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.