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Agenda

Item 1: Minutes of March 25, 2026 meeting.

Item 2: 4-7-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY AND 00/100 Dollars ($3,150.00) as follows:
FROM
12102-55830 CLOTHING REIMBURSEMENT                    $3,000.00
12102-54220 SUPPLIES-OTHER                     150.00
TOTAL            $3,150.00
TO:
12101-51830 PAY-CLOTHING ALLOW/ADVANCE             $3,150.00
TOTAL             $3,150.00

Item 3: 4-7-26 Devine-Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, $2,000,000.00, 25% MATCH (WAIVED)” 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 4: 4-7-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, NINE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY AND 00/100 Dollars ($9,750.00) as follows:
FROM
14261-51902 AUTO TEMP CO-OP                 $4,750.00
14261-51105 EVT MECHANIC                         5,000.00
TOTAL    $9,750.00
TO:
14262-54800 MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL                      $4,750.00
14262-52410 R&M-VEHICLES                           3,000.00
14262-55835 TOOL REIMBURSEMENT                      1,500.00
14262-54830 SUPPLIES-MOTOR VEHICLES                            500.00
TOTAL               $9,750.00

Item 5: 4-7-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, TEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND 00/100 Dollars ($10,500.00) as follows:
FROM
16931-51102 PAY-BUILDING CUSTODIAN            $10,500.00
TOTAL            $10,500.00
TO:
16932-52500 R&M-BLDGS & GROUNDS                $10,500.00
TOTAL             $10,500.00

Item 6: 4-7-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, FOUR THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND 00/100 Dollars ($4,200.00) as follows:
FROM
15432-53190 EDUCATION & TRAINING                $4,200.00
TOTAL            $4,200.00
TO:
19202-57200 OUT OF STATE TRAVEL                   $4,200.00
TOTAL             $4,200.00

Item 7: 4-7-26 Magrath-Smith –Ordered that TJ Plante, Rory Casey, and other relevant financial officers be invited into the Finance Committee to give a detailed update on the work done so far to reconcile our accounts for the last three years and implement the structural and procedural changes outlined in the Municipal Modernization Act.

Item 8: 3-17-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED ELEVEN AND 56/100 Dollars ($25,911.56) as follows:
FROM
11511-51103 PAY-ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR                     $25,911.56
TOTAL            $25,911.56
TO:
19412-57630 CLAIMS-GENERAL                $25,911.56
TOTAL             $25,911.56

LAID ON THE TABLE

Item 9: 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 10: 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 11: 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 12: 1-6-26 I. Rivera – Ordered, that a designated percentage of cannabis tax revenue be set aside to fund cannabis-related inspections and investigations, ensuring that the industry complies with the standards outlined in its special permits.

Item 13: 1-20-26 From Mayor Joshua Garcia-FY27 Budget Development Process-Early Planning and Preparation.

Item 14: 2-3-26 Vacon – ORDER: that Mayor Garcia & Open Architects/TJ Plante provide an update on the status of 2023, 2024 & 2025 financial reconciliations & free cash.

Item 15: 2-3-26 From the Division of Local Services, update on vendor procurement process to assist with cash reconciliations.

Item 16: 2-3-26 Magrath-Smith, Ordered – that DPW and Engineering develop a draft policy to present to Council around which public ways should be returned to gravel and maintained as class 4 roads versus paved/kept private and non-accepted versus paved/taken over as a public way.

Item 17: 2-3-26 Vacon – ORDER: that our auditor/treasurer provide an updated summary & schedule of our bonds/debt & what percent of our budget this represents.