CITY OF WORCESTER
CITY CLERK DEPARTMENT
JOURNAL
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
– MARCH 25, 2003
7:00 P.M.
Convened: 7:04 P.M.
Adjourned: 7:55 P.M.
1. INVOCATION – Rabbi Herschel Fogelman
Congregation Tifereth Israel
2. PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE/STAR SPANGLED BANNER
3. ROLL
CALL – All present
4 –
Hearing reconvened – Ordinance Committee voted to accept the recommendation of
the Planning Board and recommend approval
4. REPORT OF THE PLANNING
BOARD Upon the Communication of the City Manager requesting to amend the
Floodplain Overlay District portion of the City of Worcester Zoning Ordinance
to reflect the new Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) that are effective January
16, 2003. (Recessed from March 18,
2003) (Attachments)
5. ITEMS
OF CITIZEN INTEREST
5a. ITEMS
OF DEPARTMENTAL OR EMPLOYEE INTEREST
6-10
REFERRED TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
6. Leo Bullard request abatement of Sewer Assessment #30880 in
the amount of $2,052.00 on Norton St. (Attachments)
7. Richard & Constance Bombard request abatement of Sewer
Assessment #30867 in the amount of $1,485.80 on Utah St. (Attachments)
8. Richard & Constance Bombard request abatement of Sewer
Assessment #30862 in the amount of $4,957.48 on Duluth St. (Attachments)
9. Richard & Constance Bombard request abatement of Sewer
Assessment #30866 in the amount of $1,140.00 on Utah St. (Attachments)
10. Richard & Constance Bombard request abatement of Sewer
Assessment #30875 in the amount of $2,280.00 on Duluth St. (Attachments)
10a. Councillor Barbara Haller request repaving of Lewis St. Referred to Public Works Committee –
Suspension of Rules (Attachments)
11
& 12 REFERRED TO TRAFFIC & PARKING COMMITTEE
11. Leo Rossi request No Parking from 365 Lake Ave. to corner of
Randolph St. (Attachments)
12. Councillor Stephen Abraham & Councillor Barbara Haller
request an additional No Parking zone be added to the existing corner clearance
on both sides of Fairfield St. at the intersection of May St. in the interest
of public safety. (Attachments)
13 - Councillor Haller
recused on a roll call 9-0 (Patton absent) Hearing set for April 1, 2003 – 7:00
P.M.
13. MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY for cable and conduit system
on: CHANDLER ST. (Attachments)
14 – Ruled out of order by the Mayor
14. Ronal C. Madnick, Executive Director, Worcester County Chapter,
ACLU of Massachusetts request City Council request the Massachusetts
Congressional Delegation work for the repeal of sections of the USA Patriot Act
that threaten the civil liberties and civil rights protection that are the
hallmarks of our constitutional system.
(Attachments)
15
FROM ELDER AFFAIRS - Adopted
15. Request Administration to provide City Council with an update
concerning strategy, planning and construction at the Senior Center’s 1926
building, including a reference to any emergency maintenance. (Attachments)
16-21 FROM ETHNIC & MINORITY AFFAIRS - Adopted
16. Request Administration report on what incentive programs are
being offered by the City regarding home ownership by City employees. (Attachments)
17. Request Administration update City Council on communications
with area colleges relative to Assessment Centers. (Attachments)
18. Request Administration to provide City Council with the last
relevant information received from the Secretary of State’s Office relative to
Census 2000 neighborhood data. (Attachments)
19. Request School Department to consider posting their ADA
transition plan or summary thereof on the City’s web site. (Attachments)
20. Request Administration report on the status of the City’s ADA
compliance and if compliance is in jeopardy due to the City’s financial
limitations. (Attachments)
21. Request Administration to provide an update on the status of the
Marshall “Major” Taylor statue. (Attachments)
22-28 FROM MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Adopted
22. Request City Treasurer report to City Council how cash receipts
are processed by all departments. (Attachments)
23. Request City Manager to provide City Council with a report on
his recommended future short and long term use of Worcester Memorial Auditorium
and the G.A.R. Hall. (Attachments)
24. Request City Manager to consider recommending to City Council
the same attendance rules for all Boards and Commissions that have been
recommended in the re-organization plan establishing the Commission on People
with Disabilities. (Attachments)
25. Request City Manager to consider making the Commissioner of
Public Health an ex-officio member of the Board of Health and also consider
qualifying the Commissioner as a voting member of said board in those instances
when a tie vote of the remaining four members occurs, or to add another fifth
member to the Board. Also, to consider
requiring that a certain number of appointments to the Health Board be of
people whose professional qualification might add to the expertise being
offered in service to the City. (Attachments)
26. Request Administration to consider offering additional training
for citizens appointed to Boards and Commissions. (Attachments)
27. Request City Manager to provide City Council with a flow chart
detailing how the payroll system works and whether it works the same for all
employees or departments. (Attachments)
28. Request City Auditor to provide City Council with an update on
future automation efficiencies, debt amortization and related costs. (Attachments)
29-33 FROM PUBLIC SAFETY - Adopted
29. Request Administration report to City Council any improvements
that have been made to the South Division, Brown Square and Grove St. Fire
Headquarters facilities since 1995. (Attachments)
30. Request Administration to provide City Council with a listing of
any and all properties owned by any entity of the City of Worcester in the
vicinity of Franklin St. between Grafton St. and Brown Sq. (Attachments)
31. Request Administration to immediately repair the stairway at the
Grove St. Fire Headquarters in the interest of the personal safety of fire
personnel. (Attachments)
32. Request Administration report to City Council their projected
increase in the number of runs from South Division, Brown Sq. and Grove St.
Fire Headquarters in the event the Central St. facility is closed. (Attachments)
33. Request Administration report to City Council results of any
engineering study and associated cost estimates of work to be performed at the
South Division, Brown Sq. and Grove St. Fire Headquarters facilities so as to
accommodate additional fire personnel and equipment, on both a short-term and
long-term basis. (Attachments)
34. Request Election Commission to conduct voter registration
sessions in the major housing complexes, large supermarkets and at Post Offices
throughout the City during those times of the year when election-related
activities at City Hall are slow.
(Palmieri) (Attachments)
Adopted
35. Request Administration provide City Council with a chart
comparing parking rates in the downtown for metered parking, public and private
garage parking and at the Worcester Common Outlets Mall. (Palmieri) (Attachments)
Adopted
36. Request Administration to engage the owner/operators of the
garages at the Worcester Common Outlets Mall to encourage them to lower parking
rates for shoppers. (Palmieri) (Attachments)
Adopted
37. Request Administration to provide City Council with an update on
the Exeter and Gates St. bridge repairs, to include anticipated completion
dates. (Haller) (Attachments)
Adopted
38. Request City Manager consider filing a home rule petition for
the establishment of an early retirement plan.
(Clancy, Perotto) (Attachments)
Adopted
39. Request Administration report on revenues, transfers,
expenditures and reserves, specifying monies spent on salaries, repairs and
capital improvements of the Off-Street Parking Board and to request that the
Board meet with the City Council Standing Committee on Traffic and
Parking. (Lukes, Clancy) (Attachments)
Adopted
– Also referred to Traffic & Parking Committee
40. Request Administration contact the owners of the Vendome
property about the feasibility of locating a Police Department work station at
the corner of Chandler St. and Murray Ave.
(Murray) (Attachments)
Adopted
41. Request Administration to suggest ways to reduce noise pollution
from more-than-loud car radios and excessively loud motorcycles. (Haller)
(Attachments)
Councillor Palmieri moved to amend: Further, request
Administration set a decibel rate that would be legal in order for the Police
Department to regulate noise levels in a way that would help the neighborhoods
Mayor Murray moved to amend: Further, request Administration provide current noise regulations
that are in place
42. Request Administration report on the experience of other
Massachusetts cities in privatizing their public garages. (Lukes) (Attachments)
Adopted
43. Request Administration report on the feasibility of privatizing
one or more of the City’s public garages.
(Lukes) (Attachments)
Adopted
44. Request Administration to contact Congressman James McGovern
with regards to HR 138, a rural telecommunications bill that will provide
funding to cities and towns for the improvement of local infrastructure. (Petty)
(Attachments)
Adopted
45. Request Administration report to City Council concerning
businesses that are owned in whole or in part by residents of the city. (Petty) (Attachments)
Adopted
45a. That the first sentence of Rule 33 of the
Rules of the City Council be amended to read:
No petition, remonstrance, resolution or other
communication which deals with personalities or with
matters not within the general supervision and/or relating to city government
shall
be considered by the City Council. Motion-Murray @ #14CC
Councillor Patton moved to refer to the Rules &
Regulations Committee – Denied on a roll call 1 Yea (Patton) – 10 Nays
Rule change proposed on a roll call vote 10 Yeas – 1
Nay (Patton) (Attachments)
45b. Request City Manager to consider keeping in tact the five Police
Officers that are part of the Community Service Division. Motion-Perotto @ #46CC – Adopted (Attachments)
45c. Request City Manager to provide a report detailing the cutbacks in
each area of the Police Department. Motion-Clancy
@ #46CC – Adopted (Attachments)
45d. Request City Manager to present City Council with the pending list
of petitions for private street maintenance and to attach to that list the
current cost for said private street maintenance and to report what was
achieved last November. Clancy –
Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
45e. Request City Manager to provide a report on the summary of changes
on the Flood Plain Insurance Map from 1980 to the present, in particular, any
change that took place in 1995 that would effect the decision of January 16,
2003 of the Planning Board. Perotto
– Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
45f. Request City Manager to consider providing community policing in
the Wall St. area for the purpose of public safety. Perotto, Palmieri – Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
45g. Request City Manager to pick up leaves in the Grafton St. area to
include Dell Ave., Fairmont Ave., Pilgrim Ave., Ingleside Ave., Almont Ave. and
Dartmouth St. Perotto, Palmieri –
Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
45h. Request City Manager to look into the condition of the private
portion of Drexel St. Abraham –
Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
45i. Request City Manager to provide leaf pick up on Bay Ridge
Rd. Murray – Suspension of Rules –
Adopted (Attachments)
45j. Request Administration to report on the top ten problem private
streets. Murray – Suspension of
Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
46. Thomas R. Hoover, City Manager transmitting communication
relative to the Community Services Unit.
(Attachments)
Referred
to Public Safety Committee
47. That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby joins with
cities across the United States in opposing the U.S. war on Iraq. We call on all governments, in particular,
the U.S. government to turn away from the military approach to resolving
conflicts and instead seek together to eliminate the root causes of conflict
and find their solutions by peaceful means for the common good of all. (Patton) (Attachments)
Given
leave to withdraw
48. RECESS
TO FINANCE AND ORDINANCE: No Action
Taken
FINANCE
a)
#7
CC January 14, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to Preliminary Budget Analysis for Fiscal 2004. (Attachments)
b) #5C CM
January 28, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to framework for a Local and State Fiscal Recovery. (Attachments)
c) #27 CC February 4,
2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to Governor’s State budget cuts to the City of Worcester. (Attachments)
d)
#26
CC February 4, 2003
James DelSignore, City
Auditor transmitting City of Worcester’s 2002 Comprehensive Annual Financial
Report.
e) #10 CC
February 11, 2003
James DelSignore, City
Auditor transmitting schedule of revenues for the first six months of Fiscal
2003 compared to the same period in Fiscal 2002 and indicates revenues to be
received for the entire year and revenues received for all of Fiscal 2002. (Attachments)
f) #4C
CM February 11, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to using $11,000,000.00 of the unused tax levy. (Attachments)
g)
#4A
CM March 4, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to the impact of $9,000,000 increase to the tax levy and the
lowest residential rate scenario. (Attachments)
h)
#5A
CM March 4, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager analyzing Governor Romney's FY04 budget. (Attachments)
i)
#5A
CM March 18, 2003
Communication of the City
Manager relative to decision solving the 2004 budget. (Attachments)
j)
#13CC March 18, 2003
James DelSignore, City
Auditor transmitting computation of the legal debt margin for the City of
Worcester as of February 28, 2003. (Attachments)
49-62
ACCEPTED
49. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ELDER AFFAIRS Upon the Communication
of the City Manager transmitting communication relative to collaboration with
Quinsigamond Community College: recommend Communication be placed on
file. (Attachments)
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ETHNIC & MINORITY AFFAIRS
Upon the following Petitions: recommend
Petitions be placed on file.
50. Jennifer O’Kere et al requesting a monument or statue be erected
and unveiled in the downtown Worcester Common in honor of Marshall “Major”
Taylor by February 1999. (Attachments)
51. Michael Galvin requesting to address the Council in regard to
false or misleading statements made by the WRA at the February 29 Council
meeting relative to Union Station platform accessibility.
52. John Cronin et al request Ethnic & Minority Affairs
Committee consider recommending to the City Manager an appropriation of
$250,000.00 annually from “free cash” reserves to fund projects outlined in the
ADA Transition Plan. (Attachments)
53. Mary LaBree et al requesting City Council to vote to establish a
Disability Commission in the City of Worcester as outlined in Chapter 40,
Section 8J of the Massachusetts General Laws.
(Attachments)
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON ETHNIC & MINORITY AFFAIRS
Upon the following Communications of the City Manager: recommend Communications be placed on
file.
54. Relative to Outreach to Afro-American Elders. (Attachments)
55. Relative to request for ADA Transition Report. (Attachments)
56. Relative to bilingual poll workers in voting locations of
Spanish speaking voters. (Attachments)
57. Relative to City’s residence incentives. (Attachments)
58. Relative to City’s policy regarding outside employment for
department heads. (Attachments)
59. Relative to Assessment Centers.
(Attachments)
60. Relative to Christino Hernandez former Human Rights Report. (Attachments)
61. Relative to formation of the City Manager’s Community Bias Task
Force. (Attachments)
62. Relative to Census 2000 neighborhood data released to date. (Attachments)
63 REFERRED TO ORDINANCE COMMITTEE FOR A HEARING
63. REPORT OF THE PLANNING BOARD Upon the Petition of Walter
Dauderis requesting a portion of Woodcliffe Ave. from it’s current terminus to
20 Woodcliffe Ave. be restored to the Official Map. (Attachments)
63a ACCEPTED & ORDER ADOPTED – SUSPENSION OF RULES
63a. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS Upon the Petition of
Joseph Panarelli & Deluxe Homes requesting to extend water main on Epworth
St. Extension approximately 55’ to tie into Lots 1 and 2 on Assessors Map 26,
Block 29. To be done at petitioner’s
expense and in accordance with a prior agreement: recommend adoption of the accompanying Order. (Attachments)
64-72
ORDAINED ON A ROLL CALL 11-0
64. Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to rescind parking meters on Harvard St. from Walnut St. to Bowdoin
St. (Attachments)
Amending Section 40 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances
of 1996 to provide for resident permit parking on Harvard St. from Walnut St.
to Bowdoin St. (Attachments)
Amending Section 43 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances
of 1996 to revise the winter parking ban on Harvard St. from Walnut St. to
Bowdoin St. (Attachments)
65. Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to rescind parking meters on Chestnut St. from Elm St. to Bowdoin St. (Attachments)
Amending Section 40 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances
of 1996 to provide for resident permit parking on Chestnut St. from Elm St. to
Bowdoin St. (Attachments)
Amending Section 43 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances
of 1996 to revise the winter parking ban on Chestnut St. between Elm St. and
Bowdoin St. (Attachments)
66. Amending Section 29 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to provide for Stop sign on Moreland Green Dr. at Glenbrook Lane,
Ledgewood Lane to face east and westbound traffic.(Attachments)
Amending Section 29 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances
of 1996 to rescind Stop sign on Ledgewood Lane and Moreland Green Dr. facing
southbound traffic on Ledgewood Lane. (Attachments)
67. Amending Section 40 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to provide for resident permit parking on Channing St. from Kendall St. to
Catharine St. (Attachments)
68. Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to provide for handicap parking on Harvard St. near Walnut St. (Attachments)
69. Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to provide for handicap parking opposite 8 Everard St. (Attachments)
70. Amending Section 29 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to provide for Stop sign on Delawanda Dr. at the intersection of
Monticello Dr. to face northbound traffic on Delawanda Dr. (Attachments)
71. Amending Section 42 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to provide for one hour parking in front of 91 Salisbury St. (Attachments)
72. Amending Section 29 of Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances of
1996 to rescind Stop sign on Moreland Green Dr. at the intersection of
Greenside Lane and Greenview Lane facing east and westbound traffic on Moreland
Green Dr. (Attachments)
73. Communication of the City Manager relative to CIGNA – Letter –
Worcester Common Outlets. (Tabled December 17, 2002) (Attachments)
74. Motion Lukes as amended by Abraham – Request Administration to
contact CIGNA relative to the feasibility of linking up Front St. with
Washington Sq. and Shrewsbury St. and explore financial incentives that might
facilitate that. (Tabled December 17, 2002)
SCHEDULED MEETINGS OF THE
STANDING COMMITTEES
MARCH 25, 2003 PUBLIC WORKS
COUNCIL CHAMBER
6:30 P.M.
MARCH 26, 2003 PUBLIC SERVICE & COUNCIL CHAMBER
6:00
P.M. TRANSPORTATION
Re:
Development of a Telecommunications Master Plan for the City
APRIL 14, 2003 PUBLIC WORKS COUNCIL CHAMBER
7:00
P.M.
Re: Renaming of Millbury St. and the ramifications
to roadways in the
vicinity of the Blackstone Parkway