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2013-02-19Regular Meeting Page 1 of 11 Beverly Meeting Minutes From: Kathy Connolly [kconnolly @beverlyma.gov] Sent: Monday, March 04, 2013 12:31 PM To: minutes @beverlyma.gov Subject: 13 -2 -19 Regular Meeting.doc Regular Meeting Beverly City Council 7:00 PM February 19, 2013 Roll Call: Councilors Paul Guanci, D. Scott Dullea, Donald G. Martin, Scott D. Houseman, James F. Latter, D. Wesley Slate, Jr., Maureen Troubetaris, Brett Schetzsle, Jason Silva. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: CouncilorMayor and Mrs. Scanlon Acceptance of Minutes: February 4, 2013 Public Hearings and Public Speakers: Mary Rodrick (City Charter and Ordinances) Presentations, Awards and Memorials: #22 State of City Address Mayor William F. Scanlon, Jr. February 19, 2013 You, the citizens of Beverly, have given me the tremendous opportunity and equally great responsibility to lead this city I so love for nearly two decades. I greatly appreciate the confidence you have placed in me. From the first day, my plan has been to make Beverly the best that it can be. We have worked together to make Beverly a better place to live, to work and to raise a family. We have had significant success thanks to willing and able City Councils and School Committees combined with excellent citizen participation and a highly motivated and productive workforce. Many of us have been part of this entire journey while others have joined along the way. Together we have upgraded all our schools, except one and we have that last one, the middle school of the future, clearly in our sights; we have made significant storm drainage improvements through five major projects across the City; flooding problems from rainstorms have been markedly reduced; the Beverly Common has been made beautiful as have parks and playgrounds throughout all of Beverly; we have upgraded the Waterfront; and built a turf field as well as a dog park. These projects and many others have been made possible by creating new revenues each year from new construction. These new revenues have averaged more than $1,000,000 each year for more than fifteen years. The renaissance of Cummings Center and the extensive development along Sam Fonzo Drive near the 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting Page 2 of 11 Airport are notable examples of this new growth which has in turn helped finance many improvements in the City's infrastructure. The people who judge our credit worthiness including Moody's and Standard & Poors, have approved of our actions and have raised our bond rating seven times during my tenure thus lowering our interest costs on borrowed funds. Moving from the past to the present, the 500 -car commuter parking garage near the Depot train station is now underway. This 30 -plus million dollar project will lead the rebirth of Rantoul Street. Within two years, we expect the complete reconstruction of Route 1A from the Memorial School site to the Beverly -Salem Bridge. Construction of this project will be funded entirely by the State. That means that the entire length of Rantoul Street and a portion of Cabot Street will be markedly improved from the back of sidewalk on one side of the street to the back of sidewalk on the other side. We are very optimistic that the feasibility study for the middle school will begin later this year. Only last week at my invitation, State Treasurer Steve Grossman, to whom the Massachusetts School Building Authority reports, spent considerable time touring the Briscoe Middle School. He saw clearly the physical deficiencies and the crowded conditions in the school. He also viewed the Memorial Site. The main question the feasibility study will answer is whether to upgrade and enlarge the existing Memorial Building or to build an entirely new school on that site. Beverly Public School enrollment is up significantly in the elementary schools as families with school -age children are choosing to move to Beverly. Total school enrollment has grown for the past three years and is expected to grow again next year. The school system is currently renting multiple classrooms from the Northshore Consortium located on Sohier Road for pre -K programs. Additional space will be needed next year. I view modest, continuing growth in our school enrollment as a positive indicator of a vibrant community. For academic reasons the school committee and school administration are planning that the middle school of the future should encompass four grades, five through eight, with a 5th — 6 th grade house and a 7th — 8 th grade house. This approach will also take the strain off the elementary schools by freeing up the space now used for fifth graders thus allowing class size standards to be maintained while providing for growth in early childhood education as well as additional in -house special education. The Governor's proposed operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 It contains a sizeable increase of $618,000 in school funding for Beverly which would allow the school committee to consider ways to further bolster educational opportunities in our schools. This spring we plan to make significant repairs to City Hall and the Main Library. City Hall is in especially poor condition with a leaky roof and porous exterior walls and rotted out windows as well as an outdated heating system. There are several areas within the main library that have significant leaks. The old skylights and the masonry in the original part of the building have been identified as the source of much of the problem. Work on the plans and specifications by outside consultants is expected to be completed in time to advertise the construction in April. Much of the cost of these improvements will be paid from savings obtained by purchasing our street lights from National Grid. We will consummate that transaction in the next few days. The delay in completing that purchase has been due to the fact that records to be inherited from National Grid showing for each light its location, type of fixture and wattage have been found to be in poor condition and the necessary inventory of replacement parts to do a thorough job replacing burned out bulbs and ballasts, etc. has taken time to identify and establish. In addition, we plan improvements to the Carriage House at Lynch Park in the near term, thus making it more desirable as a venue to be available for weddings, class reunions and other functions. I will say more about the Carriage House effort in a few moments. It is not my nature to focus too long on what has been done or what clearly will soon be done. Rather my nature is to focus on those improvements which we have not yet been able to afford to accomplish but are necessary to bring our entire infrastructure to the first class standard we all seek and which your local government has an obligation to provide. There are three important issues in our City which we have not thus far been able to adequately address. They are upgraded public safety facilities, upgraded public service facilities and upgraded streets and sidewalks. There is, however, a project on the horizon on which I have worked hard for several years whose completion will yield the new growth necessary to fund all three of these needs and more. That project is the Brimbal Avenue Interchange Upgrade which we believe has the potential to create as many as 7500 good new jobs over a 5 — 10 year period for people living in our region. We see this interchange upgrade being constructed in two phases. The first phase calls for the northbound exit on 128 at Sohier Road to be modified by moving the existing connector from Sohier Road to Brimbal Avenue to the East toward the ocean farther from Route 128 thus expanding the size of the clover leaf. The new connector between Sohier and Brimbal will be parallel to the existing connection and traffic signals would 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting Page 3 of 11 be installed at both ends. The larger cloverleaf to be created by the construction will be ripe for early economic development. Brimbal Avenue itself will be improved from the 128 overpass to the East toward the ocean down past Otis Road. The project will eliminate the incidence of stopped traffic backing up onto Route 128. It will reduce traffic accidents, as well as time and fuel wasted waiting in queues and create an orderly flow of traffic and it will allow for much better, more informative signage. The first phase will cost a total of $5,500,000 to fully complete the design, the permitting and the construction. The $500,000 of that amount needed to complete the design and permitting was awarded to Beverly in November of 2012 by the State. Work over the previous several years was funded by an earlier grant of $900,000. The $5,000,000 for the construction is expected to be granted to Beverly in the fiscal year beginning this coming July 1st with construction to begin immediately after the award is made. I spend at least a part of each day working on this project with several State agencies, engineering consultants, Beverly property owners, prospective developers and others. This project has been identified and endorsed as the most important transportation project on the entire North Shore by the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development, a 29- community organization headquartered at Salem State University. I am very optimistic regarding near term funding for Phase One construction based on the high level of cooperation being received from multiple State agencies. I am reminded of the MBTA Commuter Parking Garage which took so very long to get going. Tina Cassidy, our Planning Director, and I must have made at least 30 trips to Boston to move this project along but persistence has finally paid off and construction is now underway. Completion of Phase One will create immediate appropriate economic development and it will help ensure that our largest employer, Beverly Hospital now a member of Lahey Health, stays right here and prospers. It is a big deal. Phase Two is more expansive and involves the construction of an overpass across Route 128. That overpass will open up land on both sides of 128 for appropriate development all without any zoning changes People will be able to access property on both sides of Route 128 directly from that highway without travelling on local roads thus keeping cars off Brimbal Avenue and out of neighborhoods. The fact that none of the Music Theatre traffic will pass through the Dunham Road neighborhood will be a great relief to residents. Phase Two is estimated to cost $20 million to construct and bonding for this phase is expected to be financed as follows. New growth enjoyed by Beverly in the area impacted by Phase One will be earmarked to help pay for approximately $7,000,000 of Phase Two. That will be the City's contribution. A second $5,000,000 grant from the State is anticipated. The third and final component of the financing will be contributions from the multiple property owners in the area whose property will be made more valuable by the completion of the project. Please remember that thousands of good jobs are anticipated to result from this development benefitting the entire North Shore. The new growth from facility construction will be very significant and benefit Beverly directly allowing us to make investments to improve our quality of life which we otherwise could not afford. The Salem News has published approximate roadway layouts several times. I am happy to discuss this project with anyone who wishes to do so and to review drawings of the planned layout for each phase. Give me a call or send me an e-mail if you have questions. Despite my enthusiasm and persistence, and the high probability of success, the completion of the Brimbal Avenue project is not a certainty. One of my tasks under the Beverly City Charter is to provide on a regular basis to the City Council and the community a capital expenditure plan looking five years into the future. Some time ago, my administration made the decision to look forward not five but ten years and we have on several occasions prepared plans on that extended basis. In the updating of Beverly's Capital Expenditure Plan which Mike Collins, our Commissioner of Public Services and John Dunn, our Director of Finance and I have worked on for the past few months, we have not counted on the success of the Brimbal Avenue project. Without the benefit of that project, we have still been able to project the Public Safety and Public Service facility improvements within the plan window but these projects have necessarily been pushed out into the eighth and tenth years of the plan and we all recognize the uncertainty and risk of looking that far forward into the future, thus once again underlining the importance of the Brimbal Avenue project. You are likely aware that Governor Patrick has recently put forward significant transportation improvement plans. One aspect of his plan of particular importance to Beverly, is the increase in Chapter 90 money for roadway improvements provided annually by the State to cities and towns. His proposal calls for Beverly's annual allotment to increase from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000, a 50% increase. You may recall that several years ago we inspected every street in our City and assigned to each a numerical rating 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting Page 4 of 11 based on its condition. Subsequent analysis showed that unless Beverly invests at least $1,500,000 in street improvements each year the overall condition of our roadways will continue to decline. In the current fiscal year for the first time in many years we have been able to augment Chapter 90 funds with $600,000 of our own money. Continuance of that practice when combined with the Governor's current recommendation will result in a total annual investment of over $2,000,000 and for the first time in decades we will see the overall condition of our streets improve each year rather than continue to decline. This too is a big deal. Let me now turn to a series of local initiatives. There is a request before the City Council to purchase two new fire engines which will allow us to replace two engines built in the 1980s. Our fire fighters and those they protect deserve the most reliable and effective equipment available. Recent renewed strong interest by multiple parties in purchasing the McKay School has prompted our decision to put a Request For Proposals back on the street shortly. To complement the recent renewal of four downtown parking lots, way- finding signs at strategic locations throughout the downtown have been planned. Several alternatives were put forward and a community survey was conducted. The winning selection is right now being fabricated and installation of the signs will occur in the early Spring at gateway locations and throughout the downtown. These signs will be especially valuable for visitors to our City. Downtown Beverly is very busy in the evenings as people come from far and wide to patronize our restaurants and incidentally, there is a very strong likelihood that another fine restaurant will soon find its way into our downtown. • Major improvements are being made to the Beverly Golf and Tennis clubhouse, both inside and out. The work includes an interior lift system allowing easy access to all floors without climbing any stairs. The improvements are scheduled for completion by late March in time for the golfing season. These improvements will greatly enhance the use of the building by the public. • The Black Cow waterfront restaurant project is fully permitted. The project has successfully overcome two appeals by an abutter. Grounds for appeal are now very narrow. A likely final appeal is now before the State of Massachusetts Appeals Court. A decision by the court is expected within a few months. We are optimistic regarding the Court's decision and look forward to waterfront dining in Beverly before too long. • New lights have been installed on the Common and the City is purchasing its entire street light population from National Grid. Even after adding back our cost to maintain the street lights, annual net savings are expected to exceed $200,000. • In recent years, we have made steady improvements to the Carriage House at Lynch Park aimed at restoring this Treasure to its former beauty. Last May more than 1200 people toured the facility in a three hour period to view the progress made. This year we intend to invest $150,000 in the facility, $50,000 of which has come from a private donor. With these improvements, the most exciting of which will be the installation of windows in two walls facing the ocean thus creating terrific views, the site will become very appealing for weddings, class reunions and other events. We expect the improvements to be made by May. • Consolidation of the school maintenance function with city -side maintenance has decreased our reliance on outside vendors, allowed for system -wide improvements, created energy savings and allowed for faster response with fewer outages. We are getting more for our money. The City is continuing to provide Main Streets with funds for facade improvements and I will recommend that we continue to do so in the next fiscal year. • An extensive program to put ornamental lights in trees along Cabot Street has been implemented. These lights are very attractive at night when the downtown is regularly quite busy. We anticipate keeping these lights in place year round. 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting Page 5 of 11 • The Dog Park at the airport is open and busy. Its presence has caused the number of dogs registered in Beverly to grow markedly as access to the park is only available to registered Beverly dogs. Running water will be available to dog owners at the park this Spring. Having personally pursued the prospect of a skating rink in Beverly for many years without success, I am excited to announce that President Wylie of Endicott, who is here with us tonight, has made the decision to build a full size rink plus another smaller ice surface on the Endicott campus as part of a new Activity Center. The City and Endicott are working together to make this facility available to the Beverly community for public skating, youth hockey, public school hockey for both boys and girls and other activities, all at attractive rates. My hat is off to President Wylie and his Board of Trustees for making this important decision which will add greatly to the quality of life in Beverly. • The recent creation of a residential TIF district in the neighborhood of the Depot Train Station will accelerate the renewal of that area. The City will monitor that redevelopment carefully to ensure that tax relief provided by the TIF results in high quality long- lasting construction. It is expected that the ease of walking to the nearby train station will help create strong interest in residency in this district. • The City of Beverly is a Green Community. Currently we are implementing several energy saving projects in our schools. We are also adding a sophisticated energy management system at the main library. This system will dramatically reduce the amount of energy consumed by this building. Funding for these projects has come from more than $200,000 in State grants and utility provided incentives. As a result of the passage of the Community Preservation Act, an ad hoc nine person committee with diverse backgrounds is currently preparing a draft ordinance for the City Council's review which will guide the administration of CPA funds. The permanent committee has yet to be chosen. We intend to maximize the size and diversity of the permanent committee by having the City Council choose four members in addition to the five members prescribed by State law. If you wish to volunteer to serve on this committee please let us know. There can be no doubt that the Community Preservation Act will add to the quality of life in our City. • The recently bid trash collection contract to become effective July 1st calls for weekly recycling, a real plus for people whose storage space in their homes is limited, a convenience for everyone and a good thing for the planet. Under the terms of the new contract, the upper limit on trash to be put out for collection is reduced from 10 bags or barrels to 5, still a more generous allowance than what is permitted by most communities. Our progress on recycling has been remarkable and I thank you for that. With weekly recycling we expect to do even better. • The Regional Dispatch Center located on the grounds of the Essex County Sheriff's Department in Middleton is nearly complete. This center will provide emergency dispatch to six cities and towns including Beverly taking advantage of instantaneous electronic communication. It represents an important step in improving service and containing costs. Member communities will begin to cut over to the new facility in April of this year with the facility becoming fully operational by July. • The City of Beverly is collaborating with Montserrat College of Art on the creation of an arts and cultural district in downtown Beverly thanks to a sizable grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Sidewalk dining is under discussion. A project to upgrade Ellis Square is under serious consideration. • The City Planner is currently developing a structure and format for the public planning process of updating the City's Master Plan, a task which we intend to complete in calendar 2013. As you can see, there is much going on in our City, the City we all love. In recent years despite the difficult economy we have continued to progress. Our homes have retained their value better than those in any of the nearby cities and towns. Rebuilding our public high school in the worst of times has shown itself to be a very good decision. Beverly High School has achieved Level One Status this year from the State as a result of progress and performance on MCAS. In addition, BHS received an Apple Award for Excellence, was recognized by Boston Magazine 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting Page 6 of 11 as a leading school in technology, and will be recognized next week in Washington D.C., by the National Association of Secondary Principals Association and the Center for Secondary School Redesign, as one of only 28 high performing high schools in the country. Our schools are now a magnet, drawing young families to our City. I wish to once again put out the call tonight for volunteers to serve on our Boards and Commissions. If you here in the audience or at home have the interest and time, please join the nearly 300 people who give of themselves without financial compensation for the good of their City. Please drop me a line describing your background and interests. I wish also to publicly thank the entire snow fighting team which worked so hard and effectively to beat back the recent storm. A terrific job was done. We are very hopeful we will receive Federal Assistance to pay for 75% of the costs incurred in fighting the storm. In closing, let me say on behalf of myself and the many members of my team here tonight, we enjoy what we are doing and make every effort to do it well. We are fully aware of the trust you have placed in us. Rest assured that our passion to further improve our City will not wane. Thank you for your time and attention. Good night. Communications from His Honor the Mayor: #23 February 19, 2013 Honorable City Council City Hall Beverly, MA 01915 Dear Honorable Council: I hereby reappoint subject to your review and recommendation the following persons to serve on the Parking and Traffic Commission: Name Sgt. Russ Rollins Lt. William Fiore John Somes Tina Cassidy Very truly yours, William F. Scanlon, Jr. Refer to Legal Affairs Representing Police Department Fire Department Chamber of Commerce Planning Department Term March 1, 2016 March 1, 2016 March 1, 2015 March 1, 2015 Communications from Other City Officers and Boards: #24 Communication from the City Clerk RE: Municipal Election Calendar 2013 Election Calendar City of Beverly (Relating to Biennial Municipal Primary and Final Election) 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting Preliminary & City Election Minimum Required Certified Page 7 of 11 Signatures ( Ward —25) (City — Wide —100 Monday, April 1 First day for candidates to take out nomination papers Friday, August 2 * 5:00 PM Last day and hour for taking out nomination papers Tuesday, August 6 ** 5:00 PM Last day and hour for filing all nomination Papers and petitions with Board of Registrars of Voters or Certification of signatures. Tuesday, August 20 5:00 PM Last day and Hour for filing certified Nomination papers to the Board of Registrars with the City Clerk Wednesday, August 21 - - - - - -- Post the list of Candidates Thursday, August 22 * ** 5:00 PM Last day and Hour for filing withdrawals or objections to nomination papers. Thursday, August 22 5:15 PM Drawing for ballot position by City Clerk In City council Chambers- Candidate or representative invited to be present Wednesday, September 4 8:00 PM Last day and hour to register voters for the Preliminary Election Tuesday, September 24, 2013 City Preliminary Election Monday, September 30 5:00 PM Last Day and Hour to file for a recount 5:00 PM Last Day for filling withdrawals or objections to Nomination papers Monday, September 30 * ** 5:15 PM Drawing for Ballot Positions, by City Clerk candidate or representative may be present Wednesday, October 16 8:00 PM Last Day and hour to register voters for the Biennial Election Tuesday, November 5, 2013 Biennial Municipal Election Friday. November 15 5:00 PM Last day and hour to file for recount * Nomination forms to candidates only or their agents appointed in writing * * Registrars need not certify more names than required plus 20% * * * Meeting held in Council Chambers. City Clerk will draw positions ATTEST: Kathleen P. Connolly, City Clerk IMPORTANT: All candidates must comply fully with CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW Chapter 55 of the General Laws Vote taken on the floor Approved 9 -0 Communications, Applications and Petitions: 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting #25 Application: Hawkers & Peddlers License — Wendy Cunniff, 5 Country Dr. Beverly, MA. Refer to Legal Affairs #26 Application: Hawkers & Peddlers License — John Doyle, 5 Blaine Ave. Beverly, MA. Refer to Legal Affairs #26 Letter from Danvers Town Manager, Wayne Marquis re: waiver of payment in lieu of Tax — for FY 2013 Beverly Airport ($6,651.62 Receive and Place on File Reports from Committees: #12 Page 8 of 11 The Committee on Finance and Property / Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of Request for Appropriation of $1,000,000. for two vehicles- have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Submit the accompanying order and recommend its adoption Ordered: That $1,000,000. is appropriated for the purchase of two Fire trucks; that to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the Mayor and the Dir. of Municipal Finance and the Committee on Finance & Property is authorized to borrow $1,000,000. under chapt.44 Sec.7(9) of the General laws or any other enabling authority; that the Treasurer is authorized to file an application to qualify under Chapt. 44A of the General Laws any or all of the bonds and to provide such information and excute such documents as may be required for these purposes; and that any bonds or notes issued pursuant to this order shall be certified in writing as to their genuineness by a bank or trust company situated and doing business in Massachusetts to be selected by the Committee on Finance & Property. First Passage: January 22, 2013 Public Hearing: February 4, 2013 Final Passage: February 19, 2013 Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote #18 The Committee on Finance & Property / Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of Order Councilor Houseman - Message of support to members of Sandy Hook Promise have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Submit the accompanying order and recommend its adoption 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting Page 9 of 11 Recommend the Council approve the amended order and send a letter of support to the members of the Sandy Hook Promise organization in Newtown CT. Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote #141(2012) The Committee on Legal Affairs / Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of Order Councilor Houseman, Martin & Schetzsle re: Traffic Safety in the Essex St.corridor have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend the Council approve the order per recommendations from the Parking & Traffic Commission Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote #141 - A (2012) The Committee on Legal Affairs / Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of Recommendations from the Parking & Traffic Commission regarding order 141 of (2012) re: Traffic Safety in the Essex St.corridor have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Receive and place on file Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote #8 The Committee on Public Services / Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of Reappointment to the Cable TV Advisiory Commission have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend that the Council approve the Reappointment Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote #9 The Committee on Public Services / Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of Reappointment of the following as Trustees of the Public Library Ms. Margaret Altman,114 Water Street, Beverly Ms. Mary Behrle 21 Cobblers Lane, Beverly and Mr. Anthony Kline, 510 Hale Street, Beverly have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend that the Council approve the reappointments Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote #10 The Committee on Public Services / Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of reappoint, of Mr. Martin Lawler, 109 Water 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting Page 10 of 11 Street, Beverly and Mr. Richard Barger, 63 Neptune Street, Beverly to serve on the Beverly Golf & tennis Commission. have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Their terms to be effective from February 1, 2013 until February 1, 2016. Recommend the Council approve the reappointments Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote #16 The Committee on Public Services / Committee of the Whole to whom was referred the matter of Petition — National Grid for the installation of underground conduits on Rantoul /Fayette & Edwards streets have considered said matter and beg leave to report as follows, to wit: Recommend the Council approve the Petition Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote Motions and Orders: #21 By Councilor Troubetaris (late file) re: proposed amendments to Article II Sec.2.13 Financial Forecasting Committee Establishment, Composition — There is hereby established a Financial Forecasting Committee. Such Committee shall be composed of nine members: two members of the City Council and a citizen appointed by the City Council President; Two ward School Committee members and a citizen appointed by the School Committee President; a citizen who shall not be an elected official, appointed by the Mayor; and the Finance Dir. and the School Department Business Manager The City Budget Analyst shall be appointed as ex- officio member. Refer to Legal Affairs Unfinished Business: Final passage Order - #4- A(2012) Article XXI Sec 21.13 Stopping, Standing & Parking re : creation of various new parking Meter Zones First Reading: January 2012 Public Hearing: January 22, 2913 Second Reading: January 22, 2013 Advertised and held for final passage: Feb.4, 2013 Order read once and adopted 9 -0 Vote Meeting Adjourned 8: 04 PM Attest: Kathleen P. Connolly, CMC 3/5/2013 Regular Meeting City Clerk Page 11 of 11 3/5/2013