We had a good Finance Committee meeting on 2/13/08. Here is a report of what happened:
1) Grant for Wistariahust in the form of a $500 gift from Denis Walsh
Cmte voted to accept 5-0
2) Grant for the Board of Health for $1000 for Emergency Medical Corps assistants from local colleges. Cmte voted 5-0 to accept
3) Request to approve 3 new second-hand and junk dealer licenses for young man starting a new second-hand store at 166 High Street. Cmte voted 5-0 to approve.
4) Request from Planning Dept to spend $26,000 to do an environmental cleanup of the former Adams Pakkwood site on Appleton Street. [This represents the 25% match to the $96,000 provided by EPA for a total reclamation cost of $120,000]. Cmte voted 5-0 to approve.
5) Request from Mayor to create a new full-time City Historian position under Historical Commission by converting a part-time position at Wistariahurst by increasing pay from $26,000 per year to $38,000 per year. Committee tabled the matter for more information.
6) Request from Mayor to increase salary of Building Commissioner Paul Healy by approximately $6,000 per year. [It has been 2 years since he had an increase] Committee approved 5-0.
7) Request to give 51 non-union, non-elected positions pay increases ranging from 3-13.5% and would cost $122,384 for the 1st year alone. [I voted no because many deserved it, but many others did not. It was put to us as a package although it could have and should have been seperated out] Cmte voted 3-2 to approve the package of increases. McGee, Leahy and O'Neill voted Yes. Jourdain and Whelihan voted No.
8) Request from Parks & Recreation Dept for the City Council to accept a $500,000 grant with conditions to construct a new Jones Ferry River Access Center. Following this vote, the City Council will be requested to bond for $1.3 million to do the project. $500,000 of that amount will be reimbursed by this grant. $400,000 will be reimbursed through use of Community Development Block Grant Funds and the city will have to pay the remaining $400,000. After a nice discussion with Holyoke Rows and Parks and Rec the Committee voted 5-0 to approve the grant.
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