[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6455391,"mediaKeyId","5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3","parentId",5838061,"title","Holyoke Commission on Disability clarifies quorum rules, reviews FY2026 budget and survey plans","audioSeconds",145,"startMs",142000,"endMs",287000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3&start=142&end=287","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3/thumbnail_142000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6455391/Holyoke-City/Hampden-County/Massachusetts/Holyoke-Commission-on-Disability-clarifies-quorum-rules-reviews-FY2026-budget-and-survey-plans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455391-316a31d24d1af9acf61e604848f4e232/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144131&Signature=LoZP0bjqkGfFMPV91G9oe9hq5v1PLqwwT-ZRFsZydeRPF5fYG7nBdp7L2dGwU8YUQgw6eJwI0pAn~5GhCgiD2oOKOSbXI8pCKUWtCYLYZ4D10xyblGI4S9TLDF1VA-6wXDzxP5BSyx9N3-M4yV40p5-VVG0qzk6xvkYDyze75i5tIaNAt8AeuV~0he2~CUW2~IkxKTaQA5-xIK9AdWEVxgN~ZAGiRSEeBXTDimJwuhw7TzErG-ELH~43CmDqRSzqpSU8erso1Wh0I59QhXwztNWxqYe05MpThLMneYmnHzA8lXg5lCqBDDMQV7cNtVUsPYJU4DnSmFWdBlL07xgXyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Holyoke","date","2025-09-27T00:00:00Z","article","Lede: At a Sept. 25 meeting, the Holyoke Commission on Disability voted to accept procedural items and discussed the commission's fiscal year 2025–26 budget, clarified open meeting and quorum rules under Massachusetts law, and outlined next steps on a planned community survey and translation needs.

Nut graf: The commission clarified that its ADA officer, Kelly Curran, is a nonvoting, advisory city employee and that a quorum requires a majority of voting members (half plus one). Commissioners reviewed the two council-approved budget line items — $14,000 for professional services and $22,000 for supplies and equipment — discussed how previously adopted priorities map to those buckets, and set a timetable for the survey, including translation and accessibility options.

Body: Lynn, chair of the Holyoke Commission on Disability, said the commission sought legal clarification after concerns that some subcommittee budget discussions might have triggered open meeting law requirements. \"The ADA city employee officer is not a voting member,\" Lynn said, citing guidance she received from the city solicitor's office and the Massachusetts office of disability. Lynn summarized the quorum calculation: voting members only count toward the quorum, and a simple majority is \"half plus one.\" She noted the commission has not at any time had the four voting members necessary to establish a quorum under that rule.

Commissioners reviewed budget line items that were approved by the mayor and city council for the fiscal year running through June 2026. Kelly Curran summarized the two buckets currently in the mayor's budget: \"professional services is $14,000, and supplies and equipment is $22,000.\" Commissioners said the four priority areas the commission previously identified — accessible transportation, education/outreach, aid to students, and accessible city buildings/grounds — were placed into those two line items based on the nature of the expense (services vs. supplies/equipment). Marlene said, \"Elements that include someone helping with the survey or doing translation would be in that professional services category, where Zoom and other things would be a supply side.\"

Commissioners discussed procurement thresholds and where to get guidance on allowable expenses. Kelly Curran advised the group to consult the city's chief procurement officer for questions about permissible purchases and said the commission's small budget would likely remain under typical competitive-procurement thresholds.

On survey planning, Lynn said the commission has discussed outreach to community organizations before launching a public survey and named SurveyMonkey and Google Forms as possible platforms. Commissioners flagged translation and closed-captioning as priorities: Curran noted Zoom closed captioning is free and that a translation package is available through Zoom's vendor packages; commissioners asked staff to identify local translation resources and whether translation could be paid from commission funds.

Lynn reminded commissioners that the fiscal-year funds are not revolving: \"This money has to be gone at the end of that fiscal year,\" she said, and contrasted that with a separate '22g' revolving account option that would allow more flexibility if the commission pursues it later. Commissioners agreed to hold off on a formal '22g' push until the finance committee's legal questions and the city election season settle.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to place the clarified operating guidelines and supporting legal correspondence in the commission drive and to circulate the budget breakout document. They also agreed to continue outreach work before finalizing a survey instrument and to return to the '22g' discussion after the finance committee and council legal review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Holyoke City Commission on Disabilities Sept. 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Sept. 25 meeting the Holyoke Commission on Disability reviewed its fiscal year 2025–26 budget line items, clarified open meeting/quorum rules for the body and discussed next steps on a planned community survey and translation needs.","taxTitle","Holyoke City, Hampden County, Massachusetts","taxId",52807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6455381,"Commission discusses options for wheelchair-accessible transportation and vehicle partnerships",167,2753000,2920000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3&start=2753&end=2920","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3/thumbnail_2753000.jpg","/articles/6455381/Holyoke-City/Hampden-County/Massachusetts/Commission-discusses-options-for-wheelchair-accessible-transportation-and-vehicle-partnerships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455381-9e087ad78bc387d8c3e4b50b68606a8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144131&Signature=Ab-Ca5ty3oFCz3fz0tV-a-JVrghrYufQ4yaGNHRi-ZFauC9MiL0I0wlQAQZ9TdiAurZ7MrWT14x~nc4YvBwpMrlD4PW2mWNeU~TcsFinK-LjBxnoRk3YaCTDjWKbotmHsCm9NSzfMV~cqFAC9RO59h7XwGUtHEivxixWVCJF1654L1nkso~g0BfuM8IXibOVcuC0HPj1ZlHHwAdlDHnX11XGz3QbCOh4fKbAyYFZ0Ven2sT7yBTZYmCx0shMG6umE3Hj0GNxQ~mdzlCEy4j4txIvH1zkq40SmqT259R-hyhFAdqdQGmPRHeCvutdgFg7UAQAcCl5iJ-c2OZVG4r9zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lede: The Holyoke Commission on Disability discussed Sept. 25 several approaches to expanding wheelchair-accessible transportation for residents, including partnering with the senior center, working with the regional transit authority and seeking vehicles made available by the transit authority.

Nut graf: Commissioners said the PVTA or regional transit authority sometimes makes decommissioned vehicles available cheaply to community entities and suggested the commission coordinate with local partners, especially the senior center, to assess interest and need before moving forward.

Body: Marlene explained that the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) often disposes of vehicles and can make them available at very low cost to community organizations: \"Before the transit authority disposes of vehicles, what they do is they make them available at, like, a dollar to community entities.\" She said one nearby community had acquired accessible transportation through its senior center that way.

Commissioners discussed whether funds would support operating costs or capital purchase, depending on the arrangement. Lynn said commission funds could contribute either to operations in partnership with transit or to capital costs if the commission elected to buy equipment. Commissioners emphasized the importance of engaging the senior center and Nevaeh (named as a contact) to determine local interest. Marlene said other neighborhoods with fewer car owners or higher density could especially benefit, and suggested meeting with the transit authority representative to understand routing and coordination.

Ending: Action items included identifying the PVTA representative for Holyoke, reconnecting with the senior center contact, and forming a small working group to outline options for a vehicle acquisition or partnership that could be funded or supported by the commission.","Members discussed strategies to secure wheelchair-accessible vehicles for community organizations and senior centers, options to obtain vehicles from the transit authority, and next steps for outreach to interested partners.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6455386,"Holyoke Commission on Disability approves city Zoom account to improve virtual access",226,2160000,2386000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3&start=2160&end=2386","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3/thumbnail_2160000.jpg","/articles/6455386/Holyoke-City/Hampden-County/Massachusetts/Holyoke-Commission-on-Disability-approves-city-Zoom-account-to-improve-virtual-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455386-3442ed279ff42cb78da613aff667c2dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144131&Signature=g5OllB7ha2QSvg2nHTJmbWgiCqXslMEkcR~K-trLY3NN8zZLbjMHThQIt4WzQj~osX1yQYBbyKJWXei7c5tDa0quK4xLKx06tjoZpx6-s6nuNMgfXPVeLgmW98JjpD1dDPCg3im6-T1Rzrv~k~sC1o~KCWVTsjFiv3XQBk3ipB1f8ZzgxMnFnJ0vhU41qznhFeMojHI5zsuPSEvkWwnEvLVoBHISa07cN5V-Cq8ZzV8KU7NYcGrGSfnpFG8SFTl43c4bde~9mv5RLL~h98a~TKtt6RvusQFI1H8~eSyL4NcDrebHW4r4cUyGQg0PrxpmuGf41WD1bypxWbQN8nWO8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lede: The Holyoke Commission on Disability voted unanimously Sept. 25 to fund a city Zoom account so the commission can host remote meetings without relying on personal accounts.

Nut graf: Commissioners said a dedicated city account will allow meetings longer than Zoom's free limit, provide closed captioning and translation packages, and remove the need for staff and volunteers to use personal credit cards for subscriptions. The vote was a roll-call motion and passed unanimously.

Body: Lynn, chair of the Holyoke Commission on Disability, asked the commission to vote on the expenditure for a city Zoom account, noting the need for a stable platform for residents with disabilities. Kelly Curran described the operational benefits: \"The closed caption is free. The translations... there is a package. I'll talk about that Monday when I meet with [Zoom].\" Curran said the commission's treasurer and the city's procurement officer would join a meeting with a Zoom representative and that the account would be independent of other city entities to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Commissioners debated practical hosting questions and management. Lynn said commissioners would be able to have cohosts to manage meetings. On cost, Curran provided an estimate: \"The cost is $18.33 a month.\" After discussion, Lynn called for the motion to approve the expenditure. The motion passed by roll-call; each voting member present recorded \"Yes.\"

Votes at a glance:
- Approval of city Zoom account (motion to fund monthly subscription): unanimous approval by roll-call. Yes votes recorded from Betty Larrivee, Jess, Sarah, Leanna, Marlene and Lynn.
- Approval of minutes for the Aug. 28 meeting (procedural): unanimous approval by roll-call at the start of the meeting.

Ending: Commissioners assigned staff to meet with the Zoom representative to finalize hosting, cohost assignments, and translation/closed-captioning capabilities before deploying the account for upcoming meetings.","Commission voted unanimously to approve a city Zoom account to avoid members and residents using personal accounts, secure longer meetings and enable accessibility features; roll-call vote was unanimous.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6455377,"Commission reviews handicap-parking applications, recommends improved applicant communication and translation",371,3397000,3768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3&start=3397&end=3768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838061-48888309a885ae1e3548a71720d9c5c3/thumbnail_3397000.jpg","/articles/6455377/Holyoke-City/Hampden-County/Massachusetts/Commission-reviews-handicap-parking-applications-recommends-improved-applicant-communication-and-translation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6455377-2c576e7f5c7ff57474edd29922c41c91/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144131&Signature=kx4lp60ZZpJt7slz6OMhoQa4E-AdENH3qbfohky9J7oHnyPOo3RwVIsSGL~qQmow5M0JP7mYZI6os~PuGKX~qnygUHVLca8kudUiZhC9UqG-UpbSeUoRCSFDgNpe5AoCvCof6uuThEPHiEu1BQpz6I4VAFRuIOiJc7fwcR7nAoASIhLLSqNfb9ewxWf7vLYu~VPvry3ZzKWGcZ6i2tzY7Bzf4Kynx6~Qg9nYf17sJKEy5EKMylGTujGDff7xquxljc5-LWC9fejHaCAliYDASt3W~S0SQu-qh3X4p4aRs16jQcKVB0rhakXEWK7PKEMnTq7lX2AEz~lpVoCRcSusPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lede: The Holyoke Commission on Disability reviewed a batch of handicap-parking sign applications and discussed improving communication with applicants, translation of forms and a protocol for site visits.

Nut graf: Commissioners said many applications were processed in August but others experienced delays, often because forms were incomplete or language barriers impeded signature collection. The commission agreed to clarify who should contact applicants and to request Spanish versions of the parking application from city staff.

Body: Lynn said most HP sign applications were completed by August but some required follow-up. She described one case — Georgina Reyes — where staff found the delay was caused by a language barrier; the mayor's office provided translation and the application was signed. Lynn asked whether commission members should contact applicants or whether the city councilor or city staff should serve as the public point of contact. Several commissioners said it was preferable for the constituent's councilor or city staff to be the primary contact to avoid making applicants uncomfortable.

Commissioners agreed that translation of the parking-application form would likely reduce delays. Lynn suggested contacting bilingual clerks in the clerk's office to produce a Spanish version and said she would check with staff about whether translation could be paid from commission funds. Sarah asked whether translation could be paid from commission funds because it is an \"accessibility issue,\" and Lynn said it likely could be.

On site visits, the commission confirmed most applications have had site visits completed and asked volunteers to continue visits for outstanding cases; Leanna volunteered to do site visits and commissioners agreed to coordinate with staff and to CC the chair on application correspondence.

Ending: The chair asked volunteers to continue site visits, asked staff to pursue a Spanish version of the HP application and asked applicants' designated councilors or city staff to be the point of contact for application updates to avoid duplicative outreach.","Members reviewed pending handicap-parking (HP sign) applications, discussed site visits and language barriers that delayed an application, and suggested using commission funds for translation and outreach to ensure residents know about accessible housing opportunities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Holyoke Commission on Disability clarifies quorum rules, reviews FY2026 budget and survey plans

Commission discusses options for wheelchair-accessible transportation and vehicle partnerships

Holyoke Commission on Disability approves city Zoom account to improve virtual access

Commission reviews handicap-parking applications, recommends improved applicant communication and translation