Holyoke City Council approves MSBA statement-of-interest permissions and funds schematic studies for five schools after procedural debate

The Holyoke City Council on Feb. 24 voted unanimously to authorize school officials to enter the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) portal to file a 2025 statement of interest (SOI) and to appropriate funds for schematic design studies at five Holyoke Public Schools.

Sean Sheedy, maintenance administrator for Holyoke Public Schools, told the council that agenda item 1 was “just the permission ask. It's a non financial ask,” and said it covers three projects: HVAC conversion at Donahue School, remaining windows and doors at Donahue's new wing, and remaining windows and doors in the courtyard area at McMahon School. The council adopted that order by roll call vote.

Why it matters: the schematic-design steps are the next formal stage in MSBA project consideration. Sheedy said the MSBA requires a certified city council vote so staff can complete the portal submission; missing the application window would force Holyoke to wait until the MSBA's next cycle (2027) because the authority now accepts SOIs every two years.

Councilors then took up items 2 through 6 as a package: appropriations to pay schematic-design work for Kelly Elementary ($100,000), McMahon School ($100,000), Sullivan Elementary ($75,000), Holyoke High School ($150,000) and Donahue Elementary ($75,000). Councillor Michael Devine moved the measure; each item was considered on both first and second readings and passed on roll-call votes.

The measures are intended to fund schematic design only; Sheedy and councilors emphasized that the full project costs are unknown now and will be determined during schematic design. Sheedy said the MSBA would reimburse roughly 80 percent of these schematic-design costs if projects are later accepted into the program.

The meeting included sustained procedural debate. Councilor Jourdain cited Section 22 of the Holyoke City Charter, arguing the council must record two separate votes: a first reading and a second (final) reading. City Solicitor (Attorney) Bissonnette responded that, under a Supreme Judicial Court opinion concerning the Lowell City Charter, referral to a committee can constitute a first reading under state law. Bissonnette said the MSBA has historically accepted council votes as submitted and that a legal challenge to the council's practice would be more likely to jeopardize funding than the council's certified votes.

Attorney Vistana (identified in the meeting as an attorney) also addressed the council and said the Supreme Judicial Court opinion cited is binding law in Massachusetts. Several councilors said they would prefer to clear any remaining uncertainty through a Charter and Rules discussion; the council president directed that, to avoid risking the MSBA deadline, the council would take both first- and second-reading votes on items 2–6 that night.

All five schematic-design appropriations and the permission to file the SOI were adopted unanimously by roll-call votes. Councilors debated timing, the MSBA deadline (items 2–6 required a certified vote by March 3 for portal submission), and the program’s shift away from boilers to modern HVAC systems; Sheedy explained the MSBA now emphasizes VRF/heat-pump conversions rather than new fossil-fuel boilers.

Votes at a glance (school SOI / schematic design items): - Item 1 — Permission to file MSBA SOI for ARP projects (Donahue HVAC conversion; Donahue windows/doors; McMahon courtyard windows/doors): motion adopted (unanimous roll call). - Item 2 — $100,000 for schematic design, Kelly Elementary School: passed (unanimous roll call). - Item 3 — $100,000 for schematic design, McMahon School: passed (unanimous roll call). - Item 4 — $75,000 for schematic design, Sullivan Elementary School: passed (unanimous roll call). - Item 5 — $150,000 for schematic design, Holyoke High School: passed (unanimous roll call). - Item 6 — $75,000 for schematic design, Donahue Elementary School: passed (unanimous roll call).

Councilors and staff said schematic design will produce the detailed project scope and cost estimates needed to pursue MSBA reimbursement and subsequent construction phases. Several councilors asked that Charter and Rules consider whether the city should change its written rules to reflect the SJC opinion and remove ambiguity about what constitutes a first reading.

The meeting adjourned after additional business.