CITY OF WORCESTER | Municipal Operations Committee Meeting | Wednesday, September 17, 2008 | Esther Howland (South) Chamber | Convened: 4:09 P.M. | Adjourned: 6:24 P.M. |
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Mayor
Konstantina B. Lukes | 
www.ci.worcester.ma.us |
Clerk of the City Council
David J. Rushford | Committee Members | | Chairperson Frederick C Rushton | | Councilor Paul P Clancy Jr | | Councilor Michael J Germain |
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City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts | |
| Present Were: | Chairperson Councilor Frederick C Rushton
Councilor Paul P Clancy Jr
Councilor Michael J Germain
Councilor Barbara G. Haller @ 4:25 P.M.
Councilor Joseph M. Petty @ 5:42 P.M. | | | | | Also: | City Manager Michael V. O'Brien
Chief Financial Officer Thomas F. Zidelis
City Solicitor David M. Moore
Acting Director of Human Resources Kathleen Johnson
City Auditor James A. DelSignore
Jarrett Conner, Budget Director
Deputy Police Chief Sean Fleming
Police Captain John Ryder, Jr.
City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk
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| 1. | COMMUNICATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER | |
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| | | 1a. | Transmitting communication regarding the City's Health Claims Trust Fund and the planned uses for that fund within the Fiscal Year 2008 budget as prepared by Robert J. Allard, Jr., Acting Chief Financial Officer.
# 10d CM November 13, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 1b. | Transmitting informational communication relative to Yesterday's Appellate Tax Board Order regarding the "Telecom Loophole".
# 8.38C CM March 04, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request the City Manager provide the City Council with an update concerning the impact of new legislation concerning the Telecom Loophole and a timeline for same. | |
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| | | 1c. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the March 3, 2008 Appellate Tax Board order regarding the Telecom Loophole.
# 9.38B CM March 18, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 1d. | Transmitting informational communication regarding the Administration of the Family Medical Leave Act.
# 9.6D CM March 18, 2008
In Committee June 9, 2008 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 1e. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the Scrap Metal Ordinance.
# 8.32A CM September 09, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend accept the communication and passage of the enclosed recommended Ordinance | |
| 2. | COMMUNICATIONS OF THE CITY AUDITOR | |
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| | | 2a. | James Delsignore, City Auditor transmitting a report that tabulates all of the Home Rule legislation affecting retirement benefits that have been passed by City Council for last 15 years. Also information regarding pending legislation that would have to be accepted by Home Rule to be enacted.
#68 CC February 28, 2006
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 2b. | James Delsignore, City Auditor transmitting communication relative to a survey of the 104 Massachusetts local and regional public retirement systems by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) regarding acceptance of MGL section 2 Chapter 157 of the Acts of 2005. Also a PERAC survey of the 104 systems regarding acceptance of Section 1 of Chapter 157 of the Acts of 2005.
# 11c CC December 19, 2006 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 2c. | James A. DelSignore, City Auditor, transmitting communication relative to the Health Insurance Trust Fund accounts for the City's self-insurance pool.
# 9b CM April 15, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
| 3. | COMMUNICATION OF THE CITY CLERK | |
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| | | 3a. | David J. Rushford, City Clerk transmitting communication relative to the annual report to City Council concerning revenues collected by the staff of the City Clerk Department during the preceding fiscal year.
#93 CC July 18, 2006
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend adoption of the accompanying Order requesting the City Manager recommend to the City Council the establishment of a Marriage Counseling Donations Account and corresponding data acknowledging the donation revenues collected to date. | |
| 4. | HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM | |
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| | | 4a. | Petition of Virginia Ryan et al request City Council vote to adopt Section 19 of Chapter 32B of the Massachusetts General Laws.
# 9a CC March 25, 2008
In Committee June 9, 2008 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold
Speakers:
Virginia Ryan, Worcester Resident
Donald Cummings, Spencer Resident
Sean Maher, Worcester Resident
Grace Ross, Worcester Resident
Ed Pietrewicz, Worcester Resident
Tom Daly, Worcester Resident | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request the City Manager report to the City Council with responses to the following: a breakdown of the make-up of a Public Employee Committee, an update as to how many of the cities in Massachusetts have accepted MGL Chapter 32B, Section 19, and statistics as to the amounts of monies and the length of time that City of Worcester retirees have made Medicare payments. | | | | Request the City Manager request the City Solicitor provide the City Council with an opinion regarding the appropriate protocols that need to be followed for the City of Worcester to realize enactment of provisions of MGL Chapter 32B, Section 19. | |
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| | | 4b. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to Chapter 32B, Section 19 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
# 6.38A CM June 03, 2008
In Committee June 9, 2008 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4c. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication regarding open enrollment for City retirees.
# 8.6A CM October 02, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File
Motion of Councilor Rushton to recess at 5:52 P.M. The Committee reconvened @ 5:59 P.M. with Councilor Germain in the Chair and Councilors Petty and Haller as members. (Per appointment of Mayor Lukes) | |
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| | | 4d. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to City Retiree Health Insurance.
# 8.6A CM November 20, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4e. | Communication of James A. DelSignore, City Auditor, transmitting communication relative to a chart that responds to a request to conduct a survey of communities in the state that had accepted MGL c.32B s. 18 and what percentage of the health insurance premium they pay for their retirees on Medicare and also what percentage of the Medicare Part B premium is paid on behalf of those retirees and a report regarding what options the City might want to consider for the privatization of services.
# 16c CC January 08, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4f. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication regarding the penalty imposed by the Federal Government on retirees converting to Medicare.
# 8.6B CM December 03, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4g. | Communication of James A. DelSignore, City Auditor, transmitting a list of Massachusetts cities and town that have accepted the provisions of MGL c. 32B s. 18 and the percentage of the Medicare Part B premium paid by the communities.
# 12a CC June 10, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4h. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to savings realized through Section 18 Health Insurance Reforms and relative to the feasibility to partially funding the costs of Medicare Part B for Retirees.
#11.34A CM August 12, 2008
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4i. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communications relative to Massachusetts General Law c. 32B s. 18 per the request of City Council's Standing Committee on Municipal Operations.
#11.42 CM August 12, 2008
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4j. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to the Adoption of Chapter 32B, Section 18, from The Segal Group, Inc.
# 25g CC January 08, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4k. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication regarding the Orders posed at the Municipal Operations meeting of June 27, 2007 along with the Administration response.
#25h CC January 8, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 5a. | Petition of William S. Coleman, III request City Council have City Administration broadcast City Council meetings on the internet (live streaming) and also archive Council meetings on the City website.
# 7a CC December 18, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Approval and adoption of the accompanying Order requesting the City Manager report a timeline for implementation of the request of William Coleman to broadcast live streaming video of City Council meetings. | |
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| | | 5b. | Petition of Dr. Dawn Clark request the City Council's Standing Committee on Municipal Operations request the Administration to update our ability to utilize the City's web site to share the content of all public meetings through the use of streaming video, including closed captioning for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
# 12a CC January 08, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Approval and adoption of the accompanying Order requesting the City Manager report a timeline for implementation of the request of Dr. Dawn Clark to add closed captioning for people who are deaf and hard of hearing to the live streaming video broadcasting of City Council meetings. | |
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| | | 5c. | Petition of Virginia Ryan et al request City Council pay all of Part B Medicare for all it's retirees enrolled in Medicare.
# 9b CC March 25, 2008
In Committee May 15, 2008 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request the City Manager recommend to the City Council that the City of Worcester pay up to 25% of M.G.L., Chapter 32B, Section 18 for current retirees of the City of Worcester. | | | | Request the City Manager conduct a 10% random audit of retirees pension and Medicare Part B payments. | | | | Request the City Manager report to the City Council concerning retirees on conventional plans and the changes they would experience if MGL Chapter 32B, Section 18 was enacted. | |
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| | | 5d. | Communication of James DelSignore, City Auditor transmitting schedule providing the number of retirees and beneficiaries who are subscribers to health insurance plans offered by the City.
#21 CC May 3, 2005
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request the City Manager report to the City Council the amount of monies left in Trust Fund Accounts from Fiscal Year 2004 to the most recent year. | |
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