CITY OF WORCESTER
CITY CLERK DEPARTMENT
JOURNAL
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
– MARCH 16, 2004
7:00 P.M.
Convened: 7:00 P.M.
Adjourned: 9:02 P.M.
1. INVOCATION – Rev. Dr. Jeffrey R. Newhall
Greendale People’s Church
2. PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE/STAR SPANGLED BANNER
3. ROLL
CALL – All present
Mayor Murray read a Proclamation proclaiming the third
week of April 2004 as Rebuilding Together Worcester Week
Mayor Murray requested suspension of the rules to take up the communication from the City
Manager dated March 16, 2004 to the
City Council relative to his resignation as City Manager of the City of
Worcester
On a voice vote Council suspended its rules
Mayor Murray read the communication from the City
Manager
3a. Councillor
Haller made the following Motion:
Request City Solicitor to provide all City Councillors with
a copy of the letter dated March 15, 2004 addressed to the City Manager and
signed by eight members of the City Council.
Adopted (Attachments)
3b Mayor
Murray made the following Motion:
That the City Council, recognizing that eight of its
members, in a letter dated March 15, 2004 and hand delivered on March 16, 2004,
made a written formal suggestion under the third clause of section 10(b) of the
City Manager Employment Contract dated September 13, 2000 and amended on
January 24, 2003 that Thomas R. Hoover resign from the office of City Manager,
hereby accepts the resignation of Thomas R. Hoover from the office of City
Manager, which resignation having been made in reliance upon said letter
thereby entitles Mr. Hoover to the termination benefits stated in the third
clause of section 10(b) of said contract.
– Adopted on a roll call vote of 8 Yeas and 2 Nays (Gomez, Haller) –
Lukes absent. Reconsideration denied on
a roll call vote of 0 Yeas and 10 Nays - Lukes absent. (Attachments)
The Mayor announced that a Special Meeting of the
City Council would take place at 4:00 P.M. on Friday, March 19, 2004 to
publicly appoint an Acting City Manager or appoint a City Manager.
3c. Mayor Murray made the following Motion:
Request City Solicitor to provide each member of the City
Council with a copy of the two sections of the City Charter that pertain to
appointing an Acting City Manager and appointing a City Manager – Adopted (Attachments)
3d. Councillor Gomez made the following Motion to be put at the
March 19, 2004 Special Meeting:
That the City Council vote on March 19, 2004 as the first
order of business, whether the City Council will appoint a permanent City
Manager or an Acting City Manager. (Attachments)
3e. Councillor Haller made the following Motion:
That anyone who is interested in submitting their name or someone else’s name for consideration as Acting City Manager or City Manager to contact the City Clerk’s Office with that name, preferably with a resume for consideration. Denied on a roll call vote of 5 Yeas (Gomez, Haller, Lukes, Rushton, White) and 6 Nays (Clancy, Irish, Palmieri, Perotto, Petty, Murray) (Attachments)
3f. Councillor
Clancy made the following Motion:
That the Special Meeting of the City Council on March 19, 2004 begin at 4:00 P.M. Adopted on a roll call vote of 6 Yeas (Clancy, Haller, Irish, Palmieri, Perotto, Petty) and 5 Nays (Gomez, Lukes, Rushton, White, Murray)
Council voted on a roll call
vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays to reconsider.
Councillor Clancy moved to
meet at 5:00 P.M. – Adopted on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays. Reconsideration denied on a voice vote. (Attachments)
HEARING AND ORDER – 7:00
P.M.
4 - Councillor Haller recused on a roll call 9-0 (Gomez
absent) Hearing held
4. MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY for pole location on: PUTNAM LANE. (Attachments)
4a - ADOPTED
4a. Granting permission to MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY for pole
location on: PUTNAM LANE.
5
– REFERRED TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
5. Communication of the City Manager relative to Street and Sidewalk Improvements. (Attachments)
6. ITEMS
OF CITIZEN INTEREST
6a. ITEMS
OF DEPARTMENTAL OR EMPLOYEE INTEREST
7
– REFERRED TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
7. James N. & Margaret C. Heald, II request abatement of
Sewer Assessment #30927 in the amount of $4,788.00 on Burgess Rd. (Attachments)
8 & 9 – REFERRED TO TRAFFIC & PARKING COMMITTEE
8. Mayor Timothy Murray on behalf of Archie Economou request
commercial parking at 90 Providence St.
(Attachments)
9. Arsenia Fernandez on behalf of Maria Cabrera request
relocation of handicap parking from 41 Kingsbury St. to 16 Melville St.
10 – HEARING SET FOR MARCH 23, 2004 – 7:00 P.M.
10. VERIZON NEW ENGLAND, INC. for conduit location on: ARLINE ST. AND THENIUS ST. (Attachments)
10a. Request Administration to report on notification and posting
process for street sweeping program. Further, request Administration keep the
Police Department and any other public servants that may be working in the
streets apprised of the street sweeping schedule. Motion-Haller @ #29A CM – Adopted (Attachments)
10b. Request Administration report as to other city departments doing
the same as the Department of Public Works which is closing for one day to
clean their own property. Motion-Haller
@ #29A CM – Adopted (Attachments)
10c. Request Administration to consider mailing letters to owners of
licensed dumpsters requesting them to pay careful attention to overflow
conditions and to remind them that there is a fine associated with overflowing
dumpsters. Motion-Haller @ #29A CM –
Adopted (Attachments)
10d. Request
Administration report as to how to abate the graffiti issue. Motion-Clancy @ #29A CM – Adopted (Attachments)
10e. Request Administration to report on all unexpended balances in
this year’s fiscal Block Grant, in particular, funds given to non-profits in
the neighborhoods. Motion-Perotto @
#17C CM – Adopted (Attachments)
10f. Request Administration to report on the locations where
electricity will be installed in the medians along Shrewsbury St. Motion-Perotto @ #18A CM – Adopted (Attachments)
10g. Request Budget Director to report on limitations relative to
funding the construction of a new North High School. Motion-Clancy @ #22A CM - Adopted (Attachments)
THOMAS R. HOOVER
CITY MANAGER
CITY COUNCIL CALENDAR
FOR MARCH 16, 2004
1. NON-CITY
COUNCIL CONFIRMATION:
2. CITY
COUNCIL CONFIRMATION:
3. AIRPORT:
4. ASSESSORS:
5. BUDGET
OFFICE:
6. CODE
ENFORCEMENT:
7.
COMMUNICATIONS:
8. ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT:
A. Communication relative to Visitor Center
Status Report. (Attachments)
Referred
to Commerce & Development Committee
B. Communication relative to the Status of
the demolition of Ramp B. (Attachments)
Referred
to Commerce & Development Committee
9. ELDER
AFFAIRS:
10. ELECTION
COMMISSION:
11. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT:
A. Communication relative to Repairs to
Damaged Vehicle. (Attachments)
Placed
on file
12. EMPLOYMENT
& TRAINING:
13. FIRE:
14. HUMAN
RESOURCES:
A. Communication relative to Update –
Prescription Drug Program. (Attachments)
Referred
to Municipal Operations Committee
15. LAW:
16. LICENSE
COMMISSION:
17.
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES:
A. Communication relative to Rebuilding
Together Worcester (RTW) Project. (Attachments)
Placed on file
B. Communication relative to Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation for the Government Performance Demonstration Grant Program. (Attachments)
Placed on file
C. Communication relative to CDBG Program
Income and Unexpended Balances. (Attachments)
Referred to Community Development
Committee
18. PARKS, RECREATION
& CEMETERY:
A. Communication relative to Renovations and
Improvements of the Shrewsbury Street Medians/Necessary Tree Removals. (Attachments)
Referred to Public Works Committee
B. Communication relative to Renovations to
the Windows of Historic City Hall. (Attachments)
Placed
on file
19. POLICE:
A. Communication relative to 148 and 154
Lovell Street. (Attachments)
Referred
to Public Safety Committee
20. PUBLIC
HEALTH:
21. PUBLIC
LIBRARY:
22. PUBLIC
SCHOOLS:
A. Communication relative to Governor’s
recommendation to reform SBA Program. (Attachments)
Referred to Education & College/University Relations Committee
23. PUBLIC
WORKS:
A. Request adoption of an order relative to
an easement for street purposes. (Attachments)
Referred
to Public Works Committee
B. Communication relative to Overflow at
Upper Blackstone Plant. (Attachments)
Referred
to Public Works Committee
24.
PURCHASING:
25. TECHNICAL
SERVICES:
26. TREASURY:
A. Communication relative to Moody’s Rating. (Attachments)
Referred
to Municipal Operations Committee
27. VETERANS
SERVICES:
28. FINANCE:
A. Recommend the adoption of a Loan Order in
the amount of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) to be appropriated to
Account #91C744, for the purpose of funding the Union Station (Ramp B)
demolition project. (Attachments)
Voted to advertise proposed Loan
Order on a roll call 10-0 (White absent)
B. Recommend the amendment of the table of
organization for Human Resources and further recommend that the sum of Six
Thousand Two Hundred Fourteen Dollars ($6,214.00) currently available in Account
#170-91000, Human Resources Personal Services, be re-appropriated for the
purposes of funding this new position for the remainder of Fiscal 2004. Further recommend that the sum of Nine
Hundred Dollars ($900.00) be transferred from Account #170-91000, Human
Resources Personal Services, to Account #663-96000, Health Insurance Fringe
Benefits, to fund fringe benefit costs of this position. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 10-0
(White absent)
C. Recommend that One Hundred Thousand
Dollars ($100,000.00) be transferred from Account #330-58, Reserve for
Appropriation, Section 108 Loan Origination Fees, and appropriated to Account
#041-92000, Promotion of Tourism, to provide funding for the Worcester County
Convention and Visitors Bureau. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 10-0
(White absent)
D. Recommend that Thirteen Thousand Two
Hundred Dollars ($13,200.00) be transferred from Account #900-92000, City
Manager’s Contingency Account, and appropriated into Account #410-91000, Public
Works Personnel Services, to provide funds to open the residential drop off
centers on Sundays for the month of April. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 10-0
(White absent)
E. Recommend that Forty One Thousand and
Fifty Dollars ($41,050.00) be transferred from Account #900-92000, City
Manager’s Contingency Account, and appropriated to Account #410-92000, Public
Works Ordinary Maintenance, to provide funds for the continuation of the
abandoned vehicle program. (Attachments)
Order adopted on a roll call 10-0
(White absent)
29. MISCELLANEOUS:
A. Communication relative to our Keep
Worcester Clean Program. (Attachments)
Referred
to Public Works Committee
12. James DelSignore, City Auditor transmitting report relative to
debt that is being retired during fiscal 2004 and 2005, a listing of authorized
and unissued debt and a recommendation for loan authorizations which could
potentially be rescinded. (Attachments)
Referred
to Municipal Operations Committee
13. RECESS TO FINANCE AND ORDINANCE: No Action Taken
FINANCE
a)
#35CC February 3, 2004
Thomas R. Hoover, City
Manager transmitting communication comparing Local Aid figures for FY04 and
FY05 for the City of Worcester as recommended by Governor Romney in the
submittal of his FY2005 budget. (Attachments)
_____________________________________________________________
SCHEDULED MEETINGS OF THE
STANDING COMMITTEES
MARCH 15, 2004 PUBLIC WORKS
COUNCIL CHAMBER
5:30
P.M.
MARCH 24, 2004 COMMERCE & COUNCIL CHAMBER
4:30
P.M. DEVELOPMENT
MARCH 29, 2004 PUBLIC WORKS
BEAVER BROOK PARK
7:00
P.M. COMMUNITY
HOUSE
9 MANN ST.