CITY OF WORCESTER

Finance Committee Meeting

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Esther Howland (South) Chamber

Convened: 4:03 P.M.

Adjourned: 6:47 P.M.


Mayor
Joseph M. Petty

 

www.worcesterma.gov

 

Clerk of the City Council
David J. Rushford

Committee Members

Chairperson Joseph M Petty
Councilor Morris A Bergman
Councilor Tony Economou
 
Councilor Michael T Gaffney
Councilor Konstantina B Lukes
Councilor Philip P Palmieri
Councilor Sarai Rivera
Councilor Gary Rosen
Councilor Frederick C Rushton
Councilor George J Russell
Councilor Kathleen M Toomey

City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts


Present Were:All members present with the Mayor as the Chair except for Councilors Bergman, Lukes, Palmieri, Rushton and Toomey. Councilor Palmieri arrived at 4:08 P.M., Councilor Lukes arrived at 4:13 P.M., Councilor Toomey arrived at 4:19 P.M., Councilor Rushton arrived at 4:21 P.M. and Councilor Bergman arrived at 5:10 P.M. City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. Chief Financial Officer Thomas F. Zidelis City Clerk David J. Rushford, clerk
 
Also:Chief of Police Gary J. Gemme Fire Chief Gerard A. Dio Acting Director of Emergency Communications Richard Fiske Commissioner of Inspectional Services John R. Kelly City Auditor Robert V. Stearns Executive Secretary for Retirement Elizabeth Early City Solicitor David M. Moore
 
1.

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Hearing - Police Department

1a.

Police Department - pg. 141

Budget Approved

Chairman's Orders

Request City Manager consider in the future providing additional funding to our public safety divisions to continue needed community services. (Rivera)

2.

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Hearing - Fire Department

2a.

Fire Department - pg. 160

Budget approved

3.

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Hearing - Department of Emergency Communications

3a.

Emergency Communications / Emergency Management - pg. 172

Budget approved

Chairman's Orders

Request City Manager report plans for the use of the space currently occupied by the Emergency Communications/Management departments when they relocate to Coppage Dr. (Lukes)

Request City Manager report what constitutes other personnel services in the budget of Emergency Communications. (Russell)

Request City Manager report how many vehicles are used by the city, report the year, model and mileage of those vehicles, and their purposes and further, report the feasibility of vehicle sharing between departments. (Russell, Lukes)

4.

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Hearing - Department of Inspectional Services

4a.

Inspectional Services - Building & Zoning / Housing Inspections / Health Inspections - pg. 178

Budget approved

Chairman's Orders

Request City Manager provide City Council with a complete list of fees charged by Inspectional Services Department. Further, for comparison purposes, request City Manager provide the fees levied by utility companies such as National Grid for services provide to customers. (Lukes, Petty)

Request City Manager request Inspectional Services consider consolidating the payment of fees; this would benefit and be more convenient to the public as well as streamlining city operations. (Palmieri)

Request City Manager consider having Technical Services and or other tech partners create a phone app for permitting. (Toomey)

5.

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Hearing - Legislative Offices

5a.

City Council - pg. 31

Budget approved

5b.

Mayor's Office - pg. 34

Budget approved

5c.

City Clerk - pg. 37

Budget approved

5d.

Election Commission - pg. 41

Budget approved

5e.

City Auditor - pg. 46

Budget approved

5f.

Retirement - Contributory Pensions & Non-Contributory - pg. 50

Councilor Lukes made a motion see item #11f on the City Council agenda for May 20, 2014.

Councilor Gaffney moved to amend: Further, request the report include the cost of liability when it is finally funded in the future.

Budget approved

6.

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Hearing - Law Department

6a.

Law Department - pg.133

Budget approved

6b.

Property & Casualty Insurance - pg. 137

Budget approved

6c.

Court Judgments - pg. 139

Budget approved

Chairman's Orders

Request City Council schedule an executive session for the purpose of discussing all court judgments that includes especially the recently decided case involving a police officer. (Lukes)

7.

FY 2015 Budget

7a.

Communication of the City Manager transmitting communication relative to the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Recommendation. # 8.32D CM May 13, 2014

Attachments

Recommend Hold

8.

Communications of the City Manager

8a.

Requesting the opportunity to make a PowerPoint presentation as an informational overview of the Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Budget. # 10a CC May 06, 2014

Attachments

Recommend Hold

8b.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the amounts of monies generated by the Hotel/Motel Tax for the past three years and how those amounts have been spent and allocated. # 8.27A CM April 29, 2014

Attachments

Recommend Hold

8c.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the City's Revenues and Expenditures through March for Fiscal Year 2014, per the City's Five Point Plan. # 8.24A CM April 29, 2014

Attachments

Recommend Hold

8d.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Governor's Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Proposal. # 9.24B CM February 04, 2014

Attachments

Recommend Hold

8e.

Transmitting informational communication relative to Outside Legal Counsel Spending. # 10.24B CM June 18, 2013

Attachments

Recommend Hold

8f.

Transmitting information communication relative to the Debt Service Schedule for the City’s issuance of $500,000.00 in Bonds Associated with the Downtown Urban Renewal Project Proposed in the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget to be undertaken by the Worcester Redevelopment Authority. # 10.24A CM June 18, 2013

Attachments

Recommend Hold

9.

Miscellaneous Communication

9a.

Dr. Roberta Schaefer, President & CEO of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, transmitting communication relative to "Worcester's FY14 Budget: Making Ends Meet". # 12a CC June 11, 2013

Attachments

Recommend Hold