En español

Agenda

Item 1: Minutes of January 28, 2026 meeting.

Item 2: 2-3-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, THIRTEEN MILLION FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY NINE AND 00/100 Dollars ($13,421,739.00) as follows:
FROM
10002-59754 TRANS TO HEALTH INS TRUST                    $13,421,739.00
TOTAL              $13,421,739.00
TO:
10002-59790 TRANS TO HEALTH INS TRUST                     $13,421,739.00
TOTAL              $13,421,739.00

Item 3: 2-3-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, THREE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($350,000.00) as follows:
FROM
12101-51107 PAY-PATROL OFFICERS                      $250,000.00
12101-51117 PAY-E911 DISPATCHERS                       100,000.00
TOTAL                 $350,000.00
TO:
12101-51300 PAY-OVERTIME                          $350,000.00
TOTAL                 $350,000.00

Item 4: 2-3-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, ONE THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($1,000.00) as follows
FROM
12101-51107 PAY-PATROL OFFICERS                 $1,000.00
TOTAL            $1,000.00
TO:
12101-51910 PAY-STIPENDS                     $1,000.00
TOTAL            $1,000.00

Item 5: 2-3-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, FIFTY FOUR THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($54,000.00) as follows:
FROM
14101-51105 PAY-SR. CIVIL ENGINEER               $54,000.00
TOTAL $54,000.00
TO:
14102-53010 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING                 $54,000.00
TOTAL            $54,000.00

Item 6: 2-3-26 Devine-Ordered, that in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 44 Sec. 53A, the City Council hereby accepts the provisions of the “EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (EOHED) ONE STOP, $265,000.00, 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 7: 2-3-26 DEVINE – Ordered, that there be and is hereby appropriated by transfer in the fiscal year 2026, FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 Dollars ($50,000.00) as follows:
FROM
60402-53012 MANAGEMENT SERVICE CONTRACT                   $50,000.00
TOTAL            $50,000.00
TO:
60402-53011 PROF SERVICES-OTHER                $50,000.00
TOTAL            $50,000.00

Item 8: 1-20-26 From Mayor Joshua Garcia-communication regarding Holyoke Retirement Board and PERAC

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.

Item 10: 2-3-26 Devine- ORDERED:  That Chapter 43, section 90, a,c,d of the Pension Law (regarding half-pay) be sent to the Finance Committee for discussion with the Retirement Board.

 

LAID ON THE TABLE

 

ADMINISTRATIVELY LAID ON THE TABLE

Item 11: 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 12: 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 13: 6-3-25 Letter from David Conti, FY2026 Water Rates and Maintenance Charge

Item 14: 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 15: 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 16: 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.

Item 17: 12-2-25 From Asst City Engineer Victoria Houle, Summary of typical traffic related costs.

Item 18: 12-2-25 From DLS-update on FY25

Item 19: 12-2-25 Bartley, Vacon, Jourdain, Sullivan – Ordered, Mayor, Treasurer and other officials named in the DLS letters of 9/22/25 and 10/1/25 provide a status report to the City Council as to the commands imposed by the State relative to unreconciled accounts for Fiscal Years 2023, 2024 and 2025.  The letter orders the City to comply no later than 12/1/2025.  Here’s a direct quote from the 10/1/25 letter (emphasis in the original):  PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT you MUST complete all outstanding reconciliations within 60 days of the date of this letter.