CITY OF WORCESTER | Finance Committee Meeting | Tuesday, May 27, 2008 | Council Chamber | Convened: 4:14 P.M. | Recessed: 7:20 P.M.
Reconvened: 9:00 P.M.
Adjourned: 10:22 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 Konstantina B Lukes | | Councilor Paul P Clancy Jr. | | Councilor William J Eddy |
| | Councilor Michael J Germain | | Councilor Barbara G Haller | | Councilor Philip P Palmieri | | Councilor Joseph M Petty | | Councilor Gary Rosen | | Councilor Frederick C Rushton | | Councilor Joffrey A Smith | | Councilor Kathleen M Toomey |
City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts | |
| Present Were: | All committee members present with the Mayor in the Chair except Councilor Germain who arrived at 4:28 P.M. | | | | | Also: | City Manager Michael V. O'Brien
Chief Financial Officer Thomas F. Zidelis
City Auditor James A. DelSignore
Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools James A. Caradonio
School Budget Director Brian Allen
City Solicitor David M. Moore
Commissioner of Public Works & Parks Robert L. Moylan, Jr.
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| 1. | Worcester Public Schools Budget Hearing | |
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| | | 1a. | Worcester Public Schools - XII-1 | View Budget | | | | | | | Mayor Lukes opened the Worcester Public Schools Budget Hearing to public testimony:
Jennifer Moiles, Worcester resident
Elisa M. Lopez-Dobski, Worcester resident
Deborah Steigman, Worcester resident
Matthew Brassard, Worcester resident
Charles Gruszka, Worcester resident
Curtis Moiles, student of the Worcester Public Schools
Anthony Cashman, Worcester resident
Sarah Lang, Worcester resident
Budget Approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools provide City Council with a report stating the investment required to achieve the School Departments goal of no more than 22-1 teacher/pupil ratio. (Eddy) | | | | Request Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools report to City Council regarding estimated reimbursements for Worcester from state funding known as circuit breaker relative to special education transportation. (Rushton)
| | | | Request Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools report to City Council with plans to reach the 102% finding goal and where he would recommend that additional fiscal year 2009 funds be applied if they became available.(Petty) | | | | Request Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools report to City Council with a dollar amount required to grow programs similar to the health science pipeline collaborative with UMASS Medical Center, GEAR (Gaining early awareness readiness) and STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in the Middle schools. (Rushton) | | | | | | | | Chairman's Resolutions | | | | That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby recognizes and honors Worcester Public Schools Superintendent James Caradonio for his many accomplishments and service over the years to the Worcester school system. (Clancy) | |
| 2. | Law Department Budget Hearing | |
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| | | 2a. | Law Department - VIII-1 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 2b. | Property & Casualty Insurance - VIII-2 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 2c. | Court Judgements - VIII-3 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a list of outstanding fiscal year 2008 pending litigation settlements and their approximate amounts. (Lukes)
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| 3. | Department of Public Works & Parks Budget Hearing | |
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| | | 3a. | Auditorium - XIII-1 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 3b. | City Messenger - XIII-2 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 3c. | Worcester Civic Center - XIII-3 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning a timeline for capital needs at the DCU Center and what the City Council will need to do to ensure upgrades. (Eddy) | | | | Request City Auditor provide City Council with an updated analysis of the management contract lease for the DCU Center. (Lukes) | | | | Request City Manager report to City Council the estimated return in investment for revenue brought into the city versus the amount of monies the city has invested in the DCU Center and what this investment means in terms of real dollars to local businesses. (Toomey) | |
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| | | 3d. | Golf - XIII-4 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide a report using the Cosgrove Tournament with enhanced food and beverage as a test to estimate projected revenues for next year. (Eddy) | | | | Request City Manager report with figures showing the reasons for the city managing the pro shop and golf carts versus allowing the golf professional to manage them and connect the pay scale of the golf professional to sales by contract. (Germain) | | | | Request City Manager consider partnering with other public golf courses to encourage playing and provide exposure to golfers from other parts of the state who may not have experienced Green Hill Municipal Golf Course.(Germain)
| | | | Request City Manager report to City Council the number of golf tournaments held at the Green Hill Municipal Golf Course over the past several years. (Palmieri)
| | | | Request City Manager request the City Solicitor to provide City Council with a legal opinion as to whether the golf professional is legally able to access other income through sales at the pro shop. (Lukes) | |
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| | | 3e. | Off-Street Parking Program - XIII-5 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager report to City Council the number of parking meters in disrepair in main arteries and include in the report any loss of revenue. (Palmieri)
| | | | Request City Manager review the 15minute parking meters policy as to whether there is a need to increase the minutes to allow ample time for users of meters to conduct business.(Palmieri) | |
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| | | 3f. | Administration & Finance Division - XIII-6 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 3g. | Engineering & Architectural Division - XIII-7 | View Budget | | | | | | | Motion Palmieri - Request to be recused - Approved on a roll call vote of 9 Yeas (Eddy, Germain, Haller, Petty, Rosen, Rushton, Smith, Toomey, Lukes) and 0 Nays.
Budget approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the projected needs for repairs and cost of repairs to municipal parking garages and include the impact to the Federal Plaza Garage since the opening of the Hanover Theater. Further, request a breakdown of revenue for each individual open air municipal parking lot. (Rushton)
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| | | 3h. | Streets Division - XIII-8 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager consider a pilot program for a roving sidewalk sweeper to be used, especially in areas where the city is the abutting owner, such as a park, and consider partnering with non-profits in this effort. (Palmieri) | |
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| | | 3i. | Sanitation Division - XIII-9 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 3j. | Central Garage Division - XIII-10 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 3k. | Parks, Recreation & Hope Cemetery Division - XIII-11 | View Budget | | | | | | | The Mayor introduced William Hamilton who asked the City Council when considering improvements to city parks to provide additional fields for girl's and women's softball fields to accommodate tournaments.
Budget approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager appoint a task force to overhaul the parks department and have it become a self-sustaining revenue generator. (Germain) | | | | Request City Manager report to City Council with an administrative perspective of the needs for the city parks to expand opportunities for providing playing fields for girls and women. Further, request City Clerk provide copies of Mr. Hamilton's information relative to softball fields to all members of City Council. (Haller) | | | | Request City Manager report to City Council the cost to repair lights at Crompton Park. (Petty) | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a progress report for improvements to Indian Hill Park as to timeline and funding in place. (Smith) | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report of parks permitted for baseball/softball broken down by age and gender and by public and private groups. Request report include information for the past five years to determine any patterns. (Clancy, Lukes)
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| | | 3l. | Snow Removal - XIII-12 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 3m. | Streetlights Division - XIII-13 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget approved | |
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| | | 3n. | Sewer Division - XIII-14 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget hearing held until June 10, 2008 | |
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| | | 3o. | Water Division - XIII-15 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget hearing held until June 10, 2008 | |
| 4. | Communications of the City Manager | |
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| | | 4a. | Recommend City Council Approval of the Attached Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.
# 8.30A CM May 06, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4b. | Transmitting the City's Five Year Capital Improvement Program and Recommend City Council's Review, Consideration and Approval to Advertise the Associated Loan Orders, City Council Agenda Numbers 8.31A through 8.31NN.
# 8.30A CM July 17, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4c. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget.
# 10.37C CM August 14, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4d. | Transmitting informational communication regarding the adoption and implementation of Chapter 32B, Section 18.
# 8.6A CM August 28, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4e. | Transmitting informational communication relative to a Legal Opinion as to the City Council's Legal Jurisdiction and Powers regarding the City budget for FY 2008 which has been previously voted by City Council.
# 8.28A CM August 28, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4f. | Ttransmitting informational communication regarding a Financial Update of the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget.
# 5b CC September 25, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4g. | Transmitting informational communication regarding an Update on the City's Five Year Plan and Quarterly Report.
# 8.30A CM December 03, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4h. | Transmitting informational communication regarding the Five Point January 2008 Financial Plan Update.
# 13a CC January 29, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4i. | Transmitting informational communication regarding the Commonwealth's Proposed Fiscal Year 09 Spending Plan.
# 10.30A CM February 12, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4j. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the Mid-Year Review of Fiscal Year 2008 Health Insurance Reforms enacted for the City and School Department.
# 10.30A CM February 26, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4k. | Transmitting informational communication relative to Historic Trends in State and Federal Funding.
# 10.30B CM February 26, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4l. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the Analysis of Outsourcing Certain City Trade Labor Services.
# 10.31A CM February 26, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4m. | Transmitting communication relative to a Cost Comparison of the Expenditures of the Election Commission Prior to and Since its Merger with the City Clerk's Department.
# 7.38A CM April 01, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 4n. | Submitting an amendment of the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.
# 10p CC May 20, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
| 5. | Communications of the City Auditor | |
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| | | 5a. | Transmitting communication relative the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007.
# 9a CC December 18, 2007 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 5b. | Transmitting communication relative to the November 2007 Auditor's Report.
# 16a CC January 08, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 5c. | Transmitting communication relative to a financial analysis of the City's General Fund and Enterprise Funds.
# 13b CC January 29, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 5d. | Transmitting communication relative to the December 2007 Auditor's Report.
# 13a CC February 12, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 5e. | Transmitting communication relative to January 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 13a CC February 26, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 5f. | Transmitting communication relative to the February 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 10b CC March 18, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 5g. | Transmitting communication relative to a financial analysis of the City's General Fund and Enterprise Funds.
# 5a CC March 25, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 5h. | Transmitting communicaton relative to the March 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 9a CC April 15, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 6a. | Order of Councilor Paul P. Clancy, Jr. and Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes - Request City Council's Standing Committee on Finance meet with a representative from Sullivan & Rogers, LLC for an exit interview on latest audits.
# 12b CC February 26, 2008 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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