CITY OF WORCESTER

JOURNAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Esther Howland Chamber

Convened: 7:00 P.M.

Adjourned: 7:33 P.M.

Mayor
Joseph M. Petty

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 March 13, 2012.

Councilor Tony Economou on behalf of Jared Huizenga request city shade tree stump grinding in the grass strip between the street and sidewalk at 11 Hillcroft Ave. as a result of the ALB tree taking.

Councilor Tony Economou on behalf of Ronald Ward request tree stump removal from where a tree was removed as a result of the ALB in the front yard of 17 Hillcroft Ave.

Mark Piscillo request to make public Danvers St.

Mark Piscillo request to make public Westdale St.

Mark Piscillo request to make public Duluth St.

Larry Ngo request sidewalk repair in front of and around the corner of 48 Queen St.

Deborah Ostrow request installation of permanent trash recepticle in the area of 200 Lovell St.

Councilor Kathleen M. Toomey request Marjorie St. be resurfaced.

Mary Dionne request Everard St. be resurfaced.

Joseph Metivier request to install residential permit parking on Anna St. between Coburn Ave. and Agate Ave.

Joseph Metivier request enforcement of driveway clearances for 42 Agate Ave.

Lori Taylor et al request a "no parking here to corner" sign to be placed at the north corner of Wayne Terrace

Jo Hart requests City Council hold a hearing concerning the existing formula process and protocol for the public to speak at City Council meeting or at Standing Committee of the City Council.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to Health Insurance Options for Fiscal Year 2013 and Open Enrollment.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Fiscal Year 2013 Water and Sewer Rate Recommendation.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Keep Worcester Clean (KWC) Activitiy Report for the Month of February 2012.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Master Plan Initiative for Improvements to University Park.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to Potential Brush Fires in Light of Unusually Mild Weather Patterns.

Recommend Adoption of a Resolution to File and Accept a FFY 2010 Emergency Management Performance Grant.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to National Public Health Week.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the City's Procedural Protocols Relative to the Acceptance and Oversight of Voluntary Donated Funds.

Recommend that Fifty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($50,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C7412H, Street Construction - Central Business District, and appropriated to DPW Account #41C762, Central Business District - Street Construction to allow for the payment of anticipated project obligations per the cash flow procedure.

Recommend that One Million Dollars And No Cents ($1,000,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account #41C301, Street Construction, and be appropriated to DPW Account #41C799, Street Resurfacing to allow for the payment of current and future obligations per the cash flow procedure.

Recommend that Seventy Five Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($75,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C709, Worcester Common Rehab and be appropriated to City Hall/Plaza Garage Account #14C714 to allow for contractually obligated payments.

Recommend that Eighty Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety Nine Dollars And Ninety Eight Cents ($80,999.98) be transferred from Loan Account #91C735, Building Rehabilitation, and be appropriated to DPW Account #44C705, Capital Outlay to allow for payment of anticipated obligations per the cash flow procedure.

Recommend that Eleven Thousand Five Hundred Fifty Dollars And No Cents ($11,550.00) be transferred from Account #330-07, Reserve for Appropriation Damage Settlement, and be appropriated to Account #260-92000, Worcester Fire Department Ordinary Maintenance, to fund vehicle repairs.

Recommend that One Hundred Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($100,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C7452H, Sewer Construction, and be appropriated to DPW Account #44C764, Sewer Pumping Station Capital Program per the cash flow procedure.

Recommend that One Hundred Eighty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($180,000.00) in various prior year unexpended Community Development Block Grant accounts to be transferred to various Home Improvement accounts to provide funding expenses associated with the City's Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness.

Recommend that Sixty Seven Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($67,000.00) be transferred from various Assessing accounts and be appropriated to Account #670-92000, Assessing Ordinary Maintenance, to provide funding for expenses associated with the Fiscal Year 2012 Recertification.

Recommend that Seven Thousand Five Hundred Seventy Five Dollars And No Cents ($7,575.00) be transferred from Account #330-91000, Public Health Personal Services, and be appropriated to Account #330-92000, Public Health Ordinary Maintenance.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the WRTA.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to an Update on the City Hall Garage & Plaza Renovations.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Keep Worcester Clean Team's Neighborhood Clean-up.

Transmitting Informational Communciation Relative to the Appointment of Jayna Turchek as the new Director of Human Rights and Disabilities.

Dr. Roberta Schaefer, President & CEO of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting communication relative to Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester: 2012.

Order of Councilor Michael J. Germain - Request City Manager engage an independent firm to conduct an “operational financial audit” of the Worcester Public Schools in relationship to the spending requirements of Chapter 70 of the Massachusetts General Laws. (Tabled - Petty March 20, 2012)

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)

RESOLUTION of Mayor Joseph C. O'Brien - That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby goes on record in support Senate Bill 610, an act protecting condominium owners filed by Senator Harriette Chandler and Senator Richard Moore. (Tabled - O'Brien July 19, 2011)

ORDER of Mayor Joseph C. O'Brien - Request City Manager report to City Council concerning the legal authority that college police officers have in patrolling non campus areas of the city and in questioning non-students as part of off campus patrols. (Tabled - O'Brien September 6, 2011)

RESOLUTION of Mayor Joseph C. O'Brien - That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby goes on record in support of the Administration’s efforts to negotiate the maximum hiring of local residents in Tax Increment Financing agreements and other tools used to attract business and to expand our tax base. (Tabled - O'Brien September 13, 2011)

COMMUNICATION of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to an update on the status of #5 May Street. (Tabled - O'Brien January 31, 2012)

COMMUNICATION of the City Clerk transmitting communication expanding upon the newspaper article regarding the human error factor which occurred in the city's recount. (Tabled - Lukes February 7, 2012)

COMMUNICATION of the City Manager transmitting Informational Communication Relative to Finance for Housing Developments within the City of Worcester. (Tabled - O'Brien February 28, 2012)

Motion Lukes @ #8.9A CM - Request City Manager post calendar item #8.9A on the city's web page.

Motion Lukes @ #8.27A CM - Request City Manager provide a report listing all of the Trust Funds and a list of balances in those accounts.

Mayor Petty moved to amend: Further, request report include annual disbursements.

Motion O'Brien @ #8.29 C CM - Request City Manager provide City Council with an update regarding projected Home Fund expenditures for the next few years.