Finance Committee Meeting December 8, 2025
Published December 3, 2025, 1:03 p.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, December 8, 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/85906447538?pwd=Pm1TYYvIPtnlMlAGuHBTI3eDcBSbX6.1
Meeting ID: 859 0644 7538 Meeting Passcode: 314090 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 November 24, 2025 meeting.
Item 2: 12-2-25 Devine-Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “MASS CLEAN WATER TRUST OVERFLOW & STORMWATER GRANT, $250,000, 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 3: 12-2-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, SEVEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED TWELVE AND 00/100 Dollars ($7,712) as follows:
FROM
2601-10400 TNC RIDESHARE FUND $7,712
TOTAL $7,712
TO:
11752-53010 OPED CONTRACTED SERVICES $7,712
TOTAL $7,712
Item 4: 12-2-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, FIFTY THOUSAND AND NO/100 Dollars ($50,000.00) as follows:
FROM
12201-51105 FIREFIGHTER $50,000.00
TOTAL $50,000.00
TO:
12202-52410 R & M VEHICLES $25,000.00
12202-54830 SUPPLIES MOTOR VEHICLE 25,000.00
TOTAL $50,000.00
Item 5: 12-2-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, NINETEEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FORTY NINE AND NO/100 Dollars ($19,449.00) as follows:
FROM
12102-52500 R & M BLDGS/GROUNDS $19,449.00
TOTAL $19,449.00
TO:
12103-58000 CAP OUTLAY M/V $19,449.00
TOTAL $19,449.00
Item 6: 11-18-25 DEVINE — Ordered, that there be and is hereby raised and appropriated in the fiscal year 2026, ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND 00/100 Dollars ($100,000) as follows:
FROM
2026 TAX LEVY $100,000
TOTAL $100,000
TO:
11212-57807 SPECIAL ARTICLE – CRISIS RELIEF FUND $100,000
TOTAL $100,000
*Tabled 11-24-25
LAID ON THE TABLE
Item 7: 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 8: 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 9: 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 10: 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 11: 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 12: 5-6-25 Jourdain- That the Mayor, City Clerk and Auditor please come to the Finance Committee to discuss the city’s compliance with MGL Ch. 41 Section 17 and Holyoke City Charter Section 52. MGL Ch. 41 Section 17 requires the following: “Every officer of a city who makes or executes a contract on behalf of the city shall furnish said contract or a copy thereof to the city clerk and the city auditor within one week after its execution; and the city clerk shall keep such contract or copy on file, open to public inspection during business hours. Such contracts or copies shall be kept in a book by themselves or in several books, arranged according to the subject of the contract, or in other convenient form, and an index to the subject matter of the contracts and to the names of the contractors shall be made semi-annually, and shall also be open to public inspection in some convenient form. All allowances under and additions to such contracts, or copies thereof, shall be filed with the city clerk and the city auditor, together with a sworn statement of the officer making such allowances or additions that the same are correct and in accordance with the contract. A city clerk or other city officer failing to comply with this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars.”
Moreover, Holyoke City Charter Section 52 requires, “All contracts made by any department of the city shall, when the amount involved is five hundred dollars or more, be in writing, and no such contract shall be deemed to have been made or executed until the approval of the mayor is affixed thereto. All such contracts shall be accompanied by a bond, with sureties satisfactory to the board or committee having the matter in charge, or by a deposit of money or other security for the faithful performance of such contracts; and such bonds or other security shall be deposited with the city auditor until the contract has been carried out in all respects; and no such contract shall be altered except by a written agreement of the contractor, the sureties on his or their bond, and the officer making the contract, with the approval of the mayor affixed thereto.”
Can the City Clerk’s office create an on-line database in pdf format for the public inspection of all city contracts exceeding $500 in value? City Auditor please advise if the holders of all said contracts are providing a bond and if it is only being released in accordance with the Charter?
Item 13: 6-3-25 Rivera, I- Order that the Mayor along with the director of the office of Community Development present on the current amount dollars currently accumulated via the Opioid class action law suit and how the city plans to allocate/spend the funding.
Item 14: 6-3-25 Rivera, I- Order that 5% of Cannabis revenue be set aside specifically for capital improvements within and around the communities that the industry is held in.
Item 15: 6-3-25 Letter from David Conti, FY2026 Water Rates and Maintenance Charge
Item 16: 6-3-25 Magrath-Smith – Ordered, that the City Engineer provide a list of approximate costs for often-requested services around traffic calming evaluations, temporary speed humps, permanent speed humps, flashing lights, and stop sign placement. Additionally, provide an updated list of such measures voted on by Council but awaiting available appropriation. Lastly, provide clarity on which budgetary line items such appropriations would be made out of in comparison to the financial cost of current pending work that has been approved by Council.
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.