CITY OF WORCESTER

JOURNAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Council Chamber

Convened: 7:09 P.M.

Adjourned: 8:30 P.M.

Mayor
Konstantina B. Lukes

www.worcesterma.gov

City Manager
Michael V. O'Brien

City Auditor
James A. DelSignore

Councilors

Hoang Do & Anna Hinh request to convert Laureldale St. from private to public street.

Sylvia Cousins request to make public Sherer Trail.

Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes on behalf of Patricia Westberg request replacement of street light at Mendon St. and Dorchester St. that was knocked down by a vehicle.

Tracy Dubinsky & Jason Petrella request to have Valley Hill Drive repaved.

Tracy Dubinsky & Jason Petrella request to have Valley Hill Lane repaved.

Darren Lussier request to remove the No Parking restriction from west side of Southbridge St. from point 90 feet south of Tracy Place to City Line.

Joseph Iaccarino et al request Resident Only parking on both sides of Carver St. due to Starbuck Coffee Shop approval at 1 Carver St.

Recommend City Council Review, Deliberation and Adoption of the Attached Resolutions to Apply for and Accept Grant Funds from the FAA and MAC to Fund Upgrades to the Security System at the Worcester Regional Airport.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the City's Pharmacy Benefit Manager.

Transmitting Informational Communication Regarding a Status Report on the Renovations to the Alderman Chamber.

Recommend City Council Accept with Gratitude, a Donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kits from the Central Region Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to a Report Concerning the Demolition Project at the Former Saint Vincent's Site on Winthrop Street.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to Implementation of the S.A.V.E. Our Neighborhoods Plan.

Recommend Adoption of a Resolution to File and Accept a Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services Award.

Respectfully Request that City Council Accept a Settlement from the MA Attorney General on Behalf of the Worcester Public Library.

Transmitting Informational Communication Regarding the Proposed Fiscal Year 2008 Snow Removal Deficit.

Recommend that Fifty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($50,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account # 91C780, Capital Equipment, and be appropriated to DPW Account # 41C703, Capital Equipment to allow for the purchase and future payment of capital equipment.

Recommend that Sixteen Thousand Five Hundred Dollars And No Cents ($16,500.00) be transferred from Loan Account # 91C784, Parks Improvements, and be appropriated to Parks Account # 72C702, Parks Site Improvements for Lake Park Improvements.

Recommend that Fifty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($50,000.00) be transferred from Account #330-23, Major Taylor Blvd. Reserves and be appropriated to Account #46S523, Major Taylor Blvd. Ordinary Maintenance. Further, Recommend One Hundred Eighty Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Forty Eight Dollars and No Cents ($189,948.00) be transferred from Account #330-01, Pearl Elm Reserves and be appropriated to Account #46S512, Union Station Garage, to provide sufficient funding for the Major Taylor Boulevard and Union Station Garages for the Third and Fourth Quarters of Fiscal Year 2008.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the WRTA Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.

SUPPLEMENTAL: Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the City's Cable Franchise License.

SUPPLEMENTAL: Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to Yesterday's Appellate Tax Board Order regarding the "Telecom Loophole".

CHAIRMAN'S ORDER FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Request City Manager investigate the feasibility of a system for multi-family property registration and inspection similar to the program in force and effect in Baltimore, MD. (Tabled - Lukes February 26, 2008)

Communication of Roberta A. Schaefer, President and CEO of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting communication relative to Where have all the Bidders Gone?: The Impact of "Responsibility" on Public Construction. (Tabled - Rushton February 26, 2008)

Order of Mayor Timothy P. Murray - That the ordinance relative to the Police Department License Board as it relates to taxi regulations be rescinded. (Tabled - Murray April 25, 2006)

Communication of the City Manager recommending the Adoption of a Loan Order in the amount of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($300,000.00) to be appropriated to Account #91C778, Providence Street Tot Lot, for the purpose of funding the construction of the planned playground at Providence Street. (Tabled - Lukes July 17, 2007)

Grant permission to NATIONAL GRID for conduit system in KANSAS ST. (Tabled - September 18, 2007)

Order of Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes - Request City Manager report to City Council whether a claims process exists which is available to commercial users who experience electric power outages and surges caused by National Grid. (Tabled - Lukes February 26, 2008)

Order of Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes - Request City Manager report on the number and location of National Grid equipment stations located on public property, whether the City receives any revenue from the use of public land, and if not, whether the city can charge for said use. (Tabled - Lukes February 26, 2008)

Order of Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes - Request City Manager report to City Council regarding National Grid services in the city based on data filed with the Department of Telecommunications and Energy specifically addressing the number of outages, the locations of the outages, causes of the outages and the fines, if any, paid by National Grid in 2007. (Tabled - Lukes February 26, 2008)

Motion Clancy @ #8.13A CM - Request City Manager provide City Council with the breakdown of costs for the remainder of improvements needed to bring the Levi Lincoln Chamber to public meeting room standards as well as the anteroom.

Motion Lukes to amend: Further, request City Manager report to City Council the status of the restoration of the rostrum.

Motion Lukes @ #8.30A CM - Request City Manager provide City Council with a report that indicates what measures are in place to supervise and prevent overpayments to independent contractors who are plowing streets that have already been plowed.

Motion Haller @ #8.24A CM - Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning anticipated uses of award funds for the purpose of substance abuse prevention in particular the use of narcon to prevent overdoses.

Motion Haller @ #8.24A CM - Request City Manager provide City Council with previously requested report concerning annual drug overdoses.

Motion Lukes @ #8.38A CM - Request City Manager request WRTA provide City Council with a report concerning the bus route changes and the reasons for those changes. Further, request the report include the condition of collection devises and if any internal audit have been conducted of cash receipts.

Motion Rosen - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the sidewalk in the northwest corner of Harrington Corner for the reason it is slick when it is wet and possible solutions.

Motion Haller - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning additional options to the Adult Entertainment Zoning Ordinance to include: a) additional buffer, i.e. residential land use, to the recently proposed changes; b) increased buffer distance in the recently proposed changes, i.e. 750', 800', 1000'; c) change to allowed land use designation(s) other than BG-6.0. Further, request this report be provided prior to the March 26th Public Safety Committee hearing on the recently proposed Zoning Ordinances relative to the City's Adult Entertainment Zoning Ordinance.

Motion Haller - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager provide City Council with a progress report on the city's “ Three Year Plan to End Homelessness in Worcester” from November 2007 and specifically Goal 4 to improve oversight and accountability of the Housing and Service System by the City of Worcester and Goal 5 to ensure that programs are sited responsibly. (Haller)

Motion Haller - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager provide City Council with a report on the number of pedestrians injured while in crosswalks, by year, for the past several years and progress, if any, on improving public safety in this regard.

Motion Clancy - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the capital improvement plan for the Granite St. sewers as to the timeline for sewer construction and route for the sewers in Granite St.