[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6502266,"mediaKeyId","5548145-a73bddaf0f1797df63082f58453af416","parentId",5548145,"title","Residents urge council to involve people with lived experience in opioid abatement decisions","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1866000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548145-a73bddaf0f1797df63082f58453af416&start=1866&end=1866","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548145-a73bddaf0f1797df63082f58453af416/thumbnail_1866000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6502266/Holyoke-City/Hampden-County/Massachusetts/Residents-urge-council-to-involve-people-with-lived-experience-in-opioid-abatement-decisions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6502266-5f16b3036f439ebb89424d8541dc0e54/orig.mp4?Expires=1774862548&Signature=RogyR4iEUbzcCECgoQZ04J3jqXgDt0eDG64SSA49eVCK2rAdlze1Wf1oyUXSn~cU0mY3iB5SG7dUrC3J71QiS5TEDUCVoRV6t-G7SyMIp~xbtDrUX-xslHMZSnHEYUVs-jcLkRHb4mqmUE~Jj3hHDhdcB6K9oZ0UkZUzAmTIp7F9h-Hht2FLyfjg9jqlV7a4kjd1iR3Rc96oltnx5N5Xfqd-d1oOgnsXO1U3911~HKisvmF7Mx9Pd5RbXBrfdvDK0jCAUwCCDy5VNcxpi~cgmyqoHpKKrUJLrC3WPyjPoaplE-O4ic3ZEEBQsnSNaViVadHo2GlkMatnM75wERLzQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Holyoke","date","2025-08-07T00:00:00Z","article","Several community members used the public-comment period at Tuesday’s Holyoke City Council meeting to press the council for a larger role for residents affected by the opioid crisis in planning how abatement and remediation funds are spent.

Speakers and central points
- Claire (Linwood Avenue) and Paul Alves (216 Homestead Ave.) urged the council to involve people with lived or living experience in decisions about opioid remediation funds and to form a committee that includes them. Alves said he had attended a recent meeting with roughly 100 people and said, \"leaving this up to a single person's decision who is not a subject matter expert will likely escalate the problem as opposed to remedying it as the funds are intended for.\" He asked the council to prioritize creation of a multi-stakeholder committee.

- Another public commenter, who identified work experience with abatement issues, said she had tracked overdose deaths and believed at least 67 people had died while the city received abatement funds — and that the true toll was likely higher. She emphasized the role of \"first responders\" at overdose scenes as often being private citizens carrying naloxone.

Why this matters: Residents say that funds intended to remediate opioid harms should be guided by those with direct experience of substance-use and recovery, and that best-practice public-health inputs (including Department of Public Health guidance) should guide spending decisions.

Council response and next steps
- Councilors referenced the ongoing DGR (Development & Government Relations) committee work on related agenda items and noted residents’ pleas will be considered as committees and staff craft spending plans. No formal motion or vote on abatement-fund governance occurred at Tuesday’s meeting; public comments were recorded for council and staff review.

Ending
Councilors said they would follow up through committee channels and with staff; several public commenters asked for direct outreach and inclusion in any committee the city forms to advise on remediation funds and services.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Holyoke City Council 8/5/2025","oneSentenceSummary","During public comment, multiple residents called for greater community involvement — particularly people with lived experience — in deciding how Holyoke’s opioid abatement funds are used.","taxTitle","Holyoke City, Hampden County, Massachusetts","taxId",52807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6502271,"Votes at a glance: Council accepts $294,000 mitigation grant, approves special permit, and approves several administrative items",6800,2260000,9060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548145-a73bddaf0f1797df63082f58453af416&start=2260&end=9060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548145-a73bddaf0f1797df63082f58453af416/thumbnail_2260000.jpg","/articles/6502271/Holyoke-City/Hampden-County/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Council-accepts-294000-mitigation-grant-approves-special-permit-and-approves-several-administrative-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6502271-02257aa9f4e2cd5b139b8ab29a75149c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774862548&Signature=IZrB7L5IxqMcFPqEd5hFPX8ky~Ho1EXYhdMKJ7PvIOz5H6kuUUW4rKDyeT6Wyusfmn154A6CJcYzF3c5iculFM6IB0TfICxq5FGVpWPcx5CN3dmKXIy6MIApMu~JzPTwSxMC1Er0lGoNbGrKE~uuSk9i5GccdKZRI0NSGu7fvk9-YNsO4141CVuqd1iatMtavUQJFXI89BP3TfS4yf92KF25rXCj6DWPhw3505RzQe7-nz08UJjFxYo0vh6xmXhFLJZwP5ZANFxgSTENORoYIr4B9y~gP7t0VVPM1SMng7TnUcZhCqdd5F4tL-jmZ~35dTHV2N5H~xuOeEF8pJpGxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Holyoke City Council on Tuesday moved a package of routine and substantive items, including accepting a state mitigation grant, granting a special permit for an auto-repair business, approving several reappointments, releasing certain executive-session minutes and passing a payroll transfer for injured-on-duty expenses.

Grant accepted for tourism and mitigation programs
The council unanimously approved item 75 to accept provisions of a fiscal-year 2026 Community Mitigation Fund grant in the amount of $294,000 (no local match). City staff described the grant as continuing prior tourism and mitigation activities, including funding for Port of Holyoke and cultural events plus a technology upgrade for traffic mitigation software. Aaron Vega, who presented the grant, said, \"we're just looking to be able to allocate some of those funds right away\" to support upcoming events and software upgrades. The council passed first and second readings by roll call and approved the acceptance unanimously.

Special permit approved for motor vehicle repair at 37 Appleton Street
The council granted a special permit (item 38) for LN Bernice, Inc. to operate a motor vehicle repair garage in an industrial (IG) zone at 37 Appleton Street, with a condition limiting hours to Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The city’s Development & Government Relations committee recommended approval after committee-level review. The final roll-call vote approved the permit with the stated hours condition; the clerk recorded a unanimous vote.

Administrative minutes, appointments and reappointments
- The council approved releasing executive-session minutes for selected dates after the law department’s review (items 1 and 2 as presented). The clerk read the dates being released and the motion carried.
- Several mayoral reappointments and board appointment letters were confirmed or referred to committees (items 6–17). The council packaged many of the reappointments and either confirmed them on the floor or referred them to the appropriate standing committee.

Financial and personnel actions
- Item 95: The council approved a transfer request of $24,146.64 to injured-on-duty (I.O.D.) pay from police personnel accounts. The motion passed on second reading after a roll-call vote.

Other referrals and committee actions
- The council packaged and referred multiple grants and budget transfer requests (items 72, 73, 74, 76, 77 and late-file item 96) to the finance committee for fuller review; those include federal and state grant acceptances and program allocations.
- Several petitions and zoning/special-permit items (including items 32 and 34, a petition for driveway/at-home business permits, and item 33 street-vendor permit) were referred to the Development & Government Relations (DGR) committee.

Why this matters
Taken together, the actions reflect routine municipal governance — accepting external grant funding, confirming volunteer board members, balancing departmental budgets for personnel costs, and permitting local business activity — that keeps city services and local development projects moving.

Ending
The council handled several housekeeping and grant-acceptance items on Tuesday, and referred several matters to committee for additional review. The council also tabling and requested follow-up on one contested land sale (items 39 and 40); that matter will return after a law-department report and DGR consideration.

Votes at a glance (selected items)
- Item 75 (Community Mitigation Fund grant): Accepted; vote: unanimous.
- Item 38 (Special permit, 37 Appleton St., motor vehicle repair): Approved with hours condition (M–Sat, 6 a.m.–6 p.m.); vote: unanimous.
- Items 1 & 2 (release executive session minutes): Approved (list of dates read into record).
- Item 95 (transfer to injured-on-duty pay, $24,146.64): Approved on second reading (roll call recorded unanimous).
- Items 72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 96: Referred to finance for review.

Details on each formal action and roll-call evidence are available in the meeting record.","At its Aug. 5 meeting the Holyoke City Council accepted a $294,000 FY2026 community mitigation grant, approved a special permit for a motor vehicle repair garage, approved several appointments and minutes releases, and passed a budget transfer for injured-on-duty payroll.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6502276,"Council tables decision on Chapter 61A sale after lengthy debate; asks law department for report",4080,4320000,8400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548145-a73bddaf0f1797df63082f58453af416&start=4320&end=8400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548145-a73bddaf0f1797df63082f58453af416/thumbnail_4320000.jpg","/articles/6502276/Holyoke-City/Hampden-County/Massachusetts/Council-tables-decision-on-Chapter-61A-sale-after-lengthy-debate-asks-law-department-for-report","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6502276-e0b819853c727d80449280dfd01edf8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1774862548&Signature=NML6Dgrwd9Y5qp5QzZ49WIWGQrKqxx2G7Nk-o1UYXF5NvJj9n3nt~XSFx7FCm2JclYkYxsrTuFC3yeB-4lpv~8h1uEQhDGWF8Hk1JdT7pfXj0bPMU5rrG8m2rD8itlbDO~fLiCV9mmn8Nc-jBX3G9eWYhjP9wHswhpN1reJQeJKcIbqGaQAcVMyfAssQOqbqte9kB81o7no0Flp0xpFMaU2SnQsvtKc-8dUHV5i6av1zI0QE5hxanYOYjtomYj3wft8fGgW0jDe2bPGIO-G5i~s7luTylkFryusBtQ1XVR6ld659vMaX8qP-idV8cVEO7ohKiOU~KaNJ9gFb5v8zng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Holyoke City Council on Tuesday tabled two related agenda items — a notification under M.G.L. Chapter 61A that a property owner intends to sell, and a subsequent request from Kestrel Land Trust that the city transfer its right of first refusal to the nonprofit — after extended debate about procedure and missing paperwork.

The measure to table items 39 and 40 passed on a roll-call vote, 11–2. Councilors John Givner and Meg McGrath Smith voted no; the other members present voted to table. The council then directed the Development & Government Relations Committee and the city law department to report back with clarification of outstanding legal and procedural questions.

Why this matters: The items involve a tract that was enrolled in Chapter 61A, the state statute that provides an agricultural tax classification and triggers a municipal notice-and-option period when the owner offers the land for sale. If the city exercises its option, under statute it must match the terms of the private purchase-and-sale agreement; alternatively the council can permit a qualified nonprofit to take the city’s place. Councilors and the solicitor said the city does not have the cash on hand to buy the property, and that a transfer to Kestrel would require clear written agreements spelling out the buildable and conserved acreage and the funding path.

What the council heard and debated
- Attorney Abigail Bissonnette, the city solicitor, summarized the statutory framework for Chapter 61A notices, saying the notice had been properly filed and that the option period would expire at the end of the month unless the council took action. She told the council the city could either buy the land itself, transfer the city’s option to a conservation nonprofit, or allow the private sale to proceed. \"That clock runs out the end of the week,\" she said.

- Multiple councilors pressed for more detail: Councilor Meg McGrath Smith told the meeting she prefers the council see draft transfer documents before approving any transfer of the city’s right. \"We typically get the draft documents before we vote,\" she said, arguing for an operative agreement spelling out parcel boundaries and conditions before a council vote.

- Kestrel Land Trust’s letter of interest (item 40) prompted questions about timing, whether Kestrel had attempted to buy the property when it was offered on the open market, and what public benefit — such as permanently conserved acres — would result. Councilor Jenny Rivera and others noted Kestrel’s prior local conservation work and said a transfer could secure permanent protection for roughly seven acres while leaving a buildable lot, a compromise widely discussed during committee consideration.

- Some councilors voiced concern for the private buyer who holds a signed purchase-and-sale agreement and said the city should not interfere with private contracts when no public funds are at stake. Councilor Jose Bacon argued the buyer had followed the market process and that transferring the right to Kestrel would not provide an obvious benefit to the city.

Council action and next steps
- Motion and outcome: The council voted to table items 39 and 40 together, which effectively preserves the status quo while the council requests legal and procedural follow-up. Roll call: Anderson Burgos (yes), Bartley (yes), Devine (yes), Givner (no), Graney (yes), Jourdain (yes), McGrath Smith (no), Murphy Ramboletti (yes), Ocasio (yes), I. Rivera (yes), Jay Rivera (yes), Sullivan (yes), Bacon (yes). Final tally: 11 yeas, 2 nays.

- Direction given: The council asked the city law department to prepare a report explaining any outstanding legal hurdles and to identify where the procedural or administrative hold-up exists. The Development & Government Relations Committee was directed to take the matter up for additional review and to report back to the full council.

Context and background
- Chapter 61A: The statute gives municipalities a statutorily defined window to exercise a purchase option on land taxed as agricultural when the owner intends to sell. If the municipality declines or does not act, the private sale proceeds as contracted. The solicitor reminded the council that the option period is time-limited.

- Community stakes: Supporters of a conservation outcome said the parcel is contiguous or proximate to other conserved areas and could help create habitat corridors and passive-recreation space. Supporters of allowing the private sale emphasized enforceable private purchase-and-sale rights and the buyer’s existing contract.

What remains unresolved: The council did not adopt any substantive terms, nor did it exercise the city’s purchase option. Instead, it sought legal clarity and asked for a written agreement (if the council were to transfer the option) before taking final action. The Chapter 61A option will continue to run while the council and law department prepare the requested report.

Ending: The council’s action put a pause on a potential land-conservation outcome while it seeks clarity on how a transfer would be structured and whether the city can or should step into the purchase path. The DGR committee and the law department will return with a report for further council consideration.","The Holyoke City Council voted to table two related agenda items about a Chapter 61A notification and a request from Kestrel Land Trust, after nearly 40 minutes of discussion about process, legal form and neighborhood impacts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents urge council to involve people with lived experience in opioid abatement decisions

Votes at a glance: Council accepts $294,000 mitigation grant, approves special permit, and approves several administrative items

Council tables decision on Chapter 61A sale after lengthy debate; asks law department for report