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Agenda

Item 1: Minutes of January 13, 2026 meeting.

Item 2: 1-20-26 Vacon, et al – ORDER: An assessor attend a finance meeting to explain the home values & how they are determined.  Homeowners are questioning the consistency & fairness of assessed values & resulting tax increases throughout the city.

Item 3: 1-20-26 Devine-Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “SFY26 SHANNON COMMUNITY SAFETY INITIATIVE (CSI), $415,951.56, 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 4: 1-20-26 Devine-Ordered, that the amount of three million and five hundred-thousand dollars ($3,500,000) is appropriated for the purpose of financing the demolition, remodeling, reconstruction, engineering, construction, equipping or re-equipping of various city facilities, roads, and sidewalks, including the payment of costs incidental or related thereto. To meet this appropriation the Treasurer, with the approval of the Mayor is authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 44, Section 7 or any other enabling authority.
FURTHER ORDERED: That the Mayor is authorized to contract for and expend any state aid available for the project; and that the Mayor is authorized to take any other action necessary or convenient to carry out these projects.
FURTHER ORDERED: That the Treasurer is authorized to file an application to qualify under Chapter 44A of the General Laws any and all of the bonds or notes authorized to be issued pursuant to this Order, and to provide such information and execute such documents as may be required for such purposes.
FURTHER ORDERED: That  there shall be no change in the purpose of this bond authorization without prior vote of approval by the Holyoke City Council.

Item 5: 1-6-26 From City Solicitor Lisa Ball-legal opinion on transfer orders to increase Personal Services Lines

LAID ON THE TABLE

ADMINISTRATIVELY LAID ON THE TABLE

Item 6: 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 7: 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 8: 6-3-25 Letter from David Conti, FY2026 Water Rates and Maintenance Charge

Item 9: 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 10: 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 11: 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.