CITY OF WORCESTER

JOURNAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Council Chamber

Convened: 7:00 P.M.

Adjourned: 9:43 P.M.

Mayor
Konstantina B. Lukes

www.ci.worcester.ma.us

City Manager
Michael V. O'Brien

City Auditor
James A. DelSignore

Councilors

Raymond V. Mariano, Executive Director of the Worcester Housing Authority request City of Worcester approve certain changes to the streets within the Worcester Housing Authority property known as the Curtis Apartments located at Tacoma St. and Great Brook Valley Ave. in Worcester, as enclosed.

Joseph Cote request additional street light be installed in Chester St. between Grove St. and Holden St.

Barth O'Connor request sidewalk repair in Merrill Rd. at the corner of 40 Proctor St.

David and Margaret Larson request resident permit parking in Uxbridge St. from Brittan Lane to Duxbury Rd.

Robert Couture request curve sign, or caution light, sign or arrow in the area of 106 Sunderland Rd.

Nhutam Thich and Dorothy Jones request installation of four (4) private directional signs for the Buddhist Meditation Temple Chua Pho Hien at 96 Dewey St.

Paula Melendez request handicap parking in front of 15 Clay St.

Representative John Fresolo on behalf of John Evangelista request handicap parking spot at 2 Shamrock St.

Joseph Cote request year-round parking ban on both sides of Chester Street between Holden and Grove Sts.

Councilor Joffrey A. Smith on behalf of Lincoln Village Neighborhood Watch request the installation of a four-way stop sign at the intersection of 52 Country Club Blvd. and 49 Pleasant Valley Dr.

Sally Lyon et al request handicap parking space in front of 208 Pilgrim Ave.

Appointment of Sworn Weighers for the Year 2007.

Notification of Constable Appointment.

Recommend Adoption of the 2007 Municipal Election Calendar.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Worcester UniverCity Partnership.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Keep Worcester Clean Report for the Month of December 2006.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the City's Meeting with the State Board of Plumbers and Gas Fitters Regarding Fats, Oils, and Greases.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Feasibility of Restricting the Left Lanes on Massasoit Road at Route 20 to "Left Turn Only".

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to Mill Street/Webster Square Ad Hoc Committee.

Recommend Adoption of a Resolution to Accept with Gratitude a Donation of Labor and Services from Sheriff Guy W. Glodis' Community Services Program.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Blackstone River Bikeway(s) Plans.

Transmitting Informational Communication regarding a Public Hearing for Worcester Common Phase III World War II Memorial Design.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the City's March Madness Basketball Tournament for Youth.

Recommend City Council's Adoption of a Summary and Resolution to File and Accept a FY07 Statewide Emergency Telecommunications Board (SETB) Training Grant.

Recommend that City Council Accept with Gratitude a $1,000.00 Donation from Wal-mart Stores, Inc.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to Knock and Talk Program with the Worcester Police Department and the Worcester County Juvenile Court Department

Request City Council's Review and Adoption of a Resolution to File and Accept FY07 Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (ADAPT Program)

Recommend that the City Council Accept with Gratitude the Sum of $1,300.00 in Donations to the Worcester Police Department Athletic League

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to a Report on the Number of Food Service Establishments Open 24 Hours, Hired Police Details and Number/Types of Complaints/Arrests.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to Severe Weather Preparedness.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Laws and/or Regulations that Prohibit Motor Boats from Patches Reservoir and Coes Pond.

Recommend Adoption of an Amendment to the Shooting Gallery Ordinance.

Recommend City Council's Adoption of an Order to File a Home-Rule Petition Regarding Traffic Surveillance in the City.

Transmitting Informational Communication Relative to the Department of Justice's Financial Monitoring and Assistance Visit in which the Internal Controls and Financial Record Keeping of Department of Justice Grants were Reviewed.

Recommend Adoption of the Attached Order for the Transfer of Jurisdiction of the Tax Title Property Located at 0000 Armory Street from the Tax Title Custodian to the Executive Office of Economic and Neighborhood Development.

Respectfully recommend that Three Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand dollars ($325,000.00) from account #91C790, School Construction, and be appropriated to account #28C720, Worcester Technical High School Furniture & Equipment.

Recommend that Five Hundred Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($500,000.00) be transferred from Account #91C790, School Construction, and be appropriated to Account #28C717, Vocational School Construction to pay for contractual obligations.

Recommend that Fifty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($50,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C739, Sewer Drainage, and be appropriated to DPW Account #44C750, Lateral Sewers to allow for the payment of current and anticipated sewer drainage obligations.

Recommend that Nine Thousand One Hundred Fifty Five Dollars And No Cents ($9,155.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C732, Water Building Rehabilitation, and be appropriated to Water Account #45C704, Water Building Rehabilitation to provide funding for pending invoices and anticipated obligations for Water Building Rehabilitation.

Recommend that Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($350,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C741, Street Reconstruction, and be appropriated to DPW Account #41C768, Private Street Conversion/Betterments to provide funds for the payment of current obligations and future street expenditures.

Recommend that Two Hundred Twenty Eight Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($228,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C734, Sewer Capital Equipment, and be appropriated to Sewer Account #44C704, Capital Equipment to allow for the purchase and future payment of two street sweepers.

Recommend that Fifteen Thousand One Hundred Fifteen Dollars And No Cents ($15,115.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C722, Bridges, and be appropriated to DPW Account #41C741, Bridges to provide necessary funding for the North Lake Avenue Bridge project.

Recommend that Eighty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($80,000.00) be transferred from Citywide Capital Equipment, and be appropriated to Account #55C701, Library Equipment, for the installation of a new temperature control system.

Recommend that Seventy Nine Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty Two Dollars And Seventy Cents ($79,852.70) be transferred from Reserve Revenue Account #330-54, Reserve for Appropriation Greenwood Street Landfill, and be appropriated to DPW Account #41S607, Greenwood Street Landfill (City) to allow for the payment of engineering invoices.

Recommend that Seven Hundred Sixty Seven thousand Seventeen Dollars And Twenty Six Cents ($767,017.26) be transferred from the following accounts to provide sufficient funding for the Off-Street Parking Program for the remaining period of Fiscal Year 2007.

Transmitting the City of Worcester Climate Action Plan.

David J. Rushford, City Clerk, transmitting communication relative to the type and extent of information filed with the City Clerk concerning businesses operating in the City of Worcester.

That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby recognizes Charles F. Monahan on the occasion of his tenth anniversary as President of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and extends to him the sincere appreciation of a grateful City and best wishes for continued success and happiness. (Lukes)

That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby recognizes Joseph Borbone, Director of Traffic Engineering for the Department of Public Works and Parks, to thank him for the work he has done regarding parking issues in the Elm Park-Lincoln Estate Neighborhood. (Haller)

That the sum of Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000.00) be appropriated to Account #75C504, DCU Special District Improvements for the purpose of making improvements to the DCU Arena and Convention Center, including without limitation, expansion of the concourse and pedestrian interior mall, construction of club rooms with views of the playing surface, elevated pedestrian walkways to adjacent public and private facilities for parking and public accommodations, renovation, expansion and improvement to concession stands and refrigeration, electrical systems, storage, restroom and support facilities, and service improvements to fire alarm and fire suppression systems, security systems and waste removal facilities, together with all necessary and related furnishings, furniture and equipment, and all other costs incidental and related thereto.

Amend Chapter 2 of the Revised Ordinances of 1996 by inserting a new Section 29D relative to Waiving Certain Building Permit Fees for Construction of Handicapped Accessible Ramps.

Order of Mayor Timothy P. Murray - That the ordinance relative to the Police Department License Board as it relates to taxi regulations be rescinded. (Tabled - Murray April 25, 2006)

Order of Councilor Barbara G. Haller and Councilor Gary Rosen - Request the City Manager take all steps to have the WRTA #11 bus rerouted to serve the Island part of Harding Street (south of Kelley Square) to take residents, especially the elderly, to and from the Route 20 Fair Shopping Plaza. Further request that this service be provided several times in the mornings and again in the afternoons, both outbound and inbound. This service was formerly provided by the old #4 Millbury City Line and eliminated on January 28th, 2006 creating a serious hardship and reduction in the quality of life for residents in the Green Island neighborhood. (Tabled - Haller August 29, 2006)

Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to the Request for Proposal on two parcels of land currently owned by the Worcester Fire Department. (Tabled - Toomey November 14, 2006)

Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to the Ownership of Parcels Surrounding the Former St. Vincent's Hospital Property. (Tabled - Clancy 01/02/2007)

Motion-Petty @ #7.28C CM - Request City Manager provide City Council with a report as to statistics from other cities and towns who have implemented surveillance cameras to see how it has worked, if there has been a negative impact such as causing more accidents then it has prevented, any costs associated with this program and any other relevant statistics.

Motion-Perotto @ #7.37A CM - Request the Mayor inform the Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools of the City Council's support of the Climate Action Plan and that one of the main recommendation of this plan is a recycling program be part of the educational system and to request the Superintendent to consider including a recycling component in their next fiscal year budget.

Motion-Rosen @ #7.37A CM - Request City Manager forward the City's Climate Action Plan to Berkeley Investments for consideration at CitySquare.

Motion-Rushton @ #7.12 CM - Request City Manager mail copies of item #7.12D CM and item #7.28A to the members of the City Council Standing Ad Hoc Committee on the Mill St. Business Corridor.

Motion-Haller @ #7.24A CM - Request City Manager send a copy of item #7.24 CM to all the Neighborhood Associations.

Motion-Haller - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager provide City Council with a report on the number and types of pedestrian and vehicular accidents at or near crosswalks along Chandler St. between Park Ave. and Main St. for the past five years, by year.

Motion-Haller - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager consider designating Chandler St. between Park Ave. and Main St. as a one year pilot crosswalk maintenance and enforcement effort with the express purpose of collecting data on: (1) frequency and cost of crosswalk repainting/repair needed to maintain highly visible crosswalks; (2) increase/decrease in pedestrian and vehicular accidents over the period; (3) increase/decrease in citizen complaints regarding street crossing in this area; and (4) costs of increased enforcement.

Motion-Irish and Toomey - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager submit to City Council a summary as to deferred maintenance for each park if one exists.

Motion-Irish and Toomey - Suspension of Rules - Request City Manager provide City Council with a previously generated report concerning a master plan conducted eight or nine years ago that had benchmarking relative to the amount of resources devoted to parks in comparatively sized cities in the northeast and across the country.