CITY OF WORCESTER
CITY CLERK DEPARTMENT
JOURNAL
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
– OCTOBER 22, 2002
7:00 P.M.
Convened: 7:15 P.M.
Adjourned: 8:13 P.M.
1. INVOCATION – Rev. Frank E. Wismer, III
St. Michael’s on the Heights Episcopal Church
2. PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE/STAR SPANGLED BANNER
3. ROLL
CALL – All present
Mayor Murray read a Proclamation proclaiming October as Energy Efficient Lighting Awareness Month in the City of Worcester
HEARING AND ORDER – 7:00
P.M.
4 & 4a Councillor Haller recused on a
roll call 10-0
Hearing held
4. MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY & VERIZON NEW ENGLAND, INC. for a joint pole re-location on: PLEASANT ST. (Attachments)
4a ORDER ADOPTED
4a. Granting permission to MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY &
VERIZON NEW ENGLAND, INC. for a joint pole re-location on: PLEASANT ST.
5. ITEMS
OF CITIZEN INTEREST
5a. ITEMS
OF DEPARTMENTAL OR EMPLOYEE INTEREST
6 TO REFERRED PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
6. Councillor
Paul P. Clancy, Jr. request resurfacing of Revere St. (Attachments)
7-13 REFERRED TO TRAFFIC & PARKING
COMMITTEE
7. Milton Rosenberg et al request speed bumps on Lovell St.
between Chandler St. and Brownell St. (Attachments)
8. Milton Rosenberg et al request 20 MPH, Children Playing and
Thickly Populated signs on both sides of Lovell St. between Chandler St. and
Brownell St. (Attachments)
9. Leah DeLuca request handicap parking at 52 Stockton St. (Attachments)
10. Councillor Paul P. Clancy, Jr. request “No Parking” on even side
of Revere St. (Attachments)
11. Tracey Burg et al request “Children Slow” signs with 20 MPH
suggested speed limit signs along Flagg St. from 95-201, Asbury Rd. and Barr
St. (Attachments)
12. Tracey Burg et al request speed bumps on Flagg St. from 95-201,
Asbury Rd. and Barr St. (Attachments)
13. Councillor Konstantina B. Lukes on behalf of John Rano request a
traffic study of the location of the currently installed traffic signalization
at the McDonald’s Restaurant adjacent to the intersection of Shrewsbury/Belmont
St. (Attachments)
14-19 FROM LAND USE - ADOPTED
14. Request Administration to comment on the Planning Board’s
communication concerning the following points:
a) In residential zones, that a side yard setback of 9 ft. be
established; b) That in BG-6.0 zones all first floor uses be required to be
retail; c) That in BG-6.0 zones a cap be placed on the minimum frontage for
residential uses; d) That all business zones should have a minimum lot size of
5,000 sq. ft.; e) That a recommendation be made concerning prohibiting required
parking in the front yards of residential zones in a certain front yard
setback; f) That consideration be given to the creation of a BG-20 zone. (Attachments)
15. Request Administration to provide City Council with a report
clarifying information contained in the Sign table. (Attachments)
16. Request Administration to provide City Council with a
clarification between the definitions “parking structure” and “garage private”
as they appear in the Zoning Ordinance. (Attachments)
17. Request Administration to provide City Council with an
explanation of the reference to a Neighborhood Preservation District as it
appears in the Zoning Ordinance. (Attachments)
18. Request Administration to provide City Council with a summary
concerning the changes of jurisdiction from the Zoning Board of Appeals to the
Planning Board. (Attachments)
19. Request Administration to provide City Council with an
explanation of the term cooperative residence in comparison to a
fraternity/sorority and rooming house. (Attachments)
20-26 FROM MILITARY AFFAIRS - ADOPTED
20. Request City Manager to inform City Council of how BAS and BAH
are calculated for those city employees on active duty. (Attachments)
21. Request City Manager to inform City Council on how many city
employees are on active duty status. (Attachments)
22. Request City Manager to provide City Council with information
about the health services provided to veterans in the ten largest cities in New
England. (Attachments)
23. Request Administration to add information directing motorists to
the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial to the various “streetscape” type
signs in the east, north and south sides of the City.(Attachments)
24. Request City Manager to provide City Council with a summary of
his October 25, 2002 meeting with Congressman McGovern.
25. Request City Manager to consider inquiring about the use of
Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts and/or Tobacco Settlement funds for
providing better health services to the veterans of Central Massachusetts. (Attachments)
26. Request City Manager to provide City Council with a listing of
the veteran’s clinics and hospitals located throughout New England. (Attachments)
27. Request City Manager to consider the feasibility of applying an
overlay zone in the Quinsigamond Village area that would match the recently
completed plan for the area. (Clancy) (Attachments)
28. Request Administration to provide City Council with the current
status of enforcement of the No Smoking Ordinance at Union Station platform
area. (Patton) (Attachments)
29. Request Administration to report on current status and recent
performance of all city trust funds, including Library, Schools and any other
entities. This information should
include trust fund name, purpose, trustees, manager(s), current balance, prior
year performance and allocations – indicating city department or other purpose.
(Patton) (Attachments)
30. Request Administration provide City Council with an update on
improvements to the Barnyard Zoo at Green Hill Park. (Palmieri) (Attachments)
31. Request Administration provide City Council with any efforts
made to date concerning the issue of relocating the overnight parking of trains
to a facility that would not interfere with our residential neighborhoods. (Palmieri) (Attachments)
32. Request Administration submit a legal opinion regarding the
powers, duties and membership of a commission/committee created pursuant to MGL
Chapter 40, Section 8j and a commission/committee created pursuant to Article 6
of the City Charter. (Lukes) (Attachments)
33. Request Administration submit a legal opinion on what impact the
Patriot Act has upon the policies and procedures of the Human Rights Commission
or any other City department. (Lukes) (Attachments)
Referred to City Solicitor for report
33a. Request Administration to report on what City departments are
currently in compliance with the Patriot Act and in what manner those
departments are implementing that Act. Motion-Lukes @ #33CC – Adopted (Attachments)
33b. Request City Manager be and is hereby requested to move forward to
the 25% design phase for the Union Station garage at the east end of
I-290 or other alternative location. Motion-Perotto
@ #35CC – Adopted (Attachments)
33c. That the City Council hereby makes a
commitment to making a
decision based upon the best information available
relative to the
parking garage for Union Station, no later than year
end. Motion-Irish @ #35CC – Adopted
(Attachments)
33d. Request Administration to report at the next City Council meeting
on the status of negotiations regarding the potential purchase of the land at
the Circuit Ave. Knights of Columbus. Abraham, Murray – Suspension of Rules –
Adopted (Attachments)
33e. Request Administration to report on who, if any, of the City’s
retirees under the Early Retirement Program are working for the School
Department and receiving their retirement at the same time. Lukes
– Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
33f. Request City Manager to consider filing a home rule petition
changing the status of provisional employees to permanent employees. Perotto
– Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
33g. Request City Manager to provide a report at the next City Council
meeting concerning the Chestnut St. housing project. Perotto – Suspension of
Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
33h. Request Administration forward to City Council the preliminary
plan for the Canal District. Clancy – Suspension of Rules – Adopted
33i. Request Traffic Engineer continue to monitor the traffic levels
on Country Club Boulevard. Patton – Suspension of Rules – Adopted
33j. Request Traffic Engineer to monitor and enforce truck limit on
Melrose St. Further, request proper
signage approaching Melrose St. to make trucks aware of the weight limit on
Melrose St. Palmieri – Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
33k. Request City Clerk to contact Jim Connolly of the Elm Park PREP
Plus Neighborhood Crime Watch for future recognition by the City Council. Murray
– Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
33L. Request City Manager to provide City Council with a history of the
process of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board relative to the
Knox St./Webster St. development. Petty – Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
33m. Request City Manager to report at the next City Council meeting on
the Traffic Engineer’s recommendations for traffic improvements on Millbrook
St. at the intersection of Burncoat St.
Murray, Palmieri – Suspension of
Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
33n. Request Administration to increase No Parking/Cars Will Be Towed
signage in front of Union Station. Murray – Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
34. Thomas R. Hoover, City Manager transmitting communication
relative to the Worcester Center Boulevard Parking Garage. (Attachments)
35. Thomas R. Hoover, City Manager transmitting communication
relative to the Union Station Parking Garage adjacent to I-290. (Attachments)
36. Roberta Schaeffer, Executive Director, Worcester Regional
Research Bureau transmitting The 2000 Census:
Income and Educational Attainment in Worcester and the Region. (Attachments)
37 FROM MILITARY AFFAIRS - ADOPTED
37. That the City Council of the City of Worcester go on record urging our Congressional Representative to expend his best efforts towards maintaining and improving upon medical services provided to the veterans of Central Massachusetts. (Attachments)
38. That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby supports
the monitoring of the implementation of the USA Patriot Act by the Worcester
Human Rights Commission. (Lukes) (Attachments)
40-44 ACCEPTED
40. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE Upon the Communication of the
City Manager relative to questions raised regarding the budget for the
Executive Office of Economic Development:
recommend Communication be placed on file. (Attachments)
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS Upon the
following Communications of the City Manager:
recommend Communications be placed on file.
41. Relative to feasibility of a VA hospital in the City of Worcester.
(Attachments)
42. Relative to the Commonwealth of Mass. Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
(Attachments)
43. Relative to putting wreaths at all Veterans Square Markers round
the City for both Memorial Day and Veterans Day. (Attachments)
44. REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD Upon the Petition of Councillor
Palmieri requesting removal of a 200’ section of the private portion of Nonquit
St. between Coburn Ave. and Palisades St. from the Official Map. (Attachments)
45
& 46 REFERRED TO ORDINANCE COMMITTEE FOR A HEARING
45. REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD Upon the Petition of Sara Burtt
& Glenn Seaver requesting to extend the RL-7 zone line to the northerly
property line of 1 Redfield Rd. (Attachments)
46. REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD Upon the Petition of Attorney
Samuel DeSimone on behalf of Mercer Properties requesting to change the Zoning
Map of the City of Worcester from MG-2 to BG-2 by extending the BG-2 zone on
the southerly side of Shrewsbury St. at the intersection with Casco St.,
easterly along Shrewsbury St. to the intersection of Shrewsbury St. and Putnam
Lane, southerly by Putnam Lane to Nebraska St., westerly by Nebraska St.
approximately 225’, southerly by property of Richard Adams to terminus of
Albany St., westerly along Albany St. approximately 1,200’ to intersection with
Casco St., northerly by Casco St. along BG-2 zone line approximately 450’ to
the point of beginning. (Attachments)
47 & 48 REFERRED
TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
47. REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD Upon the Petition of Linda Gariffo
et al requesting to make public Dixfield St. (Attachments)
48. REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD Upon the Petition of John Sposato
requesting to make public the private portion of Trent Rd. (Attachments)
48a ACCEPTED &
ORDER ADOPTED (Suspension of Rules)
48a. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS Upon the Petition of
Richard Hopkins, Graves Engineering, Inc. on behalf of Peter Lewis requesting
90’ extension of existing gravity sanitary sewer main on Waban Ave. to provide
service to 10 Waban Ave.: recommend
adoption of the accompanying Order. (Attachments)
49 & 50 ACCEPTED
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON YOUTH, PARKS AND RECREATION Upon
the following Communications of the City Manager: recommend Communications be placed on file.
49. Relative to the Goddard Memorial Project. (Attachments)
50. Relative to the status of Goddard Memorial funding. (Attachments)
51 ORDAINED ON A ROLL CALL 11-0
51. Amending the City of Worcester Zoning Ordinance and Map relative to the creation of an Adaptive Reuse Overlay District. (Attachments)
52 Voted to advertise proposed amended Loan
Order on a roll call 11-0
52. Communication of the City Manager recommending that the Loan Order adopted January 29, 2002 that appropriated the sum of $2,850,000.00 to Account #91C716, Union Station and authorized the borrowing of said sum pursuant to Chapter 121B of the General Laws, or any other enabling authority and subsequently appropriated into Account #04C702, Union Station Rehabilitation, is hereby amended to provide that $175,000.00 of said sum be appropriated to:
ACCOUNT DESCRIPTION AMOUNT
04C710
Worcester Center Blvd. Garage
$175,000.00
to provide capital
rehabilitation funds for the rehabilitation of the Worcester Center Blvd.
Garage, including costs incidental and related thereto and that the said
$175,000.00 shall be raised by transfer of $175,000.00 previously borrowed
pursuant to the said Loan Order adopted on January 29, 2002. (Attachments)
53. Communication of the City Manager relative to Average
Assessments and Tax Bills. (Tabled October 15, 2002) (Attachments)
SCHEDULED MEETINGS OF THE
STANDING COMMITTEES
OCTOBER 21, 2002 ELDER AFFAIRS
COUNCIL CHAMBER
5:00 –
6:00 P.M.
OCTOBER 21, 2002 PUBLIC WORKS
COUNCIL CHAMBER
6:00
P.M.
OCTOBER 22, 2002 HEALTH
COUNCIL CHAMBER
5:30
P.M.
OCTOBER 22, 2002 FEES & CHARGES
COUNCIL CHAMBER
6:30 –
7:00 P.M.
OCTOBER 24, 2002 LAND USE
COUNCIL CHAMBER
7:00
P.M.
Re: Proposed
Zoning Ordinance
Cluster/Inclusionary Zoning, Density Bonuses, Continuing Care
Retirement Communities
OCTOBER 28, 2002 TRAFFIC & COUNCIL CHAMBER
6:00 P.M.
PARKING
OCTOBER 30, 2002 PUBLIC SAFETY
COUNCIL CHAMBER
6:00
P.M.
NOVEMBER 12, 2002 HEALTH
COUNCIL CHAMBER
5:30
P.M.
NOVEMBER 14, 2002 LAND USE
COUNCIL CHAMBER
7:00 P.M.
Re: Proposed
Zoning Ordinance
Design
Review, Conservation
NOVEMBER 18, 2002 TRAFFIC &
COUNCIL CHAMBER
6:00
P.M. PARKING