Holyoke City Council President Kevin Jourdain appoints new committee leaders
Council President Kevin A. Jourdain, the first new president of the city’s legislative body since 1986, said Wednesday he has appointed new chairmen for four of the five main council committees.
Committees are where debates take place about how to spend taxpayer dollars, and it’s where public hearings are held if a restaurant wants to install a drive-up window.
Recommendations are made in the committees about whether to allow spending, establish laws, grant requests for zone changes and special permits and hire department heads and other employees.
Committee decisions are recommendations subject to vote by the full City Council.
Jourdain was elected by the 15-member council to be the new president on Jan. 3.
Jourdain scored an 8-7 win over Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin, who had been president 26 straight years.
Chairmanships were based on a combination of experience, qualifications and whether councilors supported him for council president, he said.
The only returning chairman is Ward 6 Councilor Todd A. McGee, who will continue heading the Finance Committee. McGee voted for McGiverin for president and is the only councilor who did so to get a chairmanship from Jourdain.
“He did a very good job overseeing Finance,” Jourdain said. “Although he didn’t vote for me as president, he did that more out of a loyalty to Joe rather than anything against me.”
Councilors are paid $10,000 a year each and there’s no additional pay for being a chairman. Each councilor belongs to two or three committees.
Rebecca Lisi“She’s a very organized person, so I think she’s going to be great there,” Jourdain said.
The Ordinance Committee is arguably the busiest, considering proposed bylaws and holding hearings that last multiple hours.
Lisi said she has contacted department heads to get information on issues to update members of her committee.
“I’m really honored to have been given the position,” Lisi said.
New Ward 2 Councilor Anthony Soto is the new Public Safety Committee chairman. Former Councilor at Large Patricia C. Devine, the previous chairwoman, was defeated in the Nov. 8 election.
Jourdain said he chose Soto because of his public safety experience as a former member of the Fire Commission and to give a voice to Ward 2 and Hispanics on such issues.
Councilor at Large Peter R. Tallman is new chairman of the Public Service Committee, taking over from Councilor at Large James M. Leahy.
“Pete’s as honorable a person as you’re going to meet,” Jourdain said.
The committee will be busy reviewing prospective appointees of new Mayor Alex B. Morse, who took office Jan. 3, Jourdain said.
Leahy said his ejection as chairman was unsurprising, given his support for McGiverin. But he said the council loses without having McGiverin’s experience as a chairman.
“I do think that overlooking Joe for a chairmanship probably wasn’t the right thing to do,” Leahy said.
Jourdain said that as with the council presidency, it was time for a change.
“I just felt it’s time to give new people an opportunity,” Jourdain said.
McGiverin is vice chairman of the Redevelopment Committee, which could be busy dealing with casino gambling issues.
“That’s the president’s prerogative,” McGiverin said. “I’m looking forward to serving on the Redevelopment Committee because I think there’s going to be a lot going on.”
Councilor at Large Aaron M. Vega is new chairman of the Redevelopment Committee, Jourdain’s former chairmanship.
