City Council - Ordinance Committee

City of Chicopee City Council Ordinance Committee Members James Tillotson, Chair Fred Krampits, Vice Chair Frank Laflamme Gary Labrie Jerry Roy APPROVED 3-12-19 MINUTES February 26, 2019 The following are the minutes of a public hearing held Tuesday, February 26, 2019, at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers, Fourth Floor, City Hall Annex, 274 Front Street, Chicopee, MA 01013. Members Present: Tillotson, Krampits, Laflamme, Labrie, Roy Also Present: Dan Garvey (Associate City Solicitor), Stephanie Shaw (Director of Veterans Service), Laura McCarthy (Assessor), Brian Souchy (Assessor), Victor Anop (Assessor) The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM. In compliance with the open meeting laws the Chairman asked if anyone in the audience was recording the meeting. Hearing none the meeting continued. ITEM #1 ORDERED THAT the City Council adopt Chapter 218 of the Acts of 2018, An Act Relative to Veterans Benefits, Rights, Appreciation, Validation and Enforcement, known as the BRAVE Act as it relates to M.G.L. c.59 S5 Clause Seventeenth F, Twenty-second G, Twenty-second H and M.G.L. c.59 S5N. Councilor Tillotson stated that if we adopt this as it’s written then we adopt all it. Councilor Laflamme stated if I own the house and my father lives in my house then he can still get the tax deductible under 22-G Victor Anop stated that if we have a trust and the veteran has some relationship to the property such as he’s a beneficiary under the trust, we can grant that now. He stated the additions were the conservator or other fiduciary which might be a guardian or something else. He stated that we don’t know how many people that would apply to. He stated that these are things that need to be figured out before we decide to do this because these local options appear to be one hundred percent reimbursable by the city. He stated that the other ones that we get now are either partially or fully paid by the state. Councilor Tillotson stated if their tax bill was three thousand dollars what percentage would they get off of that. Victor Anop stated if they were at ten percent that would be four hundred dollars, we have one for one thousand dollars and we have a full reimbursement for a fully disabled person. 1 Councilor Laflamme asked does the City Council give you the rate or is it automatic. Laura McCarthy stated that right now we’ve established exemption amounts for veterans that are according to the state law. She stated that there haven’t been any local options; once we do a local option to increase or change something the city is responsible for the payment. She stated that this brave act does allow for changes like that now. She stated that we currently have four hundred and seventy seven people that get veterans exemptions of some sort. Stephanie Shaw stated that 22-G just expands this, so that if someone ages and they were to put their home into an estate it would go to their children and not to the state; this would allow them to continue to receive the exception that they were previously receiving. She doesn’t thing we will be able to adopt anything until we find out exactly how that would affect us and how we would define 22- G and 22-H, they have not clearly been defined by the state. Stephanie Shaw stated that we were told because of the Government shutdown things that normally would have been processed will be delayed for about eight weeks. Victor Anop stated that he was concerned about the reimbursement formula. He stated every year the state pitches in for the exemptions. He stated that he has all the Veterans ones; a 22 is four hundred dollars that a Veteran receives and the state pays two hundred and thirty five dollars. The 22-A where the Veteran gets seven hundred and fifty dollars, the state pays five hundred and seventy five dollars. He further stated that 22-B the Veteran gets twelve hundred and fifty and the state pays one thousand seventy five dollars. He stated that 22-C the Veteran gets fifteen hundred and the stated pays seventeen hundred. He stated that the City of Chicopee is paying a certain amount of the Veterans reimbursements every year. Victor Anop stated that the elderly people over 65 years old who qualify, we get almost all of it back from the state. Laura McCarthy stated on 17-F we have two exemptions besides veterans we deal with regularly; one is for people that are widows and widowers that have a certain amount of assets but has no income requirement and they can get one hundred and seventy five dollars off. She stated that the other one is for people who have limited assets of income who are eligible for five hundred dollars off. She stated we have adopted a clause that does a cost of living adjustment (COLA) so our asset and income requirements for that exemption change every year. She stated that 17-D does not change and that is what 17-F is referring to, that it would change the asset amount yearly according to the cost of living. Victor Anop stated that the State sends us the figure what the new amount will be as far as the person’s income and their spouse’s income to be able to qualify. Councilor Laflamme stated that we cannot do anything right now until we get that figure from the State. Councilor Tillotson stated that we should postpone this until we get clarification from your office. Victor Anop stated that you don’t have to adopt all of them under Chapter 218 you can pick and choose. Victor Anop stated that it’s all tied to if they own a residence in Chicopee. Brian Souchy stated that thirty two hundred and forty people qualify for some of these programs. Victor Anop stated it looks like we are at the ground floor with this and we don’t have enough information. Councilor Tillotson stated the way it is right now is too broad, we really need to narrow it down what we want to do and what we can afford to do. Councilor Tillotson stated that I entertain a motion to postpone this for clarification and work with the Assessors until we get something in writing with our Attorney as well. 2 Councilor Laflamme motion to postpone to the call of the chair – Councilor Labrie 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #2 Chapter 7 Ordinance Revisions to reflect the new minimum wage increase to $12.00 per hour Z. Library Department a. Part Time Page $ 12.00 per hour b. Circulation Clerk (On-call) 12.00 per hour AA. Engineering Department a. Seasonal Jr. Engineer $ 12.00 per hour BB. Highway Department a. Temporary Laborer $ 12.00 per hour CC. Sanitation Department a. Temporary Laborer $ 12.00 per hour DD. Parks Department a. Temporary Laborer $ 12.00 per hour EE. Flood Control Department a. Temporary Laborer $ 12.00 per hour FF. Golf Department a. Seasonal Golf Assistants $ 12.00 per hour b. Pro-Shop Assistant 12.00 per hour c. Cashiers 12.00 per hour GG. Water Department a. Seasonal Employees $ 12.00 per hour HH. Waste Water Treatment Plant a. Temporary Laborer $ 12.00 per hour Parks & Recreation Department a. Ranger $ 12.00 per hour b. Special Care Taker 12.00 per hour c. Lifeguard 12.00 per hour f. Assistant Recreation Leaders 12.00 per hour g. Youth Basketball Scorekeeper 1/game (Age 9-10) 12.00 per hour h. Youth Basketball Scorekeeper 1/game (Age 11-12) 12.00 per hour j.Youth Basketball Referee 2/game (Age 9-10) 12.00 per hour m.Youth Soccer Referee 2/game (Age 9-10) 12.00 per hour n Youth Soccer Referee 2/game (Age 11-12) 12.00 per hour z. Junior Counselors 12.00 per hour KK. MIS Department a. Intern $ 12.00 per hour OO. Human Resources a. Temporary Clerk $ 12.00 per hour 3 Councilor Laflamme motion to approve – Councilor Tillotson 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #3 Chapter 7 Ordinance Revisions to the following positions in the Parks & Recreation Department: II Parks & Recreation Department h. Youth Basketball Scorekeeper 1/game (Age 11-12) 13.00 per hour i. Youth Basketball Scorekeeper 1/game (Age 13-14) 14.00 per hour j.Youth Basketball Referee 2/game (Age 9-10) 13.00 per hour k.Youth Basketball Referee 2/game (Age 11-12) 16.00 per hour l.Youth Basketball Referee 2/game (Age 13-14) 19.00 per hour n.Youth Soccer Referee 2/game (Age 11-12) 13.00 per hour o.Youth Soccer Referee 2/game (Age 13-14) 14.00 per hour Councilor Laflamme motion to approve – Councilor Tillotson 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 - 0 favorable ITEM #4 Chapter 7 Ordinance Revisions to the following positions in the Golf Department: FF. Golf Department c. Cashiers 13.00 per hour Councilor Labrie motion to approve – Councilor Roy 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #5 DELETE CELESTINE STREET East from Chicopee Street to Meadow Street Sunday Only ONE- WAY STREET Councilor Tillotson stated he sent an email to the Pastor of the church but did not get a response. He stated that there is one Mass left in that church and it’s on Sunday’s. He stated to make it a one- way for the one Mass does not make a lot of sense. Councilor Laflamme agrees and if down the road there is a problem we will put it back. Councilor Krampits motion to delete – Councilor Tillotson 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #6 4 DELETE MT. CARMEL AVENUE East entire length 7 AM – Noon Sunday Only ONE-WAY STREET Councilor Roy motion to delete – Councilor – Councilor Tillotson 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #7 DELETE ST. ANTHONY STREET West between Meadow Street and Chicopee Street only ONE- WAY STREET Councilor Krampits motion to delete – Councilor Tillotson 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #8 SERGEANT AVENUE entire length on the even side PARKING PROHIBITED Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #9 2 PELOQUIN DRIVE – HANDICAP PARKING Councilor Labrie motion to deny – Councilor Roy 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #10 DELETE 96 BONNER STREET – HANDICAP PARKING Councilor Laflamme motion to strike – Councilor Tillotson 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable ITEM #11 90 BONNER STREET – HANDICAP PARKING Councilor Laflamme motion to deny – Councilor Labrie 2nd the motion – motion passed Committee vote 5 – 0 favorable 5 ITEM #12 Councilor Krampits motion to approve the minutes of January 8, 2019 – Councilor Tillotson 2nd the motion – motion passed Meeting adjourned at 7:15 PM 6