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Cover It Live. Agenda.

7:18: M.O’Brien talks about his budget recommendation, rehashing previous power points about losing tax money and state aid while paying out more for increasing health care costs.

No taxes are going up — the $10 million levy will stay where it is — but he does point out 129 city positions will be lost.

The initial budget deficit started in the neighborhood of $14.3 million dollars, which he says he whittled down to $7 million by freezing remaining job vacancies and offering early retirement.

He says the recent vote in the state legislature show the Governor and House agree with his plan to move municipal unions into a “GIC-like” health care plan. Bargaining with Locals continues, he adds: “We need [the 129 workers] and we value each of them very much.”

“This budget will have a positive impact on the Worcester Public Schools,” citing Chapt. 70 state aid increases ($13.3 million), but factoring in the loss of stimulus money balances that out to a “net gain of approximately $8.2 million.” He says employee health insurance changes could “generate up to $8 million in cost increase avoidance that could be re-directed to the classrooms.”

Moylan says his budget cuts 19 positions. Over the years there’s been a “disproportionate” scope of cuts even as the “scope…has increased.”

“We are now down to areas that just don’t make any sense…if you look at my budget impact statement you’ll see things we’ve had success with that are downright eliminated.” This includes yard waste sites at Clark St. and Foley Stadium. The Millbury St. site will still be open. The graffiti team will be eliminated, as will Keep Worcester Clean and Nuisance Team. Three public beaches will be closed* and certain parks will get “absolutely no levels of service” to redirect services to the other city parks (he doesn’t say which ones).

*We received an email from the city this morning that said the beaches are funded in the budget and will not be closed.

“No street signs. No regulator signs. No advisory signs. No handicap parking signs,” etc. “Instead what will have to happen is we will have to outsource that…generally speaking when you outsource something it costs about 3x more than when you do it in house.” Parking control officers will be cut except for in the downtown area, which saves $60,000 in employee costs but ruins $120,000 in future revenue from parking tickets. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“My concern is about DPW is we always seem to get the job done. Last year I was concerned that we were close to failure. That if the wrong kind of incident occurred, like another ice storm…we would fail.”

Deputy Chief Steven Sargent says they’re expecting to lose 27 officers and 8 sergeants, along with civilian jobs. Community Impact will bear the brunt of the hit. Accident investigations will stop unless they’re high profile or linked to another investigation. Neighborhood watch officers will still work, anti-violence will stay intact. Priority staffing will go towards operations for call and response duties. “It will ultimately effect the moral.” Summer Impact is eliminated.

Fire Chief Gerard Dio says he came up with a reduction plan a few years ago, but this plan “negates” what he had. In ten years he says he’s lost 100 fire fighters.

The plan equates to 2 captains, 6 lieutenants and 35 fire fighters: same as two companies.

Brownouts were discussed like they used last year, but they’re for the short term and don’t work as long term plans, he says. “It’s a dark picture that we have to deal with and we try to deal with it the best we can.”

“You will start to see decreased response times…I don’t know the long-term effect of reducing two more companies in a city of this size.”

7:40: J.O’Brien says this year’s budget meetings will be different than last year, which means they’ll have three public budget hearings. 5/10, 5/17 and 5/24 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm are the dates and times.

7:42: Haller says “there’s no appetite” to raise taxes. She wants to know what loss of income the unions that did take the manager’s HC plan will face. M.O’Brien says “it’s a dynamic network that controls costs…the average family in the city…would save at least $1,700″ if moving over from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. There’s also a deal to create a “health savings account” and use the months of no premiums employees will get for switching to bulk it up.

7:47: Haller has the Manager reiterate that by taking the city’s HC plan the city could save the anti-graffiti team, summer impact, etc. O’Brien also says he’d use one-time money to bridge whatever gap is left if the unions take the new HC plan, but he won’t use (substantially more) one time money to plug the budget hole without HC reforms.

Haller: “This will have a devastating impact on District 4. I urge, hope, plea for our city employees” to come to an agreement with the city. “Public safety is our highest priority…It will take six months to destroy a lot of properties, but it will take years to get it back.”

Rushton: “We don’t have to repeat” what will happen to the city with these cuts. “We know what they are.” He says “it’s time to push the ball across the goal line” in regards to negotiations. “The majority of this council will not raise taxes…Failure at these negotiations is not an option.” He adds that he’s optimistic.

Toomey: “I’m loathe to have to work with this budget…it is difficult for us to try to bring business in…that will create a greater problem…What was outlined for us today will make fewer people work even harder.”

Palmieri: He starts with giving the manager and unions credit as they work through this, but calls this “beyond comprehension…I know the manager is not going to let that happen and I know the unions won’t let this happen…we’re not going to go thirty years back…it’s going to be a successful negotiation.”

Lukes: Budget decisions often have been delayed because of last-minute deals and agreements. But, she says, no rabbits will be pulled out of hats. “The cards are on the table. There are no hands that are hidden. Decisions will have to be made…I understand the art of negotiations. Perhaps we’re in dire consequences now, but unions want to get the best contracts for their employees for the next two to three years.” But, she says “generosity is not going to be an element” in the negotiations because of the multi-year recession.

“We have enough leadership out there that understands we have no where else to go,” she pleads to the negotiators. “Don’t wait for the state legislature to do anything. Let’s do it here and now for the city’s sake.”

8:09: Lukes talks about her amendment to the tobacco ordinance which would give stores three months to sell their cigarette stock before the ban goes into place. J.O’Brien holds it. Toomey says that’s best so Clancy can be here to vote on it.

8:12: Lukes wants to know if we can add information to water bills that say how much of the bill comes from EPA mandates. She also wants to know what the additional money we’ll have to spend to satisfy the latest mandate will go towards. Moylan says the rising fees this year do not factor in “anticipated” cost increases if the city loses its suit against the EPA.

The council votes in the increased water and sewer rates.

CSX is held once again so they can address Putnam Lane’s closure and the National Grid work all at the same time.

8:19: Toomey says Rice Lane School had no crosswalk for a while because of street re-paving. It’s there now but she wants better foresight for this.

8:23: Palmieri talks about the USDA/ALB meeting yesterday. “I thought it was eventful and interesting…The critical issue that we continue to ask is the inoculations of the host trees.”

“There seems to have been a change in what they want to do at this juncture…without really participating the way this council thought in inoculating more trees with the USDA.” He’s upset that the USDA and DCR won’t re-inoculate trees that got it last year.

There is a way to privately obtain the inoculate and use it, but Palmieri says there’s going to have a be a real concerted effort to get that information out there. He’s skeptical this will save many trees, “but we need to have a real proactive approach…we should have a program in place that is unlike any other place in the country because we are devastated by the ALB…we can’t just be cutting down infested trees and not inoculating host trees.”

Haller asks if there’s enough of that medicine over the counter to warrant sending out letters to constituents.

Smith calls the USDA’s decision “completely baffling…they might want to wash their hands of all the trees in the Greendale/Burncoat area, but I’m not ready to do that…guess what, if you don’t treat them they’re going to become infested. It’s very logical.”

“There’s no logic behind these decisions that are being made…There comes a point where we have to expect and demand more. The residents demand more…Funding is not an issue. They have enough money to do the chemical treatments. There is no logical excuse.”

8:34: Toomey talks about the April 24, 1916 Easter Rising when the Irish declared independence from the British government.

Rushton commends the Navy SEALs and Obama administration for “getting that bastard.”

All over the country last night impromptu rallies broke out after broadcasts that a US Navy SEAL team killed Osama bin Laden. Former Worcester Mag photographer/intern Matt Wright has photos of the crowds in Boston.

The students who led a campaign to find an alternative commencement speaker for WPI’s graduating class received some good news from the school late Saturday night: they’ll be able to miss ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson’s commencement speech and still walk across the stage later in the ceremony.

The school will provide a back row of chairs for students who opt to quietly arrive late. Previously, school administrators said students who left would not be allowed back in and would receive their diplomas through the mail.

Commencement day will look like this: the speeches and honorary degree awards will start at the normal time. Students who disagree with having Tillerson as their commencement speaker will probably still have to arrive at the same time as everyone else, they’ll just be off in a different area. Once Tillerson finishes speaking those students will slide into rows of chairs in the back. Linnea Paton Palmer, one of the students who spearheaded the dissenting campaign, wanted to make it clear this is not an excuse to show up late for the ceremony.

After the initial ceremony ends and an informal reception is held, the Post Carbon Institute’s Richard Heinberg will speak at 3:00 on the graduation stage — the one that Tillerson will have spoken on just hours earlier. All 5,000 graduation-goers are invited to attend the extra speech, as is anyone else who’s interested from the community.

The students are now working on finding prominent environmental groups to endorser the speech, but since Heinberg isn’t receiving any money for speaking the students are just looking for groups to help spread the word.

More info on this here and here.

Tyler Gaudet has been missing since Saturday April 23 and was last seen in Worcester.

Tyler is approximately 5’4, weighs 135 lbs. blue eyes and is 16 years old.

It is believed he may have headed to following locations: Ayer, Leominster, Springfield, or may even still be somewhere in Worcester.

Any information regarding his whereabouts should consist of notifying the police immediately at 508-799-8651.

Three weeks ago some of Worcester Polytechnic Institutes’ students and faculty criticized the school for choosing Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, as this year’s commencement speaker. Dissenters charge the company hasn’t done enough to invest in clean energy, has active air and groundwater pollution lawsuits against them in New York and Massachusetts and still hasn’t fully paid punitive damages stemming from the 1989 oil spill off of the coast of Alaska — all issues that don’t mesh with the school’s mission statement or growing “green” image. We wrote about this in our April 14 issue.

In response, students have organized a separate commencement speaker: Richard Heinberg, senior fellow at the Post Carbon Institute. From the dissenting WPI students’ website:

Richard Heinberg’s work is a powerful symbol of our wishes for WPI: a university which, in line with its budding green image, chooses to honor someone with leadership and vision, rather than a baron of the past, a force of the status quo.

WPI students, members of the group Students for a Just and Stable Future and their visiting families who prefer to hear Heinberg speak said they would walk out quietly during the ceremony, then rejoin later to walk across the stage and pick up their diplomas. Again, from their website:

[W]e will walk out quietly and undisruptively, with respect for the ceremony that, we too, hold dear, and to the students who wish to hear Tillerson speak. We would like to minimize the amount of disturbance as we file in and out of our seats, and we are working with the administration to arrange a time when those wishing to leave are invited to do so.

WPI administration then sent an email to the student body on Wednesday, April 27 informing these students that if they leave they will not be let back in and their diplomas will be mailed to them.

We have been made aware that some degree candidates are considering leaving the Quadrangle after they have been seated. We want to make those candidates aware that should they leave the Quadrangle area, they will not be permitted to retake their seats and, therefore, will not be able to cross the stage to receive their diplomas. It will simply not be possible for students to reenter the seating area to seek out their seats without causing chaos and confusion, which would be disrespectful to other graduates and to our invited guests.
…
The group considering leaving the Quadrangle has indicated their desire to manage their protest with respect and minimal disturbance. To quote from their own message: “Our intent is not to disrupt the ceremony, but rather to show integrity in our values.” We believe the policy outlined above is the only reasonable way to achieve that goal.

But students contend they’ve approached the administration with various ways of making sure there’s no disruption — one such proposal had a row of chairs in the back for students to easily slide in and out of before and after Tillerson’s speech. Another letter has been sent to WPI President Dennis Berkey’s office by the students asking him to reconsider this policy.

Yesterday afternoon the saga received more attention: Asher Miller, executive director of the Post Carbon Institute, blogged about it at the Huffington Post.

Update: And now Daily Kos as well.

The Regional Environmental Council will host its 22nd annual Earth Day Clean-ups  this Saturday with volunteers hauling litter, garbage and illegally dumped items from 65 locations around the city.

Last year the REC says 1,000 volunteers teamed up to gather 30 tons of trash from Worcester’s streets and parks.

If you’re not signed up for a specific site there’s still time to contact the REC (earthday@recworcester.org) or click on one of the bubbles on the map below and get in touch with the site coordinator.

Worcester Mag will be out cleaning up, down and around Water Street from 10:00 to 12:00. Honk if you drive by. (Or join us.)