The Holyoke City Council on April 1 passed two ordinances changing the zoning for two properties to allow duplexes/triplex apartments, adopted an ordinance requiring police to report motor-vehicle damage to city property above $1,000, and confirmed two housing-authority appointments.

The zoning measures (agenda items 7 and 8) were presented by Councilor Israel Rivera and approved on first and second readings and then by roll call as ordinances. The council recorded the vote as unanimous.

The council also adopted an ordinance (agenda item 11) requiring police to report damage to city property greater than $1,000 to the City Council, the mayor and the law department. Councilor Jordan explained the change would raise the threshold to $1,000 and require notifications to the mayor, law department and DPW; the measure passed unanimously on final adoption.

On appointments the council confirmed the mayor’s nomination of "Mr. Luzeriaga" (presented in the record as the maker of the appointment for a housing-authority commissioner) and approved the reappointment of Marilyn Sanabria for a five-year term to the Holyoke Housing Authority; both actions were adopted by voice vote after committee reports recommending confirmation.

Other formal outcomes: the council declined two traffic orders (no action to install stop signs per the city engineer’s recommendation) and received or referred multiple communications and committee reports to relevant departments (DPW, finance, public safety and others). Several matters were tabled for later meetings or placed on committee agendas for additional review, including some personnel-policy and ordinance language pending legal review.

Votes at a glance
- Items 7 & 8 (zone change ordinances to permit duplex/triplex apartments): approved (first reading, second reading, ordinance adoption) — recorded as unanimous.
- Item 11 (ordinance: police report damage > $1,000 to mayor, City Council and law department): approved (ordinance adoption) — recorded as unanimous.
- Item 31 (remove no-parking sign at 14 Arthur St.): committee recommended denial; council accepted committee recommendation (order denied).
- Item 32 (3-way stop at Mosier & Bauer): committee recommended acceptance of engineer recommendation to not implement; council accepted committee recommendation (no stop installed).
- Item 44 (appointment to Holyoke Housing Authority): committee recommended confirmation; council confirmed.
- Item 12 (reappointment of Marilyn Sanabria to Holyoke Housing Authority): committee recommended confirmation; council confirmed.

The meeting also included many communications referred to committees (finance, DPW, ordinance, public safety) and multiple items received for the record. The council used roll-call votes for several ordinances and voice votes for confirmations and routine receipts.

Ending: The council completed a long agenda with a mix of policy adoptions, confirmations, referrals to department staff for implementation or reporting, and several tablings for later legal or committee review.