In this week’s Finance Committee meeting, Police Chief Brian Keenan told councilors that safe streets come with a high price that must be budgeted.

The conversation was among the first items on the agenda that took place at the March 10, 2025 Finance Committee meeting.

The chief appeared before the committee to ask for a rectification of a pay glitch for the newly-hired crime analyst, a new position the council approved last year. The civilian hired for the job that reviews where, when and how crime occurs throughout the city is being paid $70,408 instead of the $78,000 annual salary that was originally offered to her.

The full City Council had approved a salary of $70,408 in March 2024. 

The chief said that the increase is worth it because a civilian doing the job is better for the city; he wants officers on the street, not the station house. And the position has helped cut overtime.

“My overtime is killing your city,” he said. “We can either pay overtime or we can get creative and add some lower-priced positions.”

The chief has reduced OT by $10,000 per pay period, he said, and morale is good.

“I’ll be really very candid with you. In cities where crime has dropped, the police department budget grows and the positions grow,” he said. “And I was brought here as a change agent and I plan on doing that. And I’m leaving this place better and I got it, so help me God. And what we’ve accomplished in the last 65 days hasn’t been done in that place in 10 years. We got to keep the momentum going and morale will be crushed if we start not paying people.”

City Councilor Carmen Ocasio commended the police department for showing up faster to incidents in South Holyoke, where she represents Ward 2.

Since the crime analyst has been on board, said Ocasio, “I have seen the police department respond faster than before. The residents in my ward notice that because now they call and (the police) respond quickly.”

More officers on the street make a difference, said the chief.

Nonetheless, she and Councilor Kevin Jourdain, who has demonstrated in his voting record that he does not vote for items that increase property taxes, both voted against raising the salary to $78,000. Jourdain was one of the councilors who voted in favor of creating the position, which, according to the City Solicitor’s office, could offer a range in salary from $58,680 to a maximum of $82,135.

“They just continue to draw and more and more and more tax increases on the residents well beyond any amount that’s sustainable,” said Jourdain.

Councilors Patti Devine, Kocayne Givner and Michael Sullivan voted to increase the salary to $78,000.

The matter will now go to the full City Council this coming Tuesday, when they meet at 7 p.m.

The committee also reviewed the $645,000 for Community Preservation projects.

The documents that include where the money would be spent can be reviewed here. Look for the item titled, “Item 7 …MAGRATH-SMITH.”

The motion to accept the proposed spending was unanimously approved.

The agenda and documents related to this matter and others before the Finance Committee, can be reviewed here.

Also this week, the Development and Government Relations Committee considered a proposal to formally establish a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program in which tax-exempt entities such as faith-based organizations and service agencies would pay 25 percent of the value of the property were it residential or for profit.

If the program were established formally, the city could receive about $1.8 million from entities that include the Holyoke Housing Authority, the Holyoke Medical Center, the Holyoke Public Schools, and faith-based organizations.

In service to transparency, Holyoke Media pays the city $14,000 a year through the informal PILOT program.

The committee voted to accept the recommendations from the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management.

The document presented to councilors for this discussion can be reviewed here, by selecting Item 5.

Also, a city man wants to create a family burial plot on his land. He spoke before the committee with his request, and is already in the process of gathering information for the Board of Health, MassDEP approval and the Conservation Committee for their respective approval.

The burial plot would be on Fini Road, named after his family.

The conversation with DGR members is at the beginning of the meeting. And, as with other, items, the documents related to his petition are available to read here under Item 3.