Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 4/12/2022
HOLYOKE – After much debate on the legal language surrounding the allocation of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, the Holyoke City Council ultimately voted to approve funding for the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts and for Girls Inc. during its April 5 meeting.
Initially listed on the agenda was the Finance Committee’s referral that Miracle League was approved for funding of $350,000, while there was a denial for Girls Inc. of $150,000. The Miracle League of Western Massachusetts serves all communities in the area and in northern Connecticut to offer boys and girls 4 to 19 years of age who have physical and /or cognitive challenges the opportunity to play baseball and be involved in a team setting.
The money for the Miracle League will be going toward park renovations of their field called “Playground for all.” The goal for this money it to build an inclusive playground that is adaptive and will make it easier for children with cognitive issues to play safely.
Girls Inc. is a nonprofit organization that encourages all girls to be “Strong, Smart, and Bold” through direct service and advocacy. The organization aims to equip girls with the skills to navigate through economic, gender and social barriers and to grow up as independent individuals.
In 1981 local women opened the Girls Club of Holyoke and in 1990 officially changed their name to Girls Inc. when the national office of Girls Clubs of America changed their name to the same title. Girls Inc. of Holyoke, now Girls Inc. of the Valley, was built from there and “on the foundation of 150 years of service to our grandmothers, our mothers, ourselves, and now, our daughters,” according to the organization’s website.
The Finance Committee initially denied Girls Inc.’s CPA request. At-Large Councilor and Vice Chair of the Finance Committee Kevin Jourdain opened discussions on the CPA request by breaking down the finance perspective on giving the requested funds to Girls Inc.
Jourdain explained that the Finance Committee’s decision had to do with the historical preservation of the building. The money was being requested for preservation work needed for the Girls Inc. building on Hampden Street, the former O’Connell building. The proposal detailed a request of mason rework, cleaning and roof restoration of the building.
Jourdain said because of the request and the nature of Girls Inc. being a private organization, the Finance Committee voted down the request 2-1 with one member absent.
“Unlike Miracle, this was improvement to not to a public space like how the playground is public. [CPA funds] are not intended to go to private organizations,” Jourdain said.
Jourdain added that concerns were also raised about the potential precedent they could be setting with giving Girls Inc. this funding.
“They are a wonderful organization that we have been very generous to over the years, but we are also charged with making sure we have sufficient resources to maintain public meetings,” Jourdain said. “I can assure you that this City Hall needs more than $150,000 in improvements.”
At-Large Councilor Israel Rivera said he is on the CPA Steering Committee for the state that brings different representatives from each community to work with each other and learn the best uses of CPA funds and the different projects for which the funding can be used. Rivera said he went to the chairman of the CPA at the state level and asked him for his advice on if Girls Inc. would be a worthy cause under CPA funding.
Rivera said according to the state’s CPA chairman that if there is a public benefit identified within a project, it can qualify for CPA funding. Rivera then added that he believed Girls Inc. benefits the public.
“My wife went there and I have seen them grow over the years,” Rivera said on Girls Inc. “Whether Girls Inc. is a private public institution, the building is the area. If they leave, the building still stays.”
Rivera added that even though Jourdain’s point was valid about other areas in town possibly needing these CPA dollars, that there were no applications from the town or any of the organizations Jourdain mentioned that could also use the funding.
Rivera expressed that he feels the funding to improve the Girls Inc. building would benefit the city instantly and moving forward. He also added he was happy this had been playing out the way it did as in attendance were over 10 residents and students wearing Girls Inc. shirts who spoke during public comment about the benefits of the program.
“They had to opt to be civically engaged in their city. We got a huge group of youth in this space ready to advocate, something we have barely ever had,” Rivera said.
Ward 4 Councilor Kocayne Givner agreed with Rivera’s points and said the public benefit for the project is the organization getting the assistance they are requesting. Givner added that if the city won’t invest in their children that they won’t build a future for the city.
“Girls Inc. is turning out young female leaders going out to colleges, getting opportunities and moving our city forward,” Givner said. “Relationships go two ways, if we want young leaders to stay, supporting them now will help them in the future. As these young ladies venture out into the world they remember where they started and come back and wow us with their experience.”
Councilor Tessa Murphy-Romboletti spoke in favor of approving the CPA funds for Girls Inc., saying that the City Council has approved funding for private organizations before in the spirit of improving an area of Holyoke. She added public benefits can stem from private organizations.
Ward 3 Councilor David Bartley requested the council put the decision on hold to get a legal opinion from the town attorney on if this was a legal appropriation of funds. Attorney Mike Bissonnette was in virtual attendance for the meeting and said in the moment he was not familiar with the specifics of this issue and would need time to look further into the terms within CPA funding.
Ward 2 Councilor Will Puello said his main issue with the request was that it was coming from the historical preservation perspective, and he felt it was a stretch to make the case for the historical significance of the building.
“I have personally never heard of the O’Connell family,” Puello said. “I guess I would be leaning towards hearing a public opinion to make sure everything is OK. I think that would be astute.”
Jourdain rebutted the points made in favor of approving the Girls Inc. request and started by saying the maintenance does not have to do with Girls Inc. being a public or private organization, but it was more about what the CPA laws say in allowing allocation of funds to private organizations.
“The point is, why keep breaking the rules? What happened in the past I don’t know, I can only tell you I happened to review this, this is relatively new,” Jourdain said.
Jourdain added that the city should be prioritizing their money for more important city related projects and that even though Girls Inc. was a wonderful group, that by law they might not be the right choice for CPA funds.
“I understand folks feel we need to get this from the Law Department, but I feel like it’s just another level of oversight. As City Council, we don’t need to have control over everything,” said Murphy-Romboletti.
Givner added that the CPA committee exists for the very reason of reviewing rules and regulations and identifying options for the money to go towards. She added she had faith that the CPA committee did their due diligence before recommending the request.
“I can’t imagine we all can be experts in everything, which is why all these committees exists. I personally would support this and am happy to make a motion because the CPA voted on it,” Givner said.
Ward 6 Councilor Juan Anderson-Burgos agreed that the council entrusts the CPA members to do the work.
In closing remarks before a vote, Jourdain said he felt he was in a minority in philosophy on the council, something he said he was fine with as he serves his role. Jourdain asked his fellow councilors to consider taxpayers of Holyoke and what they are doing as a council to make them feel protected.
“It seems to me decisions are made on passion for a project. Basically, we don’t say no. I don’t think it’s a good idea and on top of that, I have a duty to raise these issues,” Jourdain said. “I read the law, if you haven’t you might want to. You’re voting on things that specifically entail info on those laws. Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter. Laws matter, rules matter, that’s why we have lawyers come to these meetings.”
Jourdain expressed his point and closed recommending to his fellow councilors that they look closer and make effort to prioritize certain city projects.
“You may be saying yes to this, but you are also saying no to other public projects. It’s called prioritizing. Everyone can have a public opinion, but we have a laundry list of public projects” Jourdain added.
Rivera responded to Jourdain’s comments reiterated he was chosen to represent the body on the CPA and that he would be voting for this project’s approval because he felt it falls under the guidelines of the CPA after looking for and getting feedback from the CPA chair.
“There’s a lot of jargon thrown around to confuse and convolute things. I would like for them to speak here for themselves and not just have certain councilors make it feel like they represent that body and not the city overall,” Rivera said. “The city is more than just taxpayers. If you aren’t a taxpayer then you have no value in this city?”
Council President Todd McGee commented to his fellow councilors that they were not going to allow debate to turn into arguments and that their duty is to work together for the city. He also assured those in attendance from Girls Inc. that this was not a heated debate over them or their organization, but one over the building the organization resides in.
“We fully support Girls Inc. This is just about a technicality,” McGee said.
Councilor Peter Tallman, who also serves on the Finance Committee, was the lone member absent from the vote to not recommend the funding for Girls Inc. Tallman made known before the vote that he missed the meeting to celebrate his wedding anniversary. He said he would have voted in favor of the funding which would have made the Finance Committee’s vote a 2-2 draw.
“I am in support of the funding of this project and the program,” Tallman said.
After further discussion, the Council did end up voting 12-1 in favor of approving CPA funds of $150,000 to Girls Inc. with a condition in place that if, after legal review, the appropriation of funds violates the law that the approval would be rescinded.