We’re out

Meeting adjourned, much earlier than we anticipated.

We’ll be back tomorrow.

9:44

Subcommittee priorities

Councilor Clancy wants all the subcommittees to discuss and report on the respective top two or three priorities in the coming term, and report back to the council in April.

7:35

More on the charter

“The one thing I have learned is city councils should stay out of charters,” says Councilor Bill Eddy, who signed on to the item. He’s got some background in the issue, having been involved in charter review issues back in 1983.

“Charters should be looked at by…a charter commission.”

“I’ll only support this if it goes through a public process.”

Meanwhile, Councilor Rushton says “Clearly this election cycle did bring some questions into the arena,” but agrees with Eddy that it needs to come from the people, not from one small segment, otherwise “it’s doomed.”

“Whether it’s a small change to the charter or a major change,” the conversation should be now, Rushton says.

And, from Councilor Clancy: “Why are we doing this now? What is so earth shattering…?”

(Palmieri compares charter review to pregnancy, and more fantastic quotes after the jump)

Charter Review?

The big item tonight: Why are Gary Rosen and colleagues bringing up a charter review process?

“You shouldn’t draw any conclusions,” from who and who did not sign on, Rosen says.

He says he is raising the issue of charter review after a number of conversations he has heard and been a part of over the past year about problems people have with the current charter.

A few of the suggestions/issues he says he has heard: (He reiterates that he doesn’t necessarily support any of these.)

• Bill Coleman’s suggestion that the at-large preliminary election be eliminated.
• The make-up of the city council
• The ratio of at-large to district councilors
• Length of terms for councilors
• Staggering of terms
• The “opt out” mayoral campaign system
• And he dances around the issue of changing the Plan E form of government, saying while there are certainly people who want that, he’s not one of them.

“The time is right now, because it’s been over 20 years.”

“I don’t want there to be panic in the streets…we’re not suggesting we want…a strong mayor.”

What do you think?  Is it time for a broad charter review?

8:38

An excuse to use BREAST in a headline

Rick Rushton wants the city to allow breastfeeding in public; he says it’s important, independent from the state effort to do the same.

(By the way, if you have never listened to Rick Rushton espouse the health benefits of breastfeeding…you haven’t lived.)

8:29

Next: Outsourcing Worcester call centers

Kate Toomey is reaalllllly annoyed at calling city departments and getting a machine as their “first line of defense.”

“We are a service provider.  We are responsible and answerable to the public and it’s important for us to bring government to a point where we are responsive to the public.”

“Wherever possible…put real people at the end of the phone.”

WOW

The entire Economic Development report was just referred with no comment.  Just think about that: 11 councilors chose not to talk on the broad item that can take up to two hours every month while they discuss every major project at once.
That’s the equivalent of…ahh, hell.  We can’t think of a good comparison, but it makes us happy.

8:21

More on asphalt

Interesting turn of phrase by Councilor Palmieri in response to the 50% Pagano Plan. “We voted education over asphalt,” Palmieri says he told Pagano. He also acknowledges that while there may not be class warfare, the concept would benefit Councilor Smith’s district more than Palmieri’s or Haller’s.

Let’s remember something here: The idea is still in its infancy, and needs to pass the law department before any real action is taken.

8:05

Haller also raises a neighborhood war scenario, saying that she is concerned about privatization, and what happens when individual neighborhoods decide they want to pay for more police protection, or better parks, etc. “There’s a lot of issues around this suggestion…I think it’s worthy of consideration.”

8:13