Finance Committee 05/13/26
En español
Agenda
Item 1: Minutes of April 29, 2026 meeting.
Item 2: 5-5-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that the City Council authorize a 5-year contract for VoIP services.
Item 3: 5-5-26 From Chief Procurement Officer Jaime Morrow- Memo to Council 5yr Phone Upgrade
Item 4: 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
*Tabled 4-15-26, 4-29-26
Item 5: 4-21-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, THREE HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT AND 58/100 Dollars ($338.58) as follows:
FROM
12102-53190 EDUCATION & TRAINING $338.58
TOTAL $338.58
TO:
19202-57200 OUT OF STATE TRAVEL $338.58
TOTAL $338.58
*Tabled 4-29-26
Item 6: 5-5-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, FORTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($40,000.00) as follows:
FROM
12101-51107 PAY-PATROL OFFICERS $40,000.00
TOTAL $40,000.00
TO:
12101-54221 SUPPLIES-AMMUNITION $40,000.00
TOTAL $40,000.00
Item 7: 5-5-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN AND 83/100 Dollars ($1,977.83) as follows:
FROM
12102-53190 EDUCATION & TRAINING $1,977.83
TOTAL $1,977.83
TO:
19202-57200 OUT OF STATE TRAVEL $1,977.83
TOTAL $1,977.83
Item 8: 5-5-26 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 $1,347.80
12101-51107 PAY-PATROL OFFICERS 1,802.20
TOTAL $3,150.00
TO:
12101-51830 PAY-CLOTHING ALLOWANCE $3,150.00
TOTAL $3,150.00
Item 9: 5-5-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, TWO HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($210,000.00) as follows:
FROM
12101-51107 PAY-PATROL OFFICERS $210,000.00
TOTAL $210,000.00
TO:
12102-55860 PERSONNEL EQUIPMENT $ 40,000.00
12102-52100 ENERGY-GAS/OIL/ELECTRIC 70,000.00
12102-54220 SUPPLIES-OTHER 100,000.00
TOTAL $210,000.00
Item 10: 5-5-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO AND 20/100 Dollars ($1,652.20) as follows:
FROM
12102-55830 CLOTHING REIMBURSEMENT $1,652.20
TOTAL $1,652.20
TO:
12101-51505 PAY-TIME OWED BUYBACK $1,652.20
TOTAL $1,652.20
Item 11: 5-5-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, EIGHTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($80,000.00) as follows:
FROM
12101-51105 PAY-POLICE SERGEANT $80,000.00
TOTAL $80,000.00
TO:
12102-52410 R & M-VEHICLES $30,000.00
12102-54830 SUPPLIES-MOTOR VEHICLES 50,000.00
TOTAL $80,000.00
Item 12: 5-5-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($100,000.00) as follows:
FROM
12101-51117 PAY-E-911 DISPATCHERS $ 90,000.00
12101-51203 PAY-E-911 DISPATCHERS (PT) 10,000.00
TOTAL $100,000.00
TO:
12102-53010 DATA MAINTENANCE SERVICES $100,000.00
TOTAL $100,000.00
Item 13: 5-5-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($150,000.00) as follows:
FROM
12101-51107 PAY-PATROL OFFICERS $150,000.00
TOTAL $150,000.00
TO:
12101-51300 PAY-OVERTIME $150,000.00
TOTAL $150,000.00
Iten 14: 4-21-26 Vacon- ORDER: that the City Council adopt MGL Chapter 60 Section 3d and a fund be established to accept voluntary donations, designated on motor vehicle excise tax bills. This fund is established for the purpose of defraying the real estate taxes of elderly and disabled persons of low income. This is requested in light of recent high tax increases, to help with affordability issues threatening the ability of homeowners to remain in their homes, even after mortgages are paid off.
*Tabled 4-29-26
Item 15: 12-3-24 BARTLEY, VACON, SULLIVAN – 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.
*Tabled 4-29-26
LAID ON THE TABLE
Item 16: 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
Item 17: 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.
*Tabled 4-15-26
ADMINISTRATIVELY LAID ON THE TABLE
Item 18: 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 19: 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 20: 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 21: 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.
Item 22: 3-3-26 Devine- ORDERED: That the Retirement Board conduct a feasibility study to fund Chapter 32 S90, a, c, d for half pay for retirees.

