City Council

HEARING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, MARCH 23, 2015 Hearing opened at 7:31 P.M. with Councillor Nickel, Chair of the PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE, presiding. All members were present. Hearing continued from March 9, 2015. The following PETITION was the subject of the hearing: 22-15 National Grid and Verizon New England: Lake Street – Install 1 jointly owned pole and anchor. National Grid to install pole, down guy, and anchor with a 6 foot lead. New pole and anchor will be located on city property at the south end of Lake Street. Councillor Nickel said he received a communication from National Grid requesting the petition be withdrawn. The pole location has changed and a new petition will be submitted. HEARING ADJOURNED AT 7:32 P.M. ________________________________ Lynn A. Bouchard, City Clerk and Clerk of the City Council REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, MARCH 23, 2015 Meeting was called to order at 7:30 P.M. Attendance was taken by a roll call vote; all members were present. Motion was made to recess at 7:31 P.M. to hold a public hearing and to have a public forum. Meeting reconvened at 7:33 P.M. The following COMMUNICATION was received with an EMERGENCY PREAMBLE and referred to the FINANCE COMMITTEE. Vt. 9/0. Upon recommendation of the FINANCE COMMITTEE, the following COMMUNICATION was GRANTED and ORDERED. Vt. 7 “yeas”, Councillors Nickel and Cormier abstained due to a possible conflict of interest. C-37 Relative to the appropriation of $150,000.00 to the Fire Department Overtime Account; same to be transferred from the Stabilization Fund. ORDERED: that the sum of One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150,000.00) be appropriated to the Fire Department Overtime Account; same to be transferred from the Stabilization Fund. The following PETITIONS were received, referred to the WAYS & MEANS AND VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, given REGULAR COURSE and referred to the Treasurers Office and the Police Department. 25-15 Aime Lemoine: Renew the License for two pool tables at Seven R’s, d/b/a A & R’s Double Inn located at 166 Water Street. 26-15 Fred R. Tousignant: Renew the Second Hand Dealer’s License for Fred’s Auction located at 38 Spruce Street. The following PETITION was received, referred to the PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE, and given REGULAR COURSE. A hearing was set on April 13, 2015 at 7:05 P.M. 27-15 National Grid and Verizon New England: Lake Street – Install 1 jointly owned pole and anchor. National Grid to relocate pole 13 feet north and install new pole, down guy and anchor with a 12 ft. lead. New pole and anchor will be located on city property at the west side of Lake Street. Upon recommendation of the WAYS & MEANS AND VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, the following COMMUNICATION was GRANTED. Vt. 9/0. Councillor Nickel said he is a member of the Montachusett Interfaith Hospitality Network and will be voting on the communication as a whole. C-34 Dean J. Mazzarella, Mayor: Approve the CDBG Budget/Action Plan for Year 41. Upon request of the LEGAL AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEES the following PETITION was given LEAVE TO WITHDRAW WITHOUT PREJUCIDE. Vt. 8/1, Councillor Nickel opposed. 23-15 Wayne Nickel on behalf of a Derwin Street resident: Place a truck exclusion on Derwin Street. 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.  2 REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, MARCH 23, 2015, continued 22-15 National Grid and Verizon New England: Lake Street – Install 1 jointly owned pole and anchor. National Grid to install pole, down guy, and anchor with a 6 foot lead. New pole and anchor will be located on city property at the south end of Lake Street. Upon recommendation of the CITY PROPERTY & PROPERTY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, the following PETITION was GRANTED. Vt. 9/0. 24-15 Annmarie Sargent and Greg Chapdelaine for the Leominster Recreation Department: Request the use of West Street (from Main Street to Church Street), the Downtown Common and the section of parking lot directly bordering West Street between the Baptist and Unitarian churches on Saturday, August 1, 2015 from 7:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. for the purpose of holding the first annual “Johnny Appleseed Craft Beer Festival” to be open from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Councillor Cormier, Chairman of the Finance Committee, read the Financial Report for the City into the record. Account balances are as follows: Stabilization Account $10,104,907.93 Emergency Reserve $0 Upon recommendation of the FINANCE COMMITTEE, the following COMMUNICATIONS were RATIFIED Vt. 9 “yeas” C-35 Relative to the appropriation of $75,000.00 to the Snow & Ice Overtime Account; same to be transferred from the Stabilization Fund. (Granted with an Emergency Preamble on March 9, 2015; another vote was required.) C-36 Relative to the appropriation of $225,000.00 to the Snow & Ice Expense Account; same to be transferred from the Stabilization Fund. (Granted with an Emergency Preamble on March 9, 2015; another vote was required.) Under Old Business, Councillor Dombrowski said we should ask the School Committee and the Comptroller to come down to discuss the reporting requirements of the Department of Education. He said he didn’t know much only what he has read in the newspaper and that is why he would like to have a meeting. Councillor Bodanza said he has spoken to the Superintendent and he has revived the idea of having our joint meeting with the School Committee. For the topics that he wants to discuss are budget, programs, projects and chargebacks. He said it would be appropriate maybe to address that issue in that context as well. Councillor Bodanza said the date that they thought would be appropriate would be Wednesday, April 29, 2015, on a separate night. Councillor Salvatelli suggested to go to their place for a meeting due to the Taste of Leominster will be going on at City Hall. Councillor Bodanza suggested the Library. Councillor Marchand said the Clerk indicated that if they host the meeting and invite us then we can do it off campus. Councillor Bodanza said he will check to see if they will set the meeting and invite the Council to the appropriate location. Councillor Marchand said topics should be budget, programming, projects and chargebacks and make sure Councillor Dombrowski’s question is raised on the agenda. He said if there are any other agenda item please submit it through the Clerk to Councillor Bodanza and will be sent to the School Committee for consideration. Councillor Freda said she was at the last School Committee meeting and she believes one of the issues was with the Comptroller but also the question of net school spending and the issue was with some of the chargebacks. Those questions are not going to be answered except for the Department of Education that is where the answers have to come from. She said there was an attempt to get Jay Sullivan from the DESE to the last meeting. Councillor Dombrowski said it is important that the respective financial officers are both there, the Comptroller as well as Mr. Dedee. I don’t think we will get any answers if they are not present. Councillor Bodanza said it is a topic of worthy discussion. Under New Business, Councillor Freda said the Mayor mentioned tonight 20 years for the Courthouse and many of us sat here when the police department gave up their money for the Court construction so we wouldn’t lose it and the words were “We will remember the police station.” That was 20 years ago. She hopes that everyone is on board and really looking at all this money we have listed tonight and remember a police station is paramount in this community. MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:05 P.M. ____________________________________ Lynn A. Bouchard, City Clerk and Clerk of the City Council