Finance Committee Meeting May 12, 2025

Posted May 7, 2025, 11:54 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, May 12, 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/87275529885?pwd=XkpzIbRb6H1WuInDJE9JRoaJOFzQHW.1
Meeting ID: 872 7552 9885 Meeting Passcode: 128574 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 28, 2025 meeting

Item 2: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, TWENTY SEVEN THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($27,000) as follows:
FROM
12201-51105 FIREFIGHTERS                     $27,000
TOTAL $27,000
TO:
12201-51300 OVERTIME                 $20,000
12201-51301 ARSON OVERTIME                   1,000
12201-51302 HAZ MAT OVERTIME                 6,000
TOTAL            $27,000

Item 3: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025 TEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FORTY SIX AND 34/100 Dollars ($10,946.34) as follows:
FROM
12201-51103 FIRE CAPTAIN            $10,946.34
TOTAL $10,946.34
TO:
12201-51102 DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF            $ 2,214.95
12201-51104 FIRE LIEUTENANT                   8,476.42
12201-51109 ASST SUPER OF FIRE ALARMS                         254.97
TOTAL            $10,946.34

Item 4: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025 FORTY FIVE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($45,000) as follows:
FROM
12201-51105 FIREFIGHTER            $45,000
TOTAL $45,000
TO:
12201-52410 R&M VEHICLES                      $25,000
12202-54800 MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL                     20,000
TOTAL            $45,000

Item 5: 5-6-25 Devine-Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “FY2025 FIREFIGHTER SAFETY EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM (ROUND 2), $11,660, 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 6: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($35,000) as follows:
FROM
13003-58000 SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY                          $35,000
TOTAL $35,000
TO:
15412-52500 COA R&M BUILDING                          $35,000
TOTAL            $35,000

Item 7: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY TWO AND 60/100 Dollars ($5,652.60) as follows:
FROM
13003-58000 SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY                          $5,652.60
TOTAL $5,652.60
TO:
14222-52502 R&M CITY HALL                      $5,652.60
TOTAL            $5,652.60

Item 8: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, TWENTY NINE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE AND 00/100 Dollars ($29,425.00) as follows:
FROM
13003-58000 SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY                          $27,546.90
8811-10400 CAPITAL STABILIZATION                        1,878.10
TOTAL $29,425.00
TO:
14222-52502 R&M CITY HALL                      $29,425.00
TOTAL            $29,425.00

Item 9: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, SIX THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE 00/100 Dollars ($6,335) as follows:
FROM
14301-51102 PAY-REFUSE HMEO            $6,335
TOTAL            $6,335
TO:
14301-51300 REFUSE OVERTIME             $6,335
TOTAL            $6,335

Item 10: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, THREE THOUSAND SIXTY SIX AND 54/100 Dollars ($3,066.54) as follows:
FROM
12941-51104 TREE CLIMBER                      $3,066.54
TOTAL            $3,066.54
TO:
12941-51300 FORESTRY OVERTIME                     $3,066.54
TOTAL            $3,066.54

Item 11: 5-6-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, FORTY FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE AND 58/100 Dollars ($45,525.58) as follows:
FROM
12941-51104 TREE CLIMBER                      $45,525.58
TOTAL            $45,525.58
TO:
12942-53010 CONTRACTED FORESTRY SERVICES                   $45,525.58
TOTAL            $45,525.58

Item 12: 5-6-25 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
14101-51105 SR CIVIL ENGINEER             $20,000
TOTAL $20,000
TO:
14102-53010 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES                      $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

Item 27: 3-4-25 From City Auditor, Tanya Wdowiak, Community Preservation Fund financial status: EOY2024 Department of Revenue CP2 form and FY2025 YTD fund report to 2-28-2025

Item 28: 3-4-25 Jourdain, Vacon- Ordered, that the Treasurer, Auditor and Mayor please come to the Finance Committee to discuss why the Schedule A year end reconciliation for Fiscal Year 2024 has not yet been filed with the State.  Failure to make this end of year filing timely potentially jeopardizes our future state aid payments, cash flow and the certification of our free cash.  This filing was due on November 30 and is still unfiled.  It should be noted that it was filed many months late last year and appears to be late again.  Let’s discuss please how we can get this back on track.

Item 29: 3-4-25 Vacon, Jourdain- ORDER:  The Treasurer & Auditor provide the City Council with an update & timeline for the certification of free cash.

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.