holyoke mayor state of the city 2014

8/12/2019 Holyoke Mayor State of the City 2014

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Good evening.

Thank you, members of the City Council, for the opportunity to address youtonight.

I would also like to thank those of you tuning in at home. It because of you the people of Holyoke that we get to remake the Paper City together. It isbecause of you and your energy that Holyoke is becoming an example to anew generation and a new century of American cities.

It has been five years since a Holyoke mayor has provided a State of the Cityaddress, and I am proud to reinstitute the practice. Tonight marks animportant step forward in governmental transparency. Further, tonight is anopportunity for me to discuss the great strides being made in our city, and to

outline some ways to build on our successes.

When I first took office, our city faced many great and complicatedchallenges. We knew then, as we do now, that none of those challengeswould be resolved overnight. But we also knew that we couldnt let thedifficulty of our task exempt us from action. We got to work. And over thepast several years, Holyokers from all walks of life have worked toward abrighter future.

Together, we prioritized early literacy for our students and welcomed a newsuperintendent of schools. Together, we expanded community policing restoring relationships between our Police Department and our citizens, andmaking the city the safest its been in decades. Together, we attracted newbusinesses and helped others expand. Together, we ushered in a new era ofcivic pride and community engagement. And together, we sent the clearmessage that the City of Holyoke is making a comeback.

Because of the work we have done together, I can proudly say that the stateof the city is getting stronger each day. Our citys rebirth is well underway.

And its up to each and every one of us to make sure it continues.

BUDGET

Central to achieving the Citys agenda is properly managing the Citys fiscalhealth, which is why threats to our finances should be faced with utmostdiligence and attention. It is widely known that there are a few situations


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that are fiscally unsustainable, and which I propose we tackle together in themonths ahead.

Fresh on everyones mind is the current situation with the Holyoke GeriatricAuthority, which my administration has been working hard to resolve. Iupdated this body recently on steps we are taking to protect the city, thetaxpayers, and most importantly, to protect those who have called theauthority their home. For years, the Geriatric Authority has struggled withmismanagement, forcing the taxpayers of Holyoke to subsidize the facilityupwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. As with otherobstacles, we have faced this head on. We have been working hand in handwith the Department of Public Health and the Attorney Generals office toensure a smooth closure. We have worked diligently to transition everyresident to another healthcare facility, and upon the request of my office, the

state department of labor has sent a rapid response team to help employeesfind other employment opportunities or career training options here inWestern Massachusetts. My office has also facilitated the transfer of theAdult Day Health program, the only one of its kind in Holyoke, to anothersite in the City, preserving jobs and ensuring that the 54 individuals who relyon the program will continue to receive care. As of today, only 14 residentsremain at the Authority, and I look forward to working with all of you in thecoming months to officially acquire the Authoritys property and spur aproject that generates tax revenue and creates job opportunities for ourresidents.

My administration has also worked hard over the past two years toaggressively collect back taxes owed to the City. City Treasurer Jon Lumbraannounced last year that the City had set a back-taxes collection record forany one fiscal year, over $1.2 million dollars in FY13. Im pleased to reportthat we are on track to collect the same this year, if not more. In addition,last year the City hosted its first public property action in over 45 years. Bytaking properties for nonpayment of taxes, we have succeeded in puttingproperties back into private hands as taxpaying entities, and watching vacant

properties go back into use and improve the quality of life in ourneighborhoods. We are preparing now to have another auction later thisyear, and expect to see strong interest in the available commercial propertythroughout the City.

Now as you all know, we are in the midst of crafting our budget for the nextfiscal year. I have been meeting with my department heads to review theirproposals and have been working diligently to cut costs while improving city


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services. New this budget season, I have also scheduled community forumswhere my administration will explain the budget proposal and allowquestions and input from the community. Id like to do the same for all ofyou if any councilors have any input as I prepare my budget presentation, Iwelcome your thoughts and ideas.

There are few who would disagree that the process in which we approachour city budget is not nearly as transparent as it should be. Each year thereare millions of dollars in expenses that are not included in the final budget,which end up being paid for through supplemental transfers. The currentsystem of departments requesting free cash transfers for expected budgetaryitems is extremely inefficient. This is not a new practice, and while therehave always been reasons that this has been necessary to do, the time hascome for us to confront the budget head on so we dont have to rely on these

kinds of practices.

In about one month, I will be submitting a budget that is an honest reflectionof the needs of the City, based on historic trends. The goal behind this is topresent a final budget that is truly balanced, from day one.

This will allow us to use our certified free cash to pay off debt, invest incapital expenses, and increase the reserves in our stabilization account. Inaddition, Im proud to say that over the last three months weve beennegotiating a new single source Health Insurance contract, which willguarantee the same level of coverage that city employees enjoy now, butalso provide a reduction in costs to both employees and taxpayers. In fact, ifthe plan on the table now is accepted, there could be millions in savingsmade to the general fund. While making these strategic adjustments to thebudget is a promising start, it will not be enough. In order for us to maintainthe current level of city services we provide, new sources of revenue must besought.

Tonight on the councils agenda is an order seeking approval for us to assess

a local meal tax similar to the hotels tax that the city council adopted earlyon in my first term. A local meals tax would increase a $100.00 check at alocal eatery by just $.75 cents and would generate over $500,000 in revenueannually. This will provide much needed relief to Holyokes already strainedproperty taxpayers. Ive heard the argument that this will scare diners awayfrom our locally owned food establishments but I disagree; in contrast, mostof this revenue will come from the fast food restaurants located in andaround the Holyoke Mall. The tax would increase a $5 lunch by less than


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$.04 cents. The adoption of the meals tax has the support of Holyokeslargest dining and entertainment establishments, not to mention that nearlyevery neighboring community has already adopted this tax. Our delay to actin the same manner has cost us $2.4 million dollars in revenue, according tothe Department of Revenue. That money could have helped prevent theincrease we have seen in commercial and residential property taxes. Theorder to adopt this is on your agenda tonight and must be certified by May1stso that we can apply this additional revenue to the FY15 budget.

It is also time for the council to act on sewer rates. For far too long thegeneral fund has been raided to help cover the cost of deficits within thesewer fund. While I fully support and understand the councils effort to goafter delinquent sewer customers, its simply not enough. Even if weachieved a collection rate of 100%, there still wouldnt be sufficient funds to

cover the funds operating budget, requiring taxpayers to foot the bill, someof which dont even benefit from the sewer fund. As we prepare for FY15,we are anticipating a $1.8 million dollar deficit in the sewer fund. If we donothing, this debt will once again be passed on to Holyoke taxpayers andlimit our ability to invest resources in long over due projects. It is time toeither set an appropriate rate, or approve the creation of a Water and SewerAuthority allowed under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40N. Creationof such a board will not only increase aggressive enforcement againstdelinquents, but will also serve as an independent board that will regularlyreview and adjust rates in a sustainable and beneficial way, removing thepolitics from what are often tough decisions.

EDUCATION

As we make progress on stabilizing our citys finances, we become moreable to make the necessary investments to move our City forward. The mostimportant investment is in our children. A discussion about Holyokes futurecannot happen without a discussion about the quality of our public schoolsand our ability to prepare our young people for the future. Id be remiss not

to acknowledge the palpable frustration that exists around our literacy ratesand high school graduation rates. In early January, the Department of Earlyand Secondary Education released statistics that revealed that while thegraduation rate for the state of Massachusetts has overall increased,including Holyokes by 3.3%, we are still among the lowest in the state. Thisis an alarming statistic that simply cannot be ignored.


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As a district and a community, we have to hold ourselves accountable forthese disparaging numbers. As Mayor, and as Chairman of the SchoolCommittee, I have to take ownership for these discouraging statistics. Thereality is that the decline in the performance of our school system did nothappen overnight, and it simply wont improve overnight.

Since the states takeover of Morgan School last fall, Ive participated inregular meetings with a local stakeholder group comprised of schoolofficials, union representatives, parents and teachers, and were having thedifficult and honest conversations about where we go from here.

Ive heard from educators, parents and community leaders about howdisconcerting the states takeover of both Morgan and Dean has been, andhow many hardworking, talented, and passionate teachers throughout our

district are left feeling defeated and concerned about the future of our schoolsystem.

I hear the frustration from teachers who are working tirelessly on behalf ofall of Holyokes students, but are expected to do more with less. Movingforward, we have to consider alternative ways to provide them with theresources they need to adequately educate their students.

I am confident that we are heading in the right direction under the leadershipand vision of our new Superintendent Dr. Sergio Paez. I have no doubt thatwe will see progress swiftly in the coming months and years, and succeed inmaking the Holyoke Public Schools the number one choice for all of ourfamilies.

Dr. Paez joined our district eight months ago, embracing a serious challenge,because, like so many of us, he saw Holyokes potential. Since then, he andthe innovative new leaders he has surrounded himself with have introducedideas that are the breath of fresh air our school district has needed. With newdirectors in the departments of early childhood education, early literacy, and

the arts and humanities, we are prepared to reemphasize and restructure ourearly literacy initiative to better fit the needs of all of Holyokes students.Understanding the myriad challenges we have had, together weve set morerealistic goals for early literacy achievement and aim to have 40% of thirdgraders proficient in reading by the end of this year.

Furthermore, Im excited to announce tonight that we are launching an effortthat will provide universal pre-K at all of our citys schools, and by this fall,


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youll already see such programs at EN White, Lawrence and Morgan. Thisexpansion of pre-K programs will drastically improve kindergarten readinessof our students and no doubt improve our 3rd grade reading scores for yearsto come.

Despite all of these efforts, we cant focus our energy on test scores,academics, and graduation rates without also addressing the underlyingproblems that occur in the lives of our students outside of school. Holyokesstudents are faced with socioeconomic disparities and challenges thatstudents in other districts across the state are fortunate not to experience. YetI emphatically believe that our students circumstances, their neighborhood,their socioeconomic status, or even their zip code, should not determine theirfate. Every young person in this City deserves equal opportunity, and we canno longer continue to point fingers - at our parents, at our teachers or at our

kids. All of us need to take collective responsibility to ensure a bright futurefor our children.

Thats why our schools are introducing innovative programs, like the ones atKelly Full Service Community School that bring therapeutic dogs into theclassroom to sit with students while they read. School officials are hostinghome visits to encourage parent involvement and reading withinneighborhoods. Zumba instructors are teaching our students fun anddifferent ways to be healthy and active. Were fortunate to have thecollaboration and support of so many agencies in our city like the Boys andGirls Club, the Holyoke YMCA, Girls Inc, and Enchanted Circle Theater,

just to name a few. It is not enough to put the responsibility of teachingsolely on the shoulders of our teachers; as a community, we are just asresponsible for their education.

In order for our City to decrease its poverty rate and attract sustainableeconomic development, we need to make sure that our children have accessto a great education. We need to continue to empower our youth and create

job opportunities for them so that when they graduate high school or college,

theyll actually want to come back to work in Holyoke and make our City abetter place. While our summer jobs programs are reaching hundreds ofyoung people, there is still more work to do.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

And upon completing their education, we want our youth to find prosperityclose to home. Which is why weve worked together over the past years on


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reinventing Holyokes value proposition to meet the challenges presented bya global, competitive and knowledge-based economy.

Through the recently instituted Urban Renewal Plan and the plan for anInnovation Based Economic Development Strategy, weve laid out theframework to accomplish this goal, and can proudly say that were makingprogress.

Over the past years we have secured over $600,000 of external resources fordeveloper assistance, brownfield cleanup grants and technicaldocumentation, all aimed at making sure we have sites that are move-in ordevelopment ready so more businesses can produce and hire right here inHolyoke.

Weve also worked to create valuable partnerships with local, regional andstate organizations to leverage resources, link industries and make anecosystem of innovation and promote job growth into the future. Our effortsand initiatives were recently recognized by the Boston Federal ReserveBank, which seeded Holyokes entrepreneurship initiative with $250,000over the next three years. Called SPARK, the program will be run incooperation with the Chamber of Commerce, the Public Library, the Juntosworkforce Training Collaborative and the Food and Fitness Policy Council,among other partners.

But no other strategy better embodies our innovative approach to economicdevelopment than our efforts to support, grow and showcase creativeindustries and individuals. The creation of the states first full time,municipal Creative Economy Coordinator right here in Holyoke has put us atthe forefront of Massachusetts own strategy to make this sector a strongeconomic force. The City has been able to leverage the Coordinator positionto obtain its salary many times over for local projects, and assisting dozensof businesses and individuals to connect with mentorship and developmentopportunities. However, this position is scheduled to sunset by June of this

year. I ask the Council to extend it into the future, so that we may ensure theCity continues to build the creative economy in the years ahead.

And speaking of building, well be doing a lot of that this year. From thecompletion of 250 new parking spaces in downtown, to major intersectionimprovements at Lower Westfield and Homestead Avenues and a majorconnector road towards HCC, were making the City more accessible toincoming and resident traffic.


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This spring we will also break ground on the second phase of theCanalWalk, an more than $4 million investment, along with additionalimprovements along Dwight and Appleton streets. These improvements willalso connect to our Citys new passenger rail platform, a $2.5 millioninvestment, to begin construction also later this year. And thanks to theleadership and advocacy of our State delegation, we expect inter-Cityservice to increase in the years ahead, allowing hundreds of travelers toconnect with Holyoke every day. In the coming weeks we will need CityCouncil action for the purchase of some land needed to make the projecthappen - for which we have already identified funds.

Going forward, Holyoke must continue to make key investments in publicinfrastructure, particularly on infrastructure engineering and design, so that

we may be well positioned to secure state and federal construction fundingfor additional projects.

These types of public infrastructure investments are needed to catalyzeprivate investment. Projects such as the bus transportation center andVeterans park improvements have made the possibility of 55 new units ofhousing at the former Holyoke Catholic school site a viable project,projected to begin construction this year. Likewise, improvements to theHolyoke Public Library have now attracted a developer to its neighboringblock, to create another 55 unit, mixed-income housing project. The Cityspublic investment in the Library can be paid back many times over with theimprovement of these vacant, blighted buildings, which increases the valueof the entire neighborhood.

Indeed, one of the largest challenges to new development, increasingproperty values and broadening the tax base is the perception and existenceof blight in many parts of the City. Blight comes in many forms - whetherits a building thats been boarded up and vacant for years, gang graffitiplastered on a wall, a littered yard or unshoveled sidewalk, or even an

abandoned shopping carts. Left unattended, small things cumulatively cancreate an environment that feels abandoned and neglected. Over the last fewyears the council has established many common sense ordinances that havemade code enforcement possible, but more needs to be done to make iteasier. In the coming weeks I will assemble an Ordinance Enforcement TaskForce that will consist of department heads, enforcement officials, andcommunity members that can improve the Citys protocols for codeenforcement. It is my hope that the council will work with this group, where


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appropriate, to make sure that our laws are written to be enforced, and thatour departments have the resources they need to ensure a great quality of lifefor all Holyoke residents and future generations to come.

GOVERNANCE

Our governance infrastructure will also need improvements starting in themonths ahead. City Hall must adapt in order to meet the demands of the 21stcentury, which call for an easier and enhanced interaction with government.Our constituents deserve initiatives that allow us to act swiftly, and at alower cost. As a next step in this evolution, I will be proposing areorganization of City Hall offices, including the movement of variouspersonnel. This plan is being carefully crafted with the input and support ofboth past and current department heads, City Councilors and community

leaders. Once this reorganization is completed, not only will our staff benefitfrom this improved and efficient workspace, but more importantly, Imconfident that constituents will find that their visits to City Hall will becentered around the customer service experience.

Recent efforts to improve citizen interaction with City government havealready proven to be successful. In my first term, we launched a completelynew city website that won an award from the Massachusetts MunicipalAssociation, and we introduced a new citizen notification system tocommunicate with residents and businesses about weather related events andother important announcements. Furthermore, we recently launchedHolyokes first smartphone app, which allows citizens to report a wide arrayof quality of life issues via their smartphone or on the city website. These are

just a few examples of our successful efforts to bring Holyokes governmentinto the 21st century and engage our residents in new and innovative ways.As we continue to invest in our citys public infrastructure, it is equally asimportant that we address our citys communications, which many wouldagree is in grave need of repair and directly affects our provision of publicservices, safety and quality of life. There are areas in the city where police

and fire are unable to communicate with one another by using their radios.Often times, our DPW trucks are unable to coordinate and communicatewith one another during a snowstorm. Replacing a phone headset for anemployee at City Hall is near impossible, and our city email server isnearing the end of its useful life.

For far too long we have been managing this piecemeal, resulting in acollection of incompatible equipment and networks. It is time for us to build


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a new system, from the ground up, which will allow for clearcommunications throughout every corner of the city. By utilizing cloud-based solutions we can have a state-of-the-art system, which willcomplement and evolve well with changes in municipal communications,ultimately delivering a lower overall cost to the taxpayer. All of thesenecessary upgrades will require us to work together to fund these vitalimprovements.

OUTTRO

As I near the conclusion of my remarks, I also want to acknowledge ourChiefs of both the Police and Fire Departments. These men work tirelesslyon behalf of the City of Holyoke, as do their men and women in uniformwho put their lives on the line each and every day. We thank you Chiefs, as

it has been a complete honor and a privilege for me to work by your side toprotect all of Holyokes residents.

And to our department heads, from the DPW to Conservation, and everyonein between. Many of you are here tonight, I thank you. We all thank you.You are the unsung heroes of our city government and you dont get thecredit you rightly deserve for the impact you are making on this City. Foryou, as for many of your staff members, your position with the City ofHolyoke isnt just a job; its a much larger and meaningful effort to makeHolyoke the place we know it can be. To the staff in my office, I thank youfor working so tirelessly on behalf of the people of this great City, and I lookforward to continuing our work together in the coming months and years.Accomplishing the goals I have outlined tonight would be impossiblewithout having such great people working with me in Room One.

And thank you again Councilors for the invitation to be here tonight, and foryour commitment and dedication to the City and the people you represent. Itcontinues to be an honor to work with all of you, as each councilor bringswith them a unique skill set and perspective, which has proven to be an

extremely valuable asset for our City. Now, I dont expect that well agreeon every proposal Ive made tonight, and frankly, I dont have all theanswers, nor do I pretend to. Passionate debates are to be expected. But weshould always remember that far more unites us than divides us -- that manyshared hopes lie beneath even the fiercest debates.

Over the course of this term, we have the opportunity to do great things --things for which this era of Holyokes history will be long remembered. The


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people who call Holyoke home can feel the sense of possibility in the air.They arent waiting for us to act; theyre taking Holyokes future in theirown hands. Where the city government can further empower our citizens,and bolster this homegrown renewal, it should; where the city governmentnow impedes that renewal, it should get out of the way.

We should let Holyoke make Holyoke again.

That is what we are called to do. That is what we have been sent here to do.People all across our city are prepared to shape Holyokes future. And theyare counting on us to do our jobs -- to put aside the pettiness that too oftenafflicts our politics, and to embrace the tasks to which weve been charged.

To let Holyoke make Holyoke again, our city government must be worthy of

our citys people. Our politics must be worthy of their proud, compassionate,resilient spirit.

So as we take up the many issues I have outlined tonight, I ask you toconsider the long view. I ask you to consider how our decisions will affectHolyokers in fifty to a hundred years from now. These future generations ofHolyokers wont remember our feuds, or our clashes of personality. Whattheyll remember -- indeed, what theyll be able to observe all around them -- is the work we accomplish together. We must not, in the words ofPresident Kennedy, be rivals for power, but partners for progress.

I know we are up to the task. At this unprecedented moment in our cityshistory, let us summon what is best in us. If we do, I have no doubt thatHolyoke will forever remain a city that people are proud to call home.

holyoke mayor state of the city 2014

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