Charter and Rules Committee 1/27/2025
En español
Agenda
Item 1: Minutes of September 16, 2024 meeting
*Tabled 10-21-24
Item 2: Minutes of October 21, 2024 meeting
Item 3: 9-18-24 MURPHY-ROMBOLETTI – Ordered that the city council amend its rules to identify which committees certain licenses should be sent to, in an effort to ensure consistency and clarity.
Item 4: 10-3-23 GIVNER, TALLMAN — With community support, order that all ordinances and charter rules reflecting city council and city council subcommittee meeting notices be updated to reflect acceptance of email as sufficient method of notice, and city website posting as sufficient method of public notice.
*Tabled 12-11-23, 2-5-24
Item 5: 10-3-23 GIVNER — With community support, order that the following section of our Codes of Ordinances and charter be updated to reflect use of email as sufficient for special meeting notice:
Sec. 12. – Special meetings of city council.
The mayor may at any time call a special meeting of the city council by public posting through the city website along with written notifications thereof, together with a statement of the subjects to be considered thereat, to be deposited in the post office, postpaid and addressed to the persons to be notified, at least forty-eight hours before the time appointed for such meeting, or to be left at the usual place of residence of each member of the council, by email at least forty-eight hours before the time appointed for such meeting.
(Acts 1965, c. 187; Acts 1992, c. 189)
*Tabled 12-22-23, 2-5-24
Item 6: 5-21-24 Devine- Ordered that the City Council consider a rule addition to to RULE 6C (DECORUM/SPEAKING), adding the following words as a second paragraph:
“No Councilor shall speak more than 4 minutes during debate. The President/and or the City Council Administrative Assistant shall keep track of the minutes. A (1) one minute reminder shall be given at the 3 minute mark during debate.”
*Tabled 6-3-24
Item 7: 11-7-24 Bartley-Order the city council amend its rules to incorporate under our section 3 or some other section, the following state law: The public body, or its chair or designee, shall, at reasonable intervals, review the minutes of executive sessions to determine if the provisions of this subsection warrant continued non-disclosure. Such determination shall be announced at the body’s next meeting and such announcement shall be included in the minutes of that meeting. See M.G.L. chapter 30A, §22(g)(1 ).
Item 8: 11-7-24 Magrath-Smith- Ordered, that Rule 9J be edited to remove the first two sentences, so that it reads, “If legal form is not provided 48 hours prior to the meeting, upon objection of any member of the City Council, the matter will be tabled until the next meeting.”
Item 9: 11-19-24 DEVINE – Ordered that the City Council reconsider our vote to appoint the City Treasurer rather than have it be and elected position and further take the necessary steps to combine the Treasurer and Tax Collector positions into one office.
Item 10: 11-19-24 From Atty Jane Mantolesky, Asst City Solicitor, City Council Voting Specifics
Item 11: 1-7-25 Devine – Ordered that rule 9P be amended to remove the reference to items being tabled if they are not taken up in 45 days.
LAID ON THE TABLE
(Items taken up at previous meeting(s) and laid on the table. Discussion has not been planned, but any item may be removed from the table upon motion of the committee.)
Item 12: 12-5-23 VACON — Ordered, That we amend our charter and ordinances to change from an elected Mayor to a City Manager/Chief Administrative Financial Officer, appointed by the City Council.
*Tabled 5-13-24, 6-10-24
Item 13: 2-6-24 JOURDAIN, BARTLEY — Ordered, That Charter Sections 19 and 34 be amended and elsewhere as appropriate to allow for all appointments to the Fire Commission and DPW Commission to be appointed by the Mayor subject to confirmation by the City Council.
*Tabled 6-10-24
Item 14: 4-2-24 BARTLEY, JOURDAIN, VACON – The City of Holyoke amends any charter, ordinance and any other regulations relative to its Tax Collector and combines the office with its City Treasurer so long as a charter change to appoint rather than elect Holyoke’s City Treasurer is approved by the legislature and Holyoke voters.
*Tabled 5-6-24, 6-10-24