Finance committee approves War Memorial and senior center repairs funded by transfers

The Holyoke City Council Finance Committee voted Jan. 14 to approve two small capital transfers to address building maintenance at the War Memorial and the senior center.

The committee approved Item 1, a $30,000 transfer to the War Memorial repair and maintenance account. DPW representative Matt Peterson told councillors the work breaks down into roughly $15,000 to fix steam condensate pipes, about $10,000 for elevator-pit waterproofing, and $3,000–$4,000 for polymer-based foundation-crack sealing.

Peterson described differing possible causes for water in the elevator pit and said he believes some groundwater has been entering the pit prior to the recent condensate-pipe failure: “I believe that the elevator pit was taking on water before this leak became an issue.” Councillor Sullivan urged a low-cost laboratory analysis of the pit water to determine whether it contains chlorine (indicating a water main), sewage indicators, or is simply rainwater, as that result would guide whether a limited sealing job is adequate or if deeper excavation and footing drains are required.

The committee also approved Item 2, a $15,000 transfer to pay for a heavy motor equipment operator and to restore exterior lighting at the senior center. Peterson said most problems are solved by replacing LED drivers (transformers) inside fixtures; the fixtures rely on the building’s internal power rather than the municipal utility, so repairs require licensed electricians.

Both transfers were approved by committee vote and will appear on the full City Council agenda for final appropriation.