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Agenda

Item 1: Minutes of February 11, 2026 meeting.

Item 2: 2-17-26 Devine-Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL-CULTURAL DISTRICT INVESTMENT, $15,000.00, 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: 2-17-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($50,000.00) as follows:
FROM
8815-10400 CANNABIS STABILIZATION $50,000.00
TOTAL $50,000.00
TO:
19442-53003 SOLICITOR LEGAL SERVICES $50,000.00
TOTAL $50,000.00

Item 4: 2-17-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, EIGHTEEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY AND 00/100 Dollars ($18,250.00) as follows:
FROM
12101-51107 PAY-PATROL OFFICERS $18,250.00
TOTAL $18,250.00
TO:
19131-51999 UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION $18,250.00
TOTAL $18,250.00

Item 5: 2-17-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($50,000.00) as follows:
FROM
19161-51999 F.I.C.A.-MEDICARE $50,000.00
TOTAL $50,000.00
TO:
19131-51999 UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION $50,000.00
TOTAL $50,000.00

Item 6: 2-17-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND 00/100 Dollars ($55,800.00) as follows:
FROM
11381-51102 PAY-ASSISTANT C.P.O. $55,800.00
TOTAL $55,800.00
TO:
11461-51107 PAY-REVENUE COLLECTION SPCLST $17,100.00
11451-51132 PAY-PAYROLL SPECIALIST 4,100.00
11451-51101 PAY-TREASURER 7,200.00
11351-51101 PAY-AUDITOR 6,400.00
19202-57200 OUT OF STATE TRAVEL 21,000.00
TOTAL $55,800.00

LAID ON THE TABLE

Item 7: 1-20-26 Magrath-Smith- ORDERED: That the Holyoke City Council consider and act on the attached resolution, joining with the Mayor in requesting that the Holyoke Retirement Board and the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission allow a reevaluation of the City’s pension funding schedule prior to development of the FY27 budget.
*Tabled 2-11-26

ADMINISTRATIVELY LAID ON THE TABLE

Item 8: 12-3-24 BARTLEY, VACON – 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 9: 5-6-25 Jourdain, Vacon – That the Mayor, City Clerk and Auditor please come to the Finance Committee to discuss the city’s compliance with MGL Ch. 41 Section 17 and Holyoke City Charter Section 52. MGL Ch. 41 Section 17 requires the following: “Every officer of a city who makes or executes a contract on behalf of the city shall furnish said contract or a copy thereof to the city clerk and the city auditor within one week after its execution; and the city clerk shall keep such contract or copy on file, open to public inspection during business hours. Such contracts or copies shall be kept in a book by themselves or in several books, arranged according to the subject of the contract, or in other convenient form, and an index to the subject matter of the contracts and to the names of the contractors shall be made semi-annually, and shall also be open to public inspection in some convenient form. All allowances under and additions to such contracts, or copies thereof, shall be filed with the city clerk and the city auditor, together with a sworn statement of the officer making such allowances or additions that the same are correct and in accordance with the contract. A city clerk or other city officer failing to comply with this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars.”
Moreover, Holyoke City Charter Section 52 requires, “All contracts made by any department of the city shall, when the amount involved is five hundred dollars or more, be in writing, and no such contract shall be deemed to have been made or executed until the approval of the mayor is affixed thereto. All such contracts shall be accompanied by a bond, with sureties satisfactory to the board or committee having the matter in charge, or by a deposit of money or other security for the faithful performance of such contracts; and such bonds or other security shall be deposited with the city auditor until the contract has been carried out in all respects; and no such contract shall be altered except by a written agreement of the contractor, the sureties on his or their bond, and the officer making the contract, with the approval of the mayor affixed thereto.”
Can the City Clerk’s office create an on-line database in pdf format for the public inspection of all city contracts exceeding $500 in value? City Auditor please advise if the holders of all said contracts are providing a bond and if it is only being released in accordance with the Charter?

Item 10: 6-3-25 Letter from David Conti, FY2026 Water Rates and Maintenance Charge

Item 11: 10-21-25 Vacon, Jourdain- ORDER: request our outside auditor provide an update on the status of the 2023 & 2024 audits, in person or by written update as soon as possible.

Item 12: 11-6-25 From Jack Dowd, Down Insurance, Overview of prevent auto claim trends, COH analysis of vehicles, Police 3 year trend, DPW 3 year trend, COH claim trends

Item 13: 11-6-25 Jourdain, Vacon- Ordered, Treasurer please appear before the finance committee to explain how he is paying the city bills with no payments from the state & no cash transfer requests submitted to the city council. That our Auditor share any information provided to her office re: any cash transfers to pay city payroll & bills.

Item 14: 12-2-25 From Asst City Engineer Victoria Houle, Summary of typical traffic related costs.

Item 15: 12-2-25 From DLS-update on FY25

Item 16: 12-2-25 Bartley, Vacon, Jourdain, Sullivan – Ordered, Mayor, Treasurer and other officials named in the DLS letters of 9/22/25 and 10/1/25 provide a status report to the City Council as to the commands imposed by the State relative to unreconciled accounts for Fiscal Years 2023, 2024 and 2025. The letter orders the City to comply no later than 12/1/2025. Here’s a direct quote from the 10/1/25 letter (emphasis in the original): PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT you MUST complete all outstanding reconciliations within 60 days of the date of this letter.

Item 17: 12-16-25 From City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain-communication regarding tax rate

Item 18: 12-16-25 Bartley, Vacon- The city council accept the attached news article published in the Republican on 12/11/25 concerning the status of the City’s finances and the order I filed to hear from our elected leaders about the plan to hire qualified persons to reconcile the city’s ledgers. DLS informed the city in a letter dated 11/17/25 that the present situation is “catastrophic.”

Item 19: 12-16-25 Bartley, Vacon- The city council accept the attached e-mail from DLS with an update on the process to contract with a vendor to correct the catastrophic condition of the City’s finances.