HOLYOKE — During its Feb. 24 special meeting, the City Council approved the next steps for the city and school district to potentially address roof replacements and capital projects across five schools.
Holyoke Public Schools Maintenance Administrator Sean Sheedy joined the meeting to explain to the council the proposed agenda items.
The first item, with approval from the City Council, allowed Sheedy to continue the process for a statement of interest to be sent for the 2025 Massachusetts School Building Authority Accelerated Repair Program open enrollment.
The three projects included within the first item included an HVAC conversion at Donahue school, the remaining windows and doors in the new wing at Donahue school and the remaining windows and doors in the courtyard are at McMahon school.
The projects will be applied for, but Sheedy said Holyoke will not know the outcome until the board meeting in October 2025.
According to MSBA, the accelerated repair program “focuses on the preservation of existing assets by performing energy-efficient and cost-saving upgrades, which will result in direct operational savings for school districts.”
It is offered by the state for specific work on windows, exterior doors and roofs.
Starting this year, the accelerated repair program will have a biennial Statement of Interest opening every two years. Districts will file SOIs biennially and staff will review invitations for roofs and windows/doors based on a budget of $300 million, representing two years’ worth of projects, and for heat pump conversion projects based on a budget of $250 million, representing two years’ worth of projects.
The five items that sought permission for Sheedy to submit statements of interest to the MSBA for invitation into the Accelerated Repair Program for potential roof replacements at Holyoke High, Kelly, Sullivan, McMahon and Donahue schools.
Sheedy explained that the school department was looking for City Council approval as it is the formal process in sending out the statements on interest. This allows Sheedy to file the statements of interest to gain an invitation into the state program, which has an application process with a deadline of March 3.
Each item contained the same language, but each school had a different amount. Kelly Elementary and McMahon Elementary was for $100,000, Sullivan Elementary and Donahue Elementary was for $75,000 and Holyoke High School was for $150,000.
The appropriations were for the purpose of conducting a schematic design study at each respective school but there is 80% reimbursement from the state as part of the program.
The numbers were based on an overall projection done by Sheedy looking at if the project contains a partial or full replacement. The final costs of each project are still to be determined.
Sheedy explained that MSBA has “done away” with the feasibility study for this program because they felt it was a “waste,” and the process starts at a schematic design.
“That schematic design is actually part of the architectural and engineering drawings and all the documents and everything, so cities and municipalities don’t have to waste money on a feasibility which is nice,” Sheedy further explained.
After discussion from multiple city councilors, multiple motions, roll call votes and explanation from Assistant City Solicitor Michael Bissonnette, the City Council approved items two through six.
The lengthy discussion was raised after question of procedure by City Councilor Kevin Jourdain who argued that based on the city charter, these items required two votes, one vote to pass the first reading and another vote to pass the second reading.
The motion was to approve the second readings of these items, but he argued that the first readings were never voted on.
City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti explained that these specific items were not refiled and were on the agenda for the last meeting as reports. She proposed a rule change after stating that her reading the items into the record at the previous meeting and being sent to committee counted as a reading.
After City Councilor Linda Vacon said she was afraid the legality of the vote would endanger the funding, without the first reading, more city councilors chimed in with their opinions.
To wrap up the lengthy discussion, Murphy-Romboletti said, “If everyone is going to sleep a little better because we took the first reading and the second reading, tonight, we’ll do that,” she said, “but going forward, at our next full council meeting, make peace with it now, read the case law, do what you need to do.”
The City Council approved the first and second reading of items two through six.
