Finance Committee Meeting May 27, 2025

Posted May 22, 2025, 2:33 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

Tuesday, May 27, 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/85252822728?pwd=GWNWJ8ZAD4WsHIblrBiv3M3H70CFMF.1
Meeting ID: 852 5282 2728 Meeting Passcode: 291509 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 May 12, 2025 meeting

Item 2: 5-20-25 Devine, J. Rivera- Ordered that the Commission on Disabilities be invited to the Finance Committee to discuss MGL Chapter 40 Section 22G which will officially set aside funds from Handicap Parking Violation fines into an Independent Budget.

Item 3: 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
*Tabled 5-12-25

4. That City Council be informed that affected property owners have been made aware of said proposed meeting dates by means of USPS First Class mailing.

Item 6: 4-1-25 From MacMillan Law Offices, Refund of Community Impact Fees Paid Pursuant to HCA with Holyoke 420 LLC

LAID ON THE TABLE

Item 7: 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 8: 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 9: 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 10: 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 11: 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 12: 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 13: 11-7-24 From Mayor Joshua Garcia- 2023 Signed MOU HPD RollKall

Item 14: 11-7-24 From Mayor Joshua Garcia- 2021 Signed MOU HPD RollKall

Item 15: 11-7-24 HPD – OffDutyBlue Services Agreement

Item 16: 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 17: 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 18: 3-4-25 Vacon, Jourdain- ORDER:  The Treasurer & Auditor provide the City Council with an update & timeline for the certification of free cash.

Item 19: 4-1-25 From Health Benefit Trust meeting, meeting minutes from December 4, 2024, January 13, February 24, and March 10, 2025

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.