Public Service Committee Meeting March 9, 2022
6:00 pm City Hall Holyoke
536 Dwight St, Holyoke 01040
City Council
Holyoke Massachusetts
Pursuant to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25,
and Section 20 of Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021,
notice is hereby given of a meeting of the committee on
Public Service
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
6:00 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: Peter Tallman
Remote access via www.zoom.us
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87448394142?pwd=TVloRFh0ZzcveFkvWFZyZHFxb21GZz09
Meeting ID: 874 4839 4142 Meeting Passcode: 736053 or by call in at 1 (646) 558-8656 with the same Meeting ID and Passcode.
Agenda
Item 1: 3-1-22 From Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, letter appointing Stephen C. Fay, 218 Pleasant St. to serve as a commissioner to the Local Historic District Commission (Fairfield Ave): Mr. Fay will serve a three year term; said term will expire on July 1, 2025.
Item 2: 3-1-22 TALLMAN — Ordered, that our Administrative Assistant be invited to provide a quick tutorial during a Public Service meeting on councilor use of Google Drive folders for better understanding of use of electronic files of orders and meeting folders. This will also be an opportunity to provide public understanding of access to folders that will be made available for their access in the near future.
Item 3: 8-3-21 ANDERSON-BURGOS — Ordered, that the City Council pass a resolution in support of the GREEN Act.
Item 4: 1-18-22 MALDONADO-VELEZ, ANDERSON-BURGOS — Order that we create a Food Economy Coalition to identify and propose innovative policies, programming, and/or project solutions to improve the Holyoke food system and food entrepreneurship. Recommendations will be made to aligned bodies, such as the Office of Planning & Economic Development, the City Council, and relevant city departments (eg. DPW, BOH, etc.)
Item 5: 2-1-22 From Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, letter appointing Mr. Marcos Marrero, 34 Pinehurst Rd. to serve as a Commissioner of the Gas & Electric for the City of Holyoke: Mr. Marrero will replace Robert Gentile, who’s term expired on July 1, 2020. Mr. Marrero will serve a year term; said term will expire July 1, 2026.
Item 6: 1-5-21 From Mayor Alex B. Morse letter appointing Mr. Marcos A. Marrero, 34 Pinehurst Rd. to serve as a Commissioner of the Gas & Electric for the City of Holyoke: Mr. Marrero will replace Robert Griffin, who’s term expired July 1, 2020. Mr. Marrero will serve a six year term; said term will expire July 1, 2026.
The following items are placed on the agenda for the purposes of disposal. Discussion is not expected
Item 7: 9-20-17 ROMAN — Ordered, Ordered that the city Human Resources Department provide the demographics of the municipal government workforce be provided. What is the diversity rate compared to the city population and the relevant labor market? The purpose is to work with the administration and human resources department to identify where the workforce does not adequately reflect the diversity of the city of Holyoke.
Item 8: 4-17-18 LISI — the City Council invite in the Chief of Police and any appropriate mental health care professionals to inform us of best practices for dealing with overdoses in the field as well as current protocol for dealing with passive exposure to fentanyl and other dangerous opioids and/or narcotics.
Item 9: 9-5-18 LEBRON-MARTINEZ — Per residents request that Holyoke City Departments responsible for the quality of life issue of home owners and renters who are residing within Chestnut (around Holyoke Public library), Elm, Appleton and Cabot (near Lawrence School) address the blighted building/homes issue, the Opioids epidemic, Sex trafficking and homelessness within this particular corridor for the betterment and quality of life for the residents and their families residing in this area. ( Please attach a petition from residents)
Item 10: 10-2-18 LISI, ANDERSON-BURGOS, LEBRON-MARTINEZ, VALENTIN — That the City Council adopt a resolution in support of nuclear disarmament and the prevention of nuclear war (see attached document for full text).
Item 11: 11-7-18 From Mayor Alex B. Morse letter appointing Carmen Morales and Margaret Lemire as Commissioners of the Council on Aging, they will serve a one-year term; said term will expire on August 2019.
Item 12: 5-21-19 MCGEE, LEAHY — order that State Representative Vega and Senator Humason request a moratorium on group home projects in the city of Holyoke and request that group homes be evenly place throughout the commonwealth. This is a request from several constituents.
Item 13: 5-21-19 MCGEE, LEAHY — order that the law department, building commissioner, Mayor, and board of health review the MHA project at 11 Yale Street. Please provide the city with an opinion on if the project violates the Dover Amendment or if the project goes outside the scope of the amendment (please see McLean Hospital Corp. v. Town of Lincoln). Also, provide the city with guidance on if the city has any authority over such projects. This is a request from several constituents.
Item 14: 5-21-19 MCGEE — That the City Council look into placing a history marker on the corner of Cabot St. and South Summer St. to describe the medal of honor recipients that lived in the said area. Please invite in Mr. Jim Bronson to a sub-committee.
Item 15: 10-15-19 LEBRON-MARTINEZ — Ordered, that An order to remind council for the appointment of youth/students to serve on council
Item 16: 3-10-20 From Mayor Alex B. Morse letter appointing Fire Chief Jeffery Przekopowski to serve as the Emergency Management Director for the City of Holyoke: Chief Przekopowski will serve a one-year term; said term will expire January 2021
Item 17: 3-10-20 MCGEE — Order that DPW look into replacing the city council desks and chairs. Please provide quotes to the city council in 4 weeks.
Item 18: 3-10-20 MCGEE — Order that DPW look into replacing the tree surrounds on High Street with the use of Flexipave. Please provide the city council with a cost estimate for doing the work and if any grants can be used for such a product?
Item 19: 4-21-20 LISI — that the City Council hold a hearing to explore preparation for the upcoming 2020 elections in September and November, including the feasibility of an all vote-by-mail election due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that representatives from the Secretary of State’s office, the Holyoke Registrar of Voters, the Holyoke City Clerk, and other relevant State and City departments, voting advocacy organizations, and members of the public be invited to testify (via remote teleconferencing if need be).
Item 20: 5-5-20 LEAHY — The City of Holyoke look to rent/lease/purchase mobile trailers to conduct voting in
Item 21: 5-5-20 ANDERSON-BURGOS, HERNANDEZ, LISI — Ordered, that Ordered that the Trustees of Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke attend our next meeting of the City Council to address the timeline of recent events, and to address their plans moving forward. As The Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke has accounted for nearly 20% of the Covid-19 fatalities within our city, we as a community had a reasonable expectation that this state-run facility would provide the best care its residents have earned through their service. As the ongoing tragedy has brought painful national attention to our city, it is also in the public interest that we fully understand where responsibility lies and that there is accountability.
Item 22: 10-6-20 VACON — Ordered, that that absentee ballots and mail in ballots shall be opened in City Council chambers with cameras on and recording to ensure they are witnessed and placed in a secure container to be counted.
Item 23: 10-6-20 VACON — that City Clerk/Registrar of Voters provides the current total of registered voters and describe the steps taken to ensure that it is current and has been updated for accuracy. This is a follow up to a previously filed order
Item 24: 4-6-21 MCGEE — Order that the legal department come before the city council to get and update on the Yale Street project.
Item 25: 12-7-21 From Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, letter appointing Ms. Jennifer Keitt, 63 Arthur St. to serve as a member of the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority: Ms. Keitt will replace Ms. Gladys Lebron-Martinez and will serve her remainder term; said term will expire on November 1, 2022.
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. Also one or two items may require the committee to enter into executive session at this meeting. Agenda subject to change up to two business days (48 hours) prior to posted meeting time.