CITY OF WORCESTER

JOURNAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Esther Howland Chamber

Convened: 6:14 P.M.

Recessed to Finance Committee: 6:26 P.M.
Reconvened into Open Session: 8:44 P.M.
Adjourned: 9:36 P.M.

Mayor
Joseph C. O'Brien

www.worcesterma.gov

City Manager
Michael V. O'Brien

City Auditor
James A. DelSignore

Councilors

Order - That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby approves the minutes of the City Council meeting of May 3, 2011.

Benjamin Tucker request sidewalk repair in front of 21 Buckingham St.

Janet Shea et al request Cargill Ave. be resurfaced from Vernon St. to Strathmore Rd.

Don Brickman request handicap parking space at 150 Coolidge Rd. be removed.

Don Brickman request handicap parking space be installed in front of 406 Browning Lane.

Jose Burgos on behalf of Betsy Mendez request handicap parking be installed in front of 56 Oread St.

Transmitting Auditor's Report for April 2011.

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE - That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby cuts from Account #92000 the amount of One Thousand Nine Hundred Twenty Eight Dollars ($1,928.00) from the budget of the Office of the Mayor. (O'Brien)

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE - Request City Manager request his department heads present to City Council a brief statement concerning the impact of the FY2012 Budget on the their department. (Clancy)

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE - Request City Manager report to City Council of any stresses placed on Workforce Central that could result from decreases in state and federal grant funds. (Haller)

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE - Request City Manager report to City Council the different ways that could be used to mitigate the costs at Union Station. (Toomey)

Request City Manager request the City Solicitor to review a recent appellate court decision that upheld the City of Springfield, Massachusetts local hiring ordinance for city funded construction projects that requires a percent of the projects work force being city residents. (O'Brien, Haller, Rushton, Clancy, Palmieri)

Request City Manager provide an update concerning the privately owned open space at Dodge Park. (Palmieri, O'Brien)

Request City Manager provide an update concerning the program that would allow residents to purchase cuttings from public trees for firewood generated from the Parks Department. (Palmieri, O'Brien)

Request City Manager investigate communities who charge insurance companies for fire responses and consider the feasibility of developing a plan for Worcester to encourage participation in this program and report to City Council. (Toomey)

Request City Manager provide a list of fines for false alarms that details those who have paid and those who have not paid the fines. (Toomey)

Request City Manager investigates incentives to increase supermarkets in under served neighborhoods. Further, request City Manager consider adding supported zoning that allows for large scale development and adding language to local development plans to indentify potential sites for supermarkets and any other appropriate incentives. (Toomey)

Request City Manager work with UMass Medical and St Vincent Hospitals to provide residents who are afflicted with hoarding with appropriate resources inclusive of cognitive therapy and consider developing a program similar to the one utilized in the city of Marlborough which also provides post compliance monitoring. (Toomey)

Request City Manager report the definition of any tax shift that may result from the small business tax classification and the manner in which any shift would be allocated to other owners of real estate. (Lukes)

SEWER BETTERMENT ASSESSMENT: PINELAND AVENUE

Amending Chapter 7 Section 16 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 relative to Water Rates User Charges. (FY 2012)

Amending Chapter 5 Section 26 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 relative to Sewer User Charge. (FY 2012)

Amending Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to provide handicap parking in front of 7 Clarkson St.

Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to provide handicap parking in front of 23 Larch St.

Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to provide handicap parking in front of 44 Providence St.

Amending Section 40 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to provide for resident permit parking in front of 57 & 58/60 Chatham St. 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Friday.

Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to provide handicap parking in front of 80 Bjorkland Ave.

Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to rescind handicap parking in front of 119 Endicott St.

Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinance of 2008 to provide handicap parking in front of 359 Main St.

Amending Section 40 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to provide for resident permit parking in front of 3,5 and 7 State St.

Amending Section 66 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 20008 to rescind prohibited parking on State St. Monday and Thursday, both sides between 2:00 AM and 7:00AM

Amending Section 43A of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to revise the winter ban on State St. the entire length from a permanent ban both sides to a permanent ban on the even numbered side.

Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to prohibit parking on the north side of State St. from Main St. to Harvard St. from December 1st to April 1st Permanent Ban.

Amending Section 66 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to prohibit parking Monday and Thursday on the even numbered side on State St. between 2:00 AM and 7:00 AM by amending Zone CBD-5.

Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to provide handicap parking on Vinson St. adjacent to 80 Stanton St. (Apartment #7)

Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to rescind handicap parking on Walpole St. adjacent ot 106 Southgate St.

Amending Section 40 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008 to revise the resident permit parking on the north side of William St. from Linden St. up to and including 38 William St.

COMMUNICATION - Michael V. O'Brien, City Manger, transmitting informational communication relative to the Definitions of Property Tax Exemptions and their Budgetary Implications. (Tabled - Lukes May 10, 2011)

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRAFFIC AND PARKING Upon the Petition of Councilor Philip P. Palmieri and State Representative Vincent Pedone request to install a trailer truck ban in Mulberry St. between Shrewsbury St. and East Central St.: recommend the passage of the accompanying proposed Ordinance. (Tabled - Petty June 8, 2010)

PETITION of NATIONAL GRID for conduit location on: HARLEM ST. and WARD ST. (Tabled - Haller March 22, 2011)

Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to a Report on the City Council's Authority to Increase Elder Exemption Limits on Annual Income and Asset Limits. (Tabled Under Privilege - O'Brien April 26, 2011 & Tabled - Lukes May 3, 2011)

Councilor Clancy, Chairman of the Public Works Committee, requested the following Reports be submitted for consideration:

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS Upon the Order granting permission to NEW ENGLAND POWER d/b/a NATIONAL GRID for conduit locations at: CORAL ST, WAVERLY ST, GRAFTON ST, FRANKLIN ST, NORFOLK ST, VILLA NOVA ST, FRANKLIN ST, PLANTATION ST. AND NORTHBORO ST: recommend adoption of the accompanying Order

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS Upon the Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to National Grid's 115KV Worcester Cable Project: recommend Communication be placed on file.

Motion Lukes @ #10h & 12a CC - Request City Manager request the City Solicitor to provide a legal opinion as to how full and fair property assessments, as guaranteed by the Goldstein case, are impacted when a TIF is granted or by implementation of a shift in taxation as a result of a small business exemption by creating a new tax classification.

COMMUNICATION of Michael V. O'Brien, City Manager, transmitting informational communication relative to the Proposed Certified Project for Vanguard/Saint Vincent Hospital in the CitySquare Development Project.

PETITION - Councilor Joffrey A. Smith on behalf of Robert Perlman request emergency sidewalk repair at 118 Newton Avenue North.

PETITION - Councilor Frederick C. Rushton request street resurfacing at the intersection of Moreland Green Dr. and Greenview Lane to repair pot holes.

PETITION - Councilor Frederick C. Rushton request street resurfacing in Meadow Lane to repair pot holes.

Motion Lukes - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager provide to City Council a report relative to what would have been the impact of the tax classification vote taken in November 2010 if no TIF projects had been granted.