MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

MARCH 20, 2006

COUNCIL CHAMBER

Convened: 3:39 p.m.

Adjourned: 5:20 p.m.

 

Present were:               Chairperson Councilor Philip P. Palmieri

                                      Councilor Paul P. Clancy, Jr.

                                      Councilor Frederick C. Rushton

                                      Councilor Gary Rosen

 

Also:                              Assistant CM for Development Julie Jacobson

                                      Budget Director John Pranckevicius

                                      City Auditor James A. DelSignore

                   Executive Secretary, Worcester Retirement System Elizabeth Early

                   City Treasurer Thomas Zidelis

                   Deputy City Solicitor Michael Traynor

                                      Director of Technical Services Paul Covello

                   Assistant Director, Technical Services Eileen Cazaropoul

                   City Assessor Robert Allard

                   City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER

 

1.       Request City Council to review and approve a motion to authorize the City of Worcester to advertise and award contracts for pupil transportation services, subject to the approval of the Worcester Public Schools, for a term of up to five years. Chapter 30B of M.G.L. requires the approval of City Council for any contract for services in excess of three years.

          In City Council December 14, 2004 #22A CM –

Order adopted on a roll call vote 10-0

In Committee for informational purposes only

Recommend File

 

2.       Request City Council to review and approve a contract period of three years, with an option to renew for two additional one year periods, for Centrex or Centrex-Like Services for the City of Worcester. Chapter 30B Section 12 of the M.G.L. requires the approval of City Council for any contract for services in excess of three years.

In City Council December 14, 2004 #29A CM – Order adopted.

In Committee for informational purposes only

Recommend File

 

3.       Relative to Chapter 90 Data Exchange Agreements.

          #4A CM January 11, 2005

Recommend File

 

4.       Transmitting a preliminary analysis of Governor Mitt Romney’s Fiscal Year 2006 State Budget.

          #32 CC February 1, 2005

Recommend File

 

5.       Relative to Departmental Receipts.

          #26A CM March 8, 2005

Recommend Hold

 

6.       Relative to a schedule for departmental receipting (central cash) implementation.

          #26A CM April 5, 2005

Recommend Hold

 

7.       Relative to the technological advancements made in the city to date, the projects currently underway, and those that are planned for the future.

          #25A CM March 8, 2005

Recommend File

 

8.       Relative to commercial property sales in the City of Worcester.

          #4A CM April 5, 2005

Recommend File

 

9.       Transmitting report relative to status of the City of Worcester’s selling of Tax Liens in accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 60, 52.

          #34 CC May 10, 2005

Recommend File

 

10.     Relative to a follow-up to May 10, 2005 City Council item regarding Tax Lien Sales.

          #17C CM May 17, 2005

Recommend File

 

11.     Relative to the City of Worcester’s Tax Lien Assignment sale that was held on June 16, 2005.

            #39c CC June 21, 2005

Recommend File

 

12.     Relative to the FY2006 residential and commercial property values and an abatement history for the past five years (2001-2005).

#4A CM May 17, 2005

Recommend File

 

13.     Relative to the tax implications on both telecommunications companies and other companies.

          #4B CM May 17, 2005

Recommend File

 

14.     Relative to the administrations efforts to both streamline and strengthen the important work of the City’s boards and commissions.

#6B CM May 17, 2005

Recommend File

 

15.     Relative to the Department of Code Enforcement Status Report.

          #6D CM May 17, 2005

Recommend Hold

 

16.     Relative to the history of the Worcester City Hospital property.

          #15B CM May 31, 2005

Recommend File

 

17.     Relative to the reorganization as it pertains to the Planning Board, Zoning Board and Historical Commission application processing.

          #8F CM June 14, 2005

Recommend File

 

18.     Relative to 2006 Motor Vehicle Excise Exemptions.

          #35 CC June 21, 2005

Recommend File

 

19.     Relative to tax recapitulation documents and submitting this information to the Worcester City Council to vote on setting rates prior to the municipal election.

          #5E CM July 19, 2005

Recommend File

 

20.     Relative to the final edition of the Citywide Reorganization Plan.

          #15A CM July 19, 2005

Recommend Hold

 

21.     Relative to the status of City Council Calendar automation.

          #29A CM August 16, 2005

Recommend File

 

22.             Relative to Department of Code Enforcement Billboard Analysis Program.

#6A CM September 7, 2004

In Committee February 27, 2006 – Held

Recommend Hold

 

COMMUNICATIONS OF JAMES DELSIGNORE, CITY AUDITOR

 

23.     Transmitting schedules of the City’s capital expenditures for the last ten years.

#20 CC October 14, 2003

Recommend File

 

24.     Transmitting two financial statements and the independent auditor’s report for the Worcester Centrum Centre Fund which covers the Arena Component & Convention Center Component for the years ended June 30, 2003 and 2002.

#40 CC December 16, 2003

In Committee January 27, 2004 – Held

In Committee February 3, 2004 – Held

Recommend File

 

25.     Transmitting the City of Worcester’s 2004 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

          #14 CC December 14, 2004

Recommend File

 

26.     Transmitting computation of legal debt margin as of December 31, 2004.

#45 CC January 18, 2005

Recommend File

 

27.     Transmitting report relative to tax titles as of and for the seven months ending Jan. 31, 2005.

#41 CC February 15, 2005

Recommend File

 

28.     Transmitting year-to-date budget projections.

          #14 CC March 8, 2005

Recommend File

 

29.     Transmitting information regarding tax titles as of and for the eight months ending February 28, 2005.

          #28 CC March 15, 2005

Recommend File

 

30.     Transmitting the August 2004 Auditor’s Report.

          #93 CC September 7, 2004

Recommend File

 

31.     Transmitting the January 2005 Auditor’s Report.

          #57 CC March 1, 2005

Recommend File

 

32.     Transmitting the February 2005 Auditor’s Report.

          #37 CC March 29, 2005

Recommend File

 

33.     Transmitting the March 2005 Auditor’s Report.

          #54 CC April 26, 2005

Recommend File

 

34.     Transmitting the April 2005 Auditor’s Report.

          #13 CC May 31, 2005

Recommend File

 

35.     Transmitting the May 2005 Auditor’s Report.

#27 CC June 21, 2005

Recommend File

 

36.     Transmitting the August 2005 Auditor’s Report.

          #37 CC September 27, 2005

Recommend File

 

37.     Transmitting the September 2005 Auditor’s Report.

          #84 CC November 1, 2005

Recommend File

 

38.     Transmitting the October 2005 Auditor’s Report.

          #30 CC November 29, 2005

Recommend File

 

39.     Transmitting November 2005 Auditor’s Report.

          #55 CC January 10, 2006

Recommend File

 

40.     Transmitting January 2006 Auditor’s Report.

          #67 CC February 28, 2006

Recommend File

 

41.             Transmitting report relative to cost of implementing an increase in pension benefits for non-public safety retirees under M.G.L. Chapter 32, Sections 90A, C, D, & E.

#55 CC April 26, 2005

Recommend File

 

42.     Transmitting report relative to tax titles as of and for the nine months ending March 31, 2005.

          #53 CC April 26, 2005

Recommend File

 

43.     Transmitting report as to whether the Worcester Retirement Board was willing to invest a small part of its investment portfolio into a fund that lends to first time home buyers in the City.

          #27 CC June 7, 2005

Recommend File

 

44.     Transmitting information relative to tax titles as of and for the 11 months ending May 31, 2005.

          #27 CC June 14, 2005

Recommend File

 

45.     Transmitting report regarding tax titles as of and for the year ended June 30, 2005.

          #80 CC July 19, 2005

Recommend File

 

COMMUNICATIONS OF ELIZABETH EARLY, ADMINISTRATOR, WORCESTER RETIREMENT BOARD

 

46.     Transmitting Worcester Retirement System Financial Board Minutes.

          #28 CC June 7, 2005

Recommend File

 

47.     Transmitting Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission’s Report on the Examination of the Worcester Retirement System as of January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2003.

#81 CC July 19, 2005

Recommend File

 

Chairman’s Orders:

 

1.     Request the City Manager to request the City Treasurer to provide the City Council with an update to the process of standardizing departmental receipts.

2.     Request the City Manager to request the City Treasurer to provide the City Council with a comparison of Tax Lien sales for 2005 and proposed for 2006.

3.     Request the City Manager to request the City Assessor to provide the City Council with a comparison of commercial real estate abatement requests in FY 2005 and 2006, by percentage and dollar amount, and whether any requestor is one of the top 50 property tax payers.

4.     Request the City Manager provide the City Council with a status report concerning House Bill 2408.

5.     Request the City Manager provide the City Council with a report itemizing the brownfields liabilities at the site of the former Worcester City Hospital.

6.     Request the City Manager provide the City Council with a report stating the regularity of patrolling the City Hall garage for compliance with the 30-minute limit and showing the number of parking violations issued in the past year.

7.     Request the City Manager investigate the whereabouts of any electronic billboards in other municipalities and whether that locality has zoning bylaws that regulates them.