City Council 1/5/2021

Agenda:

LAID ON THE TABLE

1. an order that the bonding for the 10 priority intersections and funding for the traffic light installations be reviewed in Finance Committee

PUBLIC COMMENT

COMMUNICATIONS

2. From Mayor Alex B. Morse letter appointing Mr. Marcos A. Marrero, 34 Pinehurst Rd. to serve as a Commissione 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.

3. List of Council appointments January 2021.

4. From Office of Planning and Economic Development reports required under Section 5-209 of the City of Holyoke Code of Ordinances regarding Grant reports.

5. From Community Development FFY2019, amended annual plan-Legal Notice & resolution.

6. From Planning Board re: 2020 update to the demolition delay ordinance.

7. From Gas & Electric Department minutes of April 29, 2020.

8. From Holyoke Gas & Electric re: Payment in Lieu of Taxes PILOT

9. From Parks & Recreation Department minutes of November 12, 2020.

PETITIONS

10. Petition for pole and wire locations:

The GAS AND ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT requests permission to locate a line of wires, cables, poles and fixtures, including the necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures, along and across the following public way or ways:
 One (1) 40’ Class 1 pole in alley next to 215 Essex St, Holyoke MA

11. Petition for pole and wire locations:

The GAS AND ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT requests permission to locate an underground line of wires, cables, equipment and fixtures, including the necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures, along and across the following public way or ways:
 One (1) pad mount switch on corner of Walnut St & Appleton St, Holyoke MA

12. Petition for pole and wire locations:

The GAS AND ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT requests permission to locate an underground line of wires, cables, equipment and fixtures, including the necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures, along and across the following public way or ways:
 One (1) terminal cabinet on corner of Linden St & Appleton St, Holyoke MA

13. Petition for pole and wire locations:

The GAS AND ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT requests permission to locate an underground line of wires, cables, equipment and fixtures, including the necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures, along and across the following public way or ways:
 One (1) terminal cabinet on corner of Lyman St & Saint Kolbe Dr, Holyoke MA

Wherefore

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

14. Ordinance Committee Reports (if any)

14A. The Committee on Ordinance to whom was referred a Zone Change Application from BL to DR for One Holyoke Community Development Corp. at 414 Maple St. Recommended that the application be approved.

14B. The Committee on Ordinance to whom was referred a Zone Change Application to change from BL to DR for One Holyoke Community Development Corp. at 125 Sargeant St. Recommended that the application be approved.

14C. The Committee on Ordinance to whom was referred an order that the hourly wage for reserve officers be raised from its current $14.95 an hour. Recomended that the order be approved, with an amendment to increase the rate by $3.05 an hour to $18 an hour.

14D. The Committee on Ordinance to whom was referred an order that the City of Holyoke install a handicap accessible sign at 126 Brown Ave. Recommended a leave to withdraw.

15. Finance Committee Reports (if any)

15A. The Committee on Finance to whom was referred an order that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “FY2021 EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE (JAG)” 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. Recommended that the grant be accepted, with a vote of 4-1 in favor.

15B. The Committee on Finance to whom was referred an order that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “FY2021 MUNICIPAL ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM” 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. Recommended that the grant be accepted, with a vote of 3-2 in favor.

15C. The Committee on Finance to whom was referred an order that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2021, TWO THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND 28/100 ($2,760.28) as follows:
FROM:
11412-53190 EDUCATION & TRAINING $1,000.00
11412-53430 ADVERTISING 200.00
11412-53010 PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT 500.00
11412-51500 OFFICE & PROFESSIONAL SUPPLIES 1,060.28
TOTAL: $2,760.28
TO:
11411-51500 VACATION BUYBACK $2,760.28
TOTAL: $2,760.28 Recomended that the transfer be approved.

16. Public Safety Committee Reports (if any)

17. Public Service Committee Reports (if any)

18. Development and Governmental Relations Committee Reports (if any)

19. Charter and Rules Committee Reports (if any)

20. Joint City Council and School Committee Reports (if any)

MOTIONS, ORDERS AND RESOLUTIONS

21. GREANEY, JR. — Ordered that three additional speed limit postings of 30 miles per hour be placed in strategic locations on Mountain Road. Excessive speed on that road has become a severe safety hazard.

22. LISI — that the City Council consider updating the Demolition Delay ordinance with changes proposed by the Holyoke Historical Commission (see attached)

23. MCGEE — Order that the public safety committee invite in David Conti and the water commissioners into discuss and get an update on the water filtration system.

24. MCGEE — Order that the public safety committee invite in Jim Lavelle and/or a representative of the HG&E with regard to the Valley Heights Street area.

25. MCGEE — Order that the finance committee invite in Suez representatives to discuss budget shortfall and potential cost saving measures.

26. MCGIVERIN — that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2021, FOUR THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE AND 50/100 Dollars ($4,789.50) as follows:

FROM:
12201-51105 FIREFIGHTER $2,142.53
12201-51104 LIEUTENANT 2,646.97
TOTAL: $4,789.50
TO:
12201-51180 INJURED ON DUTY $4,789.50
TOTAL: $4,789.50

27. MCGIVERIN — that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2021, SIX THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED THIRTY TWO AND 04/100 Dollars ($6,932.04) as follows:

FROM:
12201-51105 FIREFIGHTER $4,285.07
12201-51104 LIEUTENANT 2,646.97
TOTAL: $6,932.04
TO:
12201-51180 INJURED ON DUTY $6,932.04
TOTAL: $6,932.04

28. MCGIVERIN — that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2021, TWENTY THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY ONE AND 43/100 Dollars ($20,841.43) as follows:

FROM:
12101-51105 SERGEANTS $6,591.96
12101-51107 PATROLMAN 14,249.47
TOTAL: $20,841.43
TO:
12101-51180 INJURED ON DUTY $20,841.43
TOTAL: $20,841.43

29. MCGIVERIN —

That the City of Holyoke appropriate the amount of Two-hundred Seventy thousand ($270,000) Dollars for the purpose of paying costs of conducting a Feasibility Study to identify improvements and updates to:

●Building roof replacement at the Lt. Clayre Sullivan Elementary School, a 112,000 square foot school building originally constructed in 1960, and located at 400 Jarvis Avenue, Holyoke, Massachusetts,

●Building roof replacement at the Maurice A. Donahue School, a 70,550 square foot school building originally constructed in 1972 and located at 210 Whiting Farms Rd., Holyoke, Massachusetts, and

●Building roof replacement at the E.N. White School, a 63,965 square foot school building constructed in 1958 and located at 1 Jefferson Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts,

including the payment of all costs incidental or related thereto, and for which the City of Holyoke may be eligible for a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”), said amount to be expended under the direction of The Holyoke City Council.

To meet this appropriation the City Treasurer, with the approval of the Mayor, is authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 44, or pursuant to any other enabling authority. The City of Holyoke acknowledges that the MSBA’s grant program is a non-entitlement, discretionary program based on need, as determined by the MSBA, and any costs the City of Holyoke incurs in excess of any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the City of Holyoke, and that the amount of borrowing authorized pursuant to this vote shall be reduced by any grant amount set forth in the Feasibility Study Agreement that may be executed between the City of Holyoke and the MSBA.

Any premium received upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any ‎such premium applied to the payment of the costs of issuance of such bonds or notes, may ‎be applied to the payment of costs approved by this vote in accordance with G.L. c. 44, ‎‎§20, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like ‎amount. ‎

The City Treasurer is authorized to file an application with the appropriate officials of The ‎Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the “Commonwealth”) to qualify under Chapter 44A of the ‎General Laws any and all bonds or notes of the City authorized by this order and to provide such ‎information and execute such documents as such officials of the Commonwealth may require in ‎connection therewith. ‎

30. MCGEE — Order that $832.00 be transferred from Admin Assistant
MCGIVERIN Budget Line 11571-51101 (which is part of End of Year
Surplus) and paid over to Ryan Allen as a stipend
for the work done during the transition period.

31. MCGIVERIN — That the City Council meet with DPW Superintendent to discuss bonding for replacement of vehicles.

32. MURPHY — Ordered that the mayor and the purchasing director as well as the manager of the HG&E appear before the finance committee to discuss current plans regarding the expansion of the electric vehicles within the city fleet. Do we have a specific plan in terms of how many and what type of vehicles as well as when we might be doing this? Do we have plans for having sufficient rapid-recharging stations? There are some reports which indicate while the initial investment might be greater, the long-term effect is reduced fuel expenses, less carbon dioxide emissions, and in some cases, vehicles that had a longer usable lifespan

33. VACON — that the Police Department provide an update on drug overdose/deaths for the last two years.

Also provide an update on drug dealing arrests and
crime stats, including shootings & murders
In the last two years

34. VACON — That the total gross pay of the top 100 paid employees
SULLIVAN of the city for the past two calendar years be listed
by the Treasurer and provided to the City Council.
Also, the total gross pay of the elected officials
for the past 2 years be listed and provided to the
City Council.

35. ANDERSON-BURGOS — Order that the city engineer look into potentially changing the driveway into Peoples Bank off of Beech St to only be an entrance. There have been safety concerns related to the slope of the driveway leading cars out of the property into traffic that is often rushing to make the light.

Addendum:
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 not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law