CITY OF WORCESTER
7:00 P.M.
Convened: 7:05 P.M.
Adjourned: 9:13 P.M.
1. INVOCATION – Deacon Paul Audette
Our Lady of
Loreto Church
2. PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE/STAR SPANGLED BANNER
3. ROLL CALL – All present except Councillors Gomez &
Perotto. Councillor Perotto arrived at 7:11 P.M. and Councillor Gomez arrived
at 7:26 P.M.
4. Communication of the City Manager relative to the CitySquare Project and the District Improvement Financing (DIF) law. (Attachments) Councillor Irish recused on a roll call 9-0 (Gomez absent) - Communication referred to Joint Commerce & Development and Public Works Committee
5. ITEMS
OF CITIZEN INTEREST
6
& 7 REFERRED TO PLANNING BOARD
6. Anthony Dascanio, Christine & James Bruso & Alice
Lareau request to extend BL-1 zone to include 800, 828 and 830 Grafton St. (Attachments)
7. Attorney Samuel DeSimone on behalf of owner of property at 651
Plantation St. request to change the Zoning Map of the City of Worcester from BL-1 to RG-5 by
extending the RG-5 zone from its current location on the property at 651
Plantation St. easterly to property’s frontage on Plantation St. (Attachments)
8-14 REFERRED TO PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
8. Joan Daughney request sidewalk repair in front of 2 Cardinal
Rd. (Attachments)
9. Sebouh & Ani Mardirossian request sidewalk repair on
Edgewood St. (Attachments)
10. Martha Grace request Cardinal Rd. be resurfaced. (Attachments)
11. Dat Huynh request sidewalk repair at 69 Fairfax Rd. (Attachments)
12. Hossein Haghanizadeh request to extend 8” sewer main and water
main on Orono St. for approximately 230’ at Petitioner’s expense. (Attachments)
13. Wayne Griffin request Public Works Department to reconstruct
sunken granite curbs in front of 994-996 Pleasant St. at corner of Dellwood Rd.
so as to disallow motor vehicles from driving up onto and across sidewalk area and
endangering pedestrians waiting at the Bus Stop. (Attachments)
14. Karen Carreiro request sidewalk repair on Cottage St. at corner
of 16 West St. (Attachments)
15 & 16 REFERRED TO TRAFFIC & PARKING COMMITTEE
15. Madeline Guardado request Blind Driveway sign at 48 ˝ Providence
St. (Attachments)
16. David
Hampton, Sr. request handicap parking at 20A Crescent St. (Attachments)
17
& 18 FROM JOINT COMMERCE & DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT -
ADOPTED
17. Request City Manager to consider use of Block Grant and/or other
grant sources to fund all five Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area
applications. (Attachments)
18. Request City Manager report as to how he might fund more
Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area applications. (Attachments)
19. Request City Manager report to City Council concerning the real
property and excise tax status of wireless service equipment that is mounted
atop tax-exempt structures and, assuming that taxes are assigned, to include a
description of the formula employed to calculate taxed amounts. (Haller)
(Attachments) Adopted
20. Request Administration to consider an amendment to the parking
requirements of the Zoning Ordinance so as to allow a relaxation of the parking
mandates for site specific businesses by establishing a special permit process
which provides for review and consideration of such criteria as neighborhood
needs and whether the business will be housed in new or old construction. (Lukes)
(Attachments)
Councillor Lukes moved to amend to read: Administration report on the
feasibility of adopting an amendment.
Order adopted, as amended
21. Request City Manager to post on a daily basis on the front page
of the City of Worcester web site the whereabouts of road closings and lane
reductions across the City due to construction; highlighting those activities
in the Central Business District that impede rush hour commutes. (Petty)
(Attachments) Adopted
22. Request City Manager to consider establishing a Landfill Fund
Advisory Committee that would make recommendations on how revenues would
benefit the area. (Clancy) (Attachments) Adopted
23. Request Administration to contact the salvage yard owners on
Granite St. to determine if cooperative efforts could be developed to clear the
area of automotive debris that litters the street. (Clancy) (Attachments) Adopted
24. Request Administration report on what methods and strategies
will be implemented to produce 20% of the electricity used for municipal
operations from clean renewable sources by the year 2010. (Lukes) (Attachments) Adopted
25. Request Administration report on the feasibility of adopting Green
Building Zoning Ordinances, including adoption of the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design Program (LEED) for all new projects, buildings, including
city owned facilities and leaseholds. (Lukes) (Attachments) Adopted
26. Request Administration report on what corporate entities will be
parties to the CitySquare Project and what collateral or assets each entity has
and will bring to the project. (Lukes) (Attachments)
Adopted – Also referred to Joint Commerce & Development and Public Works
Committee
27. Request Administration to provide a breakdown of the $470 million
that will be dedicated to the CitySquare project by the developer. (Lukes) (Attachments) Adopted – Also referred to Joint Commerce
& Development and Public Works Committee
28. Request Administration report on whether any successors in
interest or new fee or lease holders of any parcel located in the CitySquare
Project will be obligated to perform the same contractual responsibilities as
the original developer. (Lukes) (Attachments) Adopted – Also referred to Joint Commerce
& Development and Public Works Committee
29. Request the Worcester Retirement Board to consider augmenting
the loan pool that is available for first-time home-buyers in Worcester through
the neighborhood center network so that the investments of the Board are more
thoroughly diversified to include a re-investment into the community of
Worcester and so that the current impact and success of the existing program is
expanded so that our community is populated by an increasing number of
homeowners. (White) (Attachments) Adopted
30. Request City Manager conduct the annual review of fees citywide
and provide City council with any recommendations for increase with the
additional revenue to be dedicated to the expanded and improved hours of
operation of the main and branch public libraries. (Murray, White) (Attachments) Adopted
30a. Request City Solicitor to provide a legal opinion as to upon what
basis fees can be increased. Motion-Lukes
@ #30CC – Adopted (Attachments)
30b. Request City Manager report as to reason for excluding 123
properties from the initial tax lien sale list. Further, request Law Department
report as to the cost to take a single case through Land Court. Further, how many other properties have been
excluded from the initial tax lien sale list and how many properties are under
the control of the Executive Office of Neighborhood Services. Motion-Rushton @ #34CC – Adopted (Attachments)
30c. Request City Manager report as to what is anticipated in tax liens
next year. Motion-Haller @ #34CC –
Adopted (Attachments)
30d. Request City Manager to repair potholes in Kenwood Ave., Davidson
Rd., Franklin St. and Wawecus Rd. Palmieri
– Suspension of Rules – Adopted (Attachments)
30e. Request City Manager to report on the type of criminal activity
around Main St., Stafford St. and Grandview Ave. area and Police response. Petty, Rushton – Suspension of Rules –
Adopted (Attachments)
31 & 32 ADOPTED
31. SEWER BETTERMENT ASSESSMENT:
CLEGG ST. (Attachments)
32. SEWER BETTERMENT ASSESSMENT:
PINELAND AVE. (Attachments)
33. RECESS
TO FINANCE AND ORDINANCE: No Action
Taken
FINANCE
A. #21A CM May 3, 2005
Communication of the City
Manager concerning hours of operation at the Frances Perkins Branch
Library. (Attachments)
34. Michael V. O’Brien, City Manager transmitting report relative to
status of the City of Worcester’s selling of Tax Liens in accordance with MGL
Chapter 60, Section 52. (Attachments) Referred to Municipal Operations
Committee
35. Michael V. O’Brien, City Manager requesting adoption of four
Orders: Designating the DIF District
Boundary, approving the DIF Development Program, authorizing the filing of Special
Legislation and an Order of Taking acquiring the easements for the new public
streets. Further, advertisement of a DIF Loan Order authorizing the borrowing
of $89.085 million and advertisement of an Ordinance establishing permit and
inspection fees. (Attachments) Referred to Joint Commerce &
Development and Public Works Committee
35a. Michael V. O’Brien, City Manager transmitting information on the
impact of the Responsible Employer Ordinance on the CitySquare project. (Attachments) Suspension of Rules - Referred to Joint
Commerce & Development and Public Works Committee
35b. The City Council of the City of Worcester hereby recognizes the
staff, students and those individuals involved in bringing the public/private
partnership between Clark University and the City of Worcester to the
forefront producing the University Park
High School. Rushton, Haller –
Suspension of Rules – Adopted on a roll call 10-0 (Irish absent) (Attachments)
36
- ADOPTED ON A ROLL CALL 10-0 (Irish absent)
36. Watershed Land Acquisition - That the sum of $1,380,000.00 be
appropriated to Account #91C702, Land Acquisition for the acquisition of land
for open space, including costs incidental and related thereto. (Attachments)
37. Order – Request City Council to vote its opposition to any
raises for City Council for the 2006 term. (Lukes) (Tabled January 18, 2005)
(Attachments) No Action Taken
38. DECREE TO MAKE PUBLIC: MIAMI ST. (Tabled April 12, 2005) (Attachments) No Action Taken
39. REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE ON ORDINANCES Upon the Report of the
Planning Board Upon the Petition of Katherine Robertson, Project Manager,
Gardner-Kilby-Hammond LLC request City of Worcester close, abandon and remove
from the Official Map that portion of Tainter St. between #34 and #60 Tainter
St. to facilitate construction of the proposed new Boys and Girls Club and
Clark University athletic fields: recommend adoption of the accompanying
Order. (Tabled April 12,
2005) (Attachments) No Action Taken
40. REPORT ON THE COMMITTEE ON ORDINANCES Upon the Report of the
Planning Board Upon the Petition of Katherine Robertson, Project Manager,
Gardner-Kilby-Hammond LLC request City of Worcester close, abandon and remove
from the Official Map that portion of Ripley St. from southeast lot line of #41
to its terminus with current Tainter St. to facilitate construction of the
proposed new Boys and Girls Club and Clark University athletic fields: recommend
adoption of the accompanying Order.
(Tabled April 12, 2005) (Attachments) No Action Taken
41. Communication of the City Manager relative to opportunities for
the re-allocation of office space within City Hall to best serve our citizens
and to improve/enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of City
government. (Tabled May 3,
2005) (Attachments) Taken off the Table and referred to Public Works Committee
_____________________________________________________________
|
MAY 16, 2005 5:30
P.M. |
ETHNIC & MINORITYAFFAIRS |
COUNCIL CHAMBER |
|
MAY 17, 2005 5:30
P.M. |
TRAFFIC & PARKING |
COUNCIL CHAMBER |
|
MAY 18, 2005 6:00
P.M. |
JOINT PUBLIC WORKS ANDCOMMERCE & DEVELOPMENT |
COUNCIL CHAMBERRe: CitySquare & DIF |
|
MAY 26, 2005 6:00
P.M. |
JOINT PUBLIC WORKS &COMMERCE & DEVELOPMENT |
COUNCIL CHAMBERRe: CitySquare & DIF |