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2000 Annual reportMayor's Report Financial and Administrative Activities Fiscal Year 2000 (This report is prepared in accordance with Chapter 3-6, Paragraph (a) of the Beverly City Charter.) Mayor's Report 2000 Table of Contents Deuartment Beverly Municipal Airport Building Department Cemetery Management City Clerk Coramunity Development Community Services Council on Aging Engineering Fire Department Health Department Human Resources Law Department Library Mayor's Report Municipal Finance Parks & Recreation Planning & Development Police Department Public Services Department 15 17 23 12 6 6 16 9 6 5 18 7 1 19 7 10 9 23 Mayor's Review of Fiscal Year 2000 By William F. Scanlon, Jr. Mayor of Beverly For the seventh consecutive year since the current administrition took office in 1994 the city once again achieved solid, positive financial results for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2000. These as yet unaudited results showed both positive revenue and expense variances. During this seven-year period Beverly's bond rating has been increased four times from junk bond status to an investment grade level. These increases have lowered our borrowing costs significantly. As I mentioned last year, the good financial results are all the more pleasing because during the deficit period of several years, we, of necessity, operated with modest funds for city services. Now the City Council and the Mayor are spending significant dollars to improve the quality of life in our city. Creating a revenue surplus in that environment is very satisfying. In FY 2000 the pace of infrastructure improvements in the city reached a new high. With state assistance and local funding, Routes 1A and 62 both began the complete restoration process as well as major improvements to water lines and services. The Beverly Common was further improved and looked splendid in springtime to summer. The Chase Street project started to become reality as new drainage pipes were laid over an extensive area and the pumping station was begun. We are investing heavily in our Schools with the Hannah School totally renovated during FY 2000. In addition, renovation and expansion of the Ayers-Ryal Side School was completed in early FY2000. It was rededicated on September 26, 1999. Our program of total renovation and expansion of one school each year is on track and successful despite a very tight and demanding schedule. Apart from the total renovations of all our schools that will take some years to complete, we have invested short term to bring every school to a reasonable condition. We completed improvements to Briscoe Middle School, the last building to be brought to a reasonable state. Again many small projects aimed at curing local storm drainage problems were completed. While solutions to three major problems that have existed for decades were implemented, notably, the entire first phase of the Chase Street project was completed with new, larger drain lines. Much design work was also done on the Lawrence Brook and Chubb's Brook projects. FY 2000 saw the completion of the Airport Connector Road called Sam Fonzo Drive that finally opens up industrial land to broaden Beverly's tax base and offers business owners the opportunity to buy land and build in Beverly, heretofore essentially impossible.. Mayor- Page 2 The project also includes resolution of the airport septic system issues as well as providing sanitary sewer lines to many homes previously serviced by failing septic systems and, lastly, better water pressure to the entire area. These improvements largely solve what we see as the real threat to Beverly's water supply. In sum, during FY 2000 several major construction projects were opened or completed. Several are ongoing and will take months to complete. This has made iravel in our city sometimes difficult and irregular. These projects have stretched our resources and I am very proud and grateful to the many city employees who have responded to the task. In spite of a markedly increased work load in many areas, we operated during the fiscal year with essent'udly the same number of employees. FY 2000 saw the total renovation of the Beverly Common, now arguably more beautiful than at any time in its history. The Common was further beautified with the addition of flowers, shrubs and various plantings plus the installation of several benches. In addition, a concert series for the Bandstand at the Common was formulated in FY 2000 and it has continued through the summer. ! Veteran's Memorial at Odell Park has been carefully maintained and serves as an 'impressive welcome to persons traveling through Beverly by train. Vittori Park, Hurd Stadium and Bartlett Gardens have ali undergone major improvements including the installation of underground spdnlder systems. The city has benefited greatly from improved productivity at the Public Services Department. The department has been changed from an emergency response force to a closely scheduled operation complete with modem equipment. Their handiwork is visible throughout the city. The Brimbal Avenue Landfill was successfully capped in accordance with Department of Environmental Protection regulations. That site is now being studied for possible other uses in the future. The City continues to move forward to better plan its future. The Cecil Croup was chosen as consultants to create a new master plan for the city. A 17-member steering committee was appointed during the year to facilitate the consultant's work, and the master plan will include an open space plan element and a harbor.plan element. An Open Space and Recreation Committee was also established during the year, and this committee identified a short list of several parcels of land for priority acquisition including the Santin property on Lakeshore Avenue, the Hill Estate on Cross Lane, and the Crosby property on Bridge Street. Mayor- Page 3 One parcel has already been acquired, and the City Council will shortly be asked to consider purchasing the remaining two. The goal of the new master plan will be to protect the quality of life in our city while providing the city with the resources necessary to ensure a financially stable community into the future. In the continuing belief that great cities are more than mere bricks and buildings, we continued "Rights, Respect and Responsibilities Week" in conjunction with the Beverly Interfaith Council. As part of great week of awareness, a highly informative and significant "roundtable discussion" was held at Beverly High School involving many high school students and city residents and officials. This dialogue will be continued as will other events designed to promote civil behavior and respect among all our citizens. Working with members of the community, we will continue to promote tolerance and civil behavior in public affairs, ordinary discourse and at and during athletic events. A permanent committee is in place to advise us how best to encourage respect and tolerance for the ideas, cultures and philosophical positions of other citizens. During FY 2000 the city reached agreement with the Department of Public Services union. Thus, all union contracts in the city have been agreed and will remain in effect until FY 2002. We have pursued the principle of a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. We also made considerable progress in defining management's rights in several contracts to reduce the opportunity for misunderstandings and grievances. A report of how the city spent its funds follows. We continued to make major investments in the School Department with funds well in excess of state mandates. We are able to do this by careful budgeting of other city services and a steady and careful expansion of the city's tax base mainly through commercial and industrial development. We are not creating new industrial and commercial zones, but merely using those that have existed for decades. Unless some degree of growth occurs in Beverly, we will be hard pressed to continue current levels of funding for education and other city services. The breakdown of revenues and expenditures is shown on the next page followed by commentary from individual department heads. CITY OF BEVERLY GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FISCAL YEAR 2000 UNAUDITED REVENUES Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes Excise Taxes Intergovernmental Departmental and Other Investment Earnings TOTAL REVENUES $ 44,958,839.00 $ 3,077,152.00 $15,952,351.00 $ 2,180,324.00 $ 543,251.00 $ 66,711,917.00 EXPENDITURES General Government Public Safety Education Public Works Human Services Culture and Recreation Debt Service - Principal Debt Service - Interest State and County Charges Pension Employee Benefits TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 3,354,133.00 $11,082,011.00 $ 33,624,117.00 $ 5,631,929.00 ;$ 763,456.00 $ 1,723,566.00 $ 1,197,000.00 $ 1,119,293.00 $ 1,158,156.00 $ 4,064,868.00 $ 3,514,068.00 $ 67,232,597.00 EXCESS OF REVENUES OVER EXPENDITURES $ (520,680.00) OTHER SOURCES (USES) $ 1,124,416.00 EXCESS OF REVENUES AND OTHER SOURCES $ 603,736.00 OVER EXPENDITURES NOTE: FISCAL 2000 RESULTS ARE PRELIMINARY AND UNAUDITED Page 5 - Report Human Resources Department Thomas W. L'ltalien - Director With the assistance of City Solicitor Marshall Handly and Mayor William F. Scanlon, Jr. we were able to come to contractual agreements with the Public Services Union for 1998 and the three year period 1999-2002, the maximum period allowed under the law. Thus no formal negotiations need take place in Beverly until the Year 2002. These extensive labor-management talks yielded considerable progress in the area of management rights that have been clearly stated and should reduce the opportunlty for misunderstandings or grievances. In addition, the city gained the right to have any municipal employee undergo a physical examination before returning to duty after a period of sick leave. The city strives to pay a fair day's wage for a fair day's work and is pleased to have many contracts settled for three years. In addition, the contracts contain incentives to reduce the number of sick days each year. A reduced number of sick days is of great benefit to the city because fewer sick days reduces the need for overtime and simplifies staffing. The city has continued and will continue the computer educational enhancement for all City of Beverly employees. Information Systems Manager Andy Wood and I will continue to arrange for the training of employees on such items as Widows 98, Excel, Word and other programs needed by the City employees. An optional dental plan was implemented during the past fiscal year for retirees. We have updated our filing system so that employee data is current. An exhaustive review of ali beneficiaries and dependents was conducted for the first time in a decade and all records were brought up to date. In addition, data for health insurance and life insurance for all city employees both active and retired was researched and made current. The Human Resources Department established a working system with the payroll department to ensure all employee information (payroll actions, changes) is recorded in a timely manner. We did the same with the Retirement Board. Employee discount programs have been expanded by adding Magic Kingdom Club, Mass Buying Power and several other items. We will continue our efforts to better train and prepare city employees for the changing environment of dealing with city residents, our customers. These types of seminars will deal with stress on the job, and seeing the general public as customers rather than taxpayers. They will continue to focus on customer relations and creative ideas in the workplace. In addition, department heads will continue to receive executive/management training conducted by professional facilitators in such areas a sexual harassment, FMLA, workers compensation and ADA requirements. Page 6- Report Community Services Department Thomas Scully - Director The Community Services Department oversees and coordinates most of the social services provided to Beverly residents. The agencies that make up the Community Services Department are seeing an increase in demand for many of the programs and services offered by the City. In some instances, the Department has responded by expanding existing programs, in some other cases, we have responded with new programs to meet community needs. In many instances, we have been able to expand services because of the thousands of volunteer hours donated to this department by Beverly citizens each year. We have volunteers shelving books at the Library, volunteers aiding in programs and staffing phones and desks at the Senior Center, teenagers volunteering as summer playground instructors in the Parks and Recreation Department and seniors volunteering to perform office work at the Health Department.. We also have many volunteers who help with special events such as Homecoming, influenza clinics, hazardous waste day, Library book sales, First Night, etc. Most importantly, are the citizen volunteers who serve on the Department's several boards and commissions. Council on Aging Visits to the Senior Center continued to increase. In addition to providing in-house programs, the Center staff is working to develop its other roles in serving Beverly's senior population. The Center is expanding its role as an informational and counseling center on senior issues. The Friendly Caller outreach program doubled; a Widow/Widower support group was started; a Companion Program for isolated seniors without a family support network was developed. Transportation is an area where demand far outstrips capacity. The. addition of another driver has. helped meet the increasing demand. New computer equipment was purchased for the Computer Lab resulting in a doubling of attendance. A very important component of the Senior Center, volunteer hours, more than doubled. The services provided by our volunteers more than doubled. Had we paid the volunteers for work performed, it would have cost the City approximately $185,000 last year. Health The Health Department also expanded its activities last year. Working in cooperation with Salem Sound 2000, the Department is working to improve its monitoring of beach pollution. Volunteer groups have marked street drains that empty to the ocean and signs have been placed near fresh water streams that cross beaches and may contain stousi drain pollution. The Board of Health, after a lengthy process, passed regulations designed to severely limit smoking and thereby enviwnmental tobacco smoke in all public places. The Department is working with the School Department to control environmental tobacco smoke in school buildings, especially student bathrooms. The number of middle school students participating in the dental clinic program doubled from the previous year Report - Page 7 Library The Library computer consortium, NOBLE, installed a new computer system for member libraries in December. The new system, which has client/server software, necessitated the complete replacement of our computer terminals and retraining of staff on the new software. The fund-raising effort continues for the renovation of the Beverly Farms Branch Library. The committee has donations and pledges of $700,000 or nearly half of our fund raising goal of $1,500,000. We continue to expand programs for children and adults, the demand for which is atretching the limits of the facility. Additional programs such as book talks, author lectures, poetry contests for teenagers,. community book talks in schoola and before community groups continue to be popular. More than 9,100 people attended library sponsored programs in FY2000. The teenage poetry contest was expanded with more categories for 5th and 6th graders. We have also added summer book discussion groups for 5th and 6th graders. The Harry Potter craze has hit the library just as it has elswhere. We have an unprecedented waiting list for the books and have bought many additional copies to accommodate the demand. The Bookmobile continues to be popular making stops at 92 different locations on a two week rotating basis and loaning more than 30,000 items per year. Technology plays an increasing role in the library's information resources. Upgrading the Library computer equipment has meant an increasing amount of the time of Reference librarians is being spent servicing the equipment and training staff and the public. Our new software will allow library patrons to perform many more functions on the computer system, such as placing requests to reserve books, from home. We will be working more with the schools to make our library catalog more useful to teachers and students. Parks and Recreation The Parks and Recreation Department is moving forward with our Playground Improvement Plan. New playground equipment has been installed at several playgrounds and the Department of Public Services has continued with their program of improving parks and · athletic fields. These improvements are a cooperative venture between the Parks and Recreation Department, Department of Public Services, Community Development Office and the Trustees of the David S. Lynch Fund. The aCxluisition of the Santin properties off Bonad Road will expand Sally Milligan Park significantly and protect the Park from development on its periphery that would have overwhelmed the Parks ecology and woodland nature. Demand for Parks Department programs continues to grow, especially for the summer children's programs. At the invitation of the Prides/Farms Neighborhood Association, the Department began an extremely successful program for children at the Hastings House. Veterans Services The exterior of the G.A.R. Hall is being painted and wood trimmed repaired or replaced as needed. Report - Page 8 Building Department Timothy Brennan - Commissioner of Buildings & Zoning Code Officer The Department of Municipal Inspections reached new highs in the number of building, electrical and plumbing permits issued and serviced. The Building Department issued 2,144 building permits generating $330,694. and received 83 cases for the Board of Appeals netting $14,495. During FY 99/2000 this department oversaw the construction of 24 single-family dwellings and two office buildings together netting $3,275,000. As for state law, this department also issued 140 Certificates of Inspections netting $19,897. And Zoning Ordinance receipts totaled $1,510. The Plumbing/Gas Department issued 1,234 permits generating $47,068. And provided supervision of the systems installed with all city projects. The Electrical Department issued 1,032 permits generating $103,893. during this fiscal year. This department also completed the following: Repaired 21 opens in the fire alarm circuit due to lighting strikes and excavators. Replace 20 traffic/fire signals froom knockdowns. Changed all the red traffic signals to LED's saving the city electricity. Installed 10 miles of fire alarm cable Installed a Master fire alarm box at City Hall. Instailed a new emergency generator at the Beverly Farms Fire Station. Installed a computer network at the Police Station. Assisted in the design and engineering of the Route 62 & 1A road projects. Designed and engineered a footbridge at the Shoe Pond. Repaired the primary electrical cables at Lynch Park- five times. Replaced all the parking lot lighting at the Beverly High School. Installed power and lighting at the Beverly Common. Installed a new voice alarm system for the Fire Department. Performed constant repair to the aging heating plant and system at City Hall The Department continued to provide technical support to the Zoning Board of Appeal and provides an Assistant Local Inspector as a member of the City Commission on Disabilities. We have enjoyed a productive year and look forward to seeing the public during fiscal year 2000/20001. As a team the department interacts well and accomplishes much.. -TB Page 9 - Report Department of Public Safety Kenneth Pelonzi - Commissioner of Public Safety, Fire Chief The Department of Public Safety continues to operate in an effective and efficient manner. The demand on services escalates each year as witnessed by the increase in calls. However, all divisions operate to the maximum of their capabilities and provide the city. with the best possible care and protection. Fire Department - FY2000 4. 5. 6. New telephone system purchased and in service at the Fire Alarm Division-Dispatch Center. North Beverly Station received interior cosmetic changes, i.e., new paint, new ceiling tiles and new linoleum flooring in the dorm areas. It is much cleaner and had a positive affect on morale. New self contained, breathing apparatus (S.C.B.A.). Replaced 15-18-year old units. State of the art with personal alert signaling devices pre-mounted for firefighter safety. New Public Safety Facility - The Building Commission approved the projeut and, recommended the City Council exercise an option on land at the Cummings Center. North Shore Ambulance entered into a new contract effective 7-1-00 to provide A.L.S. and B.L.S. ambulance service to the City of Beveriy. New Animal Control Office -Paul Cotter, an energetic, motivated employee, who does a good job interacting with the public. Police Department William F. Terry - Chief of Police Summary of accomplishments. The following listed subjects are areas of advancement to further provide the city with effective, efficient law enforcement. · 1. Receipt of DARE grant award of $13,000. 2. Receipt of "Underage Drinking Grant" of $15,000. 3. Instituted a school Resource Officer via a three year federal grant (for officer's salary). 4. Assigned officer to Criminal Investigation Division dedicated to Domestic Violence investigations. 5. Increased patrol supervision through transfers of duties. 6. Increased radar enforcement to further address speeding complaints. 7. Reassigned a Lieutenant to Officer in Charge duties to decrease overtime costs. 8. Supplement the roster of reserve officers by the appointment of 10 permanent reserve police officers. Report - Page 10 9. All personnel provided sexual harassment training including civilian personnel. 10. All officers provided domestic abuse training. 11. Operated fiscal year within budget. 12. Implemented Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) program for the women of our community. 13. Renovated area of basement firing range into secure records and evidence storage area. 14. Maintained male cell block area in condition to adhere to state standards and inspection. 15. Sought and received approval to add one (1) officer to roster. This will provide for an officer to be dedicated to traffic enforcement on day shift. 16. Requested City Council declare C.O.P. mobile unit and B.M.W. motorcycle as surplus property. 17. Had computer system brought on line -now operational. -WFT Planning and Development Department Planning Division Tina Casddy - Director Debbie Hurlburt- Assistant Director The Planning Department provided administrative and technical staff support to the boards and commissions listed below. Planning Board - The Board conducted 13 meetings and several site visits during the fiscal year. The board approved 14 subdivision approval-not-required plans that crested a total of 22 building lots. Three subdivision plans were reviewed and approved which created a total of 11 building lots. The board also approved nine site plans and one special permit. Conservation commission - The Commission conducted 18 meetings and 11 site visits during the fiscal year. The Commission processed 20 Determinations of Applicability, four Abbreviated Notices of Resource Area Delineations, 46 Notices of Intent, 11 Requests for Modifications to existing Orders of Conditions, and 26 Certificates of Compliance for projects across the City. Additionally, the Commission issued two emergency certifications and three enforcement orders. A draft non-zoning wetlands ordinance has been completed and will be formally reviewed by the Commission over the next few months. Board of Appeals - This department provides partial staffing to the ZBA. The Board met 12 times during the fiscal year and reviewed a total of 63 variance requests, six special permits and two temporary conditional permits. Statistics on the number of requests and permits granted are not available from the Department of Municipal Inspections. Design Review Board-The Board processed 55 applications for new signs (52 of which were either approved as designed or approved with modifications suggested by the Board.) at 14 meetings. The Board also made recommendations to the Planning Board on nine site plan review applications. In addition, members collaborated with representatives of the Board of Appeals on a revised sign ordinance. A preliminary draft is under review and the board intends to hold a joint meeting with the Planning Board and City Council to discuss the ordinance within the next few months. Report - Page 11 Norwood Pond Commission - This 11-member body met six times during the fiscal year and issued a final report on the use of the City-owned Norwood Pond site and nearby parcels in June 2000. A copy of the commission's final report is on file in the City Clerk's Office, the Beverly Public Library, and the Planning Department. Economic and Conmmnity Development Council- This 7-member Board met several times during the fiscal year to review one application for Economic Opportunity Area designation and three applications for certified project status through the Massaohusctts Office of Business Development's programs. It also met with the City's master plan consultant (The Cecil GroUp) to provide the consultant with info, relation relative to goals and objectives for economic development in the City. Harbor Management Authority - This board met monthly during the fiscal year. Major work tasks included the preparation of a redevelopment plan and permitting analysis for the city- owned waterfront property, meeting with the master platt consultant to discuss the development of a harbor plan, the construction of a foot bridge as part of a new public walkway to be constructed near the IvicKeown School site, and the review of all Chapter 91 license applications filed With the Department of Environmental Protection and wateafiont development plans filed with different City boards and commissions. The Commission also continued its efforts to safeguard and expand public access to the shoreline. . Airport Commission - During the year the comission successfully completed acquisition of several properties in Wenham to improve safety approach zones near the airport, completed an update of the airport's master plan, and negotiated several leases of airport facilities on the city's behalf. The commission is actively reviewing its property along Sam Fonzo Drive and expects to develop a Request for Proposals to develop one or more parcels in the coming year. Historic District Commission - The five-member board met periodically during the fiscal year to review and approve one Certificate of Appropriateness for a construction project in the City's Fish Flake Hill Historic District. This Commission, through its chairman, also reviewed three requests for demolition permits as required by the City's demolition delay ordinance. A member of the commission also serves on the Design Review Board. Master Plan Steerfng Comndttee - This 17-member committee was organized in the winter of 1999/2000 and met three times before the fiscal year ended. Each meeting was conducted with the assistance of the master plan consultant, The Cecil Group. Work to date has included review of work on the open space and recreation plan and the harbor plan, review of and commentary on information compiled by the consultant, and the formation of subcommittees on housing, land use, natural resources and open space, services and facilities and circulation (infrastructure). The committee has outlined recommendations for each of the above categories and the committee's work will continue for the better part of the next fiscal year. Open Space and Recreation Conmdttee - This committee was organized in the fall of 1999 and met 10 times during the fiscal year. The committee also conducted two site visits and representatives of the committee attended numerous workshops related to open space. It has developed a list of criteria to prioritize open space acquisitions and a list of recommended open space acquisitions at the request of the City Council. Report - Page 12 It assisted the Planning Department in completing a Self-Help Grant application for acquisition of the Hill and Santin properties, prepared maps of existing open space and potential acquisitions, hosted a "superboard" meeting of all land use boards to discuss the subject of open space and the committee's efforts, and began to organize a landowner forum for the fall of 2000. This committee meets monthly. Parking and Traffic Comndsslon - The commission met eight times to review nine site plans and provided recommendations on the developments to the Planning Board for consideration. It has also initiated the process of hiring a consultant to study the City's municipal off-street parking lots and prepare a redevelopment plan for each site. Other highlights of the Planning Division's efforts during the fiscal year included the following: · Bidding and contract award for new signage for Beverly's entrance ways and the Beverly Common.. · Development of a web page for the Beverly Conservation Commission (currently being finalized by the City's system analysts for implementation) Submission of an application for free labor through the Americorps program to construct a pedestrian footbridge for a new segment of public walkway around the Shoe Ponds (successful.) · Submission of a Self-Help application to acquire the Hill and Santin properties off Cross Lane and Lakeshore Avenue (pending) · Preparation of bids for installation of benches at Beverly Common · Work associated with the acquisition of the Santin property · Assistance to the public and other city departments and agencies as requested. Community Development Division Dawn Goodwin- Community Development Manager Community Development Block Grants - The Community Development Office continues to receive Community Development Block Grant funds from the Department of Housing and Community Development. The Office currently has two open CDBG Mini- Entitlement Grants (FY98 & FY 99). The C.D. Office is currently preparing the city's FY 2000 CDBG application for submittal to DHCD on August 25, 2000. The C.D. Office is responsible for the implementation, oversight, management, administration, and monitoring of all program activity. The following Mass. CDBG programs and projects, both completed and in progress from July 1,1999 through June 30, 2000, fall under three separate CDBG grant rounds (FY 97, FY98 & FY 99). Housing Rehabilitation - The Community Development Office has an ongoing housing improvement program designed to upgrade substandard housing stock, thus providing low and moderate income Beverly residents with safe and sanitary housing. During FY 2000 the C.D. Office expended $198,000 to rehabilitate 22 residential housing units (15 properties) throughout the city. A total of 59 low and .moderate income persons benefitted from this activity, of which four were elderly and three were disabled. Report - Page 13 Northridge Homes - Northridge Homes, a 98-unit low and moderate income limited equity cooperative, utilized $120,000 in CDBG funds to replace 95 old, inefficient and potentially dangerous forced hot air heating units. Between July 1, 1999 and December 9, 1999, the remaining $57,000 in CDBG funds, with an additional $60,000 from Norduidge Homes, were utilized to complete 71 hearting systems benefitting 199 persons. Handicap Access Curb Cuts along Lothrop / Dane Street Beach - In December of 1999, the Community Development Office utilized remaining Dane street Bathhouse CDBG funds to complete nine curb cuts along Lothrop Street and adjacent side streets necessary to achieve access to crosswalks on Lothrop Street to provide barrier free movement to the park. Chase Street Drainage Project- In September 2000, the Chase Street Drainage Improvement Project was underway and substantially complete during fiscal year 2000. This $1.6 million project, of which $170,000 was Mass. CDBG funds, replaced approximately 2,500 linear feet of storm water drain line (box culvert, concrete pipe and PVC) including additional catch basins to correct ongoing flood hazards to a low and moderate income neighborhood. Emergency Fuel Assistance Program - From January 29 to March 31, 2000, the Community Development Office utilized existing CDBG program income funds to assist needy Beverly residents through an Emergency Fuel Assistance Program. A total of 94 low and moderate income households, or 245 individuals received a one-time, up to $300, payment for heating expenses. · Balch Park Improvement Project- The Community Development Office will be completing a 2 - 5 year-old tot lot and street hockey court at Balch Park. In June, the two components of the park project were put out to bid and contracts were executed by the end of June 2000.. Social Service Providers - From July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000, nine programs operating out of six local social service agencies serving needy Beverly residents received Mass. CDBG funds. The Beverly Bootstraps Food Pantry provided nutritious and emergency food packages to 1,029 low income Beverly persons. With assistance from two grant year allocations, the Beverly Children's Learning Center provided school-age child care services to a total of 10 low income at-risk Beverly children; Help for Abused Women and their Children (HAWC) provided help to 564 abused and battered Beverly women; and Strongest Link AIDS Services provided case management services to 15 Beverly residents with AIDS/HIV. As a means of diverting homelessness, Catholic Charities / North provided a one-time emergency rent / mortgage or utility / fuel payment to 12 needy Beverly households. Lastly, Daybreak Center's Education Specialist provided services to five mentally ill Beverly residents. Recycling Grant Programs Mass Department of Environmental Protection Grant- In December 1999, the City of Beverly was awarded a FY 2000 Municipal Recycling grant valued at about $8,000 from DEP for the printing and mailing of recycling calendars to every household in Beverly, for household hazardous products training for four participants, 40 home composting bins, two recycled plastic lumber park benches, and 10 95-gallon wheeled carts for condominium recycling. Report - Page 14 Muaicipal Recycling Incentive Program - During the period July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000, the Community Development Office received two MRIP payments, thus completing two phases spanning one year in recycling efforts. The City received $12,916 for Year 3, Phase 1 oftbe MRIP Program ending October 31, 1999 and anticipates receiving about $13,000 for Year 3, Phase 2 of the MRIP program ending April 30, 2000.The major emphasis for year three MRIP, was providing recycling to the under served populations in the city. For the City of Beverly, this meant recycling access for large apartment complexes and condominiums. MRIP funds continue to be used to support and expand recycling efforts and education in the city. MRIP funds will be used to pay for.the 60 95-gallon wheeled carts ordered and on order from the start-up of the condominium recycling program throughout the city. In addition, 800 curb side setout containers were ordered for the condo recycling effort as well as to have on hand for all Beverly residents. Other Grant programs Disaster Recovery Initiative Program - On July 22, 1999,the Community Development Office received notice of an award from the Mass. Emergency Management Agency for $217,000 in federal fiscal year 1997 CDBG Disaster Initiative Recovery (DRI) Program funds. Since the CDBG-DRI funds must be used for hazard mitigation, the project selected for inclusion in the aforementioned application was the Chase Street Drainage Improvement Project. During fiscal year 2000, the Community Development Office oversaw the expenditure of $196,000 directly on the Chase Street Drainage Project and the reminder to support C.D. Office staff time spent on the project oversight. North Shore HOME Coasortium Funds, First-Time Homebuyers Program - To assist lower income persons to buy their first home in Beverly, the Community Development Office continues to use HOME funds to support the City's First-Time Homebuyer Program. This program supplies much needed down payment assistance in the form of a soft second mortgage to income qualifying individuals and families. From July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000, the Community Development Office assisted eight low and moderate income households purchase 14 residential units (two 2-family properties and two 3-family properties). Thus, a total of $38,286 in federal HOME funds benefited 20 new Beverly homeowners. In addition, HOME funds were utilized by Beverly Bootstraps Clear Point Horizon Program to purchase a two- bedroom condominium at the Gateway as a transitional, housing unit (on an 18-month time frame) to assist needed Beverly families with housing and support services, thus diverting homelessness. Mass Housing Finance Agency- Get the Lead Out Program - The Community Development Office continues to act as the escrow agency for the MHFA "Get the Lead Out Program" that provides homeowners and investors funds to remove lead paint from properties occupied by children under the age of 6. During FY 2000, a total of $47,000 in MHFA monies passed through the Community Development Office deleading six units and, thus, providing safe, healthy and lead-free environments for 20 persons, including 12 children. Miscellaneous Community Development Office Activity Beverly Beautification Traffic Island program Participation in the "Y" Housing Group, prepared affordable housing study Presentations before the City Council and Public Housing Forum Report - Page 15 Pursuing DHCD Housing Development Support Program funds for the rehabilitation of 271-275 Rantoul Street to supply affordable housing through the "Y" Housing group $5,000 commitment of funds from the C.D. Office to help support the salary of a Community Housing Director for the "Y" Housing group. Assisted with the submittal of EOF& Self-Help Grant Application for Santin and Hill properties Ex-Officio member of the Economic and Community Development Council Ed-Officio member of the City of Beverly Recycling Committee Pursuing DEP grant for a Regional Household Hazardous Waste Facility Commencement of City's Condominium Recycling Program Inventory, Distribution and sales of home composting bins and curbside recycling containers Assisted Groundswell with the desktop publishing of the Beverly Farms Trail Map. Beverly Municipal Airport Robert Mezzetti - Airport Manager During Fiscal Year 99/00 the airport was involved in numerous projects that invovled airport administration, maintenance, development, operations and the environment. Aministration - The Airport .Rules and Regulations and Minimum Standards were revamped (they were last promulgated in 1972). The former Omni hanger and property was leased to General Aviation Services, Inc., (The rent has increased by over $2,000 per month). Developed an airport lease and development policy, drafted a lease between Beverly Airport Mini-Storage (Tom Ford) and the Beverly Airport Commission, finalized the Airport Master Plan Update which is due out by the end of Angust, 2000. Also, leased an additional 8,000 square feet to General Aviation Services, Inc. at its Hanger 1 location, transferred the G.T.E. lease to North Atlantic Air, Inc. and Yannai Sightseeing, LLC (We received a $60,000 transfer fee). We increased monthly rent by about $800 per month due to CPI escalator clauses in North Atlantic Air, Inc. and New England Flying Club leases, selected a new airport engineering / planning consultant (Edwards & Kelsey), had Salem State College do a free industrial land development and marketing recommendation analysis of airport industrial parcels, began arrangements for industrial parcel boundary staking survey, updated the airport's five year capital improvement program and airport safety and maintenace program. Also, acquired and demolished a residence that was in the runway protection zone of Runway 16, had an emergency access gate and hydrant installed at no cost to the airport at the end of Runway 27 and Sam Fonzo Road, assisted the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission with the Beverly Municipal Airport Economic Impact Analysis (The Beverly Municipal Airport's economic impact into the local communities was estimated at $12,432,149. per year.) Report - Page 16 We assisted (and still assisting) the Massachusetts Airport Manager's Association and the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission in eliminating sales tax on sales, repairs and parts of aircraft weighing more than 6,000 pounds, completed the Taxiway "D" extension and upgrading of airfield signage. Mainle#ance - Conducted normal year-around maintenance that included airfield mowing, airfield lighting repairs, snow removal, pavement repair, weed killing, vehicle and equipment maintenance and litter control, also pavement markings, sewer system repair, fencing and aircraft emergency assistance. Treated vegetation management areas with herbicide, had G.T.E. remove their two underground storage tanks. All runway, taxiway and ramp markings swererepainted at no cost through a Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission's statewide program, repaired ground-to-ground radio activation of the airport approach lights and cut down tree obstructions in the Runway 16 runway protection zone. Operations - Calendar year 1999 aircraft landing and take-off operations were 91,670 (5,236 more than calendar year 1998). Environmental - The airport has entered its fourth year without rental income from the former Guruard Manufacturing site. This is due to environmental analysis process, remediation and appeals process. The airport is hoping to have Tom Ford begin mini-storage development at the Gurnard site at the end of September when the Department of Environmental Protection might make its determination of any detrimental wetland impad by the Tom Ford project. The Beverly Airport Commission and the airport staff continue to strive to make the airport as self-sustaining as possible without compromising safety. Engineering Department Frank J. Killilea, Jr. - City Engineer Gerald R. Marsella - Assistant City Engineer Fiscal Year 2000 was a very busy year for the Engineering Department. The Sam Fonzo Drive construction contract and the associated North Bass River Area Sewer and Riverside Street Sewer construction contracts were completed and put into operation. Design of the follow-on contract, North Bass River Area Sewers-Phase II, which will sewer the rest of Trask Street and Cabot Street is 80 percent complete. Major drainage improvements are being made. The Library Drainage Pump Station is operational and the Chase Street drain is functioning, work on the Margin Street Pump Station is under way following the removal of contaminated material found at the site. The design of the Lawrence Street Brook Drainage Improvement contract is 90 percent complete and the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Chubb's Brook Drainage Area is also 90 percent complete. Immediate drainage improvements in the area of Palmer Road and Brimbal Avenue are under construction. The closure of the Brimbal Avenue Landfill was completed in accordance with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's (MADEP) regulations and the Standley Street Compost Facility was approved by MADEP for leaf and yard waste composting operations. Report - Page 17 Also, the installation of the Central Vehicle Fuel Facility at the Department of Public Services yard was completed. The Water Meter Replacement Contract for 10,600 small size meters was advertised and United Metering of New Jersey was the successful bidder. Replacement of all the water meters in Beverly will start in July 2000. In Fiscal Year 2000, the Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) initiated reconstruction of a portion of Route lA and Route 62. The Beverly Engineering Department, concurrently, made arrangements for water main improvements in these two roads. The conceptual plan approval was achieved for the Overpass at Route 128 project, and preliminary design is to follow. A construction contract for the installation of a sidewalk on a portion of Grover Street was initiated and the northern portion of Brimbal Avenue and Budleigh Avenue was paved and a sidewalk installed the entire length. Finally, the design of a road from Summit Avenue to Cox Court to Cabot Street was performed to the 90 percent completion, and a traffic calming study was conducted for Lothrop Street. The Engineering Department also provided oversight of the city's Elementary School Rehabilitation Program. Construction of the McKeown School was completed this year, the Ayers School remaining work was reduced to minor punch list items, the Hannah School reconstruction was the major activity for Fiscal Year 2000. " In addition, approximately 200 water and sewer permits were granted, 195 street opening permits were issued, 25 water main taps and 11 water flow tests were authorized, and 495 pick- up track passes and 484 landscape contractor passes to Standley Street Compost Facility were issued to Beverly residents. Cemetery Management Peter Seamans - Administrator of Cemetery Service The Board of Cemetery Managers is pleased to submit the following report of activities for the Fiscal Year ending June 30. During FY 2000 the City sold 50 grave lots. This number compares to the average of 60.4 lots sold annually and balances the slightly elevated sales (66) experienced in Fiscal Year 1999. We believe that sales will remain in this range for the foreseeable future. This department created 100 grave lots distributed over the three active cemeteries. While substantial ledge has been found at Central Cemetery, which will limit the available grave lot potential, there are several hundred graves available system-wide spread proportionately among cemeteries. The limitation here is a trend in increased demand for lots in North Beverly Cemetery. All of the available and suitable land for burial in North Beverly Cemetery has been laid out in lots. There is some small potential for lots in abandoned roadways in all of the older sections of the cemetery system. Report - Page In Fiscal Year 2000 this department performed 223 interments, consistent with the average of 222.8 burials per year. Of this number, fully 99, or 44 percent were cremations. The ratio of cremations to full burials continued to grow and we anticipate this trend to continue. One aspect of the services the City provides is the burial of indigent citizens. During the just completed period, the City provided graves in five such cases. The seven-year average for this service is seven cases. The space allocated for indigent burials may be exhausted by the end of the current fiscal year. The Board of Cemetery Managers proposed to create a new area for the burial of indigents at the Dodges Row Cemetery. The Board of Cemetery Managers recommends the demolition of the holding tomb at Central Cemetery. This is a facility that is no long relevant to cemetery operations. The structure is deteriorating and may become a hazard. In the meantime it detracts from the vastly improved appearance of our cemeteries. There may be considerable salve value in the materials to mitigate the demolition cost. Law Department Marshall Handly - City Solicitor SIGNIFICANT CHANGES - Jerry Parisella, attorney, left the department for a position with a private law Noreen Slocomb was hired.as a secretary / paralegal in the Solicitor's Office. The City Solicitor's office continued to provide legal services to various city departments on a wide variety of issues. Office personnel continued to pursue the city's interests in several human resources and union contractual issues. The City Solicitor and staff members provided advice to various city boards and commissions on a variety of issues including matters before the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Department of Inspections, Licensing Commission, Beverly Golf & Tennis Commission, Harbormaster, Cable TV Advisory Commission, Disabilities Commission. Department personnel spent considerable time defending the city's position involving contracts including a suit accusing the city of unfair practices in the awarding of a contract to Friel Golf Inc. to operate the Beverly Golf & Tennis Club. That case, brought by Johnson Golf Management Co., is ongoing. Report - Page 19 John Dunn - Director The Department of Municipal Finance is responsible for all financial and accounting activities in the City of Beverly. Many of these activities are prescribed by Massachusetts General Laws to insure the fair assessment and collection of revenues and the proper disbursement of funds to meet approved expenditures. In addition these activities are further guided by the City Charter and Ordinances, sound financial and accounting business practices, and, hopefully, not a little common sense in meeting the needs of the community, In general, the Department of Municipal Finance is responsible for the following: · Coordination of all financial services and activities of City government · Maintenance of all accounting records and other financial statements for all offices and agencies of the City government · The payment of all financial obligation of the City · - The receipt of all funds due to the City from all sources · Maintenance of all property valuation records · Rendering advice, assistance and guidance to all other City offices and'agencies The Department is organized in four functional areas under the control and supervision of the Director of Municipal Finance. Those functions with general duties are as follows: Accounting Office The Accounting Office is headed by the City Accountant and is responsible for: · Maintenance of thc general ledger and all accounting records of the City across 360+ City funds · The preparation of all payrolls (City, School and Retirees) for approximately 1400 current and former employees and maintenance of all withholding records · Coordination and preparation of warrants for the payment of all bills for all City funds · Internal auditing of all records and offices of the City · Reconciliation of all accounts including cash accounts on a regular basis External reporting as required by the Federal and State government and their agencies Department of Municipal Finance Management Information Systems The Management Information Systems Office is jointly administered by the Department of Municipal Finance and the Department of Community Services. The Manager and Systems Administrator plan, install and support a variety of hardware and software The MUNIS financial software for 100+ users needing access for payroll, accounts payable' accounts receivable, utility billing, and financial reporting · General use software for use in word processing, spread sheets, e-mail, interact access and connectivity · Connectivity with and between municipal offices throughout the City including the schools, police, fire, library, senior center, harbor master, airport and recreation. · Specialty software used by various departments for assessing, parking tickets, document management and public safety communicatidns. · Network hardware and software for all departments. · Service, upgrade and repair all PC's, servers, printers and networking hardware. · Insure the integrity of ail data through the administration of user permission levels and access, firewalls and proper systems backup. Collector and Treasury Office Under the management of the City Collector and City Treasurer, the Office is generally tasked with the collection and posting of all amounts due to the City, the safekeeping and investment of such amounts and the proper disbursal of payroll and accounts payable. · Quarterly collection of property taxes on almost 12,000 real property accounts and 1,000 personal property accounts · Billing and collecting in excess of 45,000 motor vehicle excise accounts · Monthly billing and collection of 3500 utility accounts · Receipt of all departmental monies for user fees, permits and licenses · Parking Ticket record keeping and receipts · Printing and disbursai of payroll and accounts payable checks · Withholding tax payment and reporting and the production, with the Accounting Office of W-2's and 1099's · Bank and cash reconciliations · Treasury management including investing City funds and debt issuance and management Assessina Office The Assessing Office is managed by the Chief Assessor who also serves as the Chair of the three member Board of Assessors. This Office has as its primary duty the assignment of property value to all property owners in the City according to the requirements of Massachusetts General Laws. Establish the fair market value of all property (12,000 real estate parcels and 1,000 personal property accounts) in the City and notification of such value to all owners of such property as of January 1 of each year. · Maintain records substantiating all assessments made · Prepare and issue commitments for the collection of property taxes and motor vehicle and boat excises to the City Collector. Act on all abatement and exemption applications filed and represent the City in proceedings before the Appellate Tax Board. · Review all building permits to determine impact on valuation of property. Fiscal 2000 Accomplishments In addition to the above ongoing duties, the Department of Municipal Finance has been involved in a massive data conversion process that has or will affect virtually all the computer systems used on a daily basis. Two significant events occurred during Fiscal 1999 that drove this conversion process. The first was the announcement by MUNIS, our pr/mary software vendor, that they were beginning to phase out their support and enhancgment of their Cobol based systems which forced a migration of all data bases to a 4GL based system. The second was the notification received from HCR Systems, an outside software vendor for payroll and real property assessing, that they were going out of business. As a result of these two events, the following processes have been undertaken to date. Beginning July 1, 1999, the weekly payrolls for all City and some School employees and the monthly payrolls for Retirees have been processed internally. Individual accounts had to be established for each payee. Those accounts included names, addresses, job codes and classifications, and internal charge codes for each. · Beginning September 1, 1999 the same was done for the Teacher payroll, · In October 1999, we migrated the Financial Accounting modules including the general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable and purchase orders. · In February 2000, the property tax modules were converted and fourth quarter tax bills were produced within'the new system. · We have just recently converted the Tax Title module. · During the Fall, the real property database was converted to an in-house system and the tax commitment was produced for Fiscal 2000. Fiscal 2001 Plans During Fiscal 2001 we will continue with this project in over to convert the remaining systems and modules. · During the summer we will be converting the motor Vehicle and boat excise modules Because of the water meter replacement project, we expect that we will have to either migrate the current MUNIS utility billing software or find a new vendor for such software and convert our current data base. Also as a result of the meter project, all accounts will be receiving final billings generated by the replacement of the old meter. In addition all accounts will have to be updated with the new meter data. The meters will be read in a very different way than the current method and we will have to fomulate and implement new procedures for bill production. Report - Page 23 Department of Public Services Michael Papamechail - Director The Department of Public Services continues to transition from a largely unscheduled, respond to emergency basis, to a closely scheduled and highly productive organization. Some new equipment has increased the productivity of the department and allowed us to do more without adding employees. During FY 2000, physical improvements were made across the city. The Beverly Common was completed with the installation of bushes, shrubs and several handsome metal benches. Sidewalks, parks, drainage, water and sewer facilities were maintained and improved. Dozens of issues affecting neighborhoods or even single residences were solved. In addition, department personnel are cooperating and providing advice for state projects involving improvements to Routes 1A and 62. During the winter months, Water Department personnel responded to several breaks in water mains and lines, often making repairs under difficult conditions. Snow plowing and salting were accomplished without difficulty perhaps aided by the relatively small snowfall over the winter. This was the second winter in which city salt was stored out of the weather because of the 'construction of a large storage shed. The salt thus was applied dry and was easier to handle and more effective. DPS personnel continued to monitor sewerage and water pumping stations throughout the city to ensure their efficient operation. Many feet of drainage conduit were repaired or replaced on streets. City crews flushed and checked every water hydrant in the city in what will be an annual flushing program. City Clerk Frances A. Macdonald - City Clerk Kathleen P. Connolly - Assistant City Clerk As of August 7, 2000 the office will have three full-time clerks, one Assistant City Clerk and myself. Because of increased activity at the Cummings Center we have seen a great increase in Uniform Commercial Code Filings. The Office of the City Clerk, has, in the last year, processed the following: Births 3,707 Marriages 300 Report - Page 24 Deaths 741 Burial Periiiits 650 Affadavits on Births 150 Dog licenses 3,129 Hunting and Fishing Licenses 400 Christmas Tree Permits 6 Taxi Licenses 24 Limo Licenses 16 Petroleum Licenses 64 Amusement Licenses 116 Motor Vehicle Dealer Licenses 43 Uniform Commercial Code Filings $33 Amendments I00 Terminations 85 Lodging House Licenses 11 Auctioneers License 1 Second Hand Dealers 8 Business Certificates 325 Raffle Permits 18 Mail-in Requests for Vital Records 640 Collections: Smoking Fines $1,400. Dog Fines $1,300. Copies for Funeral Directors $2,000. Census - One Full Time Employee Elections - Office will process more than 1,500 Absentee Ballots for presidential election. -4 City Clerk's office takes care of all City Council actions and minutes for the Council itself and the four sub committees, Finance and Property, Legal Affairs and Accounts, Public Service and Aid and the Committee of the Whole. --end --