CITY OF WORCESTER

Finance Committee Meeting

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Esther Howland Chamber

Convened: 7:46 P.M.

Adjourned: 11:53 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 Mayor Lukes in the Chair except Councilor Clancy
 
Also:City Manager Michael V. O'Brien
Chief Financial Officer Thomas Zidelis
Budget Director Jarrett Connor
Acting Director Public Health Derek Brindisi
Head Librarian Lucy Bethel Gangone
City Auditor James Delsignore
City Solicitor David Moore
Acting Director Human Resources Kathleen Johnson
Director Elder Affairs Amy Waters
Director /Veterans Agent Karen Greenwood
Director Human Services Fran Manocchio
City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk
 
1.

City Manager's Budget Hearing

1a.

City Manager's Administration - V-1

View Budget

Budget Approved

Chairman's Orders

Request City Manager report a comparison of staff between the City Manager's Office here and in other like sized communities with manager form of government. (Eddy)

Request City Manager report staff reductions in the City Manager's Office over the last five years. (Eddy)

1b.

City Manager's Human Services - Human Rights, Disability Commission, Veteran Services - V-1

View Budget

Budget Approved

Chairman's Orders

Request the Standing Committee on Public Health and Human Services Committee consider challenges facing the Veterans' Services Department and the veterans. (Rosen)

Request City Manager provide the City Council with an explanation how we will fill the gap in services to those in the community who require the assistance in the area of human services. (Rushton)

Request City Manager report whether there is any possibility of partnering between any of the veterans-oriented agencies in the city. (Petty)

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report after the first quarter of FY2010 detailing how the combined Human Services Office is operating. (Petty)

1c.

License Commission - V-2

View Budget

Budget Approved

1d.

City Manager's Contingency - V-3

View Budget

Budget Approved

1e.

Public Health - V-4

View Budget

Motion Councilor Rushton: Request to suspend the rules to allow speakers to be heard. - Approved

Speakers:
Robin Clark, Princeton resident
Ann Cappabianca, Worcester resident
Lynn Norris, Worcester resident
Margo Barnett, Worcester resident
Sarah Konevsky, Worcester resident
Mike Kennedy, Millbury resident

Budget Approved

Chairman's Orders

Request City Manager provide the City Council with the public health model used in the five largest communities in New England. (Rosen)

Request City Manager report to the City Council what other communities have a public health model like Worcester. (Lukes)

Request City Manager report concerning the job description, supervision and records' jurisdiction of public health nurses. (Lukes)

1f.

Elder Affairs - V-5

View Budget

Budget Approved

1g.

Public Library - V-6

View Budget

Budget Approved

Chairman's Orders

Request City Manager report to the City Council the amount of money that would be needed to keep the Main Public Library open seven days per week. (Palmieri)

Request City Manager request Head Librarian provide usage figures for each of the branches of the Public Library. (Smith)

Request City Manager provide the City Council with the number of public libraries seeking waivers from the state, the number being decertified and the number that are closing. (Petty)

Request City Manager report to the City Council how the Foundation shall proceed to raise funds for the Public Library system. (Toomey)

Request City Manager report to the City Council what has been done to encourage personal donations for the Public Library. (Toomey)

1h.

Regional Library - V-7

View Budget

Budget Approved

2.

Human Resources Budget Hearing

2a.

Human Resources - VI-1

View Budget

Budget Approved

2b.

Worker's Compensation & Public Safety IOD - VI-2

View Budget

Budget Approved

2c.

Unemployment Compensation - VI-3

View Budget

Budget Approved

2d.

Health Insurance - VI-4

View Budget

Budget Approved

Chairman's Orders

Request City Manager report the actual savings realized as a result of the completion of the dependent audit. (Germain)

3.

Communications of the City Manager

3a.

Transmitting Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Recommendation
# 8.34C CM March 31, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3b.

Transmitting Five Year Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Year 2009.
# 9.30A CM June 17, 2008

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3c.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the City's Fiscal Year 2009 Commonwealth Capital Program Submission.
# 8.42B CM December 16, 2008

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3d.

Transmitting communication relative to the City's Response to a request for Infrastructure Projects.
# 11b CC January 13, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3e.

Transmitting communication regarding the City Budget.
# 14b CC January 13, 2009





Attachments

Recommend Hold

3f.

Transmitting communication relative to a mid-year Local Aid reduction.
# 14a CC January 27, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3g.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the City's Budget
# 8.34A CM February 03, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3h.

Transmitting communication relative to a continued analysis and assessment of all facets of the City's current FY09 Budget and the accelerated development of City's FY2010 Budget.
# 21b CC February 10, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3i.

Transmitting Status Report on Projected Budget Deficits.
# 8.42D CM February 24, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3j.

Transmitting informational communication relative to Positions Held Vacant.
# 7.34A CM March 03, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3k.

Transmitting communication relative to Employee Health Insurance Costs.
# 7.34B CM March 03, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3l.

Transmitting Report of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation as presented at this Evening's Forum
# 7.42A CM March 03, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3m.

Transmitting update regarding the City's Fiscal Year 2010 Budget
# 8.34A CM March 17, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3n.

Transmitting informational communication relative to Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding and Federal Supplemental General Appropriation Funding
# 8.34B CM March 17, 2009





Attachments

Recommend Hold

3o.

Transmitting informational communication relative to Layoff Notices and Support Services Available for Displaced Employees
# 8.4A CM March 31, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3p.

Transmitting Fiscal Year 2010 Impact Statements for the Department of Administration and Finance, Worcester Police Department, Worcester Fire Department, and Department of Public Works and Parks.
# 9a CC April 07, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3q.

Transmitting informational communication relative to Fiscal Year 2010 Impact Statements for Department of Emergency Communications, Department of Inspectional Services, and Law Department.
# 10.42B CM April 14, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3r.

Transmitting informational communication relative to Departmental Fee Increases. Furthermore, Request City Council Adoption of Ordinances Relative to Fees for Parking Fines and Dog Licenses.
# 7.34B CM April 28, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3s.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget.
# 7.42D CM April 28, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3t.

Transmitting informational communication relative to recent actions by the State's House of Representatives Regarding the FY 2010 Budget.
# 7.42E CM April 28, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3u.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Division of Public Health
# 9.28A CM May 05, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3v.

Transmitting responses to questions posed at Finance Committee Meetings of April 7, 2009 and April 14, 2009.
# 9.34A CM May 05, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3w.

Transmitting update relative to the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.
# 9.34B CM May 05, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

3x.

Transmitting communication relative to Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Impact Statements for the Division of Human Resources, Division of Public Health, Division of Elder Affairs, Office of the City Manager, and Worcester Public Library.
# 9.42A CM May 05, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

4.

Communications of the City Auditor

4a.

Transmitting November 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 7a CC December 23, 2008

Attachments

Recommend Hold

4b.

Transmitting City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008.
# 7c CC December 23, 2008

Attachments

Recommend Hold

4c.

Transmitting December 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 7a CC January 27, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

4d.

Transmitting the October 2008 Auditor's Report.
# 14a CC November 25, 2008

Attachments

Recommend Hold

4e.

Transmitting the Auditor's Report for January 2009.
# 9a CC February 24, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

4f.

Transmitting February 2009 Auditor's Report
# 7a CC March 24, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

4g.

Transmitting March 2009 Auditor's Report.
# 8a CC April 28, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

5.

Miscellaneous Items

5a.

Order of Councilor Michael J. Germain, Frederick C. Rushton and Kathleen M. Toomey - Request the City Manager to consider at a minimum delaying the laying-off of the Public Health Nurses at least until the swine flu threat has either subsided or been addressed comprehensively by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
# 13c CC May 05, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold

5b.

Order of Councilor Gary Rosen - Request the City Manager refer the future model of public health services in Worcester, including all recommendations made by the Task Force, to the City Council for community input through public hearings by the Council's Public Helath & Human Services Committee.
# 13h CC May 05, 2009

Attachments

Recommend Hold