CITY OF WORCESTER | Finance Committee Meeting | Tuesday, June 16, 2020 | Levi Lincoln (North) Chamber | Convened: 5:37 P.M. | Adjourned: 6:47 P.M. |
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Mayor
Joseph M. Petty | 
www.worcesterma.gov |
Clerk of the City Council
Nikolin Vangjeli | Committee Members | | Chairperson Joseph M Petty | | Vice Chairperson Donna M Colorio | | Councilor Morris A Bergman |
| | Councilor Khrystian E King | | Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson | | Councilor Sarai Rivera | | Councilor Sean M Rose | | Councilor Gary Rosen | | Councilor George J Russell | | Councilor Kathleen M Toomey | | Councilor Matthew E Wally |
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.
Acting Chief Financial Officer Kathleen Johnson
City Auditor Robert V. Stearns
City Solicitor Michael Traynor
City Clerk Nikolin Vangjeli, clerk | | | |
| 1. | Approval of the Minutes | |
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| | | 1a. | Order - That the City Council Standing Committee of Finance hereby approves the minutes of the Finance Committee meeting on June 9, 2020. | View Budget | | | | | | | Mayor Petty read the item and moved for a roll call vote to adopt the item. Order adopted on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays. | |
| 2. | Fiscal Year 2021 Budget | |
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| | | 2a. | Communication of the City Manager submission of the Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Operating Budget for City Council review and consideration.
# 8.36A CM May 12, 2020
In Committee May 19, 2020 - Held
In Committee May 26, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 2, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 9, 2020 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Mayor Petty read the item and recognized Councilor Colorio, who discussed items that would need to be carried over from the previous fiscal year, monies allocated for COVID-19, the timetable for certifying free cash and the body camera pilot program with the City Manager.
Councilor Colorio then put forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the amount of free cash monies in the FY20 budget once the amount has been certified.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King, who discussed the importance of social workers in schools with the City Manager.
Councilor King then put forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager work with the Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools to adjust the school budget in order to eliminate/reduce the charge for assigned police officers. Further, request City Manager encourage the Superintendent of Public Schools to work towards reallocating said funds to the positions of School Social Worker and/or Adjustment Counselor.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Toomey, who discussed removing intergovernmental charges associated with School Resource Officers with the City Manager.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Rose, who discussed adding social workers to schools as a means to help students cope with COVID-19 related issues.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Rivera, who discussed implementing the hiring of more school social workers.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed procedures associated with reallocating funds for school adjustment counselors and school resource officers, the process for terminating teachers prior to them reaching professional status and costs associated with a body camera program for Worcester Police Officers with the Superintendent of Public Schools and the Acting Chief Financial Officer.
Councilor Russell then put forth the following Chairman’s Order: Request City Manager provide City Council with a report relative to the potential budgetary impact associated with the termination of teachers who have not reached professional status. Said report should include information relative to the teachers’ eligibility for collecting unemployment and whether the city would pay said unemployment.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Mero-Carlson who discussed seeking clarification on the Chairman’s Order brought forth by Councilor King with the City Clerk, Councilor King and the Superintendent of Public Schools.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Colorio for a second time, who discussed the funding reallocation associated with the Chairman’s Order brought forth by Councilor King.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King for a second time, who discussed using a clinical and complete approach as a means to improve school conduct.
Mayor Petty moved for a roll call vote to recommend the Chairman’s Order brought forth by Councilor King be sent to City Council for final approval. Chairman’s Order recommended for approval on a roll vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays.
Mayor Petty moved for a roll call vote to collectively recommend approval of the item and the Chairman’s Order associated with #2a.
Recommend Approval on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays. | | | | | | | | Chairman's Orders | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the amount of free cash monies in the FY20 budget once the amount has been certified. (Colorio) | | | | Request City Manager work with the Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools to adjust the school budget in order to eliminate/reduce the charge for assigned police officers. Further, request City Manager encourage the Superintendent of Public Schools to work towards reallocating said funds to the positions of School Social Worker and/or Adjustment Counselor. (King) | | | | Request City Manager provide City Council with a report relative to the potential budgetary impact associated with the termination of teachers who have not reached professional status. Said report should include information relative to the teachers’ eligibility for collecting unemployment and whether the city would pay said unemployment. (Russell) | |
| 3. | Communications of the City Manager | |
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| | | 3a. | Recommend approval of the Fiscal Year 2021 proposed Capital Improvement Plan for the City of Worcester.
# 8.36B CM May 12, 2020
In Committee May 19, 2020 - Held
In Committee May 26, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 2, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 9, 2020 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Mayor Petty read the item and moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be approved.
Recommend Approval on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays. | |
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| | | 3b. | Transmitting informational communication relative to the total number of hours and wages for all snow removal inspectors and the total number of snow removal inspectors so employed for FY16 - FY19.
# 9.5C CM May 26, 2020
In Committee June 2, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 9, 2020 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Mayor Petty read the item and moved for a roll call vote to take items #3b, #3c and #4a collectively and recommend the items be filed.
Recommend File on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays | |
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| | | 3c. | Transmitting informational communication relative to a status report on finances for City parking garages.
# 9.5B CM May 26, 2020
In Committee June 2, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 9, 2020 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays (See Item #3b) | |
| 4. | Communication of the City Auditor | |
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| | | 4a. | Transmitting an informational communication regarding the passage of time taken to develop the Madison Properties' effect on the timing of the receipt of revenues required to service Series A bonds.
# 8b CC June 4, 2019
In Committee June 11, 2019 - Held
In Committee May 19, 2020 - Held
In Committee May 26, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 2, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 9, 2020 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Recommend File on a roll call vote of 11 Yeas and 0 Nays (See Item #3b) | |
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| | | 5a. | Order of Councilor Khrystian E. King, Mayor Joseph M. Petty and Councilor Kathleen M. Toomey - Request City Manager consider revising the Financial Integrity Plan for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) to allocate excess New Growth above budgeted to: 1) The High School Building Fund; and 2) The City Manager Capital Campaign Fund, to prepare for the capital costs for the South Division Fire Station and the city wide Financial Management System.
# 10b CC May 12, 2020
In Committee May 19, 2020 - Held
In Committee May 26, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 2, 2020 - Held
In Committee June 9, 2020 - Held
| Attachments | | | | | | | Mayor Petty read the item and recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed the process for amending the Financial Integrity Plan with the City Manager.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Mero-Carlson, who clarified that the item would be only amending the Financial Integrity Plan for FY21.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Bergman, who discussed whether it would be more appropriate to discuss the item once the amount of free cash was certified and moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be held.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Mero-Carlson for a second time, who spoke to the process for holding the item.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed the process for holding items in committee with the City Solicitor.
Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King, who discussed funding allocations for the building of new public schools with the City Manager.
Mayor Petty moved for a roll call vote on Councilor Bergman’s motion to recommend the item be held. Councilor Bergman’s motion failed on a roll call vote of 4 Yeas and 7 Nays (Yeas – Bergman, Colorio, Mero-Carlson, Russell) (Nay – King, Rivera, Rose, Rosen, Toomey, Wally Petty).
Mayor Petty moved for a roll call vote to recommend the item be approved.
Recommend Approval on a roll call vote of 7 Yeas and 4 Nays (Yeas – King, Rivera, Rose, Rosen, Toomey, Wally, Petty) (Nays – Bergman, Colorio, Mero-Carlson, Russell). | |
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