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Ordinance committee seeks draft ordinance, mayoral appropriation for municipal hearings officer required by state law
Summary
Holyoke committee discussed creating a municipal hearings officer position to hear building-code appeals, confirmed the city adopted M.G.L. c.40U in 2010, and asked the solicitor and mayor for draft ordinance language and an appropriation using a $25,100 baseline from M.G.L. c.148A §5.
The Holyoke City Ordinance Committee on Jan. 8, 2025 debated creating a municipal hearings officer to hear appeals of building-code fines and to set a stipend for the role, ultimately directing the city solicitor to draft ordinance language and asking the mayor for an appropriation. The committee noted state law requires such a position if a municipality adopts certain statutes.
City Solicitor Jane Mantoleski told the committee the city had adopted M.G.L. chapter 40U in 2010 but the adoption was not reflected in the municipal code; the office is working with the city clerk to update the code. Mantoleski and Building Commissioner Leslie Ward said the municipal hearings officer would hear appeals under the state building and fire codes and must complete state-mandated training. Ward and the solicitor said the position is commonly a third-party contractor rather than a city employee…
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