Jourdain announces Victory for Retirees!

City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain was proud to announce that the Holyoke Retirement Board voted 4-1 on Thursday to give the 61 Holyoke retirees their annual adjustments as authorized by the City Council this year by a vote of 14-1. After 3 Retirement Board meetings spanning over 3 months, the Retirement Board took final action.

These retirees, like many Holyokers, are struggling to make ends meet and have dedicated their lives to the people of Holyoke. In their golden years, they deserve to have an annual increase to put fuel in their tanks and food on their tables. These 61 retirees each worked over 25 years for the City of Holyoke and most have counted on these funds to keep themselves going. Luckily, the retirees fought hard for their pension! Councilor Devine, Former Mayor Dunn and I were proud to lend a strong voice to make sure that the process was followed and gave these retirees a fighting chance against a tough opponent in the Mayor's office.

Holyoke first adopted the 50% retirement law in 1969 and it has been an integral part of the financial retirment security of employees who are able to provide a minimum of 25 years of service. The City Council and past Mayors have always ensured this important benefit was protected. Despite alot of pressure from the current Executive Director to walk away from this 40 year committment, the Board did the right thing.

Councilor Jourdain also commended the Retirement Board for getting an independent legal opinion on the question of the Mayor attempting to sign the law and then saying his signature did not mean anything. Attorney Thomas F. Gibson, who was hired by the Board, told the Board before the final vote that Sullivan could not qualify his signature. Therefore, his signature constituted approval. Remarkably, the Holyoke Law Department, which took over 60 days to produce an opinion, once again played politics by conjuring up a legal opinion that agreed with the Mayor. The Law Department works for the Mayor and has a long history of legal opinions that favor the Mayor. On Thursday, the Retirement Board confirmed the proposition that the Mayor could not sign the law and walk away from his own signature.

Congratulations Retirees!

Congratulations to Immaculate Conception Parish!!

It was my great pleasure to represent the City of Holyoke yesterday at the Dedication Mass of the new Immaculate Conception Parish in the Flats. This Parish has been through alot of transition and turmoil over the last 6 years, but the good news is: it all paid off in the end. What a beautiful new church and the inspiring words of both Bishop McDonnell and Father Jim electrified all in attendance. The church was packed (and even flowing out the doors)! With so much enthusiasm in that room, it bodes well for the growth and progress of the Flats section of our city.

The Mass was held in the historic three languages of the Parish: French, Spanish and English. It displayed the great unity and history of our city. As a Catholic myself, I had never seen a church dedication ceremony and it was a very interesting and beautiful ritual. Holyoke is very lucky to have so many beautiful houses of worship of many faiths and if you visit Immaculate Conception you will absolutely enjoy the ornate stain glass mosaic of the Parish's history and the city's history with Jesus Christ at the center. It is located behind the altar.

After the Mass, a delicious meal was served by the Fernandez family restaurant at an outdoor reception. Everyone enjoyed the wonderful weather while sharing time together and talking about their Faith in the Church and their Faith in the future of Holyoke. I am glad I had the opportunity along with Councilors Welch and Pluta to participate in this special event.

My hats off to the Bishop, the Parish Building Committee and to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish which generously donated $1 million to make the new Church possible.

Blog Voters side with Police Officers over Mayor Sullivan!

In recent Holyoke First Blog poll, 61% of voters stated Mayor Sullivan was wrong to suspend the three Holyoke Police Officers for 15 days. 39% said he was right.

Jourdain announces Cable TV Meeting on 8/19 in City Council Chambers!

For Immediate Release

Contact:
City Councilor At Large Kevin A. Jourdain
(413) 538-5519

Holyoke – City Council Cable Television Committee Chairman Kevin Jourdain announced today that the Cable Television Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 6:30PM in the City Council Chambers. The agenda of the meeting will be:
1) Discussion of Comcast Lineups changes and the effects on consumers
2) The Restoration of EWTN at lowest possible cost price and a discussion of the Digital Classic Package for $20 per month
3) The 1997 agreement relative to the Holyoke Public Access Channel and the future of this channel.
4) Request to Comcast to give more notice of future changes

This meeting is open to the public and they have an opportunity to have their concerns voiced and questions answered. Stephen Fitzgibbons and Daniel Glanville from ComCast have been invited, as well as, Mayor Sullivan or his representative.

# # #

Councilor Jourdain makes statement on Mayor Sullivan's announcement

Holyoke- City Councilor At Large Kevin Jourdain in a brief announcement today stated that he was surprised to hear of Mayor Sullivan's option not to seek election next year. Jourdain also stated that being Mayor is a difficult job and one that can be thankless at times. Councilor Jourdain, who has served with 3 Mayors, thanked Mayor Sullivan for his service to the city and looks forward to working with him for the remainder of his term.

While extensive work faces the city in 2008, 2009 is going to be a critical election to the future of the city. "I want to thank the many people who have already called me to encourage me to run for Mayor. It would indeed be an honor to serve. I will give strong consideration to this exciting opportunity to use my experience to make sure that Holyoke continues to prosper and that our government serves the interests of its citizens."

AP: Comcast Customer Service Ratings at All-Time Low

Comcast Customer Service Ratings at All-Time Low

Associated Press

May 20, 2008

Customer satisfaction ratings for Comcast Corp. fell this year to an all-time low and rank at the bottom of cable and satellite TV providers, according to a survey released on May 20. Comcast lagged behind smaller operators such as Cablevision Systems Corp. and RCN Corp., which as a group topped the customer satisfaction ratings for the first time ever.

Comcast rated 54 out of a perfect 100 for customer satisfaction. Rapid growth for the Philadelphia-based company, which have been buying up smaller cable systems, may have added to its customer service problems, the report said.

NEW LINK ADDED: COMCAST WATCH

www.comcastwatch.com now in new links!

Comcast breaks promises with Holyoke subscribers!

Holyoke - Effective July 16, 2008, ComCast has decimated the basic service package that offers local subscribers a low cost alternative to the otherwise extremely high prices they offer for the digital packages. Holyoke is disproportionately lower income versus other communities in Western Massachusetts and is especially sensitive to this change. Allegedly, they are doing this so people can buy more High Definition channels which is great but what about those who cannot afford a $50+ package. ComCast claims to be committed to the community but then does stuff like this that is strictly designed at increasing their bottom line regardless of how many people are harmed!


"God's Word is Eternal, but apparently ComCast's word is only good for 11 Years."

No less disturbing in all of this is ComCast's blatant breach of an agreement they had with the City in 1997 with respect to the broadcasting of EWTN. This widely popular Catholic Channel was promised to the people of Holyoke as far back as the 1980's with Contential Cablevision and MediaOne. Until 1997, it was broadcast 24 hours day. ComCast then made the decision that it was only going to be run it part-time by sharing the same Channel 21 with the Inspiration Network, which is a fine channel in its own right.

Quickly, ComCast put up the same straw man arguments as they are now saying nothing can be done we are just giving you what people want. So to convince them of their misguided ways and to demonstrate that Holyokers and people throughout Western Massachusetts wanted EWTN a massive organizational effort was undertaken. During that process, over 6000 signatures were collected in support of EWTN; including, over 3000 in Holyoke. Large volumes of letters and phone calls were generated, as well as, media attention.

During the process of the 1997 ComCast contract negotiations with the city, then Mayor Danny Szostkiewicz showed real leadership and reached an accord with ComCast that in lieu of a public access channel that ComCast would broadcast EWTN on Channel 23 during the switch over hours when EWTN was not playing on Channel 21. Holyoke gave up its public access channel for this specific purpose. ComCast knows this. Most communities have 3 channels for what is called PEG Access purposes. PEG Access stands for Public Access, Educational Access and Government Access. The Education channel is on Channel 12 and our Government Channel is Channel 15. In the midst of ComCast's haste to remove EWTN, they have also taken without justification our would be Public Access Channel on Channel 23. Public Access channels are required by federal law to be broadcast as part of the basic service package.
In sum, ComCast has broken their promise to broadcast EWTN and has stolen from us our public access channel effectively leaving Holyoke left holding the bag. Under no circumstances, can this be tolerated.

Thousands of our fellow Holyokers and people throughout Western MA are now being deprived of this precious religious programming. Inspiration channel has also been removed and as a result all religious programming has been removed from the more affordable basic tier. This is alarming and is disturbing especially from a company that purports to listen to its customers and is allegedly family friendly.


I encourage all Holyoke residents to call ComCast's Government Affairs Representative Stephen Fitzgibbons at (413) 730-4513 and demand EWTN be restored to the basic tier back on our public access Channel 23!

I also encourage Holyokers to call Mayor Sullivan at (413) 322-5510 and ask that he lend his support to getting ComCast to restore our public access channel so it can be used for EWTN!

If you would like more information on this issue and the on-going fight to preserve EWTN and protect our cable subscribers on fixed income, please call me at (413) 538-5519 or email me or call Paula Brunault at (413) 534-1596. Paula has been the leader on this issue for many years and we are lucky to have her fighting for us again!

City Council makes many cuts from Budget!

On Tuesday, June 17, 2008, the City Council convened in regular session to vote on the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget. Historically, there have not been a lot of proposed cuts other than from those of us who have been pushing for more fiscal control for many years now. However, I am very happy to report that this year was very different and I was pleasantly surprised by many of the good cuts offered by many of my colleagues.

The following cuts were approved:

• $1,000 from Mayor's In-State Travel Account
• $30,000 from Law Department's Special Counsel Acount
• $76,000 from Software License / Usage Fees Account to put the line item back to what was requested by Dept Head
• $15,000 from Software Hardware/Software Maintenance Account to put the line item back to what was requested by Dept Head
• $40,000 to eliminate the Community Mediation Program in Police Dept.
• $1,000 from Education & Training budget of Emergency Management which has been combined under Fire Dept that already has $9,000 in their account.
• $50,000 to eliminate the Mayor's proposed "Early Warning Service" Phone call system.
• $37,039 to eliminate 1 of 2 vacant Carpenter positions at DPW
• $10,000 from City Hall Annex Repair & Maintenance Acct until it is decided if Mayor's proposal to tear down building is approved by City Council
• $55,000 from Highland Fire Station Repair & Maintenance Account because the account was overfunded by 1000% from last year's expenses
• $8,000 from Other Supplies Account of DPW
• $3,000 from Out-of-State Travel Account
• $75,000 from Law Dept's Claims and Damages Account
• $790,000 from Management Service Contract to United Water

$1,191,039 CUT FROM BUDGET!

The following cuts were denied:

$6,201 from Sealer of Weights and Measures payroll account
$100,000 from Snow Removal Account
$1,000,000 additional cut from Management Service Contract to United Water (8-7 vote - see additional post on this topic)

I voted for all of the cuts except for the snow removal cut and the Sealer cut.

Hats off to the City Council for a job well done on the budget this year!!

Once all of the Final Budget Numbers are finalized - I will get the new budget placed on city website for your review.

Amazing Job done by Holyoke Fire Dept and Mutual Aid!

I want to offer my personal thanks to the Holyoke Fire Department and the Fire Departments within the region for their mutual aid in the amazing job they did last night in battling the terrible Parsons Paper Fire.

Last night, my son and I went to the fire headquarters and along with hundreds of our fellow citizens and witnessed great heroism and commitment! A great deal of additional property damage and potential loss of life were spared because of their efforts. They once again showed why they are one of the best departments around and made us all very proud!

Great job Guys!

Division of Banks approves Holyoke's new Pawnbroker Ordinance!

Holyoke- City Councilor Kevin Jourdain announced today that the Division of Banks after a recent public hearing has approved the new ordinances related to Pawnbrokers sponsored by Councilor Jourdain. The new ordinance among other provisions also includes a provision capping interest rates that can be charged to customers to 36% per year. Prior to the ordinance, pawnbrokers were allowed to charge as much as they wanted and many in the industry have been known to charge as much as 60-80% interest.

"I am happy that Holyoke was able to put in place reasonable new limits to make sure that customers, many of whom are lower income, from being exploited and I thank the Division of Banks for approving the Common Sense reforms I put forward."

For more information on this new law, please feel free to contact me anytime.

City Council Bonds 2.5 million for Air Conditioning amid school closings and layoffs!

Holyoke - At our last meeting on June 3, the City Council voted 12-3 to pass $9.4 million in additional bonding to pay for cost overruns to the proposed Holyoke High improvements. In 2004, the City Council approved with my support over $13 million in improvements for the high school. These proposed improvements were eligible for 90% reimbursement from the state.

Since that time in October 2005, the architect for the project, Alderman & MacNeish, went bankrupt and walked off with $773,000 of Holyoke's money. According to testimony to the Finance Committee,which I am a member, they reportedly destroyed all of the paid for work product and drawings. We were told by school officials that the city's law department is pursing legal action.

Since the initial estimates for the proposed improvements to the school in 2002, there has been nearly $6 million in inflationary costs. What was remarkable to me was the fact that if the School Department knew in October 2005 that Alderman & MacNeish went bankrupt why did they not regroup and keep the project moving forward with a new architect. It appears that there was a 2 year delay and this has resulted in sizable percentage of the inflationary costs. Luckily, to the School dept's credit they were able to secure $2.6 million of additional state assistance to help cover some of the $6 million in inflation.

Meanwhile, the Holyoke Gas&Electric Dept has announced that it is closing down its steam operations in the city and to the high school. This required an additional $1 million to install a new gas boiler system. The School Dept also requested an additional $500,000 for a fire alarm system upgrade and $100,000 for a new security system. While these are smaller ticket items, one does wonder why (with the exception of the boiler) they were not put in the original package to the state so the city could have been reimbursed. All of these new costs will receive 0% reimbursement because they are new add-ons.

Although not happy we are not getting any state reimbursement, I was supportive of these additions to the original bond authorization. What I could not justify to the taxpayers was the late addition of Air Conditioning at a cost of $2.5 million to the project. First of all, as an alumni of HHS Class of 1989 myself, I survived just fine as a student without air conditioning. For the forty years the school has been open, students have lived without air conditioning. Would it be nice? Sure. But I think what students would prefer is that more of their teachers, professional staff and custodians keep their jobs then to have air conditioning at a cost of $250,000+ for 20 years on the city's credit card. On June 15, over 107 school employees will be getting pink slips.

While the School Dept. is closing 3 schools and the City has $1 million deficit to start the fiscal year, now is not the time for a luxury that will be used for the Summer months when most students will not even be there. Moreover, I asked the Principal why some of the Summer programs could not be transferred to Dean which is one of the few buildings with central air, he stated "I suppose they could."

These are lean times and we, as a city, need to be make some sacrifices instead of just bonding our future generations to the hilt. The Mayor is already proposing his 9th $2 million Tax Increase in a Row. Moreover, if Air Conditioning was a priority then it should be placed in our capital plan and a request should have been made to the state for 80% reimbursement instead of us flipping the whole bill which we cannot afford. We already have over $20 million in requested bonding under consideration for other projects. Never once was AC at the high school mentioned before.

It is for this reason that I requested a bond package without the $2.5 million for AC, but the City Council voted for the $9.4 million anyway which will now increase the $1 million deficit in the Mayor's proposed budget by at least another $1 million to cover the bond payment.

Councilors Jourdain, Keane and Lisi voted against the $9.4 million bond request as presented.

Kevin Jourdain interviewed by MassLive at 40 under 40!

http://videos.masslive.com/2008/05/kevin_jourdain_talks_to_massli.html

City Council to vote on Yet Another Massive Sewer Hike!!!

Holyoke - City Councilor Kevin Jourdain announced today that when the new sewer rate increase of 5.40/ 1000 gals (up 16% from the current 4.66/1000 gals and up 177% from just 2 yrs ago) comes before the City Council on June 3, he will state his clear and unequivocal opposition to this unnecessary and gauging increase.

Councilor Jourdain among others on the Council predicted prior to the November elections that "They will be in for more right after the election!" Regrettably, his prediction was true. Anticipating that many Councilors would be hiding under their desks on this rate increase to get by the election, Councilor Jourdain pushed for the Council to go on record in opposition of the predicted increase to 5.38/1000 gals, yet those who voted for the first exorbitant increase tabled the measure and would not let their constituents know where they stood.

However, because of your calls and outrage over this issue and the mandate the public sent City Hall when 57% of the voters stated they did not want the Aquarion boondoggle, support among City Councilors for Aquarion and its bogus rate predictions is finally beginning to show serious stress cracks. There is even a proposal now before the Council co-sponsored by Aquarion supporters to study getting us out of the contract.

How much longer can the supporters of this disaterous mistake continue to say with a straight face that this is the low cost alternative for Holyoke's sewer needs? How much longer can the Mayor and certain Councilors honestly keep heaping more and more rate increases on the backs of ratepayers before the ratepayers say enough is enough?

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Councilors who opposed the privatization of our sewer plant saw through the "pie in the sky" predictions and have opposed from Day One the overcharging of ratepayers beyond what was truly needed to make the $24 million in necessary improvements mandated by the EPA to the sewer plant. To pay a bond on $24 million at the 2% state rate costs approximately $1.5 million per year. Considering that according to DPW reports for every dollar increase in the rate, the city raises approximately $2 million in revenue, one wonders where all of this extra money is going? We know Aquarion is doing quite well off of us but why is this allowed?

Under public control, you had direct accountability and stable rates for decades. At 1.95/1000 gals your rate was among the lowest in the area. Under public control, with federal assistance and low interest loans your sewer rate to support the plant should never have to been more than $3.00 to $3.20 maximum per 1000 gals to make the improvements. That would have been a one-time increase. With Aquarion, every time you turn around you are getting hit with another increase and demand for more money that you cannot afford.

No one likes to pay more but when it is not justified makes it an even more bitter pill to swallow. The current rate of 4.66 is simply outrageous and to now increase it again to 5.40 is over the top. This will be a very close vote and the ratepayers and voters should let their Councilors know enough is enough.

This issue will be heating up again and please always feel free to contact Kevin regarding your thoughts on the issue. Stay tuned to Holyoke First for all of your sewer rate and other City Hall news and updates!

Finance Committee Update on City Audit Report!

The Finance Committee has now met twice regarding my order to flesh out the problems highlighted in the recent Department of Revenue Audit Report, as well as, a full discussion of the proposed recommendations.

The Committee has meet with the City Auditor, Assessors, Tax Collector, Personnel Director and Treasurer.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, 2008 and will focus on the City Treasurer and the numerous problems in his office. There will be many areas of questions regarding his followup for past promises he has made to the City Council. In addition to the Audit report, I will certainly be inquiring of the Treasurer as to his mulitple promises to resolve the medicare accounts and the proper crediting of employee's statements.

At the conclusion of these hearings, I will be offering a large package of findings, as well as, procedural and structural changes that need to be made to city government and certain offices to make them more transparent and accountable to the taxpayers. I will keep the citizens fully updated thorughout this process.

On June 2, the Finance Committee will also be discussing the proposed $9.4 million bond request to make improvements to Holyoke High School. That night we will also be getting a report from the Retirement Board regarding the unfunded pension liability issue and the overall health of the city retirement fund. It should be an excellent meeting and I will followup with Bloggers on Holyoke First with a full report.

Holyoke workers fearful over checks!

Sunday, May 11, 2008
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com

HOLYOKE - Some city employees have not seen evidence of their weekly contributions to Medicare in their annual social security statements for years, and whether the fault lies with the Social Security Administration or the city treasurer's department - or both - is unclear.

Former School Committeeman John C. Pietrzykowski complained recently that his wife's situation was brought to the attention of City Treasurer David B. Donoghue this year and last, but to no avail.

Pietrzykowski said that his wife, Theresa A., a teacher aide in the public school system for seven years, talked to Donoghue six weeks ago about her Medicare earnings not having been listed on her annual Social Security statements since 2000.

"He said 'I'll take care of it,' and never called back," Pietrzykowski said. "Seven years of this stuff going on. That's not feasible."

Donoghue said recently he had no recollection of speaking to Pietrzykowski about the matter. He said the money has been paid to the government, and the difficulty lies with the Social Security Administration. He said it was having problems with the computer disc sent from the city.
"We are working to correct that," Donoghue said.

Asked for the name of the person at the Social Security Administration with whom he is working, Donoghue said he did not know because he used a toll-free number to talk to personnel in Baltimore.

The money has been paid and the information set down in the city records, he said. Donoghue said he was willing to write a letter to the Pietrzykowskis providing the missing information.
Told about the situation, Stephen Richardson, the regional public affairs specialist in Social Security's Boston office, said the city has been working with a Social Security liaison person to resolve the problem and ensure it does not recur. He declined to speculate on how soon the issue would be resolved or say how or where the problem originated.

"It's difficult to say at which end the problem existed; that is what we are culling out," he said.
Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said a number of city employees have reported the same problem, and there may be a similar situation with the majority of Holyoke's approximately 2,500 employees.

Sullivan said Donoghue has pledged to resolve the situation for the last two years and that the money has been paid.

While the mayor said he appreciates the concern and trepidation city employees may feel, he said there is little he can do.

He noted that the treasurer is an autonomous elected official, independent of the City Council and the mayor's office.

Councilor Jourdain receives Award from BusinessWest!

Holyoke - City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain was delighted to receive a wonderful honor from BusinessWest Magazine by being selected to their 40 under 40 Class of 2008. The 40 under 40 award recognizes the top 40 young professionals in Western Massachusetts for their achievements and contributions to their region.

Councilor Jourdain added, "I was delighted to have been selected and I am honored beyond my accomplishments. I am also very proud to be among the same class of outstanding achievers and professionals chosen for 2008. This is a very meaningful award to me and I am truly honored for this recognition!"

In addition to the award, there will also be a recognition dinner on May 22 at Chez Josef in Agawam.

The entire 40 under 40 Class of 2008 can be seen on BusinessWest's website: www.businesswest.com.

Budget Poll Results!

Holyoke First Bloggers Poll Results on City Budget

44% said Holyoke spends too much and taxes too much

40% said Holyoke spends about right and taxes about right

16% said Holyoke spends too little and our taxes are too low.

Thanks everyone for participating!

Councilor Jourdain keeps promise and announces City Budget now On-Line!

Holyoke - City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain was very happy to announce that he kept his campaign pledge to get the City Budget placed online. Councilor Jourdain commended the Holyoke G&E for their assistance with this project and the city budget is now available on the city website located at www.holyoke.org.

Councilor Jourdain added, "it is my belief that the public has the right to an open government, one that shows them where every dollar is spent and for what purpose." Councilor Jourdain knows the sacrifices our residents and business owners make to pay their taxes and deserve the right to know how those dollars are spent.

The direct link is: http://www.holyoke.org/COHbudget7_2007_6_2008.pdf

If any taxpayer ever has a question as to how their tax money is being spent, please never hesitate to contact me at 538-5519 or via email at Kevin.Jourdain@verizon.net.

City Council Sustains Veto and votes Counseling center zone change down!

Counseling center bid vetoed
Thursday, April 17, 2008
By KEN ROSS
kross@repub.com

HOLYOKE - A plan to rezone a piece of land to allow for construction of a counseling facility failed to make it past the City Council and mayor.

"I think it's an inappropriate place to have a facility," Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said yesterday.

Sullivan vetoed a zone change request by the council for a parcel at 15 Holy Family Road. Behavioral Health Network Inc. wanted to change the zoning for the property from Residential 1A to Business Limited.

On Tuesday, the council voted 9-6 to override Sullivan's veto. However, the override vote failed since it required a two-third's majority vote or 10 votes total.

Councilors Patricia C. Devine, Rebecca Lisi, Diosdado Lopez, Joseph M. McGiverin, Elaine A. Pluta, Todd Purington, Peter R. Tallman, Donald R. Welch and John P. Brunelle cast the nine votes in favor of overriding the mayor's veto. The six councilors who voted not to override the veto were Kevin A. Jourdain, Anthony M. Keane, James M. Leahy, Todd A. McGee, John J. O'Neill and John E. Whelihan.

Both sides agreed they wish more had been done to notify residents who live near the property about the zone change. In recent weeks, several councilors said they have heard from many residents who are strongly opposed.

"No one complained about it ... because no one knew about it," McGee said.

"It's too bad people are learning about it after the veto," Brunelle said.

And even among councilors who voted not to override the veto skepticism about the project was expressed. Leahy said the project sounded like a small business and questioned whether it should be operating in a residential neighborhood.

But other councilors were more strongly opposed to the project, particularly since the zone change would allow for the construction of a counseling facility. McGee noted that the proposed facility would be built near a school and housing for senior citizens.

"We're inviting them up to an area where we have the most vulnerable people," McGee said.

Jourdain agreed. "I really think you couldn't pick a worse spot to put this," he said.

But Purington defended the proposed facility, noting that Behavioral Health Network has been operating in the city for a long time. "They have been a trusted partner for many years," he said.
Purington added that the people who would be treated there "are not monsters."

Brunelle agreed. "This is not a new organization," he said. "I do believe it is something the city does need."

Behavioral Health Network Inc. has been represented by Holyoke lawyer John J. Driscoll during the zone change process. Driscoll could not be reached yesterday for comment.

Councilor Jourdain announces effort to sustain Mayor Sullivan's veto on Holy Family Road Zone Change!

Holyoke - City Councilor Kevin Jourdain announced today that he thanked Mayor Sullivan for vetoing the proposed zone change slated for 15 Holy Family Road in order to place a mental health facility there operated by the Behavioral Health Network.

One month ago, the City Council voted 10-5 in favor of the proposal despite the unanimous recommendation of the Planning Board to deny the proposal. Mayor Sullivan vetoed the measure and the Council tabled the veto override until April 15, 2008 for further study.

Among the many reasons I oppose the zone change, they are:

1) The increased traffic demands on this secondary road that will be created by the placement of this facility would be detrimental to area.

2) It is incompatible to the neighborhood and the neighboring elementary school.

3) There are insufficent safeguards in place and presented in the proposal to ensure the safety of children and others using the nearby park.

4) Holyoke has far exceeded its capacity and ability to take on yet another non-profit, non-taxing paying social service agency and it is best suited elsewhere. Holyoke is far beyond the saturation point to healthily manage yet another facility of its type in the city.

5) There are many other far superior uses presently available to the owner of the parcel under its current zoning that would be compatible to the neighborhood and more beneficial to the neighborhood. Thereby, making it unnecessary to change the zone.

6) The opposition of the Mayor and unanimous Planning Board should be given considerable deference whenever considering a zone change.

Councilors Jourdain, Whelihan, McGee, O'Neill and Leahy were the 5 Councilors who voted NO on this zone change. I encourage citizens to voice their thoughts to the other 10 Councilors in the hope that 6 of the 15 Councilors will vote to sustain the Mayor's veto.

For more information, please do not hesitiate to call or email me.

Councilor Jourdain files Orders for April 15th Meeting!

22. JOURDAIN -- That no parking be established 40 feet from corner of Carter St in front of 36 Anderson Avenue.

23. JOURDAIN -- That intersection at Brown and Laurel Streets be resurfaced.

24. JOURDAIN -- That the School Committee evaluate the new school uniform policy in Springfield and give due consideration to adopting a comprehensive school uniform policy.

25. JOURDAIN -- That PEG Access please forward the accompanying accountant’s report referred to on the statement of expenses and revenues. That they also please describe in more detail the purpose of the expense of $1380 to MAP.

26. JOURDAIN -- That PEG Access and/or Council President give an update on the new television and audio equipment for the City Council chambers. [co-filed with Pluta & McGee]

Holyoke Sun Now On-Line!

The Holyoke Sun is now available on-line!

Congratulations to them and I have added a link for my blog readers.

Councilor Jourdain to represent Massachusetts at GOP National Convention in Minnesota!

Greenfield - Holyoke City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain was elected 1 of 3 First Congressional District Delegates to the Republican National Convention to be held in Minneapolis, MN from Sept. 1-4, 2008. Councilor Jourdain attended the very heavily attended caucus and made a stirring election speech on behalf of Arizona Senator John McCain and in fondness to Gov. Mitt Romney, who Jourdain supported in the primary. It is considered a high honor to be selected a delegate by the District's caucus goers and this is Jourdain's third election as delegate in 8 years.

Councilor Jourdain has endorsed Sen. John McCain for President in November.

The First Congressional District Caucus was held this past Saturday in Greenfield. The National Convention is a unique opportunity to meet national leaders and represent the State of Massachusetts before this highly watched national forum. Councilor Jourdain will work with local media outlets to give all Holyokers an inside perspective of the Convention and the news as it develops.

A wonderful St. Patrick's Parade in Holyoke!

It was wonderful to have been part of yet another fantastic Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade. The weather was great and everyone was in a such a good mood. I enjoyed marching and saying hello to everyone. Thank you to everyone for their well wishes.

It was also very exciting for my three little ones to see their Daddy marching. I gave them each a big high five. They are just getting old enough to understand what Daddy is doing and they had so much fun getting balloons and enjoying all of the sights. Thanks to my mom and wife for allowing me to march!

I hope you enjoyed the parade and music as much as I did.

Isn't Holyoke, great? Let's do it all again next year!

God Bless Holyoke!

Councilor Jourdain announces April 9th Cable Television Hearing!

City Councilor Kevin Jourdain, who chairs the City Council's Cable Television committee, announced that there will be a meeting with the government affairs representative of ComCast on Wednesday, April 9 at 6:30PM in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.

The Cable Television Committee meets 2-3 times per year to discuss issues of importance between city cable users and ComCast. The committee serves as a liasion between Holyoke cable subscribers and the company so that Holyoke receives the best quality product possible and helps bring forward concerns ratepayers have expressed. At every contract re-negotiation (next one in 2013) the cable television committee weighs in on important contract items that are of concern to the public.

The committee also provides public oversight through the City Council of Holyoke PEG Access, Inc. which is a corporate entity that oversees all of the franchise fee monies collected by ComCast from ratepayers for local community initatives and hardware upgrades. Holyoke PEG Access has three officers made up of the Mayor, City Council President and City Solicitor. They do not meet publicly. The Cable TV Committee Chairman regularly requests a statement of monies expended and monies collected so ratepayers can see how their monies are used. The committee will be reviewing their last report.

All meetings of the Cable TV Committee are public and the public is encouraged to participate and make their voices heard about issues of concern to them. So, if you have a question or concern about your cable television service, please come to the meeting on April 9th and speak to the representative from ComCast. If you are unable to make the meeting, you can contact Councilor Jourdain via email at kevin.jourdain@verizon.net or call him at home at 538-5519 and he will relay your question or concern.

Poll Results In! Holyoke Bloggers oppose Trash Transfer Station!

The Results are in on most recent Holyoke First Poll.

Do you support placing a Trash Transfer Station on Main Street?

59% No, Holyoke does not need that.

41% Yes, this is good for the city.

Thank you for so many people taking the time to vote!

Councilor Jourdain files orders for March 18th Meeting!

1. PLUTA/JOURDAIN -- That the Assessors come into the City Council Finance Committee and let us know how the proposed legislation for taxing telecommunication lines as personal property might affect the City of Holyoke.

2. PLUTA/JOURDAIN -- That the City Solicitor advise the City Council in executive session on the status of pending litigation with the City.

3. PLUTA/JOURDAIN -- That someone from Americorps or Solutions, Inc. come into the City Council Redevelopment Committee withan assessment of the future of this program.

4. JOURDAIN -- That the HG&E please evaluate and install where needed guardrails at all locations along canals where a motor vehicle has a significant possibility of making accidental entry.

5. JOURDAIN -- That the City Council President please select a person to replace Councilor Norris on the Cable Television Committee.

6. JOURDAIN -- That the Law Department render a legal opinion if police officers under criminal charges are required to be placed on leave without pay while the charges are pending?

The City Council Session will be meeting on Tuesday, March 18 beginning at 7:30PM in the City Council Chambers. Watch the meeting live on Channel 15!

If there is ever an order or issue that you feel the City Council needs to act on, please never hesitate to contact me via email or at 538-5519.

Big Morning in Holyoke!

I had the pleasure to participate in two very important events this past Friday:

First, I started my day at a homelessness summit at the Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College which revolved around the issue of "The Pioneer Valley's Plan to end Homelessness." There were a number of outstanding speakers and panels that addressed the homelssness problem in Pioneer Valley. Mayor Domenic Sarno of Springfield, Mayor Michael Sullivan of Holyoke and Mayor Mary Claire Higgins of Northampton deserve alot of credit for their leadership on this issue. City Councilors Rebecca Lisi and Tim Purington also attended the event with me.

Participants were all provided copies of the the plan and it appears to be a comprehensive approach to end homelessness, especially as it relates to families, in our area. The summit was very well attended and provided all types of people and constituencies to get together to end this problem.

As the former Director of Loreto House, a homeless shelter for men in Holyoke, this issue is very near to my heart and I told the mayor he can count on me to be helpful in any way possible to rid this tragedy from our community.

Secondly, from that event I wisked up to the Log Cabin for a special luncheon with the Speaker of the Mass. House Rep. Sal DiMasi. The event was hosted by the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce who I thank very much for having invited me. We enjoyed a nice lunch and listened to this powerful Beacon Hill player tell us about his vision for the state. I certainly like the Speaker's approach to state finances which are very similar to mine on the city level. Keep taxes down as much as possible, find efficiencies, new approaches and make government live on its budget. This is never easy at the city or state level. He has a very difficult job and I was glad to hear that under his leadership the state has built up a reserve of $2.1 billion and there are no proposals to increase taxes. I am proud to say that City has over $9.1 million in our Stabilization Fund.

He discussed casinos and his skepticism for them. He added that the Legislature will be having more hearings and members will be taking some votes relatively soon. He discussed numerous bond bills on education, higher education and transportation that will be coming. He also stated that the legislature recently passed a large Life Sciences Bill which will call for the formation of a Life Sciences Center in our area. He stated that the Governor's recent proposal for free state tuition is also doomed because there is no way the state can afford it.

He is a very personable person who was very generous with his time and even fielded questions from the audience. I asked him about the future of the Governor's so called proposals to reduce property taxes. He stated that the proposed local option taxes such as allowing cities to have a meals tax or increased hotel occupancy taxes were unlikely to pass. As for the rest of the Governors proposal, its future appears cloudy at this time.

It was a great opportunity to say hello to alot of our local legislators; including Rep. Rosemarie Sandlin of Agawam and Rep. John Scibak of South Hadley who sat at my table along with my good friend Councilor Elaine Pluta and several employees of Goss & McLain Insurance.

Poll Results In! Holyokers Back Checks and Balances!

By a clear 70% margin, Blog voters supported keeping checks and balances over giving additional power to the mayor.

Should the City Council consolidate more power and all financial appointments in the Mayor?
70% NO, I like checks and balances
30% YES, He needs more power

Thank you for everyone who participated!

Councilor Jourdain on Real to Reel: Strongly supports Baby Safe Haven Law!

Last Night on Real to Reel produced by the Catholic Communications Office of the Diocese of Springfield, Councilor Jourdain commented on the importance of Baby Safe Haven Laws and the value we as a community place on the sanctity of human life here in the City of Holyoke.

Last August, the Legislature and Governor made the Baby Safe Haven Law of 2004 permanent. In short, it allows any parent to bring their child 7 days or younger to a hospital, police station or manned fire station and surrender their baby no questions asked if they feel they cannot support the child for whatever reason. Of course, I believe we would all agree, that it is sad that this has to occur in our wonderful country but the value of human life must remain our supreme consideration. This law is non judgemental of the parents but focuses on protecting the infant from the tragedy of death by abandonment.

I was particularly proud of Chief Scott's comments in the show as well. He shares my committment to the protection of our children. I want it well known that if anyone who would consider for even one moment the abandonement of their child, please do not... bring them to us and we will make sure that the appropriate authorities find that child a loving home. There is never a reason to abandon a child.

Last August, I not only commended the Legislature and our Governor for making this law permanent but I also asked that Baby Safe Haven signs be placed on all fire stations and police stations of our City. There is also one at Holyoke Hospital.

I was very pleased by the excellent report done by Julie Beaulieu, a native Holyoker, on the issue and thank Real to Reel for their continuing committment to cover issues that matter to our communities. Real to Reel offers very uplifting programs about the many good things happening here in Western Massachusetts.

For more information about the Baby Safe Haven Law (officially known as Mass. Gen. Law ch. 119 Sec. 39 1/2) goto www.babysafehaven.com

City Council Meeting for 2/19/08

The City Council took up a number of very important items last night and I wanted to give you a full report of what happened.

1) The City Council appointed Charles Fred Glidden to a 3 yr appointment to represent the City Council on the Board of Directors of the Holyoke Geriatric Authority. Fred has a wealth of knowledge about the Authority and previously served on that board for 9 years. Fred will join our 2 other appointments of Angela Boyle and Ted Taupier to make sure that the Geriatric Authority provides quality care and remains financially solvent. I also tip my hat to the other very qualified candidates who ran because it was not an easy decision. In the end, here is how your Councilors voted:

Charles F Glidden received the 9 votes of Councilors Brunelle, Devine, Jourdain, Keane, Lopez, McGiverin, Tallman, Welch & Whelihan

Raymond Murphy received the 5 votes of Councilors Leahy, Lisi, McGee, Pluta and Purington

Kimberly Ferris received 1 vote from Councilor O'Neill

2) The City Council approved the Jones Ferry River Access Center and I was proud to have voted for this excellent project. For the cost of $400,000 we will be receiving a state of the art facility valued at $1.3 million. This facility and location will be an asset to our children and grandchildren for many years to come. The vote was 13-2 with Councilors Brunelle and Whelihan voting no.

3) The City Council voted down the $122,384 in payraises to numerous department heads in city hall and other non-elected, non-union positions totalling 51 positions in all. The raises were completely arbitrary and without any backup whatsoever in terms of justifying enhancements ranging from 3, 4, 6, 8, 13.5%. Unfortunately, some of the positions did deserve an enhancement but the mayor elected to package them all in one unit in the expectation we would have to approve them all or nothing. As I stated clearly at the meeting, I am supportive of Cost of Living Adjustments for our employees usually in the range of 2-2.5-3% like we do for our union positions but no way can the city afford massive payraises without serious justification. Many of these positions are paid at the very top of the scale of what they should be paid already for the work performed. The Council was not provided with performance appraisal justifications either. Historically, the City Council has a reputation for just voting for everything and anything when it comes to payraises; hopefully, yesterday's vote signals a new course of financial accountablity on behalf of the taxpayers of the city who expect us to treat our employees fairly while at the same time making sure we live on our budget.

The Council voted as follows (10 votes are required for adoption):

In favor of the $122,384 for 1 yr package: Devine, Keane, Leahy, McGee, O'Neill, Pluta, Purington, Tallman and Welch

Opposing the package: Jourdain, Lisi, Lopez, McGiverin, Whelihan

Councilor Brunelle did not vote.

4) The remaining items from the agenda which is linked from my site were either approved with little discussion or referred to committee.

5) In terms of new orders, there was one filed (Item 36) filed by Councilor O'Neill which will be closely watched: That the Law dept prepare a legal opinion for the City Council discussing the legal procedures available should the City elect to terminate its contract with Aquarion. If possible, the opinion should include an estimate of costs and liabilities to be incurred by the city as a result of this process. Without objection Councilors Devine, Lisi, Pluta and Jourdain joined as co-sponsors.

6) My order to post the city budget on the city website was adopted and hopefully you will see where all of your money is being spent very shortly.

Don't forget you can always see the proceeding live on ComCast Channel 15 on the first and third Tuesday of each month starting at 7:30PM.

If you have any questions about the meeting or would like to discuss an issue of importance to you, please do not hesitate to call me at 538-5519.

It is my pleasure to serve you.

Valley Advocate: Trash Talk!

Thursday, February 21, 2008 Trash Talk Does a proposed transfer station unfairly target one Holyoke neighborhood? By Maureen Turner

Standing at the empty lot at 686 Main St. in Holyoke, it's easy enough to imagine a trash transfer station at the site. The land, ringed by a chain-link fence, sits in the city's designated waste management district. On one side of the two-plus acre parcel is Holyoke's wastewater treatment facility; on another side, just across Berkshire Street, is the city's yard-waste drop-off site, where a pile of discarded Christmas trees awaits recycling. The immediate neighborhood is largely industrial in nature, dominated by oil companies, paper companies, printers.

But travel just beyond that ring of buildings and the nature of the neighborhood changes again, to include modest single-family homes, rental properties and the pride of the neighborhood, Springdale Park. Morgan Elementary School is half a mile from the site; Holyoke High and Dean Technical High are both within a mile and a half. It's a fragile neighborhood, one that struggles with high poverty rates, public health problems, language barriers (many residents speak Spanish as their primary language), ailing schools. The last thing it needs, many in the area say, is to add trash into the mix.

But that's what could happen, if a proposal to build a 22,575-square-foot trash transfer station at 686 Main St. succeeds. The project, proposed by United Waste Management, Inc., based in Bolton, Mass., would be a drop-off site for solid municipal waste, collected from neighboring communities, and for construction and demolition, or C&D, waste. The waste would be consolidated and then transported to landfills.

Angry residents are organizing against the project, citing worries about pollution, increased traffic and noise. Proponents of the project counter that the station would bring jobs and tax revenue to a city that could use more of both, and say fears about the project are off the mark.
And while neighbors have the backing of city councilors and a dedicated coalition of activists, they face an uphill battle: Right now, they have little legal standing in their fight to stop the project.

City Councilor Diosdado Lopez has represented Ward 2, which includes the proposed transfer station site, for 17 years. Like other opponents, he says the project snuck up on the neighborhood, with little public notification or opportunity for input.
"This whole project has been like a secret," Lopez says. "Even though I represent the area where the project is being proposed, I never got any information until I found out through the Planning Board. That usually never happens."

But once he got wind of the idea, Lopez lost no time trying to kill it. He and others opposed to the project see numerous potential problems: Pollution, generated by as many as 225 trucks a day, carrying up to 750 tons of trash to the transfer station, in a city where asthma rates are already higher than average. Noise created by the trucks and by train cars, running on tracks adjacent to the site, that would carry some of the trash from the transfer station. The wear and tear on the streets caused by the increased traffic, which they also worry could cause jams that would make it hard for emergency vehicles to get through. Declining property values for homeowners who suddenly find themselves neighbors to a trash drop-off site. Concerns about the materials at the site, including the potential for toxins like asbestos and mercury in the construction and demolition waste.

"It doesn't make sense to put something like this project in the neighborhood," Lopez says. "We don't deserve it, due to all the problems we have in the area."
Last fall, Lopez struck what looked to be a debilitating, if not fatal, blow against the transfer station project: In October, the City Council unanimously approved his proposal for a 12-month moratorium on any new waste processing or trash transfer facilities in the city.

Ginetta Candelario, a Smith College sociology professor who lives in Holyoke's Highlands neighborhood, was one of the residents who came to the council meeting that night, waving signs and wearing medical masks to symbolize their concerns about the health effects of the transfer station. "We left feeling very satisfied that we had managed to at least put the brakes on this project," Candelario recalls.

The victory was short-lived, however; within a week, the city's Law Department declared that the moratorium was not legally valid. In an Oct. 22 letter to Mayor Michael Sullivan, who had requested her opinion on the legality of the moratorium, City Solicitor Karen Betournay wrote that "the order as adopted was not in proper legal form." The moratorium, she wrote, amounted to an amendment of the city's zoning ordinance, but the Council had failed to follow the legal process, including public notice and a hearing, necessary to amend an ordinance. In addition, Betournay cited a Mass. General Law that prohibits municipalities from banning a waste disposal facility on a site already zoned for that use.

The city solicitor did note that the Council could vote to require a transfer station to obtain a special permit imposing conditions on the project. "[I]t is my opinion that a Court would not uphold the [moratorium] order, should United Waste challenge it in Court," Betournay wrote. "Rather than allowing this project to be forced upon the City through the Court system, the City should work with United Waste Management to address residents' concerns during the permitting process."

In light of Betournay's opinion, Sullivan did not sign the moratorium order, effectively vetoing it. Opponents, however, have not given up the fight: Lopez still hopes to legally impose a moratorium; barring that, he hopes to pass an order that would require United Waste Management—or any company looking to open a transfer station or recycling facility in the city—to apply for a special permit. Right now, UWM doesn't need a special permit, since the land is already zoned for waste management.

"If indeed it's going to go in, let it go in with some conditions," Lopez says. That might mean limiting the hours of operation (according to UWM documents about the project, the station would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for six major holidays a year) or reducing the maximum amount of trash allowed at the site. The permit could also require that the center, which is now pitched as a regional facility, only accept trash from within the city, Lopez suggests. "Holyoke shouldn't be a dump for any other cities or towns," he says.

Holyoke would not, in fact, serve as a dump for other communities; the project proposed for 686 Main St. would be a transfer station, where waste would be dropped off, consolidated, and then sent out to landfills. But symbolically, opponents—who've formed a group called Holyoke Organized to Protect the Environment, or HOPE—see the project as dumping on an already beleaguered community. "We have not had a real conversation about any of this, and consequently it feels like they're trying to push something through," says Candelario.
A moratorium would create an opportunity for that conversation, she says. "What we basically want is a pause. We want to really assess the costs and benefits of a transfer station, and is this the best location. We don't think it is," she says.

"You're talking about hundreds of tons [of trash] coming in every day," Candelario says. "That's a huge amount of waste coming into the city and, sadly, coming into the ward that has the highest poverty rate, the highest asthma, high diabetes. You're talking about the most vulnerable population in Holyoke ... made even more vulnerable." William Aponte is an environmental organizer with Nuestras Raices ("Our Roots"), a community organization focused on environmental issues and economic development in Holyoke. He's also co-director of an "environmental justice" grant Nuestras Raices received, with Mount Holyoke College, from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to assess the risks posed by toxins in the city and develop community partnerships to address the problem.

"We have many environmental problems here—diesel trucks and buses driving through the community, brownfields and abandoned buildings, the river is contaminated, the outdoor air pollution—you name it," says Aponte. Adding a transfer station, Aponte says, runs counter to the work his organization is trying to do. "Why can't we focus on the problems we have here and try to find solutions to that, and bring healthy businesses to the community?" he asks. "Why bring a transfer station to a downtown community?"

Candelario agrees. She points to the city's ambitious Canal Walk project, which aims to revitalize the canal district with a pedestrian mall, an "arts corridor," retail and museums. "And three blocks south of there, you're going to have hundreds of dump trucks bringing trash in and out of the city?" she asks. "This is literally the gateway to Main Street." (The transfer station site sits three-quarters of a mile from the southernmost point of the Canal Walk project.) "Holyoke has enormous potential," Candelario says. "It's a beautiful city. It's got character, architecture and history. And this just seems like a giant step backwards."

Scott Lemay, CEO of United Waste Management, says there are a lot of misconceptions about the transfer station project. That's not unusual; waste management projects tend to trigger people's worst fears, says Lemay, who's been in the industry for more than 20 years.
"People think there's pollution, and you're dumping on them," he says. But, he points out, a transfer station is not a dump or a landfill; it's a place where waste material is temporarily stored while loads brought in by smaller vehicles are consolidated to be carried out by larger trucks or by train. The material is not burned or processed, and it doesn't remain there long enough to decompose, he says. "The reality is, you're dumping in a closed building," Lemay says. "Everything that goes into the building goes out of the building."

Lemay describes the project as having numerous benefits for the city of Holyoke. "For starters, it will create jobs, good-paying jobs," he says. Lemay estimates the facility would need about eight workers on site, such as heavy equipment and scale operators, in addition to office staff such as accounting personnel and the truck drivers and rail workers who would transport the material. "We definitely will give preference to Holyoke people," he adds.

Another benefit—one that's caught the attention of some in City Hall—is the tax revenue the project would bring to Holyoke. "You have an industrial piece of property there right now that is clearly distressed," Lemay said. Developing the property would bring in property taxes as well as excise taxes on the equipment; while the specifics of the building are still being sorted out, Lemay describes the station as a "multi-million dollar facility" that would yield "hundreds of thousands" in taxes. In addition, he says, United Waste Management is willing to negotiate a "royalty" payment to the city, which is not mandated by law but is standard in the industry for larger-scale projects.

"We're committed to making sure there are benefits to the city," he says. Lemay contends that many of the community concerns are not as bad as opponents suggest. The facility would generate an average of 150 vehicles trips a day, with a maximum capped at 225. The site's proximity to I-391, he says, means the trucks would not be on city streets for long. And plans to move material from the facility by rail would mean fewer trucks on the road and would make it easier to move the trash to larger regional landfills, to relieve stress on already overburdened landfills in the area.

Lemay says it's unclear yet how many communities would be served by the transfer station, although he says it would serve "the immediate communities. ... People would not long-haul waste from far-away communities." Lemay says he understands residents' fears about the transfer station, especially given the history of the site, which has, at times, hosted an incinerator and a composting site. A transfer station, he says, would not create the same odor and pollution issues. "People need to realize that this isn't some toxic waste dump," he says. "We're talking about their trash, the surrounding communities' trash. It's no different than what you look at in your waste barrel or in a dumpster out in the city."

The concerns of residents who oppose the transfer station extend beyond environmental and traffic issues to include politics and public process. Some suggest that the project is being pushed through because it's in a heavily poor, mostly Latino neighborhood. "I believe it's like a racial project," says Nuestras Raices' Aponte, who notes that many affected residents speak Spanish as their primary language, which makes it harder for them to be engaged in the public process or to weed through technical documents that are available in English only.

And while the City Council unanimously passed the moratorium last fall, project opponents say that doesn't necessarily mean they've got city government on their side. "The mayor is basically selling this idea that he's neutral, which I don't believe," says Diosdado Lopez, who contends Sullivan is quietly backing the project.

Not so, counters Sullivan. "I really haven't taken any position one way or another," the mayor says. "I try and be fair about the advantages to the city and the disadvantages." But, Sullivan adds, he also has to make sure the city doesn't overstep its legal rights. He didn't sign the moratorium, he says, because the Law Department made it clear it was not legally sound. He says he also has to keep in mind that, as things now stand, UWM has a legal right to build the transfer station, since the land is already zoned for that use.

"We also are very cognizant and very aware of people's land rights, and the process. This is privately held land. Taking a position one way or another would be imprudent, because that's how litigation starts," Sullivan says. "If United Waste thinks that it's unfair to them one way or another, or the residents do, it may lay the ground for a suit down the road."

While Sullivan says he's not taking a position on the project, he appears to consider its building a likely possibility and is already considering ways to mitigate potential problems. "Certainly, there are concerns," the mayor says, pointing, for instance, to increased traffic in the area. But, he says, the project might be an opportunity to get UWM to help improve traffic flow in the neighborhood, especially at I-391. "The city engineer and I don't feel [the traffic concerns are] insurmountable, and we feel there probably would be a benefit for the greater good if we could make improvements in that area," says Sullivan. Plus, he adds, a local transfer station would mean fewer trucks heading through the city to the West Springfield facility where Holyoke now sends its trash—provided the city contracts with UWM to handle its trash.

After discussions with Lemay and with the city's DPW head, Sullivan feels many neighborhood fears about the project are unfounded. "From an environmental aspect, there's a lot of misinformation out there," he says. UWM would have control systems to handle dust and odor, he says, and the trash sorting would all take place within the building. "That's far better than what we had there before, which was an odorous nightmare," says Sullivan, referring to the former composting facility.

Sullivan objects to suggestions that Ward 2 is being treated unfairly, and that the project would never happen in a more affluent neighborhood. The fact is, he says, the project is targeting this community because it's already zoned for waste management. "Every neighborhood has to put up with some aspect of quality of life," says Sullivan. People in the Ingleside area are bothered by mall traffic; residents of West Holyoke complain about snowmobilers; in the Highlands, they're unhappy about the coal-burning plant and the Mount Tom quarry. Given a choice, "they'd probably take the transfer station," Sullivan says. "People don't like these things," he says of the transfer station. "They need them, but they don't like them."

One other thing Holyoke needs, the mayor adds, is revenue. While he doesn't yet know how much the transfer station would generate in taxes, he says, "I think it's safe to say it would be more than [the property] does now." The project could generate other income for the city, too, such as tipping fees.

"That money is going to go to our schools, our police, our fire. Like every community, we're starving to find new sources of revenue," Sullivan says. He even raises the specter of something that has caused much turmoil in Holyoke's biggest neighbor to the south: "I'm not saying it will, but this project may be the difference between Holyoke continuing to have free trash pick-up and having a fee like Springfield does."

Freshman City Councilor Rebecca Lisi wasn't in office when the moratorium was passed last fall. But she supports Lopez's new moratorium effort, to allow the city and residents time to evaluate the project and to make sure there's a fair process in place for evaluating such proposals in the future. If the moratorium fails, Lisi supports requiring transfer stations to get a special permit from the City Council. "In the end, the special permit is a fallback. As a last resort, the special permitting process is there to make sure it's not interfering with the lives of the residents," she says. "It's reasonable to impose conditions about things like hours, noise control and traffic control."

Transfer stations can have positive benefits, such as encouraging recycling, says Lisi. But, she asks, "Is this the place to put it? ... No one puts a transfer station on Main Street USA."
She adds: "I definitely sympathize with [Lemay] on a few points—there's a lot of misunderstanding about what a transfer station is. But it's his responsibility to communicate with residents and make clear his proposal."

That, Lemay says, is what he was doing at a public hearing last month on the special permit and moratorium proposals. (That heavily attended hearing was continued to Feb 26, at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.) At the hearing, Lemay spoke out against a special permit, which he says is redundant, given the numerous requirements already imposed at multiple levels: The state Department of Environmental Protection has an extensive review process for such projects, and UWM would also need the OK of several city bodies, including the Board of Health and the Building and Fire Departments. "There already is a very well-detailed, scrutinized process," Lemay says.

UWM, he adds, is willing to work with the city to address public concerns. "We want this project to create benefits for the community," Lemay says. "To the extent that an issue comes up that we feel needs to be compromised, we're open to discussion. ... "We intend to have a very, very open process. We're proud of the things that we do. We want the people to have the information," adds Lemay, whose company details its proposal on a website: www.uwmholyoke.com.

Lemay believes city residents are starting to feel more comfortable with the project. "We're starting to open people's eyes," he says. "I think people that weren't that receptive in the past are starting to talk about the issues more, as opposed to just being against it."

But not everyone is ready to get on board with the project—starting with Diosdado Lopez. In addition to the special permit and moratorium proposals, he's also looking into other ways the city might stop the project, such as refusing UWM an easement to the property. He's also working with HOPE to consider other recourses, including raising money for a legal fight. "I'm hoping we don't let this guy go in without a fight to the end, even if we have to go to court," Lopez says. The group is also considering splashier tactics, such as picketing outside Lemay's home in eastern Mass., the councilor adds.

"This is a big project for the neighborhood, and I haven't found any support in the neighborhood," Lopez says. "With this project, we're going back 20 years."
—mturner@valleyadvocate.com

Councilor Jourdain files orders for February 19, 2008 Meeting

1) That Rule 26 be amended to add an item labeled “The President’s Report” to the agenda after item 5 “communications and reports from city officers.” That a new rule be created stating that: The City Council President, when representing the City Council or acting is his or her capacity as President, shall make a written or oral report of any meeting he or she attends to the Full Council at the next available meeting of the City Council.

2) That the DPW Superintendent and Purchasing Director appear before the Finance Committee to discuss new energy and green technologies generally for both buildings and vehicles. [co-filed with Purington and Lisi]

3) That the DPW repair the numerous dangerous potholes on Maple Street.

4) That the H G&E Computer Department put a digital version of the city budget on the city website so people can view budget online.

Jones Ferry Survey Results!

48% of Blog Voters stated that YES, the City Council should approve the Jones Ferry River Access Center even if it costs us $400,000 in city funds.

26% said Yes, as long as the feds and state pickup the tab.

26% said No, we got other priorities.

Thank you to everyone for voting! I really appreciate your input!

State House & Senate now televised Online!

My friend and a good friend to Holyoke, State Senator Mike Knapik has a new website that you should check out at: www.mikeknapik.com.

He has announced that the Massachusetts legislature is broadcasting live on the internet with live video streaming. The website to watch them is www.masslegislature.tv/

I am glad that they are now regularly televising their proceedings so the public can see what is going on. Those are 2 chambers we all need to keep an eye on.

Thanks Mike for your hard work!

Finance Committee Report of 2-13-08

We had a good Finance Committee meeting on 2/13/08. Here is a report of what happened:

1) Grant for Wistariahust in the form of a $500 gift from Denis Walsh
Cmte voted to accept 5-0

2) Grant for the Board of Health for $1000 for Emergency Medical Corps assistants from local colleges. Cmte voted 5-0 to accept

3) Request to approve 3 new second-hand and junk dealer licenses for young man starting a new second-hand store at 166 High Street. Cmte voted 5-0 to approve.

4) Request from Planning Dept to spend $26,000 to do an environmental cleanup of the former Adams Pakkwood site on Appleton Street. [This represents the 25% match to the $96,000 provided by EPA for a total reclamation cost of $120,000]. Cmte voted 5-0 to approve.

5) Request from Mayor to create a new full-time City Historian position under Historical Commission by converting a part-time position at Wistariahurst by increasing pay from $26,000 per year to $38,000 per year. Committee tabled the matter for more information.

6) Request from Mayor to increase salary of Building Commissioner Paul Healy by approximately $6,000 per year. [It has been 2 years since he had an increase] Committee approved 5-0.

7) Request to give 51 non-union, non-elected positions pay increases ranging from 3-13.5% and would cost $122,384 for the 1st year alone. [I voted no because many deserved it, but many others did not. It was put to us as a package although it could have and should have been seperated out] Cmte voted 3-2 to approve the package of increases. McGee, Leahy and O'Neill voted Yes. Jourdain and Whelihan voted No.

8) Request from Parks & Recreation Dept for the City Council to accept a $500,000 grant with conditions to construct a new Jones Ferry River Access Center. Following this vote, the City Council will be requested to bond for $1.3 million to do the project. $500,000 of that amount will be reimbursed by this grant. $400,000 will be reimbursed through use of Community Development Block Grant Funds and the city will have to pay the remaining $400,000. After a nice discussion with Holyoke Rows and Parks and Rec the Committee voted 5-0 to approve the grant.

Holyoke Panel Backs $128,000 in raises

Holyoke panel backs $128,000 in raises
Posted by The Republican Newsroom February 14, 2008 18:10PM
By KEN ROSSkross@repub.com
HOLYOKE - Requests for raises totaling $128,384 for non-contractual, non-elected employees and the city's building commissioner received the support last night of the City Council's Finance Subcommittee. But a request for a $5,500 increase to transform a part-time position at Wistariahurst Museum into a full-time city historian was tabled due to questions raised by some subcommittee members. "I'm all in favor of history," City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain said. "But ... we have to stay focused on core city services. We just continue to expand and expand." The subcommittee's recommendations will be forwarded to the City Council, which must ultimately approve the salary increases. The council meets on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 536 Dwight St.

The city historian and building commissioner raises were discussed and voted on individually. The subcommittee then voted on $122,384 worth of raises as a whole for this fiscal year, which began July 1. Funding for the raises would come from "free cash," a term used by the state for unused appropriations from a previous fiscal year. Wistariahurst Museum director Melissa D. Boisselle fielded numerous questions about the proposed city historian post. The proposed $5,500 increase would be for the remainder of this fiscal year and ultimately boost the salary for the position from $26,000 to $38,000 per year.

The city historian would work with all city departments to organize the city's vast collection of historic artifacts. The city historian would also conduct research for the city, digitize the city's history collection and make it available on line as well as work with city schools and others to promote and educate the public about Holyoke's history. "The increase in hours will really be a benefit for the city," Boisselle said. "We feel it's a real opportunity." Others agreed. "I think the issue tonight is affordability and I think it's justified," City Council President Joseph M. McGiverin said Wednesday. "I think one of our most important roles is preserving our history," City Councilor James M. Leahy said.

As for the proposed $6,000 raise for the building commissioner, several councilors spoke enthusiastically in favor of raising the salary for the post from $50,751 to $56,751. "He works really hard and he does a good job," Jourdain said, referring to building commissioner Paul Healy. "This guy is going above and beyond," Leahy said. "I think it's well deserved."

As for the $122,384 in raises, they would be for city employees who are not members of a union and serve without contracts. If approved, most of these employees would receive a flat $2,250 raise. But some city employees would receive more. The health director would get a $6,960 raise, boosting salary for the position from $51,684 to $58,644. Mayor Michael J. Sullivan has also proposed raising the salary for the Director of Planning and Development by $5,520 from $66,980 to $72,500. The city would pay $4,195 of the proposed increase, the remaining $1,325 coming from the Holyoke Economic Development and Industrial Corporation.

Holyoke City Data Link Added

I just added a new link from the city-data website on Holyoke. It has lots of very interesting graphics and statistics about our city. Feel free to check it out.

I also found this great picture of city hall on their site.

Finance Committee to Meet on February 13!

The Finance Committee of City Council will be meeting on February 13 at 6:30PM in City Council Chambers. We will be discussing:
1) Grant Proposals from Wistariahurst & Board of Health
2) Jones Ferry River Access Center Proposal from the Holyoke Park & Rec department for the proposed construction of a new facility at that location. Here is a link to their proposal:

http://www.holyokerows.org/links/Jones%20Ferry%20River%20Access%20Center%20Improvements.pdf.

3) License application for a second hand license at 166 High Street

4) Financial Transfer for Pay Raises for the Non-Union employees and the planning department.

Presidential Primary Results for Holyoke

Democrats

Hillary Clinton 63%
Barack Obama 35%
Other 2%

Republicans

Mitt Romney 53%
John McCain 36%
Mike Huckabee 6%
Ron Paul 3%
Other 2%

Thank you to the 7490 Holyoke voters who went to the polls!

Boston Globe: Holyoke a warehouse for the poor

'A warehouse for the poor'
Holyoke absorbs state's homeless
By Anna Badkhen, Globe Staff February 9, 2008
HOLYOKE - Eleven families are crammed into the tattered Main Street Shelter for the homeless in Holyoke.
But none are from the city. They came from Lawrence, Springfield, Chicopee, and other spots where services for the poor were overwhelmed.
One of the poorest cities in the state, Holyoke has plenty of homeless shelters, affordable housing, and an extensive network for assisting the poor. As the slumping economy, widening unemployment, and high rents push some Massachusetts residents toward poverty and homelessness, state agencies are sending more poor families than ever to this city of decrepit duplexes and shuttered storefronts, swelling the ranks of the city's neediest residents.
"We are a warehouse for the poor, and it's not something that the city controls," said Mayor Michael J. Sullivan of Holyoke. "It's something the system is doing to the city. Because we take care of the poor, the state continues to try and put more burden on us."
The US Census Bureau reported last month that the proportion of school-age children living in poverty in Holyoke increased from 33 percent in 2000 to nearly 40 percent in 2005, from 2,828 to 3,233. The number of families with children who lived in Holyoke's shelters grew from 73 in 2005 to 128 at the end of 2007, according to the state Department of Transitional Assistance, which oversees aid to the homeless.
School officials say that 1 in 5 public school students is homeless, living in a shelter or foster care, doubled up with another family, or in transitional housing.
An industrial town whose fortunes ebbed as its paper and textile mills closed, Holyoke has been poor for decades. Now, the city's low cost of living and extensive network of services for the poor are attracting a stream of impoverished families from other places, city officials said. On top of that, state agencies often send people who have become homeless in other parts of the state.
Of the city's 176 beds for homeless families in emergency shelters, Sullivan said "no more than 10 have ever been occupied by people who became homeless in Holyoke."
Funding from private charities and state and federal governments covers many of the direct costs of caring for the poor in Holyoke, but the influx of poor has meant that the city's residents must compete for services with people from elsewhere, Sullivan said. In schools, teaching often takes a back seat to ensuring that the poorest students are clothed and fed. The city's public schools are among the worst-performing in the state.
"You don't want to blame the victims," Sullivan said. "People say to me you should have stronger policies to keep people out. But if we don't help them, who's going to?"
Holyoke's homeless shelters can accommodate four times the number of families per capita than homeless shelters in Boston. And when shelters are full in other places, the state Department of Transitional Assistance sends homeless families to shelters with open spots, often in Holyoke. Last year, 40 families from the Boston metropolitan area were referred to Holyoke, Sullivan said.
"Our goal is to place families as close to the local office as possible, based on the availability of units," said Alison Goodwin, a spokeswoman for the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees the agency. But if local shelters are full, state regulations require that homeless families be housed in the first unit available, Goodwin said.
Agencies operating emergency shelters in Holyoke received more than $4 million from the state in fiscal year 2008, Goodwin said.
Asked about the dearth of space in shelters in other parts of the state, Julia E. Kehoe, who heads the Department of Transitional Assistance, responded in a written statement she sent through Goodwin that the department "continues to work with Mayor Sullivan and other elected officials to develop comprehensive strategies addressing the issue of poverty in Western Massachusetts. People living in poverty should have equal access to opportunity, no matter where they live."
Kenneth Guerra, a former store manager; Amanda Otero, a former certified nurse assistant; and their 7-year-old son, Kenneth III, were sent to Holyoke from Chicopee after the parents lost their jobs and no longer could pay rent.
Marangela Owino - whose daughter, Gabriella, was born here three months ago - was sent here from Springfield.
Gladys Gonzalez and her 14-year-old son, Gabriel, came from Orlando, Fla.
"I'm 105 miles away from home," said Christina Carrillo of Lawrence, who ended up in the shelter with her daughter Olivia, 3, after losing her job as a medical secretary and failing to pay rent on her three-bedroom apartment.
"We get referrals all the way from Boston" when Boston shelters have no vacancies, said Leida Cartagena, who works at the Valley Opportunity Council Inc., a Holyoke nonprofit that operates the shelter.
At the Kelly Elementary School, where young Kenneth Guerra attends first grade, at least five other students live in shelters. At the Lawrence Elementary School several blocks away, that number is 105, up from 78 last September.
In both schools, 1 in 3 students has been living in Holyoke for a few months, referred here by state agencies, and will probably leave before the year is over, school principals estimated.
School staff at Kelly Elementary keep extra clothes to hand out to students, most of whom are staying in overcrowded duplexes with broken windows mended with plywood or in the apartment buildings that line the potholed roads around the school.
Every day some child comes to school without a coat, a hat, boots, gloves, or even long pants, said Jacqueline Glasheen, assistant principal, who stores a bag with donated winter boots in her office. "They come in flip-flops," she explained.
One blustery day last month, a child-sized parka was lying on Glasheen's chair. "I got a note from a teacher on my desk this morning," she said, " 'Alex in second grade needs a winter coat.' "
Almost all of the school's 452 students are so poor that they receive school lunch for free or at a discount. For many, school meals may be the only food they get all day, said Chad M. Mazza, the school principal.
The Main Street Shelter serves three meals a day and has a refrigerator for the 11 families to share.
But there is little that Kenneth Guerra III's parents can afford to put in the refrigerator. Still unemployed, they receive a combined monthly food stamp benefit of $209, most of which the shelter requires them to save so that one day they can rent an affordable apartment, probably becoming another poor family that settles down in Holyoke.
But the shelter staff locks the kitchen for the night. "When we get hungry we can't go downstairs to get anything," said Kenneth Guerra III, skinny and pale. He bit his lip, and fell silent, apparently thinking of his old life in Chicopee.
"He still asks me every day when he can go back," his mother said.
Anna Badkhen can be reached at abadkhen@globe.com.
© Copyright
2008 The New York Times Company

Councilor Jourdain appears on WGBY's The Watercooler!!

I had the pleasure of being asked to appear on WGBY's local television series, The Watercooler this week. The roundtable discussion was hosted by Susan Kaplan. I had the pleasure of sitting with her, Professor Ilan Stavans of Amherst College and fellow Holyoker Carmen Felix-Fournier of the Springfield schools. We discussed the question of language in society, bilingual education and the importance of our English language to all Americans.

It was a very thoughtful conversation. I think you will enjoy it.

The show will be airing on WGBY Public Television on:

Sunday, February 3 at 9:30am and 6:30pm

Tuesday, February 5 at 1:30pm and 7:30pm

It also is available ON DEMAND on COMCAST

If you are not able to watch it on your television, you can tune in on the WGBY website. Here are two links:

The 30 minute show itself:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wgby/.jukebox/media/wgby/671820/asf/watercooler/podcast/2024/671820.asf

Here is about 15 minutes of bonus footage:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wgby/.jukebox/media/wgby/671825/asf/watercooler/podcast/2024/671825.asf

Please feel free to email me your thoughts: Kevin.Jourdain@verizon.net

60% of Blog Voters opposed another sewer increase!

60% of poll takers opposed another increase in their sewer rates.
40% supported another increase.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

I wonder if the people who voted for an increase would be willing to send a little extra so those of us in the 60% would not have to have yet another increase?

Stay tuned on this one, friends. I am just waiting for the DPW to bring in another increase. Let's hope they take their time. You can count on me to vote against any proposed increase! The current rate of $4.66 / 1000 gallons (which increased rates 139%) is already years ahead of the rate promised under the Aquarion rate schedule when the contract was signed in July 2005!

Where do I vote? Link Added

I have added a great new link to the Secretary of State's "where do I vote?" page. All you have to do is type in your address and it will tell you what precinct and ward you live in and the exact location of your voting poll.

Classes coming to Holyoke bus station!

Posted by The Republican Newsroom January 26, 2008 10:19AM
By KEN ROSS kross@repub.com HOLYOKE - The city has agreed to accept a $277,200 federal grant to build an adult learning center in a bus station slated to be built later this year. "It's a great project," Jeffrey P. Hayden, vice president of business and community services at Holyoke Community College, said Tuesday. The City Council voted to accept the grant for an adult education center run by the college in the proposed intermodal bus station located in the city's old fire department headquarters at 206 Maple St. The college also received a similar $947,000 federal grant for the same project.

Several city councilors endorsed the project Tuesday. "I'm very much in favor of this project," At Large City Councilor Kevin A. Jourdain said. "It's going to be great for the community."

Classes will be offered on the third and fourth floors of the building, Hayden said. He added classes should be offered in the 12,800-square-foot space day and night by the spring of 2009. "It (the facility) gives us the opportunity to show people what the college is all about," Hayden said. Holyoke Intermodal Facility, LLC, is the lead developer for the project, but the driving force behind the project is Peter Pan Bus Lines. And one of the benefits of the facility, Hayden noted, is that the privately owned bus line which serves large cities such as Boston and New York will stop at the downtown Holyoke location.

An architect is currently creating plans for the building, according to city Planning Director Kathleen G. Anderson. Construction is then expected to begin in late April or early May, Hayden said. Based on such a timetable, the facility would be completed by the end of this year or early next year. Along with the bus station and adult education center, the facility will feature child-care space, food booths and other vendors. Holyoke Community College's education facility will bring five new, full-time jobs to the city, according to a tax break proposal approved by the City Council in September. Head Start would provide child care and create four, full-time jobs. An additional 10, full-time jobs will also be created by the facility. They include two facility management and security jobs, two Pioneer Valley Transportation Authority jobs and six jobs at a Dunkin Donuts.

Ward 3 School Committee Opening On March 1!

Ward 3 School Committee member Jonathan Allyn is resigning his seat on that board effective February 29, 2008. Jonathan worked hard for the people of Holyoke and he will be missed. Jonathan is moving out of the area to take a new employment opportunity. I wish him the best of luck in his new position.

This will create an opening on committee at that time. The process for filing the vacancy will be that the City Councilors and the remaining school committee members will sit in a joint session to select a person to fill the vacancy. I encourage any resident of ward 3 to apply.

This is an important position and the next member will have a large say as to the future direction of the Holyoke schools which are currently in a transition stage. The committee will also be selecting a new Superintendent next year. Our children are counting on us for good stewardship of our schools. So there are lots of reasons for people who live in Ward 3 to consider seeking this position.

If you would like to be considered for the position, please do not hesitate to contact me or send me an email as to why you should be selected. I would be happy to discuss your candidacy. I would also encourage you to call all of the voting members to ask for their consideration as well.

DOR Finance Report Update! Finance Committee acts on Jourdain order!

The Finance Committee met this past Tuesday and acted upon my order for a thorough review of the recent DOR report on city financial operations. This report and accompanying reports from our independent auditors and the state Inspector General have called into question numerous material weaknesses in the way that Holyoke handles its financial affairs.
The committee agreed with me to take a careful, top-to-bottom review over the next four weeks and will at that time begin to take testimony from numerous city department heads and the mayor regarding their formal responses to the report. It was also agreed that Joe McGiverin would get the Finance Committee copies of all the written responses from city officers to the mayor for our review.
In the weeks and months ahead after our careful analysis, the Finance Committee in consultation with the full membership will make a series of recommendations to the the Full Council so that we can move forward and tighten up many loopholes and deficiencies in the way Holyoke conducts business. I anticipate this report will be all encompassing, innovative and proactive.
I have a link to the report on my blog and I welcome you to review it. I welcome all citizens to call me at 538-5519 or email me with any suggestions you may have as to how you would like to see Holyoke reform its government. I never forget we work for you and this is your government!

City Council Meetings Televised Live on Channel 15!

Friends:

If you did not know, Holyoke City Council Meetings are televised live on Channel 15 on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month. All meetings begin at 7:30PM.

Some people are concerned about the audio of the meetings. It really is a matter of Councilors not speaking directly into their microphones. I always try to make sure I do but if for some reason you don't hear me, send me an email and I will look into the problem.

I hope you are staying warm!

Kevin

HCC Board of Trustees Meeting Today

Some of you may be aware I am a member of the Holyoke Community College Board of Trustees. The fourth Tuesday of every month we have our monthly board meeting. We have many wonderful people from Holyoke and the region that sit on the board with me. There is 11 members total. HCC is a special gem we have here in Holyoke and as your Councilor I do everything I can do to support the institution and its mission of educating our young people. As a person who has spent many years in the classroom as a student, I know the real value of an education: it transcends the financial but also enrichs a person both academically and spiritually. Knowledge is power and it is very uplifting to have a better understanding of the world we live in and that is really what an education provides you.

We have a special guy in Dr. Bill Messner as the President of HCC and I am glad he is leading the college at this critical hour. He had big shoes to fill in Dave Bartley and Bill has been fortunate to inherit such a strong institution built up by Dave.


In the course of our many duties at our morning meeting, we wished good bye to our friend and Chairman, Dr. Ned Barowsky. Unfortunately, Ned was not re-appointed by the Governor and he will be sorely missed. Ned chaired the college's very successful capital campaign last year which raised over $5 million. Ned is a great guy and I am glad to call him a friend.

The Governor did appoint Sr. Jane Morrissey, SSJ to replace Ned and I look forward to working with her in the years ahead. The Board of Trustees may be the leaders of the institution but we are only as strong as the employees, faculty and students of the college and because of them we are very strong. I am also happy to report that enrollment is up significantly again this semester so more and more people are turning to Holyoke as the center for their educational needs. That is something all Holyokers can be proud of!