CITY OF WORCESTER
CITY CLERK DEPARTMENT
JOURNAL
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
– APRIL 1, 2003
7:00 P.M.
Convened: 7:08 P.M.
Adjourned: 9:28 P.M.
1. INVOCATION – Sister Paula Kelleher
Vicar for Religious
Diocese of Worcester
2. PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE/STAR SPANGLED BANNER
3. ROLL
CALL – All present except Councillor Haller who arrived at 7:22 P.M.
HEARING & ORDER – 7:00
P.M.
4
– Hearing held
4. MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY for cable and conduit system on: CHANDLER ST. (Attachments)
4a ORDER ADOPTED
4a. Granting permission to MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY for cable
and conduit system on: CHANDLER ST.
5 – Adopted on a roll call vote of 9 Yeas and 1 Nay (Patton) – Councillor Haller absent
5. Order – That the first sentence of Rule 33 of the Rules of the City Council be amended to read: No petition, remonstrance or other communication which deals with personalities or with matters not within the general supervision and/or relating to city government shall be considered by the City Council. (Murray) (Attachments)
6. ITEMS
OF CITIZEN INTEREST
6a. ITEMS
OF DEPARTMENTAL OR EMPLOYEE INTEREST
7
REFERRED TO THE PLANNING BOARD
7. Marjorie Hastings request Penobscott St. be converted to a
public street. (Attachments)
8
& 9 REFERRED TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
8. Hope Abisamra et al request private street maintenance on
Sunderland Terrace. (Attachments)
9. Eugene M. Novak, Trustee of ENWN Nominee Trust request
abatement of Sewer Betterment Assessment #30882 in the amount of $2,280.00 on
Norton St. (Attachments)
10
& 11 REFERRED TO TRAFFIC & PARKING COMMITTEE
10. Zaida
Valentin request resident permit parking on Wachusett St. (Attachments)
11. Ovila
Baillargeon request handicap parking at 40 Esther St. (Attachments)
11a. Councillor Michael Perotto & Councillor Philip Palmieri
request No Parking on Harrington Way in the North High School area. Referred to Traffic & Parking
Committee – Suspension of rules (Attachments)
12 HEARING SET FOR APRIL 8, 2003 – 7:00 P.M.
12. MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY for pole location on: WEST MOUNTAIN ST. (Attachments)
12b. Request City Manager to forward a copy of the report relative to
the formula used to determine motor vehicle valuations to the City’s local
delegation. Motion-Murray @ #4A CM –
Adopted (Attachments)
12c. Request Administration to respond to the request for a color-coded
zoning map. Motion-Clancy @ #6A CM –
Adopted (Attachments)
12d. Request Administration to notify City Council when changes are
made to any TIF agreement. Motion-Lukes
@ #8A CM – Adopted
12e. Request Administration to report on how much of the $400,000.00 in
Block Grant funding appropriated to the Smart Growth Demonstration Initiative
has been expended. Motion-Perotto @
#18B CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12f. Request City Manager to provide a one page snapshot of all the
divisions in the Police Department showing 2003 and 2004 numbers. Motion-Clancy @ #20A CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12g. Request City Manager to contact distributors of hand out bleach
packages relative holding them responsible when they are discarded in our
neighborhoods after use. Motion-Haller
@ #21A CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12h. Request City Manager report on the amount of money that has been
spent to date on the North High School Project. Motion-Palmieri @ #23A CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12i. Request Education Committee to hold an additional neighborhood hearing
relative to the design of the new North High School. Motion-Clancy @ #23A CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12j. That the City Council meet in Executive Session, if appropriate
at the conclusion of the regular City Council meeting on April 8, 2003 to
discuss litigation relative to the construction of
the Vocational School. Motion-Lukes
@ #23B CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12k. Request City Manager to provide City Council with a timeline as to
where we are to date as far as demolition, site remediation, wetlands issues,
awards of sub-contracts relative to construction of the Vocational School. Motion-Patton @ #23B CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12L. Request City Manager to provide a report as to what the City is
doing to encourage citizens and businesses to clean up the area around their
home or business. Motion-Haller @
#24D CM (Attachments)
12m. Request City Manager to provide copies of Item 24F of the City
Manager’s Calendar of April 1, 2003
relative to Yard Waste Drop Off sites to the Crime Watch Groups in the
City. Motion-Haller @ #24F CM –
Adopted (Attachments)
12n. Request City Manager to consider a monitoring system, in
cooperation with the Police Department, to watch the first few Sundays at the
yard waste drop off sites and the residential drop off center to make sure
people are not dropping waste off when the sites are closed. Motion-Clancy @ #24F CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12o. Request City Treasurer to report putting into perspective the
amounts of delinquent motor vehicle excise taxes from calendar year 2001 and
the year prior. Motion-Murray @
#27B CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12p. Request Administration to report as to how the City can move
rapidly on disposal of foreclosed property to include a timeline expected for
disposal of these properties. Motion-Murray
@ #27C CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12q. Request City Manager to report where other cities use tax
collectors and what is the prevailing state of the art in terms of tax
collection issues and the manner in which other communities collect their
personal property and motor vehicle excise taxes. Motion-Lukes @ #27C CM – Adopted (Attachments)
12r. Request City Manager to report on electronic transfer of funds
from the Treasurer’s Office to vendors.
Motion-Petty @ #30A CM – Adopted
(Attachments)
12s. Request City Manager to contact the WRTA and report to City Council
regarding the newspaper article relative to their budget issues and service
cuts. Petty – Suspension of Rules –
Adopted (Attachments)
12t. Request Administration to report relative to opening of State
beaches and pools this summer. Irish
– Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
12u. Request Administration to report on the total amount of money that
is being deferred by not having the resident permit parking stickers available
and the reason for not having the resident parking stickers available. Clancy – Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
THOMAS R. HOOVER
CITY MANAGER
CITY COUNCIL CALENDAR
FOR APRIL 1, 2003
1. NON-CITY
COUNCIL CONFIRMATION:
A. Notification of appointment of Peter B.
Schneider as a full member to the Historical Commission. (Attachments)
Placed
on file
2. CITY
COUNCIL CONFIRMATION:
3. AIRPORT:
4. ASSESSORS:
A. Communication relative to Formula Used to
Determine Motor Vehicle Valuations. (Attachments)
Referred to Legislative Affairs Committee
B. Communication relative to Number of
Abatements vs. Number Granted, and Abatements Filed, Abatements Granted. (Attachments)
Placed
on file
5. BUDGET
OFFICE:
A. Communication from our State Delegation
relevant to a letter from the House and Senate Ways and Means Chairperson
pertaining to the fiscal year 2004 State Budget. (Attachments)
Placed on file
B. Communication relative to recent budget
decisions regarding layoffs of Department Heads and Assistant Department Heads.
(Attachments)
Placed on file
C. Communication relative to legislation
submitted by Representative Fresolo relative to an Early Retirement Program. (Attachments)
Placed on file
6. CODE
ENFORCEMENT:
A. Communication relative to Comprehensive
Zoning Ordinance. (Attachments)
Referred
to Land Use Committee
7.
COMMUNICATIONS:
A. Communication relative to Cutover
Microwave Project. (Attachments)
Referred
to Public Safety Committee
8. ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT:
A. Communication relative to Substitutions in
a TIF. (Attachments)
Referred
to Commerce & Development Committee
9. ELDER
AFFAIRS:
A. Request adoption of six resolutions. (Attachments)
1)
Council
on Aging Formula & Service Incentive Grants
from Mass. Executive Office
of Elder Affairs
2)
Corp.
for National & Community Service Grant
3)
Central
Mass. Agency on Aging Supportive Services Grant
4)
Central
Mass. Agency on Aging Health Promotion Grant
5)
Fallon/OrNda
Community Health Fund of the Greater
Worcester Community
Foundation
6) Fuller Foundation
Six
Resolutions adopted
10. ELECTION
COMMISSION:
11. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT:
12. EMPLOYMENT
& TRAINING:
13. FIRE:
A. Communication relative to Requirements for
Blasting within City Limits. (Attachments)
Referred to Municipal Operations
Committee
14. HUMAN
RESOURCES:
A. Communication relative to the City of
Worcester Service Excellence Award. (Attachments)
Placed on file
B. Communication relative to Update on Health
Insurance Negotiations. (Attachments)
Referred to Municipal Operations Committee
C.
SUPPLEMENTAL – Communication relative to
update regarding Calendar Item 14B regarding employee’s health insurance. (Attachments)
Referred to Municipal Operations Committee
D.
SUPPLEMENTAL – I respectfully request
authorization to file a Home Rule Petition relative to an Early Retirement
Program. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call
10-0 (Abraham absent)
Reconsideration denied on a
roll call 0-10 (Abraham absent)
15. HUMAN
RIGHTS:
16. LAW:
A. Communication relative to details of the
last Three Years on Auto Claims and other Cities in the Commonwealth that are
Self Insured. (Attachments)
Placed on file
B. Communication and proposed legislation
lowering the fees paid by the City for recording tax lien documents. (Attachments)
Order
adopted on a roll call 10-0 (Abraham absent)
C. Communication relative to SMG Issues. (Attachments)
Referred to
Municipal Operations Committee
D. SUPPLEMENTAL –
Communication recommending adoption of two Orders with respect to the Medical
City Urban Renewal Project. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
Voted to
advertise proposed Loan Order on a roll call 11-0
17. LICENSE
COMMISSION:
18.
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES:
A. Communication relative to Rebuilding
Together Worcester (RTW) Project. (Attachments)
Placed on file
B. Communication relative to Citizen’s
Housing and Planning Association’s (CHAPA) Smart Growth Demonstration
Initiative. (Attachments)
Referred to Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization Committee
C. Communication regarding the Changes to the
Flood Plain Insurance Map from 1980 to Present. (Attachments)
Recommitted to the City Manager
D. Communication relative to the Neighborhood
Mini-Grant Program Report. (Attachments)
Referred to
Community Development Committee
E.
SUPPLEMENTAL – Communication relative to
Executive Summary and Resolution relative to the Gardner, Kilby, Hammond (GKH)
Street Revitalization Initiative. (Attachments)
Referred to Community Development Committee
19. PARKS,
RECREATION & CEMETERY:
20. POLICE:
A. Communication relative to the Community
Service Unit. (Attachments)
Referred to Public Safety Committee
21. PUBLIC
HEALTH:
A. Communication relative to Drug Injection
Packages. (Attachments)
Referred
to Health Committee
22. PUBLIC
LIBRARY:
A. Communication relative to Impact Statement
for the Worcester Public Library. (Attachments)
Referred
to Education & College/University Relations Committee
23. PUBLIC
SCHOOLS:
A. Communication relative to Moratorium on
New SBA Building Projects. (Attachments)
Referred to Education & College/University Relations Committee
B. Communication relative to the construction
contract of a New Vocational High School being awarded to Consigli Construction
Co., Inc., of Milford, Mass. and O’Connor Construction, Inc., of Canton, Mass.
(Attachments)
Referred
to Education & College/University Relations Committee
24. PUBLIC
WORKS:
A. Communication relative to Training to Snow
Plow Operators. (Attachments)
Placed
on file
B. Communication relative to Training the
Independent Snow Plow Contractors. (Attachments)
Placed on file
C. Communication relative to Two Inspectors
in One Vehicle and Salary Schedule for Said Inspectors. (Attachments)
Placed
on file
D. Communication relative to Spring Sweeping
Program. (Attachments)
Placed
on file
E. Communication relative to the Sidewalk on
Route 9 Bridge. (Attachments)
Placed on file
F. Communication relative to Yard Waste Drop
Off Sites and Residential Drop Off Center Yard Waste Drop Off Sites. (Attachments)
Placed on file
25.
PURCHASING:
26. TECHNICAL
SERVICES:
27. TREASURY:
A. Request adoption of an order recommending
the transfer of 196 Beacon Street from the Tax Title Custodian to the Executive
Office of Neighborhood Services. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
B. Communication relative to Total Dollar
Value of All Tax Arrearages Owed to the City. (Attachments)
Referred to Municipal Operations Committee
C. Communication relative to Establishing a
Tax Amnesty Program. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
28. VETERANS
SERVICES:
29. FINANCE:
A. Recommend that Sixty Four Thousand Two Hundred Eighty Seven Dollars and Twenty Five Cents ($64,287.25) be transferred, from Account #330-07, Reserve for Appropriation Damage Settlement, and appropriated to Accounts #250-92000, Police Department Ordinary Maintenance, to provide funds for the purpose of payment for repair costs associated with damages to Police Department. This request represent reimbursements received from Insurance Companies for damages to the Police Vehicles. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
B. Recommend that Two Thousand Three Hundred One Dollars and Forty Cents ($2,301.40) be transferred, from Account #330-07, Reserve for Appropriation Damage Settlement, and appropriated to the following accounts:
|
ACCOUNT |
DESCRIPTION |
AMOUNT |
|
4105-92111 |
Central Garage OM |
$1,025.39 |
|
45010202-92111 |
Water Dept. OM |
$1,276.01 |
to provide funds for the purpose of
payment for repair costs associated with damages to DPW vehicles. These funds
represent reimbursements received from Insurance Companies for damages to
vehicles owned by the City. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
C. Recommend that Three Thousand Sixty Three
Dollars and Ninety Three Cents ($3,063.93) be transferred, from Account
#330-07, Reserve for Appropriation Damage Settlement, and appropriated to
Account #260-92000, Fire Department Ordinary Maintenance, to provide funds for
the purpose of payment for repair costs associated with damages to the Fire
Department Maxi Pumper Engine 6. This request represents reimbursements
received from Insurance Companies for damages to the Maxi Pumper. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
D. Recommend the Two Hundred Fifty Thousand
Dollars ($250,000.00) be transferred from Account #91C741, Street Construction,
and appropriated to Account #41C741, Street Resurfacing, for the payment of
contractual obligations related to various street resurfacing projects, as
approved in the Capital Improvement Program. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
E. I recommended and Council approved a
transfer in the amount of Fifteen Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars
($15,250.00) to provide funds for the installation of ADA Compliant voting
booths. The invoice to install the ADA voting booth is slightly higher than the
original amount requested. The invoice was paid and the account is in deficit
by $500.00.
In order to eliminate the deficit, I respectfully request that Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) be transferred from Account #91C780, Capital Equipment, and appropriated to Account #15C701, Election Commission Capital Outlay, to eliminate the deficit in the account. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
F. Recommend that Forty Four Thousand Seven Hundred Forty Seven Dollars ($44,747.00) be transferred from Account #91C711, Citywide Building Rehabilitation, and appropriated to Account #26C704, Fire Department Building Rehabilitation, to provide funds for the purpose of payment of contractual obligations related to the renovations at Brown Square Station. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 11-0
30.
MISCELLANEOUS:
A. Communication relative to “vendor additional
discount program”. (Attachments)
Placed
on file
B. Request approval of two Resolutions relative to Service on
Boards and Commissions. (Attachments)
Two
Resolutions adopted
14. Roberta Schaefer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional
Research Bureau transmitting Tough Choices for Tough Times: Worcester’s FY04 Budget. (Attachments)
Referred to Municipal Operations Committee
15. RECESS
TO FINANCE AND ORDINANCE: No Action
Taken
FINANCE
a)
#7
CC January 14, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to Preliminary Budget Analysis for Fiscal 2004. (Attachments)
b) #5C CM
January 28, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to framework for a Local and State Fiscal Recovery. (Attachments)
c) #27 CC February 4,
2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to Governor’s State budget cuts to the City of Worcester. (Attachments)
d)
#26
CC February 4, 2003
James DelSignore, City Auditor
transmitting City of Worcester’s 2002 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. (Attachments)
e) #10 CC
February 11, 2003
James DelSignore, City
Auditor transmitting schedule of revenues for the first six months of Fiscal
2003 compared to the same period in Fiscal 2002 and indicates revenues to be
received for the entire year and revenues received for all of Fiscal 2002. (Attachments)
f) #4C CM February 11, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to using $11,000,000.00 of the unused tax levy. (Attachments)
g)
#4A
CM March 4, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to the impact of $9,000,000 increase to the tax levy and the
lowest residential rate scenario. (Attachments)
h)
#5A
CM March 4, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager analyzing Governor Romney's FY04 budget. (Attachments)
i)
#5A
CM March 18, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to decision solving the 2004 budget. (Attachments)
j)
#13CC March 18, 2003
James DelSignore, City
Auditor transmitting computation of the legal debt margin for the City of
Worcester as of February 28, 2003. (Attachments)
16. Communication of the City Manager relative to CIGNA – Letter –
Worcester Common Outlets. (Tabled December 17, 2002) (Attachments)
17. Motion Lukes as amended by Abraham – Request Administration to
contact CIGNA relative to the feasibility of linking up Front St. with
Washington Sq. and Shrewsbury St. and explore financial incentives that might
facilitate that. (Tabled December 17, 2002) (Attachments)
SCHEDULED MEETINGS OF THE
STANDING COMMITTEES
APRIL 2, 2003 PUBLIC SAFETY COUNCIL CHAMBER
6:00
P.M.
APRIL 14, 2003 PUBLIC WORKS COUNCIL CHAMBER
7:00
P.M.
Re: Renaming of Millbury St. and the ramifications
to roadways in the
vicinity of the Blackstone Parkway