CITY OF WORCESTER | Finance Committee Meeting | Tuesday, June 6, 2017 | Esther Howland (South) Chamber | Convened: 7:41 P.M. | Adjourned: 9:31 P.M. |
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Mayor
Joseph M. Petty | 
www.worcesterma.gov |
Clerk of the City Council
Susan M. Ledoux | Committee Members | | 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. | | | | | Also: | City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr.
Chief Financial Officer Thomas F. Zidelis
City Auditor Robert V. Stearns
City Clerk Susan M. Ledoux, clerk | | | |
| 1. | FY 2018 Budget Recessed Hearings | |
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| | | 1a. | DCU Center - XVI-7, pg.265
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | Motion Russell @1a - That $222,112.00 be cut from the Administration and Finances' DCU Center Budget.
Councilor Russell's motion approved on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Budget approved as amended | |
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| | | 1b. | Five Point Plan Funds - XVII-1, pg. 269
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
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| | | 1c. | Line Item Budget - XVIII-1
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | Budget Approved | |
| 2. | Motions Held in Committee | |
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| | | 2a. | Motion of Councilor Morris A. Bergman - That $400,000.00 be cut from the Total Recommended Ordinary Maintenance of the Department of Public Works and Parks' Street Light Budget.
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| View Budget | | | | | | | Motion Economou @ #2a – Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning decreasing the Department of Public Works and Parks’ Street Light Budget by $500,000.00 and divesting the funds back into the street resurfacing program.
Councilor Economou’s motion ruled out of order because City Council cannot move funds from one budget to another per the City of Worcester Charter.
Councilor Bergman’s motion approved on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays | |
| 3. | Fiscal Year 2018 Budget | |
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| | | 3a. | 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
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Motion Gaffney @ #3a – That $500,000.00 be cut from the Department and Public Works and Parks’ Snow Removal Ordinary Maintenance Budget.
Councilor Gaffney’s motion denied on a roll call vote of 2 Yeas and 9 Nays (Yeas – Gaffney, Lukes) (Nays – Bergman, Economou, King, Mero-Carlson, Rivera, Rosen, Russell, Toomey, Petty)
Motion Lukes @ #3a – That $400,000.00 be cut from the Department of Public Works and Parks’ Forestry Ordinary Maintenance Stump Removal Program Budget.
Councilor Lukes moved to amend the cut be reduced to $200,000.00 from the Department of Public Works and Parks’ Forestry Ordinance Maintenance Stump Removal Program Budget.
Councilor Lukes’ motion denied on a roll call vote of 2 Yeas and 9 Nays (Yeas – Gaffney, Lukes) (Nays – Bergman, Economou, King, Mero-Carlson, Rivera, Rosen, Russell, Toomey, Petty)
Motion Lukes @ #3a – That $200,000.00 be cut from the Master Plan portion of the Economic Development Ordinary Maintenance Budget.
Councilor Lukes’ motion denied on a roll call vote of 2 Yeas and 9 Nays (Yeas – Gaffney, Lukes) (Nays – Bergman, Economou, King, Mero-Carlson, Rivera, Rosen, Russell, Toomey, Petty)
Motion Russell @ #3a – That an additional $350,000.00 be cut from the overall budget of the City of Worcester.
Councilor Russell’s motion ruled out of order because funds must be cut from specific parts of the City’s budget per the City of Worcester Charter.
Motion Gaffney @ #3a – That $7,500,000.00 be cut from the Human Resources’ Health Insurance Trust Fund Budget.
Councilor Gaffney’s motion denied on a roll call vote of 1 Yeas and 10 Nays (Yea – Gaffney)
FY 2018 Budget approved as amended on a roll call vote of 9 Yeas and 2 Nays (Yeas – Bergman, Economou, King, Mero-Carlson, Rivera, Rosen, Russell, Toomey, Petty) (Nays – Gaffney, Lukes) | |
| 4. | Communications of the City Manager | |
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| | | 4a. | 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
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report listing all outside counsel hired by the Human Resources Department. (Lukes) | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a comprehensive report cost benefit analysis for using outside counsel as opposed to handling all legal counsel in-house. (Gaffney) | |
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| | | 4b. | Transmitting supplemental informational communication relative to the operations during the Winter of 2016 - 2017
# 8.5B CM May 23, 2017
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4c. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the Snow Operation Program during the 2016-2017 winter.
# 17a CC May 23, 2017
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4d. | Transmitting a communication relative to the successes of the Workforce Investment Board and the Workforce Central Career Center.
# 11b CC May 30, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4e. | Transmitting a communication relative to Streetlight Savings associated with the LED conversion program.
# 11c CC May 30, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4f. | Transmitting a communication relative to the successes of the Intergovernmental Affairs and Municipal Initiatives position of the City Manager's office.
# 11d CC May 30, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4g. | Transmitting a report concerning two inquiries from the FY 18 Budget Hearing.
# 11e CC May 30, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4h. | Transmitting a communication regarding the Health Insurance Budget and Health Insurance Trust Fund (Internal Service Fund).
# 11f CC May 30, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 4i. | Transmitting a communication relative to an estimated assessor's recap comparing the proposed FY18 tax levy with the current real estate assessments and the FY 17 assessed values.
# 11g CC May 30, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
| 5. | Communications of the City Auditor | |
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| | | 5a. | 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
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 5b. | 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
In Committee May 30, 2017 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
| 6. | Items Referred to Committee on June 6, 2017 | |
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| | | 6a. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to the estimated net operating income of the DCU Center.
# 9.26A CM June 06, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 6b. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication in response to budget motions from the May 30, 2017 Finance Committee hearing.
# 9.36B CM June 06, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 6c. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication in response to a motion regarding a legal opinion as to whether or not the Health Insurance Trust Fund can be cut by City Council.
# 9.36C CM June 06, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 6d. | Communication of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to the Health Insurance Budget and Health Insurance Trust Fund.
# 9.36D CM June 06, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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| | | 6e. | Communication of the City Auditor transmitting a communication concerning free cash and what impact cuts from it could have on the budget.
# 11b CC June 06, 2017 | Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File | |
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