City now in collaboration with child care initiative
The City of Holyoke is now in collaboration with the Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative and will take over ownership of the land for a proposed child care center, as approved by members of the Holyoke City Council at a regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4.
The plan is for the City to own the land and facility for 10 years so that the City can apply for a $1.5 million Department of Local Affairs Energy Impact Grant next March for the child care facility. After 10 years, the land and building will be donated to HCCI.
HCCI, which is its own 501(c)(3) operated by its own board, has already been planning for and raising funds for the $3.5 million project. Once built, the 13,000-square-foot facility will be able to serve 100 children with 15 full-time equivalent jobs. The 2.75-acre site is situated north of Melissa Memorial Hospital.
Council member Gene Bittner expressed concern over the financial aspect of the collaboration. HCCI board member Tom Bennett assured him that it’s the responsibility of the HCCI board to make sure the facility operates functionally. There will be no financial burden on the City.
HCCI board member Trisha Herman said that the memorandum of understanding, which had not been written yet, can be as detailed as HCCI and the City want it to be.
City opposes conditional use application for Weldco Farms
The city council gave approval for Mayor Orville Tonsing to sign and send a letter to the Phillips County Board of Adjustment in opposition to the conditional use application for Weldco Farms LLC’s proposed commercial feedlot southwest of Holyoke.
The letter said the 7,000-head dairy heifer facility causes extreme concern over the possibility of nitrate contamination of the City’s drinking water wells, noting that any small increase in nitrate levels would compromise the City’s wells and cause financial and health concerns for the City.
According to the letter, the location of the feedlot would create a public nuisance affecting the lives of the citizens of Holyoke, there would most likely be an increase of insects, and air quality would be compromised from the odor emitted from a large facility located so close to a metropolitan area.
The council also approved a letter for the Phillips County Planning Commission that states the City has no objection to the proposed subdivision exemption 4 miles east of Holyoke as proposed by Progressive Agricultural Management LLC.
Wage scale discussed
With two openings in the refuse department and three more openings coming up later this year in the street and cemetery crews, City Superintendent Mark Brown brought up his concerns about the wage scale for City employees.
“At the wage scale we’re paying, nobody’s applying,” said Tonsing. “I think we need to up ours so we can attract people.”
Council member Steve Moore commented that it doesn’t matter how much people are paid, “they don’t want to work.”
“I think you have to pay more,” said council member John Schneider.
Brown and the street committee will meet to brainstorm a change in wages.
Laptops approved
Council members approved the purchase of laptop computers for council members as well as the City superintendent, clerk, attorney and recreation director.
Printers Paper and More gave a quote of $14,689.80 for 10 laptops and cases. The City will check with them about adding one more laptop and case because the recreation director was not included on the original list.
Tonsing said the City will see if COVID-19 relief funds can be used for the purchase.
The laptops will have a microphone and camera that can be utilized during virtual meetings, if necessary. Board packets will also be available digitally.
The cost of setting up email addresses for board members is still being researched.
Council hears reports
Brown reported on several power outages, the water department, the street department and an annual inspection at the airport. He also said the City is planning updates for the alley in the block southeast of the stoplight.
Chief Doug Bergstrom reported that Holyoke Police Department, including code enforcement, handled or generated 102 calls for service July 16-29.
In her report, recreation director Victoria Dunker said that some of her upcoming activities, including flag football this fall, are up in the air because of COVID-19 regulations and the availability of facilities.
Other business
In other business at the Aug. 4 meeting, council members:
— Accepted the intergovernmental agreement with the Phillips County clerk and recorder for the coordinated general election Nov. 3.
— Renewed the Axon Enterprise Inc. body camera/Taser five-year contract for $44,781.60.
— Clarified the regulations regarding animals in residential areas.
— Approved the City’s advertising of items to be sold through Big Iron Auction.