CITY OF WORCESTER

Finance Committee Meeting

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Council Chamber

Convened: 7:16 P.M.

Recessed: 7:58 P.M.
Reconvened to adjourn: 8:12 P.M


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
 
Also:City Manager Michael V. O'Brien
Chief Financial Officer Thomas F. Zidelis
City Auditor James A. DelSignore
City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk
 
1.

Budget Hearings Held

1a.

Department of Public Works & Parks Budget Hearing for Sewer Division - XIII-14

View Budget

Budget approved

1b.

Department of Public Works & Parks Budget Hearing for Water Division - XIII-15

View Budget

Budget approved

1c.

Economic & Neighborhood Development Budget Hearing for Airport - VII-7

View Budget

Budget approved

1d.

Legislative Offices Budget Hearing for City Clerk - IV-3

View Budget

Budget approved

2.

Motions Held in Committee

2a.

Motion of Councilor Clancy - That $628,779.69 be cut from the Worcester Regional Airport budget.

Held in Committee June 3, 2008

Motion failed on a roll call vote 4 Yeas (Clancy, Germain, Haller, Palmieri) and 7 Nays (Eddy, Petty, Rosen, Rushton, Smith, Toomey, Lukes)

2b.

Motion of Councilor Rushton - Request to make the following cuts from the FY2009 Budget: 1) Cut in EM Incentive Pay for each department for a total cut of approximately $200,000 from various 91000 accounts, 2) Cut from City Manager's Ordinary Maintenance account 004-92000 the $12,000 increase in holiday productions and cut $5,000 from WRRB - Community Research for a total of $17,000, 3) Cut - $200,000 from City Manager's Contingency Account 900-91000, 4)Cut $100,000 from Worker's Compensation account 171-96000 because of the outsourcing, 5) Cut $100,000 from Union Station account 480-92000 with a reduction to janitorial services by $50,000 and a reduction in security by $50,000, 6) Cut $100.000 from the Department of Public Works & Parks account 4103-92000 a reduction from $190,000 to $90,000 within the streets long patch program and crosswalks. These cuts total $550,000-700,000 and request City Manager and apply these funds for health insurance relief and funds back to the taxpayer.

Held in Committee June 3, 2008

Motion Placed on file

3.

FY2009 Budget

3a.

Communication of the City Manager recommend City Council's Approval of the Attached Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.
# 8.30A CM May 06, 2008

Attachments

Motion from all members of the City Council as stated by Councilor Clancy - Request City Manager consider recommending the transfer of $400,000 from City Manager Contingency 900-91999 and appropriate it as follows: $200,000 to the Worcester Public Schools 500-91999 and $200,000 to the Worcester Public Library 550-91999. - Approved

City Manager verbally recommended the following adjustments to the proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget to transfer $400,000 from the City Manager's Contingency Account #900-91999 as follows: $200,000 to Worcester Public Library Department 550-91999 and $200,000 to Worcester Department of Public Schools Department 500-91000. Further, request City Council vote to accept the amendment prior to approval of the budget.

Accepted on a roll call of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays.

Budget Approved as amended 11-0

4.

Communications of the City Manager

4a.

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 File

4b.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget.
# 10.37C CM August 14, 2007

Attachments

Recommend File

4c.

Transmitting informational communication regarding the adoption and implementation of Chapter 32B, Section 18.
# 8.6A CM August 28, 2007

Attachments

Recommend File

4d.

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 File

4e.

Transmitting informational communication regarding a Financial Update of the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget.
# 5b CC September 25, 2007

Attachments

Recommend File

4f.

Transmitting informational communication regarding an Update on the City's Five Year Plan and Quarterly Report.
# 8.30A CC December 03, 2007

Attachments

Recommend File

4g.

Transmitting informational communication regarding the Five Point January 2008 Financial Plan Update.
# 13a CCJannuary 29, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

4h.

Transmitting informational communication regarding the Commonwealth's Proposed Fiscal Year 09 Spending Plan.
# 10.30A CM February 12, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

4i.

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 File

4j.

Transmitting informational communication relative to Historic Trends in State and Federal Funding.
# 10.30B CM February 26, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

4k.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Analysis of Outsourcing Certain City Trade Labor Services.
# 10.31A CM February 26, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

4l.

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 File

4m.

Transmitting informational communication relative to Unexpended Balances in City Accounts as of May 1, 2008.
# 6.30A CM June 03, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

4n.

Submitting an amendment of the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.
# 10p CC May 20, 2008

Attachments

Accepted prior to the approval of the Budget as amended and Recommend File

4o.

Transmitting Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.
# 12b CC June 10, 2008

Attachments

Accepted prior to the approval of the budget as amended and Recommend File

4p.

Transmitting communication relative to budget questions posed during the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget deliberations.
# 18a Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

4q.

Transmitting adjustment to the proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget.
# 18b CC June 10, 2008

Attachments

Accepted prior to the approval of the budget as amended and Recommend File

5.

Communications of the City Auditor

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 File

5b.

Transmitting communication relative to the November 2007 Auditor's Report.
# 16a CC January 08, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

5c.

Transmitting communication relative to a financial analysis of the City's General Fund and Enterprise Funds.
# 13b CC January 29, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

5d.

Transmitting communication relative to the December 2007 Auditor's Report.
# 13a CC February 12, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

5e.

Transmitting communication relative to January 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 13a CC February 26, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

5f.

Transmitting communication relative to the February 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 10b CC March 18, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

5g.

Transmitting communication relative to a financial analysis of the City's General Fund and Enterprise Funds.
# 5a CC March 25, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

5h.

Transmitting communication relative to the March 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 9a CC April 15, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

5i.

Transmitting communication relative to a Comparison of Salaries between City and School Administrative Positions.
# 10a CC May 27, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

5j.

Transmitting communication relative to April 2008 Auditor's Report
# 10b CC May 27, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File

6.

Miscellaneous

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

6b.

Order of Councilors Rushton, Toomey, Germain, Rosen, Smith and Eddy - Request the City Manager include the $250,000 realized as a result of new negotiations with MassPort in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget of the Worcester Public Schools for the purpose of reducing class size or increasing funding for instructional materials or for implementing new technologies.
# 9a CC May 27, 2008

Attachments

Recommend File see item #4q