CITY OF WORCESTER | Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee Meeting | Wednesday, September 28, 2022 | Esther Howland (South) Chamber | Convened: 6:03 P.M. | Adjourned: 7:57 P.M. |
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Mayor
Joseph M. Petty | 
www.worcesterma.gov |
Clerk of the City Council
Nikolin Vangjeli | Committee Members | | Chairperson Khrystian E King | | Vice Chairperson George J Russell | | Councilor Sean M Rose |
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City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts | |
| Present Were: | Chairperson Councilor Khrystian E King
Councilor George J Russell
Councilor Sean M Rose, who particapted in the meeting remotely | | | | | Also: | Acting City Manager Eric D Batista
Assistant City Manager Hung Nguyen
City Solicitor Michael Traynor
Deputy City Clerk Stephen AJ Pottle, clerk | | | |
| 1. | Virtual Attendee Call-In Information | |
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| | | 1a. | Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021 and in order to ensure active, public engagement, the City of Worcester currently allows for both in-person and remote participation at all City Council and Standing Committee meetings. To partake in the meeting, you may attend the meeting in-person within the meeting location, follow the below link to join via Zoom or dial the direct line as indicated.
Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/93823030890
Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee Zoom Phone Number: (929) 205 6099
Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee Zoom Access Code: 938 2303 0890 | Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor King recognized the following speakers:
1. David Coyne, Worcester resident, spoke in favor of items #5a and #5b
2. Fred Taylor, Worcester resident, spoke in favor of items #5a and #5b
3. Linda Michel, Worcester resident, spoke in favor of items #5a and #5b | |
| 2. | Approval of the Minutes | |
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| | | 2a. | Order - That the City Council Standing Committee of Municipal and Legislative Operations hereby approves the minutes of the Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee meeting of August 24, 2022. | View Agenda | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor King read the item and moved for a roll call vote to adopt the order. Order adopted on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays | |
| 3. | Communication of the City Clerk | |
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| | | 3a. | Transmitting an informational communication pertaining to the creation of the City Archive, including the future location of the archive at 61 Sever Street (the old Becker College Library).
# 13b CC February 1, 2022 | Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor King read the item and recognized the Deputy City Clerk, who discussed information concerning the city archive project.
Chairperson Councilor King discussed costs associated with the creation of city archive with the Deputy City Clerk.
Chairperson Councilor King brought forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Clerk provide City Council with report concerning the next steps associated with creating the city’s archive, including costs associated with said project.
Chairperson Councilor King recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed public accessibility of city census and voter registration data with the Deputy City Clerk.
Chairperson Councilor King recognized Councilor Rose, who discussed the liability relative to an antiquated archival system and how the liability is mitigated by moving to a modern archival system with the Deputy City Clerk.
Chairperson Councilor King moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be filed. Recommend File on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Clerk provide City Council with a report concerning the next steps associated with creating the city’s archive, including costs associated with said project. | |
| 4. | Communications of the City Manager | |
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| | | 4a. | Transmitting informational communication relative to an update of an executive order to address and assess institutional and structural racism.
# 21a CC February 15, 2022 | Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor King read the item and moved to take the item up collectively with item #4b, #4c and #5c.
Chairperson Councilor King recognized the Acting City Manager, who discussed the equity audits, the search for a Chief Diversity Officer, the list of completed audits, timeline concerning police department audit, the establishment of the Police Chief Equity Advisory Council, funding for social health workers to work alongside police officers and the Paid Firefighter Cadet Program with the Acting City Manager.
Chairperson Councilor King brought forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager provide City Council with a report updating City Council as to actions taken concerning the executive order to address and assess institutional racism.
Chairperson Councilor King recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed the plans concerning the RFP process for Chief Diversity Officer, position concerning state legislation lobbyist and private street conversion legislation with the Acting City Manager.
Chairperson Councilor King brought forth the following two (2) Chairman’s Orders: 1) Request City Manager provide City Council with a report as to the status of state legislation relative to private street conversion; and 2) Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how the city’s Executive Order to address and assess institutional and structural racism has impacted the city’s Police Department.
Chairperson Councilor King then discussed challenges concerning hiring personnel, changes made to the hiring process by HR and usage of Circa website for Diversity Recruitment Initiative with the Acting City Manager.
Chairperson Councilor King brought forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the city’s usage of Circa/DiversityJobs.com as part of a diversity recruitment initiative.
Chairperson Councilor King moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be filed. Recommend File on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report updating City Council as to actions taken concerning the executive order to address and assess institutional racism. | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report as to the status of state legislation relative to private street conversion. | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how the city’s Executive Order to address and assess institutional and structural racism has impacted the city’s Police Department. | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the city’s usage of Circa/DiversityJobs.com as part of a diversity recruitment initiative. | |
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| | | 4b. | Transmitting informational communication relative to proposed reforms and an executive order that acknowledges structural changes that will assist with eradicating institutional racism.
# 13b CC March 2, 2021
In Committee May 4, 2021 - Held
| Attachments | | | In Committee for informational purposes only | | |
| | | | | | Recommend File on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays (See Item #4a) | |
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| | | 4c. | Transmitting informational communication relative to a Diversity Recruitment Initiative – Circa/DiversityJobs.com.
# 8.3A CM January 25, 2022
In Committee June 22, 2022 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays (See Item #4a) | |
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| | | 4d. | Recommend adoption of an amendment to the City’s organizational ordinances to create the Urban Forestry Tree Commission.
# 9.8B CM October 19, 2021 | Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor King read the item and recognized the Deputy City Clerk, who spoke concerning the item.
Chairperson Councilor King recognized Councilor Rose and Councilor Russell, who spoke concerning the item.
Chairperson Councilor King brought forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning actions taken by the Urban Forestry Tree Commission since its creation.
Chairperson Councilor King moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be filed.
Recommend File on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning actions taken by the Urban Forestry Tree Commission since its creation. | |
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| | | 5a. | Order of Mayor Joseph M. Petty - Request City Council proceed forthwith with the selection of a permanent City Manager by initiating and completing a process for said selection to include the appointment of an Ad Hoc Committee, as outlined in Rule 50 of the Rules of City Council regarding Ad Hoc Committees, including the Mayor selecting the composition of said Ad Hoc Committee; the purpose of the committee being to determine the following:
1) The Ad Hoc Committee will exist until such a time that a permanent City Manager is appointed.
2) The inclusion of the following procedures:
A. Review of the prior processes used in the selection of a City Manager in 1993, 2004 and 2013-2014 and report to City Council regarding a timetable for the following steps:
i. Provide for an opportunity for community input relative to the search process for a permanent City Manager.
ii. Placement of an Request for Proposals (RFP) for a search firm to aid in the search process;
iii. Ad Hoc Committee to review of responses for said RFP; selection of a search firm and entering into a contract with said search firm.
iv. Ad Hoc Committee to provide the selected search firm with a copy of specifications and a job description for the permanent City Manager, including best practices used in other search processes;
v. Ad Hoc Committee to review the list of potential candidates for the permanent City Manager position, provided by the search firm in Executive Session, for interviewing said potential candidates in said Executive Session.
vi. Final referral of a recommendation of finalists to be interviewed in Open Session by the entire City Council, followed by a vote to determine the selection for the position of a permanent City Manager.
# 11a CC April 12, 2022
In Committee April 27, 2022 - Held
In Committee May 4, 2022 - Held
In Committee May 25, 2022 - Held
In Committee June 22, 2022 - Held
In Committee July 14, 2022 - Held
In Committee August 24, 2022 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor King read the item and discussed the timeline and the objectives of the RFP process with the Deputy City Clerk.
Chairperson Councilor King brought forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Clerk work with the Purchasing Agent to review the procured Request for Proposals (RFP) relative to selecting an executive search firm to aid in the selection of a permanent City Manager. Further, request City Clerk provide City Council with a report detailing next steps associated with working with a selected firm for said services, including costs associated with same.
Chairperson Councilor King recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed the purpose of a chairman’s order and ad-hoc committee, the reason behind the decision to give the Acting City Manager a 2-year contract, the challenges concerning municipal staffing vacancies and the process relative to previous search for city manager.
Chairperson Councilor King then discussed information relative to the firm chosen to carry out the search for the city manager and the diversity of the council and city government officials.
Chairperson Councilor King recognized Councilor Rose, who discussed community feedback concerning the RFP process and spoke in favor of continuing the process as planned.
Chairperson Councilor King moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be filed.
Recommend File on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Clerk work with the Purchasing Agent to review the procured Request for Proposals (RFP) relative to selecting an executive search firm to aid in the selection of a permanent City Manager. Further, request City Clerk provide City Council with a report detailing next steps associated with working with a selected firm for said services, including costs associated with same. | |
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| | | 5b. | Order of Councilor Thu Nguyen - Request City Council authorize and create a community ad-hoc committee to engage Worcester residents in the process of hiring a city manager, do community listening sessions in all five districts, and provide a report with feedback and data to city council.
# 11c CC April 12, 2022
In Committee April 27, 2022 - Held
In Committee May 4, 2022 - Held
In Committee May 25, 2022 - Held
In Committee July 14, 2022 - Held
In Committee August 24, 2022 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Chairperson Councilor King read the item and moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be held. Recommend Hold on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays | |
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| | | 5c. | Order of Councilor Khrystian E. King - Request Standing Committee on Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee hold a discussion regarding pending state legislation, including home rule petitions, impacting the city.
# 10c CC March 29, 2022
In Committee June 22, 2022 - Held
In Committee July 14, 2022 - Held
In Committee August 24, 2022 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend Hold on a roll call vote of 3 Yeas and 0 Nays (See Item #4a CC) | |
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