RULES AND REGULATIONS COMMITTEE

FEBRUARY 26, 2001

COUNCIL CHAMBER

4:00 P.M.

 

Convened:  4:08 P.M.

Adjourned:  5:10 P.M.

 

Present:      Councillor Stephen Abraham, Chairman

Councillor Paul P. Clancy, Jr.

Councillor Juan Gomez – Arrived 4:30 P.M.

David Moore, City Solicitor

Mayor Raymond V. Mariano

Councillor Janice L. Nadeau

Ronal Madnick

Mary Babbidge, Asst. City Cerk

 

 

PETITIONS

 

1.                 Ronal C. Madnick, Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Worcester County to make it a rule of the City Council that the maker of a Petition shall be given up to five minutes to address the Council when the Petition is first introduced.  If more than one person signed the Petition the first person listed will be the speaker.

#11CC                  March 30, 1999

 

File

 

Chairman’s Order – Request City Clerk to contact the Cities of Fitchburg, Leominster and  Springfield to request information on their process for citizen participation prior to the formal City Council meeting.

 

2.                 Ronal C. Madnick, Executive Director, Worcester County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mass. request to speak at the January 11, 2000 City Council meeting relative to amending Rules 51 and 52 of the City Council.  Rule 51 – After the words “All Petitions filed, by a citizen, with the City Council, shall automatically be referred without debate to the proper committee, board, commission, department of the City Manager for investigation, recommendation or disposition except for questions of clarification, amendment or opposition by members of the City Council” the words that “after the primary petitioner is allowed the opportunity to address the City Council.  The presentation shall not exceed five (5) minutes”.  In Rule 52 the first paragraph would be deleted if the changes to Rule 51 are approved.

#17CC                  January 11, 2000

 

File

 

3.                 Ronal Madnick, Executive Director, Worcester County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mass. requesting City Council send to the Rules Committee for consideration use of the attached proposed forms for informing citizen petitioners as to the various procedural steps that their petitions go through after they are initially heard by the Council.

#15CC                  February 1, 2000

 

File

 

Chairman’s Order – Request City Clerk to establish a procedure that notifies citizens of the process that will be followed after a petition is first submitted to City Council.

 

4.                 Ronal Madnick request City Council to amend its rules of operation to provide that all petitions and matters submitted by citizen petitioners which are forwarded to the City Manager and to the office’s departments shall be reported back to full Council within sixty (60) days.  If the Manager cannot meet that time conscription, an extension can be made in accord with the Council.  I further request that the City Clerk’s Office notify the citizen petitioner of their petition being placed on the City Council calendar for final disposition.

#16CC                  February 1, 2000

Hold

 

Chairman’s Order – Request City Solicitor report as to the obligations of the City Manager to respond to citizens requests in a certain period of time.

 

5.                 James P. Coughlin request that the Rules Committee conduct a review of the Council’s rules as they relate to citizen participation at meetings of the full Council.

#23CC                  April 8, 1997

 

File

 

6.                 James P. Coughlin request Rules Committee of the City Council conduct a review of the Council’s rules as they relate to citizen participation at meetings of the full Council.

#13CC                  February 1, 2000

 

File

 

7.       James P. Coughlin request City Council amend its rules of operation to provide that all petitions and matters submitted by citizen petitioners which are forwarded to the City Manager and to the office’s departments shall be reported back to full Council within sixty (60) days. If the Manager cannot meet that time conscription, an extension can be made in accord with the Council.  I further request that the City Clerk’s Office notify the citizen petitioner of their petition being placed on the City Council calendar for final disposition.

#24CC                  April 8, 1997

 

File

 

8.       James P. Coughlin request City Council amend its rules of operation to provide that all petitions and matters submitted by citizen petitioners which are forwarded to the City Manager and to the office’s departments shall be reported back to full Council within 60 days.  If time conscription cannot be met, an extension can be made in accord with the Council.  I further request that the City Clerk’s Office notify the citizen petitioner of their petition being placed on the City Council calendar for final disposition.

#12CC                  February 1, 2000

File

 

9.       James P. Coughlin request City Council use the attached proposed forms for informing citizen petitioners as to the various procedural steps that their petitions go through after they are initially heard by Council.

#25CC                  April 8, 1997

File

 

10.    James P. Coughlin request that the City Council use the attached proposed forms for informing citizen petitioners as to the various procedural steps that their petitions go through after they are initially heard by Council.

#14CC                  February 1, 2000

 

File

 

ORDERS

 

11.     Councillor Lukes – Request Rules Committee review and develop guidelines and process for naming historical sites/streets after individuals.

#44CC                  March 11, 1997

File

 

12.     Councillor Lukes – Request City Council Standing Committee on Rules develop a process by which the City Solicitor alerts City Council regarding issues as to the legality of filed Orders, Petitions, items at the time of the original filing and prior to public debate on the items.  The intent of this Order is to provide information and not to prohibit or censure items on an agenda.

#30CC                  January 18, 2000

File

 

13.     Councillor Lukes – Request City Council through its Rules Standing Committee to amend the City Council rules regarding items, motions, orders and petitions considered and voted under suspension of the rules at a duly held meeting so that said voted items appear on the calendar of the next duly held City Council meeting, showing the maker of the motion and the vote taken.

#27CC                  February 15, 2000

 

File

 

Chairman’s Order – Request City Clerk to provide a report explaining how all matters taken under Suspension of Rules are recorded.

 

14.     Councillor Lukes – Request City Council, through its Standing Committee on Rules review the City Council rules so as to update the jurisdiction of each standing committee over the appropriate city departments.

#28CC                  February 15, 2000

 

Hold

 

15.     Councillor Lukes – Request Rules Committee to review the alignment of Committees and departments.

#8q CC                 September 12, 2000

 

Hold

 

16.     Councillors Lukes and Murray – Request City Council Standing Committee on Rules and Regulations review the City Council’s Committee structure and make recommendations regarding any changes in the number and functions of the Committees and any new Committees.

#37CC                  January 4, 2000

 

Hold

 

17.     Mayor Mariano – Request City Council to amend the Rules of the City Council including among the Standing Committees a Strategic Planning Committee to be comprised of 3 members of the City Council and to consider those matters relative to long term strategic planning.

#50CC                  April 8, 1997

 

File

 

18.     Councillor Cooney – Request City Council to re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee on Group Homes to monitor the influx of homes in the City.            #46CC                  January 9, 1996

 

File

 

 

19.      Councillors Griffin, Nadeau, Lukes – Request City Council establish a new Standing Committee of the City Council whose primary responsibility would concern the authorized borrowing and indebtedness of the City of Worcester.

#64CC                  December 19, 1995

 

File

 

20.     Mayor Mariano, Councillors Clancy, Patton, Gomez, Petty, Nadeau, Irish, Murray, Abraham, Lukes, Perotto – Request City Council establish goals for appointment to the Library Board of Trustees including district representation and appropriate representation for under represented groups.

                             #27CC                  January 2, 2001

 

Hold

 

21.     Councillors Clancy, Nadeau – Request City Council consider having the library trustee nominee reception at the library one week prior to selection by Council.

#39CC                  January 2, 2001

 

Hold

 

 

CHAIRMAN’S ORDER – From Housing Committee

 

22.     Request Committee on Rules consider rewriting Rule 22 of the Rules of the City Council realigning the Standing Committee general budget and oversight relationships with City Departments.

#41CC                  May 26, 1998

 

File

 

REPORT

 

23.     Report of the Committee on Rules & Regulations upon the Order of Councillor Lukes requesting City Council vote to establish a Standing Committee on College/Community Relationships.

#6CC                    October 19, 1999

 

File