City Council 12/16/2025

Good evening everyone. Welcome to the Worcester City Council meeting. If you can, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star-Spangled Banner.

I, Dr. Davis, will provide the United States Department of Health and Human Services 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, Councilor Mero-Carlson? Here. Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? Here. Councilor Pacillo. Here. Councilor Russell. Here. Councilor Toomey. Here. And Mayor Petty.

Here. Okay, we have a couple of presentations to make. First is a proclamation. Whereas Legendary Legacies Inc., co-founded by Ron Waddell Jr. and Junito Ramos, established, was his first community violence intervention organization with the primary purpose of reducing violence, strengthening community safety, and supporting those most directly affected. And whereas Legendary Legacy serves over 600 community members annually, including emerging adults in the community and inside correctional facilities through culturally responsive mentoring, restorative engagement, and consistent advocacy. whereas Legendary Legacies has mediated dozens of peace agreements between individuals and groups to prevent further harm. and whereas Legendary Legacy plays a critical role in conflict mediation, crisis response and provides essential support to survivors of violence, secures and invests over

more than $1.6 million annually to Worcester to advance violence prevention and community healing. Whereas, Legislative Legacies has been nationally recognized by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and its CVI Leadership Academy as a high impact, evidence informed, CVI organization advancing data-driven public safety strategies strengthens community trust through partnerships across municipal health and educational and neighborhood sectors. and is widely regarded for its measurable impact in reducing harm and expanding opportunity for those most affected by systemic inequities. Now, therefore, I, Mayor Joseph M. Petty of Worcester, to hereby proclaim December 16th as 2025 the day to recognize Ronald O'Dell Jr. and the legendary legacies for their service to the City of Worcester and encourage all citizens to celebrate the accomplishments. Swardell, if you want to come down, we'll get a picture maybe with the Councils.

I'll come all the way through.

We're all out for a few minutes.

We'll be able to see you.

I gotta sit in the Mayor's chair right here, right?

Beautiful. Thank you.

Ron Waddell.

There are a lot of papers here, but I promise it's not that long. My eyesight's just getting bad. It's the truth. Good evening, Mayor, City Manager, Honorable City Council Members, and all elected officials and friends. On behalf of Legendary Legacies, we receive this proclamation with humility and gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility. This moment for us is not about attention or applause, but it is about the hard work, the emotional labor, and the psychological care that this amazing team brings to Worcester every single day. The work that continues after the cameras are gone, the late night calls, the hospital waiting rooms, the courtrooms, the living rooms. The moment when someone is standing at the edge of crisis and needs another human being to help them take one more step forward. And so it is my honor to recognize this team for the way they show up for their participants and one another and for this city.

The privilege of this work is knowing it's not one directional. It's reciprocal in working with our participants. It's through kinship that it reshapes us and draws out the kind of love that allows us to stand in awe of what people have to carry rather than in judgment of how they carry it. I want to thank the mayor, the city manager, the council leadership at DYO, Alex, Raquel, Judy, and our community partners. I especially want to thank school committee member Vanessa Alvarez, Her follow through made this moment possible and follow through matters. It's rare and it deserves to be named. That said, I stand here ambivalent. I feel both gratitude and urgency. Kobe Bryant was asked after game two of the 2009 NBA Finals if he was happy. The Lakers were up 2-0 in a series of seven. He looked at the reporter and he said, what's there to be happy about? The job's not done. This is precisely how I feel standing here.

Over the past two years, Legendary Legacies has responded to 67 acts of violence in Worcester. In partnership with Chief Saucier and City Leadership, we have supported families, prevented retaliation, and stabilized moments that could have escalated further. Some of those responses came after homicides, families, neighborhoods devastated. One story that I bring into the space is that of Devonair Butler, a 17-year-old boy who left for school one morning and never came home. through an act of gun violence, his life was taken. Our staff sat with his mother when she received a call from the medical examiner. The medical examiner told her she needed to come claim her son's body in less than seven days or they would cremate because she did not have the financial means to bury her own child. A child, a mother, a family shattered. As a society, we often decide quietly whose lives are valued and whose are not. Maybe based on where they're born, where they grew up, or whatever systems they had to navigate.

but it's my faith that teaches me that every person has intrinsic value. And so our mandate is simple. For those on the margins, they must never be left there. This work is moral, but this work is also fiscally responsible. According to the John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solution, gun violence costs Massachusetts approximately $414 per resident each year. That places an economic burden on Worcester at roughly $87 million annually. We need consistent, proactive, community-based intervention in addition to suppression. National research is clear. Suppression alone cannot rebuild trust, it cannot heal trauma, and it cannot interrupt cycles that started long before a trigger was pulled. This year, through the University of Chicago Crime Lab, I visited cities all across the country doing this work. The strongest outcomes are happening in places that invested in an adjacent public safety ecosystem, one that works alongside law enforcement, hospitals, courts, corrections, and neighborhoods.

A system that reaches people before violence happens and supports families long after it does. And Worcester understands investment. The city invested approximately $159 million in Polar Park based on long-term return strategy. I don't bring that up as a criticism. I raise it because it tells me this council understands planting seeds before harvesting, understands long-term vision, and it understands the return on investment. All I ask is that same logic be applied to all residents. When we invest in individuals that we once viewed as liabilities, we convert those liabilities into assets. We strengthen neighborhoods. We grow the workforce. We reduce harm. we build a safer and more stable Worcester. Our work also extends beyond violence intervention.

We operate inside the Worcester House of Correction and the Department of Corrections, supporting returning citizens so that when they come home, they do not return to the same cycles that led to their incarceration. That is public safety. That is violence prevention. That is community development. And so in closing tonight, we say thank you for the recognition. We say thank you for the partnership. We say thank you for the trust. But the recognition cannot be the ceiling. It must be the floor of this work. Community violence intervention is about building a parallel public safety system rooted in healing, accountability, prevention, and economic mobility. Systems like this require sustained investment and long-term commitment. And so yes, we are grateful. But much like Kobe Bryant, the job is not finished. So we move forward with clarity, courage, and compassion. and I would love to meet with all counselors to share more about our vision and what we're doing.

Because this investment cannot end with recognition, it must become a sustained commitment to residents like Devin Ayer and his family and to safer, stronger Worcester that we all want for our families and each other. Thank you.

Thank you, Ron. Thank you, Ron. Thank you to your team for the work you do. It's much appreciated. And I just want to thank Vanessa Alvarez from School Committee for sponsoring tonight. Thank you. Okay, we have another presentation. Okay. Lieutenant John Juszczynski, there he is, right up here in the front. On behalf of the City of Worcester, I want to thank you, I want to thank Evan Corrigan I want to tell HIJI for asking me to do this and to recognize what you did. So if people don't know, I don't remember the date, but a few months back I went into a burning home. and with no shoes and no protection and pulled the lady out of a fire and saved her life. So thank you.

throughout your time as a firefighter for the city of Worcester and while serving the military, you have saved many lives. October 24, 2025 was no different. After smelling smoke coming from a home on your street, you jumped to action to save the life of a woman trapped inside. Without any protective gear or shoes, you ran inside to save her and search for many others. Even your bravery and call to service persists as you continue to save lives and teach children about fire safety. In recognition of your unwavering commitment to the City of Worcester and on occasion of your heroism, it is only right and fitting that you receive our city's highest honor. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition and I wish you all the best in years to come. it is my distinct pleasure to present you with the key to the city of Worcester and the occasion of heroic actions and with gratitude for your service to the Worcester community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

and it doesn't matter where you go.

Pessoa.

Oh, just real quick, I wanted to thank John Ushinsky. My family became friends with his family earlier this school year when Miles and Bixby met in the first grade. Shout out Miles and Summer. but I'm really lucky to call him and Kat and the kids a friend and Worcester's really lucky to have him too. So thank you, John.

Thank you. Good evening, everyone. I want to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to Worcester City Council Mayor Petty for this incredible honor and for presenting me with the key to the city. This recognition means a great deal to me. I'd also like to specifically thank Councilor Jane Pacillo and Atel Haxhiaj for their kindness, their support, and their recognition for this moment also. I have personally witnessed how their dedication to the districts has made a difference in the city. For 18 months, I had the privilege of serving as the Public Education Officer and Community Risk Reduction Officer for the Worcester Fire Department. In that role, I had the opportunity to closely work with residents across our city, teaching, listening to them, and learning from the community I've come to call my home.

While I've since stepped away from the Fire Department, my commitment to Worcester and to helping others has not changed one bit. Working with the community has always been my personal passion. Whether or not I'm wearing a uniform, I will always do what I can to help the people around me. That's simply who we are in Worcester. We look out for one another. I also want to say while the events that brought me here today may be described as brave, I was trained for situations like that house fire. Firefighters train repeatedly so that when something unthinkable happens, muscle memory, education, preparation take over. Regular citizens of Worcester don't have that training, which is exactly why public education and fire safety matters so much. To the kids I've spoken to in schools, the adults I've trained in businesses, and our senior citizens throughout the city, my message has always been the same, and I'll repeat it tonight.

If there is a fire, get out and stay out. That message saves lives all the time. Thank you again to the City of Worcester for this tremendous honor. Thank you to this community for always inspiring me to serve. And thank you to my wife and kids for never judging me. for running down the street in my socks, whether it's to help a neighbor in need or if it's to flag down the local ice cream man driving by. Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, John. Okay, first item is approval of the minutes of November 25th, 2025. Roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio?

Yes.

Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King?

Yes.

Council Member Carlson. Yes. Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda?

Yes.

Councilor Pacillo?

Yes.

Councilor Russell?

Yes.

Councilor Toomey?

Yes.

Mayor Petty? Yes.

Public participation. A person may speak for no more than two minutes on any item appearing on the agenda. Mr. Cork.

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 the testimony on all items at one appearance at the microphone the time for speaking shall exceed two minutes for any one speaker or 30 minutes for all speakers Rule 40 petitions. On the first occasion, a petition appears before the City Council agenda. The Prime Petitioner may address the Council for not more than three minutes on the subject of their petition.

Thank you. Is this your name, City of Residence, and item number?

Absolutely, Fred Nathan Worcester. Item number 10B. I understand the concept of what's being asked here, however, People go to neighborhood meetings because they want their neighborhoods safe. They want things to be done right. I think to ask the police for a stipend to attend a meeting sends the wrong message. I mean, I understand the idea, but I would be against it because If people don't care about their neighborhood and all of a sudden they're going to care because they're getting paid, I think you could have that problem. 10E and 10F.

Back around 1970, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and hospital started construction. And I think it can be safely said, if not for a place like UMass and a medical school, because that's all we would have is hospitals. as the biggest employer. I mean, outside of the city government with all the factories that are closed down and all the stores that are moved away. But having said that, I don't think they should have a free ride. You should make them say, hey, the UMass Medical School, Five years ago, they got over $300 million basically to name the medical school, the Chan Medical School. Otherwise, they can spend it however they want to spend it. $300 million.

I think it would be nice if they could give something to help the people in the city of Worcester.

She names the residents. Item number?

Janet Davis, Worcester resident. I'm speaking to item 11A that the City Council of the City of Worcester do hereby recognize December 18th as International Migrants Day in the City of Worcester. and through the Chair to Councilor Haxhiaj, thank you for putting that on the agenda. I'm here to speak in favor of that, similar to what the gentleman earlier talked about, about Worcester residents caring for each other. This is what International Migrants Day represents for me. The theme this year is Migrate Story, Cultures, and Development. This theme highlights how migration drives growth, enriches societies, and helps communities connect, adapt, and support one another. Thank you. Thank you.

Did your name say your residence and item number?

Yes, my name's Greg, and I live in Ashburnham. I'm speaking on resolution item 11A on Migrants Day. Immigrants in this country are under a violent, racist attack by the federal government. Whether you have a green card, married to a citizen, or a legal visa of any kind makes no difference. ICE, with the support of the Worcester Police Department, can and will take you off the street and disappear you into a black hole of prisons. The only way out is to file a case in federal court. And that's exactly what happened on Eureka Street. A 17-year-old girl and her mother were attacked by ICE and the Worcester Police Department. They were released quickly because there was no justification for the violent arrest. These kinds of violent racist attacks happen all the time, even when not caught on camera. I say WPD is violent and racist because their actions on Norriska Street and their history. I'm going to quote the U.S. Department of Justice.

WPD is significantly more likely to arrest Hispanic and black individuals for minor misdemeanors. WPD officers use unreasonable force that escalate minor incidents and WPD fails to hold officers accountable. Those are all quotes. That's exactly what happened on Eureka Street. And this anti-immigrant crackdown is a completely unacceptable attack on our families, neighbors, friends, and colleagues, and we will not stand for it. We need to know who is on the side of the community and who is against us. This resolution helps but we need real measures that block ICE from using city resources and prevents the Worcester Police Department from sharing any information with ICE. We also need accountability for the police who attack the young women on Eureka Street. and we will defend our families, we will protect our neighbors and our friends and hopefully some of you will join us by enacting concrete measures to protect immigrants.

Thank you for your time.

Next speaker.

Idola Hazard, City of Worcester, 11A. I think recognizing our international migrants on December 18th is fantastic. Thank you. And I want to say that this says that we recognize them as human beings, as our neighbors, that they have loved ones, dignity. And it's about time. The city of Worcester years ago said that we were not going to chase after them. So, that being said,

This is long overdue and the police should not arrive on the scene unless there truly, truly is a problem. and I want to thank you, Councilor Haxhiaj, for putting this on the agenda and having a day to recognize them because unless we came over with one of the three boats and the pilgrims landing at Plymouth, we all came here as immigrants or migrants. and I want to say for 10F with 74 plus people saying they were in favor of private schools paying 0.5% of their income to the city. I agree with that. Thank you.

Is your name City Residence?

Mike Cain, I'm a renter here in the City of Worcester. I'm also here on behalf of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, here to speak on 10E and 10F, Institutional Master Plans, as well as Community Impact Funds. I want to first off thank Mayor Petty and Councilor Mero-Carlson, including also the entire Council for bringing these issues to the forefront. As we understand it, the Council has unanimously supported an Institutional Master Plan. and now it's up to our legislative delegation to move it forward. Voters have also made it clear that our colleges and universities need to contribute into a community impact fund. while our city manager is negotiating with these colleges and universities. Now from the business community's perspective, I just want to reiterate that Worcester-based businesses already pay one of the highest commercial industrial property taxes in Massachusetts.

and when tax exempt institutions acquire properties for investment in their portfolios, that property eventually would come off the tax rolls and that lost revenue, it just doesn't disappear. It shifted disproportionately onto the remaining tax base and disproportionately onto the commercial and industrial taxpayers. Those taxpayers, there are local employers, manufacturers, small businesses, and they're all rooted here and they pay their fair share. Thus, it is not unreasonable for our colleges and universities to invest in a community impact fund. as part of a broader commitment to Worcester's economic development needs. Mr. Mayor, there are housing projects and commercial developments across neighborhoods that need support to move forward. Projects that would expand tax bases, create jobs, increase housing production, and strengthen the city's long-term financial stability. This is an opportunity for our colleges and our universities here in the city of Worcester to be true partners in economic development.

These institutions, they benefit enormously from our city that we call home. Investing in Worcester is not a charity. It is an investment that produces real and measurable returns for the entire community. Thank you.

Tom Reno, Worcester 10C. Thank you to the counselor for putting this on. I would have petitioned it, but you don't allow that anymore. I have an officer information card. I know many of you don't know what those are, but it shows investigations into internal investigations to the police officer. one of your favorite police officers, been investigated 28 times for 57 total allegations, including 17 unreasonable force allegations, of course was cleared of every single one of them, because that's believable and that's the system that some of you want to continue to put in place. I also got an internal investigation report from a resident that this officer was the subject of another investigation that doesn't appear properly in the records. Now this wouldn't be important, but we have a city council that doesn't really care what they do and sends them that message over and over and over and over again.

And so as a resident of this city, trying to mitigate their exposure to the worst people there that the majority of this council won't do anything about and doesn't really care about, You know, this is the only information that we get to have. And it would be nice if it was accurate. I also filed a public records request. I wanted to take a long-term view of the performance of this internal investigation unit. and asked for data compilations going back to 2000, because it's a good chunk, a 25 year look at it. And they don't have them before 2017. So nobody's taking a long-term look at the performance of this unit. So that's concerning. Now, I know that there will be a race to file this order, to prove your loyalty to the police union. But it would be nice if these records were in proper order. Thanks.

I think we have somebody online.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We have Joseph. I'm going to try to meet the resident now.

yeah hi this is Joseph Mangiamelli speaking I'd like to speak about item 17 J which talks about a disconnect between the Department of Justice report regarding the Worcester Police Department and the Municipality report. The concern I have, it seems to me, is that there is a real need in Worcester for us to have some oversight and Supervision of the Worcester Police Department because there does seem to be some concerns and they seem very valid that the Worcester Police Department may be functioning in ways that is harmful to local residents. So I wanted to just, again,

Ask and appeal that the Department of Justice report be brought back out and we follow the recommendations that were made there. There were a lot of recommendations made. and it doesn't seem like any of them have been followed as far as I can tell. So that's the main thing I would like to speak about. I would also just like to briefly comment about item 17H, which is the installation of metal detectors, which I've seen appear on the list many times. I'm speaking against that item. I do feel like that would stifle participation from locals like myself. So thank you very much for your time.

Thank you. Okay, so we'll close that part of the meeting. We'll go to suspension of rules, take up item 7A. as Chair of the City Council Standing Committee on Public Works in accordance with Rule 33E of the Rules of the City Council. Request the City Council suspend its rules at its December 16th, 2025 meeting to take up the report of the Committee on Public Works, upon the communication of the City Manager, transmitting information and communication relevant to the Sidewalk Rehabilitation Program 2025 and 2026, as presented by the City Manager, referred to the Standing Committee on Public Works as item 8.11b, on the City Council agenda for February 4th, 2025. The report of the Committee on Public Works upon the Communications City Manager, Transmitting Information and Communication, to the selection of the Local Street Resurfacing Rehabilitation Projects, fiscal year 27-28, as presented by the City Manager and referred to the Standing Committee on Public Works as item 10.11a.

C.M. on the City Council agenda for December 9, 2025, along with related items pending before the committee. So the first item is to adopt on the roll call. and the second I'm gonna drop the two reports and orders on the 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.

We have petitions. Seven, eight.

Mr. Chairman.

Councilor Russell.

So those were taken collectively?

No, I'm sorry, we need another roll call, right?

I think you need another, you said you needed another roll call, I don't know if you do or not.

Yep, adopt two reports in the auditorium.

And I'll ask for reconsideration at the end of that too.

Okay, roll call.

Bregman, Colorio, Haxhiaj, King, Mero-Carlson, Ojeda, Pacillo, Russell, Toomey, and Mayor Petty.

Yes. Reconsideration? Reconsideration, roll call.

Councilor Bergman? No. Councilor Colorio?

No.

Councilor Haxhiaj?

No.

Councilor King? No. Councilor Mero-Carlson?

No.

Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? No. Councilor Pacillo?

No.

Councilor Russell? No. Councilor Toomey?

No.

Mayor Petty?

No. Okay, we are on petitions. 8A to 8K. and we have also a National Grid 8I, National Grid, I'm sorry, 8L, National Grid for condo location on Austin Street. We take those collectively on the roll call, roll call.

Brueggemann, Councilor Colorio, Haxhiaj, King, Mero-Carlson, Nguyen, Ojeda, Pacillo, Russell, Toomey, and Mayor Petty.

Yes. 9A and 9B, motions to adopt. Roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio?

Yes.

Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Councilor Nguyen? Yes. Mr. Ojeda.

Yes.

Mr. Pacillo.

Yes.

Mr. Russell. Yes. Mr. Toomey. Yes.

And Mayor Petty. Yes. We're on 10A, request the City Manager, request the Commissioner of Inspectional Service to provide City Council with a draft ordinance related to the opposing to imposing escalating fees on the undeveloped plots that have been undeveloped and vacant for more than five years. Councilor Haijiaj.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a conversation that I started back in two years, almost two years ago pertaining particularly to many vacant properties, underdeveloped properties in District 5. that have been sitting there vacant for decades while collecting, putting an undue burden on our and many more. And while some of these properties are paying from not breaking any code violations, they do remain a eyesore for our neighborhoods. The intent of this order which I am resurfacing is to find both a way to support these properties which we obviously do by making sure that our city taxpayer dollars go to maintaining

whether it's paying their fees or maintaining the property so that they are free from any issues for the neighborhood. So we do support them in that way. The other part of this order, it requires us to look a little bit outside the box. as to other tools that we may have at our disposal to incentivize these property developers to pay attention to their properties just as much as they do to other parts of the city. I have spoken to both the city manager and the new commissioner. I am not really sure sort of where the will of the new council will be on this, but my hope is that this is seen as a and so on. So we have a lot of economic tool and economic development tool for our neighborhoods, particularly because we do have many across District 5, but also other parts of the city that where property owners are not developing these properties and therefore the neighborhoods end up paying the cost of these properties remaining underdeveloped. Thank you.

Colorio, followed by Councilor Ojeda.

I'm gonna make a motion to file this, please.

And, okay, motion is to file. Councilor Ojeda.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, yeah. Yeah, I like this. I really, you know, growing up in District 4 my whole life, there's a lot of these issues. that we have and conversations that I've been having with some of the residents in District 4. Just yesterday, the city manager, the mayor, and myself, we were able to welcome a family into a new home that Habitat for Humanity built. And it was in a vacant lot that has been there 30 plus years in the neighborhood that I grew up in right behind the street where I grew up. and there's many many more of those like that I think it's important for us to to identify some of these areas thinking outside the box is very important it's also There's a lot of concerns, right? These neighborhoods, people become used to them. When I was a kid growing up, it was commonplace. And now it's still the same thing, 30, 40 years later, and the same people own them or they pass them down.

and there's nothing being done about them. So I'm really concerned about what are we doing with these projects? What are we doing with these? these properties. It's unfair to the residents that live in those neighborhoods who've raised families year after year, year after year, and they have to walk by that. And it's unfortunate that we can't put any type of pressure or or even incentivize them to really make a difference. You know, it's tough. Us as counselors, our job is to not only take care of our residents, but, you know, what's going on in those neighborhoods that they're dealing with. you know there's that saying about the broken glass in those neighborhoods and that's the neighborhood that I grew up with and and I think it's unfair for our residents to continue to see that again year after year decade after decade and nothing's being done Now, obviously there's certain policy things that we need to put in place, but we got to make some changes. There's a lot of changes and residents are not happy with changes that are going on downtown. but they're not being made in their neighborhoods.

And again, that's where, you know, me as a counselor, I was really happy to see that family come into a place that was needed for so many years. And literally across the street, there's gonna be some more development. So there's a lot of work that needs to be done, and I think we need to do a better job on focusing on these parts of the city that we have that are just vacant for so long. It's not fair to the residents, taxpayers, and anybody else around them that that's allowed to just continue to be that way. So thank you.

Thank you. Councilor Bergman. Councilor Bergman, former Councilor Russell.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This item I would support Councilor Clear's motion to file for the following reasons. First of all, while I accept the argument that properties that are unsightly and contain code violations are bad for neighborhoods, and there may be some districts that have more of those than others, this doesn't say that. This is undeveloped lots. And I also could envision, when I was on the zoning board and as a counselor, There are many lots and many neighborhoods that have been undeveloped for decades, and the neighbors like it that way. And when you try to develop it, everybody says, I always thought it was going to stay undeveloped, undeveloped land, our kids playing and so on and so forth. but principally why I'm going to oppose it is because if you're not breaking the law and you're paying your taxes, I don't think we as a council have a right to tell people what to do with their property because the slippery slope of this is

are we going to create an ordinance that if you don't rent the unit you have in your three-decker that you're going to pay more taxes or be fined because you're not developing it to its full potential? that should be up to the property owner as long as they're paying their taxes and otherwise obeying the law. And lastly, let me just say that if this were a tool in a toolbox, which I don't think it is, I would describe the tool as a hammer. Russell, and I don't think that's appropriate.

Thank you. Councilor Russell?

Mr. Chairman, Council Bergman pretty much summed up most of my thoughts on this, and I'm going to support Councilor Colorio's motion to file, but I can see where You know, the thought process on this is I just don't agree with the, you know, setting up a fees and escalating fees to folks who might have undeveloped lots. What I'd rather see is the city administration come back with a report on ways to utilize these lots and ways that we can break some of these zoning barriers or other barriers and to do some incentives to try to utilize these lots. Maybe that's the way to go, but... but just hitting them with a fine right off the bat, especially, you know, some of the big lots that come to mind that have been empty that were sites of the supermarket like on Mill Street and others throughout the city that we're all frustrated with. and I understand that.

But the reality is that without infringing on people's personal property rights, I think there's a way for the administration and the next council to get involved on asking the question, why are these lots not utilized and how can they be utilized? And a lot of it's got to do with zoning, as Councilor Bergman referred to.

All set? So motion is to file, it takes precedent.

Mr. Chairman.

Councilor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of comments. I'm opposed to filing this. I think it's a bit shortsighted not to gather the information. I agree with a lot of what has been said on this particular issue. I think the key is to see what could or could not be in a potential draft ordinance that's sent to a committee for public hearing and input. I also agree with regards to the rights of property owners you know and I'd like to see this sort of tax occur on properties that are abandoned. blighted properties, and that perhaps could be flushed out in an ordinance. This could incentivize those sorts of property owners to occupy, to lease or sell.

As mentioned, there's public safety elements to this that would reduce vandalism. It could also increase the Values of housing in that neighborhood. It can combat neighborhood declines as well. And sure, there's some neighborhoods where folks play in those spaces and that are underdeveloped or undeveloped. And that's great also. But really, I think this is an opportunity to take a closer look exploring ways that we can increase housing. Their research shows that when these sorts of taxes are implemented, when the positive results are increasing local business activity, more money for community projects, increasing safety.

you know, those are some of the things I think that pique my interest. I would agree with Russell as well. You know, I'd love to see some more information on this. And you know, this particular item, the challenge of the form of government that we have is that there is no attorney assigned to the office of the city manager I'm sorry the office of the city council but rather to the office of the city manager where such a draft ordinance could be presented and then flushed out and perhaps some of those concerns that have been brought forward would be addressed. So I agree with both sides of this issue. that we do not want overtaxed folks. But there are blighted properties. There are abandoned properties. And as Councilor Ojeda mentioned, 40 years later,

in his neighborhood, in his neck of the woods, in his experience as a youth, as an adult, as a teacher, as an educator, as an elected official that is bringing down and the neighborhood. So I certainly think that the long view is what's important here, Mr. Chairman. And I'd love to see a draft come back to be discussed. at length in committee. So I would vote to oppose filing this for that reason.

Okay. Mr. Chair, can I be recognized for a second time?

Sure, Councilor Haxhiaj.

Yeah, so I just wanted to clarify a few things. First of all, this ordinance or this order does not speak about residential properties, three-deckers like the ones that Councilor Bergman mentioned. What it does say is that the term underdeveloped properties and vacant properties particularly targets a section or a subsection of properties in Worcester that have remained underdeveloped and vacant for a very long time. Like Councilor Ojeda mentioned, one of the economic tools that we have in Worcester is to provide incentives to these property owners. In the four years that I have been in this office and the thousands of people that I've spoken to, not a single person in District 5 has said to me that they love to see and so on, the Crock property or the vacant former Diamond Chevrolet or the former Mill Street Big D properties remain underdeveloped and empty. Not a single person has said that.

If Councilor Bergman wants to send them my way, more than happy to. What I have heard from residents is that they are tired of seeing underdeveloped and property owners that are focused elsewhere, whether they are inhabitants of properties in Worcester or whether they are owning properties outside of Worcester. what this is asking City Council to do just like the City of Delaware and the City of Revere or Somerville have done is to not look at the Brownfield Properties. It's to look at vacant properties underdeveloped, meaning that they just, the property owners, have left them vacant for many, many years. It's asking the city to also look at incentives. In my experience, that hasn't worked. Otherwise, we wouldn't have vacant properties across the city. Again, this Councilor King do however and however misinterprets this order.

The truth remains that at the end of the day, unless a property owner decides to develop a property, there's nobody, not even the city manager, not the economic development chief officer, nobody. can do anything to force them to do anything. So we're telling our neighbors and our residents that they're going to remain hostage, essentially, to the whims of a developer who may or may not choose to develop a property and it has the freedom to stay there vacant for many years. I'm not looking to take away property owner's rights. That's exactly not what this order says. This order is looking to other ways that the city manager can use both an incentive and some other stronger tools to incentivize these property owners from leaving their neighborhoods basically hostage to their underdeveloped properties.

Mr. Chairman, Councilor Ojeda.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, I agree with Councilor Russell, and I appreciate that. I think some type of order needs to be put in place. as I sit here thinking about certain lots throughout the city there's just so many and there's so many that we're dealing with not too far from here you got the the Green Island neighborhood. You had on Pleasant Street just most recently they've done some work on Pleasant Street, Park Ave, Dewey Street, Beacon Street. There's so many Locations. And again, they are in District 4 and there are throughout the city. And I don't want to just say focus on District 4, but they are throughout the city. And it's unfortunate that our youth, our families that move into our city move it to certain neighborhoods and they see that time and time again. And those are the cities that people get talked about and I see that. Those are the parts of the city that people say are left behind, are forgotten.

and it's not fair for those people that work there who come in to raise families like I mentioned earlier over and over again who go to some of the best schools around and unfortunately they come home and they have to deal with run down properties, run down neighborhoods and things like that because property owners are not investing or not caring about what it looks like and it's not fair to the ones who show up every day to do the work. These are these areas as well where, you know, when it comes down to plowing, we're having issues with those areas as well. When it comes down to leaf pickups, we're having those issues as well. Those are the phone calls we're receiving because of those areas are just not being taken care of. you know to hear that maybe some of these areas that some of the kids would be playing on I don't know what they look like but I know the ones that are in my district, they don't look too safe to be playing on to begin with. And when I was a kid, we played on them and we went home with a lot of bumps and bruises. And the last thing I need

is for someone to get hurt or something that's not taken care of because we're worried about some of these homeowners' rights. not trying to take away from their rights, but I think they need to understand that they have an ownership to our city, to the people around them to understand you have property here in our city, we welcome you, but at the same time, you have an ownership to the people around you. So thank you.

King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I make my point, I want to reiterate, you know, I do understand the notion that a property owner can develop, underdevelop or not develop. their property as they see fit and I want to reiterate you know I'd like to see something focused on blighted and abandoned properties you know I think not moving forward. This is a robust discussion that we're having here tonight. A lot of issues and themes are popping up around public safety, neighborhood development. et cetera. I'd love to see this come back and go to committee for a full-throated discussion. I'd like to see that also include exemptions for property owners. I know that some of the properties and La Croix property was mentioned. I know those properties and other properties in the city, there's some serious challenges there.

as it relates to across the city as it relates to getting those properties ready in millions and millions of dollars that it would require that are barriers. where there are good intentioned folks. But again, we have those other folks that are less well intentioned and I would certainly ask perhaps if Councilor Colorio would consider withdrawing her motion to file allowing this to move forward to draft and us having a robust discussion because within that discussion We can continue to explore where those properties are, why that's the case, and again, how do we incentivize as well. hopefully she'll consider that and withdraw, and if not, again, I will vote no on filing it. Thank you.

Okay, Councilor Bergman, did you?

I just want to respond. I mean, to me robust discussions are fine, but I have to agree that there's a premise there that's worth continuing the discussion on. There's a new council coming in, and I'm gonna go back to this order and to the language, and anybody here obviously is free to disagree. I know what I've read on it, and it may not be a direct attack on property owner's rights. It's an indirect attack because what it says is if you don't develop the property the way we want you to develop it, you're going to have to pay more money. and to me, if you're a property owner and you're paying your taxes, you're not in a zoning violation, you don't have any code violations, the message shouldn't be that we're gonna tell you what you have to do with your property. That's not the message I'm gonna sign up for or agree with. Whether it's a overt punishment or whether it's a backdoor punishment, I can't support it.

Okay, Councilor Toomey. Do you want to take the chair from it? I think it's Councilor Toomey, right?

Mayor Petty.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I understand the premise of the order here and what you want to get to, but I just don't agree with So I agree with Councilor Russell on this and some of the things that have been said by other Councilors. It seems like some Councilors are on both sides of this issue in some respect that understand the premise of this. You don't want boyd properties in the neighborhood. Now, we do have ordinances in place for blighted and abandoned properties here in the City of Worcester. And I don't know, Mr. Mayor, I thought one time we were, were we sued to the CEO? Was it because of some of the ordinances that we've had? They got invited into being in properties or enforcement issues or?

Mr. Manager? Yeah, through you to the council. We were at one point in time sued and we're not going to have the solicitor kind of provide more specific in that. Lawsuit put us in a position as a city that we had to modify our standards. But there is significant effort in the city and there are current ordinances that allow us to provide or to cite any property, provide any enforcement relative to the maintenance of those properties and the way they maintain those vacant properties. where there is any blight, where there is overgrows, et cetera, you name it, we as a city, we have the right to go in and provide any violations, need be based on some of the complaints or issues that these properties arise from. If I could have the solicitor, she could probably give better explanation to that potential lawsuit. Thank you. Sorry, no potential lawsuit, formal lawsuit.

Madam Solicitor.

Through the Chair, yes, so Chapter 9, Section 14 addresses vacant and foreclosing properties that have to, that's the one that we were challenged in court, and the court came back, we had to make some amendments to our ordinance that related to code violations, public health. You couldn't just have an ordinance just for underdeveloped. So it is a little bit different than the order that's being proposed, but it does talk to blighted neighborhoods, unsafe public health.

Okay.

Safety.

Okay. Thank you, Madam Solicitor. And I get the premise of this and sort of agree with it. And I also agree with Councilor Russell. We should get a report back and continue the discussion on how to proceed. And I don't think the audience is... This is the right way to go at this time, but really understand the issue and how we can address it. We've been addressing a ban. It's hard to find people who have abandoned properties. They are no longer. because that was said earlier. I just want to make sure we clarify that. And I understand the premise here because like the Councilor Ojeda said, I was at the ribbon cutting, the ground breaking on and I remember walking up when we did the ground break and how bad it was, in pretty bad shape. But that's someone's property and that's why we have loins in place to make sure people clean up their properties and we're going to clean up ourselves and find those people. So we have systems in place for that.

but so at this time, I'm not gonna support it but I think in the whole report, have a discussion how we proceed, I have no problem doing that, thank you. Okay, motions to file, roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio?

Yes.

Councilor Haxhiaj?

No.

Councilor King? No. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? No. Councilor Pacillo? No. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. And Mayor Petty?

Yes. Motion passes. Councilor Russell's motion to report back, roll call.

What's the motion, Mr. Chairman?

Do you have anything more insight on this issue, Councilor, and how we can proceed in understanding the undeveloped lots and how we can proceed legally going forward?

Are we allowed to speak on that since you just made that motion?

I think so.

I'd like to speak on that.

Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make a separate motion or an amendment to that. That report does include draft ordinances and other municipalities or localities in states because those things exist. I think that should be a part of this as well, Mr. Chairman, actually to make that as a separate audit. Thank you. Motion, separate motion.

separate motion. Can we have Councilor Russell's motion first? Roll call. Councilor Bergman.

Can I ask a procedure question? Yeah. Could you repeat Councilor Russell's wording for his motion, for his- Councilor Russell, is your motion, why don't you- Report.

Let's open the clerk. We've been around and around so much. Mr. Chairman, what I had said that I would ask for the administration to come back with a report of what we can do to develop these lots and to clean them up. and along that lines. It might include what Councilor King is referring to about looking at what other communities are doing if they have audiences, that's okay too, but for some, I can remember the issue of, for example, 4,000 square foot lots. 3,000 square foot lots. We've talked about that a long time, but I've never seen anything come forward on that. So maybe that's, I'm just asking for the administration to come back for a report, and hopefully the next council will get into it more aggressively.

Mr. Chairman, you're taking these separate? Councilor Russell, Councilor King? You want to take them collectively or separately? Separately, please. Okay. Okay, so Councilor Russell's motion, 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.

Mayor Petty. Yes. Councilor Kings motion, roll call. Councilor Bergman? No. Councilor Colorio?

No.

Councilor Haxhiaj?

Yes.

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

Yes.

Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey?

No.

And Mayor Petty? Yes. Okay, that one passes as well.

Okay, we have next item is 10B, request the City Manager, request the Police Chief, provide residents with facility, facilitate neighborhood meetings, a stipend from the same grant that supports the neighborhood response team, Councilor Hy-G-I.

Yeah, I just want to provide some clarification here. I'm not asking for the chief or the city manager to pay residents who go to meetings. That would be a non-logical item. what I'm asking for is that we recognize that the neighborhood leaders who we just recognized the District 5 neighborhood leaders but those across the that run and essentially keep our neighborhood meeting going that they have a small stipend, not a personal stipend to them, but a stipend that can go to things like printing flyers, which they do on their own when they want to recruit. and other new members to come to their meeting, providing a celebration at the end of the year, which at least in my district they do, to recognize the work of the police officers, the district councilor, and the residents who are our pulse on what happens in our neighborhoods.

As I understand it, the Neighborhood Response Team and the officers that attend the meetings, they're paid by a grant by the Mr. Manager, you can correct me if I'm wrong, but their time is paid for by a grant that comes from the Department of Justice. I believe it's called the Crime Prevention Neighborhood Grant. and so what I'm suggesting is that a small portion of that should go to these leaders to use for their neighborhood meetings. One of the things that prompted this idea was that when one of my residents, Ms. Natalie Turner in the Beaverbrook area, she wanted to start a neighborhood meeting. She printed between her and I, we both printed flyers so we could go door to door and recruit members in the neighborhood to join the meeting. She had a hard time getting a police officer because that would mean that the city would then have to pay a police officer, they would have to pay a code person, a DPW person to come to the meetings.

In another instance, one of the neighborhood leaders has paid out of her own pocket to provide refreshments or a celebration These folks put so much work into this neighborhood meeting. They take notes. They recruit members. They keep the neighborhoods appraised of what happens. They work closely with the district counselors. They literally keep these meetings going. And while I appreciate the work of the police officers that attend these meetings, their scope is very limited to just providing the crime data. or helping with other neighborhood issues. Whereas the neighborhood leaders are literally the pulse that keeps these neighborhood meetings going. One of the things that I've heard from the District 5 residents is that they would like to see more residents attend these meetings. You can't do that on your own dime. You need time. You need labor. you need extra hands and my understanding is that the police officers that staff these meetings, that is not their purpose.

Their purpose is to provide data and to respond to neighborhood concerns. So it's a small investment. I don't think it is a huge ask of the city manager and the chief of police to consider that a small portion of that grant whatever the amount might be, $200 per neighborhood meeting, be facilitated only to support the activities of these leaders who are keeping these meetings running. Thank you.

Thank you. So motions, Councilor Toomey, Follway Councilor, Carlson.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to basically state that I think it's important that we find out whether or not it's allowed by the grant I don't think it is but as maybe the manager is aware whether or not because this it might be specific funding right correct

Through the Chair, to the Councilor, we verified this with the current grantor, and we were told that they, based on this ask, they do not qualify. They have to be personnel, police personnel, as part of their overtime duties. to serve the neighborhoods, so they're not able to do that at the time. Thank you, I appreciate that clarification.

Council Member Carlson?

Yes, Mr. Chairman. My concern with this is that all these neighborhood groups are not the same. I don't think a lot of people realize that. Some of them are deemed crime watch meetings. Some of them are run by the city of Worcester, the police department, as some would say. For example, all of the Housing Authority neighborhood meetings are run by the Housing Authority. The police officer comes in and gives their report. and the residents give any type of updates that they have for police but not all neighborhood groups are run

My fear with this is that for those who have not So for example, Lincoln Street is very, very different than Brown Square. Brown Square is very different than 11 Lake Ave or 40 Belmont Street. So they are not all and those neighborhood meetings that take place Inside of the Worcester Housing Authority, the Worcester Housing Authority pays the resident on site to order the food. because they feed them down there. And they do, the Worcester Housing Authority pays for all of the flyers and such.

Unlike Brown Square, Brown Square does not. have a bank account. Shrewsbury Street has a bank account. So these neighborhood meetings are all very different and they're run very different. For example, Brown Square, if you were to say that you're going to give them money, they would not take the money. they would not take the money because we've had conversations and there's a couple of others who absolutely would not take any monies. Shrewsbury Street, as I said, does have a bank account. Lincoln Street runs their bank account through Park Spirit, which it gets a little

and so on. Not all neighborhood meetings are run equally. Thank you.

Councilor Bergman?

Much of what I was going to say has already been said, but building up on Councilor Mero-Carlson's comments, I also would note that a lot of these meetings are not only run differently, but First of all, it sounds like the stipend can't be done regardless. But even if legally it could be done, my opposition to it would be as follows. Do each community neighborhood group get the same amount? Some of them are 12 months. Some of them are nine months. Some of them have five people. Some of them have 50 people. Some of them have been in existence for decades. Some of them are brand new. I think it would cause a tremendous amount of arguing and tension that does not exist now. I go to a fair amount of them across the city, so I feel I got a pretty good cross selection. I honestly have never heard one person that runs a meeting tell me, that they're going to stop running it because it costs them money.

Matter of fact, a lot of them run for the office by taking votes or asking the crowd, do you want me to continue on? And they do it year after year after year. And I can't imagine they... do that year after year after year if they feel that they are losing money and want the city to reimburse them. So I think this is a a solution looking for a problem and it doesn't exist and it sounds like the grant money isn't gonna be available regardless but even if it was I think it works fine the way it is I give all the credit in the world people that run those meetings and attend those meetings. It's self-sacrifice. Some of it is out of their own pocket. Our teachers do that as well. And I commend them. Oftentimes, us as counselors chip in. Carlson. Some of them have creative ways of funding themselves. Brown Square, as Councilor Carlson mentioned, does a 50-50 raffle every week. Gary Vecchio, may he rest in peace, he used to do it at used to do an auction, ask people to donate things, and then somebody would sponsor a cake at the beginning or the end of the year.

So there are all sorts of innovative ways to fund the neighborhood meetings without going into this. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Pacillo.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. You know, I do want to start by saying it sounds like the grant doesn't apply, but I do really like the thought of recognizing neighborhood leaders. You know, in Bernco, we have a relatively small neighborhood group, but the same people show up and we do sometimes we'll bring cookies and we'll you know coffee or whatever My question to the chair is, if a neighborhood group wants to print flyers or get more exposure and reach out, is that something the city council office or the clerk's office could help with?

Mr. Clerk, I'm not sure of the answer. I think you probably need to wiggle it.

Through you, Chair, to the council. So basically, the council office has an allocated budget every year. It depends on the ask from that councilor. and then you know if you're going to have one council you have 10 members of the council you multiply it times 10 for the different community groups that's certainly a conversation that we can have around the budget season but

Yeah, that sounds nice. I remember for a few years, all the neighborhood groups were invited to like coffee and donuts at the police station just to kind of recognize the people who show up and don't they don't get paid obviously it's a volunteer so through the chair. I guess my next question would be maybe could the city do something just to recognize these neighborhood leaders once a year?

I think with the police department, I'm sorry. They'd have the community meeting at the police station and just go through an agenda, was my understanding.

Yeah, and they'd have like, Desserts and stuff, yeah.

Mr. Manager?

Yeah, through the Councilor, I think, you know, It's trying to figure out how to start to explain the current situation because there is nuances to every neighborhood meeting. One district could have 15 and another district could have five. And so it's very different depending on the district because it depends on the residents within their neighborhoods to establish those neighborhood meetings. and typically when they start them, they don't start them as a neighborhood organization. They start them as crime watch groups. And then what happens over time, they evolve because they wanna do more than just talk about crime in the neighborhood. They wanna talk about everything that encompasses their neighborhoods. and then what oftentimes most neighborhood organizations do when they become a neighborhood organization, that they do more than crime watch, that they wanna do festivals, They want to do activities. They want to do book drives. They want to do toy drives. They want to do a lot more.

What they tend to do when they're very successful is they tend to reach out to the business community within their neighborhood. to bring the businesses to be part of their conversations, to be part of their commitment to invest in the neighborhood, invest in these flyers, invest in these cakes, et cetera. and that way you have the business and the neighborhood organizations strengthen one another on the day to day. Now we will do what we can and we'll work with the police department to find ways, creative ways to recognize the efforts that they do. but also sometimes there's been efforts in the past where we've tried to identify the leaders because they come and go and now sometimes they don't really communicate and then or numbers change or emails change and it's tough to find who they are. Often the neighborhood organizations that have been set for quite a while, those become kind of are kind of consistent. And so the counselors that come in and go within that district often knows, okay, this is the neighborhood organization Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. Okay.

Nice for a second time?

Sure. Councilor, sorry, Councilor Hajjiak.

It would seem, thank you, Mr. Chair. It would seem to me like I'm asking for a million dollar paycheck going from each of our pockets to go to people in our neighborhood meetings who have literally invested, in some cases, decades. And in some others, they have taken upon the role of facilitating meetings that are a direct benefit to our residents. I don't know how the discussion evolved to Worcester Housing Authorities. I'm not asking for Worcester Housing Authorities and or specific apartment complexes that they have their own intern specifically for. the 52 neighborhood meetings that the police officers or the city has traditionally considered crime watch meetings. I understand the Worcester Housing Authority has their own budget, so they do spend, and good for them for doing it.

Really, literally, what I'm asking for is a very modest way to support these folks who are doing it. It doesn't matter if a meeting has been running for 10 years or if a meeting started two years ago. They're doing the work. Clark. They're literally keeping these meetings going. And there is appetite in the community to evolve these meetings from crime watch meetings to actually neighborhood and community development meetings, where people talk more than about crime, because some people don't want to talk just about crime. They actually do want to celebrate the good things that are happening in their communities, or they want to help move forward projects that are important to their neighborhoods. I'm not asking for the city manager to pay out of his own pocket or any of the councilors to allot some of their stipends. to the neighborhood meetings. I'm asking for a very modest amount, whatever the city can afford. I just also want to remind, sorry, Councilor Bergman, I know you're impatient to

to get in. I just want to remind the council that former city manager Augustus allotted a beautification grant that the city council voted on so that neighborhoods could and other elite projects which some of them did and some of them didn't. That's an example of how the city can incentivize and grow some new leaders in these communities. If council feels that this is worthy of not supporting and neighborhood leaders because they do enough and they would be satisfied with just a recognition, that's fine. That is how you want to view them, that's fine. But Mr. Manager, I do hear often that we don't have enough people to participate in the civic process. And all I'm suggesting is a small, super small incentive, not a drone that costs $30,000. I'm asking for a small stipend to go to people that do free labor for the city.

Thank you, Councilor Toomey.

Mr. Mayor, the reality of it is is that while great concept and all, not arguing that, the fact remains is that that fund that was mentioned in this order cannot go to pay for civilians. And that's just the fact. So it's great if someone wants to put some work in and write a grant. There's different organizations. We have a number of different organizations that have Grant writing ability to be able to do things even within the federal government there may be community block grants other types of grants that you could get funding from but it's just technically it just can't be from and that's what the order is. So I would again file this but I would also file a different order and ask that some research be put into

Bergeman, and Councilor Bergeman.

Councilor Bergeman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just very, very briefly to follow up a second time, having heard some other comments, I think it's important to mention a couple of things. We know from the city manager we can't do this. So in some ways, I'm wasting everybody's time even addressing this again. But others have, and I'll try to be brief with my time. How could we ever consider doing this and justify to our boards and commissions that we don't pay them a dime? We have trouble getting people on boards and commissions. I heard that argument. But we don't offer incentives to boards and commissions. Now we're going to offer to people that historically volunteer. Where do we draw the line? But what I also wanted to mention, too, is what I heard was that these meetings, and it's true and it's accurate and I don't disagree in any way, that these meetings cover a lot more than just crime. They cover a lot of things. But I don't hear an ask out of any other grants. I only hear an ask out of the police grant.

So if these meetings are covering many other topics, Why is it being asked to come out of one particular department's grant when that department's issues aren't the only issues being discussed? Again, we can't do it regardless, but I'm just questioning the motivation behind it.

Okay, we have one motion to file. I'm sorry, Councilor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to begin by My perception of the spirit of this particular order. As it's written, I understand the concerns I will not be able to vote for this based on the City Manager's declaration that this is not possible to provide support. to residents. But I heard a couple of things. One was that it's really not about giving it to an individual resident to compensate them for their time, that this would be about providing some support to the neighborhoods themselves through the vessel of a neighborhood leader of a neighborhood crime watch neighborhood team. and that's the spirit that I like.

I think one of the things that we know from past reports and surveys and audits of neighborhood groups in the city of Worcester, that they are filled by certain demographics in terms of age, race, gender, et cetera. And we have those numbers. and one of the things that I've always talked about is how can we think outside the box and one of those ways is to support the events and the activities that are championed by Haggai, those neighborhood groups for the people that don't want to go for one reason or another or aren't aware. We do things like over at Coles Pond that I think might have been started by Gary Rosen and Councilor Haggai and other You know, summertime events over in the Burncoat area, etc. That's how you get more people to attend.

That's how we encourage and entice civic engagement. My perception of the motivation is exactly that. I wish I could vote for this. I can't. Because that's what I'd like to see. I'd like to see the city focusing on doing something different to cultivate additional civic engagement through our neighborhood groups. And I look forward to any strategy that the City Manager has or my colleagues have moving forward. Appreciate the order by Councilor. Toomey to look into some things but my question to the Chair is this and I'm not sure if this is what was mentioned by Councilor Haxhiaj or not but I recall in the past that I don't know for a neighborhood cleanups, etc. We were offering or we provided funding to folks and community people to do that.

Is that accurate through the chair if the manager's aware of that? A few years ago.

I think what we provided was support, right? Bags and personnel.

Through the Chiefs of the Council, no, there was a program, a beautification program that previous administration had provided or provided an allotment of certain amount of monies that the councilors can work with the neighborhood organization in selecting any beautification projects. whether it was cleaning up a neighborhood or it was plantings or whatever it may be, and the city would provide an allotment of dollars to be able to do that. that became a little bit difficult in terms of the processing of that because as we have to process payments to an individual, was it an individual, an entity, some individuals had to seek entities to be able to be the fiscal agents taking those dollars, be able to then go through. So there was a lot of kind of challenges within that. There was only a selected number of individuals that were able to take an opportunity there. But yes, there was something specifically to try to address some beautification efforts in the city.

And to the Chair, to the administration, where did that funding come from? Mr. Manager. What was the pocket of money, full of money, that you tapped into for that?

Yeah, to the council, it was city taxpayer dollars.

Tax levy? Yep. Okay. Thank you very much for that. I look forward to some strategies on how we can increase civic engagement and engagement and develop sort of develop out and round out our neighborhood groups. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay, we have two motions. One motion is to file. Then we have another motion to Councilor Toomey asking for other funding opportunities to support the crime watch groups. So the first on the motion is to file, roll call.

Really quick point of order or point of order.

Councilor King.

So, The Crime Watch groups. Is it a neighborhood group?

We'll put neighborhood slash Crime Watch. I think they refer to both. Okay, first motion is to file, roll call.

Councilor Bregman? Yes. Councilor Colorio?

Yes.

Councilor Haxhiaj? No. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo? Yes. Councilor Russell? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. And Mayor Petty?

Yes. Motion to Councilor Toomey's motion, roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Calorio?

Yes. Point of order, I thought when you made, when the order files, there is no motions, that takes precedent over a motion, doesn't it?

No, we filed your item, Councilor Toomey. A separate motion is asked for funding opportunities to support the neighborhood, other opportunities besides this grant.

attached to this order? No.

Separate.

Oh, separate, okay.

Okay, 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.

Mayor Petty. Yes. Request CDR to conduct an audit of the Worcester Police Department Bureau of Professional Standards records to ensure the accuracy of an office information cards and annual data compilations of investigations. Councilor Haxhiaj.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Marino made the request that I file this order on his behalf, so I did. But I did have some questions that relate sort of to the idea of transparency and clarity. Mr. Manager where are we with the Department of Justice report? Has there been a draft agreement presented to the city? Have there been any discussions?

Mr. Manager?

To the chair, to the council, no, there has been no agreements, proposals, or anything presented to the city. There's been some minor conversations in the DOJ kind of to understand where it stood, but there's no movement at this time. Other than we have taken measures in place to try to shift our policies, change some of the work that the Chief has presented here a number of times, we have proactively done that work outside of what the The DOJ's kind of obligations to us maybe.

Thank you Mr. Manager and I'm familiar with the progress that the Chief has made and good for him and I hope that he continues on that path. I guess the other questions that I have related to that is at the last City Council meeting when the Chief was presenting he's rebuttal to the DOJ report. I specifically asked the question whether he's Interpretation, and he's reading of the recommendations, or let me rephrase that, whether he's Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. Councilor. has ever gone to the DOJ's attorneys.

Mr. Mayor? At this time, we have not presented that to the GOJ attorneys. I think it's also due to the fact that there's been little to no communication with them.

Has the little or no communication to them, has it been because they have expressed no desire to speak to us anymore? Have they closed the case? what is the last communication that you or the Chief have had with them?

Yeah, through the Chair to the Council, The case has not been closed, otherwise we would definitely be notified and the council would be notified if it was. I think there's been changes in priority. This is my opinion, there's been changes in priorities. from the DOJ or the US Attorney's Office. And so because of that, there's probably been no movement to this report.

I'd like to make a motion for both you and the Chief of Police to submit to the DOJ the latest report, meaning the response from the city, and ask that they respond if their priority is still the connection to what they presented to the community and the city council for them to respond to those to that report that the Chief presented to the City Council. And lastly, a few months ago, and I can't remember whether this was March or April, I asked for the city to publish all the depositions related to the settlements between the Worcester Police Department and residents. I believe at the time your answer was that those were going to be released or published? Has that changed? And or do you do you suspect that those are coming anytime soon?

Mr. Manager?

Yeah, I think we were, what I was referring to were some of the requests based on the investigations related to the HRC's request. I don't recall anything related to the depositions, but I can have the solicitor answer any questions specific to that.

Madam Solicitor?

Through the Chair, I also recall the investigations and reports from the HRC. I'm not sure what depositions you're referring to, if they're related to a specific case.

I'm going to follow up with the exact copy of my order, but I believe what I was asking for was the depositions related to specific settlements. either in the last two years or five years. So depositions for city employees that were deposed in issues of settlements. And I believe the answer at the time, if I'm not mistaken, is that those are public records?

through the chair. So if a case is resolved, yes, that's a public. Our deposition is just a testimony. So there's probably hundreds of depositions that you're asking for. So maybe they're a time frame. But once the case is resolved, that's all public record.

If a case, through the Chair, if a case is resolved in, and I believe, thank you for mentioning that, if a case is resolved, the depositions particularly and so on. So if I'm saying this right, the depositions pertaining to city employees that were deposed in those cases, that is also public record?

Through the chair, unless there is a protective order, but yes, a deposition would be a public

Through the Chair, could you explain what a protective order is?

Sometimes in certain litigation, there are protections that a judge orders that classify something as confidential.

OK, thank you very much. So what I'm asking is for a resurrection of that order. I believe the time frame is five years that I asked for, but I will go back and look at the language. And specifically, I'm looking for depositions where city employees were deposed specific to settlement cases that have been resolved, in other words.

through the Chair. We have hundreds of cases, so maybe just the type of case, or what department, or do you want the car accident? Do you want the DPW driver?

No, I specifically asked for the Worcester Police Department.

OK.

Thank you.

Thank you. Councilor Toomey.

I actually would like to see if we could send this to the law department, this particular order, because I believe that there are some issues here with some of this information that was asked in the order. Not the, in this order. Not the subsequent orders that were presented. But in this particular one, I'd like to have this sent to the law department.

For a legal opinion?

Mm-hmm. Okay. Thank you.

Okay, so the motion goes to the city manager for a legal opinion. Okay, so the motion is to send this to the city manager for a legal opinion and see if we can require the manager to do this, correct? Mr.

Chair, apologies. May I ask a question to the, so I understand better, Councilor Toomey's request?

Are you all set? Do you want to see, it's your time, do you want to see your sister come up and answer the question, or?

Well, I mean, if that's...

If she's ready, if you're ready, why do you want her to send it to you?

If she's ready. So.

Through the Chair. So it depends on each case. I believe what I said was that all settlement agreements are public, and they are, and they've been provided to the media. Depositions, it depends. who is being deposed, what the case is, what the facts are. So it wouldn't be that all of them are producible. We'd have to do an analysis of every police case that was settled that had depositions and review it in that manner.

I think the question is, I think everybody agrees if we can do that, that's fine. But the question is on the actual audit that's been written regarding the audit of the Police Department Bureau of Professional Standards to ensure the accuracy of all information. Cards, and annual data compilations of investigations. Councilor Toomey has asked for a legal opinion whether or not we have the authority to do that or not.

Through the Chair, I would provide a report on that just to make sure that we have reviewed everything that's within the auditor's scope and whether that's appropriate to request.

Okay, Councilor Hajjaj?

Yeah, so essentially what I heard the Madam Solicitor say is that The audit wouldn't be any, I apologize, I don't want to put words in your mouth. What this is asking is the same essential process that Councilor King asked for over time in all departments and an audit of all departments. So specific to this order, this is just simply asking for an audit and the result of that audit to come back to council to ensure that the process, the accuracy, the internal mechanisms are working as they should. If there are instances where they're not, then I'm sure the city solicitor would advise the council whether the specific records of a specific employee can be disclosed. But I'm not asking for specific employees. I believe the spirit of this order as it was explained to me is to provide an audit and the results of that audit to come back to council. Is everything working right? Were there discrepancies?

And how can council, along with the city manager, address any potential and or Maybe there are not, but if there are, then I think the council and the public need to understand better these internal mechanisms.

Okay, so we can send this to the manager. If there's a legal issue, come back with a legal issue. If there's any legal issues under the charter, you inform us that. Is that fair enough to amend that? Okay. Okay.

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to sign on to this.

Okay, so as amended?

Roll call. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio?

Yes.

Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mero-Carlson? Yes. Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Pacillo?

Yes.

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

Next item is 10B. Request the City Manager to request the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility to ensure the full City Council be made aware of the future road design projects initiated by the Department of Transportation and Mobility. are initiated by MassDOT. The first subproject is initiated by DTM. Requests of sudden notice will be given prior to the project's inception. and the said project is initiated by MassDOT. Request this notice be given as soon as said project is known to the city. Council Borgman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm just checking with the Clerk that with some indication there may have been a similar order in the past, but I'm assuming there isn't. Go ahead, if I may, through the Chair to the Clerk.

Mr. Cork? Through the chairs of the council, sir, I think it was brought in 24, but it was not the same exact language.

Thank you. So Mr. Chairman, I'll be brief. I don't want to unless, Last promptitude to get into whether or not some of these projects are meritorious or not. That's not what this order is about. What this order is about is why at the last minute I'm gonna use those words loosely. Why late in the game are we always being notified of these projects? So when projects are at the 25% mark, there's already thousands if not more spent on plans and designs on things that maybe neighborhoods and areas don't want. I'm just giving us an example, making no comment at the moment about whether it's a good idea or bad idea. The most recent public meeting I attended involved making major changes on Pleasant Street from Tatnick Square. and as I searched the MassDOT website, that project was initiated in 2019. 2019, six years ago.

But we're having a meeting at the 25% mark in 2025. I mean, six years have gone by, and nobody's talked about this. And now when you go to the meetings, everything's already laid out. and I don't care what anybody says, the opportunity to make changes is much harder because there have now been thousands if not millions of dollars spent on designs and engineering work if changes are needed. But again, I'm not saying it's a good idea or a bad idea. What I'm saying is, why, as counselors, do we seem to be the last ones to know when years go by and there's these projects being cooked up and we find out after so much money and effort is spent and part of the other issue I'm bringing this up is those that are putting these plants together in Boston, MassDOT, wherever their headquarters are, they need our input because they're the engineers. They're not the people on the ground.

Any more need to prove that, it's that the description of the project I referred to on Pleasant Street talks about a project that goes up to the Holden Line. Now, everybody here knows that from Tatnick Square up Pleasant Street, it doesn't go to the Holden Line. goes to the Paxton. So people in Boston should be consulting with people in Worcester about whether or not the projects have been needed well before the 25% mark. And I've been looking into this more and more as other projects have come online. and I just don't understand transportation mobility, DPW, all these different departments know about these projects years in advance and we don't. It's not fair, it's not right and it really needs to change.

Okay, so we'll send that to the minute. Councilor Russell.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to support this item and to sign on to it. I'd just like to say, I'll give you the other side of it if you can. and the administration worked real well with at least with this district council on Massasoit Road but how many times on the council floor did I bang on the table and say show me the plan show me the plan and and I shouldn't have had to do that. And future city councilors hopefully will be banging on the table and banging on the table too. We had a plan that the manager and his team obviously, and I appreciate their effort, I appreciate the fact that the manager kind of said, hey, what are you thinking? And kind of pulled the plug on some of it and redirected some of it. But we would have had a plan that would have had some substantial, substantial changes to Massachusetts Road. including, even including

moving some curbs over, moving telephone poles, pushing back the road itself if it wasn't for this administration saying to me at a meeting, what do you think? and then me trying to rally the support of the manager and that of the neighborhood. And I've already had that conversation with the people in that neighborhood at the neighborhood meeting. But I think this is a great honor and it's something that should be the policy going forward that when you're thinking about setting these up, obviously the Councilor King't micromanage and they shouldn't be micromanaging, but we should as a council or the future council should at least know what people are thinking and know where you're going with it, what the idea is. And even the manager, the manager can't, keep track of everything that goes on in city government. He was surprised probably just as much as I was on some of the ideas that were pending on Massasoit Road. So it's a great honor and I think it ought to be passed.

Thank you.

Thank you. Councilor Haxhiaj.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have no problem with this order. I'm happy to support it. But just to clarify the record, because now twice on this council floor, Mr. Bergman has made assertions that are slightly inaccurate. the Pleasant Street project, it is accurate that it started in 2019. In fact, Councilor Colorio, who's the traffic chair, then District Councilor Matt Wally, I don't remember the third member actually held a meeting with neighbors at the 25% start of the project. In fact, I remember Councilor Colorio went door to door, just like I did in other projects, to make sure that the neighbors were informed. At the April meeting, the MassDOT explained that the reason it's taken them so long is that the scope of the project changed. The project manager there, Eddie, actually explained when a resident asked why it's taken so long, the scope of the project changed. By law,

MassDOT, not the City of Worcester by law, MassDOT has to present at the 25% mark, at the 75% 75% mark design. That's what they did. That's why they came back in 2025. That's why we had a meeting. We had a secondary meeting. This has all been explained. Similarly, the May and Chandler Street project, where Councilor Colorio, the traffic chair, attended alongside myself, was informed and I regularly remember that our city clerk or their staff do send reminders, calendar reminders when these meetings happen. Now I do agree with Councilor Bergman that absolutely, the City should take a lead in printing flyers and sending more information so that work doesn't rely on the District Councilor which Colorio did a great job even though she wasn't a district counselor going door to door just like I did, just like my other fellow counselors have when these projects have started. I have no problem with the order.

I just want to correct the record that some of the information that's being presented is not accurate. the District Councilors have been informed, the residents have been informed at the point where the law requires the MassDOT-led project to inform the residents. In fact, they do outline in their website, all three methods in which they distribute their advertisements. It's in the Telegram Gazette, it's on their website, and it's through the City of Worcester.

Thank you, so the motion is to send to the manager. Roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor King?

Yes.

Carlson, Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda, Councilor Pacillo, Councilor Russell, Councilor Toomey, Mayor Petty.

10E, request the manager to provide council with an update concerning previously requested draft plans to implement an institutional zoning ordinance which would require institutions such as college, university, and hospital to file a 10-year institutional master plan with the City Council, Mero-Carlson.

Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This order actually was filed now a little over a year ago. And again, this institutional master plan was about the city being notified when and so forth. And so we have to make sure that these properties are taken off the rolls and for us to know what's happening in the Number one. Number two is that we also currently have another institution who just took some more property off the tax rolls of which I'm not sure who was notified about that. We continue to talk about losing the tax base.

And again, this order, and the council passed it unanimously was never about stopping any of these institutions from doing what was beneficial to them. It's really about letting us know and I know that there are other institutional master plans. So I put this item on so that through the chair to the manager so that the Councilor King know where is the city at with this institutional master plan. what type of work needs to be done to make sure that this gets moved forward. And again, I'm sure Council Russell or others can talk about

I mean just not too long ago one of the institutions buying up again a piece of property that will at least from the no knowledge that we have will be that piece of property comes off the tax rolls. When this item was filed, and it was filed by myself and the mayor, quite frankly, We thought that this would be something that would be extremely beneficial to the city, just like the other communities who have this. for us to know what is happening. And it seems to be that again, we're in the same spot with some of our colleges that quite frankly they just don't think they need to tell us anything is from at least from my perspective if

We don't know what's happening with the different universities. Again, My understanding, Mr. Chairman, is Holy Cross bought a piece of property, paid over a million dollars for this piece of property. But again, it means that that piece of property now comes off the tax rolls, as we heard tonight. I mean, we struggle every year with the tax rate. and we seem to more and more put that burden. This council has to make a decision. Does that burden go to the homeowners or Does it go to the businesses? And again, I'd love to see a report come back. What is the status of this institutional master plan?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Manger, Mero-Carl. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Florio? Haxhiaj, King, Mero-Carlson, Nguyen, Ojeda, Pacillo, Russell, Toomey, and Mayor Petty

and in light of the overwhelming success of non-binding question, November 4th, 2025, in this election ballot, which passed in support for 74 plus percent of the city voters, request management by council report relative to the feasibility process required of cities private University Invest, 0.5% of their endowment annual into the Community Impact Fund to be administered locally to help finance needed housing, economic, and community development projects. Councilor Mero-Carlson.

Yes, Mr. Chairman, again, this was an item that was on council certainly unanimously passed and overwhelmingly Over 74% of the voters voted for this. And clearly understand that it was a non-binding ballot question. However, I think it would be really advantageous for the council to know where are we at with this. What type of negotiations have you had with the different colleges and universities on this particular item? And again,

It's not as if we're asking for something that's unreasonable from these institutions. At least for me, I don't think there is that we should be hesitant at all to ask the different colleges for some monies to go into this city. And again, it's going into a community impact fund. So it's going in to help those who live in this city. And again, just a week ago, we put one of the highest tax burdens on the businesses. And the council every year struggles with how do we do this?

and at the same time there has been no indication whatsoever, at least to my knowledge, of what is it that we at this point are getting from any of our colleges. These two items, Mr. Chairman, through you to the manager, were put there for the next council certainly to see where is this city at with you know I understand that you know we all knew that there were a pilot Payment. But at this point, what do those even look like? And are we because it certainly seems to me that it's been quite some time since we went through the WPI fiasco. I mean, and that's what I call it given the fact that

they took those two properties and I clearly understand that since then they've made a decision to not only leave the one on the tax rolls, but now they're going to run the other one as a hotel. So certainly that will stay on the tax rolls. But again, I think it would be great if we had a report back from the administration. Where are we at with this item as well as, quite honestly, the other item being that it's really been sitting for quite some time with it feels like there hasn't been any progress and maybe there has been so it would be great to get a report back. Thank you.

Send out to administration, roll call.

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

Yes. Resolution that the City Council's City of Western is hereby recognized Tuesday, December 18th, 2025 as International Migrant's Day and the City of Western urges residents to observe the recognition of immigrants across the city. We're an integral part of the communities and workforce. Councilor Hydria?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Jillian Phillips wasn't here today, but I hope she's listening because I want to start by thanking her. In case you don't know her, she's one of the Most hardworking, selfless people that I have met in my life. She has given her soul, her labor, and love to many, many migrants in our community. It's really her efforts that are reflected in my remarks. So truly thank you, Jillian, if you're listening, for your selfless service to our community's most targeted and vulnerable neighbors. I took a lot of time to write these remarks because not only are they personal, but they're personal on behalf of both my constituents and many, many residents in the city who are living under fear. I want to start by saying that International Migrants Day is December 18, so two days from now. And I want to remind us that the term migrant is more than a legal term.

It's a word that encompasses the lives, the journeys, and struggles, but also the richness of people who through sheer resilience will power and love cross borders, rivers, mountains, and deserts to come to the place that symbolizes a welcoming home for all, or at least it did until this administration. I met many of these migrants during my own personal journey. People from Philippines, Palestine, Ghana, Haiti, and other places. And I served some of them in our homeless shelters. We describe them as migrants, people who are not yet given the opportunity to experience the security of American citizenship. And if you are someone who had to become an American citizen, you know exactly what I'm talking about. These are people who have risked death, drowning, rape, trafficking in the hands of smugglers to get a chance at that American citizenship for their children's future, their dreams, hopes, and safety.

and people who live, work and worship amongst us, but who are perhaps invisible to many of us because they now live in terror and fear about the next time a federal agent will snatch them. never to be seen again. Many of them are about to lose the only protected status that somewhat protects them from the cruel fangs of the federal administration. Many of these neighbors have lives and stories richer than our own. They are doctors, nurses, homemakers, teachers, factory workers, engineers, lawyers, actors, and musicians. Activists, organizers, and members of civil society in their own countries. They are blamed for causing homelessness and causing our shelters to swell.

Politicians and decision makers in our own state at the highest levels have perpetuated the same fear-mongering narrative we hear from racists and xenophobes. It's them we often hear that are causing homelessness, even as politicians in our own state have neglected systemic investments in housing stability and homelessness prevention. So on this day, many of us will nod in agreement that migrants are a wonderful addition to our community. I will wait for Councilor Toomey to take her place.

You can continue. People get up and ask questions all the time. Please continue.

On this day, many of us will nod in agreement that migrants are a wonderful addition to our community and will express disgust at the federal government's actions. Some of us will tout going to a couple of faith places and assure people that we have their backs. Yet the symbolic gestures will just stay that, symbolic in the face of migrants being blamed and hunted like animals. The real resistance to this fascist regime and the way that it's persecuting migrants will be up to the people in our streets. Residents like the ones who showed up and stood up on Eureka Street. people like Jillian, Mighty Morales, and neighbor-to-neighbor leaders, and elected officials with the moral courage willing to put their own bodies and political power on the line to defend them even when they bear the cost of it. Some remember the two-year-old Syrian boy who washed ashore in Turkey, or maybe you never heard of him. The lifeless body of Alan Kurdi,

A two-year-old Syrian boy washed ashore in Turkey in 2015. He became a symbol of what migrants risk just to escape wars and poverty. His parents did what so many of our parents did to bring us to safety. Some of us drowned and some of us survived. I will never stop fighting until our symbolic gestures are followed by aggressive, unapologetic defense of migrants. Children like Allen in our own community who are drowning in a white supremacist system that is persecuting, detaining, and attempting to ethnically and racially reorient this country and our own communities. I hope our community members continue to show up for migrants, undocumented neighbors, refugees and immigrants as they attempt to survive a fascist regime intent on ripping our communities apart. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay, we're gonna do a roll call on the resolution.

Mr. Chairman.

Councilor King.

Yes, I'd like to sign on to this. And I would like to make a statement and thank you to Councilor Haxhiaj for this item and the opportunity to speak on it. Mr. Chairman and fellow council members, I want to say that I am in strong support of recognizing National Migrant Day here in the city of Worcester. I speak not only as Vice Chair of this Council, but as a brother and son of immigrants from Bermuda. My family's story is one of hard work, faith, sacrifice, and hope. Like so many immigrant families in this city, We came here and they come here believing in opportunity, believing in community. Mr. Chairman, they believe that this city and this country could be a place where their children belong and thrive. One of the things that I'm proud of that Worcester has been a city shaped by migration.

We heard earlier today, Councilor Bergman testify about his personal family experiences, the different ethnicities and nationalities in one single three-decker. That's what Worcester's about. From generation to generation, newcomers have built our neighborhoods, our small businesses, our schools, and our hospitals. Also, Mr. Chairman, our houses of worship. The immigrants separate us not just from Worcester's story, they are Worcester's story, and that's why this moment matters. In light of the recent Supreme Court decision that allows for the profiling of immigrants based on how they look, if they have an accent, where they work, etc., many families in our city are living with fear and uncertainty. Measures like this and resolutions like this give them solace to a small degree. Parents are worried about being stopped while driving to work.

Children, anxious about whether their families will be safe when they come home from school, Mr. Chairman. These aren't abstract. These aren't far out concerns. They're real. They're not imagined. They're being felt right now in our city, in our neighborhoods. That's why this order is not just symbolic. National My Record Day is not just symbolic. It's a statement of our values that Worcester will choose dignity over division. It says that we reject fair based on enforcement and stand for fairness, humanity and equal treatment under the law. It says that we understand public safety is strongest when people trust their government, not when they're afraid of it. Mr. Chairman, this is a moment for Worcester to come together and to band strong. That's what we're about. Today, we lit the menorah outside of City Hall.

and Celebration of Hanukkah and the idea that light This is another opportunity. Let's be strong across cultures, across faiths, across race, language, and place of birth. When we stand together, Mr. Chairman, we send a clear message. Everyone who calls Worcester Homes deserves respect, protection, and due process. This recognition will affirm that our city will continue to be a place of welcome opportunity and of shared responsibility. It honors the contributions of migrants past and present, our family members, our friends, our colleagues, our schoolmates. It commits us to a future rooted in unity not fair. I hope that this is unanimous support of this recognition to stand with and for our immigrant neighbors today and every day, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you. Councilor

Thank you. I wasn't going to say anything, but I just wanted to say one thing. This item on face value, I will definitely support. A lot of the stuff that my colleagues, no disrespect, shared, I disagree Foley, and Foley with. So I'm not supporting their ideology. I'm supporting this item as it reads face value. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay.

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

Councilor Haxhiaj.

The only ideology that I have through the chair is that of humanity, and it's a shame that anybody would have any suggestions being, sorry, I just, wow. Wow. The ideology that is reflected in these words is the ideology that has made the city what it is. a place where migrants and refugees and immigrants and undocumented people are welcome. It is sorely disappointing that a member of the city council with an immigrant background would choose shameful attacking words on the ideology that should be a humanity principle for all of us. I have zero words to say to Councilor Colorio other than those.

Okay. Okay, Council Bergman.

Councilor Colorio, Mr. Chair, said things that I would have said. I like the order. But you know what I don't like? I don't like the assumption that because you disagree with somebody, you're a bad person, or that there's unbelievable motives I'll tell you what's unbelievable. Tonight we heard four times about Eureka Street. Is that a coincidence? When somebody is dealing with issues related to Eureka Street, the issue of Eureka Street came up four times tonight, and issues that shouldn't come up at all. That's what I find, wow.

Thank you. Okay, we are, I'm going to, I'm speaking.

Mr. Mayor, I hope you have something to say about this. It is unacceptable that you as the mayor of the city would not have anything to say.

Yeah, I am gonna support this, I was gonna say beforehand, I support this strongly. I think this is very important to the immigrant community. and I think that unfortunately what's going on in this country today, I think it's pretty sad when you have innocent people being rounded up and out of the country. So I am gonna support this and we are going to do a roll call. Russell.

Before you go to your roll call, I just want to say I support the item fully. And I want to say that each one of us in this council and each one of us in this chamber have got our own Stories about our ancestors or our immediate family, sometimes about us individually. And Worcester has always been a place where everyone's welcome. That's why I know, I mean, the first thing that comes to my mind, and I know it's just trivial, but it's solid. and it's a solid item. And it's as solid as the rock that they put on Grafton Hill that says, welcome to Grafton Hill. because Grafton Hill, like all of Worcester, has always been a place where everyone's welcome and everyone's welcome to this community. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Roll call.

Yes. 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. And Mayor Petty.

Yes. Next is 13A, we're gonna refer it to the Economic Development Committee. And 13B, refer it to the Public Works Committee. 14A is the motion to advertise the proposed ordinance. 14B is the motion to accept. You take those correctly on a 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. Mayor Petty. Mr. Chairman.

Yes. Russell.

Could we take 17-H off the pending list just to file it? It's something that the manager took care of a long time ago, was dealing with the security in the building.

Sure, we'll just finish the agenda first and we'll go there. So we got 15A to 15D and 15E. 15A, 15D is motions accepting and adopting the roll call. 15E is motion to accept. And 16A is... Motion to adopt on the roll call. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Mr. Chairman? Councilor King?

You ran through that quickly. This includes 16A, right?

Yes.

Okay, thanks.

Bergeman? Yes. Councilor Calorio?

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. Okay, 17H, we have a motion to take 17H off the table. We request City Manager to install metal detector safety equipment of the City Hall whenever open, similar to the equipment used at Polar Park, the Worcester District Court, and the public places, and on before December 31st, 2024. was filed by Councilor Russell and Bergman. So the motion to take it off the table, roll call. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio?

Yes. Councilor Haxhiaj? No. Councilor King?

Yes.

Mero-Carlson, Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda, Councilor Pacillo, Councilor Russell, Councilor Toomey, Mayor Petty. Yes. Motion to file. Motion is to file, roll call. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio?

Yes.

Councilor Haxhiaj?

Yes.

King, Mero-Carlson, Young, Ojeda, Pacillo, Russell, Toomey, and Mayor Petty.

That brings us to the end of the meeting. Councilor Mero-Carlson.

Yes, Mr. Chairman. this brings my tenure to a close.

Do we have a motion to suspend the rules?

Yes, that would be great.

Okay, roll call. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio? Yes. Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Yes.

Yes.

Yes. Yes.

So as I started to say, Mr. Chairman, this brings my tenure to a close, 10 years. I've had an amazing 10 years on this council and representing the folks in District 2. I just wanted to take Two minutes at best to say to the manager how much I appreciate all of what we've accomplished. And we've accomplished a lot. And one of those accomplished and Mr. Manager was you becoming City Manager. There's lots of things in the 10 years that I can talk about. but I will not do that. I want to say thank you to all of the amazing employees.

and the City of Worcester who work every day tirelessly and all they do for the most part is get yelled at. and we all know that. But I want them to know how much I appreciate all that they do every day because I do know what they do and trying to get those things done. and I just want to close by saying the other for me the other huge accomplishments Two of them stick out, but there's certainly many. All the work in District 2 and all of our parks. It's amazing what has been done and continues to be done. And I'm certainly grateful for all of that. and us hiring the new police chief was certainly something for me I'm extremely proud.

and I'm extremely proud and I'm sorry that I haven't said it more often. I'm extremely proud of the men and women who work in our police department. and they deserve a huge shout out for all that they have gone through over the last couple of years. And again, there's certainly things that needed to be done, changes that needed to be made and with the leadership of you, Mr. Manager, along with this council, a lot of things have changed. So I just want to say, It's been real. I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my life. And Mr. Mayor, I want to say thank you for your partnership in my 10 years and there's a lot that's happened in District 2.

because of that work, and to Nico, thank you and your office for all you've done. You're an amazing young man. So thank you.

and thank you for your service and thank you. Since you are under suspension, I just wanna thank the members also of the DPW trying to fix all these problems Water leaks, and they're out there in the freezing cold over the last few weeks. Maybe we can get a report back to explain exactly what happened. Next week? Okay. I'll have to file an audit. Do I get a report back next week? Okay. Because it's pretty complicated. Again, I just want to thank the men and women of DPW, and I also think I want to thank Councilor Mero-Carlson for 10 years of good service, and we can have more discussion next week at the last meeting of the Council. Okay, motions to adjourn. Roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Colorio?

Yes.

Councilor Haxhiaj? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Carlson. Yes. Councilor Nguyen, Councilor Ojeda. Yes. Councilor Pacillo.

Yes.

Councilor Russell. Yes. Councilor Toomey.

Yes.

And Mayor Petty. Yes.