CITY OF WORCESTER

JOURNAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Esther Howland Chamber

Convened: 6:39 P.M.

Adjourned: 8:19 P.M.

Mayor
Joseph M. Petty

www.worcesterma.gov

City Manager
Edward M. Augustus, Jr.

City Auditor
Robert V. Stearns

Councilors

Mayor Joseph M. Petty presented a Key to the City to Aidan Gormley, Eric Chiem, Jack Ryan and Sean Thompson of Troop 37 – Christ the King Church – who all became Eagle Scouts. In order to reach their rank of Eagle Scout, Aidan Gormley cleared about 200 feet of brush at Newton Hill Park, Eric Chiem constructed a butterfly garden for the Caliope Theatre in West Boylston, Jack Ryan built tent platforms in the woods owned by the Greater Worcester Land Trust and Sean Thompson built two footbridges in Boynton Park and Cascade Park.

Order - That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby approves the minutes of the City Council Meeting of December 12, 2017.

Order - That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby approves the minutes of the City Council Meeting of December 19, 2017.

Mayor Petty recognized the following speakers:
1. Robert Basonette, Worcester resident
2. Idella Hazard, Worcester resident
3. Stuart Loosemore, Leicester resident
4. Karen Riley-McNeary, Worcester resident
5. Casey Starr, Worcester resident

Jonathan Finkelstein on behalf of Ed Hyder request to change to zoning designation of a portion of 408 Pleasant St. and all of 4 Winslow St. from RG-5 to BG-3 and also to be included in the CCOD.

Alberto Garcia request to relocate the handicap parking space in front of 35 Elliot St.

Beverly Simpson et al request to reverse the winter parking ban on Rydal St.

Sidnei Eleoterio request changing the resident permit parking on the east side of Beacon St.

Lillian Delgado request resident permit parking be installed from 106-120 Eastern Ave.

Yahya Habbo on behalf of Nazo Abdi request installation of handicap parking space across from 28 Rodney St.

Elizabeth Gonzalez request installation of Children or speed limit signs on McKinley Rd. and Ashton St.

Amanda Perry, Supervisor Worcester Post Office request four (4) stop signs be installed on Hillsboro Rd., Basswood Blvd and both sides of intersection of Longmeadow Ave.

Transmitting information communication relative to the appointment of Stephen Casey, Peter Derry, Scott Derry, Patrick Duggan, Krystal Gagnon, John Gaimari, Denise Marois Lecuyer, James Racicot and Anatoly Yankovsky to Constable.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the appointment of Diane Long and Tomi Stefanie and the reappointment of Robyn Conroy to the Historical Commission.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the appointment of Jacqueline Yang, Jose Medina-Santos and Luis Portillo Reyes to the Human Rights Commission.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the appointment of Edward Wheeler to the GAR Memorial Hall Board of Trustees.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the appointment of Richard Shea to the Elder Affairs Commission.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the appointment of Stephanie Mireku to the Worcester Arts Council.

Recommend the appointment of Benetta Kuffour to the Citizens Advisory Council.

Recommend the appointment of John Deedy to the Hope Cemetery Board of Commissioners.

Transmitting informational communication relative to a Fire Department Opportunity Fair scheduled for Wed. 1/10/18 from 5:30-7:30pm and Sat. 1/13/18 from 10am - 12pm at the Fire Department Training Building, 141 Grove Street.

Transmitting informational communication relative to an Opportunities Fair scheduled for Wednesday, January 17, 2018 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, 5 Chestnut Street, Worcester, to provide information on all city and school department positions, boards and commissions and services provided by Workforce Development.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Brittan Square parking lot, located at 265 Lincoln Street.

Transmitting informational communication relative to a handicap parking space on Rugby Street.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Construction Progress Report for the month ending November 2017.

Recommend that Twelve Thousand Two Hundred Ninety Five Dollars And No Cents ($12,295.00) be transferred from Account #91C7114, Citywide Building Rehabilitation, to Account #26C704, Worcester Fire Department Capital Rehabilitation .

Recommend that One Hundred Forty Three Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty Eight Dollars And Forty Six Cents ($143,758.46) be transferred from Account #91C7114, Citywide Building Rehabilitation, to the accounts specified.

Recommend that Two Hundred Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($200,000.00) be transferred from Account #91C711E, School Capital Rehabilitation, to Account #50C704, School Capital Rehabilitation, to fund projects approved in the FY18 Capital Improvement Plan, such as pavement work at school parking lots.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to accept with gratitude a donation in the amount of Twenty Five Dollars And No Cents ($25.00) from Christine's Auto Sales for the Worcester Fire Department.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to accept with gratitude a donation in the amount of One Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($1,000.00) from the Christos and Mary T. Cocaine Charitable Trust for for general support of the Worcester’s Public Library.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to apply for, accept, and expend a grant in an amount up to $37,500 from the Massachusetts Access to Recovery office (MA ATR) for employment assistance activities.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept, and expend a grant of up to One Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($1,000.00) from the American Library Association (ALA) under an Explore Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference Grant.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to accept with gratitude a donation in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($25,000.00) from City to Saddle for the Worcester Police Department Mounted Patrol Unit.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to accept with gratitude a donation in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars And No Cents ($500.00) from the Victoria Gotsky Trachtenberg Fund for the Worcester Public Library Children’s Room and Children’s Programming.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to accept with gratitude a donation in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($5,000.00) from the Francis A. and Jacquelyn H. Harrington Foundation, for the Worcester Public Library’s Librarian Trust Fund.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to apply for and accept a gift of services from MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Program

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept and expend a grant in the amount of Two Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($2,000.00) from the Worcester Arts Council for the WPL's Visual Arts Instruction grant program.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to accept with gratitude a donation in the amount of One Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($1,000.00) from the Worcester Public Library Foundation for the Worcester Public Library Talking Book Program.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept, and expend a grant of up to Three Hundred Nine Thousand Three Hundred Seventy Five Dollars and No Cents ($309,375.00) from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs under the Dam, Levee, and Coastal Foreshore Protection Repairs and Removal Grant Program.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept and expend a grant in the amount of Thirty Nine Thousand Five Hundred Four Dollars And Sixteen Cents ($39,504.16) from Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) under the FY19 Homeless Street Outreach Quality of Life Task Force program.

Recommend that Nine Thousand Six Hundred Eighteen Dollars And No Cents ($9,618.00) be transferred from Account #04T803, OPEB Trust, and be appropriated to Account #663-96000, Health Insurance, to provide funding for the FY2018 October 2017 and November 2017 health insurance expenses for Airport retirees.

Recommend that Forty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($40,000.00) be transferred from Account #260101-93301, Worcester Fire Department Ordinary Maintenance, to the accounts as described.

Recommend that Ten Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($10,000.00) be transferred from Account #14SSFD43, CDBG Finance Department Salaries & Fringe, and be transferred to various CDBG accounts to provide funding for anticipated expenses through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2018.

Recommend that Three Thousand One Hundred Ninety Two Dollars And Fifteen Cents ($3,192.15) be transferred from Account # 260-92000, Worcester Fire Department Ordinary Maintenance, for payment of prior year invoices.

Recommend that Twelve Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($12,900.00) be authorized from Account #250-92177, Consultants, for payment of a prior year invoice.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Hub/Cor Initiative scheduled to launch this month.

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Request City Manager provide City Council with a previously requested report requesting the City Manager, with his administrative staff, work together with the city’s state delegation to begin development of a proposal for legislative/administrative action to present to the state relating to the Commonwealth Compensation for the Provision of Regional Social Services, Chapter 70 Funding Reform, State Pilot Payments, Expanding Local Pilot Program and Tax Relief Programs as presented in the “Mayor’s Tax Policy Committee – A Report of the Discussions – October 2016”.

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Request City Manager provide City Council with the previously requested list of what all the non-profit entities are contributing to the city in lieu of taxes.

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Request City Manager request the City Solicitor to report to the City Council the process for recovering thru litigation underfunded Chapter 70 funding and Charter School Funding. Further, request City Manager report if it would be best to partner with other cities and towns or associations to change the current funding formulas.

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Request City Manager request our State Delegation if they are in support of the recommendations in the Mayor’s Tax Policy Report and if yes could they report to City Council a path the city can take to get them approved in the state legislation.

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Request City Manager request the City Assessor provide an update of a previous report concerning what would be the impact if 4 to 8 unit properties and 9 or above unit properties were moved to a commercial tax rate using the current valuations recently certified. Further, request City Assessor report to City Council the rational the state used to classifying income properties and further, report how many buildings have 9 or above units in the city.

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Request City Manager request the City Assessor provide a comparison of the FY17 sale price of residential and commercial income properties versus the assessed value of these properties using the income approach.

FROM THE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS - Request City Manager consider inviting a representative of the Department of Revenue to a Municipal Operation Committee to explain its policy for using an income approach to assess properties and if this policy is mandated.

Request City Manager consider implementing stings to target johns. (Rivera)

Request City Manager report on the status of repairs, maintenance and rehabilitation of the Pearl-Elm and Federal garages. (Lukes)

Request City Manager to review, consider and report on the advantages and disadvantages of reorganizing, consolidating, eliminating and reducing membership of boards and commissions, including advisory committees in order to address the issues of lack of quorums and lack of applications for memberships on board and commissions. (Lukes)

Request the Standing Committee on Youth, Parks and Recreation review Parks Department policies regarding access to city parks during the winter with special attention to the plowing, sanding and salting of entrances, exits and parking areas. (Rosen)

Request the Standing Committee on Youth, Parks and Recreation recommend preferred sites for future dog parks in Districts 1, 2 and 4. (Rosen)

Request the Standing Committee on Youth, Parks and Recreation hold a public hearing on establishing an Elm Park Parks Conservancy, a non-profit partner of the Worcester Parks Department that would support park stewardship, restoration, conservation and fundraising. (Rosen)

Request the Standing Committee on Youth, Parks and Recreation prioritize the work that remains to be done at those parks that have completed Master Plans. (Rosen)

Request the Standing Committee on Youth, Parks and Recreation discuss the cost and steps that must be taken to remove the overgrowth of weeds that minimizes the size of the swimming area at Coes Pond's John Binienda Beach. (Rosen)

Request City Manager inform the Council of the costs and changes needed to the city's recycling program to eliminate litter attributed to materials that are blown out of recycling bins on windy days. (Rosen)

Request City Manager report what, if any, design review procedures will be applied to the construction of new school buildings. (Lukes)

Request City Manager report on the impact concerning the number of pot shops that will be able to locate in Worcester as a result of pending legislative changes in the expansion of liquor sales establishments in the city and to submit a legal opinion as to the ability of the city to control the number of pot shops. (Lukes)

Request City Manager report on whether a cap on any new additional liquor sales establishments in the city can be instituted. (Lukes)

DECREE TO MAKE PUBLIC: CHURCH ST.

That the sum of Two Million Dollars and No Cents ($2,000,000.00) be appropriated to Account 91C7113Q, Doherty High MSBA, to pay for costs associated with the Feasibility Study and costs associated thereto for the Doherty High School MSBA Project. The proposed project (collectively, the “Project”) shall have an anticipated useful life as an educational facility for the instruction of school children of at least fifty (50) years; that to meet this appropriation the City Treasurer and Collector of Taxes, with the approval of the City Manager, is hereby authorized to borrow the sum of Two Million Dollars and No Cents ($2,000,000.00) under and pursuant to Chapter 44, Section 7, Clause (1)/Chapter 70B of the General Laws, as amended and supplemented, or any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the city therefor.

TO BE ORDAINED: Amending Chapter Eleven of the Revised Ordinances of 2006 relative to limiting the number of Marijuana Establishments. (Tabled Under Privilege - Lukes December 19, 2017)

ORDER of Councilor Gary Rosen and Councilor Philip P. Palmieri - Request City Manager inform City Council as to whether he and other representatives from the city intend to meet with the owners of the Pawtucket Red Sox to see if they have any interest in relocating to Worcester. (Tabled - Gaffney September 29, 2015 and Tabled - Rosen December 19, 2017)

COMMUNICATION of the City Manager transmitting informational communication on a quarterly update relative to the City of Worcester’s plan to implement improved strategies and policies that better serve and represent our diverse community. (Tabled Under Privilege - Lukes January 26, 2016, Tabled - Petty February 2, 2016 and Tabled - Lukes December 19, 2017)

ORDER of Mayor Joseph M. Petty – That City Council does hereby set the standard time for the regular meetings of City Council to begin at 6:30 p.m., starting on January 9, 2018. – Item #15a CC Order adopted

PETITION of Councilor Tony Economou request Tacoma St. Playground be renamed Tacoma Park. – Item #15b CC Referred to Youth, Parks and Recreation Committee

ORDER of Councilor Kathleen M. Toomey – Request City Manager check the timing and turning arrows of the traffic lights at the intersection of Grandview Ave. and James St. – Item #15c CC Order adopted

ORDER of Councilor Kathleen M. Toomey – Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning streets being torn up for construction, especially those that were recently repaved by the City. – Item #15d CC Order adopted

ORDER of Councilor Sarai Rivera – Request City Manager provide City Council with an update as to the repairing and construction of the Green Island Neighborhood Center. – Item #15e CC Order adopted

ORDER of Councilor George J. Russell – Request City Manager provide temporary lighting in Plantation St. at Grafton St. and Hamilton St. until a time when the permanent lighting is restored. – Item #15f CC Order adopted

Motion Bergman @ #13c CC – Request City Manager request City Solicitor provide City Council with information concerning why municipal employees cannot serve on Worcester’s boards and commissions.

Motion Rosen @ #13c CC – Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning whose decision it would be to change whether or not it is a requirement that someone serving on a board or commission in Worcester be a citizen of the United States.

Motion Toomey @ #13h CC – Request City Manager look into any grant funding that could be used to remove overgrowth of weeds at Coe’s Pond’s John Binienda Beach prior to using money from the City’s budget.

Motion Bergman @ #13k CC – Request City Clerk redistribute to the City Council the report provided by the City Solicitor concerning marijuana legislation.

Motion Toomey @ #13k CC – Request City Manager post the current rules and regulations for marijuana establishments in Worcester on the City’s website.

Motion Toomey – Suspension of Rules – Request City Manager update the list of streetlights in the City to include all streets and also make said list more readily available on the City’s website.

Motion Rivera – Suspension of Rules – Request City Manager request Commission of Public Works and Parks focus snow removal efforts on crosswalks near community schools.

Motion Mero-Carlson – Suspension of Rules – Request City Manager request Commissioner of Public Works and Parks remove the signage illegally posted in the East Side of the City, which reads “Sell Me Your House Today.”