BUYBACK                     $847.89
TOTAL            $847.89
TO:
12101-51323 SNOW/OTHER OVERTIME                $197.89
12102-55860 PERSONNEL EQUIPMENT                650.00
TOTAL            $847.89

Item 9: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, ONE HUNDRED FORTY FIVE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($145,000) as follows:
FROM
12101-51107 PATROLMEN             $125,000
12101-51105 SERGEANTS                 20,000
TOTAL            $145,000
TO:
12103-58000 CAP OUTLAY-MOTOR VEHICLES                $145,000
TOTAL             $145,000

Item 10: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025 THIRTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($30,000) as follows:
FROM
12101-51915 EDUCATION PLAN                 $30,000
TOTAL            $30,000
TO:
12102-55860 PERSONNEL EQUIPMENT                $30,000
TOTAL            $30,000

Item 11: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025 FIFTY TWO THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($52,000) as follows:
FROM
12101-51103 CAPTAINS                   $52,000
TOTAL            $52,000
TO:
12102-52420 R&M OTHER              $52,000
TOTAL            $52,000

Item 12: 4-15-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025 TWENTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($20,000) as follows:
FROM
12101-51920 QUINN INCENTIVE                 $14,000
12101-51900 IN SERVICE TRAINING                          6,000
TOTAL            $20,000
TO:
12102-54221 SUPPLIES-AMMUNITION                   $20,000
TOTAL            $20,000

LAID ON THE TABLE

Item 13: 3-19-24 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI – Ordered that the City Council invite the Mayor, Police Department and relevant financial department heads to a future meeting of the Finance Committee to provide an update on the status of  the off-duty police account and former vendor Off-Duty Blue.
*Tabled 4-3-24, 5-15-24, 8-12-24, 9-11-24

Item 14: 11-7-24 – Murphy-Romboletti- In an effort to provide clarity for all councilors and the public, ordered that the law department provide guidance or a memo that outlines the number of votes required for different items related to finance, ordinances, real estate and other relevant voting topics.
*Tabled 1-14-25

Item 15: 11-7-24 – Murphy-Romboletti- Ordered that the law department provide a legal opinion on the number of votes required to make transfers from a special stabilization fund.
*Tabled 1-14-25

ADMINISTRATIVELY LAID ON THE TABLE

Item 16: 9-4-24 From Stephen Superba – Email regarding Police Department Cash Seizures

Item 17: 10-15-24 OCASIO, GREANEY – Order that the City replace the Traffic Light that was on Vernon St and Main St. And know longer there due to car accident.  Safety issue kids walking to and from Dean Tech cars speeding.

Item 18: 10-15-24 JOURDAIN, OCASIO – Mayor and DPW please replace the traffic light at the corner of Main Street and Vernon Street as soon as possible.  The City Council has requested it be replaced multiple times after it was hit in a traffic accident on July 1, 2022.  It should not be removed because of alleged expense to replace.  Mayor and Law dept please also provide us with what collection efforts including lawsuits that may have been filed against the operator who damaged the light controls to reimburse the city for the damage before any applicable statute of limitations expires. Please also advise if the city has any potential insurance coverage for this claim.  Finance should meet to discuss with all parties involved.

Item 19: 11-7-24 – Magrath-Smith, Jourdain – Ordered that the City Solicitor, Auditor, and Treasurer develop and present a clear policy regarding the use of the remaining collected cannabis fees, outlining a process for billing hours to the cannabis fund for work done by city employees connected to cannabis-related activities, such as:
1. Inspections of cannabis businesses
2. Processing of licensing and excise payments for cannabis businesses
3. Cannabis-related educational programming in schools
4. Safe driving and DUI prevention campaigns related to cannabis use also develop and present guidance on the use of cannabis fees for capital improvements or equipment (including related labor costs to support those projects and purchases) that is consistent with offsetting the impact of cannabis-related activities.

Item 20: 11-7-24 – Magrath-Smith, Jourdain – Ordered that the City Solicitor develop and present a clear policy regarding acceptable fees that can be levied against future cannabis businesses related to concrete, specific impacts of cannabis businesses where they exist.

Item 21: 11-7-24 – Magrath-Smith, Jourdain – Ordered that the HR Director come into Finance to present which HR functions are being completed by which Departments, Commissions, or Boards with a goal of seeking out areas where we can become more consistent or streamline processes and positions in the future with the goal of enhancing a more centralized HR function in our city.

Item 22: 11-7-24 From Mayor Joshua Garcia- 2023 Signed MOU HPD RollKall

Item 23: 11-7-24 From Mayor Joshua Garcia- 2021 Signed MOU HPD RollKall

Item 24: 11-7-24 HPD – OffDutyBlue Services Agreement

Item 25: 12-3-24 BARTLEY -Ordered, the mayor be requested to act on the bond study from last year and put together a plan to demo the old police station.

Item 26: 12-17-24 From City Councilor Kevin Jourdain, article regarding Holyoke Historic bank

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.