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!
Re-Elect Holyoke's Fiscal Watchdog!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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