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1994-07-13RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN #270 Public Hearing re removal of live tree at 19 Puritan Road #295 Public Hearing re removal of live tree at 11 Roderick Avenue #317 Public Hearing re removal of live tree at 19 Davis Road #319 Referred to the Committee on Public Service and Aid Public Hearing re loan authorization for "Energy Improvements - Beverly Public Schools" ($1,438,261.80) Referred to the Committee on Finance and Property. SPECIAL MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL - JULY 13, 1994 at 7:00 P.M. ROLL CALL: Coughlin, Gilmore, Golin, Mahan, McGlynn, Murray, Rollins, Troubetaris and Nardella PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG: Led by Councilor Golin ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS: Councilor Gilmore questioned Ordinance #222A on Unclassified Salaries, passed in conjunction with acceptance of budget. No formal vote was taken, therefore, ordinance will be resubmitted at next meeting for formal acceptance. No acceptance of minutes of June 27, 1994 or July 5, 1994 meetings. CONFIRMATIONS: #320 The reappointment of Leland McDonough to the Beverly Housing Authority was submitted to the Council on July 5, 1994, was laid over under charter provisions and Mr. McDonough was unanimously confirmed. RECONSIDERATION OF ORDER #80 - FILED BY COUNCILOR ROLLINS: #80 - Application of Rene Gagnon for 2nd CMVDL license at McNeil's Auto Body. 236 Rantoul St. (Discussion generally focused on fact that mistaken communication led to confusion - 2nd CMVDL was original intent - not third class.) Application amended to 2nd CMVDL - Application granted. COMMUNICATIONS FROM HIS HONOR THE MAYOR§ July 13, 1994 Honorable City Council City Hall Dear Honorable Council, I hereby request a transfer of Two Hundred FortyNine Dollars ($249.00) to account "Out of State Travel" from account "Mayor's Expenses" Said sum of money to be expended under the direction of the Mayor. As you know, I travelled to Washington, D.C. to lobby for sewer rate relief on March 22 and 23, 1994 and inadvertently neglected to request your approval for out of state travel. Would you please authorize this request so that expenses incurred on the trip can be reimbursed? Very truly yours, William F. Scanlon, Jr., Mayor Referred to the Committee on Finance and Property July 13, 1994 Honorable City Council City Hall Dear Honorable Council, I hereby request that your Honorable Council authorize the Mayor to sign the attached Automated RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN Library Network Services Agreement between the City of Beverly and North of Boston Library Ex- change, Inc. Very truly yours, William F. Scanlon, Jr., Mayor Referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Accounts. July 13, 1994 Honorable City Council City Hall Dear Honorable Council: I hereby request a supplemental appropriation in the amount of Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($16,000) to account "Meter Personnel". Said sum of money to be expended under the direction of the Police Chief. As you know, I am very comfortable that the revenue produced by the parking enforcement activity will at least offset the expenditure to be incurred. Very truly yours, William F. Scanlon, Jr., Mayor. Referred to the Committee on Finance and Property. July 13, 1994 Honorable City Council City Hall Dear Honorable Council: I hereby appoint, subject to your confirmation, the following to serve as members of the Council for Aging: Mrs. Susan Fiorinl, 186 McKay Street - Effective until June 30, 1997 - To fill the expired term of Reginald Loiselle who did not wish to be reappointed. Mrs. Marguerite R. Coughlin, 4 Frankwood Avenue - Effective until June 30, 1997 - To fill the expired term of Frances Moran who did not wish to be reappointed. Ms. Jennie Jason, Jaclyn Towers, 215 Rantoul street - Effective until June 30, 1995 - To fill the unexpired term of Edward McCarthy who has resigned. Very truly yours, William F. Scanlon, Jr., Mayor Laid over for confirmation. July 13, 1994 HOnorable City Council City Hall Dear Honorable Council: I hereby reappoint, subject to your confirmation, the following to serve as members of the Conservation Commission: William W. Liss, 41 South Terrace Nancy Lodge, 275 Hale Street Mayor Johnson, MD, 256 East Lothrop Street. Their terms to be effective until June 30, 1997. Very truly yours, William F. Scanlon, Jr., Mayor Laid over for confirmation. RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN July 7, 1994 City Council City of Beverly Dear Councilors, I was born in Beverly. I bought a home and raised my children here. It was with great pride that I was given the opportunity to serve Beverly as its assessor. It is with sadness that I resign effective July 31. Times have changed. Today, Management positions at City H all demand professional and technical skill. Gone are the days of purely political appointments who are not qualified and lucky to have a Job. I view myself as a dedicated person who has worked hard for the city. I like to think that I performed my duties with honesty and integrity. I am resigning because, as a department head, I feel I have been continuously asked to shoulder a disproprotionate share of the city's problems. There comes a time where sacrifices made for the food of the city begin to affect one's outlook on life, one's self-image and one's abilities to perform. There are over 700 city employees and department heads comprise Just a dozen people or so. Over the past five or six years, there have been numbstons instances, too numerous to detail, where department heads were singled out for all manner of unfair treatment. I forestalled resigning last fall until I could see if the situations that directly affect me as a department head would change after the last election. While things are much better on many froni and I am hopeful that Beverly is on its way back, City Hall managers are still too often being used as ammunition in political battles. This also should change. I believe that it is in Beverly's best interest to attract and keep good managers. Salaries in Beverly lag behind comparable communities by as much as 20%. New department heads have been hired for significant increases over their predecessors because of the difficulty in attracting good people at the former salaries. Offering such increase to new people may have been necessary but, it was less than fair to those of us who have toiled here in the trenches during the city's most trying times. I was also dismayed to see that, in a 57 million dollar budget, the only debate was at the expense of department heads. While I appreciate the leadership shown by some of the council in supporting their managers, the debate, with its petitions and hard feelings and so forth, was kind of the last straw. It served to convince me that it will be a very long time, if ever, before the city realizes that their professional managers are not a faceless enemy but are friends and neighbors working towards a common purpose. Before anyone reading this dismisses me as Just another greedy city worker, please understand that I am leaving for a position in another community for less than my present salary. I was also recently reappointed for three years, so Job security is not the issue. I have chosed to leave because, after years of cuts, freezes and reductions, it has been near impossible to perform at a level that I need for Job satisfaction. I find that it has taken all of my skills as a manager, not to excel or improve but, to forestall a breakdown due to a lack of staffing, funding and morale. Itws not the money, its the attitude behind the situations described above. I hope that my resignation can somehow start a serious discussion on these issues. The present situation, in my opinion, is much worse in Beverly than in other municipalities and I feel that it is detrimental to the city's overall health. It would make this sad letter more palatable if m resignation were to serve as a catalyst for positive change and help forestall further loss of skilled and experienced people. With regret, Thomas A. Holmes, Chief Assessor Received and Placed on File City Council City of Beverly AttN: Bruce Nardella, President The Department has several vehicles which are beyond repair and are no longer of any value or use to the City. Based on the above as well as an effort to provide additional space and clean up the city garage area, I respectfully request the following vehichles be declared surplus. Vehicle Year Make/Model 1 1986 Ford LTD 248 1970 Mack Vac All RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN 403 1983 Ford LTD 408 1980 Ford F250 602 1989 Chev V3500 902 1980 Ford F350 227 1970 Compressor Sewer Rodding Machine Electric Dept. 1983 Ford LTD Building Dept. 1983 Ford Fairmount Should this request be granted, I further request that I be allowed to advertise for the removal of these vehicles. Very truly yours, George Zambouras, P.E., Com~nissioner of Public Works Referred to the Committee on Finance and Property. City Council City of Beverly Attn: Bruce Nardella, President The Cityof Beverly currently owns 2 leaf blowers whihc have sat idle since the contracting out of leaf collection 4 years ago. Since the Department has an occasional use for only one of these machines, the second is of no value to the City and should be sold before its value depreciates further. Currently the town of Swampscott is interested in purchasing one of the leaf blowers. I therefore respectfully request that the following vehicle be declared as surplus. Vehicle #256 Year 1987 Big T Vac Leaf Blower. If approved, I further request that I be permitted to sell the vehicle to the town of Swampscott. The value is currently estimated to be around $7000.00. Very truly yours, George Zambouras, Commissioner of Public Works Referred to the Committee on Finance and Property. A Grant of easement to be accepted by the City Council on behalf of the City of Beverly, as requested by City Solicitor Robert Manroe. Referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Accounts July 11, 1994 The Honorable City Council City of Beverly Dear Councilors, It has been brought to my attention that I neglected to obtain permission from the Council to fill the part-time position in my office. As soon as the budget was adopted, I asked Helen Butler to come to work immediately, since we are in the middle of our vacation schedule. I respectfully request permission to fill the part time position in the office of the City Clerk, effective July 5, 1994. Referred ~o the Committee on Finance and Property. To: HOnorable City Council From: Donald B. Young, Finance Director Date: July 13, 1994 Re: REquest for authorization to fill vacant position In accordance with Section 17-7 of the Revised Municipal Ordinances, I respectfully request permission to fill the "System Operator's" pos!tiqn in the Auditor's office. RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN As you are undoubtedly aware, this position was created as a result of the new computer system and the cost has been calculated in all of the costs analysis. Although the budget calls for a salary of $30,000, I will be seeking a person in the $25,000 -30,000 range. The Computer Commission is expected to finalize the Job description tomorrow evening. PLease take all necessary actions on this request this evening. Referred to the Committee on Finance and Property. COMMUNICATIONS, APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS A Claim (notice of fall off playground swing) from Mr. and Mrs. Paul Polonsky, 14 Montserrat Road Referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Accounts A Communication from George Batcheider re Stop & Shop Zoning Change. Referred to the Committee of the Whole. REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES The Committee on Finance and Property to whom was referred the matter of Bond Authorization for Energy Improvements at various public schools, ($1,438,261.80) have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: ORDERED: That $1,438,261.80 is appropriated for energy conservation and alternative energy imp- rovements to various public school buildings; that to meet this appropriation the Treasurer-Collector, with the approval of the Mayor and the Finance Director and under the direction of the Comittee on Finance and Property, is authorized to borrow $1,438,261.80 under G. L. C.44 S&(3B) and to file an application with the Emergency finance Board to qualify the bonds under Chapter 44A of the Massachusetts General Laws; that the City Treasurer-Collector is further authorized to file a certified copy of the loan order and provide such other information and executre such other documents as the board may require; and that all bonds or notes issued hereunder shall be certified to in writing as to their genuineness by Shawmut Bank, N.A. Be it further ordered that the City Council conduct a Public Hearing on July 13, 1994 relative to this bond authorization. Order read once, and passed to a second reading, laid over under charter provisions. The Committee on Finance and Property to whom was referred the matter of City Clerk's request to fill position in Department (Part-time) have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend permission be granted. Order read once and adopted. The Committee on Finance and Property to whom was referred the matter of Finance Director's request to fill position of system operator, have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend permission be granted. Order read once and adopted. The Committee on Public Service and Aid to whom was referred the matter of Removal of live tree - 19 Puritan Road, have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend the tree be removed by the City. Order read once and adopted. RECORDS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN iThe Committee on Public SErvice and Aid to whom was referred the matter of removal of live tree at 11 Roderick Avenue, have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend the tree he taken down by the City of Beverly Order read once and adopted. The Committee on Public Service and Aid to whom was referred the matter of removal of live tree at 19 Davis Road, have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend the tree be taken down by the City of Beverly Order read once and adopted. The Committee on Legal Affairs and Accounts to whom was referred the matter of Ordinance change- Motor Vehicles and Traffic - STop Sign on Robb Road, have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Submit the accompanying ordinance and recommend its adoption. City of Beverly In the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four An ordinance amending an ordinance entitled "Motor Vehicles and Traffic" relative to Obedience to isolated STOP signs Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Beverly as follows: That Chapter 14, Section 86 of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Beverly, 1989, be, and the same is hereby amended by adding thereto the following: "Robb Road, eastbound drivers o Robb Road at Witling Drive. Robb Road, westbound drivers on Robb Road at Nelson Avenue." This ordinance to take effect upon passage. Ordinance read once, adopted and passed to be ordained. MOTIONS AND ORDERS§ By Councilor Rollins: That the Commissioner of Public Works be, and the same is hereby requested to make a study and reocmmendation realtire to the remoal of a live tree at 34 WashingtonStreet (Large maple tree) Referred to the Committee on PUblic Service and Aid By Councilor Golin: WHEREAS: The City of Beverly, also known as the GArden City, has begun an extensive program to clean and beautify the City; and WHEREAS: Many residents and businesses have volunteered to clean, plant and otherwise spruce up their surroundings and neighborhoods; and, WHEREAS: Lynch Park, a beautiful area within our city which is used by many residents and non- residents alike, is in need of special attention in regards to the trees located on site and WHEREAS: The Massachusetts ARborlet Association, designates one site per year in the Commonwealth, as the location for its annual ARbor Day program; THEREFORE, WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE BEVERLY CITY COUNCIL WHOLLY SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE BEVERLY BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE, AND ITS SUB-COMMITTEE ON TREES, TO HAVE LYNCH PARK DESIGNATED BY THE MA ARBORIST ASSOCIATION, AS A FUTURE SITE FOR ITS ANNUAL ARBOR DAY EVENT. FURTHER, WE DIRECT THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS IN OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO CONTINUE THEIR COOPERATION WITH CONCERNED CITIZENS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING SCHOOLS, TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS WHIRC WILL TEACH OUR RESIDENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES, CARING FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT AND HAVING PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY. Resolution read once and ad~pted,.sign~_byal~.members.