Finance Committee Meeting August 12, 2024
6:30 pm City Hall Holyoke
536 Dwight St, Holyoke 01040
Posted August 8, 2024, 3:00 PM
City Council
Holyoke Massachusetts
Pursuant to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25,
and Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023,
notice is hereby given of a meeting of the committee on
Finance
Monday, August 12, 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: Patti Devine
Remote access via www.zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87577725606?pwd=TGQH7mjuK7bxCN6AEmW7tLnhQ0kq4j.1
Meeting ID: 875 7772 5606 Meeting Passcode: 924793 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 June 12, 2024 meeting
Item 2: 8-6-24 SULLIVAN – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($250,000) as follows:
FROM:
8811-10400 CAPITAL STABILIZATION $200,000
8812-10400 SEWER STABILIZATION 50,000
TOTAL: $250,000
TO:
60402-53011 SEWER – PROF SERVICES OTHER $200,000
60402-53005 SEWER – LEGAL SERVICES 50,000
TOTAL: $250,000
Item 3: 8-6-24 MAGRATH-SMITH, DEVINE – ordered that the Library Director and Financial Manager come into City Council to provide an update concerning how the library is responding to the fees associated with the tax exemption issue and the potential impact to services.
Item 4: 8-6-24 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, FORTY THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND 00/100 Dollars ($40,800) as follows:
FROM:
11521-51104 PERSONNEL – HEAD ADMIN CLERK $40,800
TOTAL: $40,800
TO:
11521-51250 PERSONNEL TEMP/SEASONAL HELP $40,800
TOTAL: $40,800
Item 5: 8-6-24 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:
11211-51104 MAYOR – CAFO $30,000
TOTAL: $30,000
TO:
11611-51210 ELECTIONS OFFICERS $30,000
TOTAL: $30,000
Item 6: 8-6-24 Devine- Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “FY2024 STUDENT & SENIOR SAFE PROGRAMS, 9,798.98, 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: 8-6-24 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, FIFTY EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND 00/100 Dollars ($58,500) as follows:
FROM:
11751-51109 PLANNER II $58,500
TOTAL: $58,500
TO:
11751-51106 PLANNER I $58,500
TOTAL: $58,500
Item 8: 3-6-24 MAGRATH-SMITH, GREANEY – Ordered, that the Director of Economic Development and Planning come into the Finance Sub-Committee to discuss the use of cannabis impact fee funds and future implications for us as a city.
Item 9: 8-6-24 DEVINE – Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “EOEEA FY25 GREENING THE GATEWAY CITIES PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION GRANT, $149,760, 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 ReportingAny 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 10: 8-6-24 DEVINE – Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “EOEEA FY25 MUNICIPAL VULNERABILITY PREPAREDNESS ACTION GRANT AWARD-DAY BROOK WATERSHED, $1,229,730, 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 11: 8-6-24 MAGRATH-SMITH – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($111,000) as follows:
FROM:
8811-10400 CAPITAL STABILIZATION $111,000
TOTAL: $111,000
TO:
14252-52600 HIGHWAYS R&M STREETS & FIXTURES $111,000
TOTAL: $111,000
Item 12: 8-6-24 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, FIVE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($5,000) as follows:
FROM:
12941-51104 FORESTRY – TREE CLIMBER $5,000
TOTAL: $5,000
TO:
14102-53010 ENGINEERING – PROFESSIONAL SERVICES $5,000
TOTAL: $5,000
Item 13: 8-6-24 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, ONE HUNDRED EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED NINETY FIVE AND 56/100 Dollars ($108,695.56) as follows:
FROM:
8815-10400 CANNABIS STABILIZATION $108,695.56
.-. UPDATE TO FY2025 .
TOTAL: $108,695.56
TO:
19412-57630 SOLICITOR – CLAIMS & DAMAGES $108,695.56
TOTAL: $108,695.56
Item 14: 6-18-24 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2024, ONE HUNDRED EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED NINETY FIVE AND 56/100 Dollars ($108,695.56) as follows:
FROM:
8815-10400 CANNABIS STABILIZATION $108,695.56
TOTAL: $108,695.56
TO:
19412-57630 CLAIMS & DAMAGES $108,695.56
TOTAL: $108,695.56
Item 15: 2-6-24 Rivera. I.- Order that the honorable city council ask the police department to provide us with an itemized budget breakdown of dollars received and expended over the last 5 years from the criminal seizure and forfeiture account.
*Tabled 3-4-24
Item 16: 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
Item 17: 3-1-22 (copy) JOURDAIN, PUELLO, I. RIVERA — The Mayor’s office please provide the City Council with a list of all current host community agreements from marijuana companies in our city. Please also provide us a list of how much revenue we are generating annually from each of these agreements.
*Tabled 1-17-24
Item 18: 6-4-24 I. RIVERA – Order that the city put out an RFP to do a study on our finances, specifically focusing on tax revenue brought in and how it is spent throughout the community. This analysis is important in order for the city to have a better understanding of how much tax money is allocated in different parts of communities vs the subsidization of state and federal funding.
Item 19: 4-16-24 BARTLEY, I. RIVERA, SULLIVAN – The mayor and the DPW finance speed humps at Laurel St. Please see the Petition approved in ordinance 4/10/24 and (1 hope) at full city council 4/17/24. Refer to Mayor and Finance
Item 20: 4-2-24 BARTLEY, JOURDAIN – Order, with the pedestrian signal on South St. still flashing “yellow” after 2 months, and having an estimated repair cost of $11,000 and DPW uses capital stabilization funds to fix the light and to communicate updates to seniors residing in Elmwood Towers.
Item 21: 4-2-24 GIVNER – With community support, order that the law department provide stat of pothole claims over last 10 years along with percentage of claims approved and denied.
Item 22: 4-2-24 DEVINE – ORDERED that the attached letter from Chief David Pratt be added to the next agenda so that it may become part of the official record and be sent to the Finance Committee
Item 23: 1-22-24 JOURDAIN – (copy) Ordered, That the Mayor please provide the City Council with his plan to bring our structural budget deficit to zero in FY 25 budget including a plan that does not raise the tax levy by more than $1 million per year.
Item 24: 9-5-23 BARTLEY – (copy) Ordered, The City Engineer redesign and the DPW replace the traffic island proximate to 2 Brown Ave & 274 South St. for the purposes of creating public parking spaces. This is the area that was left after the roadwork to alter Brown Ave. was completed and it’s in need of alterations; the plan to increase parking is supported by the effected residents. Refer to City Engineer. Refer to Finance Cte. & Mayor.
Item 25: 8-1-23 (copy) JOURDAIN — Ordered, that the City Council review and adopt the Mayor’s proposal for the city’s financial policies by ordinance.
Item 26: 8-1-23 (copy) From Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, emails providing feedback from various department heads in regards to financial policies manual.
Item 27: 8-1-23 (copy) City of Holyoke Financial Policies Manual from Division of Local Services MA Department of Revenue.
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.