CITY OF WORCESTER | Finance Committee Meeting | Tuesday, May 31, 2016 | Esther Howland (South) Chamber | Convened: 4:37 P.M. | Recessed into Executive Session: 6:21 P.M.
Reconvened into Open Session: 8:02 P.M.
Adjourned: 9:44 P.M. |
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Mayor
Joseph M. Petty | 
www.worcesterma.gov |
Clerk of the City Council
Susan M. Ledoux | Committee Members | | Chairperson Joseph M Petty | | Councilor Morris A Bergman | | Councilor Tony Economou |
| | Councilor Michael T Gaffney | | Councilor Khrystian E King | | Councilor Konstantina B Lukes | | Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson | | Councilor Sarai Rivera | | Councilor Gary Rosen | | Councilor George J Russell | | Councilor Kathleen M Toomey |
City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts | |
| Present Were: | All members were present with Mayor in the Chair except for Councilors King and Mero-Carlson. Councilors King and Mero-Carlson arrived at 4:43 P.M. City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr.
Chief Financial Officer Thomas F. Zidelis
Director of Budget Jarrett B. Conner
City Auditor Robert V. Stearns
City Clerk Susan M. Ledoux, clerk | | | | | Also: | Fire Chief Geoffrey Gardell
Commissioner of Health and Human Services Matilde Castiel, M.D.
Director of Public Health Karyn Clark
Director of Elder Affairs Amy Vogel-Waters
Youth Office Coordinator Raquel Castro-Corazinni
Veteran Agent Lynette Moon
Chief Information Officer Paul R. Covello
Director of Energy and Asset Management John Odell
City Assessor William J. Ford
Assistant City Manager for Operations and Director of Human Resources Kathleen G. Johnson
City Solicitor David Moore | | | |
| 1. | FY 2017 Budget Recessed Hearings | |
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| | | 1a. | City Council - III-1, pg. 31
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24. 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | No action taken | |
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| | | 1b. | Mayor's Office - III-2, pg. 35
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | No action taken | |
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| | | 1c. | City Clerk - III-3, pg. 37
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | No action taken | |
| 2. | Motions Held in Committee | |
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| | | 2a. | Motion of Councilor Konstantina B. Lukes – That $8,611 of salary increases be cut from the City Council Budget.
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | No action taken | |
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| | | 2b. | Motion of Councilor Konstantina B. Lukes – That a cut be made to level fund the Mayor’s Office Budget.
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | No action taken | |
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| | | 2c. | Motion of Councilor Konstantina B. Lukes – That City Council cut $42,000 from the recommended City Clerk budget.
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | No action taken | |
| 3. | FY 2017 Budget Hearings Held | |
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| | | 3a. | City Auditor - III-5, pg. 45
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 3b. | Law Department - VIII-1, pg. 135
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 3c. | Property and Casualty Insurance - VIII-2, pg. 139
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 3d. | Court Judgments - VIII-3, pg. 141
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | Vice-Chairperson Councilor Gaffney moved for a roll call to have the Standing Committee on Finance recess into executive session to discuss litigation strategy with respect to recommended appropriations for the Law Department. (As requested by the Communication of the City Manager, Item #12b, on the Tuesday, May 31, 2016 City Council agenda)
Motion adopted on a roll call vote of 9 Yeas and 0 Nays (Mero-Carlson, Petty absent).
Mayor Petty reconvened the Standing Committee on Finance into Open Session at 8:02 P.M.
Budget Approved | |
| 4. | FY 2017 Budget Hearing - Fire Department | |
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| | | 4a. | Fire Department - X-1, pg. 165 | View Budget | | | | | | | Motion Lukes @ 4a – That $81,000 be cut from the Fire Department Ordinary Maintenance budget for the purchase of turn out gear, and further, request City Manager fund this purchase through the Capital budget.
Motion denied on a roll call vote of 2 Yeas (Gaffney, Lukes) and 9 Nays (Bergman, Economou, King, Mero-Carlson, Rivera, Rosen, Russell, Toomey, Petty).
Mayor Petty moved for a roll call on the Fire Department budget.
Budget approved on a roll call vote of 9 Yeas (Bergman, Economou, King, Mero-Carlson, Rivera, Rosen, Russell, Toomey, Petty) and 2 Nays (Gaffney, Lukes) | |
| 5. | FY 2017 Budget Hearings - Health and Human Services Department | |
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| | | 5a. | Health and Human Services - V-1, pg. 69 (Administration, Veteran Services, Human Rights and Disabilities and Youth Services) | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a breakdown of costs associated with providing regional health services to the various towns versus what revenue and grants we receive as a result of those services. (Russell) | |
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| | | 5b. | Public Health - V-2, pg. 75 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 5c. | Elder Affairs - V-3, pg. 85 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
| 6. | FY 2017 Budget Hearings - City Manager's Office | |
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| | | 6a. | City Manager's Office - IV-1, pg. 55 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 6b. | Contingency - IV-2, pg. 61 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
| 7. | FY 2017 Budget Hearings - Human Resources | |
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| | | 7a. | Human Resources - VII-1, pg. 117 | View Budget | | | | | | | Motion Gaffney @ 7a – That $75,000 be cut from the Human Resources Department budget.
Motion held as a result of the budget being held.
Budget Held - Bergman | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how much has been paid to outside legal consultants during FY 2016. (Lukes) | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how much has been spent on professional development, training, and retention costs associated with the Human Resources Department during FY 2016. (Lukes) | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report as to what the impact of a cut would have to the Human Resources Department budget, especially concerning a cut to outside legal counsel. (Bergman) | |
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| | | 7b. | Worker's Compensation & Public Safety IOD - VII-2, pg. 123 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 7c. | Unemployment Compensation - VII-3, pg. 127 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 7d. | Health Insurance - VII-4, pg. 129 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
| 8. | FY 2017 Budget Hearings - Administration and Finance | |
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| | | 8a. | Finance (Administration, Budget and Treasurer and Collector, Purchasing) - XV-1, pg. 247 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 8b. | Assessing - XV-2, pg. 255 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager request the City Assessor provide City Council with a report concerning what effect improving the status of various bodies of water throughout the City may have on abutting properties’ values. (Bergman) | | | | Request City Manager request the City Assessor provide City Council with a report concerning the number of tax exempt properties in the City, excluding government owned properties. (Bergman) | | | | Request City Manager consider implementing a tax amnesty program to tax delinquent property owners. (Economou) | |
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| | | 8c. | Technical Services - XV-3, pg. 261 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 8d. | City Energy and Asset Management - XV-4, pg. 267 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report detailing the cost of installing solar panels at Sullivan Middle School, whether it was reimbursed, if it is really saving money, if the City plans to do the installations at other municipal buildings, and whether or not the City Energy and Asset Management division has jurisdiction over the school department in this matter. (Lukes) | |
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| | | 8e. | Debt Service Principal & Interest - XV-5, pg. 271 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Held - Gaffney | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report regarding whether or not there is any excess funds that could be cut regarding debt services associated with North High School and still meet obligations. (Lukes) | |
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| | | 8f. | Pension Obligation Bonds - XV-6, pg. 281 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager request City Auditor provide City Council with a report detailing the net differential and return on investments associated with the pension obligation bonds. (Gaffney) | | | | Request City Manager request City Auditor provide City Council with a report, in terms of dollars, how much of Retirement Board’s obligations have been transferred over to PRIM, how much the City is responsible for, and what the return has been on investment in both categories. (Lukes) | |
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| | | 8g. | DCU Center - XV-7, pg. 285 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
| 9. | FY 2017 Budget Hearing - Five Point Plan Funds | |
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| | | 9a. | Five Point Plan Funds - XVI-1, pg. 289 | View Budget | | | | | | | Motion Toomey @9a – Request City Manager provide City Council with a report outlining how much saving were realized by front loading payments towards debt. – Not Put
Budget Held - Gaffney | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning what costs were charged to the North High School construction fund over the last three years and whether there are extra funds available that could be used to lower the tax rate. (Lukes) | |
| 10. | FY 2017 Budget Hearing - Line Item Budget | |
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| | | 10a. | Line Item Budget - XVII-1, pg. 293 | View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Held - Petty | |
| 11. | Fiscal Year 2017 Budget | |
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| | | 11a. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget proposal.
# 8.36A CM May 10, 2016
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
| 12. | Communications of the City Manager | |
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| | | 12a. | Transmitting informational communication relative to an estimated assessor's tax recap using the proposed FY16 tax levy with current real estate assessed values and actual FY15 assessed values.
# 8.23A CM June 09, 2015
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 12b. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the Bond Anticipation Notes (BAN) rating.
# 8.28A CM June 09, 2015
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 12c. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the FY16 Capital Improvement Plan.
# 9.24A CM June 23, 2015
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 12d. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the number of new and vacant positions.
# 9.36D CM May 24, 2016 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
| 13. | Communications of the City Auditor | |
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| | | 13a. | Transmitting unaudited financial reports on the budgetary basis for results of operations in Fiscal Year 2015 for the General and Enterprise Funds (Schedules A through B-3). Also attached are summaries of the activities in the Special Revenue, Capital Project, Debt Service and Trust Funds (Schedules C-1 through C-5).
# 11a CC November 10, 2015
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 13b. | Transmitting the Monthly Report on the Status of the City Budget.
# 10a CC May 10, 2016
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 13c. | Transmitting report concerning recommendations as to where cuts may be made in the City's budget.
# 10b CC May 10, 2016
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 13d. | Transmitting a corrected copy of the Monthly Report on the Status of the City Budget.
# 10d CC May 10, 2016
In Committee May 17, 2016 - Held
In Committee May 24, 2016 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 13e. | Transmitting Actuarial Valuation and Review of the Worcester Retirement System (WRS) as of January 1, 2016.
# 10a CC May 24, 2016 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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| | | 13f. | Transmitting the monthly report on the status of the City budget.
# 10b CC May 24, 2016 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold | |
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