Mayor Hamilton Dies and is Remembered!

There is sad news from Texas tonight: former Mayor Hamilton passed away this afternoon.
I served my first term on the City Council with Bill and he was a very hard working Mayor who was exceptionally smart and shrewd. He was very helpful to me personally when he pushed to get me elected as a rookie and for that I am eternally grateful. He did a fine job for the city and was not one to be swayed by what was popular even when it looked like it might cost him his seat.

Alot of people do not remember the Override days of 1991. From that low point in city finances, Bill emerged as a real leader for change and it is why the people of the city elected him. While we agreed most of the time, there were exceptions and he always made sure to tell me what he thought. I liked his style although I can say it did not work for all of my colleagues. He was fair and a straight shooter.

Not to be out done, he would be the first to remind everyone of his very talented and gifted wife, Rosemary, who was a Mt. Holyoke graduate. Very sharp lady and very charming.

One of Bill's favorite lines from Shakespeare that he particularly loved to quote towards those who seemed to have forgotten what he delivered from time to time was from King Lear, "Sharper than a serpent's tooth are these the children of ingratitude!" I loved that line and he said it with a certain flair that just made you laugh even if it was directed your way.

Holyoke was lucky to have Bill as our Mayor for 5 years (1991-1996). I know he enjoyed his son, Mark, very much and relocated to Texas from his home on Eastern Promenade to be with him. Mark is quite accomplished as well.

Bill will be remembered fondly and it was a pleasure to have known him. Requiescat in pace.

Former Holyoke Mayor William Hamilton dies in Texas following heart attacks

By MIKE PLAISANCE
mplaisance@repub.com

HOLYOKE - Former Mayor William A. Hamilton, whose tough-minded management was credited with turning around the city during a recession died Monday in Texas. He was 86.

His son Mark F. Hamilton said in a telephone interview that William Hamilton collapsed in his Austin apartment, suffered two cardiac arrests and was pronounced dead at the hospital at 12:11 p.m.

He won a special election for mayor in June 1991. After winning in 1993, Hamilton lost the mayoral seat in an upset in November 1995 to Daniel J. Szostkiewicz, a former city councilor who was nearly three-times younger than Hamilton.

"He died peacefully, with my wife and I at his side," Mark Hamilton said.

Hamilton was mayor here during hard financial times and generally his cost-cutting measures and tightness with the public buck were credited with helping the city through its financial crisis.

Hamilton grew up in the city's Churchill section, and served a term as an alderman in the 1960s.

Later as a businessman with Monsanto Co., Hamilton traveled the world before returning to Holyoke to retire.

He invented a railroad car for Monsanto operations that dumped loads through the bottom rather than having to lift the car up and rotate it.

Hamilton was an iconoclast here - and the Shakespeare-quoting Hamilton probably would have preferred the label "iconoclast" over merely "rebel."

He was a registered Republican mayor in a city run by Democrats.

He pushed to put a gambling casino-resort on Mount Tom, even though that position cost him support of voters in Ward 7 who opposed gaming in their ward.

Hamilton opposed having the city take over the hydroelectric dam here from a utility company, a step later favored in a non-binding referendum by the voters by about a four to one margin.

Among the economic development in his administration was the one-third increase in the size of the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside and development of Holyoke Crossings, a retail block adjacent to the mall.

Disturbing New Development in Holyoke Public Library Child Porn Investigation!

From Channel 3 News comes this very disturbing report:
Allegations of Child Porn Cover Up at Holyoke Library
http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/49743542.html/

By Matthew Campbell
Story Published: Jul 2, 2009 at 11:07 PM EDT
Story Updated: Jul 2, 2009 at 11:13 PM EDT
An assistant librarian blew the whistle on a patron who is accused of downloading child porn. But she didn't stop there. She speaks out against the higher-ups who, she says, tried to sweep the incident under the rug.
It was a December day at the Holyoke Library. Patrons were using the computer, until raw pornographic images pop up.
But the centerfold on the screen was a toddler.
"They were very sexually explicit photographs of a little girl, probably 3 or 4 years old. You couldn't see his face, but you could clearly see hers. It was almost like she was looking right at you," Wessels says.
Shocked, and staring back at the girl on the screen, were the patron, the assistant library director, and her boss, director, Maria Pagan.
"She thought by restarting the computer, that would take care of it," Wessels says.
Assistant Library Director, Carla Wessels, alleges her boss tried to delete the images and keep the incident quiet, by not reporting it.
"She kept saying over and over, the police are going to want to know a name. And she told me to just relax," Wessels says.
But Wessels couldn't. The images haunted the 5 year librarian.
"When I went home, Friday night after work, I was still really affected. All day through work all I could see were those images," Wessels says.
And that's when she decided to blow the whistle. It was 3 days later on a Monday morning.
"First thing when I got in, in the morning, I went into her office, and said pretty much the same thing when I called her Friday night. And she gave me the same response that the police are going to want to know a name and she even brought up the Patriot Act saying that as a library, we need to keep patrons names and addresses confidential," Wessels says.
Fearing the incident would never be reported, Wessels called police. Holyoke's Cyber Crimes unit seized the computer.
Hours later, the images Maria deleted were resurrected. The photos were brought back to life and the man who allegedly surfed for them was identified.
29 year old Michael Houle, who lives a block away from the library and the elementary school across the street, was arraigned on multiple counts of child pornography possession.
"I'm just trying to do what's right and to have people in the higher lever of authority than me not want to be on my side or tell me I did the right thing, is sad," Wessels says.
So CBS 3 went to the people in power, visiting Maria Pagan at her home, and Chairwoman of the Board, Ellen Moriarty.
After repeated attempts, CBS 3 caught up with Pagan at the library.
"What about the allegations that you told the librarians not to do anything about it," we asked.
"That's what they're saying, I'm not going to say either way," Pagan says.
The Library Director still would not admit timing was an issue.
"The police was called, right," Pagan says. "The person was caught, so time doesn't matter," she states.
But Police Chief Anthony Scott says timing is everything.
"If they deleted files, it would've caused problems, but because of the actions of the assistant librarian, we were able to get the info and secure the computer," Scott says.
But when asked by CBS 3, Pagan is still unsure police involvement was the right thing to do.
"Did you follow the manual that day," we asked.
"Didn't even think of doing it," Pagan states.
"Why not," we respond.
"It was just a reaction," she says.
"Do you regret not calling police earlier," we ask.
"Probably, probably," Pagan says, shrugging us off.
After the incident, the library conducted it's own investigation. The results aren't public, because under city law, drafted in the 1900s, the library is treated as a private organization.
"The library is separate. It's run by a board of trustees," confirms Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan.
We ask Pagan more questions.
"Is child safety or the reputation of the library more important?"
"Child safety," she responds.
"Then why didn't you call police as soon as you saw those pictures," we ask.
"It was probably a reaction. That's just it," Pagan says.
But Wessels is afraid it won't be the last time, she'll be calling police.
"I think it could easily happen again," Wessels says.
Our investigation discovered no changes at the library. Sex offender posters are not put up. There are no new firewalls in the library computers, nor are there any new policies for dealing with illegal activities.

Jourdain selected to Key Post on Values for 2010 Convention!

City Councilor Kevin Jourdain, who is a member of the Platform Committee of the 2010 Massachusetts Republican Party Convention, was selected by Platform Chairman Matt Kinnaman to Chair the Sub-Committee on Values.

Councilor Jourdain stated upon the announcement of his selection, "I wish to thank Chairman Kinnaman for this great honor and responsbility. I look forward to working hard to ensure our Party's Platform continues to reflect America's core values for education, entrepreneurship and moral responsbility."

The 2010 Republican State Convention will be held next year in Worcester, Mass.

Holyoke First Bloggers' Poll Results: 79% say they would definitely use newly Proposed Train Terminal!

Holyoke First Blogger's Poll results:
79% say they would definitely use the newly proposed Commuter Rail Line slated to come to Holyoke.

Thank you for all who participated! I appreciate your opinion.

A Great Day for Holyoke!!

Let me first say thank you to Governor Patrick in his instrumental role in delivering the new computer center for Holyoke. The infusion of $100 million in capital to our downtown and the scores of jobs that will be associated with this project is just the shot in the arm our great city needs. "Industria et Copia" is our motto and from the Latin it means the Industry and Supply or Resources to meet that industry. Holyoke today in partnership with numerous corporate and academic heavyweights from throughout the Commonwealth has once again been the place where big things can happen and is meeting the needs of our newest industries.

As your City Councilor, I will do everything in power to make sure Holyoke prepares for our newest partner and make sure they receive the open arms they deserve. I will also be continuing to work hard to make sure this project spring boards the city to new opportunities.

It is a great day indeed for many of us who have been working so hard to revitalize our downtown. My hat is off to all involved!

Here is today's story from the Republican:

Holyoke to be hub of high tech
Friday, June 12, 2009
By KEN ROSS
kross@repub.com
HOLYOKE - Gov. Deval L. Patrick and the presidents of the University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston University joined numerous officials and residents Thursday to announce plans to build an $80-million to $100-million high performance computer center in the city, which will also harness the talent of Cisco Systems and EMC Co.
"It's a landmark collaboration," Patrick said during the press conference held in a standing-room-only conference room in the city's public library.
Many others also touted the high-tech facility, which will house a large number of high-speed computers and serve as a location for cutting-edge collaborative computer research in climate change, biofuels, life sciences, clean energy and other research which relies heavily on computation.
"This (project) will advance the commonwealth as a world research leader," UMass President Jack M. Wilson said.
"For these universities to remain at the forefront, this center is key," MIT President Susan Hockfield said.
Boston University President Robert Brown also praised the collaborative nature of the project. "A partnership like this is breaking new ground in the commonwealth," he said.
All the parties involved in the project gathered Thursday to sign a letter of intent to work collaboratively on the project. Officials will now spend the next 120 days (putting the deadline at Sept. 19) creating an action plan for the project, including discussing possible site locations, financing for the project and creating a timeline for construction, according to a statement issued by Patrick.
The state has not committed a specific amount of money for the project, Patrick said. The same is true for the other parties involved in the project, which Patrick stated is estimated to cost between $80 million and $100 million to build.
Patrick said he hopes the universities or private companies like Cisco Systems or EMC Corp. take the lead in funding such a facility. Other universities and companies have also expressed an interest in being part of the collaboration, Patrick said, but he declined to be specific.
Exactly how many jobs will be created by the facility also has not been determined, Patrick and others said. However, Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said earlier this week he estimated the facility will "produce thousands of jobs." Sullivan remained optimistic Thursday. "The sky's the limit now," he said.
Sullivan added he did not know who will technically own the property, an issue which would make a difference in terms of property taxes. Educational institutions are exempt from paying city property taxes.
And while the exact location for the facility has not been selected, Sullivan reiterated that the facility would be located downtown near the city's canals. "Along one of the three canals is the optimum place," Sullivan said.
Several officials touted the low-priced, environmentally conscious electricity created mainly by city-owned turbines powered by the Connecticut River as one of the key reasons why they chose to locate the facility in Holyoke.
"The use of green technology is a key feature here," Patrick said.
The governor, Wilson, Hockfield and others talked about the city's high-speed fiber optic network as another reasons why they chose to locate the facility in Holyoke.
"We quickly realized Holyoke is just the place for this" facility, Wilson said.
More than 100 people attended the press conference, including many residents, politicians and business leaders. All of them cheered and clapped loudly throughout the press conference.
"It (the new facility) designates the city of Holyoke as a place that's open to high tech," said Brendan Ciecko, the founder and president of Ten Minute Media, a Holyoke-based Internet marketing company. "It's really a mammoth step forward."
Sullivan agreed. Asked what he thought the project meant in terms of the city's future and it's image, he said, "I think it makes a big difference."
Or when asked to rate the project on a scale of one to 10, Patrick said, "This is a 12. This is what the whole commonwealth and country needs."
©2009 The Republican
© 2009 MassLive.com All Rights Reserved

Judge sanctions City Lawyer and Mayor! Click on Page for Large Version

The Legendary Councilor Jack Whelihan dies: He will always be remembered!

Councilor dies, Holyoke grieves
Friday, May 08, 2009
By KEN ROSS
kross@repub.com
HOLYOKE - Longtime City Councilor John E. Whelihan died on Wednesday, prompting an outpouring of emotion from officials who knew him well.

"The City Council will not be the same without him," said Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain. "Jack loved Holyoke, and Holyoke loved Jack."

Mayor Michael J. Sullivan agreed, "His dedication to city service is unparalleled. He's going to be missed."

Councilor Joseph M. McGiverin said, "I've served with him for 30 years. I'm deeply saddened by his passing. Our condolences go out to his family."

Whelihan, 70, announced recently that he was not running for re-election. He sat on the council for 32 of the last 40 years.

He was not at Tuesday's council meeting during which McGiverin reported that Whelihan was undergoing surgery. He asked the members to pray for him.

Whelihan was first elected to the council in 1969. The longtime Postal Service worker said last month that he never planned to serve so long on the council.

"I just got on for a few years," he said. "But it changed everything."

Whelihan had thought about joining the police force. But if he did, he said, he would have had to resign from the council.

"I got involved in the political scene, and I really liked politics to start with," he said.

So, rather than join the police force, Whelihan stayed with the Post Office and the council.

According to McGiverin, he was "a tremendous fighter for homeowners, for the middle class." He said, "When he took on an issue, he fought tenaciously until it was solved. You always knew where he stood. He made you work hard."

Jourdain agreed, "He was a tireless fighter for our seniors and those who did without."

Whelihan's current term on the council was set to expire next Jan. 3. The council is responsible for appointing someone to fill his vacant seat, said McGiverin.

He said he has no idea if or when the council will fill the post.

"We have no intention of doing that," McGiverin added. "Our first thoughts are with the family."



©2009 The Republican
© 2009 MassLive.com All Rights Reserved.

Holyoke First Bloggers oppose 19 cent Gas Tax Increase!

Holyoke First Bloggers voted 75% to 25% against Governor Patrick's proposed 19 cent Gas Tax Increase in a recent Holyoke First Poll.

Thank you for all who participated!

Councilor Jourdain turns in Signatures: Certified for November Ballot!

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to sign my nomination signatures to seek another term as your City Councilor At Large. The Registrar of Voters informed me that my signatures were certified and that I am on the ballot.

I look forward to once again running a very dynamic and energetic campaign! I want to once again personally thank you for your past support and please once again ask for your vote to continue to be your advocate and fiscal watchdog on the City Council.

In these tough times, experience and proven leadership can make all the difference in the world. With a new mayor and several new City Councilors likely to fill upcoming vacancies, it will be important to have someone who has the education and experience to provide the stability the city needs to watch over its finances.

I would deeply appreciate you spreading a kind word on my behalf to your family and friends. If you would like to volunteer on my campaign, please give me a call at 538-5519 or email me at kevin.jourdain@verizon.net.

Mass Highway announces $24 million rehabilitation of the Willimansett Bridge!

The Mass Highway Department recently announced the $24 million rehabiliation of the Willimansett Bridge between Holyoke and Chicopee. This is very welcome news that I wanted you to be aware of.

There was a design hearing on April 16th. The 793 foot bridge carries 15,000 cars per day. No timeline for work completion has been released yet.

City Assessors turn in Cell Phones!

I recently received a letter from Chief Assessor Anthony Dulude informing the Council that the Assessors were relinquishing their taxpayer funded cell phone at a cost of $180 per month.

As you know as a Holyoke First follower, I called for a top to bottom review of all taxpayer funded cell phones in the city. The school superintendent recently stated he needs all of his 49 cell phones at a cost of over $2000 per month. I turned that over to the School Committee to police.

The Tax Collector and others cell phones will be eliminated shortly and placed on a rotational, as needed basis if they should happen to be out of town and need it for emergency contact with their offices.

I am thankful that the Assessors have taken a leadership role in recognizing city government needs to control all costs.

As your fiscal watchdog at City Hall, I will continue to monitor and report any savings to tax payers that can and should be implemented.

Jourdain attends meeting on "Creating a Vision for Holyoke's 4 Lower Wards"

The City of Holyoke is undertaking a comprehensive planning study of the Flats, Churchill, South Holyoke, Prospect Heights and Downtown areas to create a plan/vision for Holyoke's Urban Core to thrive and prosper.

The Planners involved with the study have been meeting with various stakeholders to discuss:
1) What is your vision for the study area?
2) What interests do you or your organization have in the study area?
3) What things need to happen now?
4) Who needs to be involved to make this plan a success, now and during implementation?

I recently attended one of the sessions they held for City Councilors and it is very interesting and they were gauging our thoughts on setting the future priorities in the target area. The City Council will have to approve whatever plan they ultimately develop.

One of the questions asked was what do we hear from our constituents? I told them several points. If you have thoughts or suggestions on these questions listed above, please contact me so I can make sure those are passed along to the appropriate people.

Finally a Proposal from Pleasant Crossing!

The City Council recently received a proposal from Eric Suher of Pleasant Crossing for the parcel located at the corner of Pleasant & Hampden Sts. The City sold him this parcel more than 4 years ago and little of anything has taken place there.

I called upon the city to recall the property under the Reverter Clause of our sale which allows the city to take it back and sell it to someone else if the buyer did not put the property back into reuse within the 2 years promised.

His proposal calls for the building of a commerical building with two drive thru facilities. One section will be a bank and the other a coffee shop.

I am glad to see this property will soon be generating some much needed added tax revenue and add some jobs as well. I will continue to monitor this project on your behalf.

His proposal was sent to the Ordinance Committee for a hearing.

DPW releases latest list of Trees to be removed!

The DPW recently released a list of 43 Trees to be removed in 2009 from throughout the city. If you want to know if your tree is on the list or if you have a public tree that you feel is unsafe and should be removed, please contact me.

City Council awards Proclamation to Holyoke High School Hockey Team!

At our March 17 meeting, the City Council awarded a Proclamation to our Holyoke High School Hockey Team in recognition of winning the 2009 Division 3A State Championship. My colleagues and I are so proud of the Team, the coaches and their supportive families for this enormous accomplishment.

It was great to see everyone come to the City Council Chambers and receive this important recognition on behalf of a very proud City!

I am always proud at how much our City continues to accomplish; especially, people from my alma mater, Holyoke High.

City Council Happenings from March 17, 2009 Meeting

At our March 17, 2009 Meeting, there were several discussed items of interest:

1) Council approved $175,000 in additional Police Overtime.
The Police Department is averaging over $15,000 per week in overtime. Police OT has continued to run very high and Holyoke spends one of the highest per capita costs for police operations in all of Massachusetts and well above national averages. We are very fortunate to have an outstanding and well trained police force; however, the department, in these leaner times, has to be very careful on what it is spending. Overtime unlike base pay is one area the department can save in order to guard against layoffs come July 1. The House Ways and Means Budget that was recently released proposes the elimination of state reimbursement of the Quinn Bill (impact of appx. $500K) and the Shannon Grant (appx. $600K) for a total loss of $1.1 million. It is for this reason, I supported reducing the weekly amount of non-Court OT for the remainder of this Fiscal Year.

2) Council and Mayor approve new Traffic Light at corner of Jarvis Avenue & Easthampton Rd.
By a vote of 10-4 (Lisi, Lopez, Pluta & Brunelle; Devine absent) there will be a new traffic signal as recommended by the City Engineer and state Highway officials to allow a safer and smoother flow of traffic at this busy intersection. This light will also enable cars entering from Jarvis Avenue and Woodmar Glen to have a much safer commute. By improving this intersection, there is also the spinoff benefit of encouraging cars to avoid Old Jarvis Avenue and to use the main road for their commute. Any benefit on reducing the traffic on Old Jarvis Ave. should come as welcome news to those neighbors. I was happy to vote in favor of this major improvement that has been sought for many years.

3) Council adopts Home Rule Petition on City Charter that allows public to have their choice of who they want to serve on any potential Charter Commission.
The Mayor opposes allowing the public to have the right to vote for whoever they want to the Charter Commission by excluding any candidate who also runs for another municipal office. Therefore, the people that the public has entrusted to serve on their City Council and School Committee and who are on top of the issues will not be allowed to run and be elected even if the public wants them. The Council passed by a vote of 12-2 (O'Neill & Keane voted no) the revision to allow anyone to run but the Mayor vetoed the Pro-Democracy measure. Since it is a Charter Revision, the Mayor's signature is required and the revision was defeated.

4) Council passes its FY 2009 Community Development Block Grant Recommendations totalling $1.328 million and the HOME program Recommendations totalling $572,962.
For more details or if you have a specific program or activity interested, please contact me.

Council unanimously adopts Jourdain resolution on Stimulus Funds!

At our March 3, 2009 City Council meeting, I was happy to file the following resolution on behalf of the people of Holyoke to our state and federal legislators to get our fair share of the federal stimulus dollars earmarked for Massachusetts.

My resolution which was co-sponsored by Councilor John Whelihan was adopted unanimously.

Ordered,
Whereas, Holyoke has expended approximately $24 million on wastewater treatment renovations and upgrades to comply with state and federal environmental regulations regarding combined sewer overflows;

Whereas, Holyoke is among the very poorest communities in the Commonwealth and the 225% increase in sewer rates to fund the improvements has been very difficult for residents to manage;

Whereas, current federal law requires that the federal government pay at least 55% [$13.2 million] of any required improvements yet Holyoke has not received this assistance;

Be it further resolved, that the Holyoke City Council respectfully requests our state and federal legislators to provide Holyoke with these funds or as much as possible from the six to nine billion dollars in stimulus funds currently earmarked for Massachusetts. This relief would enable us to lower rates and directly impact our local economy.

Meeting date: March 3, 2009

Inside the Rail News: Councilor Elaine Pluta takes out Papers for Mayor!

Holyoke First News: This just in...Councilor Elaine Pluta took out nomination papers for Mayor yesterday morning at 10:30am. Holyoke First was able to obtain a brief statement from Councilor Pluta on her candidacy:

"Holyoke is going to need tough, experienced leadership to make difficult decisions on behalf of the City of Holyoke in these very challenging times. As a committed and knowledgeable public official, I can provide this leadership. My experience working on the City Council, and as a Mayoral and Congressional Aide will assist me in creating a seasoned administration for the Office of Mayor." City Councilor Elaine Pluta

Stay Tuned...More developing on this big story!

76% of HOLYOKE FIRST Bloggers oppose a Trash Fee!

In a recent HOLYOKE FIRST Poll, 76% of Bloggers opposed Mayor Sullivan's suggestion of possibly creating a Trash Fee.

Councilor Jourdain commented on the poll, "it does not surprise me that Holyokers would be against this very bad idea." Councilor Jourdain further stated that City Hall needs to stop thinking of new ways to take the citizens money and do a better job spending the money they are being given more wisely. "Holyoke families live on a budget and so should City Hall!"

Councilor Jourdain co-filed a City Council resolution with Councilor John Whelihan to have your City Councilors take a stand on a new trash fee. The measure is currently in the Finance Committee where Jourdain and Whelihan are members. The sponsors will seek a roll call vote on the measure.

City Council goes on Record against a Gas Tax Increase!

Holyoke - The Holyoke City Council at its March 3, 2009 meeting voted 13-2 to oppose Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed 19 cents per gallon gas tax. Holyoke joined the Agawam City Council in opposing the enormous increase.

City Councilor at Large Kevin Jourdain released the following statement in opposition to the gas tax hike: "When Holyokers are hurting and doing their very best to make ends meet, now is not the time to saddle their families with more taxes." Jourdain further commented, "what makes this outrageous tax increase even worse is the fact that it is entirely designed at giving a tax break to the people of Boston and their Big Dig project which has already cost Holyokers thousands in lost tax revenues and lost transportation dollars!"

Councilor Jourdain takes out nomination papers for Re-Election!

Friends,

On January 12th, I took out nomination papers to once again serve you as one of your eight City Councilors at Large. It has been my pleasure since 1994 to be your fiscal watchdog and advocate on the City Council. I will once again be running an energetic campaign for re-election.

Over the last two years, I created this blog as one more way to serve you, listen to your concerns and to make your City Hall a little more transparent.

There is so much uncertainity in the world and the greater national fiscal crisis is hitting home to so many of our citizens. Government resources are down and people's needs are up but like Holyokers together we will get through these trying times as we always have: better and stronger.

I feel that my leadership skills and financial acumen are needed now in City Hall more than ever. In November, we will also be electing a new Mayor and I am committed to making his or her transition as smooth as possible.

Holyoke has so much to look forward to and goals yet to be achieved. All people live at a given hour for a given purpose and our generation shall not fail to meet its highest expectations.

I wish you and your loved ones the very best for 2009. I again respectfully ask for one of your 8 votes for Councilor At Large.

Please never hestitate to call me at 538-5519 or email at kevin.jourdain@verizon.net if I can answer a question, provide you with assistance or if you have a concern.

With warmest regards,

Kevin A. Jourdain

Cellular phone bills targeted

Cellular phone bills targeted
Thursday, February 12, 2009
By KEN ROSS
kross@repub.com
HOLYOKE - City officials looking to save every penny have found a place to pinch a few: cell phones.

Faced with an annual bill of approximately $50,000 for 106 phones, the city recently did what many savvy consumers are doing now - bargaining for a lower price.

According to David A. Martins, chief procurement officer for the city, Holyoke was able to negotiate an estimated 25 to 35 percent cut in its monthly cell phone bill with Sprint, the city's cell phone provided. But that bill might end up being even lower. That's because Martins is negotiating with several cell phone companies to see if the city can get an even lower rate.

"We're looking at some major cuts come July 1," Martins said Tuesday.

The issue came into the public spotlight late last month when City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain filed an order with the council to review the city's cell phone usage. As part of the order, Jourdain included the monthly cell phone bill for the period ending Dec. 12. The detailed bill included exactly how much employees spent during that one-month period.

The highest single cell phone bill was for Assessor Anthony Dulude, who's city-paid cell phone bill that month was $182.84. He was followed by:

School Superintendent Eduardo Caballo: $100.74.

Tax Collector Robert F. Kane, $85.01

City Solicitor Karen Betournay, $84.97.

Mayor Michael J. Sullivan, $80.08

The bill also included totals by department. The highest was the School Department. Not including Caballo, the School Department paid $1,722.47 for 48 phones (an average of $35.88 per phone) that month.

The next highest was the Police Department, which spent $490.76 on 20 phones ($24.53 per phone) that month. Next came the fire department, which spent $309.55 on 12 phones ($25.79 per phone) that month.

Other department expenditures include:

Department of Public Works, 4 phones, $178.88 total, $44.72 per phone.

Parks Department, 8 phones, $176.62 total, $22.07 per phone.

Building Department, 3 phones, $121.53 total, $40.51 per phone.

The council referred the order to review the bill to the council's Finance Committee. The committee was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, but no discussion about the order was expected because, Jourdain said, the council was still waiting to hear back from city department heads about the bill. The council also wants to receive detailed call-by-call records for every phone. They have already received such records from the police and school departments, Jourdain said.

"We want to make them aware of it," Jourdain said Tuesday. "Is it really necessary to have all these phones? It's a big bill."

Jourdain added, "That (the city's total monthly cell phone bill) seems like a lot of money to me... We need to question a lot of things we took for granted in the past."

Martins said Tuesday that his office began negotiating with Sprint for a lower bill before Jourdain filed the order. Still, Martins said he understands and appreciates Jourdain's concern, given the current economic climate.

Martins added that each department head decides its own cell phone budget. He simply negotiates the lowest rate possible for all the city's cell phones.

"What I do is combine them in one shared plan," he said.

Martins added he hopes to get an even lower rate for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. That's because the current business climate is so competitive given the current economic downturn.



©2009 The Republican
© 2009 MassLive.com All Rights Reserved

Holyoke First Poll: Holyokers Top Priorities for 2009

Holyoke First Bloggers voted:

31% Passing Lowes and more economic development
26% A new senior center
19% The problems in Treasurer's office
19% Rebuilding the downtown
18% The school department
16% The Mayor's Race
16% Improving our image and marketing the city
15% Watching our budget & keeping down taxes
15% Library Renovation Project
14% Public Safety & Crime Prevention
9% More investment in infrastructure

Thank you for everyone who participated.

State probes missing excise taxes from Holyoke collector's office

State probes missing excise taxes from Holyoke collector's office
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
By JEANETTE DeFORGE
jdeforge@repub.com
HOLYOKE - About $82,000 is missing from the Tax Collector's office, a department already plagued with accusations of mismanagement and sexual harassment.

The state inspector general's office is investigating to see if the problem is an accounting error or if the money has been stolen, said Mayor Michael J. Sullivan.

"I'm hoping against hope this is an accounting faux pas," Sullivan said. "That doesn't seem likely."

A spokesman for Inspector General Gregory W. Sullivan declined comment saying it is against the office's policy to verify any investigations.

If the investigation shows evidence of theft, it will be turned over to state Attorney General Martha M. Coakley or Hampden County District Attorney William M. Bennett, Michael Sullivan said.

The money is believed to be missing from receipts from overdue vehicle excise taxes which are typically paid in person with cash or credit cards. The office took in about $770,000 last year in late payments, Sullivan said.

Most of the missing money was believed to have been paid between July and October but some is missing after that, he said.

Still, all tax accounts will be examined since financial practices in the office have been questioned by the state Department of Revenue, independent auditing company Melanson Heath & Co. and the inspector general, he said.

"It is hard to say it is from any one account because reconciliation accounting seems to be very fluid," he said.

Tax Collector Robert F. Kane said he was following a recommendation to improve financial safeguards when he found the missing money. He said he immediately reported it to Sullivan.

"I did an analysis of where they (the accounts) should be and it just didn't look right," Kane said.

Kane told Sullivan of the problem in late December. Sullivan said he immediately contacted auditors from Melanson Heath & Co. and asked them to examine the accounts. About 10 days later, the company reported they too found about $82,000 was missing.

Thursday he met with the Inspector General's office to ask them to investigate.

For years the treasurer's office and the tax collector's office has been criticized for having a lack of controls and other problems. The Inspector General's office and the Department of Revenue conducted separate financial management reviews in 2007 and 2008 and warned city officials the problems could make them vulnerable to theft.

Over the past six months, the tax collector's office has had other problems as well. The Deputy Tax Collector Jacquelynne M. Williams filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Sept. 25 alleging Kane had sexually harassed her.

Then she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the city Dec. 31.

The city fired Williams a few days before Christmas for "nonattendance at work," Sullivan said. Her firing had nothing to do with the missing money, he said.

$1 million Deficit: Jourdain keeps tabs on School Spending & Misguided Priorities

Holyoke school board members miffed by City Council's advice to cut raises for administrators
by The Republican Newsroom
Wednesday January 21, 2009, 8:30 PM
By JEANETTE DeFORGE
jdeforge@repub.com

HOLYOKE - The City Council is recommending school officials trim their budget by putting off raising salaries for administrators, but the School Committee said that simply won't help.

In a recent meeting, members also questioned why the City Council was getting involved in the school budget.

"I think this order is disrespectful and misguided and the response is far too polite, but we should be polite," said Margaret M. Boulais, a School Committee member.

The City Council order, which passed 14-1, recommended the School Committee freeze all salaries of administrators who earn above $75,000 a year.

Superintendent Eduardo B. Carballo's response explained 90 percent of the administrators who fall into that category are vice principals and department heads who are represented by the Holyoke Teachers' Association union and have an existing contract that dictates their raises.

Even principals, who are not in a union, have multiyear contracts which cannot be broken, he said.

But City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain said he proposed the order mostly focusing on the two highest-paid employees, Carballo and Patricia A. Cavanaugh, executive director of finance and operations.

He argued the School Committee hiked Carballo's pay by $5,800 to $151,000 in October, even though this year's budget is in deficit by about $1 million.

That raise was retroactive to 2007, a year when Carballo did not see a salary hike, and the 4 percent increase was the same as teachers received.

While understanding Boulais' comment, member Mary C. Plant said she preferred to send the letter explaining the contracts to the City Council.

Jourdain said council members know the School Committee by state law oversees the School Department budget but said the City Council does have a role to play because school officials have requested extra money from the council in the past to balance the education budget.

"Their job is becoming my job because they are always coming to us to look for money," he said.

He said he is especially concerned the school administration offices have not moved from the rented floors at 57 Suffolk St. to H.B. Lawrence School, even though the School Committee voted to do so a year ago, which is estimated to save about $400,000 a year in a combination of rent, maintenance and utility costs.

The School Committee is planning to request money to finish a study to see how much money has to be spent in renovations to move the main computer server and create offices.

Jourdain said he expects serious budget cuts citywide for the next fiscal year that starts in July and he feels the School Committee, which oversees the largest portion of the budget, has to cut more.