Worcester City Council 10/13/2026

Mayor Petty recognized five staff members of the Worcester Public Library Talking Book Library for earning the Sub-Regional Library of the Year award, presenting certificates to Lee Ann Hooley, Cheryl Kahn, Bianca Rulo, Joe Kiesling, and Karen Wall.

Members of the public addressed the Council on several agenda matters:

• A public commenter spoke in favor of installing 24/7 public restrooms throughout the city, particularly on the Worcester Common and in public parks, stating, "we need places to pee and poo. They need to be all over the city... They need it be open 24-7." The speaker also supported accommodations for transgender individuals and noted concerns about moving Council start times to 5:30 PM.
• A public commenter emphasized winter preparedness and street maintenance accountability, urging the Council and administration not to repeat previous winter road issues, and asked for coordinated traffic signals at Belmont Street and Lake Avenue.
• A public commenter urged the immediate placement of public restrooms downtown or temporary portable restrooms, and strongly opposed shifting the City Council start time to 5:30 PM, characterizing the proposal as an attempt to reduce public engagement.
• A public commenter opposed starting meetings at 5:30 PM due to dinner hours and supported downtown public bathrooms.
• A public commenter participating remotely criticized the city's three-star welcoming designation and expressed opposition to moving meeting times earlier.
• A public commenter participating remotely reported issues with AlertWorcester, stating that registered residents were not receiving automated alerts regarding road closures and ongoing construction.

The Council conducted hearings and acted on multiple conduit location petitions across the city, including locations on Chadwick Street, Franklin Street and Arctic Street, Grafton Street, and Pleasant Street.

• Passed 11-0.

The Council referred Item 8A to the Standing Committee on Public Works and Items 8B and 8E to the Standing Committee on Traffic and Parking.

• Passed 11-0.

The City Manager transmitted appointments of Nayari Veras and Chris Michelotti to the Worcester Arts Council, and Ashish Dungana to the Conservation Commission. The communications were placed on file.

• Passed 11-0.

The City Council voted to adopt amendments to the municipal salary ordinance relative to public health nursing positions.

• Passed 11-0.

Department of Public Works and Parks (DPW) Commissioner Jay Westerling presented the winter operations plan, detailing additions to the city's fleet, staffing improvements, and expanded pretreating capabilities:

• Equipment Upgrades: The city has acquired seven new six-wheel dump trucks with wing plows, two loader-mounted snowblowers, and four new sidewalk clearing machines (two 34-inch stand-on machines and two cab-equipped track machines).
• Brine Treatment: Worcester expanded its brine pretreatment fleet from three trucks last winter to 9–10 equipped vehicles for the upcoming season, enabling pretreating roadways up to several days before storms.
• Small-Batch Asphalt Recycler: Delivery of an on-site pavement recycler batch plant is expected in January 2027, allowing the city to produce hot-mix asphalt locally to repair winter potholes immediately rather than hauling cold or cooling asphalt from East Boston.
• GPS Routing and Contractor Accountability: A new routing software integration will track municipal and contractor plow vehicles in real time. Plow contract rates will feature two tiers, offering higher compensation to contractors who implement GPS. Repeat contractor deficiencies will result in contract termination.
• Staffing Levels: DPW departmental vacancies have dropped from 54 to 28 over the past year, with operations division vacancies reduced from 16 to 8.
• Parking Enforcement: Public educational notices will be distributed prior to winter regarding parking distance restrictions from hydrants (10 feet) and intersections (20 feet) to keep roadways wide enough for plows and emergency apparatus.

The communication was referred to the Standing Committee on Public Works.

The Council voted to approve a recommendation to execute a five-year contract with CentralSquare Technologies.

• Passed 11-0.

The City Manager submitted the schedule for the annual fall leaf collection program. In response to Councilor Ojeda, DPW confirmed drop-off sites will remain open into December until Christmas tree drop-offs begin and agreed to coordinate informational flyers directly with Worcester Public Schools. The communication was referred to the Standing Committee on Public Works.

The communication detailing bicycle infrastructure accommodations installed during 2026 was referred to the Standing Committee on Traffic and Parking.

Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) Commissioner Stephen Raleigh presented ongoing and upcoming safety measures along the Belmont Street and Lake Avenue corridors:

• Belmont Street Corridor Study: A corridor study from Officer Manny Familia Way to Interstate 290 is being scoped for potential 2027 funding due to elevated crash volumes.
• Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs): DTM is designing the city's first pedestrian hybrid beacon system for Belmont Street, aimed for construction in late spring/summer 2027, citing federal data indicating a 70% reduction in pedestrian crashes at such crossings.
• Lake Avenue Reconfiguration: Design work funded through the Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is underway for the Lake Avenue and Hamilton Street/Bigelow Davis Parkway intersection, with initial public meetings planned for December.
• Heavy Vehicle Exclusion Study: Consultants are gathering traffic count data this fall to submit an exclusion study to the Commonwealth shortly after the new year.
• Council Motion: Councilor King moved that the City Manager coordinate with his communications team and Worcester Public Schools to implement an education program for students and parents regarding pedestrian hybrid beacons and crosswalk safety.

The report and motion were referred to the Standing Committee on Traffic and Parking.

• Passed 11-0.

Emergency Communications Director Goodwin reported that active registered accounts on the AlertWorcester notification system had increased to 7,298 users, up from roughly 2,500 earlier in the year. The administration is conducting outreach via A-frame signs at City Hall and Union Station, radio spots, podcasts, and video promotions. Councilor Toomey recused herself from discussion and voting on the item.

The report was referred to the Standing Committee on Public Safety.

• Passed 10-0 (Councilor Toomey recused).

The City Manager transmitted an administrative response concerning proposed Council Rules 61, 62, and 63, which would establish specific deadlines for Council committees to submit budget priorities to the City Manager by March 1 and require a preliminary budget presentation by March 15.

• Chief Financial Officer McGourthy noted that statutory requirements grant the Manager 170 days from January to propose a budget and give Council 45 days to review it before the mandatory July 1 implementation. The administration noted that March 15 precedes third-quarter revenue numbers, and approximately 60% of municipal spending goes to education, 20% to fixed costs, and the majority of the remaining 20% to maintain baseline operational services, leaving roughly 2% of discretionary funding for new programs.
• Councilor King opposed adopting new rules, arguing that ongoing Council orders already clearly dictate legislative priorities.
• Councilor Mitra advocated institutionalizing a cooperative budget review process so councilors can systematically present neighborhood priorities before appropriations are finalized.
• Councilor Rivera suggested the Standing Committee on Municipal Operations consolidate the language into a single rule.

The motion to refer the proposed rules to the Standing Committee on Municipal Operations was approved:

• Passed 10-1 (Councilor King voting No).

The Council reviewed updates regarding the Worcester Ballpark Commission, the Zero Waste Master Plan, and the Department of Sustainability and Resilience's ongoing climate resilience initiatives:

• Chief Sustainability Officer John O'Dell reported that the city's 146 public solar-powered compacting trash and recycling bins have collected approximately 20 tons of recyclables and 40 tons of trash over the last six months.
• To combat recycling contamination, DPW will deploy "Oops Stickers" warning residents when unauthorized materials are left in recycling bins prior to withholding pickup.

The reports were referred to the Standing Committees on Public Works and Urban Technologies.

• Passed 11-0.

The City Council voted collectively to adopt the transmitted finance orders under Items 9.37A and 9.37B.

• Passed 11-0.

The communication detailing the City of Worcester's certified three-star welcoming designation from Welcoming America was placed on file.

• Passed 11-0.

City Auditor Robert Stearns presented the completed school zone and pedestrian safety audit conducted in June and July 2026 across city schools:

• DTM reported that 110 out of 120 planned school zone 20 mph speed-limit signs have been installed citywide, with the remaining 10 scheduled for completion within the week.
• The audit identified 25 locations lacking Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). DTM indicated it is prioritizing RRFB installations based on traffic speed and street volume data.
• Councilors discussed dangerous conditions and traffic bottlenecks during pickup and drop-off hours, specifically noting Nelson Place, Rice Square School, and Roosevelt School.
• Councilor King moved that the administration provide the two-year strategic plan developed with the Safe Routes to School Task Force and evaluate the installation of a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon near Chandler Elementary School at Wellington and Chandler Streets.
• The Council requested a joint report from the Superintendent of Schools regarding drop-off procedures and staff parking coordination at Rice Square and Roosevelt schools.

The report and motions were referred to the Standing Committees on Education and Traffic and Parking.

• Passed 11-0.

The City Council approved the recommendation of City Auditor Robert Stearns to increase the retirement cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) maximum base from $16,000 to $17,000, effective July 1, 2027.

• Passed 11-0.

A report from City Auditor Robert Stearns regarding authorized uses of the Sale of Lots and Graves Fund at Hope Cemetery was referred to the Standing Committee on Municipal Operations.

• Passed 11-0.

The City Clerk submitted the quarterly tracking report detailing City Council orders adopted over the previous three months. The communication was referred to the Standing Committee on Municipal Operations.

• Passed 11-0.

Councilor Fresolo moved to place on file the petition from Charter Communications for a conduit location at 135 Canberra Road, noting that the utility and residents reached an agreement and a revised order will be submitted the following week.

• Passed 11-0.

Councilor Rivera introduced an order requesting the Standing Committee on Municipal Operations to review City Council rules to begin regular meetings at 5:30 PM and set dedicated public participation from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM, aiming to conclude Council business before midnight.

• Councilor King opposed the order, arguing that starting earlier would prevent working residents, caregivers, and hourly workers from participating in person, noting that Council meetings previously began at 7:00 PM before shifting to 6:30 PM.
• Councilor Rosen offered an amendment to include 6:00 PM as an alternative start time for committee review.
• Councilor King moved that the committee also review City Council Rule 5 regarding special meeting requests.
• Councilor Bergman supported committee discussion, observing that Council committees and the School Committee regularly meet at 5:30 PM without eliminating public testimony, while emphasizing the need for structured efficiency.
• Councilor Bilotta opposed earlier start times due to scheduling barriers for constituents.

The order, as amended to examine a 5:30 PM or 6:00 PM start time and Rule 5, was referred to the Standing Committee on Municipal Operations:

• Passed 8-3 (Councilors Bilotta, King, and Ojeda voting No).