MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

JUNE 5, 2006

COUNCIL CHAMBER

Convened: 6:10 p.m.

Adjourned: 6:59 p.m.

 

Present were:      Chairperson Councilor Philip P. Palmieri

                             Councilor Paul P. Clancy, Jr.

                             Councilor Frederick C. Rushton

 

Also:                     Director of Finance John Pranckevicius

                             City Treasurer Thomas Zidelis

                             City Assessor Robert Allard

                             Fire Chief Gerard Dio

                             Commissioner HHS Jill Dagilis

                             Director of Code Enforcement Richard Trifero

                             President Local 1009 Frank Raffa

                             Vice President Local 1009 Donald Courtney

                             Business Agent Michael Lavin

City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk

 

COMMUNICATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER

 

1.       Relative to Departmental Receipts.

          #26A CM March 8, 2005

          In Committee March 20, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

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

          #26A CM April 5, 2005

          In Committee March 20, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

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

          #6D CM May 17, 2005

          In Committee March 20, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

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

          #15A CM July 19, 2005

          In Committee March 20, 2006 – Held

Recommend File

 

5.       Relative to the submittal of the Five-Year Capital Investment Program for the City of Worcester for the period of FY 2006-2010.

          #27 YY August 16, 2005

Recommend File

 

6.       Relative to the permanent relocation of the Office of the Parking Administrator to 455 Main Street, Room 209 City Hall.

          #31A CM September 6, 2005

Recommend File

 

7.       Relative to the three bond ratings sought from FitchRatings, Moodys Investor Services, and Standard and Poor’s.

          #31C CM September 6, 2005

Recommend File

 

8.       Relative to the Energy Expenses Report.

          #29B CM September 13, 2005

Recommend File

 

9.       Relative to Public school’s energy cost projections received from Dr. James A. Caradonio, Superintendent of Public Schools and a copy of the report forwarded to Worcester’s Local Delegation on energy and snow removal cost.

          #80 CC September 20, 2005

Recommend Hold (and invite the Business Manager of WPS when heard the next time.)

 

10.     Report providing the status of relief/assistance efforts for the residents of the city in the aftermath of the recent rainstorms.

          #34B CM October 25, 2005

Recommend File

 

Chairman’s Order request the City Manager to consider requesting the Worcester Legislative Delegation to advocate to include monies for the damages done to Worcester properties in the October 15, 2005 rainstorm along with any state and/or federal monies that might become available as a result of the rainstorm in the Month of May, 2006 in other areas of the Commonwealth that caused similar damages.

 

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

#6A CM September 7, 2004

In Committee February 27, 2006-Held

In Committee March 20, 2006-Held

Recommend Hold

 

Chairman’s Order request the City Manager to provide the City Council with a listing of permits granted for signs or alterations to existing signs over the past two years.

 

other COMMUNICATIONS

 

12.     Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting report regarding Compstat and CitiStat:  Should Worcester Adopt these Management Techniques?

          #58 CC February 25, 2003

Recommend File

 

13.     Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting report regarding Benchmarking Municipal and Neighborhood Services in Worcester:  2003.

          #48 CC October 21, 2003

Recommend File

 

14.     Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting report regarding Benchmarking Municipal and Neighborhood Services in Worcester: 2004.

          #94 CC September 7, 2004

Recommend File

 

15.     Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting report regarding Benchmarking Economic Development in Worcester: 2004.

          #50 CC November 23, 2004

Recommend File

 

16.     Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting report regarding Mayor vs. Manager:  Does Form Affect Performance.

          #15 CC December 14, 2004

Recommend File

 

17.     Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting report regarding Benchmarking Municipal and Neighborhood Services in Worcester 2005.

          #58 CC October 25, 2005

Recommend File

 

18.     Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting report regarding Citizen Satisfaction with Municipal Services: 2004 Survey.

          #31 CC December 21, 2004

Recommend File

 

19.     Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting report regarding titled “Condition Serious, Prognosis Uncertain: The Impact of Municipal Employee Health Insurance in Massachusetts”.

#56 CC March 1, 2005

Recommend File

 

20.     David J. Rushford, City Clerk, transmitting a chart indicating the number & type of City Council Standing Committee meetings, including the number of calendar items considered at said meetings, for the period 2002 through 2004.

          #13 CC December 14, 2004

Recommend File

 

21.     David J. Rushford, City Clerk, transmitting communications relative to the number of meetings conducted by the various Standing Committees during the 2004-2005 term.

          #65 CC November 15, 2005

Recommend File

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

22.     Chairman’s Order of the Municipal Operations Committee requesting the Municipal Operations to meet with the City Assessor prior to the setting of the tax rate to review the process for assessing of commercial real estate.

          #20 CC February 3, 2004

Recommend File

 

23.     Order of Councilor Konstantina B. Lukes request Chairman of the Municipal Operations Committee invite the Property Owners Association to the committee meeting relative to abatements for three decker landlords.

          #58b CC February 24, 2004

          In Committee May 10, 2004 – Held

Recommend File

 

24.     Order of Mayor Timothy P. Murray request the Standing Committee on Municipal Operations to consider the process by which the City of Worcester handles real estate tax liens and tax title properties so that the liens might be bundled and sold on the open market as is the case in New Jersey and New York state, and that a consistent policy is adhered to for the disposition of tax title properties and liens. 

          #17h CC October 12, 2004

In City Council February 1, 2005 – Held

Recommend File

 

25.     Order of Councillor Konstantina B. Lukes request City Manager request the Central Massachusetts Delegation to seek some tax relief for any urban area that wants to go to a flat rate.

          #48d CC November 23, 2004

Recommend File

 

26.     Petition of Michael Grandone request that due to the lack of long-term residency because of permanent winter parking bans set by the City of Worcester, this petition asks for the consideration of reduction of real estate tax for the rental property in these areas.

          #11 CC December 10, 2002

Recommend File

 

27.     Petition of Gary Vecchio, on behalf of the Shrewsbury St. Neighborhood Association, request the City Council to conduct the Fiscal Year 2006 Tax Classification hearing prior to the November 8, 2005 Municipal Election.

          #22 CC March 1, 2005

Recommend File