Finance Committee Meeting April 14, 2025

Posted April 10, 2025, 3:45 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
Finance

Monday, April 14, 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/81086236364?pwd=orkURIJCiI1YooIMAWYlQhEuD6hPuI.1
Meeting ID: 810 8623 6364 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 10, 2025 meeting.

Item 2: 4-1-25 Devine-Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “EOEEA MUNICIPAL VULNERABILITY PREPAREDNESS (MVP) 2.0 PLANNING GRANT, $102,420, 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: 4-1-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, THIRTY EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND 00/100 Dollars ($38,600) as follows:
FROM
13003-58000 SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY                          $38,600
TOTAL $38,600
TO:
15412-52500 COA R&M BUILDING                          $38,600
TOTAL            $38,600

Item 4: 4-1-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, TWELVE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($12,000) as follows:
FROM
12201-51105 FIREFIGHTERS                     $12,000
TOTAL
TO:
12201-51302 HAZ MAT OVERTIME             $ 7,000
12201-51910 HAZ MAT TEAM                         5,000
TOTAL            $12,000

Item 5: 4-1-25 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, SEVENTY EIGHT THOUSAND AND 50/100 Dollars ($78,000.50) as follows:
FROM
13003-58000 SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY                          $78,000.50
TOTAL $78,000.50
TO:
12203-58002 FIRE- CAPITAL OUTLAY EQUIPMENT                   $78,000.50
TOTAL            $78,000.50

Item 6: 10-15-24 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2025, ONE HUNDRED EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED NINETY FIVE AND 56/100 Dollars ($108,695.56) as follows:
FROM: 8815-10400    CANNABIS STABILIZATION         $108,695.56
UPDATE TO FY2025
TOTAL:    $108,695.56
TO: 19412-57630    SOLICITOR – CLAIMS & DAMAGES        $108,695.56
TOTAL:    $108,695.56
*Tabled 10-22-24, 11-25,24, 12-9-24

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: 9-4-24 From Stephen Superba – Email regarding Police Department Cash Seizures

Item 11: 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 12: 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 13: 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 14: 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 15: 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 16: 11-7-24 From Mayor Joshua Garcia- 2023 Signed MOU HPD RollKall

Item 17: 11-7-24 From Mayor Joshua Garcia- 2021 Signed MOU HPD RollKall

Item 18: 11-7-24 HPD – OffDutyBlue Services Agreement

Item 19: 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 20: 12-17-24 From City Councilor Kevin Jourdain, article regarding Holyoke Historic bank

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.