Development and Governmental Relations Committee Meeting February 25, 2025
Posted February 13, 2025, 3:36 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 2023,
notice is hereby given of a meeting of the committee on
Development and Governmental Relations (DGR)
Tuesday, February 25, 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: Kocayne Givner
Remote access via www.zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87659349980?pwd=ZaJldMDQhTzP2CNWHqAci5otX5wD1F.1
Meeting ID: 876 5934 9980 Meeting Passcode: 509600 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 February 10, 2025 meeting.
Item 2: 2-4-25 From Alicia Zoeller, CDBG Allocation Spreadsheet
LAID ON THE TABLE
(Items taken up at previous meeting(s) and laid on the table. Discussion may or may not take place)
Item 3: 6-4-24 Bartley, Sullivan- The conservation commissioner be invited to attend a future DGR meeting to provide an update on the construction in and around Scott’s Tower. Please be prepared to address the issue of water run-off to the pond owned by the abutter at 5 and 15 Lindor Heights. Refer to DGR and Conservation Commission.
*Tabled 6-6-24, 9-30-24, 10-28-24, 12-10-24, 2-10-25
Item 4: 3-1-22 I. RIVERA – Order that the council invite the DPW director of Chicopee to speak on their refuse pickup system that was developed several years ago and what the cost benefits are to their community.
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 5: 9-5-23 JOURDAIN — City Council explore with the Mayor a residential redevelopment plan for city owned vacant parcels has homes built then sold. City funds coupled with any available grant funding will be used for seed funding with the proceeds of the sales used to build more homes. The long term play for the city is the generation of all of the property tax revenue from these home sales, the new availability of great new housing, the reduction in city owned buildable lots and the growth of population.
*Tabled 2-27-24, 8-5-24
Item 6: 12-5-23 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI — An order to declare Parcel Holyoke Assessors Map 212, Block 00, Parcel 001, Easthampton Road, Holyoke, MA as surplus property and sell to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game with an address of 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 620, Boston, MA 02114 for $270,000.00.
*Tabled 12-18-23, 8-5-24
Item 7: 8-1-23 VACON, BARTLEY, PUELLO – (copy) Ordered, that the City Council adopts a resolution seeking our State Delegation to support the reinstatement of no electronic tolls from Westfield to West Springfield to create an incentive for tractor trailer drivers to travel on the Mass Pike and to alleviate the increasingly heavy tractor trailer traffic on Homestead Avenue in Holyoke.
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 8: 4-16-24 BARTLEY – OPED please provide status on 245 High Street. Building sits across High St from City Hall and the windows are boarded with plywood. Minutes from DGR meeting are attached as a communication. Refer to OPED, Mayor and Law Dept.
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 9: 12-19-23 From Aaron Vega, Director of Office of Planning & Economic Development, communication regarding amendment to special tax assessment agreement with Jackson Canal, LLC.
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 10: 11-21-23 From Office of Planning & Economic Development, Grant Completion Form for FY23 Urban Agenda Grant Program
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 11: 12-6-22 BARTLEY, PUELLO – (copy) Ordered, The Mayor and community development dept fund the following project with either CDBG or ARPA funds: Replace the asphalt double-sidewalk located on the west side of S. Elm St. between Wolcott and Congress Streets and replace with a tree belt and install plantings.
*Tabled 8-5-24
Item 12: 5-3-22 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI – Ordered, That the Committee on Development & Government Relations be provided a list of all special permits issued by the Council. Please include a 5 year look-back on how many permits have been issued, and a rough estimate of the total amount of staff time required to review and process these permits. Refer to the City Clerk, OPED, the Council’s Administrative Assistant and Law Department.
*Tabled 8-5-24
ADMINISTRATIVELY LAID ON THE TABLE
(Per City Council Rule 9P, “Any order not acted on within 45 business days shall be deemed tabled.” Items within this section are laid on the table by virtue of being in the committee more than 45 days. Discussion of these items is unlikely, but any item may be removed from the table upon motion of the committee.)
Item 13: 6-4-24 I. RIVERA – Order that representatives of the Water Department come in to DGR and elaborate on processing fee attached to payment when using a credit/debit card when processing payment. Constituents have raised concerns on how much the are being charged on top of their water bill.
Item 14: 6-4-24 DEVINE – ORDERED: That the DGR Committee invite in Representative Duffy and Senator Velis to clarify if there is a difference between the Affordable Homes Act and the 2% real estate surcharge we voted on Tuesday 5/21. If this surcharge on real estate is contained in the Affordable Homes Act, then ordered that our vote taken on 5/21/2024 be rescinded.
Item 15: 6-4-24 DEVINE – ORDERED: that the City Council reconsider and then rescind their vote of May 21, 2024 on agenda item #25 filed buy Jourdain, Vacon, Devine, Sullivan, Bartley and Greaney re: pending HOUSE No. 2747, an ACT granting a local option for a real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing.
Item 16: 6-4-24 I. RIVERA – Order that representatives of the Holyoke Public Schools and STCC (specifically Dean tech) come into DGR and elaborate on the “After Dark” programming that will be soon launching at the Dean Tech school site.
Item 17: 6-4-24 DEVINE – ORDERED that the Mayor consider appointing an Affordable Housing Commission using the guidelines in proposed HOUSE BILL 2747 (An Act granting a local option for a real estate transfer fee to fund affordable housing)
Item 18: 4-16-24 Communication from Councilor Bartley, 9-1-15 DGR meeting minutes excerpt
Item 19: 1-22-24 BARTLEY – Ordered, The DGR chair invite the state delegation to a future meeting.
Item 20: 1-22-24 BARTLEY – Ordered, The DGR chair invite into committee the Governor’s representative for western Mass and Sen Markey’s representative for western Mass. to a future meeting.
Item 21: 11-21-23 BARTLEY, PUELLO – Ordered, The DGR committee meet with city officials responsible for managing our parking enforcement staff. The staff has been repeatedly threatened with physical violence and subject to beratement from the public and have privately paid for body cameras. Send a communication advising the council of policies and procedures to ensure employee safety in advance of the subcommittee meeting.
Item 22: 10-17-23 PUELLO, MALDONADO VELEZ – (copy) Ordered, That the police department please provide a list, with events and dollar amounts that have received police details/paid overtime during the last 6 months. Private businesses popular with leadership, making profit should not have their OT details paid for by tax dollars when public community events have had to budget their own funds in the past.
Item 23: 10-3-23 BARTLEY, MCGIVERIN, PUELLO, I. RIVERA – Ordered, The City Engineer and DPW develop and install safety measures for passenger cars, trucks and motorcycles in the vicinity of Holyoke’s canals as the current protective measures have recently and regularly been breached resulting in loss of life, property damage, and costs to HG&E. Refer to DPW, City Engineer, HG&E Manager & Commissioners, and Emergency Management Director to strategize improvements and the Mayor to finance these projects. Refer to DGR for discussion.
Item 24: 8-1-23 From Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, Executive order regarding blighted and vacant buildings.
Item 25: 12-20-22 I. RIVERA – Order that the honorable city council invite representatives of Holyoke Community College, Westfield State University and the Five Colleges to discuss ways they could better support a path for Holyoke youth to gain equitable access within these schools.
Item 26: 5-17-22 MCGEE, BARTLEY – Order that the mayor consider establishing a Holyoke Urban Forest and Tree Committee.
Item 27: 4-5-22 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI – Order that we invite our US Congressional and Senatorial Representatives to a DGR meeting.
Item 28: 4-5-22 BARTLEY, PUELLO – Ordered, The Mayor develop a schedule of projects/programming to the CC’s DGR committee to be funded via marijuana stabilization funds. If possible, please send said schedule on a quarterly or semi-annual basis in order to promote consistent and efficient project development. Copy to Mayor and City Auditor.
Item 29: 3-1-22 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI – Ordered that the Development & Government Relations Committee invite the development team from Wayfinders to provide an update on the Library Commons project and other upcoming projects within the City.
Item 30: 8-6-24 From Assistant City Solicitor Jane Mantolesky- Communication regarding Heavy Commercial Vehicle Operation on Homestead Avenue, Holyoke, Massachusetts
Item 31: 8-6-24 BARTLEY – With the washout of the water/sewer line at S. Elm St. (behind Fitzpatrick Skating Rink), the impact on the neighborhood needs to be addressed by the City leaders in terms of the timeline for repairs, alternate means for walkers to navigate this area and overall appearance. This is a constituent request. Refer to DGR, Parks Dept.
Item 32: 8-6-24 BARTLEY, OCASIO – ordered that OPED provide an update to city council regarding putting the following W-3 and W-2 properties on the market – they’ve each been sitting dormant for well over one year without any progress or updates:
1. 432 Hillside Ave.
2. 146 Brown Ave. and environs.
3. Lots at St. Vicent St. and Ingleside Ave.
Please send a communication for the first city council meeting in September 2024. Refer to DGR for follow-up.
Item 33: 10-1-24 Bartley-The city of Holyoke work with OCR to allow the state access to city property to plant trees at the top of the 391 interchange. Receive and refer to DGR.
Item 34: 11-19-24 From Atty Tyler Ingraham, letter requesting enforcement of ordinances at 224 Westfield Rd
Item 35: 12-3-24 From Don Sanders, Executive Artist Director MIFA, communication regarding the project
Item 36: 12-3-24 BARTLEY – ORDER The DGR committee invite its state delegation to a future DGR meeting pursuant to Rule 9.C.
Item 37: 12-17-24 – Ocasio- Order that the City change the use of the lot at the corner of Adam and South Summer from being a 24hr parking to a Residential Parking from 5pm to 7am. Morgan School Staff Parking from 7am- 5pm..
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.