City council approves bonuses, plats and hangar leases
Holyoke City Council began their meeting last Tuesday with four agenda items: They involved holiday bonuses, a liquor license, the city ballpark and prize money.
The council approved each proposal. Full-time employees for the city will receive a $200 bonus when accounting for Medicare and federal taxes; the council renewed the liquor license for Happy Jacks Barbeque; Holyoke Ballpark has been approved to host the 18-16 Babe Ruth Regional tournament, scheduled July 27-30 next year; and prize money for the city’s Lighting/Decorating Contest is set at $175. Judges for the contest will be Chief of Police Doug Bergstrom, Alderwoman Cathy Edge and Assistant City Superintendent Jeremy Thompson.
Next, the council approved plats, or mapped areas, detailing the Furguson’s Subdivision in West Holyoke and Young Subdivision located within the city’s Robin Lake Addition near Cobblestone Inn & Suites. In Furguson’s, a space for 20 homes will be zoned residential. In Young, a property already has been zoned for a commercial business.
The council approved a request from Ronnie Bahler to transfer her lease for Hanger No. 10 at Holyoke Municipal Airport. The city leases ground beneath the airport hangars, usually for a 20-year period. Because Bahler decided to sell her airplane, the person who buys it likely will continue the lease under a new name.
Briefly, the council discussed Title 6 within Holyoke’s Code of Ordinances, which deals with animal treatment, sales, licenses, innoculations and more. A copy of the current title may be found at library.municode.com/co/holyoke/. The council intends to finalize a revised Title 6 before the end of the year.
For the meeting’s longest portion, Assistant Superintendent Thompson addressed what he sees as a lack of efficiency when it comes to his work and that of City Superintendent Jeff Deselms. The city offered Thompson and Deselms their jobs to account for the Oct. 31 retirement of former City Superintendent Mike Brown.
As explained later by Kathy Olofson, city clerk and treasurer, the original plan for the two involved Thompson focusing on in-house work with “reports, residents’ complaints, that type of thing”; while Deselms would fill a role similar to “a foreman over all the crews.” Instead, both have begun working the “inside” and “outside” roles simultaneously, Thompson said, causing problems when deciding who does what task.
“I don’t think we can try to mesh two people and split jobs down the middle,” Thompson said. “If we’re going to sever it, it’s got to be ‘inside-outside’ or it’s got to be one person doing it all. I just don’t see another way it can work.”
To resolve the situation, the council is set to meet with Thompson and Deselms at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Their next regular meeting is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, when the council will vote for a new pro tem mayor.