Committee Agenda for Finance Committee 05/30/2017

CITY OF WORCESTER

Finance Committee Meeting

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Esther Howland (South) Chamber

Convened: 4:07 P.M.

Recessed: 6:44 P.M. Reconvened: 8:21 P.M. Adjourned: 10:10 P.M.

Mayor Joseph M. Petty	www.worcesterma.gov	Clerk of the City Council Susan M. Ledoux
Committee Members		Clerk of the City Council Susan M. Ledoux
Chairperson Joseph M Petty
Councilor Morris A Bergman
Councilor Tony Economou
Councilor Michael T Gaffney
Councilor Khrystian E King
Councilor Konstantina B Lukes
Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson
Councilor Sarai Rivera
Councilor Gary Rosen
Councilor George J Russell
Councilor Kathleen M Toomey

City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts

	Present Were:	All members were present with the Mayor as the Chair except for Councilors Lukes and Toomey. Councilor Toomey arrived at 4:21 P.M. and Councilor Lukes arrived at 4:22 P.M. City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. Chief Financial Officer Thomas F. Zidelis City Auditor Robert V. Stearns City Clerk Susan M. Ledoux, clerk

	Also:	Superintendent of Public Schools Maureen Binienda WPS Chief Financial Officer Brian Allen Commissioner of Health and Human Services Matilde Castiel, M.D. Executive Secretary for Retirement Elizabeth Early City Assessor William Ford Chief Information Officer Paul R. Covello Director of Energy and Asset Management John Odell

FY 2018 Budget Hearing - Worcester Public Schools



1a.	Public Schools - XIV-1, pg. 159	View Budget

	Budget approved

	Chairman's Orders
	Request City Manager request Superintendent of Public Schools provide City Council with a report concerning how much money is being saved in respect to changes in the City’s summer school bus scheduling. (Gaffney)
	Request City Manager request Superintendent of Public Schools report to City Council concerning the number of school employees who are earning less than a wage of $15 per hour. (Russell)

FY 2018 Budget Hearing - Worcester Public Library



2a.	Worcester Public Library - V-1, pg. 33	View Budget

	Budget approved

FY 2018 Budget Hearings - Health and Human Services Department



3a.	Health and Human Services - VI-1, pg. 39	View Budget

	Budget approved


3b.	Public Health - VI-2, pg. 45	View Budget

	Budget approved


3c.	Elder Affairs - VI-3, pg. 53	View Budget

	Budget approved

FY 2018 Budget Hearings - Legislative Offices



4a.	City Auditor - III-5, pg. 15	View Budget

	Budget approved


4b.	Retirement - (Contributory and Non-Contributory Pensions) - III-6, pg. 19	View Budget

	Budget approved

	Chairman's Orders
	Request City Manager provide City Council with a list of all the different retirement monetary pension ranges from lowest to highest and number of retirees that are in each range. (Toomey)

FY 2018 Budget Hearings - Administration and Finance



5a.	Finance (Administration, Budget and Treasurer and Collector, Purchasing) - XVI-1, pg. 223	View Budget

	Budget approved


5b.	Assessing - XVI-2, pg. 233	View Budget

	Budget approved


5c.	Technical Services - XVI-3, pg. 239	View Budget

	Budget approved

	Chairman's Orders
	Request City Manager report to City Council regarding if the Inspectional Services Department is engaging in any reform of its current IT procedures. (Lukes)
	Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the importance of the domestic violence application to the Worcester Police Department. (King)


5d.	City Energy and Asset Management - XVI-4, pg. 249	View Budget

	Budget approved


5e.	Debt Service Principal and Interest - XVI-5, pg. 253	View Budget

	Budget approved


5f.	Pension Obligation Bonds - XVI-6, pg. 261	View Budget

	Budget approved


5g.	DCU Center - XVI-7, pg. 265	View Budget

	Budget Held - Gaffney

	Chairman's Orders
	Request City Manager provide City Council with the next contract for management services for the DCU Center before it is signed. (Lukes)

FY 2018 Budget Hearing - Five Point Plan Funds



6a.	Five Point Plan Funds - XVII-1, pg. 269	View Budget

	Budget Held - Petty

	Chairman's Orders
	Request City Manager provide City Council with an updated report concerning the long term plan for building new school buildings. (Toomey)
	Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning what payments the City has made and what policies are in place regarding reinsurance, including information concerning the cost of that reinsurance, savings that were generated due to reinsurance and what its impact on the City’s Moody’s rating has been. Further, request City Manager include in said report any relevant information concerning cuts in the Health Insurance fund and what the impact would be if $1,000,000.00, $2,000,000.00 or $3,000,000.00 were cut from its budget. (Lukes)
	Request City Auditor provide City Council with an estimate of how much free cash is available, as well as what the impact of a $1,000,000.00, $2,000,000.00 or $3,000,000.00 cut from its budget would be. (Lukes)
	Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning all items in the budget that the City only anticipates being a onetime payment, excluding public safety items. (Lukes)

FY 2018 Budget Hearing - Line Item Budget

Fiscal Year 2018 Budget



8a.	Communication of the City Manager recommend adoption of the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget submission as identified in the line item budget. # 9.36A CM May 09, 2017 In Committee May 16, 2017 - Held	Attachments

	Motion Bergman – That $400,000.00 be cut from the Total Recommended Ordinary Maintenance of the Department of Public Works and Parks’ Street Light budget. Motion held by Councilor Lukes. Recommend Hold Item #8a.

Communications of the City Manager



9a.	Transmitting informational communication relative to all litigation pending and resolved in the past five years, including representation by outside counsel and the direct and indirect costs. # 9.13E CM May 09, 2017 In Committee May 16, 2017 - Held	Attachments

	Recommend Hold


9b.	Transmitting supplemental informational communication relative to the operations during the Winter of 2016 - 2017 # 8.5B CM May 23, 2017	Attachments

	Recommend Hold


9c.	Transmitting informational communication relative to the Snow Operation Program during the 2016-2017 winter. # 17a CC May 23, 2017	Attachments

	Recommend Hold

10.

Communications of the City Auditor



10a.	Transmitting the audited financial statements and management letter of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority (WRA) for the years ended June 30, 2016 and 2015. # 15e CC March 07, 2017 In Committee May 16, 2017 - Held	Attachments

	Recommend Hold


10b.	Transmitting the Semi-Annual financial statements of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority (WRA) for the six months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015. # 15f CC March 07, 2017 In Committee May 16, 2017 - Held	Attachments

	Recommend Hold

CHAIRMAN'S ORDERS

	1.	Request City Manager request City Solicitor provide City Council with a legal opinion as to whether or not the Health Insurance Trust Fund (Internal Service Fund) can be cut by City Council. (Petty)
	2.	Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning when at the runoff of the Internal Service Fund incurs. (Gaffney)
	3.	Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how much the average tax payer will save with a $400,000.00 cut in the City’s budget. (Economou)
	4.	Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how much the average tax payer will save with a $500,000.00 cut in the City’s budget. (Economou)
	5.	Request City Auditor work with the City Manager to develop a long term plan in regards to setting a policy for what amount of money a reserve account should have and what the process is once said amount is exceeded. (Russell)