City Council

HEARING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, JANUARY 27, 2014 Hearing opened at 7:00 P.M. with Councillor Dombrowski, Chair of the LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, presiding. All members were present. The following ORDINANCE was the subject of the hearing: Relative to amending Chapter 13 Section 13-34 of the Revised Ordinances entitled “No Parking on Certain streets” by inserting “DeCicco Drive (east side), beginning from the southern end of the ball field to the intersection of DeCicco Drive and Union Street.” No one in the audience spoke in favor or in opposition to the ordinance. No Councillors spoke. HEARING ADJOURNED AT 7:02 P.M. ______________________________ Lynn A. Bouchard, City Clerk And Clerk of the City Council HEARING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, JANUARY 27, 2014 Hearing opened at 7:10 P.M. with Councillor Nickel , Chair of the PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE, presiding. All members were present. The following PETITION was the subject of the hearing: 35-14 National Grid and Verizon New England, Inc.: Mount Pleasant Avenue – Install one jointly owned pole beginning at a point of the intersection of Mechanic Street and continuing approximately 220 feet in a southerly direction. Councillor Nickel said there was a letter received from the Wire Inspector recommending this petition not be granted and that this job was for the Wire Department and is not being done. No one in the audience spoke in favor or in opposition to the petition. No Councillors spoke. HEARING ADJOURNED AT 7:14 P.M. ______________________________ Lynn A. Bouchard, City Clerk And Clerk of the City Council REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, JANUARY 27, 2014 Meeting was called to orders at 7:30 P.M. Attendance was taken by a roll call vote; all members were present. The Committee on Records reported that the records through January 13, 2014 were examined and found to be in order. The records were accepted. A recess was called at 7:32 P.M. to continue the interview with the Chief Assessor appointee. Meeting reconvened at 8:19 P.M. The following COMMUNICATION was received, referred to the FINANCE COMMITTEE and given REGULAR COURSE. C-22 Relative to the appropriation of $40,000.00 to the Police Department Expense Account; same to be transferred from the Police Department Salary & Wages Account.  2 REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, JANUARY 27, 2014, continued The following PETITION was received, referred to the WAYS & MEANS/VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE and given REGULAR COURSE. A hearing was set for February 10, 2014 at 6:50 P.M. 36-14 Kevin Donahue: Grant a License for one pool table at Scoreboards Sports Bar & Grill located at 147 Lancaster Street. The following PETITIONS were received, referred to the LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, given REGULAR COURSE and referred to the Police Department - Traffic Division and the Department of Public Works. 37-14 Claire Freda: Remove the “No Parking” signs from the front of St. Anna Rectory on Lancaster Street and replace them with “15 Minute Parking” signs. 38-14 Eva Leblanc and Richard M. Marchand: Increase the fifteen- minute free parking to thirty-minute free parking in the designated parking spaces in front of the United States Post Office on Main Street. The following PETITION was received, referred to the PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE, given REGULAR COURSE and referred to the Department of Public Works, the Planning Board and the Mayor. 39-14 Cheryl Kuzmitch: Accept F & L Road as a public way. The following APPOINTMENTS were received, referred to the WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE and given REGULAR COURSE. Fire Department – Craig S. Long – Permanent Lieutenant Police Department – Permanent Police Officers Glenn Casey, Michael Merly, Michele Poirier, Jose Torres, Valentine Vautour Upon request of the LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, the following COMMUNICATION was given FURTHER TIME. Vt. 9/0 C-17 Dean J. Mazzarella, Mayor: Adopt an ordinance for securing and maintaining vacant properties and foreclosing properties. Upon request of the LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE the following PETITIONS were given FURTHER TIME. Vt. 9/0 13-14 Stephen J. Mullaney and Ten Registered Voters: Amend Chapter 22 of the Revised Ordinances entitled “Zoning” by adding to “Health Care Overlay District (HCO) Definitions” in Section 22-4 a definition for Medical Marijuana Treatment Center and Medical Marijuana Dispensary Center and by adding the following entry to “Institutional Uses” in Section 22-18 Overlay Districts Table of Uses. Institution Uses RR RA RB RC BA BB C I MU1 MU2 V Medical Marijuana Dispensary Center N N N N N N SPCC N SPCC N N Medical Marijuana Treatment Center N N N N N N N SPCC SPCC N N 31-14 Daniel Garceau: Modify the City of Leominster Zoning Map by deleting Parcel 582-27 located at 220 Litchfield Street from the RB zone and adding it to the abutting Industrial I zone. (Hearing continued to February 10, 2014 at 7:00 P.M.) Upon request of the LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, the following PETITION was given LEAVE TO WITHDRAW. Vt. 9/0. 32-14 David R. Cormier: Amend Chapter 13, Section 13-4 of the Revised Ordinances entitled “Temporary prohibition of parking.” by adding a subsection entitled “Temporary lifting of a parking prohibition.” Upon request of the LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, the following PETITION was given FURTHER TIME. Vt. 9/0 34-14 Leominster Planning Board: Change the zoning ordinance to correct Section 22-25 Commercial District as follows: 1. Remove the text for “Adult Entertainment” and replace it with the “Commercial District” text from the old zoning ordinance (Section 22-23) with one exception: ** Change 23.2.3 to read: Mobile Home Parks and Trailer Parks require a Special Permit and Site Plan approval from the Planning Board. 2. Add the entire “Adult Entertainment Ordinance” as written in Section 22-25 of the old zoning ordinance back into the new zoning ordinance as Article XVII 3. Add Adult Entertainment to the Table of Contents.  3 REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, JANUARY 27, 2014, continued Upon request of the PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE, the following PETITION was given LEAVE TO WITHDRAW. Vt. 8/0, Councillor Cormier abstained due to a possible conflict of interest. 35-14 National Grid and Verizon New England, Inc.: Mount Pleasant Avenue – Install one jointly owned pole beginning at a point of the intersection of Mechanic Street and continuing approximately 220 feet in a southerly direction. Upon recommendation of the FINANCE COMMITTEE, the following COMMUNICATIONS were RATIFIED. Vt. 9/0 C-19 Relative to the appropriation of $100,000.00 to the Fire Department Overtime Account; same to be transferred from the Emergency Reserve Account. (Granted with an Emergency Preamble on January 13, 2014; another vote is required.) C-20 Relative to the appropriation of $100,000.00 to the Police Department Overtime Account; same to be transferred from the Police Department Salary & Wages Account. (Granted with an Emergency Preamble on January 13, 2014; another vote is required.) Upon recommendation of the FINANCE COMMITTEE, the following COMMUNICATION was GRANTED and ORDERED. Vt. 9/0 C-21 Relative to the appropriation of $2,000.00 to the Cemetery Expense Account; same to be transferred from the Cemetery Perpetual Care Income Account. ORDERED: - that the sum of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) be appropriated to the Cemetery Expense Account; same to be transferred from the Cemetery Perpetual Care Income Account. Upon recommendation of the WAYS & MEANS/VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, the following APPOINTMENT was CONFIRMED. Vt. 9 “yeas” William B. Mitchell – Chief Assessor – three year term effective February 10, 2014 The following ORDINANCE was read a second time, ADOPTED as presented as passed to be ordained. Vt. 8 “yeas” and 1 “nay”, Councillor Freda opposed. City of Leominster In the year two thousand and fourteen AN ORDINANCE Amending Chapter 13 of the Revised Ordinances entitled “Motor Vehicles and Traffic.” Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Leominster as follows: Chapter 13, Section 13-34 of the Revised Ordinances entitled “No Parking on Certain Streets” is hereby amended by inserting the following phrase: DeCicco Drive (east side), beginning from the southern end of the ball field to the Intersection of DeCicco Drive and Union Street. __________________________________ Councillor Dombrowski established a Legal Affairs committee meeting on February 4, 2014 at 7:00 P.M. Councillor Feckley said at the Organizational Meeting she had concerns that the Small Business and Economic Development Committee was going away and the Council President graciously agreed to consider a President’s Special Committee and gave her the task of getting information on the Committee. She said she met with the Mayor, the Economic Development and Business Coordinators, whom are doing a good job for the City and meeting with businesses owners. Councillor Feckley proposes the following: The Special Committee on Small Business and Economic Development (SBED) shall consist of three members. The Committee will act as a liaison between the Small Business and Economic Development offices to complement existing efforts by bringing information and knowledge regarding issues such as tax increment financing (TIFs) and other recommendations to the council. The Committee will be actively involved in dialogue with new and existing businesses regarding job creation. The Committee will visit and tour businesses in the City and attend grand openings and other business celebrations.  4 REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, JANUARY 27, 2014, continued Council President Marchand asked Councillor Feckley to Chair the committee, Councillor Freda to be the Clerk and Councillor Lanciani to be the 3rd member. Councillor Lanciani said he always found it to be helpful to know what the small businesses were doing and he thinks it is important that if a person has the integrity to have a small business in the City of Leominster the least we can do as the City Council it so acknowledge them and let people know these small businesses are opening and show our support. He said he is glad to be on the committee. Council President Marchand said Councillor Freda will start hosting, as required by Charter, the different boards and commission to come down for 10 minute intervals. On March 10, 2014 the License Commission will come down at 6:15 P.M. to 6:25 P.M. and the Board of Health will follow. Council President Marchand said the Council is working with the Mayor’s office raising money for the Fuel Assistance Program. There will be a Beatles for Sale concert on February 15, 2014. The Culinary Arts Program at CTE will be providing the refreshments. Doors open at 5:30 P.M. and tickets will be $10.00. There will be 4 autographed baseballs that will be raffled off. Tickets are $10.00. each. Councillor Freda said the Rotary Club has donated money the last four years to the Fuel Fund. She said $1,500.00 comes from the sale of the calendars and they have a matching grant from the district and $3,000.00 was gone in less than two weeks. Councillor Bodanza announced there will be a Leominster Alumni Recognition Dinner on March 1, 2014 to benefit the Leominster Education Foundation. There are three distinguished Leominster High School Alumni being recognized that evening, Bob Antonucci, State Senator Jennifer Flanagan and Mayor Mazzarella. It will be at the Apple Barn Country Club and starts at 5:30 P.M. MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:55 P.M. _____________________________ Lynn A. Bouchard, City Clerk and Clerk of the City Council