Holyoke City Council Meeting January 2, 2024

Posted December 28, 2023, 12:29 PM

Status updates for orders

Meeting will take place at Holyoke City Hall, 536 Dwight St
and can also be accessed remotely via www.zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85914960000?pwd=QVBqSkJvd0pSZENmNFdDbnVXTnVTUT09
Meeting ID: 859 1496 0000 Meeting Passcode: 657908 or by call in at 1 (646) 558-8656 with 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 FOR THE CITY COUNCIL –
JANUARY 2, 2024
7:00 PM

1. Vote on City Council rules.

LAID ON THE TABLE

2. The Committee on Charter and Rules to whom was referred an order that committee chairs limit the amount of public hearings added to an agenda, It is not fair and undemocratic to have the public wait until 10:30 – 11:00 pm so they can be heard.
Recommended that the order be adopted.

PUBLIC COMMENT

COMMUNICATIONS

3. From City Clerk Brenna Murphy McGee and Admin. Assistant Jeffery Anderson-Burgos, minutes of Dec 5th, 14th, and 19th meetings.

4. List of City Council appointments for 2024

5. From Anthony Soto, Superintendent of Holyoke Public Schools letter re: Petition the MA DESE to release the City of Holyoke from State Receivership.

6. From Amy Landau, CPA manager, recommendation for Revised Award for FY21 CPA Fire Truck Engine 9 Restoration Project

7. From Jeffrey C Riley, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Receipt of petition to end receivership.

8. From MassDOT, letter regarding Holyoke Fair Share apportionment for FY2024.

9. From Board of Fire Commission minutes of November 15, 2023.

10. From Holyoke Economic Development and Industrial Corporation minutes October 26, 2023.

MOTIONS, ORDERS AND RESOLUTIONS

11. ANDERSON-BURGOS — Ordered, that the City Council present a proclamation to retiring OPED Administrative Head Clerk, Sharon Konstantinidis, for her over 20 years of service working for the city.

12. DEVINE — That the City Council present Irma Cruz a proclamation upon her retirement for her 30 plus years of service to the City of Holyoke.

13. JOURDAIN — that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2024, NINE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT DOLLARS AND 13/100 Dollars ($9,768.13) as follows:

FROM:
11752-53010 OPED-CONTRACT SERVICES $9,768.13
TOTAL: $9,768.13
TO:
11751-51500 VACATION BUYBACK $4,770.36
11751-51510 SICK LEAVE BUYBACK 4,997.77
TOTAL: $9,768.13

14. JOURDAIN — that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2024, THIRTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($30,000) as follows:

FROM:
14101-51101 ENGINEER/ASST DPW SUPERINTENDANT $15,000
14101-51105 SR CIVIL ENGINEER 15,000
TOTAL: $30,000
TO:
14102-53010 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES $30,000
TOTAL: $30,000

15. JOURDAIN — that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2024, THIRTY THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED THIRTY SEVEN AND 19/100 Dollars ($30,237.19) as follows:

FROM:
12101-51105 SERGEANTS $10,493.16
12101-51107 PATROLMEN 19,744.03
TOTAL: $30,237.19
TO:
12101-51180 INJURED ON DUTY $30,237.19
TOTAL: $30,237.19

16. JOURDAIN — that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2024, TWENTY THOUSAND SEVENTY EIGHT AND 00/100 Dollars ($20,078) as follows:

FROM:
16101-51111 LIBRARY ASSISTANT (NIGHT) $20,078
TOTAL: $20,078
TO:
16101-51102 REFERENCE LIBRARY ASSISTANCE $20,078
TOTAL: $20,078

17. RIVERA_I — Order that board of Health and tapestry reps come into public safety and discuss the importance of Narcan.

18. RIVERA_I — Order that honorable city council request the chief of police come into public safety to discuss the potential development of a traffic division solely focused on mitigating traffic issues throughout the city of Holyoke.

19. RIVERA_I — Order that the Holyoke Police department come into finance and elaborate on what is done with money that is seized or forfeited due to arrests or drug busts.

20. RIVERA_I — Order that the honorable city council place a temporary moratorium on cannabis retail business. Until the footprint of where this industry can be located within the city of Holyoke, I believe it prudent that we put a temporary halt on permitting new business.

21. RIVERA_I — Order that the honorable city council request that the officers working at the Holyoke Police Departments Community Service Center that could be find at 208 race St. (STEAM Building) come into public safety and discuss what the initiative has been up to, and what plans they have to strategically work on filling in the gaps where service providers are not able to be present.

22. RIVERA_I — Order that the honorable city council request that the the mayor, Department of Public Works, and the parking advisory committee at the Public Safety committee to discuss the possibility of making parking enforcement a subdivision of the Traffic division.

23. RIVERA_I — Order that the honorable city council work with the law department on identifying the a criteria for the expenditure of Community Impact funding. It has been brought to my attention that at least one of the cannabis companies will soon be seeking a refund. How are we protected against this? And how have we spent money as of now?

LATE FILED ORDERS AND COMMUNICATIONS

A. GIVNER — Ordered that the City Council make a rule change to be added to “meetings” section for our first meeting.
2. MEETINGS
A. Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held on the first and third Tuesday of  each month at 7:00 o’clock p.m sharp. All City Councilors are to be in the City Council  Chambers or present by remote access by 6:45 p.m.
B. No meeting of the City Council shall go beyond 10PM EST unless, upon a motion of any councilor, the meeting is extended for a period of time stated in the motion, and so long as the motion is unanimously approved by all members present. If a motion to extend the meeting past 10PM EST is not approved, all remaining items shall be continued until the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting. If items are continued to the next meeting pursuant to this rule, those items shall appear at the beginning of the next agenda
B. The President and/or Committee chairs can cancel meetings due to inclement  weather.
*Added January 2, 2024, 2:10 PM

Addendum:

LATE FILES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING

A. BARTLEY — Introduced by Councilor Bartley: Ordered, that the Honorable City Council, in accordance with M.G.L. Ch. 30B and the Holyoke Code of Ordinances procurement ordinance, declare 37 Brown Avenue (Assessors Map 081, Block 00, Parcel 042) as surplus property available for disposition. The property was acquired via a judgment in tax lien foreclosure in 2022. It is an approximately .14 acres lot with a single family home constructed, zoned R-2 and has an assessed value of $219,900.00.

B. VACON — Ordered, the law department send a communication to Valley Springs and the company emptying the dumpster at Valley Springs, advising them re: our ordinance re: allowed times.
Could you please inform the Commercial disposal group of the Code of Ordinances Sec. 38, item 6. Either Suez Or Republic companies They are emptying Valley Spring’s dumpsters every Monday morning between 4-4:30 AM which, without fail, wakes us up. Section 38 item 6 “(6) Loading and unloading. The creation of a loud and excessive noise in connection with loading or unloading any vehicle or the opening and destruction of bales, boxes, crates and containers. The emptying of bulk waste containers located within 1,000 feet of a residentially zoned parcel shall be prohibited between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.”

C. Communication from Councilor Puello, context regarding article for Juan Montano

D. MCGEE — Ordered, that the City Council give Sean Gonsalves a proclamation for years of service to the Board of Health

E. MCGEE, JOURDAIN — Ordered, that the section of Appleton in front of the YMCA be named “Joe McGiverin Way.”

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 not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law

______________________________
City Clerk