Building department adds emergency code‑compliance contract shared with Board of Health

Leslie Ward, Holyoke’s Building Commissioner, told council members that the Building Department budget increased modestly overall but that the 'contracted services' line rose to $22,500 from about $5,700. Ward said that amount represents the city’s share of a $100,000 contract for code‑compliance work — emergency boarding, cleanup, and securing fire‑damaged or abandoned buildings — split 50/50 with the Board of Health.

Councilors asked whether the arrangement was a new hire or an outside vendor (Ward: a vendor, procured through the procurement process with three bids and the lowest selected). They also asked about whether the city can place liens or bill property owners; Attorney Besonett explained the city places liens and can collect associated costs when properties sell, transfer or refinance.

A discrepancy in the printed budget pages sparked additional questions: councilors and staff noted some line‑item names did not transfer correctly into the printed book (for example, an electrical services line was mistakenly labeled 'land court filings' in one view). The administration said the screen/backup documents on which department heads were speaking were authoritative and promised to provide corrected pages before the final budget vote.

Leslie Ward identified prior uses of the contractor on recent multi‑building fires on Newton Street and said the vendor is used on an emergency basis when owners are not responsive. Councilors pressed for a prioritized list for demolition and boarding needs; Ward said a demolition priority list exists for major demolition but that boarding needs are addressed as incidents occur.