City Council 11/18/2025

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Worcester City Council meeting. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Star-Spangled Banner if you can. Aye.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed At the twilight's last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watched We're so gallantly streaming And the rocket's red glare The bombs bursting in air They proved through the night that our flag was still there.

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

and the home of the brave.

Do a roll call. Councilor Bergman? Here. Councilor Colorio? Here. Councilor Haxhiaj? Here. Councilor King? Here. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Here. Councilor Nguyen? Petty. Councilor Ojeda? Here. Councilor Pacillo? Here. Councilor Russell? Here. Councilor Toomey? Here. Mayor Petty?

Here. Okay, we have a couple of proclamations I'd like to give, and a notification of the Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Angelaitis, and National Organization for Human Services, have awarded him receiving the Community Activism Award. And so we have two proclamations. First one is, whereas the primary mission of the Worcester County Sheriff's Office is to protect society from criminal offenders, work to rehabilitate those in their care and serve 60 towns of Worcester County. Whereas the Worcester County Sheriff's Office achieved its mission by operating a regional reentry center This center supports individuals who are transitioning from incarceration at the Worcester County Jail in the House of Corrections. Additionally, it serves clients from three resource centers operated by the service office. Whereas the Sheriff's Office Regional Reentry Center has been honored with the Community Activism Award from the National Organization for Human Services. This award recognizes organizations and individuals that demonstrate deep commitment to the communities they serve

you acknowledge efforts to ensure equitable access to resources and services and celebrates the impactful community initiatives embody the core values of human services, dignity, respect, and significance of human relationships. Whereas the Worcester County Sheriff's Office encourages all residents, citizens of Worcester and neighbors to uplift one another through participation in community initiatives and mutual respect. Now, therefore, I, Mayor Joseph M. Petty, do have I proclaim November 18th as Worcester County Sheriff's Office Day of Service in the City of Worcester. We also have a citation from the Senate. Be known that the Massachusetts Senate hereby extends its congratulations to the Worcester County Sheriff's Office in recognition of receiving the Community Activism Award from the National Organization for Human Services and be further known that the Massachusetts Senate extends its best wishes for continued success that this citation be only signed by the President of the Senate and attested to the copy thereof transmitted by the Clerk of the Senate, signed by Senate President Karen Spudka.

Spooker, and Senator Moore, and also Clerk of the Senate, Michael Hurley. Councilor Toomey, do you want to read that? City Sheriff.

Mayor, if I could just say a few words of acknowledgement, and I want to thank you so much to the City Council, the Mayor, and the City for this great recognition. I couldn't be more honored to be here. Could I have our teams to stand up who's here today? And if we could, we'd like to come up for a photo before we leave in the chambers here. But I just want to state that when I was elected sheriff, over a dozen years ago now, we talked about maybe setting up a way to help people reentering society, people leaving the facility, reentry center. and we had one donated grant that we had to hire one person and we had a donated office. And it's turned into what you see now at 365 on Main Street. That's for everyone. This is a community resource center. We ask everyone on this team here, I'm so proud of, their work is committed to make this community a better and a safer place. And the idea is when you walk into that center, we don't say to you, why are you here? What we say to you is, what can we do to help you? And it means people need to find a job. They need to find a home.

They need any type of medical services or programming they need. We are a team that will help them. And whether they're diverted through the courts and the probation, and our reentry team, which was recognized with this great award. It was in Charlotte, North Carolina. You don't get a national award every day for the National Organization of Human Service Workers. Chris, I'm so proud of this on behalf of Frank Besegner and his reentry team, as well as Anna Calderon and her team as well. We're just honored to be here. We're honored to serve this community, Mayor. I want you to know this is a wonderful community. We all love Worcester and the towns that are around here. and this is just a recognition of we're here as a resource to help this community just like many in this room do every day. We're just proud to say we're all in this together and we really appreciate the city recognizing this award. And if you haven't been there yet, Please come down to 365 Main Street and come on in and see what we do because last week we had over 30 social service agencies in there doing a meet and greet and coming along and judges and probation chiefs and things. It's really an extraordinary asset for the city itself.

City Manager, I know you're familiar with it as well. And you're all welcome. Consider that place part of the city and what you're doing. Kate Toomey, I want to thank you for all your work as well. greatly appreciated everybody. And if we could come up and share a photo with you, we'd really appreciate it. And thank you for this proclamation recognition. Let's do it. Just so you know, we did some photos today where we all held the trophy, we held it up high.

So it's a team effort, but if you guys want to come in, come on in even closer.

That's right, come on up, Hunter and Paige, come on up, join us.

Let me see that frame if I can, just because I'll put it more in the center. You guys want to hold that?

One, two, three. Great.

Thank you. Thank you.

Congratulations, folks.

Congratulations.

Okay, we have another proclamation for, is Jennifer there, out there? Jennifer Figueroa, is she there? Oh, right here, okay, very good. So we have, Jennifer, we have a proclamation. Whereas Hunter Syndrome, also known as Massachusetts, Type 2 MPS2 is a rare generic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 100,000 to 170,000 live male births worldwide. and whereas Hunter syndrome is caused by deficiency in the enzyme I2S resulting in the harmful accumulation of complex sugars in the body cells and leading to a progressive damage to organs and systems including the brain. Whereas symptoms often appear in early childhood may include developmental delays, physical impairments, and a significantly shortened lifespan.

and whereas early diagnosis and intervention are crucial to improving quality of life and outcomes to individuals affected by the Hunter Syndrome. whereas increased public and medical awareness can lead to earlier diagnosis, better treatment options, and expanded research efforts toward potential therapies and a cure. whereas families affected by Hunter Syndrome face extraordinary emotional, financial, and medical challenges and deserve greatest support, understanding, and advocacy, We are recognizing that this resolution will help honor the strength and resilience of individuals and families living with the disease, promote public education, and advance critical research efforts. Now therefore, in the city of Worcester, be it proclaimed that 18th November 2025 is Hunter Syndrome Awareness Day, Coverage Federal Agencies, Research Institutions and Advocacy Organizations to expand efforts in education, research and development of treatments of Hunter's Syndrome.

We urge continual congressional support for funding rare disease research and initiatives that benefit individuals and families in the Hunter Syndrome community. We call upon the people of the city of Worcester to observe this in the coming days with appropriate awareness campaigns, advocacy efforts, and educational activities. Issued on this 18th day, November 2025. Councilor Russell, you're welcome.

Thank you.

Put that microphone right down.

There we go. So, hello everyone. I stand here today not only as an advocate, but as a parent of children living with Hunter Syndrome. It is a true honor to accept the proclamation recognizing Hunter Children Awareness Week on behalf of all the families who share this journey. Hunter Syndrome, or MPS II is a rare genetic disorder that affects only a small number of children, mostly boys. My boys are two in 500 in the US. But while it's rare, the impact on families is enormous. It touches every part of life, our homes, our hearts, and our hopes for the future. Awareness leads to understanding, understanding leads to action, and action brings us closer to better treatment, better support, and one day, a cure. Every conversation, every shared story, and every event like this one brings us closer to that goal. So today we say thank you to our city leaders for recognizing this important week

to our medical professionals for their ongoing dedication, and most importantly to the parents, siblings, and loved ones who continue to fight with hope and resilience. Together we stand for those who can't always speak for themselves. Together we shine a light on Hunter Syndrome, not just for a week, but every single day. Let it also be called to action to keep learning, to keep supporting, and to never stop believing in the progress. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you Jennifer. Okay, I'm gonna hold on to privilege. Items 12.26A through E, that's the tax rate reports. I think there's a report that was put on the... An updated report that was given to everybody tonight with the table, so we'll hold that under privilege. If people want to ask questions during the week, please do so. We'll take that vote next Tuesday.

and Mr. Mayor, just to clarify, the hearing's being scheduled for next Tuesday as well. Just the hearing for the tax rate as well. The hearing for the tax rate is also scheduled for next Tuesday, yeah.

King is gonna hold 16, 16 B and C. Which one's that, Commissioner?

What are those, Mr. Chairman?

16B and C. Yep.

Those are the police reports? Okay. Okay, 16B and C. Okay, hold on the privilege. Okay. That's it. Anybody else? Next we have approve of the minutes. Motion is to adopt. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Public participation, a person may speak for no more than two minutes and any items appearing on the agenda. Mr. Clerk.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So Rule 39, items of public interest at every meeting of the City Council under public participation portion of the agenda. The Chair shall recognize any person seeking such recognition for the purpose of addressing the Council on any eligible item on the agenda for the meeting both in person and remotely. Any person who wishes to speak on more than one agenda item shall combine their testimony on all items to one appearance at the microphone. The time for speaking shall not exceed two minutes for any one speaker or 30 minutes for all speakers. Rule 40 petitions. On the first occasion any petition appears on the City Council agenda. The primary petition may address the City Council for no more than three minutes or on the subject of their petition.

Okay. Is your name, state of residence, and item number?

of course, Fred, Nathan, Worcester, 12-26A, B, C, D, and E, You know, I mean, you can set all the different tax classifications if you want, but there's gonna come a point Worcester needs to have the colleges contribute something more than they're contributing. All they're contributing now is their students go out and protest. We demand more of the colleges, really. 13 A and B, dealing with the drones, you know, I know there are people out there that will call the drones racist. Well, the drones aren't racist. If the drones save one life, Dang, you've always gotta keep the drones going on. I know some people are gonna boo me on that, but I don't care.

14A. No, I'm sorry, 14B. It would be nice if you could get the supermarkets and other groups. to utilize food that they would therefore be throwing away. Good item. I mean, for all the people I hear about food insecurities, well, There must be people starving if people are talking about food insecurities, and that is sad. We are the wealthiest country in the world, but yet there are people starving in the streets. That is... that is unnecessary.

I don't know what the city can do about it, but if people are starving, and especially the kids, we ought to be... America, the city of Worcester, should be ashamed of themselves.

Thank you. Our next speaker, is your name, see your residence and name number?

John-Edward Keogh, Worcester. I just want to talk about 13D. 13D is the order that came out of the Committee on Public Safety. I'm excited about this order. I'm excited about the questions. I thought it was a productive, the last committee on public safety we were talking about the drones and some of the questions that are here. I hope that when the report does come back in relation to the drones, I think I read the wrong number, whatever the drone, 13A, I'm sorry. In the last city council hearing when we were, hearing the conversation on the drone, this concept of drones being launched by AI was brought up. That doesn't exist anywhere in the nation. It does not exist. And so it is an unproven technology. And in the places where this DFR technology exists, there is always a human operator.

and so we have to have transparency on this conversation about how much we're already paying for the drone program and how much this program could potentially lead to. The city that was cited in California, the last year that they published it publicly, it was $1.5 million line item for the police budget in that city. and now that city is facing dozens of lawsuits in relation to the privacy concerns from the drone information being uploaded to the cloud. I'm excited about the Public Safety Committee's questions here and I'm hoping that these questions will lead to answers on what happens to this data, How much does it actually cost? There is no municipal drone, by the way, that is launched for this kind of operation that costs less than $30,000. So there was also a number cited of $3,000 per drone. that's completely and utterly nonsense.

And so this report will at least allow us to have a conversation about the potential for this technology and what's gonna happen to our city. Thank you.

Idella Hazit, City of Worcester. I think the drones are such a violation of human rights. I mean, as it is, we have cameras all over the city. Wherever I walk, I look up, there are cameras. I wonder why we would need any more cameras. I fell and I wondered what happened. And somebody said, well, we'll check and see. Because there's cameras everywhere. So I'm wondering, why do we need more? Why are you taking my tax dollars to violate my human rights when it's totally unnecessary?

It just appalls me to think that wherever I go as it is, the cameras are there. And then I realize, if you want safety, you do have to give up some privacy. but there really is such a thing as overkill. And it's like every time something new comes out, They go, hey, let's get it. That'll be fun. And that's what it seems like. They were selling these things in toy stores. They're toys. but now they're very expensive toys and we are paying for them and it's unnecessary. totally unnecessary. We have homeless people sleeping on the streets. I walk by them all the time sleeping on the streets.

Thank you.

Mary Sackstetter, Worcester.

Nico, what?

Does this count on my time?

I don't know how long I didn't time this.

I'm here to comment in support of agenda item 14M, the draft ordinance prohibiting the use of tools of torture. and any painful injurious techniques or devices to induce animal performance at rodeos or rodeo related events within the city. I want every male in this room and online to imagine what it would be like to live in an unheated, un-air-conditioned cage carted around from site to site in the back of a semi-truck prodded by electric shock to move from your cage and be funneled into another cage where your testicles are probed with an electric shock so that you are seen bucking and fighting, trying to get away from the excruciating pain

in order to make money for the sadist who controls your life and charges other sadists who enjoy seeing you in pain and who pay a hefty fee to see your pain. Then you are chased around in an arena by other sadists who lasso and tie you up while you naturally struggle to escape. at the end of the entertainment, you are prodded back into your cage only to be released later the same day or the next day to be tortured again. Khrystian King and his compassion for other beings proposed that this abuse be banned in Worcester. I believe a Worcester is a city of compassion and hope our city council will vote to support this draft ordinance tonight. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Gary Hunter. I'm in District 5. First one I'd like to speak about is number 14F. there's got to be a way to get around the complications of regulations for building affordable housing. And I would hope that the city manager will look at this quickly and maybe get an overlay of the zoning and easier for people to, there's a lot of empty buildings in Worcester they could update if they had an easier way to get their permits. The second thing would be 14I. We see around the city we have a lot of problems with people with their electric bikes and electric on the sidewalks, crowded areas. I think it's about time we had some common sense regulations on these products. The last one, I want to reiterate what the person before me just said.

This should be a no-brainer. It shouldn't be just even about the rodeos. It should be any animals X that come into the city. There's no reason to torture these animals for the pleasure of people watching them. I don't know how anybody gets pleasure out of watching animals be hurt. And I hope you take this one very seriously. Thank you.

Fianna de Tenzing, 37 County Street, Worcester. I would like to speak on item 14F about the affordable housing overlay which would provide density Bonuses, and Streamline permitting to developers for 100% affordability housing. I support this. I think it's very important that we do have more affordable housing in the city. Developers can still make money even if they're not having higher price apartments. So I support this request for affordable housing overlay zoning. Thank you.

Okay. You should name and say your residence and item of number.

My name is Steve Baer. I'm from Belter Town, Mass. It's that important to me that I came all this distance to tell you. I'm in favor of 14M. and I lost it here, draft ordinance prohibiting the use of tools of torture, torture of any painful whatever, against bulls. I've heard say that it's going to affect bull riding. Well, it won't. Laws against mistreating dogs do not stop dogs from being bred. Likewise, laws against tools of torment used in bull riding do not necessarily stop the riding of bulls. I ask you to prohibit the use of tools of torture in bull riding. Please prohibit. the electric prod, shocking devices, hot shots, and flank or bucking straps. To add to that, bull riding in Worcester is a ticking time bomb.

Antagonized bulls have tried and some cases have succeeded in jumping into stands to escape aggressors wielding tools of torture. and have injured people in doing so. With regards to the people who attend, going off on tangent here, Aggressive belligerent people from a number of states seem to be attracted to bull riding. I've seen friends and heard stories of people being verbally antagonized, pushed, and the physically assaulted and spit upon by attendees where the police had to intervene. Normally you don't see that kind of action. with concerts and trade shows and family events and food festivals. Please keep Worcester safe for bulls and for people. Prohibit the tools of torment. I'm a regular visitor here, so I'd like to see a safe city when I enter.

Thank you.

Did your name say residence? Name and number?

Colin Novick from the Greater Worcester Land Trust, City of Worcester. I'm here for item 12.4b that approve a conservation restriction at 115 Northeast Cut-Off. This is the Poor Farm Brook or Great Brook area of Worcester. This is a cooperative project between Chacharoni Properties, with Mr. Chacharoni, Mr. Curzon, City of Worcester Planning Department, Greater Worcester Land Trust, and the Worcester Parks Department, to preserve 10 plus acres of a 27 acre site of the former Allegro Microsystems. It's a brook corridor with large oak trees and a beautiful wetland plain. This is a 1987 open space top 10 list priority designated by City Council. Again, 1987. We've been chasing after this one for a while. The City of Worcester designated this as a drinking water overlay district, so we We have a vested interest in protecting this. Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife has designated this as a cold water fishery. We have black-nosed dace and trout. The federal government has designated this a FEMA flood zone.

This connects the city's Roberto Clemente fields and playground to Clark Street Elementary School campus. This is a project 38 years in the making. It protects drinking water quality for the City of Worcester. It creates a recreation trail corridor. please support and approve this long-standing municipal effort by approving this conservation restriction. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Okay, we'll go online.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The first speaker I can identify is Bix. I'm gonna try to meet the resident now. Can you please state your name, city of residence, and the item you're calling on?

Yes, good evening. My name is Bix Spanierman. I live in Worcester District 4. I'm here to speak on the issue of item 14M. Because flank straps are used on these animals, it coerces them into bucking against their will. There is much scientific data to support this. One notable story states, Based on observed behavior, the evidence indicates that bull riding is a stressful, frightening experience for the bull. There is no evidence that the bulls enjoy the experience. Another source states cattle are prey animals and their reaction to being ridden in this way is the same as their reaction to being attacked by a predator, a situation where they experience increased fear, stress, and panic. An entire veterinary coalition stated, behaviors indicating distress during bucking events include excessive mucoid, Salvation, tail swishing, fixed stare, mouth gaping, and tongue protrusion in bowls. These symptoms are very obvious in virtually all.

of the animals when you see them in the arena, especially the excessive salivation and fixed stare. Both sometimes get hurt in the arena, including broken legs and spines. For instance, in the 1992 Pittsburgh passed an ordinance banning rodeo equipment like flank straps and electric pods after Bull broke his leg and had to be euthanized in the arena. Clearly, the flank straps and electric pods create a coerced performance that causes distress, fear, fright, stress, and panic. and the animals for the mere sake of entertainment and amusement. Worcester can do better than this. There is no reason why we need to be terrorizing animals for fun. In this city we want a rodeo where animals are not being tormented by instruments. Also, it is a public safety hazard. As somebody mentioned previously, these sometimes bulls will attack the audience also I would like to speak on item 13a we don't need more surveillance in this city privacy is a human right let's thank you for listening thank you next speaker

Thank you, Senator. The next speaker is Jeff Falcone. I'm sorry, mute Jen.

Hello?

Hi, can you say your name and city of residence and the item you're calling on?

Hi, my name is Jen Falcon. I live in Worcester in District 2. I'm talking about, I think it's 14M. I would like to see the band. of the Rodeos, and also of the specific instruments. But I think even if you just said, OK, we can't use this one cool instrument, then they'll just come up with another one. So we need to completely get rid of the Rodeos. doing anything good except making money for a very small group of people. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The next speaker is Matthew. I'm going to try to meet the resident now.

Hey, can you hear me?

Yes, Matthew, go ahead.

All right. Hello, my name is Matthew King, and I represent the Christian Animal Rights Association. I'm here to speak on the issue of item 14M. Rodeos are a public safety risk, and so rodeos have had numerous animals flee from the arena and cause havoc. They flee from the arena because of the tools of torment being used on them, like flank straps and electric prods. They're trying to escape from pain and distress. For instance, in 2022, a bull escaped a California rodeo and injured five spectators. In 2023, a rodeo bull escaped a Utah event and hurt two viewers. And then more recently in 2024, a bull jumped the arena fence at an Oregon rodeo and injured several people. and importantly, close to home in North Attleboro, about 40 miles southeast, eight bulls escaped a rodeo. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but it is only a matter of time before something like that could happen in Worcester. Can you imagine bulls jumping into the stands or running through the streets of Worcester charging at pedestrians? Massachusetts banned circuses with wild animals out of concern for public safety.

This ordinance follows that precedent, although it doesn't even go that far. It still permits rodeos in Worcester, but without the harmful instruments like electric prods and flank straps that annoy, irritate, distress, and terrify animals. and so rodeos can still be held in Worcester but without these instruments it will be far less likely that an animal will try to escape the arena. This will make for a much safer rodeo for both the animals and the spectators. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The next speaker is Iwura. I'm trying to meet the resident now. Can you please state your name and city residence?

Worcester, Massachusetts. So members of the Council, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I rise today in strong support of the draft ordinance 14M to ban tools of torment used in rodeo-style events. Tools that by design inflict pain, fear, and panic in order to force an animal to perform. Bull riding does not exist without cruelty. The industry itself admits that bulls will not bark violently unless they are provoked, usually with flank straps, around their midsection. Electric products, spares, and other devices meant to agitate and fighting them. These bulls are not performing naturally. They are reacting to pain. and Terrell. No animal should be punished to the point.

Worcester Price itself has been a compassionate, forward-thinking city. We have worked hard to set a standard of humane treatment for all living beings. Allowing events that rely on the suffering of animals goes against these values and against the direction of modern communities around the country. Cities nationwide, from Pasadena to Pittsburgh, have already enacted similar bans because they recognize that entertainment should never come at the expense of an animal's well-being. We also have to acknowledge that this ordinance does not target culture or small businesses. It targets cruelty. It ensures that no promoter can use devices whose sole purpose is to torment an animal simply to produce a show.

If an activity cannot exist without inflicting pain, then the problem is not the ordinance, the problem is the activity itself. Worcester should not wait for a tragedy, a public safety incident. or a widely publicized injury to take action. We have the chance today to affirm that our team will not participate in the spectacles built on fear. Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr. Mayor, the next speaker is Phil. Join me through resident now.

Yeah, thank you. Can you hear me?

Yes.

Thank you. Phil Oterno, Worcester District 2. Talk about items 13B, 16B, 16C, and 26F. I believe 13B is the one on the drones. I agree there was a speaker a while back. It is a pressing issue. There was a law handed down, different district, but it had to do with the flock security cameras and basically it was mandated that those video footage from those flock cameras were actually deemed as public records. So when it comes to the drone, Resource Usage from the Worcester Police or any other government agency, it's a very pressing issue. What happens to those public records? Are they public records? Do we have access to the video footage? Who gets to say where the video footage is stored? If, say, there's an incident that might be somebody is suing for and needs access to that,

records for material evidence in a suit. That's a very real issue. It is in fact happening in other areas and needs to be addressed. Same with the cost aspect to it. For the 26F on the Office of Housing Stability Creation, there needs to be serious civilian oversight regardless of who is charged with... actually staffing it. There's quite a bit of a homelessness fraud going on all over the country regarding the misuse of public funds. Worcester is actually no different. I believe a couple years ago there was a city council member that was actually indicted on some of that very same fraud and a lot of it had to do with real estate. Sweetheart Deals, and such. So I think regardless of who staffs 26F, the Office of Housing Stability, we need oversight.

And the Worcester Police body-worn cameras, that's also another important matter for public records. and I appreciate your time.

Mr. Mayor, the next resident is Kim. Show me the resident now. Can you please say your name and city of residence?

Hi, my name is Kimberly Clark and I live in Greenfield. I'm here to give testimony on 14M, the rodeo ordinance. People need to understand that rodeos are so cruel that even former rodeo athletes have spoken out against them. For instance, the former rodeo athlete turned veterinarian Peggy W. Larson stated, Drawing on all of this expertise and experience, I can confidently say that the rodeo is a cruel and archaic form of entertainment that should be outlawed. Entire veterinarian groups have condemned rodeos. One trusted veterinarian coalition states, rodeos normalize cruelty supported by the legality and promotion of these events. The inherent nature of Rodeo events results in animal cruelty.

Likewise, the German Association of Veterinarians for Protection of Animals analyzed video footage of bucking behavior and recommended that bull riding should be prohibited. Finally, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals states, all rodeo events will cause stress, fear, and pain, as well as injure animals for the sake of sport and entertainment. Subjecting cattle and horses to these experiences is just not justified. Los Angeles is working on banning the rodeo entirely. This proposed measure in Worcester is a reasonable compromise that merely asks that if a rodeo is present in Worcester, it will not use harmful instruments like flank straps and electric prods.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The next speaker is Adrian. I'm trying to meet the resident now.

Hello, Aiden Humphreys, District 4. I'm here to speak on the issue of item 14M and to support a ban on harmful equipment like flank straps and electric prods at Worcester Rodeos. The operation of rodeos often includes the use of flank straps and electric prods which torment, stress, and hurt animals, forcing them to buck. Offstage, many rodeo leagues continue to use electric prods in chutes or in backpens in the event that an animal will not cooperate, delivering a painful shock to the already distressed bulls. In this way, the rodeo show becomes a coercive act built on the fear of being shocked, not something that animals do willingly. On top of causing an immense amount of pain and distress for animals, Forced bucking causes a great deal of long-term damage to their spines and pelvises. For instance, a 2017 study concluded that bucking bulls were more likely than non-bucking bulls

to develop horn and sinus disorders and musculoskeletal disorders of the vertebral region and pelvic limbs. Adding on to these reasons, I think of the children attending rodeo events in our city who could witness such acts of wanton cruelty and disregards towards innocent animals acting out of instinctual fear. Is this really the example we would like to set for the next generation of Worcester residents? For this reason and much more, the city should not permit the use of tools like electric prods and flank straps at rodeo events. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The next resident is Christina. Can you please state your name and city residence and the item you're calling?

Hello, I'm Chrisanya. I live in Sunderland, Massachusetts, and I'm a member of Western Mass Animal Rights Advocates, and I'm here to speak in support of Article 14M, which would ban tools of torment used in bull riding. I do just want to echo what everyone has already said about these events both being extremely cruel to animals as well as being a risk to public safety especially using these tools at bull riding events can increase the amount of animal cruelty. Werewolves are frequently injured, beaten, and then given improper medical treatment to address their injuries. So these practices can normalize animal abuse, which I believe can have massive negative effects on society as a whole. and I just think that by banning these tools of torment Worcester County can encourage more animal friendly events and overall create a healthier and more compassionate community. Thank you.

Thank you. Next speaker.

Mr. Mayor, the next speaker is Eric Stratton.

Thank you. Eric Stratton, District 1. I am calling regarding the item for drones. I see a few different items related to unmanned aircraft systems, drones, et cetera. While generally my perspective on drones is that they can be useful tools and seeking information is certainly welcome, I have some serious concerns related to the cost of these systems. Constantly we hear our city councilors both during this most recent election as well as during council meetings stating that they have physical concerns, that we only have so much money, we have a lot of different needs within the city for our schools, for our parks, for a number of different projects, for our residents. and my concern is that we're looking at spending a lot of money on a tool that really is gonna have very limited returns. Some people have said, oh, well, if it saves one life,

These are the same people who have spoken out against things like bike lanes or having better bus infrastructure or having more access to housing or food or homeless services. All things that can save lives. and frankly have much more significant return on investment. So if we're really focused on getting the best bang for our buck, I don't think that these drones are the tools to do it. We invest a lot of money in a lot of these really fancy tools. We have things like ShotSpotter and these other tools that we spend a bunch of money on. And frankly, I think these have been very poor I would say getting more information Please look at that information with a critical lens.

What else can we do with these funds to help support our residents? We have a lot of needs in the city. Many of you run on campaigns saying you are going to support the lowest possible tax rates. There's only so much money. We've got to really focus on how are we going to spend it, and I do not think these drones are the answer.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, we'll take a vote to extend the meeting. Another 30 minutes. We have about 13 people online.

Okay.

Okay, so no three match.

Mr. Chairman, just for the record, I will be opposing this only because my senses were getting a lot of the same repeat comments on one particular item and a number of people from out of the Worcester area. So I'm sure it'll pass, but I just want to explain my rationale for opposing it.

Roll call, please.

Roll call. Brighman? No. Councilor, Colorio?

No.

Councilor, Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor, King? Yes. Councilor, Mero-Carlson?

Yes.

Noyan, Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? No. Councilor Toomey? And Mayor Petty?

Yes.

So, Mr. Mayor, that's six to three, so that vote fails. You need a vote to suspend the rules.

Okay, so that fails then, so we'll close this part of the meeting, okay. Okay, so we will go on to the meeting. Our next item is hearings and orders. 7A to 7C, the motion is to open the hearing. on the condo location on Chatham Street, Lakeside Ave, and Waverly Street. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Next item is to... Anybody oppose these items? Seeing nobody's opposed, motions to close the hearing. Are those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Motion to approve and adopt. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. We have reconsideration. In accordance with Rule 30 of the Rules of the City Council, may I just pay request for reconsideration of the vote of the City Council taken October 21st, 2025, in regard to the following item.

Communications, Seeing Manage, Recommend Adoption of Resolution Approval of UCH TIF Plan in Agreement for Curtis Appointments, Phase 2, roll call.

Councilor Bergman. Mr. Chairman, can you explain any background on this?

I can do it after we have the reconsideration. The rules say there's no debate beforehand.

Brueggemann? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Councilor Nguyen? Yes. Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes.

Yes, so we have, the purpose of this is that we should have referred this to Economic Development and we didn't according to the ordinance and so the motion is to refer to Economic Development for a hearing.

Yes. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. Mayor Petty?

Yes. Petitions, a petition may speak for three minutes. The first item at the time the item appears on the agenda. So if you have a petition, just let me know. and so we'll go through these. First one, nine A's refer the Planning Board. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Nine B to nine P, the motion is to refer these to Public Works Committee. All those in favor? Opposed? So ordered. 9Q to 9Z, refer to the Traffic and Parking Committee. All those in favor? Opposed? So ordered. Okay, 10A to 10W, we're gonna refer the Trafficking Parking Committee. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered.

Okay, we are on 10X to 10Z, sitting here for November 25th, 2025 at 6.30 p.m. for the National Grid locations on Grove Street, Lovell Street, and Mill Street. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Titians, Senate hearing for November 25th. We got a national grid corner location on Salisbury Street, corner location on Webster Street, joint home poll location of Bridal Path, and also a poll location at Lincoln Street. all those in favor. Hearing for next November 25th. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Appointments. First one, these are non-city council. Confirmation. In terms of information and communication, we have the appointment of Angel Santana to Constable, Carmen de la Cruz to Constable, Juan de la Cruz to Constable, Kerry Derry to Constable,

and Jeffrey Burnett to Historical Museum, and Tuha Lee and Roxana Vargas Gomez to Elder Affairs Commission. I want to thank you for your service. And with that, we'll have a motion to file. Those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 12.3a. recommend adoption of proposed salary ordinance that will bring the ordinance in compliance with the Department of Innovation and Technology's fiscal year 26 budget, amend the table of organization. The motion is to advertise, roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Councilor Nguyen? Yes. Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes.

Yes. Next item is recommended adoption of proposed salary lines that will enable the regrade the records access office's job classification to align with the newly assigned managerial and supervisory responsibilities. Chairman. The motion on this item? Yeah. Councilor King?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a quick question to the Chair regarding this. It looks like a change in Work Responsibilities or Tasks, etc. Through Chair to the administration, how many of these record access officer positions currently exist? I know we had a discussion a while back We were going to the body cameras. And currently, what are the vacancies for those particular positions, Chair?

Mr. Mayor?

To the Chair, to the Council, if you include the supervisor or the person managing those positions, the total four positions that were associated with this, this is right now, there's a couple, I believe two vacancies. in this area. There's been some recent transitions in that department and one of the ones is the RAO. So that's an area that we want to make some adjustments to the actual job description and to the salary structure.

And through the Chair, how long has that position been in existence at this point approximately?

The RAO. It's been a number of years prior to my previous administration. That's when the state legislature passed a public records law. We established that position. I would have to come back to it in a more definitive answer. Thanks.

And through the Chair, did we add additional positions once we move forward with body cameras?

With the body camera, we added three redactors specifically.

That's in addition to those positions.

Correct. So the redactors, the REO, and the supervisor all collectively, there are, I believe, four.

And what's the retention look like for the redactors?

The redactors, there's been a transition, I believe, in one of the positions. And so that's one of the ones that will be also, we'll be advertising for that.

Thank you. So let's get a report back, Mr. Chairman, regarding retention of the resource access officer, supervisor, and also the redactors. Just like to take a look at that. as we move forward with regards to municipal operations and how effective we're being in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you. to advertise, roll call.

Councilor Bergman, Councilor Colorio, Councilor Haxhiaj, Councilor King, Councilor Mero-Carlson. Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. Mayor Petty?

Yes. 12.4A, recommend adoption of the audit resolution to accept an easement of gift of mural from the YWCA of Central Massachusetts. Williams. Motion is adopted on the roll call. Roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Councilor Nguyen? Yes. Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. Mayor Petty?

Yes. Recommended adoption is an order to approve a conservation restriction, the portion of 115 Northeast Cut-Off. Motion is adopted on the roll call. Roll call.

Burgman, Colorio, Haxhiaj, King, Mero-Carlson, Nguyen, Ojeda, Pacillo, Russell, Toomey, and Mary Petty.

Yes. Recommend adoptions on all every guy in jurisdiction, disposition of the real property at 100 Providence Street.

Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman.

Councilor Russell, Father of the Council, High GI.

I was just going to ask, what is this property?

Mr. Dunlop, Mr. Manager.

Yeah, to the Chair, to the Council, this is a former fire station. It was previously used by UMass for EMS services. So we had our team of facilities go through it. They evade part of the termination of the lease. UMass would not need it anymore. and so part of the review and assessment of our facilities team we felt as though this was an opportunity to put it out into the market we have no use for that as a city and we feel as though there's been an olive Request and Opportunities for Housing and other efforts that I've met with providers. So we felt as though this was an opportunity to put it out in the market.

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to hold the item because it's the first time I'm hearing about it other than seeing the agenda. I thought it might have been an empty lot.

So I'm going to call down the privilege, Councilor Hageo.

Thank you Mr. Chair I guess the question that I had about this is a while back I had asked for a report on whether city-owned properties are going to when they get sold are going to the affordable housing trust fund is this the proceeds from this property sale are going to go to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund? Mr.

Manager?

that has not something that we are currently right now have put into practice. That's something that we have to consider in putting into practice.

Thank you. Could I make a motion in accordance to the previous order that I had that this proceeds for this go to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund? And my second motion would be to get a report back on how many currently any property since I made that order, the proceeds have gone to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Thank you. Thank you for consideration to the manager. Those in favor, post award. So we'll hold this item for next week. Okay. We are on 12.11a, Transformation and Communication for the Construction Staff, the Ongoing, Forthcoming Street and Sidewalk Projects as of October 31st, 2025. We will send that to Public Works. Those in favor, opposed, so ordered. We held the next set, 12.26 A through E. MLO, Transmitting Information and Communication for the financial update for the period ending August 31st, 2025, sent to MLO. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Next item is 12.33a, recommend the adoption of a tax order to authorize a four-year contract with Xerox Corporation.

Motion is adopted on the roll call. Roll call.

Councilor Bergman. Yes. Councilor Colorio. Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj. Yes. Councilor King. Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson. Yes. Councilor Nguyen. Councilor Ojeda. Yes. Councilor Pacillo.

Yes.

Councilor Russell. Yes. Councilor Toomey. Yes. And Mayor Petty.

Yes. These are finance items, 12.35A through J, 36A through E, and 37A and B. We dropped on the roll call.

Berkman. Yes. Councilor Calorio. Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj. Yes. Councilor King. Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson. Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. And Mayor Petty?

Yes. 13A to 13G, motions to adopt. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Mr. Chairman, can we take... Councilor King.

Yeah, can we take 13A and B separately, please?

So we'll do 13C to 13- Mr. Cech, could we take 13E separately, please?

Okay, so 13C through 13G minus 13E. All those in favor to adopt. Opposed, so ordered. Okay, Councilor King.

I just had a question to the Chair if there could be any light shed on this small unmanned aircraft system for police overwatch services. I don't know if you've had that conversation with your and Meryl Streep. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. replacing humans with technology. We had that discussion when we talked about the system that identifies sort of hot spots for Police Response in the city. And we have a unit that's dedicated to that. And I always have concerns from a labor perspective of us replacing humans. So that's my first question to the chair. What is this? If you're aware.

If you had these discussions with your principals in law enforcement.

Mr. Mayor? Yeah, through the Chairs of the Council, this was something that was presented at a conference, and this was something that we came to understand through this order as well. The Chief was expressed some ideas and thoughts about what he had visited or what he had seen at the conference. And that's to the extent of the conversation he and I had. There was no discussion of implementation, budgeting, anything of that nature. It was simply a discussion of that we typically have on any conferences that I do with any cabinet member that they come back and report out kind of some of the learnings, findings, and that was the extent of my conversation with him. I know there's been some discussions in committee related to this, but there's nothing right now concrete that has put forward or even a proposal or anything to move forward in that direction.

Thank you. Through the chair to the administration, what is your understanding of how an unmanned, because I don't know, how an unmanned aircraft system actually works and what does police overwatch purposes mean?

What I know of this technology is that it's a technology that is somewhat of a box. that it's on the roof of a building. And so when there is in that drone can be dispatched for the purposes of responding to a call and having some surveillance so that it can inform the police department or any public safety officials in terms of what's happening in that location. so that they know how to better deploy their staffing but also how to better serve that community based on what they're seeing through the donor. Now, there will be people that have to visualize, I mean, see and review those footages in real time as that's being dispatched. But that's the extent of my knowledge of what these types of equipment, they do. Some people have claimed that they could potentially use AI to do this. But again, that's not something that I'm extremely familiar with.

This is for routine policing purposes, through the Chair, from your understanding.

Through you, Chair, to the Council, that is for the purposes of dispatch, yes.

Thank you. Thank you. Councilor Haxhiaj.

Yeah, I have stated that I have deep concerns with spending thousands of dollars on things that we don't need. I understand that these two orders, 13A, 13B, and there's one that is also asking the fire chief to give us some idea on whether he can use fire or drones for fire purposes are laying the groundwork for purchasing additional machinery that we don't need at a time when we are facing a myriad of cuts from the federal government. So I want to be on the record that I do not support this. Therefore, I'm going to vote no on 13A, 13B. and if I could, Mr. Chair, take out of order for a roll call the item relating to asking the same thing for the fire department, which I'm sorry, I don't see that here.

13. 13-E.

It was a committee or chairman's order relating to asking the fire chief to use Thank you. So it's 13D. D was it? I'm sorry. 13D. Thank you. So what are you doing on that one?

I'm sorry.

Yes, please, if I may, please have...

OK, maybe I misread the fire department one. So if we can have out of order 13A or with a roll call, 13B, and then I'd like to speak on 13E. Thank you.

Okay, so it's 13, okay. Okay, so we're on the same page. Okay, so it's 13 A, B, and E. Okay, gotcha. E, right? Yes, okay. Okay, so 13 A, roll call.

King, Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj?

No.

Councilor King? No. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? No. Councilor Pacillo?

No.

Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. And Mayor Petty? Yes. Okay, 13B, roll call. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Caloria?

Yes.

Councilor Haxhiaj, Councilor King. No. Councilor Mero-Carlson. Yes. Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda. No. Councilor Pacillo.

No.

Councilor Russell.

Yes.

Councilor Toomey.

Yes.

And Mayor Petty.

Yes. Okay, 13E.

I just had a couple of remarks and then I wanted to ask a couple of follow-up questions from an order that I'd filed related to the staffing of the and many more. We also have a public education department or division in the fire department as well as efforts to do citywide education around fire safety. So first, Education campaign around fire safety given what we're facing this winter.

Mr. Manager?

Yeah, to the Chair, to the Councilor, the Chief has, we've had this conversation with the Chief. He has some ideas already that he's explored with us. Nothing formally has come to me yet in terms of what that could look like. but that's the conversation that we've had in terms of trying to mobilize that. He does have some other ideas of how to best engage with the Worcester Public Schools as well. He feels that that's a great way to prevent. Currently right now they do, I think in school visits to the students, but he has some thoughts and processes in terms of how to strengthen that better for the future. So we do have some stuff there. We've also done in the previous contract with the unions, we added, I believe, two additional FIUs, investigators, as part of the contract agreement. And that is also to strengthen that team and that component but there's one of the biggest emphasis in is in that department is the fire prevention it's the what they do in regards to inspections and communications , Preventative Work.

There's a lot that's happening there that this chief wants to strengthen. So more to come on that. I know it's a little bit I'm not giving you a lot of details, but there's more to come on that that the Chief is working on with his team and that it's going to potentially involve some discussions with the unions as well.

Thank you, Mr. Manager. Two comments on this. The first one is that my understanding is the Fire Education Department has lost the one person that I know, former Lieutenant Urshinsky, who came to a lot of our neighborhood meetings in District 5, coordinated alongside with me and a fire investigator and emergency communications several Public meetings around fire prevention just in District 5. And so the question that I have is, given that it takes a lot of certification and a lot of level of preparation for that. What does that unit look like at the moment? Who's running it? How many folks, if you have any information?

I don't have those details right now.

It's my understanding as well that part of this division's responsibility is to go to schools and provide extensive education by grade and so on. So, the reason I was asking the question regarding staffing, which is also something The amount of fires that we've had recently, both commercial and residential, it would seem to me that this is a critical position to have filled as soon as possible. Along with this report, what I'd like to understand is since Lieutenant Oshinsky has left his position, which I believe was in May of 2025, how many of these information sessions that happen in schools, which schools. I'd like to understand sort of what the gap of education that is present since this position has been vacated. And also, I probably won't have time to get this report back, but for the new council that comes in, I think it's very important

that not only do we have a clear idea or the residents have a clear idea what the staffing structures are in comparison to other cities. How are we planning to fill the gap that exists in these two positions? Not the fire investigators, but the fire department and the public education. And most importantly, regarding the city-wide planning, what I would recommend as the outgoing city councilor, at least for District 5, is that there is a robust conversation with multifamily units in most of our city, that's where most fires are happening. But specifically neighborhoods that are less resourced, I would highly suggest that we have a robust conversation with residents and education in these multifamily buildings and coupled that with information on rental insurance as well as information on how folks can access for heating assistance.

As we know, hopefully with the bill to reopen the government, that fuel assistance will fly. But one of the things that we understand from the lack of options for people is that people will eventually, especially folks who are of a poorer income, and Resources, they'll rely on unsafe ways to heat their homes. So I have a lot of urgency around this. I have faith that you and the Chief will come up with a good with a good plan, I would urge you to, as soon as possible, make sure that that plan is communicated to all the neighborhood leaders and nonprofit agencies that specifically serve folks of lesser income. Thank you.

Okay, all set. Councilor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate Councilor Haxhiaj's advocacy on this issue on behalf of our firefighters and our community. That being said, I would like to support the idea that's being explored currently by the administration and the fire chief by way of an order requesting a timeline and that this council supports a prioritized timeline for a city-wide and many more. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. from the Committee on Public Safety. specifically with the Fanning building over here and our Worcester Fire Department.

Can we have a specific report on that building? I've been in that building. We've documented a lot of concerns there. and that was the building where the principals a few years ago were pledged that they would be able to relocate the folks in that building to Seaver Street. And I haven't been there in a little while, but last school year, there was some plans that the fire department had put in place to for the students to follow in the event of a fire emergency. And that particular plan was altered by folks associated with the schools because it didn't feel like that was a realistic plan. So I'd like a specific report back on the condition of that building

as relates to fire safety. And I'm looking forward to that, Mr. Chairman. With regards to Councilor Haxhiaj's comments about educating the community, particularly in certain areas in the city with certain socioeconomic and other factors or demographics that should be prioritized. You know, the prior item 13D that talks about translation services for the Worcester Fire Department, through the chair to the administration, just trying to understand if we were going to have this sort of a public education process, what does the diversity look like? of our Worcester Fire Department as it relates to communicating these things out in the community.

And the reason I'm asking that is I know that previously now Deputy Chief Mosley, Firefighter Rohan Brewster, and others had worked really hard at diversifying those ranks. And my understanding is that the The diversity team there is no longer up and running and I'm just wondering, you know, are we still moving towards diversifying and to what degree do we have those numbers would like a report back on that. But in terms of the linguistic challenges of the fire department, how will that be remedied in a citywide educational campaign? Through the Chair.

Mr. Manager?

Through you, Chair, to the Council, I would have to come back with a report. It's a pretty comprehensive question that I would need to take some time to meet with the Chief to come back with a strategy.

Sure. I would just ask that we get back with that sooner rather than later. As you know, we have a high population of folks who are multilingual, and that would be most helpful. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. So, D along with, I'm sorry, E along with the motions. All those in favor, close so ordered. and Torres. Question, may I provide Council's report concerning Sobo Homes in the City to include information regarding regulations and restrictions, including density restriction, services often what is known about their effectiveness, Councilor?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, so I've received a bunch of phone calls and messages regarding the sober homes. And it's just to get a better idea on you know a lot of residents reach out to me and they want to know how is this allowed. They weren't notified of it and it just seems to be like popping up without you know I guess proper communication if there needs to be. So this is something that's been happening. And I guess we have quite a few civil homes in the city. And it's just trying to get ahead of it. you know just making sure that you know the rules and regulations are being followed and making sure we're not you know over saturating certain areas so this is a I've been getting a lot of phone calls regarding this. I just wanted to make sure that, as a city, we're staying up on this.

you know a lot of some residents have reached out because they've noticed a an extra amount of calls for police departments and fire departments showing up so again just to get ahead of it and see what's going on and I just like to see you know what we can do as I say thank you

Okay, we'll send that to the Manager. All those in favor? Opposed? So, awarded. Next item is a request to be made by Council to outline the two-year plan to appropriate funding to work with the Western Public Schools, supermarkets, and the local organization to utilize food waste to help Patel, Combat Food and Security, Councilor Ojeda.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So there was a study out, Councilor Pacillo had shared it with me, and there was some really good information but also, tough to read, 68%, 68.7% of the school's waste is organics. Out of that, 79% of that is edible food scraps. I don't know what they mean by food scraps. I'm guessing it's leftovers. um so for me it's like how do we figure out a way to lessen the amount of food waste and at the same time share this food either after schools with families or on the other end where if we're spending so much money and allocating so much money in that area, what can we do to lessen that end so we can maybe have some programs after school maybe create a centralized food location with the schools and working with the supermarkets where supermarkets can probably have a drop off at the schools.

families can come in at certain times of the week or whatever designated times and pick up some of this fresh produce also also offer some of the leftovers to some of the food pantries and then also you know with our schools finding ways where we can partner with some of the nonprofits to collect and redistribute some of the items that are left over and send them to the families and some of the shelters as well. So I just wanted to touch on that. When the vote comes, I will have to recuse myself, but I just really wanted to get this out there. Thank you.

Councilor Pacillo?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank Councillor Ojeda on this when I saw the waste characterization study in the Zero Waste Master Plan I thought was really interesting in upsetting the amount of waste. So through the chair, and I don't want to get too deep into the schools because that's not us, but how long is school lunch? How much time do the kids have to eat?

You got about 20 to 30 minutes.

Does it change from school to school?

Not gonna go back and forth. If you can speak, then we'll have to speak. I believe so.

Go ahead.

but through the chair, to the chair, how long is school lunch in each school? Does anybody know?

Why don't you ask your questions? What's that?

This is a school community agenda, but...

No, no, I'm just curious.

How many questions do you have? That's your only question?

No, I have one suggestion. And it was, I understand that kids have to choose three different items to be picked for lunch. If they could take items later and bring them home, the fruit or vegetables. That's all. I just, I don't like food waste and I was really happy to see this on. So sorry. Thank you.

Councilor O'Hare, you respond to the questions?

If anybody doesn't mind, yeah.

30 minutes?

20 to 30 minutes, yep. Schools are different. But yeah, every student has to get certain items on their plate. And that's a great idea, Jenny, Councilor. You know, giving kids opportunities at the end. I mean, if you see, to know the number, that number amount of food being wasted is, it's really a tough number, especially where we're at with so many, you know, food deserts and insecurities that we have throughout our city. The schools are all over the city, so this is a great opportunity to be able to pass this food on.

Okay, so I'm going to send that to the school department, I guess. Yeah, send that to schools, Councilor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly appreciate the sensitivity with regards to the school matters and jurisdiction and what have you that what's going on here. And I appreciate that. I just want to bring this a little bit more back into the domain of the Council, and that is food insecurity, Mr. Chairman, is a public health issue. We have a division of public health. and I really would like to see some intersection there if possible. I would like to amend this if the petitioner's okay with amending the order. to request our Division of Public Health look into any intersection that they could have with the schools with regards to food insecurity overall. Because it sounds like what we're looking to do here is address food insecurity on a city basis, not simply a school basis. So I want to just kind of clarify that from my perspective. That would be my friendly amendment if it's accepted.

Mr. Chairman, you know, and perhaps that's something that could be discussed in the Joint Committee on Education. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, so we'll send that along.

Accepted.

You're fine with it? Yeah. Okay.

Yes.

All those amended. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. Next item is request city clerk with the superintendent of public schools to determine the feasibility of Worcester public school students providing poll workers with meals during each election day. Ojeda.

Yes, me again. But yeah, I think just looking at it, obviously there was no school that day. And just wondering how there's about over as close to 70 students with the public school students working at the polls and just trying to figure out how are they getting fed. I believe they're getting paid, but at the same time, schools are closed. So I think this is a good opportunity to make sure we feed them. It's a long day. some of the polling locations don't have meals right close to them. So a lot of the students probably walked there or took a bus there. So I think that would be a tough issue as well. So thank you.

Thank you, Councilor King.

Yes, through the chair to our clerk. Do we currently feed these young people?

Through the chair to the, it actually hasn't come up before. I know the pay has come up before. We've never thought about feeding the students, but that's certainly something that we can explore. I know we've had the shirts designed by the Worcester Public Schools this year. We had, I think, close to 70 students, and they've been a great addition. and I was proud to say that I was one of the first student poll workers here in the city back in 2008. So it's a great program, but we don't feed the students.

Thank you. We get a report back in that program so we can highlight the good work of the election folks that are here in the city. I think it certainly enhances civic engagement. So I'll be waive a motion, Mr. Chairman. I'd also like to... as well in addition to this particular order. to perhaps an additional order asking that the City Manager, that's the name, that the City Manager also explore with our Elections Division any capacity that we have to make sure our young folks that are working and the poll workers there Get Meals, Mr. Chairman, within our domain. Thank you.

Okay, so send that to, send it along. All those in favor? Opposed, so ordered. Any other orders with it? Okay. Next request, City Manager, request the Commissioner of Public Works repaint the existing crosswalk on Forest Street. Councilor Pacillo?

As it reads.

All those in favor, post award. Request the City Manager to request Parks and Recs, and Cemetery Shore. Any master plan for Poet Hill include the installation of signage memorializing the poets associated with the location, Councilor Mero-Carlson. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Questa City Manager, by the council recommendation related to establishing a city-wide zoning affordable housing overlay which would provide decency bonuses and streamline permitting to developers of 100% affordable housing projects. Councilor Haxhiaj.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This recommendation is pulled out directly from the Worcester Now Next plan, the final plan that the City Council approved, as well as the housing production plan, which the City Council approved. I understand that in the next two years or so the incoming City Council will decide and hopefully decide well on approving overall zoning overhaul. to unlock housing opportunities, specifically why I feel there's an urgency to create, to actually set the I think one way to set this in motion is that currently our zoning overhaul is probably gonna take two, maybe three, maybe four years. it's unclear to me how the next City Council will decide on certain recommendations that come from that but that said I do appreciate Peter Dunn for

actually committing a staff person to that process, which is the right thing to do. And also greatly appreciate the city manager's commitment to it. It's not going to be an easy conversation for you to have. So here's a couple of things why I feel an urgency regarding the overlay. What essentially this is is a policy measure that the incoming city Councilor King decide to expedite to allow operators of affordable housing, defined at different income spectrums for residents, to essentially have less regulatory barriers. So what that means in simple terms for people who may not be super in tune to the lingo that would require essentially less regulatory barriers, expedited permitting, and an ability to build by right in all areas of the city. and we have talked a lot about equity, a building of affordable housing in this council, at least I have many times.

It is a little bit It is a little bit worrisome that we can only build on certain parts of the city. And I can already tell that folks are going to freak out about that. But what I want to say is that Somerville, Cambridge have actually been able to unlock over 600 units by just adopting this policy. By just looking at the process that they had in place, there were multiple Public Meetings. They did have conversations with experts specifically in the affordable housing production field. As every small-scale affordable housing production operator will tell you, Right now, it is not only difficult for them to secure different finance avenues to produce affordable housing, it is also very cumbersome because they don't have the resources the attorneys the access of capital that big scale developers have.

So this recommendation, which again comes from the Worcester Now Next and the housing production plan, fits in alignment with the strategic goals that the city manager has set, which is unlock opportunities for affordable housing, which we are lacking severely behind. We have thousands of units in the pipeline for high income, residents who can occupy those units. And that's good. We need all of them. However, the city hasn't kept up with the affordable housing, income-restricted housing that we need in all areas of the city. So what I'm asking today is that the chief economic development officer, along with the city manager, present a draft ordinance or a draft and so forth. So I think it's really important to have a draft plan for how you could expedite this in the next year or so and also invite some of the housing operators in the city, some of the CDC, some of those folks that we need to Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Bergman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly have no issue with recommendations coming forward, so No, it's not something I'm going to get overly excited about as far as being opposed to it. But I will say this, that although the council did support the now next plan and the housing production plan, I certainly did not support The notion of eliminating single family zoning. I just didn't. So my concern would be that the recommendations come back that suggest that the overlay, and I do know something about zoning, having served on that board for two terms, if the overlay does involve eliminating Single-Family Zoning. And what I did here a few moments ago was that it's worse than the fact that it would allow and many more.

Thank you. that the Now Next Plan and the Housing Production Plan did not mention anything about eliminating single-family zoning. Had it done so, I wouldn't have supported it.

Okay, thank you.

So we're going to send out to the- Could I be recognized for a second time?

Yes, you can, Councilor Hajira.

Just asking a question either to Mr. Dunn or Mr. City Manager. Do you see in any of these plans, whether it's the Worcester Now Next and or the Housing Production Plan, anywhere on that page that specifically says the affordable housing overlay district means that we're eliminating single family zoning.

Mr. Dunn. Actually, Mr.

Manager, I would really love to have also Mr. Dunn compliment your remarks.

To the Chair, to the Council, the direct answer is no. There's nothing that specifies that or that specifies the elimination of residents or residents only.

Thank you, Mr. Manager.

Single Family Zone.

Mr. Dunn.

Mr. Dunn.

Oh, you asked another question? Yes, may I please? Thank you. Mr. John, does the housing overlay district as presented in the Worcester Now, Next plan and your recommendations in the housing production plan in any way, shape or form delineates, recommends and or suggests Mr. Dunn.

Sure, through the Chair to the Councilor. You know, the recommendations in both of those plans talked about this type of an overlay that provides benefits to your point and what the order suggests in terms of density bonuses, off-street parking relief, those types of things. but an overlay district is not a one-size-fits-all so you could theoretically have an overlay district to the point on density bonuses that maybe allows for greater density in single-family zoning districts so I do want to just recognized that, but the plans did not prescribe what that overlay would look like, where it would apply to, those types of parameters or constraints or the kind of order of magnitude that the density bonuses would provide. generally speaking as you as everybody knows there are certain zoning districts in the city that are restricted to single-family zoning only and not permitting multi-family housing by right so that would be the definition I would offer.

Does this recommendation through the chair means that we're taking a bulldozer and we're raising all the single family housing in Worcester?

through the Chair to the Councilor as I mentioned there's no particular prescription for what that overlay district might entail it's just generally speaking providing those types of incentives to and other folks that are building specifically affordable housing could unlock more production of those types of housing units. So it will be up to the city Councils, Planning Board, City Administration to come up with what does that overlay district specifically mean and what are the parameters involved in that?

Last question through the chair. How many housing units do you need to produce in the next five years as outlined in the housing production plan?

Sure, through the Chair to the Councilor. The Housing Production Plan contemplates an outlook through 2033 and it contemplates both the shortage that exists today as well as what's needed over that timeframe. and it calls for development of 12,000 housing units by 2033.

Is an overlay isn't expanding zoning reform and making sure that we have of the ability to build anywhere in the city part of the ability for us to build those 12,000 units that we need to build by 2033?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, one of the reasons I think collectively we all embarked on the Now Next Plan and the Housing Production Plan was knowing on the heels of the 2020 census, we reached the city's peak population in its history. And so when you think about reusing the existing infrastructure, the buildings that existed, and as we anticipate further growth, we need to think about where do we accommodate that growth? Where do we put those new housing units? Where do we put those new jobs? And that necessitates really diving into zoning and looking at those reforms to make sure that we are growing in a strategic way, growing in a smart way. to accommodate that, but doing it in a way that is involving everybody's perspective in part of that process.

Thank you, Mr. John. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm going to close with this. It is the It is my opinion as also somebody who has extensive expertise in the housing development field that we need to be very careful about not conflating and so forth. So I think it's important to have this bogeyman rhetoric around what housing production needs to look like in the city, the tools that we need to use to make that happen. It creates unnecessary fear. and as you heard both of the city manager and through his chief economic development officer who has probably the most experience out of anyone in this room in this field the recommendation that I'm lifting up from the housing production plan and the Worcester Now Next plan simply states that we need to consider

thoughtfully and incrementally looking at expanding housing opportunities so residents at the lower income levels in the city have the right they have the right to live in all areas of the city, including where Mr. Bergman lives, including where I live. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor King. Thank you, Councilor Bergman.

I won't be long, but if Mr. Dunn could just stay there. Through the Chair, I just want to be clear. I did not say that the Now Next plan and the housing and so forth. So I don't think my production plan said we were going to eliminate single-family homes. I said had it, I would not have supported it. But I do think for this order is implying that that's a possibility. So through the chair to Mr. Dunn, excuse me, through the chair to Mr. Dunn, I did not hear you say that that is not a possibility in your recommendations that single family zoning might possibly be eliminated. So did I hear correctly that you did not say that? or can you give us any confidence that that's correct?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, there is no position right now of the Economic Development Office or the City Administration to move forward with eliminating single family zoning. and as it relates to an overlay district that could provide density bonuses, I was just suggesting that overlay districts are not a one size fits all. So you could feasibly come up with an overlay district that would allow and so forth. So we have a lot of denser development in current underlying zoning districts that currently only allow single-family zoning by right. But there's no position that we've taken on that.

Through the chair, what would that look like? What could that look like?

through the chair, basically an overlay district would allow for things that are not currently permitted in the underlying zoning district. A good example of that that I would just draw kind of an analogy too would be our adaptive reuse overlay district where right now in manufacturing zones residential uses are not allowed by right but in areas that are appropriate and have the adaptive reuse overlay district applied to it, commonly mill buildings that are no longer conducive to modern day manufacturing needs. a smart reuse of those properties is residential. So that overlay district enables residential uses in the underlying district that would prohibit it otherwise.

So through the Chair, I'm not really concerned right now about manufacturing districts, although I appreciate your answer. What I'm trying to get through the chair to Mr. Dunn is when you say, you know, proving upon density, what could that look like in a residential zone? That's what I'm asking.

through the Chair to the Councilor, it's really, there's a wide breadth of what an overlay district could enable. And it could enable, if that was the recommendation, if that's the direction it went in, it could and so forth. So I think it's important for us to be able to feasibly permit multi-family housing in an otherwise underlying single-family zoning district. Again, the city administration has not taken that position, has not put forward that the mechanisms of an overlay district that would provide for that if adopted by the Planning Board and the City Council.

All right, thank you. Thank you. We'll send that to Council King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Last I checked, we're in the midst of a housing crisis. And we mentioned the housing production plan that the city has. Through the chair of the administrations, Two questions. One, when did we come up with that housing plan just for the public to understand? And two, it's my understanding that we're behind. with regards to what we would expect it to have produced for housing production to date to get us to the 12,000 Mark, through the Chair to the administration, could you answer those questions? Mr. Dunn?

Through the Chair to the Councilor the housing production plan started in 2024 and it was just adopted by the City Council this summer and that was building upon the previously adopted plan of Worcester Now Next which is more broad than just housing for

and how are we doing with regards to the production plan that pre-existed in the current plan? Are we where we need to be in order to have 12,000, like on a yearly basis? Average of how much we should be producing per year going backwards, including the most recent iteration in 2024. Where are we?

Sure, through the Chair to the Councilor. We hadn't previously had a housing production plan, but right now it basically calls for north of 1,000 units being created a year, and we are not at that level. In 2024, we were close. We were about 1,000 units that were brought online in 2024. And we have over 1,500 units actively under construction right now, but not all of those 1,500 units will be coming online this year. So we certainly need to keep the foot on the gas and continue to get more units into the pipeline. So we're falling short of what would get us there because it's over 1,000 units a year that we would need to be creating.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm gonna sign on to this one. I think it's important that we try every opportunity that we have to try to meet the mark, I guess is the best way to put it for our housing production plan. I know that. Over the last few weeks and months, I've looked at the averages over the last few years, and we're not where we need to be with regards to 1,000 per year or what have you. and as was stated, there is a bit of a concern regarding the housing production that's occurring. And as we know, there's a lot of factors for that. in terms of all parties involved. So Mr. Chairman, I'd like to sign on to this. Thank you.

Okay, so we'll send that to the manager as amended. Those in favor, opposed, so, I'm sorry, Councilor, yes.

I just feel like we're heading down a very slippery slope, so I'm gonna make a motion to file. Thank you.

Okay, the motion is to, that takes precedent, so motion is to file, roll call.

Councilor Bergman?

Yes.

Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? No. Councilor King? No. Councilor Mero-Carlson?

Yes.

Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda?

No.

Councilor Pacillo?

No.

Councilor Russell? No. Councilor Toomey?

Yes.

And Mayor Petty? No. So the motion fails.

Okay, so motion is to send it to Manager. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered.

We have a roll call on that too, Mr. Chairman. Okay, roll call.

On what?

On the order to go to the manager.

Bergman? Yes. Councilor Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Councilor Nguyen? Councilor Ojeda?

Yes.

Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. And Mayor Petty?

Yes. Next item is request to the Manager, request to the Commissioner of Inspectional Services to work with the deceased solicitor to provide counsel with an amendment. to the rental registry ordinance that would require newly developed dwellings and occupancy permits on after September 29th, 2002, a register said dwellings in the rental registry would pay the $15 per unit fee. Councilor Hagiay? Questa City Manager requests the Commission of Inspectional Services require that new owners of the Alt on the Row apartment complex be subject to the current requirements of the rental registry Orenitz, current outlined in Section 18, Subsection D, which refers to the buildings that change ownership be required within 30 days to register in the rental registry and pay the fees associated with each dwelling unit. Thank you Mr.

Chair. If the public will recall, we have gone back and forth on the rental registry a lot. And while I have had severe and very deep concerns about the dilution of one of the most important aspects of it which is exempting owner-occupied units from a registering but also from the inspections I wanted to hone in on a particular item that I think should be easy Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, that was added to the last renter registry was that any units or dwellings, newly developed dwellings, that received occupancy permits on or after September 29 would be exempt from both requiring to register for a period of five years. And what that means is that they're also exempt from paying into the renter registry, which for

A normal unit, it's $15 a unit. So it feels to me, given that I've heard many concerns on this council about the inability of the inspectional services to be able to manage all the inspections. A simple calculation, and I'm going to tie this into the Alta in a row, is that, for example, this property that was sold in October of this year has 370 plus units, 375 perhaps. If they are exempt from, and they were exempt, the previous owners were exempt from paying into the renter registry, that would have been upwards of $37,000 that would have gone straight into the coffers of the inspectional services. that money helps us inspect more units in the city. As we know, we have a severe shortage of inspections. And so those folks need more resources.

So what I'm suggesting is that we go back, the Inspectional Services Commissioner, the City Solicitor, go back to the Drawing Board and re-amend or take off that amendment to allow any new developments to be included in paying into the rental registry. and then secondarily regarding Alton Rowe, I am going to file this item. The city manager informed me that the ordinance does subject them to paying into the rental registry. The reason I put this is that I think it's important for the public to understand that when these changes of ownership happen, I do believe the city council needs to be informed that the new owners will be subjected to the rental registry. So I'd like to file the second item. So that would be item

Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, Councilor, the Rental Registry to allow any new developments to pay into the Rental Registry and have inspections done to them. Thanks.

Thank you. So with that, 14 H is motioned for Councilor Mero-Carlson.

Yes. Mr. Chairman, this ordinance was just adopted July 16, 2024. Part of the reasoning for the brand new buildings that were built for us to exclude them for a matter of five years was given the fact that all these new dwellings just went through the permitting process. and quite honestly, Mr. Chairman, in terms of the folks who are working in inspectional services, I know that over the last couple of years, the folks who are working down in inspectional services. And as we know, we know full well on this council that they just started the inspections.

they just started the inspections, okay? Because they now have their software that they didn't have We didn't have the capacity. And I, for one, quite honestly, would much rather see the inspectors going into our problem properties and so forth, then going into a building that we just permitted and we just gave them their occupancy permit. So I would ask for this item to be filed, Mr. Chairman, and other circumstances that surround. This went through committee. There were several meetings in committee to come up with this ordinance. and again, if this is gonna go anywhere, it needs to go to a committee. But again, I would ask that this be filed given the fact that this was just adopted July 16th of 2024.

And we know that we have over 50,000 units in this city, of which we talk about all of the older dwellings. And just in the last two months, the folks from inspectional services have been at all of the neighborhood meetings and quite honestly they're in the buildings that we have been having problems with and those are the buildings that I quite frankly would like to see them remain in, not go into buildings that have just been built. And we just gave an occupancy permit. and in order for a building to get an occupancy permit, that means that that building would have had to have met all the codes and standards of the city of Worcester. through the Chair to the City Manager. Am I not correct in that statement, Mr. Manager?

Mr. Manager?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, you are correct. Any new development in any kind of Projects like that, especially of this magnitude, not only require inspectional services, significant number of permits, but also the fire department also has to issue permits as part of the occupancy. So it goes through an extensive process before and their issue, that occupancy problem.

Thank you. And the second question through the Chair to the City Manager. Am I also correct in the statement that I made that the inspectional services just finally got their software and now are out doing their inspections on these buildings?

Yes, we've been actively right now inspecting a number of properties, but we've had to make some changes in the software that we first implemented, but we've made some headways right now in terms of those inspections.

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, my motion is to file this item.

Okay, thank you. Councilor King?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the spirit of this particular item. It seems to me that this is an attempt to recoup some revenue or generate some revenue on behalf of the city in addition to the other things that the rental registry ordinance does. My question to the Chair, as I heard, a little bit about the new technology. I've been asking for a 110 inspection audit and report for some time, just wondering, are we still backlogged? Where are we at with those through the chair?

Mr. Manager? I think we've communicated in this council for some of the challenges of the 110 inspections and what we're hoping that the rental registry is going to be a combination to fulfill not only the sanitary code but also the 110 inspections. So the purpose of the rental registry and the work that's happening here is to address both inspections that need to happen. And part of the inspection is part of the process is to be able to achieve the 110 inspections as well.

Through the Chair to the Administration, if someone, I don't know if yourself or Mr. Dunn, could just share with the public what the 110 inspections are and the time frames within those through the Chair. just so that they can understand what we're talking about. Mr. Manager.

Mr. Chair, to the council, the rental registry focuses on the sanitary code. The one-ten inspections focuses a lot more on the structures of that building. and then there's two different inspectors that play a role in doing the sanitary inspections and also the inspections of the wantents. The purpose of the rental registry and what we try to build through the rental registry was a collaboration and a comprehensive process that would fulfill both of them. And that's what we're trying to achieve now.

Through the Chair, how are we measuring our compliance with the 110 inspections? Through the Chair.

Mr. Manager? Through the Chair, to the Council, that's something that I would have to provide a report to give you a more definitive answer on that.

So this council has unanimously requested that report and it hasn't come forward. I just want to state for the record that's a failure. Not happy about it. I think that there's, this has been requested for a long time we've sat we've had budget hearings we've asked for staff and all that stuff and I believe it's a public health and public safety matter um and My motion would be to ask for that report and for that audit back in short order so we can have an understanding of that, Mr. Chairman. that's significantly important. As far as this particular matter goes again,

you know I think it's it's in good spirit I don't know that I can support it at this time but certainly appreciate the work that's been done and through the chair to administration have we had a report back on what that new technology is are we already aware of it that I miss it to the Chair.

To the Chair, to the Council. The new technology is just a platform that allows for registrations. It's a typical registration. It's similar to the one that we had previously, it's just that the one that we had previously has some challenges so we shifted to a newer platform. We have not officially introduced what that new software is, but there's no difference than prior to the previous process.

Okay, thank you. And I would request by way of a motion and update O'Neill, and the Board of Directors on the prior orders pertaining to 110 inspections.

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I'd like to be recognized for a second time.

Say that again.

I'd like to be recognized for a second time.

Councilor Haxhiaj.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. So I'd just like to make two brief points. So one is that the rental registry, the way that it was crafted and ordained, it did outline that the inspectional services has a discretion to prioritize the properties in Worcester, what we call usually problem properties, which we have an extensive list of for inspections. So that's point number one. Point number two is Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley, a multi-million dollar company is purchasing or has already purchased Alta in the row. I have very little doubt that a multi-million dollar company that is coming to invest in Worcester does have $37,000, $15 per unit to contribute to the rental registry. it's a matter of equity. And for the record, thirdly and lastly, I did and I was one of the loudest advocates on the city council

recommending against the amendments that were passed by the Economic Development Committee. So if the Councilor would like this to go to committee, I have zero problems. The fact that that ordinance and those amendments were passed do not make them right for the people of Worcester that mostly not benefit from having a strong rental registry. So I'd like to amend the order to say that these I don't go straight to the Economic Development Committee for consideration.

Okay, Councilor Bergman.

I don't, I personally don't see how we strengthen the program. and so forth. I would also say when we use resources, not on problem properties, but on fairly new, fully inspected properties. To me, the logic there escapes me. that I don't think it's wise nor appropriate to be deciding on which properties get inspected based upon the net worth of the owners. We don't do that. and we shouldn't do that. We should be focused on the problem properties first. We've already had this discussion over and over again. I feel like there's an effort to make a lot of changes before the end of the year on things we've given lots and lots of time and if this was not something that the majority of the council wanted to have done, we wouldn't have passed it the way we did just a little over a year ago. So I'll be supporting the motion to file.

Okay, so the motion to file takes precedent. Roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? No.

Councilor King? Mr. Chairman, it's a motion to file the Senate to committee. Motion to file. So not the amendment. Okay, yes.

Councilor Mero-Carlson?

Yes.

Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda?

Yes.

Councilor Pacillo?

Yes.

Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. And Mayor Petty?

Yes. Okay. 14-8. Do we vote to send it to committee now or no? No, it's filed. Okay. So we are on 14H, which Councilor has withdrawn. Motion to file. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 14I, request the Senate create a draft policy to ensure pedestrian safety around the use of electronic scooters. We're trying electric bikes, electric unicycles, and other alternative modes of transportation, Councilor Toomey.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe my colleague, Councilor Colorio, filed something similar to this. There have been a number of instances where I personally have almost been hit by someone driving a bicycle, electric bike on a sidewalk going through a red light. and as I was entering my car, my vehicle just coming almost within inches of hitting me and then I've received a number of phone calls and emails from people complaining about the issues as well. There are a lot of differentiations. I love The fact that people have a wonderful opportunity to use alternative modes of transportation, but they need to be regulated to ensure pedestrian safety as well as safety of the users of the vehicles.

I know that we've had a motorcycle helmet law. We want to take a look at all of the safety regulations needed to ensure that folks are following safe roads and providing opportunity for pedestrians to be able to walk safely as well as you share the road with our cars and trucks. So just asking for a draft policy. I'm sure there's plenty of them out there.

King. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm very hesitant to support this. We know that alternative transportation is important to reduce congestion, which is something that we've been talking about. over the last many months. In addition to that, we know that it's good for the environment. You know, you take a walk around Dougherty, Burncoat, South, wherever, you'll see a ton of young people accessing other modes of transportation outside of Cars and trucks and what have you. And I think it's important for our public health it makes us a livable city. I do not think at all that my colleague is trying to restrict or limit any of that.

but I do have concerns and I would also like as a way of emotion that we get a report back on the number of accidents etc. Are we creating governmental overreach where we don't need to? I know they've done this in other towns and cities and what have you, but I have real pause as relates to this I particularly enjoy you know seeing folks using other means of transportation in addition to public transportation and it's very important, but I'll support this, but I would like, I do have concerns of over-regulation and I would like to understand what they do in other places, I know that. in some places where they've gone this way. They've treated these sorts of modes of transportation similar to bicycles.

as far as that sort of minimal regulation, but I would like an idea of what we're looking at in terms of concerns for this particular folks that use this type of transportation, thank you.

Thank you, so we'll send that to the manager, all those in favor or opposed so record, one off the orders, all those in favor or opposed so record, can request the manager to conduct a study of all parking garages in the city and provide city council with a plan relative to mitigating lithium battery risks in said parking garages, Councilor Toomey.

Mr. Chairman, this is a real issue and as we do get more electric vehicles we need to make sure that we're Prepared to be able to take care of the fires that come with lithium ion batteries for parking garages. I know it's an issue. It's an issue in traffic and parking all over the country. They're dealing with it. And we've had fires here. UMass, I believe, there was one. so I just want to make sure you know it's very difficult to put out the fires from lithium-ion batteries and I just want to make sure that we have mitigation plans etc. in the interest of public safety. Thank you.

Send that to the manager. All those in favor, opposed, so boarded. Request the manager to consider the possibility of replacing the City of St. Louis' College for Kids program. which uses a portion of the pocket revenue to fund savings accounts and financial education for thousands of students, Councilor Toomey.

Through you, Mr. Chair, this is only used as a suggestion, just like I have with others. I've given examples and I know that there are other examples out there. This program was actually created by the treasurer of St. Louis before serving as the city's mayor with a clear purpose. She was a single mother with a background in finance and was creating a savings plan for her own son. The process made her think about the children that don't have access to saving accounts. to support their post-secondary aspirations. She did research and spoke to the treasurer of City and County of San Francisco who pioneered educational savings accounts for school children. But the most compelling evidence came from academic research from Washington University Center for Social Development. Findings show that children

and many more. was a near replica of the San Francisco Kids to College program, but it was adapted to St. Louis' needs and resources. and basically it used non-tax revenue. It used Sorry, used funds from the parking revenue. I think it was like 1.5% of parking revenues. It also utilized funds that were donated by other banks and organizations. to help fund this program. And so it's basically an opt-out enrollment method. Each child receives a real bank account in their name at one of the banks, a credit union, their partner.

And then the families can make deposits directly also during special family savings nights. Students can increase their savings through multiple channels. They earn incentives ranging from $5 to $20 by attending financial literacy activities. And what I really like about this is The program incentivizes parents to access other community resources, enabling them to earn deposits for their children by participating in adult financial education classes or community workshops. and bank partners occasionally sponsor events, contributing $50 to each student's account. Angel donors and organizations Sponsor entire classrooms or activities. And students benefit from the awareness of the external opportunities. It basically has raised incredible financial private support. from Wells Fargo gave them a quarter of a million dollars a couple of years ago.

And then their financial literacy goes far beyond the savings account. While the children receive age-appropriate instructions, the adults also get budgeting, savings, credits, money management, education, which I think is really important. You've got elementary students, middle schoolers, high schoolers engage with sophisticated concepts. And I think the program provides a 13-year planning horizon. enabling families to develop consistent savings habits and comprehensive college knowledge. But College Kids acknowledges the four-year universities aren't the only path to success. Students can use the savings for two-year colleges, trade schools, or even equipment and tools for immediate entrepreneurship of skilled trades. So the program is really comprehensive.

It would be great if we could work with our community partners and our banks and businesses here to help support a community that fosters savings and Pritt planning for the future. So just looking for report back, that's all.

Okay, all those in favor? Mr. Chairman, can I sign on to that? As amended, all those in favor of post-suit. Next item is request the manager conduct a full accessibility audit of the city hall that access all physical, digital, and operational barriers that may impede access to city councils and the public. said the audit should not be limited to the navigation of entrances, exits, stairways, elevators, meeting rooms, and all council chambers, digital technology or accessibility for councils and public with vision, and Public, Mobility, Hearings of Processing Needs, Public Meeting, Access, Seating Arrangements and Safety Considerations, Staff Support, Systems for Councils and Public King, requiring assistance while navigating City Hall, and time flowing for corrective action, recommendations for improvements that align with the state and federal accessibility standards. Councilor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just really quickly, as you move towards a new council would certainly like this sort of framework provided to the body so that we can be appraised and aware of how we are situated as a city and within City Hall. I particularly would like in addition to this just you know and also an idea of you know the the recent security changes that we've had be taken in consideration that we get a report back I'm pretty sure we are in compliance but would like a specific report back I'd love to have that by our you know, our next meeting or, you know, before the end of the year. Thank you.

Thank you, so we'll send that to the manager. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. and request the manager to provide counsel to the draft ordinance for the use of tools of torture, torment and any painful injurious techniques or devices to induce animal performance at rodeos or rodeo related events. within the city, said draft ordinances should include language that no rodeo or rodeo-related event involving animals should be permitted without any practice, technique, service, or device that are likely to cause physical injury, torment, distress, are suffering the animal's annoyance. It should also specifically specify that the following devices are especially prohibited at all road use and road related events within the city. of the City, electronic prods or shocking devices, flank straps or bucking straps, any tools designed to inflict pain or induce fear. For the purpose of performance, the draft ordinance will also include clear enforcement provisions, penalties, violations, and Procedures for Events Permitted to Ensure Full Compliance. Councilor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to begin by thanking the folks that traveled long and far to this. I'd like to thank the folks, Worcester residents who testified in person and online all the various districts that were referenced. This particular draft ordinance, Mr. Chairman, is about public safety and animal protection, a humaneness outlawing Animal Cruelty is the goal here in our city. we've heard a little bit about rodeo bands. Rodeo bands have not been enacted on the state level in any state, but municipalities do have and so on, the option to create regulations that will reduce animal suffering and again promote more humane treatment of animals.

Federally, there's an Animal Welfare Act that has a limited impact on rodeo animals and primarily focuses on animals that are used for research and exhibitions. There have been numerous veterinary groups like the RSPCA, associations of veterans that condemn rodeos outright because of the stress, fear, and pain inflicted on animals for the mere sake of Entertainment, Mr. Chairman. This is why we as a city, as local legislators, should listen and act because we have constituents who are concerned about events taking place in their city. tonight constituents have expressed concerns that there's also escapes that can happen because these animals are again tormented with harmful instruments such as electric prods and Flank straps.

This draft ordinance is a common sense measure to promote public safety. And can you imagine, Mr. Chairman, electric prongs. They look like this. Electric prongs that are affixed and used on these animals. We're not looking to stop rodeos. This ordinance would allow rodeos to continue in Worcester, but it would restrict the tools that distress the animals, cause agitation, and increase the likelihood of dangerous escapes by regulating these devices, Mr. Chairman. It'll also make rodeos safer for everyone in our community. preventing unnecessary suffering. Numerous studies have shown that animals experience significant distress when subjected to these tools of torment, electric prods, flank straps.

Bulls buck wildly trying to remove these tight flank straps which can cause injuries including broken limbs, sprains, pulled muscles, paralysis, and torn ligaments. and the rodeo industry doesn't fully disclose bull injuries or death. There was a recent report in the LA Times, Mr. Chairman. In 35 of those injuries, the animal died immediately or within minutes of an accident. or had to be euthanized the following hours or days. Yet the rodeo industry still claims that animals are treated like elite athletes. and again, this risk extends beyond animals. In April of 2024, in another state, a professional rider was bucked and trampled at a county fair. traumatic event for sure, including for the families, friends of that individual and the spectators, Mr. Chairman.

just here in Attleboro, we had an incident that fortunately didn't result in injuries as well. Rodeos are promoted as family-friendly entertainment, and we understand that. But what can we do? What can be done? Well, we could do a rodeo ordinance that bans outright rodeos. Or we can do a Tools of Torment ban, Mr. Chairman. An outright ban would prohibit actual activities like bow riding, bronc riding, and other rodeo activities like calf roping. A tool of torments bands would permit rodeo activities like bull riding and bronc riding, but not the tools that hurt the animals and cause them to become aggressive like flank straps and electric prods.

Again, in other towns and cities, they've already done this. I've received over 50 emails recently about this matter. Worcester prides itself on civility, compassion, and mercy for all beings. And our community wants a rodeo where animals are not harmed and are not tormented. This ordinance provides reasonable safeguards to protect the animals in arenas. Some of the cities across the country include Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Pasadena, St. Petersburg, Worcester should align with the growing public sentiment that animals should not be tormented for entertainment. The rodeo can return to Worcester, Mr. Chairman, just without the tools that distress and harm animals. this ordinance is a great compromise and ensures a rodeo without pain or suffering. Now I understand that this will not be a decision tonight, It's for a draft ordinance, Mr. Chairman.

I think at the very least, we'd like to get an ordinance that can be brought to committee for a public hearing and public input. That is my request, Mr. Chairman. and I thank you for the time.

and Councilor Hajiaj wants to sign on. Yeah, so we will send that to the manager. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. We are on communications to the auditor, trust my information, communication relative to the revenue received by the city from the Community Preservation Act. We refer that to M.O. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. We've held 16B and 16C. 17A, motions to accept. This is with the library board. We have two vacancies in the library board, so in December we will have a meeting and a vote. So if people are interested, they should apply to the clerk's office. and the clerk will put something out and advertise that, Mr. Clerk. Okay, so we can, motion is to accept. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 17B and,

Let's see, 17b, recommend adoption of the order to retool the city's agenda management software, these are the city quirks, and 17c, recommend adoption of the order to return all functionality lost in the city quirks pages. So, Mr. Cork.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, I've had a conversation with the city manager and the administration, so we are working to bring some of the functionalities back on the website. that we previously had on the clerk's page. So I think it's my recommendation at this time is to follow these two communications.

I guess you two are working together to get this done. Okay. Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Did the 14M pass or no, I didn't. Say that again. Did the 14M pass? Did we did it? Yeah. Without opposition? Yeah. Okay, cool, thank you. We can go back and oppose it if you want. No, no, no, I just wanna make sure, that's fine, so make sure there's no opposition, thank you. Okay.

Mr. Chairman. Point of order, what did we do with it though? We sent it to the manager.

We sent it to the manager. We didn't pass any, we sent the asking for something to come back so we could have public hearing on it.

Yeah. Okay.

I thought it was pretty clear, so I don't know.

Okay, so this I was sending, you can file these items, 17B and C. All those in favor, oppose? Audit, 18A and 18B refer to Economic Development Committee. All those in favor or opposed, so Audit. 19A to 19D, Advertise Proposed Ordinances, roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Councilor Nguyen? Yes. Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Dr. Toomey, Mayor Petty.

Yes, 20A to 20F, motions to accept. For those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 21A to 21D, motions will accept. Those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 22A and 22B, motions accept and adopt on a roll call, roll call.

Yes. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Yes. Councilor Yes. Mayor Petty.

Yes. Okay. We are on 22C to 22I, motions to accept. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 23A to 23Z, motions accept. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 24A to 24B, motions to accept. Those in favor, oppose. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. Holden, The Privilege, Communication, City Manager, Transmitting Information, Communication, Relevant to the Update in the Ballpark District Improvement Fund. That was Holden, The Privilege. We can send that to ED. Councilor Russell.

Mr. Chairman, I held this at our last meeting and I want to thank the administration for answering my questions and providing me with some details about where those numbers were actually coming from. But the only part that I don't really understand, I understand all the specific properties and what were projected as potential Revenue coming in, but again, through you to Mr. McGurthy, I know he's here, so I'm sure he'll be the person to answer it. Why is the parking, it was not in the budget allocation, I know that, but that's not in this number that we're talking about coming out less than what we had projected. I know it wasn't in the tax lobby because it was gonna be revenue. coming in, but it's still $71,000 shot or thereabouts.

Do you want to take A and B together?

Yes, please, Mr. Chairman, that'd be good.

Through the Chair, you're correct. What we're reporting out on is the budget and the reconciliation between the budget which includes the real estate and personal property taxes, the hotel and meals taxes, and the building permit fees. Those are allocated annually through the budget process. then at the end of the year we review the actual collections related to those items and report back out parking fees are actually deposited not through the budget they don't come in through the city but go directly into the diff account So a deficit in a parking fee is not reflected as a deficit owed back to the city. Instead, it would represent a shortfall in the DIF account should the DIF account have a shortfall.

but in each of the years so far the actual diff account has cash flowed positively and so while there have been shortfalls in some of the other funding sources they're not related to the budget process or the collections that the city anticipates as part of its annual property personal property Building Permit Fees and Local Options.

So overall this year, what's our bottom dollar, our number that we're down? The taxpayer has to... kick in the difference that wasn't generated from our North Star as our previous manager always used to talk about the North Star. Where did we lose the North Star? By what was the number?

So through the Chair, we're reporting in this on FY25. And at the end of FY25, what we budgeted versus what we collected is a difference of about $929,000.

Okay, and of that, how much was the building, the cove, which was not finished? I guess you projected it being finished, and it wasn't finished, so it's not generating full taxes.

Through the Chair, that's correct. The Cove had a shortfall budget to actual of about $318,000.

Okay, so theoretically, will that be on next year?

Through the Chair, we'll have to look to see how the values and the tax rates come about for this year. There should be more value realized from the Cove at this point. The tax are based on January 1st of the year. So this year's tax assessments are based on January 1st, 2025. and so I anticipate some increase in that, but we'll see how the overall tax...

So isn't it when they get their occupancy permit? When they become taxable? Completely, 100% taxable?

Through the Chair, that would be when they would kick in as 100% taxable. Depending on timing, it could be in the following year versus the current year. and so I'd have to see how the assessor valued it for 2026.

So it might not even be for our next year. I was hoping that was gonna be 300,000 less. through the Chair, you and me both. Yeah, okay. With the exception of that, any other major property that should have a change in the next time around?

Through the Chair, one where we had hoped to see growth was at the Boston Capital site, the Old Tabletop Pie site. There is private development going on along Green Street that has been completed. There was Boston Capital's development itself of about 100 affordable units. But phase three, which would have been a large additional residential component, hasn't broken ground at this point. They're working with a new developer. Hoping to secure a new developer. And so that one may be behind as well for FY26. We're waiting to see progress.

Mr. McGurthy, thank you very much. And by the way, just as an aside, I want to thank Mr. McGurthy and the assessor for the tax package. In the 14 years I've been asking for all one page, we finally have all one page. It's a lot easier to read and we'll be discussing that next week. But through you to the manager, Mr. Chairman, what's on the horizon? Four new buildings. Dropping a North Star right on your desk, Mr. Manager. Mr.

Manager. There is some broken ground actually on phase three. SMC is a current developer that's working through that process. They've started some of the groundwork there. We've been in conversations with hotels, we've been in conversations with some other properties, owners or investors that are interested in this area, in particular to the left field building, the WRA, it continues to put pressure on that there as well. So we're hopeful that as the years progress next year, including if people look at also the auditor's report that was included, the auditor report is projecting that next year, the shortfall instead of being 900, it comes it comes up to about 300,000 it becomes a shortfall so it sees a major improvement in that area and that's what we feel as though strongly that as these projects continue to develop continue to mature and

and fully operationalized, we're gonna start to see those revenues coming.

Mr. Chairman, thank you. Mr. Manager, I appreciate the details, so it's easier to understand where it's coming from. Thank you.

Council King. Thank you. I just want to ask about one aspect of this report here as relates to supporting the restaurants, the new restaurants and the small businesses in the area. I know my communication with folks they have not experienced what they had anticipated they would experience so I don't know if someone could speak to right here in this report it says and we're supporting new restaurants etc what are we doing to support them? and make sure that folks down there in that district are able to have successful businesses. Mr. Dunn?

through the Chair to the Councilor, certainly different types of small businesses in that district might experience different effects from the foot traffic that's generated from the ballpark. Bars and restaurants tend to do better. and some other types of small businesses that exist there. But the reality is that over the last five years now, over 500,000 visitors and so on. And so, we've been working on this for a long time. We've been working on this for a long time. We've been working on this for a long time. We've been working on this for a long time. We've been working on this for a long time. We've been working on this for a Parking spaces where everybody kind of parks in that garage, goes across the street in the main entrance, then goes back to their car in that parking garage and leaves. We wanted to make sure that the parking facilities were and so forth. And so we have a lot of those kind of spread throughout the district so that you would have that type of foot traffic activity passing by all of those restaurants having convenient in and out where folks are either kind of patronizing those businesses

and then just generally with the district you know we're working as we have over the last few years on a holiday parking plan for small businesses one of the kind of peak times for the canal district has been during the and so forth. So we've been continuing to work on that messaging around making sure that our local residents and other visitors are being intentional with holiday shopping and we'll have a press release shortly about some special parking rates for the holiday season that hopefully should Drive, some additional traffic, seasonal traffic to those businesses.

To the chair of the administration, is there a mechanism or a way that we can measure the impact of game days on our small businesses and if so what would that be outside of sort of anecdotal reports from various businesses on what it's like on those particular days. And I think that might go some ways for us as councils when we're approached. by those businesses in that area through the chair. Is there a way to measure any of that?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, we wouldn't have access to each of the small businesses' sales information. That would have to be voluntarily provided. That's why a lot of the evidence to date has been anecdotal through our and all of those small business owners. There is certainly evolving technology on visitorship data. There's a company I know, I think the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District has a A subscription with a company called Placer AI that is probably one of the leading vendors in the marketplace around using cellular data to really track visitors in a district and not just coming into and so forth. So that's kind of a broad boundary of a district, but also kind of being able to measure, you know, the foot traffic on a more micro level within that Explore whether that type of technology would give us more data about those 500 plus thousand visitors and where they're going when they come into the district, but we wouldn't be able to

and so forth.

I would like to have a motion here that identify, if possible, or explore the possibility of some sort of tool to evaluate King, Game Days in the business district, and the impact. on those businesses. The 500,000 folks at the thought of it appears as though that would be a great benefit to folks. And while sometimes you hear otherwise, I really like Thank you.

Okay, thank you, so send those to the ED and also Councilor King's orders to the Manager. All those in favor, oppose, so audit. Motion to adjourn. All those in favor, oppose, so audit.