City Council 01/13/2026

Good evening everyone, please welcome to the Worcester City Council meeting, the first meeting of the year with our new City Council. If you can, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star-Spangled Banner.

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 were 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 King, and the home of the brave.

Just ask everybody to remain standing. We do a moment of silence for three people who have passed away in the last few weeks who dedicated their lives really to the community. First, the City Council, Dennis Irish, who was a fourth-term City Councilor. Ginny Ryan, who was a neighborhood advocate, advocate for education. and also ran for public office. And of course, Dr. Lenny Morse. We have the Morse Stroll over at Elm Park named after him. He was a public health commissioner. Thank you. We already did the drawing of the seats.

Next is adopt the rules of the City Council, 26-27, roll call.

with attendance as well, Councilor Bergman.

Yes. Mr. Chairman, can you just repeat that please?

Over item four, adopt the rules of the City Council, roll call.

Chairman, is there new rules? No.

Same as we left off last year.

Okay. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Bilotta? Yes. Councilor Economou? Yes. Councilor King, yes, Councilor Mitra, yes, Councilor Ojeda, yes, Councilor Rivera, yes, Councilor Rosen, yes, Councilor Toomey, yes, and Mayor Petty. Yes. I suppose we should do a roll call too, right? Rowe-Paul. Councilor Bergman? Here. Councilor Bilotta?

Here.

Councilor Economou? Here. Councilor Fresolo? Here. Councilor King? Here. Councilor Mitra? Hayter, here, Councilor Rivera, here, Councilor Rosen, here, Councilor Toomey, here, and Mayor Petty, here.

Okay, we have four proclamations to hand out, if you want to come in. Okay, these are our Name a Snowplow winners. Come right around and circle around. Keep going, take a right, right there.

Go up that way.

Is that everybody? I thought there were more out there. No? Oh, the winners. Okay, anybody else wanna come in? You're more than welcome. Any more students out there? Mothers, teachers, grandmothers? Okay.

They wanna come in.

Okay, I'm just gonna. Okay, so the senior manager and the superintendent did a contest on the name of snowplow contest for 2025. I think it's our second year doing this, Mr. Manager. And we have some great names. So I'm just gonna read the proclamation and each class will get a proclamation. It says, whereas the dedicated staff at the Department of Public Works diligently works on keeping our roads clear of snow and safe for access throughout the winter season, often in extreme weather. Whereas the City of Willis is second. Name a snow plow contest sought to enhance the visibility of the snow plow fleet and its hardworking drivers. whereas the City of Worcester's administration collaborated with the Worcester Public Schools to celebrate our municipal workforce and creativity of young scholars. whereas the falling Worcester Public School classrooms submitted winning entries as determined by a process of public voting of nearly 2,000 ballots.

First, Mrs. Brooks Arnold and Mrs. Kelly Walls, grade two, Thorndike Road School class. And they named theirs. and there's a two hour delay destroyer. Next is Mrs. Ruzick's grade four Thorndike Road class, which was Snow Raider. and we had Ms. Walsall's grade nine through 12 life skills, C North High School class, which was Quiro Potha. Quiro Potha. and Ms. Nicole Trudeau's grade four consuming elementary school class, Ice Zero.

So whereas each name will be bestowed upon a permanently visible snow plow truck assigned to clear main arteries in each quadrant of the City of Worcester. Now therefore, I, Mayor Joseph Van Petty, Mayor of the City of Worcester, hereby proclaim the naming of the four of the City's Worcester snow plow trucks as Two Hour Delay Destroyer, Snow Raider, Coropatra, and Icezilla for the 25-26 winter season, and ask all residents to congratulate and recognize students who submitted the winning names. So we have Ms. Brooks and Ms. Walsh. Then we have Ms. Radix, there she was. And Heather Walsh. You're welcome. And Nicole, no, there you go. Congratulations.

Okay, can we all get a group shot and squeeze in everybody? This is fun, this is a fun one tonight.

I'm gonna stand up here.

Thank you very much.

One more.

Go for it.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I just wanted to say that.

You look fantastic.

Next we have approve of the minutes. That's item 6A, approve of the minutes of December 16th, 2025. All those in favor? Mr. Chairman?

I don't think we can approve the minutes of the ones from the council, the new people who were not at the meeting. Yeah, you can. We can approve them. You read them? I don't think you can approve the minutes of any meeting that you did not attend.

We're going to ask the law department for an opinion on that. Yeah, we could.

Of course.

Through the chair, if you've read the minutes and you can attest to them and watch, you can.

Okay, so have we read? Okay, we'll do a roll call. I feel comfortable doing it. We can do it.

Can't do that.

Roll call.

Bergman, yes, Councilor Bilotta, yes, Councilor Economou, yes, Councilor Fresolo, yes, Councilor King, yes, Councilor Mitra, yes, Councilor Ojeda, yes, Rivera, Rosen, Epstein, Toomey, and Mayor Petty.

Yes. Okay, Councilor Rosen, happy birthday today.

Oh, yes.

Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Public participation person may speak for no more than two minutes. I'm appearing on the agenda. Mr. Clark.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. 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 items on the agenda for the meeting both in person and remotely. Any person who wishes to speak on more than one agenda item shall combine their testimony on all items at one appearance to the microphone. The time for speaking shall not exceed two minutes for any one speaker or 30 minutes for all speakers. On the first occasion, any petition appears on the City Council agenda. The primary petition may address the City Council for no more than three minutes on the subject of their petition.

Okay.

Does your name, City Residence, sign a number?

Yes, Fred Nathan Worcester. 11-4, just curious why someone who's looking for a project application is asking for a TIF exemption as compared to an actual TIF. Just curious the clarification of that, which you guys can talk about afterwards. 12-A. Just curious if this is an overreach by the city administration trying to dictate to a department, I don't know if this is on their personal, website so they must have in the police department or on their on the actual department

Phones or what have you, but trying to tell the police what they can put on their Facebook page or for that matter, is in overreach and we hear about censorship all around the country and this sounds to me like censorship.

Idaho Houses, City of Worcester. and welcome to all the new counselors. I have to say it sure looks different and I hope that the politics will be a little different. Thank you. I would like to speak on 12D. the overturn of police officers from the police department and asking that the chief give a report as to why officers are leaving the department. I would also ask that the chief break it down in the number of minorities leaving the department. I think that's rather important. 13B, WRTA.

In regard to improve the bus service, yes, the buses need to leave the hub and arrive at the hub. in a timely manner and at the bus stops in between. And as far as having the same day service for the paratransit, I think that would be a good idea. Sometimes things come up and people need to be wherever, a doctor's appointment, or last minute they realize they're out of items that they need for health reasons at the market. and also, whoo, changing bus routes. If they do that, I hope that they don't eliminate bus routes in the process. And I think Rosen for bringing up that item. Thank you.

Thank you. What's your name? Say your residence and item number. Andrew Marsh, 212 May Street, Worcester. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, I rise to speak on agenda items 13A, 13B, 13F, 13I, 13J, and 13P. Mr. Mayor, in the last couple of years, we've made small but meaningful strides towards the City of Worcester's evolution into a more walkable, bikeable, bus-frequent city. From fare-free bus service to lowering the municipal speed limit to redesigning roads like Mill Street to slow down cars and give residents more options to safely get around, we've come together to make Worcester a better city to live and exist in. I thank Councilor Bilotta for his contributions tonight toward that shared Vision Zero. While I appreciate Councillor Rosen's contribution to a more structured speedhump policy and more proactive bus service in Worcester, I am concerned by his and Councillor Mitra's orders that, in my view, run counter to the goals of Vision Zero.

The changes to Mill Street and the municipal speed limit were hard fought changes that took far too long to accomplish, in large part due to bad faith arguments from members of this council, both former and Current that slowed down the progress we've made. These two orders are rooted in a foundation of returning to the past, a past where people were injured at best and killed at worst. Due to automobiles refusing to share space with and respect the presence of others. We do not need a report on the lower speed limit. It works, plain and simple. We similarly do not need a report on the reconstruction of our roads like Pleasant Street to make them more friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians. Mill Street has proven that they work and we do not need Pleasant Street to suffer the same setbacks. I refuse to live in a city where cars are the de facto only way to navigate it. We have a lot more work to do to make Vision Zero a reality in Worcester, and these two orders do nothing but stall and prolong our evolution.

I urge this council to reject them so this city's progression to a more walkable and bikeable city can continue without impediment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Hi, well, my name is Nicole Belanger. I live here in Worcester. Welcome to all the new council members. I'm here to speak on item 13F, which requests additional research be done on the one and a half mile stretch from unpleasant street also known as State Route 122 from Tatnick Square to the Paxton Line. I live in the affected area and my neighbors and I have been advocating for improved road safety since one of our neighbors too was killed by a car while walking in the area in 2017. In that area, drivers go consistently 15 to 20 miles or more over the speed limit in a dense neighborhood with steep hills, blind curves, and a history of countless tragedies over many years. This project is very much needed. And I'll add that it's exhausting to continually have to speak about and defend my neighborhood's right to a safe travel for what I see as effectively a desire to speed in that neighborhood, in that area. In my purview, this agenda item mischaracterizes the public process where more people spoke in favor of safety improvements than against it.

Today's vote on this and other road safety agenda items will set the tone for our new council. Worcester has nearly doubled the pedestrian fatalities of Boston, and I hope that this new council will continue the momentum towards safer streets that are very overdue. I've met with many of you or spoken with you on this issue over the years. And if you spent time in that area, you know firsthand just how dangerous that neighborhood is. The area, there's side books on one side. I could go on and on. My ask to you is that you vote against item 13F or amend it to instead put that energy into researching and developing and a broad safety traffic plan for the roads on the periphery of the MassDOT project that the city does have jurisdiction over, which I heard at the meeting recently on December 3rd at the West Technical School that many speakers thought was a necessity to address some of the other peripheral issues. Neighbors have been working on safety issues like a sidewalk on Mower Street near the West Tatnick Elementary School, speed bumps on Prouty Lane and Bailey Road.

and the Middle Mower situation is also very antiquated and the neighborhood area is, the infrastructure is neglected and creates dangerous conditions.

Thank you.

Does your name say residence and name number?

Yes, my name is Misty Green. I live at 10 Sheridan Street. I'm a constituent in Worcester. Thank you for allowing me to speak. I am speaking on items 12D and 21I. The items request that the city manager direct the police chief to provide the city council with a report on the Worcester Police Department's officer turnover rate. and the communications in the release of the DOJ report. I am here to hold the Mayor Petty, City Manager Eric Batista and every City Councilor accountable for your public safety and I am demanding full transparency. that includes the immediate release of the DOJ report and all relevant Worcester Police Department reports and put real pressure on state and federal levels to commit to true public safety, especially regarding the actions of ICE agents in Worcester and across Massachusetts and against this fascist regime.

I was present when Mayor Petty and City Manager Bautista stated that Worcester Police would not assist federal agents, yet that is exactly what they did on Eureka Street. They were allowed to take humans, a community member, a mother, a daughter, loved ones. Our beloved community members, Ashley and Etel, were arrested and are now facing serious charges. One of them, Etel Hajaj, is one of your own, an elected city councilor. You have the authority to intervene, yet you stand by while fear and terror grows in our communities. Drop all charges now, please. Across this country, we are witnessing ICE violence that is costing human lives, families, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, our loved ones, your loved ones, everybody's loved ones. I am demanding action now. You recently took an oath. I urge you to honor it. Protect the people that you were elected to serve. We are watching your decisions closely.

How can this community trust the City of Worcester, this committee, or the Worcester Police Department to protect us, especially BIPOC, LGBTQ+, marginalized communities, unhoused residents, and immigrants, documented or undocumented? We are all human. We all deserve to live without fear. We the people does not just mean those in power. It means all of us together, Mr. Mayor. Thank you.

Did your name say residence and item number?

My name is Amanda Cronin. I'm a resident at 598 Salisbury Street in Worcester. I'm here to speak on 12D and 21I. The DOJ report on the Worcester Police Department, which found officers unreasonably deploy tasers. Use police dogs. Strike people in the head. Officers rapidly escalate minor incidents by using more force than necessary. WPD engages in outrageous government conduct that violates the constitutional rights of women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade by engaging in sexual contact during undercover operations. This is not a police department that respects the rights of Worcester residents. As Trump's authoritarian regime normalizes such behavior across America, the Worcester City Council should step up and protect residents by establishing a civilian review board, no other organization

can provide the same independence, transparency, and trust within this community. The Post Commission has no disciplinary role. An effective Civilian Review Board must be able to subpoena and investigate allegations. They must be able to discipline officers that are found to have violated law or procedure. As a Worcester resident, I urge the City Council to vote for a civilian review board with teeth that protects all residents. Thank you.

Thank you.

and Abby Mortillero, Worcester resident, District 4. I'm going to start with item 13G. I support the City Council observing the Jewish holiday of Purim. I think it's very important for Jewish people. All right. Next item, 13H collection system. You know, I see these needles all over public parks and Really disgusting. They're all the public places. So having a proper collection system to dispose of these needles properly is, I think, important. All right. Moving on to 21F. 21I

I demand that Prosecutor Stephen Gange drop the charges against Ethel Hajij and Ash Spring. These are heroes who were defending a woman who was being taken, kidnapped by the ICE fascist regime. and you know I demand you know some accountability and you know and yeah and drop those charges and you know I demand that Worcester police stand up to ICE. Here in New York, NYPD officers are arresting ICE agents. That's what I want to see here in Worcester. So, accountability and rule of law. Thank you.

Hello, my name is Gary Hunter, and I'm in District 5. And I'm sure some of you don't really want me to be here tonight. but I'm in uh some things were already said that I was going to say I'm looking at 12b and 21l it's been over a year since we got the DOJ report and it's been and nothing else has come out for accountability. I think the people of the city of Worcester need accountability and on top of that, we need a civilian review board. Now, I know a lot of you guys are not gonna vote for that. There was some of the city council says when we had other meetings and there was a lot of people speaking about issues and they go, we don't listen to you. We listen to the 200,000 people in Worcester. Well, I believe if you listen to the 200,000 people of Worcester, they want a civilian review board.

And I think we're going to try until it gets passed. I was at the... and I was talking to one of the city councilors and there was a question on Facebook about integrity. There was integrity and who you think had the most integrity. and I was talking to one of the Councilors after the inauguration and they said, I have the most integrity because I stick to my guns and that's what integrity means. Well, my point is it doesn't mean necessarily that. If you stick to your guns all the time, it means you're not listening to other people. you're not listening to different point of views and I think that's form of integrity is just being stubborn so what we need to do is please Take another look at the Civilian Review Board because we have people in the city. There's a lot of them that want it and they're going to be here on your back until we finally get something almost every other city has one.

You say that they can take care of their own and what we have. How is that working out? We need it now.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Janice, and I want to thank Satra Mitra for putting this as a petition. My issue is very boring. It's personal. So it's about changing our street from a private street to a public road. It's Bealey Avenue. It's a very short street. We used to have the city gravel it back in the day. We were always top of the list. Funding was run out, so we hired private contractors to pave the street. and now we're finding that some homeowners don't feel that they should pay their portion because they don't live towards the end of the street. So my husband and I have been eating their portion. There's a tree that was planted middle of the road that splits the road in half. So on some GPS for emergency vehicles, they might come the wrong way. If they mean to come to the houses on this side, there's a tree, boulders planted there.

So we'd like to see that reopened and half a street made Public, but also because there's washout, erosion, potholes, and it makes sense to have it made public. I have questions as far as like what are the costs involved with that you know as far as the butters what the square footage is I have you know questions and do I need to get signatures from all the residents that are on the street, plus the abutters. I don't know what the process is. I did read the City of Worcester's private streets brochure, but it doesn't give me everything in here. So I have questions as far as how long does it take, the process? Am I going to be alive to see the road made public if it gets approved? And the cost as far as frontage. I know it's based on frontage. and I know what the payment scale is. You know, you pay up front or 10%, forgive me, 10 years or 20 years.

I understand that. That was in your brochure. But I guess I just need to know more information, what the process is. Can I petition it alone or do I need to get the signatures? So I'm here to find out how to move forward with that. So thank you so much.

So it's gonna go to the planning board. Okay. Then you can ask questions there. Then it's gonna come back to the Public Works Committee for a hearing too. So you have two hearings you'll get on this. Okay.

Will I be notified about the hearings?

Yeah, and Nico will get your name before you leave and phone number and we will go from there.

Thank you so much.

You have it all? Okay.

Hi, Janet Davis, Worcester resident. I'm here to speak tonight about 21I. I would like to have that removed from table status and brought to the floor for discussion. This is in regards to the Department of Justice report, which, as somebody noted, was released over a year ago. Like many have said before, we should be talking about a civilian review board. There are many in the community who are calling for it. and at the least we should be talking about it on the floor instead of just continuing to ignore it and pushing it to the side. So I'm here tonight to remind folks that people in the community have not forgotten about it and we will continue to come here pushing for it.

You should name and say your residence.

Hi, good evening. My name is Sarah Bertrand. I live in District 3 in Worcester. And I'm also speaking in regards to item 21I and the DOJ report. Over the last year and over the last week particularly, the country has been blatantly reminded of the potential results of unchecked power of law enforcement. and they should serve as a warning and a reminder for our city to put the mirror up to ourselves and our own governments and local law enforcement. Our community has experienced racial bias, excessive use of force, violation of rights, and emotional and physical injury not only at the hands of Ice, but also at the hands of Worcester Police Department, as documented in the DOJ report and as testified by your constituents.

It's been over a year since the Department of Justice report was issued, months since the Research Bureau's report on civilian review boards was issued, and decades since residents have been asking for accountability and for a civilian review board in the city. It's unacceptable that a public funded institution is not accountable to the public. Holding a public-funded institution to a higher standard is not disparaging nor radical. It's what our community deserves and what our community has been asking for for decades. are asked that the council unshelve the Department of Justice report, the racial equity audit, the research bureau's report on civilian review boards, and move forward in instituting a civilian review board for the Worcester Police Department. Thank you.

I'm here to ask City Councilors to oppose the proposed TIF item 11.4. for the Mankiti Group. I'm asking council to oppose not only this TIF, which would be their second, but the third TIF that's coming up next, which will be the Denholm Building, that they're looking for a TIF for that. I think everyone here is aware that the Mankiti group was recognized by the city manager and the city as having broken Worcester's responsible development ordinance. I think a lot of you here have been part of the journey we've been all on, on creating a TIF policy, creating an ordinance, and trying to stick to it, most recently making it the Responsible Development Ordinance. That has to mean something. If we're going to pass a Responsive Element Ordinance, it needs to mean something.

We can't just pass it, say how we care about Responsive Element, and then ignore it when folks break the ordinance. So seven electors, Mayor Petty, state reps, senators, and city councilors, seven electors signed our Responsible Development Pledge this year, which was to claw back the TIF from and the Mankiti project on Main Street that's currently going. So as a corporation, we do expect that folks are going to stand strong and work towards not giving them any more. They've already proven what they're going to do, how they're not going to help our city. And so we ask you to stick with that. At the September 9th City Council meeting, the City Council voted and approved to request the City Manager for a full report on what happened at 204 Main Street, and that report still hasn't come back. That report needs to come back before the City Council moves forward with a new TIF.

It's just crazy for us to approve something and the report hasn't even coming back on what happened. So I ask that we hold and wait for that September 9th report. Lastly, I just want to remind folks, as part of the Responsible Development Ordinance, the process is the TIF proposal goes to the Jobs Fund and then it goes to the Economic Development Committee after. So I just want folks to remember that order. Thank you.

Hello, my name is Chiara Munz, and I'm from District 2, and I wanted to talk on a few of the transportation-oriented items on this agenda. First, I'm in support of 13B, Thank you so much for putting this on the agenda. Everyone knows our transit system is in sore need of an upgrade, so thank you. I'm glad to see our commitment to the redesign of the WRTA and bus rapid transit. I hope to see you listening in to progress updates from Administrator Rickman. Also, thank you, Councilor Bilotta for items 13I and 13J, as pedestrian infrastructure on Lincoln Street and Lake Ave could be much better. Now on Councillor Mitra's item 13P on the 25 mile per hour speed limit. I don't think it's that controversial to say that the citywide speed limit has not been effective. I mean, you guys all drive around here, you know what I mean. Although I understand this item's suggestion for more police enforcement, I think it needs to be more realistic.

The moment the cops leave, people will just return to their old behavior. To achieve our city's 2030 goal of no traffic deaths, drivers must naturally drive at 25 miles per hour. I know that sounds crazy for Worcester streets, but think about when you drive 25 miles an hour. I know you guys aren't watching your speedometers like hawks. If it feels safe to go a little faster, your body will subconsciously step on the gas. Otherwise, you instinctually step on the brake. If our streets are wide and straight and feel like you're on a highway, you're not going to go 25 miles an hour. Road redesigns that subtly influence us to pay attention by narrowing the road, adding bumps, and tightening turns are the only way to get people to slow down when cops aren't watching. I ask this council to continue to support the DTM's effort to redesign our streets to put safety over speed. I worry that item 13T will slow down this goal. Time is money and putting all redesigns in front of Council will cost us more man hours.

Council should cut through the red tape and work directly with the DTM with their concerns. Otherwise, remember what these redesigns are in service for. Vision Zero. Let's slow down to 25 mph by supporting the DTM, not slowing it down with more bureaucracy. Thank you.

I'm also here to speak on item 13B, 13I, 13J. I am in support of having a public meeting to discuss what we can do to improve the buses. It is well known that the WRTA does not run on time, does not run frequently enough to get from point A to point B in a timely manner. does not run early enough for people that want to take the commuter rail, does not run late enough for people coming back home from the commuter rail, and it doesn't run frequently enough in most routes, and it doesn't run on time, as I said already. I've shared a story in the past in many public forums, but I'll share it again. The first time I went to Polar Park to watch a game with my family, We took the bus there, assuming at that time that the buses actually would be coordinated with city events, which does not happen. And then by the time the game got out, we had to walk home in the rain because there were no more buses running. Buses stop at 830 going down Grafton Street.

So I would appreciate this hearing to be done because a lot of work has been done already in the community with Tufts University, with students from WPI from Clark. They've done lots of studies about what is lacking in our buses. They've had a lot of community events already getting feedback from the public. So it'd be great if the city could also be involved in seeing what the issues are with our buses and how we could have a BRT system to have a rapid transit system that actually runs every five to 10 minutes instead of every hour like it runs on Grafton Street right now. Thank you. And also, I support Bilotta's requests for improving the mobility. for the Lake Ave and also for the sidewalks, the crosswalks. We need to have a lot more of that all throughout the city, not just in certain areas where certain privileged people live. Thank you.

John Keogh, District 4. I'm here in opposition of 11.4. The McKinney Group does not deserve taxpayer dollars until they have to say something publicly. There's been a tradition in the City Council of never asking businesses to stand here and answer for the things that they've done wrong to the people of Worcester. It's about time the City Council does that, and so I challenge you to ask Menkitty Group to appear here and explain the things that they did, which we still don't know all the way what they did. The second thing is 13c. I'm here in support of Council Rosen's request that Spectrum pay back the money they stole from our seniors. but I want to point out something really important to you about the negotiations that are still ongoing for the franchise agreement. The FCC, the current FCC has eliminated 77 rules, 77 rules, 64 of which apply to the city of Worcester.

The most important one being is that Spectrum can now sunset cable without a franchise agreement on January 1st of next year. I know because I'm a shareholder, I've told you this many times, as a shareholder of Spectrum, I have already received that communication that they are going to Sunset Cable and our city is the third city on that list. If we sign a franchise agreement for 10 years, we're going to lose our ability to deal with the fact that cable is an obsolete technology. We have to move forward. Cable is not necessary anymore. So get the money that they stole back and use that money to invest in the infrastructure of a future without cable. That's the next step for the city of Worcester. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Aretha Karashka, District 3, and I'm here to discuss 12D and 21I. I've actually had the conversation with Chief Saucier about the oversight of the Worcester Police Department with a civilian oversight board. and he disagreed and said, oh, it doesn't work, this and that. Civilians don't have the know-how. Of course, if that's gonna be done, it's gonna be done in the right way. and as a resident of the city that has paid out millions of dollars because of bad actors in the police department. There needs to be oversight. They can't oversight themselves. I mean, none of us want anybody to have oversight over us. But if we're not doing anything wrong and things are being done right, go ahead, oversight me.

So I just wanted to speak out on that. I'm also going to add in we're in a very crazy time in this country where we're watching people be snatched We're watching American citizens being abused and snatched unchecked. I would hope that my local police department that I would love to trust with my life would stop that from happening. To say, wait, everybody just stop until something lawful because we're watching just thugs stealing people. But I would hope that my police would say, that's my Worcester resident. You're not going to do that to them. But that's not what's happened here. And again, I'm going to mention Etel and Ashley. To a lot of us residents, they're heroes. I would want my people who represented me to be as voracious to protect me and say, wait a minute, stop what you're doing.

Let's do this the right way, not a savage, horrible way. So I support a civilian oversight of the police.

Thank you. Name, see your presence, and item number.

Yeah, my name is Michael Riccardi. I'm a Worcester resident, and I'm here to oppose the three-month trial for having no parking on both sides of Grafton Street from Roosevelt School down to Enid Street. I'm hoping if there's a plan for this problem before it comes to a vote. Because if there's no plan, I have no idea where all these 40, 50 cars are going to end up when school releases from Roosevelt School. It's just going to basically shut Grafton Street down. My safety concerns that I read in MassLive were an article that came out saying as far as kids taking bikes to school and walking to school, I asked the principal at Roosevelt, she said there's one person that takes a bicycle to school. So I kind of think it was over exaggerating. As far as walking to school, the only children I see walking to school is on Sunderland Road, which is in back of the school.

which does not have a sidewalk off the property, yes. I think they kind of over exaggerated to get this vote through. Maybe to satisfy one of the residents or the business owners on Grafton Street. I understand there was supposed to be a vote. Day before Christmas Eve, and the article only came out the Monday before, and there wasn't enough councilors here to vote on it, which I'm glad that took place. So I'm hoping we think what's going to happen if this does go through as far as traffic on Grafton Street. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Kaylee Fantasia. I'm also a Worcester resident. I'm here to also oppose the no parking on Grafton Street. I'm a parent. I have places to be after school. No parking on Grafton Street would take the opportunity away from a parent like myself getting there early enough to get my child out in time. I work at the hospital. I need to be there on time. I have to get other kids in Auburn. This would pose a threat to that. Yeah, the safety concerns, I really don't see that being a safety concern. We're not parking on the sidewalks, we're parking on the street. Like my dad said, I think this is to appease a couple business owners, and I don't think that's very fair to what it would do to the parents of Roosevelt. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Good evening, Mr. City Councilors. My name is Luis Soares, and I live in 60 Arthur Street. And I'm going to talk about the Iron 20B. I want to address the new city council in this proposal. This was proposed by George Russell. In the way out, the last day of school, it was like premeditated and unfair, and Mr. King made May 2023, hearing debate, Ms. Toomey, Mr. Beckman, Mr. Ojeda, I say like two years ago, or almost two years ago, that design for that parking lot was not going to work, and that's why we're here today, because don't work. Mr. Fresolo, I was with you in the fight for Dismas House in Alto Street.

You were defending the kid from school. and you were very much because they use propel Notification, but now we have no notification for the issue and no safety for the kid. and I saw Mr. Rowley is not here tonight, Friday, last Friday, getting some information for the city to go against us. And I was over there getting information to defend us. Now, if we put together his finding and my finding, and I do it for free, no charge,

maybe we can get a better solution and the thing over there for me is move the line quicker and I see a lot of stuff that we can do to move the line quicker of Grafton Street. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Grandma Wolfpaw and I'm on Nipmuc territory. I wanted to speak, I don't know the number, but I wanted to speak on the Department of Justice issue that's going on. I do believe that a lot of people speak on this and they have no idea, especially if they're against it. You're not out there. I helped ex-prisoners. I still talk to the homeless. I still work with them. And this is still going on. And when you see it with your own eyes, because I was out there homeless, it's going on. What have I got to lie about? And what have the women got to lie about? Why would they want to be on headlines on something like that? Honestly, why would they? Attell and Ashley should not have been arrested either. They should not. I, myself, am indigenous, and I can't even go out without worrying. And they're mothers. And what happened to the days of everyone checking out and making sure your kids are doing good outside?

That's not going on. And if anyone thinks that you're that important to the government, this won't happen to you. I want you to educate yourself on the Trail of Tears. Because that's what's going on. My people had to go through that. And it's happening again with the indigenous down in the south. and Gen X, you know the history. So are you lying to your kids about my people? Sorry. Are they lying about my people? What you're teaching my people, you are lying. But there needs to be a review board. I actually think there needs to be a, what do you call that when you get in trouble? I can't remember the name of it, but yeah, I do think they need to be held accountable. Let everyone see when they get in trouble. We shouldn't be the only ones.

and so forth, this review board, because it's time. And I, you can kiss my . Come and get me. Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, we got, we'll take a motion to extend the meeting. We have 10 people on the line, so send them in another 30 minutes. Roll call.

Bergman, Bilotta, Economou, Fresolo, King, Manager, Mitra, Ojeda, Rivera? Yes. Councilor Rosen? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. And Mayor Petty? Yes. Okay. Thank you Mr. Mayor. So we're going to start with our first calling user, David Webb. I'm going to try to meet the resident now. Please state your name, city of residence, and the item you're calling on. You have two minutes.

Hi, David Webb, Olympia. Welcome back and welcome to the new ones, even the ones you couldn't bother to show up initially. Thanks for letting more than 15 people speak today. First and foremost... 13B, working with the WRTA to improve the city's bus system. Yes, please. Thanks, Rosen. Also, 13H, needle disposal boxes. This is very long overdue. 13D. Moving all of Worcester's infrastructure to the cloud was bound to have negative repercussions. Interruption is the least of them. This is a result of Manager Batista's administration's bad ideas. 12d issues retaining police officers hmm i wonder why i mean it's probably related to 21g the permanently delayed investigation into systemic racism with public hearings or 21i discrepancies between the doj report and and the WPD's idea of itself. We know that many other officers transferred or retired when the Post Commission was formed. We know about the audit and everyone knows someone mistreated by the Worcester Police Department.

A social media campaign of missing dogs, giving toys to kids, and stopping the occasional drug deal isn't going to make people forget that Carrie Hazlehurst planted evidence where y'all were known for raping sex workers while being paid by the taxpayers. I guess now that there's body worn cameras, the job is less appealing. That being said, there's still no accountability. The law department covers up for them. appreciate Solicitor Calcunas for stepping down from the important role of Public Records Access Officer. The new person seems to be upholding the same problematic practices and just today I got a response trying to charge to release reports of a sex worker that had been found murdered and the WPD ruled it as a suicide. All that effort is wasted, though, because everyone can see how bad they are. Sure. Everyone can see how bad they are because of their social media. 12A, 12F. Reviewing the WPD Police Union's social media behavior and establishing a code of conduct that addresses the behavior of WPD employees online towards both public officials and any president... I'm very biased here.

The Worcester Police Department wants to take action based on my post but worked very, very, very hard not to be held accountable for their vitriol and bigotry on their secret union Facebook page. Thanks.

Samara, the next speaker is John Brown. I'm gonna try to meet the resident now.

Good evening, can you hear me?

Yes, please state your name, city of residence, and the item you're on.

Good evening, yes, John Brown, City of Worcester, District 5. I wanted to talk about 12b, 12e, 12f, 12g, 12i. Those are all having to do with social media policy for the city at large and the Worcester Police Department. I do support these going into discussion and getting on the council floor. I just want to add a point of clarification. The city does not have to look too far to actually implement policies around this matter. There's already a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on this. I believe it's Linkey. And long story short, regardless of what City or State Official or Federal Official uses as a device to post content online. The matters of that are by nature public records and fall under public records requests, meaning if you post something on your own social media account, especially if you're on duty. That does qualify your device and your user account under public records request.

There's already a major case happening. I forget the Mayor, but separate city. They're going through this right now where they deleted text messages sent from their private phone, but had to do as official city business. And again, this has already been litigated. City doesn't have to look too far. Just look to the Supreme Court. All of those materials are already falling under public records laws, not the least of which Massachusetts public records laws. To expand on that too, there is an issue for if there is a review board Mr. Mayor, some of the same authorities having to do with weak or strong subpoenas for that review board. Again, those materials would also fall under the purview of such a review board. To the Mayor, it would also maybe behoove the Mayor to install an educational seminar on the creation of state laws, especially if

The city doesn't institute a civilian review board to create a citizen petition to create an OIG independent.

Next speaker.

Next speaker is Natalie Gibson, chairman of the resident now.

Hi, I'd like to say welcome to all the new council members and thank you to all the previous people that spoke on some of the many things that I was going to speak on. I'm not going to belabor them. I am in support of 9H through 9J, painting of the street lanes, additional crosswalks, and et cetera. The absence of road markings for drivers to create their own, The absence of these things, of these road markings actually allows for drivers to create their own travel lanes. Measures are definitely needed to slow To slow traffic in both directions of Pleasant Street coming into the rotary, the city has been told this countless times. However, no measures have been taken.

Why is a crosswalk in front of Doherty also paired up with a left turn pocket and a side street, especially without a RR? FB. While a vehicle is in the left turn pocket, a vehicle passing on the right, not knowing that a vehicle in that pocket is allowing a pedestrian to cross due to the setting of the sun or oversized vehicle. That's an accident waiting to happen. 13D, the alert system. Why do we not have a backup system to work off of? There has already been an issue with notifying residents of a delay due to the weather the day before the Thursday trash and recycling pickup. Turns out... Casella did in fact come on Thursday and on Friday. So now I'm sure that's an extra cost to the city that we're going to be paying for. 13H. Thank you, Gary Rosen, for this needle program.

I just hope that the pharmacy doesn't end up deferring the cost to the taxpayer. Lastly, 13K, I did email every single one. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Next speaker is Will Tablet. Can we try the name of the resident now? Can you please state your name and city of residence?

Hello, everyone. Good evening. My name is Will Talbot, and I'm a Worcester resident of District 5 and a member of the Strongtown's Worcester leadership team. This evening, I am here in support of Item 13B, to begin the process of improving bus service in Worcester. I am also here regarding item 13F and to express support for safety improvements along Pleasant Street. Improving the frequency, convenience, and reach of transit in the city would have myriad benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, reducing traffic congestion, promoting community development along routes, and allowing people who do not want to drive on certain or all trips to have alternative options for transportation. I am very excited by the inclusion of a wide variety of community stakeholders in this proposed measure including the WRTA, local transit riders, and organizations advocating for the fare-free policy.

The Worcester public transit system needs to better serve the city's residents and this measure is a good first step for collaboratively making this happen. Regarding item 13f, I am concerned that the results of this request could lead to the unnecessary delays in the construction of infrastructure designed to enhance the safety of cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists, and prevent dangerous crashes along Pleasant Street from Tatnock Square to the Paxton Line. And a public participatory process has been occurring for over five years on this project. I hope that these safety measures can be implemented swiftly. To conclude, I urge the Council to continue to support the improvement and expansion of Worcester's public transportation system and cyclist, pedestrian, and motorist safety measures along Pleasant Street and across the city. Thank you so much.

Thank you. And next speaker.

Mayor, Speakers, Kitt, I'm joined with the resident now. Please state your name and state your residence.

Hello, my name, sorry. My name is Kit. I'm a resident of Worcester District 1, here to speak in support of Agenda Items 13. Public Transit in the area, as well as 13 H&I because it'd be good to have a needle and otherwise another prescription collection system across the city. But I'm mostly speaking in support of 13b because of the outstanding need for widespread public transit that is invested around the people of Worcester rather than the cars that We have to drive to get anywhere.

I know that the real rapid transit plan has been in motion along with Vision Zero, but we are waiting and waiting and waiting for these actions to happen, but nothing's happening. Not to say that you're not trying to make it happen, but it takes time. and we've been dawdling around for most of it. I just want to see real progress happen in the city of Worcester in regards to public transit, walkability, bikeability and more adaptability. or people that may not have access to public private transportation like the kids, the elderly who need to get around and the people who all around cannot afford to own and maintain a vehicle of their own. But yeah, also good that you're putting forth 13H, you know.

Public collection of things like needles and prescriptions that are expired is proven to be a net positive regardless of where they are. So, you know, speaking out in support is necessary. Thank you. I yield the rest of my time.

The next speaker.

Mr. Mayor, the next speaker is Eric Stratton, trying to meet the resident now.

Yes, good evening. I am calling on a number of items. We have a quite busy agenda, so I will try to be swift. Regarding 9H, 9I, and 9J, these improvements over on Highland as well as by Newton Square. Newton Square desperately needs to be redesigned and frankly I support the you know design in terms of adding painted lanes and increasing the size of the island in the middle. I have been almost hit there several times with young children while I am in the crosswalks there. Drivers in the city do not take pedestrian safety to heart at all. It is really sad to see the degree to which people simply just get in their car, they're in a big metal cage, and they don't care about anyone else. They need to get to where they're going, and they need to get there fast.

that intersection is incredibly dangerous in a very highly populated area with a number of school children both elementary school high school and families it needs a redesign and this really ties in I think to some of the efforts based in 9i and 9j with regards to crosswalks and parking to improve visibility and increase safety for other road users, for pedestrians who need to cross the street there. This also ties into items like 13f, 13i, and 13j, I believe, which are really dealing with our bike and pedestrian infrastructure here. With regards to the item on Pleasant Street, Please do not continue to delay that project or the project going from Tatnick Square because of These unfounded concerns over safety. They are specifically designing these projects to improve all road users' safeties. Not just bikes, not just pedestrians, but cars as well.

These intersections have not been redesigned in probably well over 50 years. Traffic is different now. Let's go faster. The last other items I would just mention, 21I, 21D, I support police oversight. And regarding the TIFs, please, no TIFs without serious clawbacks in these provisions. Make them pay us back.

Samaritan next speaker is Gemma Camara, turn right to meet the resident now. Please state your name and city of residence and not even call out.

Hi, thank you, and Happy New Year to all of you. Gemma Kamara, City of Worcester resident, District 3. Happy birthday Gary Rosen, and I'm also celebrating a birthday. and I'm glad to see everyone, including Rob. So thank you for your service. So I am calling in support of The carpenters put with the McKinney group, I asked our city really look deeply into this as they have broken Worcester's responsible development ordinance. I believe that we should all say no to any tips for this group given what has been mentioned earlier. I'm calling also to talk about 21i with the Worcester Research Bureau DOJ report, as well as police oversight with subpoena power. I think it's high time to look into all of that information.

Oh my God, I'm so sorry. Can you guys hear me?

Yes, we can.

Okay, yeah, I'm so sorry. I'm in support of that. We should get that going. ASAP, 13i, City Manager, Transportation and Mobility Identity, identifying and prioritizing pedestrian improvement projects Lake Ave that's highly needed. I've spoken to many, many residents in that area. We really need to fix the roads and other pedestrian safety Bolotta has asked for and also in nature of that. So look at some of our main roads where we have markings that are not visible, causing Road Hazards to Pedestrians, 13A, Speed Bunts, Rosen. I think we need to look at High Traffic Areas, Streets in Worcester. And please, I think there's already an audit for that and look at how we can place those

strategically around the city and not just in certain parts of the city and more so to consult communities when these things are being put by utilizing those neighborhoods meeting. 13C, fulfill the contractor obligations. Please support our seniors. Thank you, Gemma. 13N, small businesses, to make the process of business permitting, make the process easier for all of us. Thank you. folks who are trying to do business here in the city of Worcester. So thank you and I hope that you guys please support all of these.

Thank you. The next speaker, we have three speakers left and then we'll end it there.

Mayor, the next speaker is Kayla. I'm trying to meet the resident now. Please say your name, city of residence, and the item you're calling on. Can you hear us? I think there's a sound issue with so we can move on. Next speaker is Fred Taylor, chair of Meet the Residents Now. Please state your name and city of residence and the item you're calling on.

Hi, good evening. Fred Taylor, Worcester resident. I want to speak on three items. One, as the president of the Worcester branch of the NAACP, I'm sorry, one as a representative for the Carpenters Union and two as president in the ACP. The one I'd like to speak on for the Carpenters is item number 11-4. I want to oppose the TIF. I really hope that you all would think about it and consider it. Mankiti Group has been in Worcester for I've been in Worcester seven to eight years doing a lot of work in Worcester and I can't see a really big benefit for the community for the work that they've done. there's been a waste step on one of their projects at 204 main street they violated the responsible development order by uh hiring someone who has been convicted or been cited for Wayne's death. I think that in itself should give us pause and have us stop giving these folks tips.

At minimum, we need to get the report back that my colleague mentioned earlier. 12D and 12I, I'd like to speak on those as a representative. of the NAACP 12D. I would like to support a report from the chief on the turnover for police officers. I'd like to know who the officers are, what their demographics are, what their ranking is and why they're leaving the Worcester Police. And also 21I, I like to have that taken off the table and put back on the agenda. to transmit information related to the DOJ report because as many of you know that the Worcester branch of the NAACP and Black Femmes Together and all the organizations have been called for a civilian review board. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor, the next speaker is Mary Sullivan. I'm trying with the resident now.

Hello, can you hear me?

Yes, please say your name, city of residence, and the item you're calling on.

Yes, hi, Mary Sullivan, Westbrook Road, Worcester, Mass. And thank you to Councilor Economou. I'm calling on 9S, 9T, 9U. and 9X. I live on Westbrook Road and this is definitely a cut through and speed through residents going or drivers going from Richmond out to Salisbury Street. The nice weather, there's a lot of young kids biking. It's a great neighborhood for walkers, people walking their dogs. We definitely need more stop signage. and particularly there should be a four-way stop at Westbrook and Kennicott. Right now there's two stop signs. but coming down from Jamesbury Street down towards Amherst on Kinniket, it's a straightaway. And when there are these straightaways, as another speaker mentioned, the cars speed. So I'm definitely in favor of those. That was the reason for my call, but also Newton Square Rotary does need to be completely redesigned.

The drivers coming from Highland Street, Doherty, going straight on to Pleasant. I don't think they're even aware that they're part of the Rotary, and they just continue straight. So those are my items tonight, and thank you.

Thank you, our last speaker.

So I'm gonna try Kayla one more time because she reconnected. Kayla, can you hear us? Hello, can you hear me? Yes.

Please say your name, city of residence, and the item you're calling on. Kayla, I'm Worcester. I'm actually talking in regards to the parking ban on Grafton Street. I am also one of the parents and I feel like that nobody is taking into consideration the safety of these children. Also, the involvement that the parents need to take when they have to go to the school, where are they going to park? The businesses, I understand that it is frustrating for them, but They're trying to make permanent decisions on temporary situations. The cars are not there all day. We don't drop off and pick up all day. It's only in the morning and some of the businesses are closed in the afternoon. 45 minutes or less. We pick up the kids. We keep it going. I understand that some of the businesses actually put orange cones that force cars to go in and out of traffic. That's also a chaotic situation because it's a high traffic area. It can also cause an accident and that's not taken into consideration.

If people have patience and can cooperate, cars can stay on the side of the road and not bother anybody. But that also doesn't happen because Businesses do not cooperate either. Kids are going to walk farther out. How are they going to ID the kids when they're in kindergarten and first grade? They have to hand them off to their parent. That's not going to be able to allowed if the parent has to walk a farther distance. And I feel like that's not being taken into consideration either. So there's so many logistics that needs to be taken into consideration when this is being made. And if this is the biggest issue, then Worcester needs to come up with a plan to provide transportation for all these kids regardless of where they live. whether it's school choice, whether they live under a two mile radius or anything. I feel that that's what needs to be really addressed then. You have 10 seconds. All set, thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Mayor, the last speaker is Joseph Meghamelli.

Hi, I'm Joe Mangiamelli, Worcester resident, District 3. I wanted to join the chorus of people who've been speaking about 21i. I'd like to see that removed from being on the table, so to speak, and back on to the for active discussion and talk. From my understanding, that has to happen from one of the councilors. They have to do that themselves. We as citizens cannot do that. That was my understanding when I spoke to somebody about that. So I'm really here to challenge one of you new counselors, please get this issue of a civilian review board. and the DOJ report back into active discussion. And I'd love to see us come up with A plan for accountability. I've heard this theme over and over tonight. We need accountability for the Worcester Police Department.

That doesn't mean we don't support them. What that means is we want them held accountable. and accountability makes us stronger. It does not make us weaker. Second thing I'd also like to say in regard to this is the whole procedure for those of us who file petitions. It goes to the planning board, from the planning board it goes to another board, from that board it goes somewhere to the City Manager for them to decide when they're going to address it. And so a person like myself is now two years into a petition I made and I still have no idea What the city manager is doing about that petition. The whole way that happens really needs to be improved because people like me get discouraged and then we want to walk away from the whole petition. Thank you very much.

Appreciate it.

We're going back to the agenda. The first item is hearings and orders. That's 8A to 8D. The first motion is to open the hearing. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. This is for a joint location on Sutherland Road on Gas Main on Field Way and a Gas Main on Grafton Street and a Gas Main on Prospect Street. Anybody oppose these items? seems to be opposed. The motion is to close the hearing. All those in favor, post the order. The motion is to approve. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Petitions? Is there anybody here for a petition? Just wave your hand. Seeing nobody, so 9A to 9B, we're gonna refer the Planning Board. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. 9C to 9E, refer the Public Works Committee.

All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. 9F to 9Z, refer to the Traffic and Parking Committee. All those in favor? Opposed, so ordered. 10A to 10H, refer to traffic and parking. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. So the hearing of January 20th for economy location on Channing Street. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. Excuse me, Mr. Chairman. Yep. Councilor Economou.

For clarification on 10A, please.

10A is a request installation of a truck bandwidth restriction area street that would augment where the state has restrictions in an effort to ensure truck bandwidth restrictions limit can be enforced on the street. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I just want to clarify that would be for Ararat Street west of 190 to Brattle Street.

Okay, as amended. Please. Okay, so 10A to 10H, 10A as amended. All those in favor, opposed, so audit. Communications to City Manager. Chairman of Information and Communication, relevant to the reappointment of Lindsay Nostrom and Stuart Kirchner to the Conservation Commission. Just want to thank you for your service. Motion is to file. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Next item is recommended adoption of a salary ordinance amendment that would bring the ordinance in compliance with the changes enacted in the fiscal year 2026 budget. Motions are advertised on the roll call. Roll call.

Bergman, Bilotta, Economou, Fresolo, King, Yes. Councilor Mitra? Yes. Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Rivera? Yes. Councilor Rosen? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes. Yes.

11.4A, recommend the approval of a housing development certificate project application tax exemption agreement for 401, 409 Main Street. The motion is to send to the Economic Development Committee. All those in favor? King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is 11.4A, correct? Yes. And the recommendation is for approval to Senate Committee or is it some other? The two committees. Okay. So I stand in opposition to this on its face. I have some questions for clarification that may move me. Mr. Chairman, it's my understanding that the McKitty Group is a part of this particular project, is that right?

Mr. Dunn, Mr. Manager?

That is correct.

Okay. You know, I know that that McKitty group has been here for about seven years. I, myself, with council staff, have attempted to meet with them going back to last February. I'm sure that we will make the connection at some point. We're still waiting to hear back from that group. Mr. Chairman. We've heard tonight concerns of wage theft. We've heard concerns of past projects where the responsible development ordinance that I was a significant part of, as were a number of folks on this council, have not been complied with. To the chair, to the administration, With regards to any past corrective actions or remedies and reports from our oversight folks from economic development, if you could speak to that so I can understand

The recommendation from the administration to the chair. Mr. Dunn.

Sure. Through the Chair to the Councilor, the Mankiti Group has an active project right now at 204 Main Street. The Council supported a tax increment exemption agreement on that project in 2024. the construction is still ongoing there we did reference in this memo as well as we do our monthly compliance monitoring we identified a subcontractor working on that project that had five civil citations from the Attorney General's office in September of 2024 and June of 2025. We raised that issue with the developer. and they responded to that as part of the noncompliance letter that we issue. It comes with a $5,000 fine that has been paid. I think a couple of points of clarification are necessary and potentially helpful as well as some timeline for context. So there was reference of some you know wage theft allegations happening at that project.

That is not the case. We are not aware of any claims of that nature or any findings of that nature. The citations referenced for a subcontractor is not related to any project in the City of Worcester. Three of those citations are actively under appeal with the Attorney General, so they are not resolved at this time. As well, the council supported that project and we moved forward with that project in the summer of 2024. These citations were issued, the first two were in the fall of 24 and then in the summer of 2025. At that point in the fall of 2024, the Mankiti Group and their general contractor were already actively involved in commencing the project and engaging those subcontractors. So I think as part of our communication to the Mankiti Group and their response, we do understand that it is hard for a developer to try to have

you know foresight into what may or may not happen in the future with a subcontractor that has been engaged in the project prior to those becoming available for any public knowledge. We did suggest and ask that those citations and the status of that subcontractor would warrant the developer's consideration of dismissing them from the job and bringing on somebody else. the Mankiti group I think understood our perspective on that but they also indicated that at that point in the project where so much of their scope of work had been completed that it would be practically very challenging to have that contractor leave the job and then have a new contractor come in and inherit all of their work under the permit for that work. So we do feel like the Mankiti group has been very responsive in that sense. They did, even though I think they have a different perspective on the situation. And I know the General Contractor and Subcontractor have a different sort of perspective on the situation.

They did pay that $5,000 fine to the City of Worcester and I think that we would expect that same level of partnership and responsiveness as we move forward with this project.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the city reiterate the $5,000 fine and the reasons that it was levied and paid?

Sure, so through the Chair of the Councilor, our interpretation of our ordinance, again, the section in question says that the applicant and the developer is responsible that all contractors and subcontractors on the project shall not, within the last three years, be found in violation of any laws related to their contracting business, most notably wage and hour laws. So our interpretation of that, where there is, I think, some timing that's relevant to contextualize, our finding was that that was an issue of noncompliance, which resulted in us sending that letter to have that engagement and response from the Mankiti group. And anytime we do that initial letter of noncompliance, the ordinance calls for a $5,000 fine. So we implemented what the ordinance says.

Thank you. To the administration, just in layman's terms, can you explain what that noncompliance is? Is that wage theft? What is it?

So again, there are several provisions in the Responsible Development Ordinance, over 20 of them. One of them says- I have them right here. Yeah, so one of them says, that the applicant, meaning the developer, must ensure that all contractors and subcontractors working on the project shall not within the last three years be found in violation of any laws related to their business. So that is the element, the interpretation that we had where this subcontractor would not be adhering to that particular provision.

And what was your understanding to the chair of the I think it's kind of out of my scope a little bit.

Again, this is not a situation where there was any issues of the Contractors, or the payment of any employees on the Mankiti Group project, right? So this is a subcontractor that does work throughout Massachusetts, probably throughout New England. They were issued Citations for the Attorney General on work in other areas, other communities in Massachusetts, of which the majority of those are still actively under appeal with their office. So I would suggest that they're also not resolved at this point. and I think it's up to those enforcement agencies to do their work and their business and not have us kind of assume that role or to adjudicate that when that's just not our role to do that.

I have in front of me some of these, three of these citations, I guess I'll call for lack of a better term. So my question to the administration is, was there due diligence done with regards to those matters. It indicates here, just in one of them that I'm looking at, that it was a failure to pay prevailing wages for Work Perform. There's some others. Are you familiar with those? Tenants of those citations. And I'm assuming that's what you made your recommendations on. But are you familiar with the specifics and details of those citations that are under appeal and what is your understanding of those details?

Mr. Dunn?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, what we use to monitor this ordinance and to produce the noncompliance letters as the one was referenced it is a very simple database that cites the subcontractor name, the citation number, the very brief description that you're referencing in terms of the category, whether it's failure to furnish records, failure to make timely payment, Failure to pay prevailing wage. I am familiar with those. As part of the due diligence, as you referenced, I also filed a public records request with the Attorney General to obtain documentation related to that. Much of that documentation was heavily redacted, so it's hard to get a lot of visibility into the situation. It's just available what they're able to disclose. And again, some of it is under active appeal.

so that process is still playing out but I do know in those cases obviously the subcontractor has a different perspective on that and that's why they chose to make that appeal which is still ongoing.

There's two of these that cite failure to submit payroll records. Now, I remember from the ballpark situation over there with Dowdle, I think is the name, a refusal. to provide that to the department. I mean, to the department while to the city. Can you just speak to the importance and what the necessity is that's of receiving those sorts of documentation for the city? Because I know that's also part of the responsible development ordinance. I'm not saying that's occurred, but what is the importance of being transparent with payroll records? What's the intention thereof?

Sure, through the Chair to the Councilor, as you mentioned, that is not the situation on 204 Main Street. We are getting all of the documentation that we expect to receive on that project in Worcester, the one that we are partnering on. the importance of it is whether it's a public construction project or a private construction project like in the case of our Tiff and Ty requirements in the responsible development ordinance we have a number of goals and objectives around workforce. So Worcester residents participating, people of color participating, women participating, as well as just, you know, being able to see general compliance with general wage and hour laws. And so those certified payroll forms are a log of all of the employees actively working on the site that gets submitted on a periodic basis that then you can do that cross checking

when they're saying that they might have X amount of hours of people of color working on that job, we go through that and tabulate those numbers to make sure that those totals around our goals and workforce hours are in fact

and through the Charity Administration with respect to the refusal to accept and follow through with the recommendations regarding the subcontractor. They said the recommendation was that they be dismissed. that particular project at this time what percentage is that towards completion? Mr. Dunn?

Through the Chair to the Councilor I believe they have a substantial completion date coming up this summer.

Can you please speak that to the people so they understand what that means?

Through the Chair of the Councilor, I believe there's only a few months left on that project.

Okay. Mr. Chairman, I certainly have a number of questions here. One is, are people getting paid? Is wage theft occurring? There's a number of projects that Mankiti is involved in. My additional question to the chair is what additional sorts of funding are they receiving from the states and the feds for this particular project?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, like a lot of project of this nature where you have a building that has been vacant for some time and a historic building, there's historic tax credits at the state and federal level. they would be intending to apply for the Housing Development Incentive Program tax credits. They're not able to make that application or receive that support if there is not local support first, which is related to the recommendation that we have on the agenda tonight.

Thank you. I have a lot of questions, Mr. Chairman, that I think should be answered with definitiveness or definitively prior to this move into committee. and you know I think that there's a lot of subsidizing that's occurring. I know that There is additional projects that Mankiti is looking at. I look forward to meeting these folks as in the coming days and weeks. But I certainly have significant questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Bergman.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair. I heard a comment from my colleague. There's a lot of questions. I agree, there are. And that's exactly why it should go to subcommittee. That's where questions need to be asked and questions need to be answered. I would say that the danger in trying to litigate who's right and who's wrong and what the facts are in a forum like this is we don't have all the facts. I'm not going to say that one side or the other is something I take at face value. We'd like to get everybody in the room and try to see where all sides and perspectives are in this and then try to come up with solutions and resolutions if solutions can't be found. But I will say that from what I've heard, I've heard some people say, Wage theft occurred in Worcester. I hear Mr. Dunn saying it didn't occur in Worcester. And I do know, my colleague said earlier, he has the ordinance out. I have the ordinance out as well. Section 18 says you have to be found in violation. for the penalties to kick in. And I haven't heard that there's been a finding.

I heard that there's been an appeal, and I've heard that there's been allegations. I'm not suggesting the allegations are true or not true. I'm just saying that everybody deserves the benefit until we have an opportunity to try to flesh it out. I've also heard that people want to have the McKitty Group meet them and have these questions answered. I do too. Again, that's why we need to have this in committee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Councilor Rosen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Through the chair to Mr. Dunn. So the city has already fined the Mankiti Group $5,000. Am I correct? Through the chair, that's correct. Okay. So the city found that necessary to do because we felt that they have broken, didn't adhere to the responsible development ordinance. Is that correct?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, that is our interpretation of the ordinance, and I think, as was referenced earlier, we feel like it's important that we're carrying out what the ordinance calls for as it relates to any kind of noncompliance situation.

I agree and I hope the entire City Council agrees. In the past, through the Chair to Mr. Dunn, have we fined any other companies, development companies, for not adhering to the responsible development ordinance.

Mr. Dunn.

Through the Chair to the Councilor, it's a relatively new update in the grand scheme of things. I believe it was when we converted the policy to an ordinance in 2023, that was when we created this fine structure. And since then, we have one other instance of levying that fine on a project.

and others. So we tend not to use that $5,000 fine. Am I correct?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, we would just do it when the situation calls for it.

Okay. And the situation did call for it again this time? through the chair, that's correct. Now, am I right through the chair to Mr. Dunn that you suggested that the subcontractor, the drywall I believe, drywall subcontractor did not submit the proper records. Is that correct?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, that's not what I'm suggesting. I think there was discussion about the nature of those civil citations from the Attorney General, which again, We have been getting all of the documentation that we would expect to receive on that.

for the drywall company, what they've done and what their wages were and So did we get that information? Through the chair, that's correct. OK. So from that information, we still have no idea if there was wage theft? Can we say from the information that they gave us that there was no wage theft? I want to hear there was no wage theft. Or was there?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, again, there have been no claims or any kind of findings or any rumors of any claims of wage theft happening on the Mankiti Group's project. None. Again, what happens is when we review contractor eligibility, subcontractor eligibility, and again, we're not contractually engaged with them. It's the developer's responsibility. we look at their track record across all of their projects across all of Massachusetts and beyond and there were citations that arose and again I think that contextualizing the timing of this is important because those citations were not issued at the time that that subcontractor came to participate on this project. It happened while they were already actively involved in this project. But it had nothing to do with that project. It had to do with work that they were doing on a project somewhere else. So there's no claims or any issues that we are aware of regarding payment of wages on the project in Worcester.

You are not suggesting through the chair that we accept a developer, a subcontractor, breaking our responsible development ordinance on one project and we will have them work on another even if they do that.

Through the Chair to the Councilor, the Responsible Development Ordinance has a lot involved in it. And I think if we had concerns about wage theft happening on their project in Worcester, I think this would be a different conversation. And I think it would be very unlikely that you would see this recommendation in front

So through the chair, you are saying we have no concerns about wage theft on this project. We have it on the former Olympic sporting good project. Do we have concerns there?

Through the Chair of the Councilor, no. We have no evidence or claims or concerns about any type of payment of wages on any Mankiti Group project in the City of Worcester.

What happens to the chair? What happens if we don't grant this exemption tax, increment exemption? What happens is that it's a pretty good project from what I've seen at the old Shacks building. Am I correct, the old Shacks building? Pretty good project. Close to, what, 50 units. Mostly, I believe, market rate units. So it's a good project. What happens if we don't grant this tax increment exemption? Do we still get the project through the chair to Mr. Dunn?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, my assessment of that is no. Anytime that we consider these applications for tax benefits locally, and I would also say that we probably get equally as many requests that we do not bring before the Council as we do request that we do brief before the Council, and we do an assessment and underwriting of the financial viability of the project, the need for the program benefits and we bring it to the council when our assessment is that this is necessary for the project to move forward.

and the last question here. So you're saying that through the chair, you're saying that if we don't grant the tax exemption, you don't think Mankiti will do this project?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, correct.

Have they told you that?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, I don't know that I have posed that question in those terms, but in my reading of the underwriting of the project, the financing would not happen and there just would be No feasible way to move forward if you can't get the financing.

So through the chair, they would just hold on to the property if we didn't grant them this.

Through the Chair of the Councilor, I would be speculating. I would assume that they would either see if they can figure it out. They might sell it. They might walk away from it. I think we would leave it to them to make that decision but they've shared where they're at with assembling all of the financing to date as the council might know it takes years and years to put a property into eligibility for historic tax credits and then to assemble historic tax credits. They've made substantial progress on that over the last five years. And so they're at a point where the project is otherwise ready to move forward if we can fill this remaining gap that's necessary to make it feasible.

Thank you, Mr. Dunn. Mr. Chairman, we have to be real careful on granting TIFs and Granting Tax Increment Exemptions. And that's the questions I have as Councilor King has some of the same questions. I'm glad it's going to economic development. I think I'll be showing up. I think a couple of my colleagues will be showing up. And some of the questions I've asked tonight, I'll be asking again. I think it's important for economic development to take a look at this project. Okay? I mean, we're not a charity here in the City of Worcester. We're not a charity. And to be told that a project won't happen unless we do this? Then what am I here for? What decisions am I going to make? I can't just go along with that if someone tells me, there's not going to be a project unless you do this. Oh, yeah? OK. Then there won't be a project. Is it a good project? I know it's a good project. The city needs it? Yes, we need it. And might? if he done without this tax increment exemption, it might be.

I'm not so sure they would walk away from this project if we don't give them a handout. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Councilor Economou.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Through the chair to Mr. Dunn, the drywall work, the stage of that, is that what you're talking about will be completed in a few months or whereabouts are they with the drywall work?

Through the Chair of the Councilor, I haven't been to the site recently. The entire project is projected to be completed over the next few months, so they're, I think, definitely getting into more of the finishing work at this point.

Okay. Very good. That's all I wanted to know. I was just curious how far along they were in that project. I do believe that in ED it will be very well vetted. Thank you.

Thank you. We have Councilor Bilotta followed by Councilor Mitra.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yeah, like my colleagues, I have some questions and concerns about, you know, the McKinney developer. I know they're doing a lot of work in the city, and I know you know the city manager and economic development team have been working really hard on affordable housing the affordable housing trust fund there's things that we're doing here in the city that other communities aren't but I also know that I'm still concerned and have concerns about the lack of Affordable Unitary. I know there's going to be some that are affordable at 60% AMI. And I know the, you know, the housing monitor report statewide really said that gateway cities, we need housing. and I know that's where we're working on it and it's you know there's some been some very a few great projects in the city like one District 120 I think on down on Kelly Square as well again as the Affordable Housing Trust Fund but it concerns me that we're giving tax breaks to developers and we're still I think we could do a little better when it comes to affordable housing.

And if it's squeezing one unit of deeply affordable housing in a project, I still think that's a win. I know there's other avenues that the city has for building affordable housing and that's happening. but I would really like to see the council and as a body like us work together to push developers to really raise the bar I think with affordable housing. It's not easy now, especially with the Trump tariffs and especially how much lumber comes from Canada. I know this is really impacting all the building. in Massachusetts. But I really think we owe it to our residents to try to push the envelope when it comes to affordable housing. So thank you.

Thank you. Councilor Mitra.

Thank you Mr. Chair. Through the Chair to Mr. Dunn, as we heard there are many questions and certainly the project has many questions that needs to be answered. I think for that reason, I think we should recommend it to go to the Economic Development Committee so we can all really hash it out and see what's right here to do. But through the chair to Mr. Dunn, I have a couple of questions that what decided us to choose Mankiti Group? Number two is how is it going to help The economic point of view to the city by giving the tax exemption how is the city going to benefit? Is there any number that you can really display or say in short that how is it going to help the city from the economic development point of view by doing this project with Mankiri Group. I know the Mankiri Group has done work before. Are you absolutely happy with what they have done for us before?

And what makes us to decide to go with Mankiti? And just give some clarification. How is it helping the city?

Mr. Dunn?

Sure, through the Chair to the Councilor. As referenced in the memo, to date, since the Mankiti Group has had a vested interest in downtown, they've invested over $70 million. in downtown and really taken on some of the most challenging buildings downtown. In many cases, those buildings have been vacant for years if not decades. When you think of the former performing arts school of Worcester at 6 Chatham Street, when you think of the former pawn shop at 526 Main Street certainly the upper floors at 204 Main Street and now with the Shacks building one of the things that we have been trying to focus on and prioritize is the stabilization of downtown property values. When you think of the impact of the COVID pandemic and remote work, and see how that has affected values and office spaces and see the significant challenges that the city of Boston is dealing with as it relates to

and many more. We know that to do We have a comprehensive rehabilitation of a property and modernize it to modern building codes. We have high costs in the downtown with our redundant network vault system of National Grid. in some cases causing an electrical upgrade at a downtown building to be over a million dollars. And when you look at what the city of Boston has been trying to do to facilitate that type of conversion and the stabilization of those properties in their downtown, they're offering a 75% exemption for 30 years. What we have in front of you and what we negotiated is a 10 year agreement at an average of 35%. The total savings on that comes out to about $12,000 a unit.

it's costing them over $500,000 a unit to make this conversion happen and the assistance we would be providing would be about $12,000 a unit so I think that's a very you know short amount of assistance to leverage all of that and see the benefits that it would provide to this property the base value of the property right now is 1.5 million dollars that's the current assessed value Once they're done, it'll be worth 13.6 million. So you're seeing that level of improved value in a struggling downtown asset that we're trying to stabilize. And if we didn't do anything, the amount of taxes that we would expect to receive over the next 10 years on that property would be about $227,000. Even with these savings and this support, we expect to then receive $1.4 million over the next 10 years as a result.

and I think just to illustrate the need and the underwriting that we do and the challenges of some of these high cost environments and the adaptive reuse of these historic buildings, they're investing $27 million to do this. we take their pro forma all of the rents that they'll receive from those new units share that with the city assessor have the city assessor come up with the estimated value once the project is complete and his Estimated value is $13.6 million. That's great for us in terms of what that does to stabilize the property and increase the value, but I think it's really challenging for anyone to try to finance a $27 million investment Thank you so much.

To the Chair, Mr. Dunn, would we have any affordable housing requirement from them in this?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, the project is subject to inclusionary zoning, so they would require to comply with that. There's options to either include units in the property at different levels depending on the area median income that it would be for or in the ordinance of inclusionary zoning there is an option to do a payment in lieu and so we have tried to prioritize when looking at these types of requests to see the units created in the property. and to also see those units created at the level of area median income that the city administration and the city council has been prioritizing, which is at that 60% area median income rather than the other option under inclusionary zoning could go up to 80% area median income. We've also been prioritizing accessible housing and so where the building code would typically require 5% of the units, or in this case, two units to be accessible. They're committing to doing four units as accessible

and I think sometimes we're able to see that number maybe even be a little bit stronger in new construction because it's easier to kind of adapt and create a lot of those accessible units under new construction. It's a little trickier with some of the architectural considerations when you're dealing with the adaptive reuse of a historic building so we feel like they are really kind of stretching to meet the priorities that the city has around housing while also making sure that the project is still feasible.

Thank you so much. Mr. Chair, I really see that there's a huge benefit with this project. Just one question to chair to you, Mr. Dunn, that in the past when we have done such significant project with Mankiti Group, Besides the fact that the other allegations that was brought in or the citation that they received from other places, was there anything from the projects that they did for us that you would have been unhappy or you have found anything that made you not happy?

Mr. Dunn. Through the chair to the councilor, I think all of their projects to date have had significant economic benefit to the city of Worcester. I think it's been they've been quality projects. When you look at the transformation of both 6 Chatham Street as well as 526 Main Street. I think in both cases they received a Silver Hammer Award from the Chamber of Commerce. I think in one, if not both cases, they received a preservation award from Preservation Worcester. So I think they do it with a lot of care and attention to the architectural kind of integrity of the properties, breathing new life into it. you know it is slow sometimes whether it's assembling the financing to make some of these projects happen or filling downtown storefronts as we know is a real challenge for a lot of reasons but I think they're you know slowly seeing that occupancy really pick up when you see the new restaurant that just opened at 526 Main Street they have a coffee shop coming to 554 Main Street so they're I think

you know chipping away despite a lot of the headwinds that exists that can sometimes stand in the way of success so I think we'd all love to see every project happen at the speed of light but I think they've been you know persevering and really sticking with it and really getting a lot of these very challenging projects achieved essentially and I think that you know again the ones that they have chosen to have been ones that there's a reason why they've been sitting vacant for years, if not decades, because if it was easy, then somebody else would have done it.

Thank you so much. I really see Mr. Chair that there is a lot of opportunities here for the city to have workforce working for this project. and also the benefit that the city will have. I really recommend this project be taken to the Economic Development Committee so all the other questions could be answered before we really go for it. Thank you.

Economou for second time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Through the Chair to Mr. Dunn, how time sensitive is this for their financing and or for the project?

Sure, through the chair, it's a good question. So the Housing Development Incentive Program at the state level has different rounds that they administer throughout the year. they're in their final round of well I guess you could consider it's either final round of 25 or first round of 26 because the applications opened in January, they're now imminently due. What they do allow for is for the developer to submit their application contingent on whether or not they do receive the local support. So I think the estimated timeframe Thank you.

Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta.

Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta. Councilor Pallotta. Housing, jargon that, you know what I mean, a lot of us that work on it know, but for the folks at home and the public, and you know I know we're talking about how this is going to improve the city of Worcester and improve our tax roll which absolutely improves services for residents but I know especially from campaigning this past year that a big issue for residents and what's at the top of their mind is Housing Affordability, whether they're owners or renters. But I was just curious. We're talking about 60% AMI and 80% AMI. Do we know what that's going to translate to what the rents will be in these apartments? Is that something that can be shared or? Sure. Mr. Dunn.

Sure. Through the chair, the rent levels are established both by the federal government when they come out with their annual fair market rent. And then we have an additional layer that gets taken into account with inclusionary zoning. So right now, this project is proposed to be a mix of studio, one bedrooms and two bedrooms. One of the things that we also prioritize is that where there will be affordable units to make sure that they are and so on. and others based on the parameters set forth in our ordinance and the federal government would be $1,475 a month for a studio, $1,687 a month for a one bed and then $1,898 for a two bedroom. Thank you.

All set. Thank you. I just, oh, Council Rivera.

So I had two questions to the chair, to the administration. But Councilor Bilotta beat me in one of them. So I have just one question. It's safe to say from the chair to the administration that through your due diligence, and you wouldn't be recommending this project if you didn't think this was a benefit for the city of Worcester.

Mr. Dunn? Through the Chair to the Councilor, that's accurate.

Thank you.

Mr. Manager?

Yeah, I just want to ask something. Anytime we propose TIF or any TIE proposals to the council, there's an extensive process that happens between the developer, The economic development office in my office to try to come up with a product or or a recommendation that we know the council would have some appetite to support. If you see some of the actual proposals where they start, you would just throw yourself back like this is crazy. There's been positions where we say, no, that's not going to happen. We're not offering and they walk away. or they figure things out or they come back and say, OK, we're going to go under or we're going to go lower. So this is significant negotiation that's often happening.

and part of the process is we also take into consideration the conversations that we have whether it's in community, right, through the community organizations or even through councils that conversations that come up on this floor or my one-on-ones or conversations that you're having with Peter Dunn or things that we're listening from coalitions or groups in the community we take that into consideration when we're negotiating with these developers to try to come up with a proposal that when we bring to council is something that's digestible, but also something that is not going to break the bank in layman's terms. for the city. Understanding and knowing that there's a lot of factors that come into play, whether it's interest rates, whether it's cost, labor, et cetera. All those things impact the ability for developers to put their financing together.

and so when we bring something to the council there's been a significant due diligence on the back end to try to us to get it to you like I like Peter mentioned earlier there's a number just as much as many Tiffs and Ties requests that we deny that never get to you, that the ones that actually get to you. Again, it's been heavily scrutinized before they get here.

Thank you, Mr. Manager.

Mayor Petty.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also want to thank Mr. Dunn. You answered all the questions pretty good. I think the most important thing, we send this to the Economic Development Committee. We have Makiti come in. We can ask these questions when it comes to wage theft or anything else that we have concerns with. Housing is very needed here in the city of Worcester as we know. We're going to build 12,000 units over the next 10 to 12 years. And this process is important. At the same time, we need to balance that when we're giving the taxpayers money away to make sure that it's meeting the responsible employer ordinance. and that's what the committee's job is going to be in economic development to make that decision and make the recommendation back. But I think it's important that it goes to the committee, we have the hearing, we bring it back to the council. I'm sure the chairman will Let the councils know when that meeting is and McKee will be invited to that meeting and we can have this discussion as we're going on this project. Thank you.

King for a second time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To the chair, five civil citations according to your report from the administration. within nine months, September 2024 through June of 2025, we levy the fine $5,000 for irresponsibility related to our responsible development ordinance. We requested that Mankiti, recommended that Mankiti dismiss the subcontractor. They declined. they declined. I have a lot of unanswered questions. Indicated that this project has moved pretty far along. I wasn't able to get a percentage how far along, but it seemed significantly along. in my amateur assessment. Help me understand through the chair.

So this is, almost at the end of the project. Is that correct, Mr. Chair?

Mr. Dunn?

Through the chair of the council, that's correct.

And that's without any financial commitment from the city? Is that correct, through the chair? Two different ones. Explain to me, please.

Mr. Manager?

Through the chair, to the councilors, two different projects was proposed in front of you. The 409? It's for 409, the Shack's building. the Sheck's building. What the citation or challenges and what we found and that we find the the contractor was for 204. which is a previous project that was adopted by this council in 2024. They have a tie agreement for that project and this council or previous council in 2024 supported that tie agreement.

That fine.

Yeah. And so when that contractor came on board, right, it was known to us then through that process when they contracted the contractor and they were doing already the work in the project. That's when we came to be notified. that there was a citations that this contractor had been involved in and so that's when we then pursued to submit our Our citation or our violation to them for them to be able to pay that fine, which was a $5,000 when we got knowledge of that as part of the work that's happening on 204 Main Street.

Thank you, Mr. Manager. To the chair. How did we become aware of those citations? Was that brought to us from Mankiti? Did they become aware of it and inform us? What was that process like that our our employee, figure that out. How did that come to bear?

Don. Sure. Through the Chair to the Councilor, our staff do monitor that databases. In this particular example, we became aware of that through the Carpenters Union, through their through a communication from them. And my understanding is that those citations, if not all of them, the majority of them came as a result of complaints that the Carpenters were kind of following through the process. So they were following that closely and I think in a timely way then let us know when that citation was issued by the Attorney General because they were keeping a close eye on those complaints and the investigation.

And do we as a city have any expectation that these responsible developers that we'd like to have are also monitoring those databases through the Chair.

Through the Chair to the Councilor, yes, we provide those resources on the front end during the application through pre-construction meetings, but I would also say that I think it's important too that we view this whole effort as really a partnership between the municipality and the private sector to make sure that these projects are as good as they can be. So we want to be a resource to them. We know that they can and so we view all of it as more of a partnership and how we can work together rather than being more of a punitive type relationship.

And through the chair, it sounds like we have some time. to move forward on this. We have a potential assignment to the Economic Development Subcommittee. We have some time to get this together. Just for the public's purposes, folks that are watching, this isn't simply an issue of economic vitality in the downtown area. It's not as simple as No, this is going to move forward. This is about accountability. We fought long and hard for many years and many terms on this council to develop a responsible development ordinance. Mr. Dunn's team, city manager's team is clearly working through this and negotiating with folks. But I do have some questions, Mr. Chairman. And I'd like for them answered before they go to committee. And I'm running out of time.

Chairman, I'm inclined to hold this until our next meeting, and I will be reaching out to get those questions answered. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Councilor Bergman?

Since it's being held, I'm not going to twist a colleague's arm. I know other colleagues may do that and ask them to please reconsider holding it. and the Council's prerogative, that is the Council's prerogative, then he could surely do it. Let me just make one comment, though. I didn't intend this to be my comment. But when we talk about accountability, I agree. that's part of the partnership that I think Mr. Dunn is talking about. We have to hold the developers accountable but we also have to be fair and what we heard today is allegations and now we have to hear what the other side has to say and come up with our own opinion on what the truth is and how to kind of merge everybody if we can into some solutions so that we can make a decision one way or the other and move forward. But this is the first meeting of the year. This is an item that routinely gets sent to subcommittee. I know that we talk on this council all the time about the messages we send and one of the messages I think

that we often hear back is not a good message is that we play ping pong a lot with things that really should be decided one way or the other, clear cut, black and white, whatever you want to call it, clear cut. And I think it's unusual. I think it sets a bad tone and a bad example to not send this to the subcommittee. But again, I respect my colleague's right. If he wants to hold it, he's entitled to hold it. Thank you.

This is held under the rules. This is held under privilege. Councilor Rosen for a second time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What might be different from this project just being sent right to committee having a discussion like we're having tonight is that we've already fined this company for breaking the responsible development ordinance. That's the problem. We fine them for that. So that certainly is a big issue. and I think that every member of this council, and I know I shouldn't speak for them, but I'll just guess that every member of this council does support the responsible development ordinance. Several of us were on the council then, when we came up with that. And it took a while with negotiations and discussions. So that's my concern, that we did find them. And there was reason to find them. So we should take a good look at this project. We should take a good look at every project.

But after finding them, I want to take even a better look at this project. Through the chair to Mr. Dunn, might they use, if we contract with Mankiti Group for the Shack Building, Denholm Building, and other future projects. Might they use the same subcontractor who had these violations? We said that we would like them not to use them, I guess, at the former Olympic property. And it was too late. Okay. But will they contract it? We say, well, don't use them in the future, at least, through the chair.

Mr. Dunn?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, no, I don't think that there's any intention of using it because they would still have this period of time, right? The ordinance says the violations within the last three years. Again, I think contextualizing the timing of when those citations happened versus when that subcontractor got engaged in the Main Street Project is certainly relevant. And I think that now knowing that, they would not be intending to do that.

through the chair to Mr. Dunn. Have they told you that, that they probably will not be using this contractor who's been in violation, subcontractor who's been in violation, that they won't use them for future projects? Have they told you that?

Mr. Dunn?

Through the Chair to the Councilor, I believe so. I'm trying to think of like, do I have that in writing? Probably not. But I think, again, they're so early on in this project where they've started to engage with general contractors for pricing. And the general contractors are the ones that then bring on subcontractors. so I think that they would be communicating these concerns again to any general contractor that they would hire but there's a degree of separation between the contractor they hire, and all of the subs. And so I think the expectation would be, and I believe we have that commitment, that they would be working with us to review all of the databases that exist, providing that to their GCs, making sure the GCs are familiar with it, making sure that they're not bringing on any subcontractors that would be, I guess for lack of a better term, ineligible through the eyes of the responsible development ordinance. But again, this is

those are steps that remain to happen and I think that we have their commitment and partnership to make sure that those reviews are happening and that the only contractors and subs participating on the job would be those that would be viewed as eligible through the eyes of the ordinance. I will say that I think to our credit in terms of the strength of our responsible development ordinance, and this was something that quite frankly in our investigation of this matter sort of bewildered the subcontractor a little bit was that they are not on a debarment list. So they are currently eligible to participate on public construction projects. And they also informed us that they're actively participating on no less than 20 public construction projects. Local Construction, Town Halls, Public Libraries, Federal Buildings.

You're talking about the drywall company?

Correct. Correct. And so I think they are getting familiar with, oh, wow, so the city of Worcester's ordinance is even stronger than mass general laws on public construction.

But through the chair to Mr. Dunn, we had purpose of finding Menchiti because of the drywall company. Is that correct? Through the chair of the councilor, that's correct. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Okay. We are on. 11.7a, recommend adoption of an audit to grant conflict of interest exemptions for three to three municipal employees with snow pile contract. Adopted on the roll call.

Bergman, Bilotta, Economou, Fresolo, King, Mitra, Ojeda, Rivera, Rosen, Toomey, and Mayor Petty.

Yes. Transmitting information and communication relevant to the five departments of public education units. That's 11.12a, the motion to refer to public safety. Ojeda.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah, I have some questions. I guess hopefully if the fire chief can come up and help us out here. Thank you. Thank you for being here as well. To the chair, I know this is actually really good from what I've seen. You know, the idea is to partner with the public schools. I think this is pretty much long overdue. So I do appreciate it. Although in the meantime, I guess my question to the chair, to the chief is understanding that there's been many fires in District 4 in my term in the past two years. And just looking at these numbers here, Only two schools were visited in this timeframe in District 4.

And they were elementary schools. So I just would like to know, through the Chair, you know, what is the approach? How are the schools selected?

Chief. Through the Chair to the Councilor, it usually is by request or We try to get into the schools. As you understand, curriculum time is very hard to get. And so it's not always easy to get into the schools. So over the years, public educators have made concerted efforts to contact schools and try to get into their schools with some success and some not success. And then a lot of it is responding to I think in the meantime while we're working on this

this initiative I think it's important to again to reach out maybe have that conversation with the superintendent and let him understand and show him the numbers of the fires that we've had in District 4 and show him that it's important to to get into these schools as soon as possible. Because like I said, we've had several fires. I think I could be wrong. It could be 11. It could be even more. but to know that only two of them of these visits have been in District 4 and they've only been at Canterbury and at Jacob Hyatt I think it's important to try to reach out as much as possible, try to push back on the schools and show them how important this is to get this information out that we know. I said this before when I met with the city manager, I met with yourself. You know, when we were younger, we saw a lot of that. We understood the smell of fire. We knew what to do. and we're not seeing that as much.

It's really concerning to know in District 4, again, that the numbers are extremely low in an area of the city that gets hit with fires pretty often. I'm hoping like I said in the meantime while this is in work what you know what if you can give me some ideas or so um what are some of the things to the chair to the chief what are some ideas that you have to to you know push into this district to get some of this information out to educate.

Chief. Through the Chair of the Councilor, I actually just met with the schools today, and we've identified that we're going to visit the fifth grade classrooms of the Worcester Public Schools, schools identified by the school department. through their health educators. So what we're looking at is about a seven week curriculum starting probably mid to late February. and have visits to fifth grade classrooms throughout the city. Again, schools identified by the school department, where we'll have about 40 minute visits to the classrooms, which will include 30 minute lessons. 15 minutes talking presentations and then 15 minute hands-on and then about 10 minutes question and answers to about 35 fifth-grade classrooms throughout the city.

Okay, great. That's good stuff. Again, I encourage you, I challenge you to push back as well. and so on, depending on what those numbers are, depending on what schools they are. You said they're not going to be all the schools. So it would be good that you know we push back in those areas that are affected by fires. My question to you to the chair is also How are we reaching out to the parents? Right. So this is geared towards fifth grade or fifth and sixth grade. Are we doing something to also educate parents? Because, you know, the kids will take it. but we're not sure how much they'll take home. Are we incorporating parents in this process?

What we've identified with the schools and part of the reason for the fifth grade is that the schools have identified that grade level as one being home without parents and also caring for siblings. So the curriculum we're coming up with is geared towards more sort of transitional learning for as opposed to you know earlier grades third grade was one of our targets previously but they're typically home with parents this targets Fifth grade students with some third grade curriculum and some sixth grade curriculum, which will allow for education for those students that are maybe home with their siblings.

Okay, would this include any type of CPR hands-only training?

No, at this time, no, it does not include CPR hands-only training. We've identified six or seven areas, which includes smoke and CO alarm awareness, safe situations and unsafe situations for the students to be able to identify. Obviously two ways out, and so forth. We also have an initiative that's called a tool versus a Safety issues around that, as I mentioned before, increased responsibility, so cooking and kitchen safety. And then one of the big initiatives the school department wanted us to push was microwave safety. OK, so that's basically the six or seven items that we've identified for those 40 minute blocks.

Right. And this is this is focused mainly through like fire prevention and things like that, correct?

Through the chair, that's correct.

So what would you say is The majority of your calls when you are called to the homes, what would that percentage be? When there is a call out to 911 and the Worcester Fire Department shows up, what would you say the majority of those calls are?

Yeah, through the Chair to the Councilor, the majority of our calls are medical calls.

Medical calls. Okay. And I think this, again, this is a great opportunity to focus on that CPR and AED stuff, certifications. I'm sorry, not certifications, but training or understanding for kids and the parents. I taught it in the schools. It's important. At the time I was teaching it, 85% and so on. but if we're gonna be having these opportunities, having these conversations with the kids and the majority of our calls in our city are medical calls, I think that's a great opportunity to at least try to push in some type of training in those calls we're getting not just focus on the fire which don't get me wrong that's what I want but I think this is a great opportunity to push some of that stuff some of those trainings and some of those calls that you're getting to be able to put in some of those preventative measures to get ahead of some of those calls that you may be receiving, which just could be some signs and symptoms that some of our students can be

they could see that's going on with their mom, their grandparent, their brother or sister and not know what's going on. So this again, if this is something that We're focused on, again, this is a great opportunity to address some of those really high call volumes that we're seeing, not just the fire. So thank you. And I look forward to this.

Thank you. Toomey.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As a former school committee member, myself, who at one time worked very closely with the teachers union to try to have a CPR class over there. I think the schools really are the ones that need to work with this and not get direction from us but working with the fire department in the school department. And I think that's really where that discussion for curriculum really needs to come from. And especially the ability time on learning is critical. And I think the principals of the schools along with the quadrant managers. I don't know what they're calling them now, but they're still looked at that. But I think that that's their bailiwick. And so I do look forward to hearing what you and more in depth of what you have discussed with them.

But I do think that we're we're walking that tightrope over, you know, directing curriculum from our side.

So just a question to send out the public safety. King.

Just sort of a point of order. And I'm just wondering, I'm glad that Councilor Toomey mentioned to schools and what have you. As chairman of the Committee on Education, I'm just wondering if there's a way we can get this information there. you know I certainly don't oppose it going to public safety but is there a way to get some sort of a report so we can sit and understand from the city side if there's anything more that we need to do in speaking directly with those educators in committee related to the education that's occurring from the city side. So I'm just asking the chair if there's a way to do that. and not falling in what you want to do.

So our committee education is for matters pertaining to Worcester Public Schools. We just finished talking about educating those students. from the city department relates to public safety, which makes it appropriate for the Public Safety Committee. I'm just asking, is there a way to get some of this information to the Education Committee. Do I need to do a separate motion? What would make sense, Mr. Chairman?

Well, it goes to public safety. Okay. That's what should be heard and you can bring it back.

Should I make a different motion or what should I do to get this information to the Joint Committee of Education with the Wilson Public Schools?

Oh, you can make a motion to do a joint committee on this. Is there another avenue?

Not that I can think of.

Through the chair to the council. So you can probably ask for a report from the fire department to bring the curriculum of what's being discussed and what's the public schools.

All right, we'll do that. I'll make that motion. I'd like to see it in committee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

So the motion is to get the curriculum on the Western Public Schools. All those in favor, oppose, so audit. The motion is on the Public Safety. All those in favor, oppose, so audit. King. Next one is Transmitting Information and Communication Road to the staff so they were at Worcester. Mr. Mayor. Councilor King.

Can we take that jointly with my order 13D? if those can currently please.

13D, requesting the manager provides counsel with a report relative to the status of the 9-1-1 application alert Worcester, the city's automated emergency system.

Clerk counsel, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just want to get a quick verbal update for the people that haven't read this that are watching from the administration before I go into my questions, Mr. Chairman. Through the Chair to the Councilor. Mr. Chairman, if we could just ask that the department has identified themselves for the public so they know. We all know who's speaking, but folks that are watching do not. It's a very important thing that you do.

Through the Chair, to the Councilor, Charles Goodwin, I'm the Commissioner for Emergency Communications and Emergency Management. The status of Alert Worcester as it is right now, we have selected a new vendor and we're in the process of finalizing a contract with them. with the expectation that once that contract is finalized over the Next week or a few weeks that we'll be implementing and rolling this out as a full process and advising not only the council but the community as a whole that the new system is going to be in place as well as some of the new features that come with it that include both The ability to have subscription based non-emergency alerts. So the community, instead of receiving all non-emergency alerts, we're actually going to be able to divide them out so the community can then subscribe to the ones that they wish or they can opt in for all of them.

as well as there is going to be an associated app that if you choose you don't want to sign up for Alert Worcester however you do want to get the notifications you can actually put your home or work address in and save that in their app and get the notifications in that area among a number of other things.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My item 13D is a request to provide this report relative to the status of this notification system, including information relative to whether the city is in the process of identifying a new vendor for a purpose, for such purpose. So I appreciate this report. and that information also provides usage plans for such a system moving forward including how residents will be effectively notified. of Bands Alerts, notices from departments, trash pickup delays, street closures, et cetera. And the last aspect of it I'm particularly interested in further requesting the city manager to grant relief to any residents who receive tickets during with the parking bans due to lack of notification by the city including texts and phone calls. So this came to my attention over in District 3 and from a number of folks.

I reached out to the manager. There were entire streets, Forsberg and Tapman, where folks were ticketed for parking bans and they never received the alert. I ended up being informed by my neighbor that the system was down. I was not aware. And this was a couple of storms. It was before the ice storm. I filed this shortly after swearing in, I believe, or right before where this was put on the agenda. And, you know, I'm wondering, exactly when. So this went out to bid in October, it says. I don't know when this was faulty. or when it wasn't occurring. We also have folks that aren't on their phones all the time, folks that are a little bit older, and they're asking questions about notification and the like. So we're just like a response to that with regards to relief.

and also are we equitably assessing and ticketing across the city during these winter events through the chair? And how are we measuring the equity? Mr. Manager?

To the Chair, to the Council, I don't have that data in front of me to be able to provide that. We can always come back with a report to give you a better understanding of what those tickets are across the entire city and whether it's equitably distributed within or happening across many different zip codes in the city.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to file an order requesting for such a report. I know that we have areas of the city that are more densely populated. We know that as we provide relief to developers, as we try to increase housing stock, as we want to encourage folks to use alternative means of transportation. If you go up into some of these neighborhoods up on Belmont Hill, Lincoln Street, behind Crompton Park, all across the city. And there's such density. And not having that communication is crippling for these folks. and in some instances it costs such, such a financial hardship for one toe.

for folks who are trying to navigate their way through these financial challenges and the higher rents High taxes that we as a council implement in the water and sewer and all of these things. I'm just hoping and asking through the chair what relief will be granted to these folks who never received notification from the city through the chair.

Mr.

Manager.

Yeah, through the chair to the council, this is a little bit challenging to kind of contextualize. One of the challenges within that is that We send out notifications just because they may not receive the notification alert Worcester. The City of Worcester notified the entire public of these bans. or any potential situation, whether it's a press release, social media, the typical media outlets, et cetera. So to indicate that people did not or did not communicate We would have to understand that within legal, whether we have the justification to be able to say they didn't provide an actual notification to Alert Worcester so people weren't notified. Alert Worcester is one tool out of many tools that we try to provide notifications to the public. So that's something that we would have to evaluate and take into consideration before I make that determination.

I also want to kind of allude to there was some statements or questions related to notification of the alert Worcester and the challenges of the Worcester We submitted a press release back in November, actually November 25th. It was communication that was also to all the councilors. and the public that there was a data breach for Code Red, which is the company that's under Alert Worcester. And so Alert Worcester was unavailable because of that data breach. And we intentionally and proactively were looking at Diverting ourselves and transitioning away from Core Red. So when this situation happened, it just confirmed our willingness to try to pivot and move away from the software and go to a software that was more and a software that provided more of an options for us here as a city.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't recall that notification, including Chair, is that correct or incorrect?

Commissioner?

Related to the data breach.

You're asking the question time frame regarding

You mentioned the communication went to the council regarding that there was a data breach. You referenced Code Red. I don't recall any timeline around remedy for that through the chair.

through the chair to the council. Again, one of the efforts that we started to do was to try to find a product that could be suitable so that we can come back to the council floor and I know there was some discussions from some of the councils and residents asking about that. We started to work quite quickly right away to put forward an RFP and a product to try to obtain that. And then we then begin the process of contracting that company. And that's why we wanted to provide as soon as possible when we got to a place that was further ahead to be able to provide this report that you have in front of you.

So that was a no, is that right? I need to understand that was a no, correct?

Let me take a deep breath here. Please do. Because now you're insinuating something that I have not said.

No, no. What I'm saying. What I'm communicating. Mr. Chairman, I'm reclaiming my time. What I'm communicating. Mr. Chairman, I'm reclaiming my time. There was no insinuation that something wasn't said. I was asking. It was a long answer. No, it was an ask. It was an ask. it's my understanding that's no, correct? Because it was a long explanation, so I'm clarifying, so there's no misunderstanding, so there doesn't have to be any sharp movements. about where I'm coming from.

Okay, Mr. Manager.

Through the Chair to the Council. We did not communicate any timeline because currently at the moment there was a data breach and we were navigating and trying to figure out a step forward to then communicate to the Council. This is the earliest that we can come forward to the council to communicate our steps forward into achieving and getting a new product.

Thank you very much. I think that's important for the community to hear. as well and you know there's got to be some sort of relief Mr. Chairman. That's my order. I can tell you that I've received numerous communications from folks across the city with concerns that they did not receive notice. I understand that the city is doing the best that they can. Just before I close through the chair to the administration, you can kind of share the difference between what the notification is when there's an up and running and the entire alert system versus what actually happened in terms of notice to the public through the chair.

Through the Chair to the Councilor, so during a normal event like that, we put it out through a few different channels. what I would consider one channel which includes text, a telephone call, and an email. and then we also do it a message on social media both Worcester 311 and the City of Worcester's social media pages Facebook and Twitter as well as the website and we also do a press release which then goes to the local news organizations for them to Publish, if they choose to do so.

Thanks. That's five or six. I didn't stop counting. But how many of those did not happen?

Just Alert Worcester.

Which is?

Alert Worcester is the telephone text and email. so it was posted everything else was posted on social media was posted on our website as a banner so it was a flashing banner at the top of the website during those events to notify people as well as the press release that would have been sent we sent to all the local news.

So telephone, text, and call did not happen. Correct. And you did the best you could with social media and press release. And I'm assuming, I don't assume, it seems to me that that entire comprehensive system is necessary in order to get out proper notice. And it sounds like you guys are making some improvements. I appreciate it. But there really needs to be a remedy for folks. I can tell you, Mr. Chairman, that people are frustrated. and I guess there has to be ways to do better. I don't know if we have sort of a... Communication Tree with the neighborhood groups, perhaps, but in their membership. But if there's a way, like someone had mentioned, or a backup plan, in place for when these things occur. And appreciate your time and thank you.

Okay, so we'll send that to Public Safety. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Oh, 13 D is under the manager. All those in favor, post-awarded. Okay. 11.28A, Transmitter Information and Communication, relative to the financial update for the period ending October 31st, 2025. And also B, Transmitter Information and Communication relative to the financial Update for November 30th, 2025, Councilor Mitra.

Could I say something about 13P? Yep, go ahead. I just wanted to mention that we had some residents came in here, talked about that 25 miles per hour is working, no problem. Some are saying that, no, it doesn't. We all know it's difficult to drive. So that's what I think we need to see is it really working. I'm in favor of doing anything that will bring safety. And if the research says that 25 miles per hour brings safety, that's what we should do. But I think we also need to see that where giving some opportunity that's being followed by everyone. So they are abiding by the law. So my point is that when some people are saying it's working, some saying it is not, it's not practical, maybe that's when we should probably have

you know survey thousand drivers and see are they really maintaining their speed and come back to say no it is working most people do that so that's why I wanted to put that in there so that most people are following the law If that is truly not workable, 25 miles per hour, then maybe we have to confer and see what will work. But the safety is my major concern. So we need to see whether it's working. That's why I requested Mr. Manager to find some results of that as far as 25 miles per hour. Thank you.

I'll send that to the manager of those in favor of postal audit. we are on 11.28 A and B on the updates of the financial updates. Any questions for Councilor Bergman?

No, I was just gonna suggest that it would normally be sent to M.O.

Yeah, just go with M.O., yep. Okay. Thank you. So, M.O., those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Okay, we're on finance items. Several finance items here. We have 11.35A through D. We have 11.36A. We have 11.37A and B. and also under privilege, we have 20C, which is held under privilege, which is the school money that we, for the $7 million, I believe that's what it is. Which one was that, Mr. Chairman? That's 20C. You have 20C is the loan audit and $7 million for the MSBA approved accelerated repair program. Okay, what's that?

Mr. Chairman, 20C, if you can take that out of order because Councilor Hayes has refused himself.

Okay, so everything except 20C, we'll come back to that after this. Mr. Chairman. Yep, Councilor Rosen.

One. 11.35a. Just a question of the administration when I read, I guess, the backup on this. A good donation, a grant from UMass Memorial Medical Center. It seemed like it had something to do with the Medical Director, the position that's open now, Dr. Hirsch having left, right? That position open. I couldn't tell though if it was for the use of the Medical Director for the Department of Public Health or was it for the salary of the Medical Director? Do we have that information? I just wasn't sure.

Mr. Manager?

Yes, good question. Through the chair to the council, that's a salary. Part of the relationship with UMass for the medical director, there is a partnership where the component of the salary comes from tax levy and a component that comes from UMass.

So is that, through the chair, maybe a 50-50 split? Is that what it is, a matching? Do we know?

Yeah, how about that?

Okay, maybe while we're on that subject, how are we doing for a new medical director?

Yeah, through the Chancellor of the Council, great. Christian, we've actually been working directly with UMass. We need someone who is a medical director who has the qualifications for it. and so Dr. Dixon and his leadership has kind of done their due diligence within their institution to provide some recommendations to us and then now it's my responsibility now to set some time to meet with them and then make my decision.

So through the chair, we expect that person to come from UMass.

Through the chair to the council, that is a possibility that the person can either come from UMass, if that person that that they've recommended, the people they've recommended, someone that I may not be think that is appropriate for the department, we can then seek other institutions in the city. But the reasons why we Utilize UMass is because of the partnership that they have a stake in funding that position. Okay.

Thank you. Council Frizzell.

Do we have the $7 million in front of us? Are we on that line? Not yet.

We're going to talk about that in a second. When it's full on these, we'll go back to that right afterwards. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Okay, so collectively on a roll call? Roll call.

Yes. Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Bilotta? Yes. Councilor Economou? Yes. Councilor Fresolo? Yes. Councilor King? Yes. Councilor Mitra? Yes. Rivera? Yes. Councilor Rosen? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes.

And Mayor Petty? Yes. Okay. Under privilege, we have 20C, which is a finance item. Councilor Ojeda has recused himself. Zull, and Communications Team Managers recommend the adoption of a loan order in the amount of $7 million to fund the MSBA approved accelerated repair project and the replacement of Belmont Street School and the Rice Square Elementary School roof and window doors project. Councilor Zull.

Just for the general public, Mr. Chairman, through you to the administration, do we know when the Rice Square project would start?

Mr. Manager?

To the council, usually these window replacements, they usually try to do them in the summer. So it's anticipated that they would begin this summer.

This coming summer?

Yeah.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. So on this on the roll call.

Sorry, Mr. Chair. Sorry. Council Boyle. Figure back off what Fresolo said. Speaker Belmont, is there any timeline on that project as well? I was just curious.

Mr. Manager.

Yeah, through to the council. Yeah, it's the same timeline. The reason why they choose these time frames is because they want to Not to try not to disrupt classes and schools. And so they try to do it through the summer. So while the school is empty.

Burgman, Bilotta, Economou, Fresolo, King, Mitra, Ojeda, Rivera, Rosen, Toomey, Petty. Yes.

Chairman's Audit 12-8.

Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry, can we do reconsideration because of the timeline?

That's right, yeah. Reconsideration?

Bergman? No. Councilor Bilotta?

No.

Councilor Economou?

No.

Councilor Fresolo?

No.

Councilor King? No. Councilor Mitra? No. Hayden recused himself, Councilor Rivera? No. Councilor Rosen? No. Councilor Toomey?

No.

And Mayor Petty?

No. Chairman's orders, 12a, refer to Urban Technology Innovation. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. We have 12B, refer the MO. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. 12C, refer the Veterans Memorial Parks and Recreation Committee. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. 12D to 12N, motions to adopt. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. We have orders. You ready Gary? Request City Manager to provide counsel with a report concerning the proliferation of traffic calming seasonal and permanent speed bumps on residential Humps on residential street throughout the city where these speed humps improve the safety of people who walk, bike, and play in neighborhoods. The city reports to detail the parameters used to improve and place speed Rosen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'm not against speed humps. I think in many locations they do a pretty good job. And I know many neighborhoods and the people, the residents of those neighborhoods, you know, like them. They've asked for them. They prefer having them there. I just wonder what the process is and where we're going with this. I remember when we first came up with the idea of speed humps, I believe it was Councilor Bergman who First brought it up, and I know I was very supportive that night. And we were told, I think this is several years ago, we were told by Public Works Commissioner that we couldn't have speed bumps. Illegal, couldn't do it here in Worcester and so on. I know it took several years after that to finally come around DPW and the city. to approve installing some of these speed pumps. And we've come a long way. And we've come a long way that they seem to be everywhere, and it doesn't stop.

I make the trip frequently on Salisbury Street, or I turn left on Beechmont. and on Beachmont, I go quickly over to what is it? Institute and down Avalon towards Doherty High. So that's like a one mile stretch. And on Beachmont, we have four of the speed humps and on Haviland, we have two. So that one mile stretch, we have six speed humps. And I guess they're effective. But if we have six on that mile stretch, I don't know how many we have in the city of Worcester. I'm not against them. I just hope there's some plan that If we have 200, we're not looking for 500 or 700. I mean, there has to be some day that I think we start putting so many up. Now, it's my opinion that we have many. I go up Sagamore Road. I'm sure you've all, if you've done that, you've gone up there, you flip a quick left. It's a short distance. It's a football field from that left. to go to Salisbury Street.

And there's one speed hump there. You tend to miss the sign. You're making a left turn. You miss the sign. And you hit it too fast. Even if you're going 25 miles an hour, which I think we heard tonight someone said everyone's abiding by that. Well, I don't know if they are or not. But I think all of us have hit a speed bump because we didn't see the sign. And the speed humps, I shouldn't say bumps, I guess, speed humps, are the same color usually as the roadway. So it might be a little difficult. We have the white arrows on them. They're far to the right. And sometimes cars park on those speed humps. And you can't really see the arrows. Sometimes they park in front of the speed hump. and for a distance, you can't see those arrows. So there's a few issues here. I'm just saying, I don't know, maybe we can get a report from the manager on this. I'm not against it. I just wonder where we're going. Are we gonna have speed humps everywhere in the city? is every neighborhood, every neighborhood group going to start asking from every street, is that what we want? I don't know the answer to that.

Many of them are doing a good job within the neighborhoods whether we need six of them on my little one mile stretch on Beachmont and Haviland, four and two, whether we need six, I'm not so sure. Evidently people in the neighborhood thought we needed six and I just hope it's not gonna be eight in another few weeks. over there. So if we can send that to the manager. And it's a short report. I mean, you must have, Mr. Manager, through the chair, you must have like 2,000 requests for reports. Is that possible? Over the years. I think my name is still on some requests.

To the council, we definitely have more than 1,500 just in one year.

Okay, I was close. More than 1,500, so this makes it 1,501.

Yeah, so I did an estimate that if I was to answer every report, I would be submitting two and a half, I would be creating two and a half reports daily.

Yeah, it's crazy. I know you can't do it. So on this, yeah, Matt, I could do this. If I were you, I could answer this and do this in one page. So I'm looking for, can I amend that to make it a one-page report? I can do that, right? Yeah, I'm going to amend my own thing to a one-page report, brief, to the point, where are we going with speed humps. Thank you, Mr. Manager. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you. Mr. Manager?

Yeah, to the Councilor, yeah, we can work on this. This is something that we've been talking about internally, so I'm glad you bring it up. There, a lot of the speed humps right now, well, All the speed homes right now are either requests that are coming in from residents to the councilors or councilors putting forward or some suggestions that the DTM is providing. um there is some parameters that we got to create around it right uh right now you know if the counselor or counselors decide that you want to put one on Park Ave there's no parameters that does not allow us to not put one on Park Ave. And so we need to be a little bit mindful in terms of where we put these speed humps. So this is a timely report because this is something that we've been talking internally to create parameters around that.

in case I'm not the manager, all those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 13B, request the Standing Committee on Public Service and Imputation to hold public hearings and later make recommendations to the County of Worcester Regional Transit Authority to improve bus service to the city's residents and businesses. Potential considerations for improvement should include but not be limited to implementation of rapid transit, route changes, a same day paratransit pilot program, improved service times, and review of the the desirability of the hub and spoke operations. Participants invited to said hearings should include but not limited to local bus transit riders, the WTA administrator, and the Chairman of the Advisory Board, representatives of the Zero Fare Free Coalition, the Local Riotous Action Council, faculty and students in the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning of Touch University,

Seed Departments of Transportation and Mobility, the City's Commission on Accessibility, the Worcester Department of Public Health, and the Statewide Transportation for Massachusetts Agency and MassDOT, Councilor Rosen and Bilotta. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

You know, there's certain items that the public supports, and I think we had some people here tonight, and I've heard from people. There probably isn't anyone who is against this order. because of the quality that we have in the WRTA in the City of Worcester. It was almost seven years ago when I was sitting here, I think, next to Councilor Bergman. I was right over in that seat, in fact. and I came in and I filed an order about improving the WRTA. And I came in and I said that the WRTA bus service was, these are the exact words I used, inefficient. underutilized, this is pre-COVID too, taxpayers subsidized and possibly obsolete, which I know one of my colleagues over there was kind of upset with my term, possibly obsolete. I didn't say it was obsolete. I said possibly obsolete. And after that, I was approached by the Free Fair

Committee, a coalition, said, hey, would you be on the Free Fair Committee? I said, sure, Free Fair sounds good. And then soon, and the Research Bureau had done a report pro-Free Fair at that time. I got involved with the free fare movement and then former city manager Ed Augustus asked me if I would be on his representative on the WRTA board. I said sure. So I went to the board and soon I worked my way up to the Chairman of the Board for the last year or two, a couple of years, I guess, anyway. And I saw a lot of the issues that we had to deal with. And we did implement free fare. And that was, I won't go through all the reasons. It was the right thing to do, I think. but it was mainly because of COVID at the time that had an effect on why we implemented free fare. But we're the longest free fare city in the country. It's up to, what, six years now, I guess. But just because it's free,

just because it's free. And I was instrumental with many other people, organizations, the city council at that time, just because it's free, it doesn't make it good. It doesn't make it what it should be. And from my experience with the board and leading the board, I always thought I could see what it should be and we weren't there. And then I left the board and It's in the capable hands of Mr. Raleigh from transportation and mobility. And I'm sure he's doing a good job, too. So we need so many changes down there. And I worked with the former administrator of the RTA. and that wasn't easy, God bless him, that wasn't easy. I worked with him, we met often, we talked, you know, I tried to cajole him and twist his arm and anything else we had to do and so on. Right at my last week on the RTA as the chair, we hired a new administrator, Josh Rickman. And I hear he's doing a pretty good job. And I think he's open to change.

and Open to Improvement. That's all I'm asking for. I got a long list and I hope that this will go to public service and transportation. I'll be at those meetings. I think we can do better during the next two years. I think we can improve the WRTA. that's all I'm asking I'm not saying it's possibly obsolete anymore I'm not trying to end it I'm just saying let's improve it and those who have been on the council in the past for years we've had people come down from the public and they've complained about the WRTA. Last month, I spoke to a group at the Senior Center. It was after lunch, when there's usually not a lot doing at 1 o'clock. and they asked me to speak, I think it was the Free Fair Coalition, another group that put it on, and I'm driving down there and I'm saying, oh, would there be 10 people even there? I go in there, every seat was over 100 people, mostly seniors, and they all had questions and a lot of the things I put down here came from their questions.

The people who use the bus want to see the RTA improved. That's all a mess. No one can disagree with that. I know they have limited funds. but they have some pretty good funding too. Even funding now from the state that allows them to help continue with the free fare program. So there's a lot to be improved. If we can improve some of the things on this list, that would be good. But there's a lot of groups. I listed as many as I could think of, but there's many other groups too. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Yeah, just wanted to echo a lot of what Council Rosen said. I think for a city of our size, it's definitely frustrating some of the challenges that riders have with the WRTA, both fixed route and the ADA, Paratransit Service, having used that service for many years. You know, it's good. It's one thing that we've been working on with several administrators to improve. Going back to Administrator Lipka, who was just about obstinate to any requests that we put in, I can tell you that. But I think Rickman has done a good job settling in, and I think it's time for us to really focus on how we can help the WRTA improve, how can we bring on demand ADA Paratransit, something that Boston, other communities have done, something that the WRTA itself does, but not in Worcester. They do it out in Westboro. We need to bring some of those services here. So I'm really excited to work on this and see what we can do in our capacity to maybe work with our state delegation to get some funds moving to the WRTA. But again, thank you and excited to work on this.

Council Borgman.

Signed on, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Mayor, all other City Councilors should not rise to speak unless they plan to oppose the item, request clarification of the item, or offer an amendment to the item.

Okay, Councilor.

King, what purpose do you rise? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Councilor Rosen for this, like to sign on to it. But that's not the rule. I'm not done, Mr. Chairman. I'm not done, Mr. Chairman. I'm ready to give you an amendment if you just give me a moment. I'd like to thank Councilor Rosen for this item and I'd like to sign on to it. I'd like to offer a friendly amendment. I'd like to offer a friendly amendment if I may. and that is it's my understanding that this particular item with regards to fare free I think that ends in June of 2026 I think and I'm wondering where our delegation is on this, Mr. Chairman. And I'd like to make a friendly amendment that we reach out

to that delegation and solicit their inclination to attend this meeting. And in addition to that, get their idea of moving this forward. My understanding Mr. Chairman is that this is the longest Free Transit System in the country that we're experiencing. So it's taken a concerted effort from the community from stakeholders and from the public and from groups like Fair Free. So I think that that and many more. This component is certainly important that we have hands on deck. This is timely. This is a lifeline.

Public Transportation is a lifeline for folks to get around, have autonomy and engage fully as residents of the city and folks who are coming in and out of our city. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

I'd like to try to suggest a friendly amendment too if Councilor Rosen is uncomfortable that I could certainly bring, I don't think he will be, but if he is I certainly can bring it up as a separate item. My amendment would be to ask the ROSE'S ITEM BY ASKING SOME SORT OF METRICS. and I say that because I've been on this council long enough to know that every time this item comes up, It's flowing with optimism from people that are new to the council. We're going to get our state delegation involved. Now we have a new director. We're going to change things. I think that the fare free system is great. And I supported it, and I will continue to support it. And the fact that it's the longest free system, fare free system in the country I hear, something I didn't know, is also great.

That's about the best thing I can say about it, because for the people that need it, it's a wonderful service. But do I think the WRTA functions successfully as a whole to the rest of the city of Worcester? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I think there is plenty of dysfunction. I'm not going to get into it. I'll just add this one piece of information that I think highlights what I'm going to say. We get information. And by the way, the last two years, it's kind of unfair to gauge the WRTA because the committee that would have brought us information about the WRTA was a ship without a captain. So now at least we have somebody on board that can help us figure out whether or not we're making improvements. And that's what I'm asking, some sort of amendment so that we can gauge whether or not we're making improvements. We get information from time to time on how much ridership there is in the WRTA.

Unless that's changed recently, I've spoken to a number of WRTA operators who will remain nameless. who tell me that the way the number of ridership is calculated is one of those hand buttons you used to see at some sort of fairs or flea markets or bazaars where they count the number of people going in. and they tell me that most of the time they don't even pay attention because they're too distracted with other things happening in the bus to know how many times they should click. So it's very, very inaccurate. I don't doubt that a certain amount of people use the WRTA. And for those people, I'm very supportive of keeping it fear free. But for the rest of the city of Worcester, I don't believe it works well at all. And we got a couple items coming up. on orders relating to the Vision Zero plan.

and I'm not going to speak ahead other than to say that part of the reason why I think some of us on this council take a lot of issue with Vision Zero is because it contemplates a WRTA or a bus service that functions normally. The city of Cambridge, 10% of the people use buses. The city of Somerville, 10% of the people use buses. City of Boston, much more than that use buses. If you Google how many people in the city of Worcester Use buses? The answer comes up zero. Now, I don't doubt it's zero. I'm sorry, it's not zero. It comes out less than 10%. I don't doubt it comes out to a minuscule amount. It's not zero. I don't doubt that it's not zero. But it nowhere compares to Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston. And we keep trying to cater our Vision Zero plan

like we're Cambridge and Boston and Somerville that we have a robust WRTA system that's going to even though we're reducing lanes and we're making it longer to commute we're going to take over those issues by having a bus service that's going to shuttle people to where they have to go. It hasn't happened yet, and I don't see any way to measure the improvement of that happening. Now, thankfully, that's not a city agency. So I don't feel like I'm here criticizing the WRTA because it's run by the city of Worcester. But we have a vested interest in that for a lot of other reasons. intangible reasons, so to speak, that affect the city of Worcester. And I think there ought to be a way, and I think Councilor Rose's order is excellent. Councilor Bilotta co-signed it. The order is excellent on his behalf as well. But I think that if there isn't a way to measure the metrics, then the order isn't going to be successful.

Thank you. Okay, so we will take Councilor Fresolo.

Just quickly, Mr. Chairman, for the edification of the general public.

Just ask whether there's going to be an amendment, or are you asking for clarification?

No, I don't want to state a fact, but you tell me, am I not?

As for clarification.

As for clarification. Well, clarification, just quickly, Mr. Chairman. When the Commonwealth went to free fare and they pay the full amount, of the ridership. Before that, they were paying 75%. So just for the general public to know, they anteed up 25% more. That was what the... and so on, regular ridership paid for their cost of the RTA. I hope that the Commonwealth will continue it and because for that price we need to give this service to our most needy who need to get to work and get to groceries and doctor's appointments.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So we'll send that with the amendments to public service and transportation.

Mr. Chairman, one quick question.

Councilor Rosen.

First of all, I do accept the two friendly amendments from Councilor King and Councilor Bergman. But you seem to be enforcing a rule that in my previous stints on the City Council, I don't ever remember it being enforced before. I mean, it's the first time I've heard this tonight. And I'm not saying it's not a rule. I understand it's a rule.

Okay, let me answer your question. I've been asked by people who were new, sort of said, what's that rule? And I said, okay, I'll put, we sent an email to- The rule has been that way for years. No, no, it was enforced when Ray Mariano was the mayor and Tim Murray and way back when we stopped enforcing it when, it was about a little bit less than 10 years ago, yep. I was asked why when we force this, it's a rule. We can take the rule out if you want.

Can we send that rule to the MO committee?

The Tories of the Rules is the M.O. Committee of the Rules.

I know, but send that rule back. I mean, it hasn't been enforced for years. And it's a rule that says you must speak against, oppose an item. or you must ask clarification. But if you support any item on this agenda, The maker of the item according to that rule can speak, but no one else can speak. If everyone supports it, no one else can even say that to anyone. You can't know that I support Dr. Mitra's item or Khrystian King's item. Okay, Mr. Bilotta's item. It seems to me it's ridiculous. I mean, if it's to make the meeting shorter, I don't think that should be our goal. But if people want to get up and comment on an order and say they support it or they want to amend it, we should have that right to do that. It hasn't been enforced. That bad rule hasn't been enforced for years, Mr. Chairman.

Yeah, and I think the clerk did email out that rule to everybody, so give a heads up, I believe. Everybody got that? Councilor King?

Thank you. Point of order, Mr. Chairman. I concur with my colleague there. Public participation isn't simply coming up and speaking. It's also listening to the process, listen to the proceedings, and this is just a continued affront on that transparency. We've had this discussion last term. I'm not surprised it came up. I did receive a letter from the Clerk Part of that email, sorry, was speaking on your behalf, Mr. Chairman. I didn't hear from the mayor. I heard from the clerk that the mayor was going to do thus and so. The clerk is not a spokesperson for the mayor. with regards to rule enforcement. If that's something you're going to do, that's fine. I agree with my colleague. For the last decade, that has not been the case. I have no problem necessarily with it because I know how to maneuver and I will do so. But what I have seen tonight

is an uneven application of it from the beginning of the meeting to now. And we can go back to the tape and review it. That does not sit well with me, Mr. Chairman.

This just came up tonight.

No, it's been going on this meeting. And that application has been uneven. Bergman, and we can go to the tape and it'll be evident. No, you can go to the tape. I'm experiencing it.

Okay. Councilor Bergman?

Chairman, this isn't on the agenda, but I know it's kind of the cat's out of the bag in discussing. Let me just say that I- Is this a point of order, Mr. Chairman? I don't know. I don't know. I spoke on a point of order. Are you speaking on a point of order? I'll call it a point of order just so that everybody's treated fairly. So I would just like to say that it's my point of order that I was aware of it. It's in the rules. Even if it wasn't enforced in the past, I think it should be enforced. The simple solution to what some of my colleagues are upset about is you can co-sponsor the item and you can speak. If you like the item enough, co-sponsor it and speak on it. But just to get up, to speak on something that somebody else has put forth that you already agree with You're not disagreeing with it, which you'd have a right to speak. You're not asking for clarification. You'd have a right to speak. You're just agreeing with something somebody else has already said the first time it's on. That's the other part of the rule.

The first time it's on. nothing says in that rule that the next time it's on everybody can't speak about it but the first time it's on it should be limited to the people that are putting forth the item or object to it or need clarification. I'm going to say it. We need the meetings to run smoother. I don't see that as a deprivation of anybody's, you know, in Democracy. When we have meetings that go to 10, 11, 12 o'clock at night and people are bleary-eyed and rush through the meeting because we let everybody speak on an item that they could speak on the next time or the next time after that, because many of these items come back for years, never mind multiple times. There's plenty of chances to speak. We don't do the public or ourselves any service by just hearing each other cheerlead for each other the first time the item's on. If you want to cheerlead for each other, then you co-sponsor it. It's very simple. I was told tonight I couldn't speak on this unless I had an amendment. I was told that. I wasn't treated any differently than anyone else, so I had an amendment. Yeah, there are ways around it.

But at the end of the day, I think you're doing your best. If there was anybody that wasn't treated fairly tonight, it's because it's the first time we've practiced that. I don't see any unfairness to it. If it went to a vote sometime in the future, I would certainly support it. Thank you, Mr.

Chair. We have Councilor Rosen's motion to send out the M.O., the rule, and okay. All those in favor, close them. Yes, the rule. Okay. We are on One of the amendments, correct? Senate of the Public Service and Transportation. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. 13C, Councilor King.

No, I was waiting for my point of order in the last one. We just ran through it. but that's okay, go ahead, Mr. Chairman.

What was your point of order?

It's quite all right.

Do you have a motion?

It's quite all right, Mr. Chairman.

What's your motion?

It's okay, Mr. Chairman, thank you so much. What's your motion? I don't know.

Okay. 13C, request the amendment require Spectrum to finally fulfill its contractual obligation to provide even retroactively all senior subscribers and listeners to a cable TV service with a long overdue senior discount. Councilor Rosen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, it's my birthday today, and I'm old enough to get my senior discount. I was old enough maybe 15 years ago to get my senior discount. And I've been asking for it the last, what, we have a 10-year contract and we're maybe a year beyond that? We've been asking for the senior discount for the last 11 years. I wasn't asking for anything I wasn't entitled to. It's the senior discount. I was a senior. and it's in the contract. It's in the contract that we have with Spectrum that we're entitled to a senior discount. So why is the city denying me and many senior subscribers, and I would guess with Spectrum and Cable TV, many of their high percentage, 75% of their subscribers are seniors anyway. Younger people today, streaming and all that, and that's fine.

But the less high tech we are, the older we are, we tend to rely on, because we're used to it. I mean, they're already, they gotta be making a fortune because the last 10 years, I have two of those boxes and I think the average is like $10 a month. Now let's just say it's $100 a year, okay? That's less than $120. $100 a year, my two boxes are at least 10 years old. I'm up to $1,000 on this box that should cost $49 Best Buy or something. I mean, we shouldn't have to rent the box. We should be able to go out and buy the box. So if I live another 10 years, I'll be up to a couple of thousand dollars on this same cheap little box. Still working, so why would I give it back to them? I don't need a new one. I'm just complaining about the money they make. We should have forced them, maybe the next contract, to allow people to buy the box.

Reminds me way back when we used to have Bell Telephone and we had to rent our phones. You couldn't buy them. You paid every month. You didn't own that landline phone in your house. You had to pay for each one you had there. And then, of course, it changed all across the country. You could buy your own phone. This should have changed years ago. But I hope that You'll never sign the contract until they promise retroactively to give us all the senior discount. I don't know how much it is. I've called them many times. And one time I got a person who was kind of sympathetic. and she said, OK, we're going to give it to you. And I was thrilled. And then I looked at the next bill, and I didn't see it on there. I didn't see my senior discount. So I called them back. I didn't get the same person, of course, the same operator. But I said, where's my senior discount? It was promised. Oh, you don't have the right plan. You're not entitled to it. It was something ridiculous.

And I said, no, it's in our contract. You know, she didn't know about Worcester. She didn't know about the contract. I understand that. Well, can I talk to someone, your boss or someone above you in corporate? No, you can't. And that was the end of it. So, Mr. Chairman, I mean, Do we get to... It's your decision to sign the contract. Before you do, would you bring it to the Councilor Pacillo we can take a look at it? Is that asking too much? Just bring it to us and we can take a look before you sign it.

I would have to talk to the legal department. I don't know if I could bring a contract that I haven't signed. Informational only. I can provide some details and information related to the contract in terms of the negotiations. I do want to be clear. There are specific things that we're asking with Spectrum. to be able to fulfill before we ever decide to sign a contract. Those things are important. One of the things is a senior discount. That's been one of the point of contentions and that's why we've continued to expand this process because I refuse to sign a contract that doesn't give us what we want.

But Mr. Manager, they haven't and fulfilled it for the last 10 years at least. They haven't. So we're going to put it back in. Well, that makes me feel great. If I live another 10 years, I won't get it either.

No, no, no. I don't think you heard what I said. If we don't get what we want related to the senior discount, I won't sign that contract. So there's something that I'm asking them for as part of the senior discount, not only retroactively, but also moving forward.

So you have to be sure that we get the Senior Discus. Correct. That we're going to get. Okay, call me. Mr. Manager, call me and I'll let you know.

That's one of the points of contentions right now. they have a different process or they have a different model in terms of how they're going to pursue senior discounts across the entire nation and that's something that we're negotiating right now and that's why we don't have a contract because I won't sign it.

What's the length of the contract you're looking at? Potential length?

Potential length would be a 10-year contract.

Another 10-year contract? Right. Will they even be in business for cable TV in 10 years?

The other option is a five-year contract. We can also do a five-year. And so those are the things that we're kind of managing at this moment.

Okay. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. Councilor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And once again, I want to thank Councilor Rosen for this item. I would like to make a friendly amendment back in September. We had an order before this council asking the city for facilitating refunds from charters relates to senior residents. I filed a similar order some time ago requesting the legal feasibility of such retroactive work back in May of 2024. In August of 2024, there were some concerns also brought forward to the administration, Mr. Chairman. So I would ask

that this be amended to include an update on my order asking the city manager to provide a process used to reimburse senior discounts that were legally withheld and the legal feasibility of doing such. Those folks were robbed, Mr. Chairman. They were robbed. they were stolen from and we need it back. So I would like that forthwith along with this order if Councilor Rosen is so inclined. Thank you.

Okay.

I'm okay with the friendly amendment.

Okay. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. On 13... where we did 13D. Okay, 13E, I request the manager, request the commissioner of public works to provide counsel with a report detail on the feasibility of expanding the Spring Street sweeping program to include the pickup of leaves Benches that were not picked up during the fall program, Councilor Rivera.

I just want to expand on the big city of the city manager did throughout the city this past August. And also, Mr. Chair, you mentioned twice in the inaugural address on January 2nd. So my constituents who support this feel this will be a part of a cleaner Western.

Okay, so we'll send that to the manager. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Next is due to extensive community concern and to ensure the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and preteen to adult bicyclists alike, request the manager, request the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility and all city traffic mobility enforcement experts review and provide counsel to report long before construction begins concerning the MassDLT Current design plans to make pedestrian and bicycle improvements to Pleasant Street from Tatman Square to the Paxton Line. The state's proposed plan involves reconstruction of existing sidewalks, construction of new five foot wide sidewalks where feasible, and adding five foot wide bike lanes along the roadway. Acquisitions and fee and permanent temporary and easements may be required and there are unanswered questions regarding whose responsibility it would be to shovel snow from these sidewalks.

While MassDOT has the right to make decisions on the state highway matters and see the wish of the city's residents, and business owners have the responsibility to speak up and to act if there's any legitimate safety concerns with this or any other road project. Councilor Rosen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the key in all that, the key word is safety. That's what I'm concerned with, as I assume the state is. This project is going to happen. It's a state road. They've studied the project. They've talked to residents in the area. And it's been funded. It's going to happen. If I wanted to stop it, I couldn't stop it. And I'm not saying I want to stop it. I've heard the state's reasoning behind it. with the bike lanes, the wide sidewalks, the one lane going up that hill. If you've driven from Tatnick Square up maybe towards the airport area as you go to Paxton, there's two lanes right now going up the hill. I used to hold my sign at Tatnick Square and I know they come down from Tatnick School, they fly down the hill and when they see that green light at Tatnick Square, they even floor it more to get through that green light and they're going up the hill.

and I sometimes go, our friend Dottie Hargrove lives up on Meadow Lane, right near Atlas Pizza, so sometimes I'm picking her up and I never know which of the two lanes to drive in. If I drive in the left lane, they're whizzing by me on the right. If I drive in the right lane, I may not be able to get into that left lane when it's time to make the turn. What the state's going to do is have one lane going up. So anyone who's going to make a left turn, whether it's at Atlas Pizza or any of the left turns, you're going to stop all the traffic behind you. I'm not saying that's bad. I'm just saying that there's going to be angry people waiting because this car's coming down the hill into Tatnick Square and I'm trying to make a left turn in my one lane. Right now they whiz by me in the right lane. and the second lane there. But they won't be able to do that because that lane will be a bike lane. So what's gonna happen when Gary Rosen wants to make his left turn at Atlas Pizza? They're not gonna wait and wait and wait

and sometimes a driver who wants to make the left turn might be intimidated by 25 cars behind him and they might make that left turn a little too soon. when cars are still coming towards them. But what are they going to do behind me when I want to make my left turn? They're going to go in the bike lane. That to me is going to happen. I'm not going to wait for this guy going left, this guy's coming out. I'm going in the bike lane where there might be some bike riders. I'm not against bike lanes. I'm not against this project. I'm just saying, As someone who's not involved in transportation and mobility, I see some questions here. I see some problems here. And I just think we should keep cars out of the bike lanes and just knowing that stretch from Tatnick Square up to the airport road there, I just know what's going to happen. So all I'm asking, because we can't stop it and I'm not looking to stop it. I just want to hear from the administration, is this safe? Is this a good project? I've heard from the state, they think it's the best project in the world.

They funded it. They think it's great. Maybe it is. I'd like to hear from our traffic people, our administration, saying, yes, Councilor Rosen, it's a great project, it's safe, and don't worry, no one's going to drive on the bike lane. No one's going to have trouble making a left turn. I don't know. I just worry about the safety. And I know we had one person speak tonight. I know her well. She spoke well, very articulate, very bright, understands it. She lives in the area. I agree with her. but they want to improve what they have. And will this do it? Maybe it will do it. I hope it doesn't. My fingers are crossed that it's safe for the motorists, for the pedestrians, and the bicycle riders. Although, if I were younger and still riding my bike, I would never. go up that hill with cars whizzing by trying to pass the people making the left turn. So I worry about it. I'm concerned about the safety.

I know the previous district councilor is very upset. because I should not be questioning this. I shouldn't. That's why I was elected. I'll question everything on the freaking agenda if I have to. So I'm questioning it. Is it too late? Yeah, it's too late. I know it's too late. They're going to do the project. Just tell me, Mr. Manager, in transportation, mobility, it's a good project. I know we like it. Well, I think we like it because it's, you know, they're paying for it. But is it safe? If you tell me it's not safe, then I don't know what I'll do. I'll take it to the court or something. I don't know what I'll do, right, if you tell me it's unsafe. I know you'll be truthful, you'll be honest. If you think it's a great project and all my fears are unfounded, then fine. And the shoveling, I bring that up because years ago we had the same issue. We wanted our friend Dottie Highgrove and the other senior citizens on Meadow Lane their homes are separated by a wooded area onto Route 122.

We wanted them to walk down the hill around Atlas Pizza, walk up and shovel the sidewalk. Are we still gonna ask those residents to shovel these new five foot wide sidewalks? Years ago, Worcester finally came to its senses and they stopped trying to force those senior citizens and those people living on Meadow Lane to walk all around and shovel the sidewalks. Now, if you ask the state who's gonna shovel the sidewalk, you know what they say? We, the state, we're not doing it. So who is? Should we tell the people on Meadow Lane, get a new shovel? Should we tell them now to get your grandkids when it snows over here? So I don't know. I'm worried about the project. I hope it works. It's going to happen. I just want to hear from our administration, not just the DOT, state DOT, our administration. What do you think of this project? is it safe in your eyes? Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you. So I'll send that to Councilor Bergman.

I guess I'll consider it a clarification, not an amendment. But I guess I'm just going to throw out there that I understand the intent of the order and I certainly appreciate it and agree with it. I'm asking for clarification on if we're going to truly have Some objectivity on whether or not this is a good idea, safe to put in play, so on and so forth. To me, it really should be done by third parties, people that are neutral, people that have no vested interest. and the plan. It's already been accepted and adopted by the state and by all intents and purposes, some of our departments. So I just don't see, and I'll support it, but I just don't see the value in asking the people that have already enthusiastically embraced it if they think it's a good idea. I think the only value in doing that is to have a third party look at it.

If that's not going to be the case, then my request for clarification is you're not asking through the chair to either my colleague or whoever is the clerk. This isn't asking for an independent third party. It's asking for city employees and department heads to kind of be objective. Is that what I understand?

Yeah, through you, Chair, to the Council. I think it's also my understanding that most projects at the state level, as DOT, and even in the city level, The design aspects of these projects happen by third parties. We do consultation. We hire. Traffic and traffic consultants out there to do the design work and so MassDOT is probably taking probably the utilizing some of their Complete Streets policies, some of the policies that be put forward about bike lanes and reductions. And so most often than not, most people in this industry consultants will probably indicate it is a safe design for this quarter. That's my take on it based on my experience and based on my work. currently with our administration here and as a board member of MassDOT.

I appreciate the manager saying that. Let me just conclude. by saying that the reason why I asked for the clarification, and I certainly appreciate the manager's response, and I may be the only one, I don't think I am, but I have have seen and I think many of us have, I don't think I'm the only one, back and forth on social media where employees of various departments that are going to be asked about this are enthusiastically endorsing the plan. So I just think it's an exercise of futility to ask somebody who's publicly stating and Social Media why it's a great plan, if it's a great plan. But thank you.

Okay.

Okay, Councilor King.

Point of clarification. This is for a report. This is not for an additional public hearing. Is that accurate, Mr. Chairman? It's just a report. We're not looking for public hearing. Is that right?

is asking for a report, Pat.

Okay, so the only other thing, a clarification, a question I have is, consideration, I would ask just to strike the long before construction begins to some other language. I don't know what long before means. Does that mean 20 minutes? Does it mean an hour?

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to get the information. I want the city to go on record on this project. I'd like to have them go on record. if they support. I don't know, Councilor Bergman mentioned social media. I do not do any social media, so I don't know what they're saying. But I have faith in our administration. It's been said that they might not be independent. and they're already in favor of the project. So be it. I would like them to go on the record and say this is a safe project. I hope they're right. I just want to hear that from them. The report can be another One page report is they can just show us that they think this is a safe project. Long before the construction. I don't want it after the construction. I'd like to know now. And people will say, well, there's nothing you can do even if they said it was unsafe. Well, let's see. I'll face that if they come back and they say it's an unsafe project. But I just want to hear from them. I want our city to go on record even though it's a state project.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, so that would be my motion, my amendment to add to this to request the city go on record in support of this project. Mr. Chairman, and that the report be provided in the timely manner if that's okay.

Mr. Chairman, is the council suggesting that the report come out saying we're in favor of it? Are you suggesting? I'm asking them for their opinion.

I don't know what it is yet. For their opinion. Go on the record with their opinion, yes.

Okay, he's asking to go on the record with their opinion.

That's the motion, Mr. Chairman, yes. Go on the record with their opinion? Yeah. Okay, whatever that opinion is, yes, sure, I can support that.

Okay, so as amended, the manager owes in favor of proposed so ordered. That the council see which of those hereby amend its meeting schedule to cancel its March 3rd, 2026 City Council agenda and make the March 10th, 2026. King, the City Council meeting a joint council and City Manager agenda to accommodate the Jewish holiday. All those in favor? Mr. Chairman. Councilor King?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, we've had a number of joint meetings these last couple terms. And we've heard repeatedly that folks don't like long meetings in the public and by the elected body. I don't particularly have an issue working hard and working as long as it's necessary for the people. That being said, I would just ask that practice be amended to request that the chair consider rescheduling rather than having a joint meeting. Joint meetings, as you know, are prolonged. And if you're not cool with that friendly amendment, that's fine too. Matter of fact, I would draw it. I would just ask that moving forward that we consider that because double meetings have resulted in some of those colleagues aren't here, Mr. Chairman. I feel like I'm on death row. Good luck, guys, because everyone else is gone.

Some folks had some concerns about length of meetings. So welcome to Def Row, folks.

Okay, I'll send that all those in favor. Opposed, so ordered. 13H, request the manager to provide counsel with a draft ordinance similar to the ordinance passed In the city of Boston, requiring retail pharmacies to establish a collection system and to accept hypodermic needles, lancets, and shops from the public at no charge for the proper disposal. Councilor Rosen.

Mr. Chairman, right now the city has kiosk collection boxes for needles and lancets. The Worcester Senior Center? Family Health Center, Queen Street, AIDS Project Worcester, Southbridge Street, Kennedy Health Center, Tacoma Street, and DPH itself on Meade Street. and all basically 99.9% of the shops and needles and lancets that they collect are people who are using those for medical purposes, maybe for diabetes. maybe for Ozempic, maybe for something like Repatha, which is for cholesterol, keep your cholesterol down. So those five places, are where most people go who are taking these medications legally.

A lot of the people who use illicit drugs, and they use them sometimes outside, unfortunately, can be under bridges, it can be at parks and playgrounds. I think of Beaverbrook Park, where I've known for years and lived in the area for years. Beaverbrook Park, you find them on the baseball field. You find them out in the park. the used needles. Right next door is the Walgreens where a lot of the folks who were throwing them down on the ground and in the park, they purchased those. Those needles. They purchase them right next door. They're not going to the senior center. If you live around there, you hang out in Beaverbrook and you're using illicit drugs. And they're not going to any of these places. But they can't go. They can't bring them back to Walgreens or right down the street CVS. Why do we allow Walgreens and CVS? And there's others too. Those are the two big ones. Why do we allow them to sell them but not take them back? They take medications back. We all probably have expired. I just brought some to CVS.

expired medications. I went inside, I pulled the mailbox handle, and I threw my medications in, and that was good. And I did ask them when I was in there. I said, how come you don't take needles? We don't take needles. And I said, yeah, I know you don't take them. but how come the pharmacist couldn't really tell me why it's the policy of CVS nationally not to take them back? Well, Boston got around that because they made them take them back. You're gonna sell them? Okay? Let someone who might use the drugs, the listed drugs with these needles in Beaverbrook walk one football field next door to Walgreens and turn them in there. Now, some people are going to say to me, oh, do you think they're going to really do that? I don't know, 15% do it? 20% do it? That's better than having 20% of them on the ground somewhere. I don't know if they're going to do it, but maybe they will. Maybe they will. So I think we should take a look at Boston's rule on that, their ordinance.

And I guess I would like to send this first. two maybe we can make a dual recommendation to the city manager and to our public health committee i was on the board of health for the last four years so it's something that I have a lot of strong feelings for. And we all know that in our parks and our playgrounds and all throughout the city, there have been these needles found. Maybe it won't change anything. What if it changes a small enough percent, significant percent? It certainly is well worth it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Councilor Toomey, Breitbergman, and Rivera.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I rise to for some clarification and also to offer a friendly amendment. just a little fact that I think is important that needs to be put out there. There was a presentation from Dr. Castile earlier this year regarding the Road to Care Van, which is sponsored by UMass. And they have a needle exchange program. Very interesting data that came from that. From October 18th of 23 through June 30th of 25, the road to Kyivian distributed 15,000 391 needles. Let me repeat that 15,391 needles.

They collected 206 needles. So I really don't think that These needles are coming from folks that are going to buy needles to do illicit drugs. I think what we should do, my request is perhaps to include UMass in a discussion over enforcing their needle exchange that they originally committed to and also seeing if perhaps they could sponsor more collection boxes. Thank you.

Okay. Councilor Bergman.

I think my standing up is to clarification, and depending on the clarification, I'd rather not be objecting to it, so hopefully we can do a friendly amendment. if what I suspect is true about the item. As I read it, it seems to say to me, and I don't know what the Boston Ordinance is, because I couldn't find it attached. Perhaps I overlooked it, and I'll certainly try to find it again. But it seems to say requiring retail pharmacies. My issue with the item is I can't, if it's legal, So I'd like some clarification from the law department perhaps if it's legal. If it's legal, I still would have an issue requiring somebody to do something like that. It could be great if they volunteer. No issue with it. I think it's a good idea. But I think requiring somebody to take back something they sold just because they sold it Even if it's legal, and I'd like to hear an opinion back, is a little unrealistic.

I mean, they sell diapers too. They sell garbage bags. They sell lots of things. Once it's out the door, I don't know why they're required to take it back. if it's legal and I could possibly support it. But my instinct is requiring a private business that pays their taxes, gets their licenses and permits, and sells items to take something back seems to me a bit heavy-handed. And I will use one other example, and that is the nip bottles. How much effort have we made trying to get liquor stores to be required to have deposits on the nip bottles? And we haven't really gotten that far until recently, and I don't think we've gotten as far as we wanted to. So I guess my clarification is, is the intent to require retail pharmacies to do that, or is to ask them or suggest to them that they do it? That's my question. and also whether or not you could force them. If the answer is require, whether or not that's legal.

I guess I probably need a report back on that.

Okay, I'll give a report on that. Council Rosen? I'm sorry, Council Rivera's first.

Be around the same line. Basically, a clarification. I just wanted to make sure that we have the ability, maybe through legal, find out can we force CVS, Walgreens to

Rosa.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We all know we have a problem here. with needles and shops and lancets all around the city. We have the problem. Boston had it too, and they still have it. But they decided to do something about it by requiring the pharmacies that sell them to take them back. I know they pay taxes. I know they provide medications and advice and they do all these good things. I'm not against CVS or Walgreens or any pharmacies. I'm just saying it's worth a try. because a lot of the people, regardless of UMass and their van and so on, a lot of the people go to these local pharmacies to purchase these needles. So why might they, maybe they'll also go to return them. Maybe they will. I'm not expecting 100% compliance. I'm just saying if Boston had the right to do it, we have the right to do it.

All I'm asking for is a kiosk of some sort like they have with the meds, the old meds, you bring those back, some type of kiosk Outside even, outside, where people can come by, even those of us who use, who might use for diabetes or ozempic or whatever, even those of us who use the medications legally, We can still bring them there, too. We don't have to look at the five places. Oh, am I going to go to Meade Street? Am I going to Queen Street? Am I going to the Senior Center on Providence Street? We can use these choices too. So even though we're requiring if this goes through, and I know it's legal because Boston, if it's legal in Boston, it's legal in Worcester. But even if we're requiring them to do it, it's something that's Good to do. We can fight fault with every single item and order that comes in front of this council. We can do that week after week after week.

or we can look at some of these things and say, how do we get these needles off Ted Williams' Little League Field at Beaverbrook Park? How do we do it? Maybe the people who are going to buy more because I threw it on the ground, maybe they're going to go buy more so they won't throw it on the ground and they'll bring it back. Let's at least try it, requiring them to allow people to throw it into a kiosk? That's not a big requirement. I think they can do it. Let's try it just like Boston did. Thank you.

King. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to sign on to this. I certainly appreciate social worker Rosen's efforts here. It's great. that being said Mr. Chairman my amendment would would or perhaps a separate order if he's not willing to accept it is that one of the things that I know that the manager's been working on is These needles... and the locations within which they're reported to be found at high rates. I know our parks, places where children are, places where the public are. In my conversation, there was some discussion around capacity on the city side. So I know that when I filed the

Supply Diversity Audit, that one of the things that we do have the ability to do is for contracting with the city under $10,000, I believe it is, there's no bids required. So I guess I would make this as a separate order that they come back with a report. Are there additional folks that can be helpful to us through our city contracts with the private sector? when there's capacity issues as it relates to this. And as a friendly amendment to this, perhaps if we can also get an idea of the cadence within which we're doing any sort of needle sweeps in locations in the city where there's a report, a proliferation of said needles. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Dr. Mitra.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the issue of needle is definitely a paramount magnitude. We do have problem with the needles, and if the solution can be brought, that would be great. Asking the pharmaceuticals to take it back, I'm not sure. I don't think any one of us as I hear are sure whether we can ask them to take it back. But the fact that Councilor Rosen says that Boston has done it, Probably there is some way Boston is doing it. I think rather than going through this, maybe we should find out how Boston did it. and if there is a process that we can use to do that, then maybe that's something we can do. So that's my request that rather than saying we don't know if they'll take it or not, can we ask them, it's required for them, Let's see how Boston did it. The fact that Boston did doesn't mean that they can impose it on them.

We don't know the legalities behind it. So let's kind of find out and go from there. I think we're saying friendly amendments. I think let's all be friendly and resolve the issues. That's all my request is. Thank you.

Okay, so we'll take that, send that to the manager, and we're off to the amendments, and all those in favor? We need to report back. What's that? You want to send the audience to the committee? Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. All those in favor? Opposed? So ordered. Okay, request the Manager, request the Commissioner of Transportation Mobility to identify and prioritize pedestrian improvement projects along Lake Ave corridor. and if I envision zero priority network such pedestrian improvement projects should include extensions, raised crosswalks intersections, high visibility crosswalks, rapid flashing beacons, Bilotta, Pedestrian Hybrid and Pecans, Enhanced Pedestrian Lighting, and Pedestrian Islands Raised Mediums. Councilor Bilotta?

As it reads. All those in favor, approve, so ordered. Request that the manager request the Commissioner of Transportation Mobility identify and prioritize pedestrian improvement projects on Lincoln Street between Britton Square and Interstate 290, said pedestrian improvement projects should include curb extensions, raised crosswalks intersections, high visibility crosswalks, rapid flashing beacons, pedestrian hybrid beacons, and enhanced pedestrian lighting, Councilor Bilotta.

And the same as it reads.

All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Request management by council of the report concerning if and what to extent the Department of Public Works collaborates with the public schools during winter weather events to determine the appropriateness of delaying the opening of schools and granting a full snow day. Councilor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just really quickly to the administration. It's my understanding that there is some intersection between the city side Department of Public Works at times with decision making, perhaps including the mayor, perhaps including the superintendent. I just want to confirm if you're aware of that intersection through the chair. Mr. Manager? Regarding consultation and the like.

Through the chair to the council, yes. That consultation happens between the administration and the school department.

Thank you. A lot of folks have been asking about that. So we'd like to report back and hoping it's possible for the next meeting because there were some concerns with this latest ICE event. Some of the reports that were coming in to me, were indicating that there was a reliance on information coming from the city side. You know, I had a young person that I worked with that was in a significant accident. who was in one of the paratransit vehicles and suffered a significant accident. would like some clarification so we can understand what the intersection is and hopefully we can get that to a joint committee on education as well. Thank you.

Those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Questioning the community of traffic and parking, who may need to discuss best practices that only can be used to guarantee traffic signage and finalized by the council and installed at proper locations in a timely and efficient manner to better to ensure safe and properly enforceable signage and install throughout the roadways of the city, Councilor Rivera,

So this is just to help streamline the process from the time the order gets approved to the time a constituent gets to sign or crosswalk or a light, et cetera, that gets finally installed. For example, we had a resident today on Zoom who was waiting still for an order that was approved. I think I heard earlier today that my colleague Fresolo has an order, or a year and a half that's already been approved, just waiting for it to finally happen. This is what we're trying to accomplish here. Just trying to streamline the process.

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Netherstein. Committee, all those in favor, opposed, so ordered. question request Commission Public Works require contractors have all detour and road closure signage up and visible with the list of businesses that are still open to the public also clearly marked or the road construction of any Conning shuts down a street or a section of a street with businesses located inside the location, Councilor Economou.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This has come up quite a few times just in this past year, actually just in this past fall, where road closures have taken place, detours have been set up, Even though the businesses are still open and accessible, there's no signage that states that. and I think it's important for these businesses to get whatever help they can get from, whether it's us or any contractor doing work in these areas, that there is specific signage that reads XYZ business is open during construction. And that should be at the construction site and at any detour. Thank you.

Okay, send that to the manager. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Requesting the manager to request the chief development officer to consider ensuring ombudsman be available for the small business owners for the purpose of helping them through the city's permitting process in effort to expedite We move confusion around what is required from a business relative to permitting, putting out their infrastructure and all other processes required prior to opening and or renovating their business, Councilor Economou.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In this case here, in a grown community as we have here with many different ethnic groups that come to our city, especially in the small business world where they're looking to open up their business, It can be a daunting task to wear the hat of planning your business, being down here for whatever permits or meetings you need, or being down at Meade Street, or being wherever you need to be to get your business off the ground. I think somebody in the city in economic development that could help shepherd them through the process you need XYZ before you can do step two would be beneficial not only to that business owner but also to the city employees who have to deal with this and constantly tell people You need this. You need this. Come back when you have this.

I think we'd be doing us and the small business community a big favor if we could have somebody, an Obuds person, to shepherd them through the process.

King. Senator, the Manager, Rosen, Councilor King.

Thank you. Certainly appreciate this. I'm not sure what the funding implications would be. Just for clarification, I just wanted to ask through the chair to the administration, do we have something like this in place I thought we had a small business team that walked folks through things, including permitting, et cetera, currently in play in Mr. Dunn's division through a chair.

Mr. Manager.

And what is that comprised of if it does exist?

Through the Chiefs of the Council, we have a business development division as part of economic development. There's a number of individuals that are responsible in helping business owners identify sites depending on the sites that they need, depending on square footage. We have relationship with certain landlords who have availability, and so they try to assist in that. Oftentimes we have small businesses who come in to try to meet with the team to ask what are the processes that they need to be involved in. Sometimes they don't have business plans in place and they need some support in developing a business plan. So we refer them to like Eat for All, Clark University, who provides support in developing business plans. So we do try to do a lot of those efforts. One of the challenges, I think one of the things that our council is alluding to is that oftentimes there's things related to permitting or the licensing that they need a little bit more handholding to be able to get through that process or sometimes

They're going through the process and they're stuck somewhere and they need somebody else to be able to help get that unstuck. Those are things that I think we need to manage internally. We need to create better processes internally. So that doesn't happen consistently. But we have a team, a business development team that tries to assist anyone that's trying to develop a business here in the city.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll support this. I would recommend a friendly amendment. And if not, I'd do a separate motion if Councilor Economou is not so inclined. to ensure that there's due consideration given to reorganization efforts by the city manager versus additional staffing in that particular department, if possible. I know that as we move forward, we're going to be TASKED WITH SOME BUDGETARY ISSUES TASKED WITH SOME BUDGETARY ISSUES TASKED WITH SOME BUDGETARY ISSUES GIVEN WHAT'S GOING ON ON THIS GIVEN WHAT'S GOING ON ON THIS GIVEN WHAT'S GOING ON ON THIS FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL. FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL. FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL. SO I WOULD JUST ASK A FRIENDLY SO I WOULD JUST ASK A FRIENDLY SO I WOULD JUST ASK A FRIENDLY MEMBER THAT THERE WOULD BE DUE MEMBER THAT THERE WOULD BE DUE MEMBER THAT THERE WOULD BE DUE CONSIDERATION.

CONSIDERATION.

Chairman, given to reorganization within that department if there's going to be an ombudsman or what have you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't have a problem with that amendment. It's just going to be. It's going to need to be specific. Just somebody needs to help These people understand how we operate. There's people coming here from different countries. There's people from right here, born and raised right here in Worcester, who don't understand the process, which is part of their fault as well. but I feel it comes upon us, if we're looking to better fill these vacant storefronts, Somebody that could help shepherd them through specifically when they run into those issues, Mr. Manager. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Okay. Thank you. Councilor Mitra.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, through you to Councilor Economou, I wholeheartedly support your proposal. I think we are a city who are growing. We're a city where we want more small businesses to come in. We want to show that we are very business friendly and something like this to usher them to show what steps are needed to have a good business opening here is very, very important. I would just might like to suggest that Such facilities are also available through our Chamber of Commerce. They have teams. They can assure you. They can let you know. We may do it ourselves if possible. If not, maybe we can recommend that People like that who needs help can also talk to Chamber of Commerce and see that they have a group of people who suggest you how to open, how to start small business. We have people here from different ethnicity, different nationality, different traditions.

and I think there are many people who don't know how to really start from point A and reach to a successful business so I absolutely agree with you this kind of thing is very important but maybe Either we do it through the city, through the Economic Development Group, or maybe see if we can talk to Chamber of Commerce and they'll join hands with us to support them as well. Thank you.

So your amendments include the Chamber of Commerce and groups of people. All set with that? Okay. All those in favor, post so ordered. Okay. We'll send that to... City Manager, all those in favor, opposed, so awarded. 13Q, request the City Manager, request the Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility to provide City Council with a report examining best practices used in the communities relative to the resident permit parking programs. so examination should include information concerning how other communities work with students attending college in the city to ensure they can park in the areas they live as well as the appropriateness and feasibility of instituting zoned resident parking in the city which may allow for residents to request multiple streets in a small area to have portions of their street reserved to residence permit parking and allow for increased ability to enforce the regulation. Councilor Rivera.

Mr. Chairman, just point of order. It's 13 O and P. Are we skipping those?

Did I miss O? I'm sorry.

No, so I was just going to say P. And so for mine is as it reads, but I think we missed P. Okay.

And O. O as well.

Okay, I missed O. Okay, I thought I did O. That's all right, finish. Okay, it's finished, okay. And also on 13Q, we're on 13Q, I'll go back.

I said as it reads.

Okay. All those in favor, opposed, so audit. O, request manager, request chief development officer and commissioner of inspection services work together to determine ways to simplify and eliminate any unnecessary requirements around permitting in the city. So that should include ensuring applicants recognize the difference between a request is made of them as opposed to when something is required of them prior to any applications they have pending before the various boards and commissions can be approved. Councilor Economou.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In this case here, I appreciate the work that all our boards and commissions do to go through the process, go through the information, and bring their recommendation forward. I think what's, in my opinion, What's lacking? When that person is standing at the microphone at the board level or the commission level and the commission or the board is making a request, I think it's important for that individual to know, that business owner to know, that this is a requirement or this is just a suggestion. Because I'll tell you, if it's a suggestion, it can be very costly and it's time and it's money and again we're trying to be better stewards of our small businesses so we can get them here opened in an affordable manner I think that's an important fact to consider at that level.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

as amended to include everybody once we signed on. So all those in favor, opposed, so ordered. We did P already, we did Q, we are on R. Request the manager to request the police chief provide increased speed and traffic enforcement on Lake Ave from Bigelow-Davis Parkway, Hamblin Street to Sutherland Road. Councilor Fezzolo.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I filed this order because of constant Residents contacting me when I was campaigning this past summer and fall in the Lake Ave area. whether it be Monday through Friday 4 to 8 or Saturday and Sundays, I myself experienced the Speed of traffic on Lake Ave from Hamilton Street to Sunderland Road. To be quite honest, Mr. Manager, they don't speed, they fly. and it is a very deep concern of the residents in that area and I promised them that I would try to address it and that's why I'm filing this order as well as the next item as well. I'll speak on it then.

But again, If we could ask the police chief, I know the traffic division is running on some Thank you. Speed Board that you put out on streets and then definitely have pay detail or a police Detail there. Again, the traffic is, the speed of traffic there is very, very high, and I'd like to see that addressed. Thank you very much.

Okay, Councilor Toomey, by the purpose of your eyes.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I rise to make a friendly amendment. I certainly appreciate Councilor Fresolo putting this on as someone who drives on that every day. several times a day. I can absolutely confirm that he's correct. I probably drive people crazy because I put my car in What do you do when you set the speed control? Thank you. Cruise control at 25 to 27, somewhere around there. Line of Cause, people try to pass me on on this side. What we should be doing, I believe, and we should be doing the entire Lake Ebb, and I know the council was focused on his district,

I think the entire lake have but I also think that we need to put adequate signage because people are coming from outside of town they're not necessarily seeing the speed limit They look at it still as a speedway. They're going to go to UMass or wherever. and they are flying. There was somebody that was going at least 50 miles an hour the other day. So I absolutely support it, but I would like to amend it to include all of Lake Ave and to also add that appropriate signage be posted as well especially in that part we are where you have the big grassy area. That's where people really get upset. So thank you.

as amended, so we'll send that report as amended. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Next I request the manager to request the Chief Development Officer to provide counsel with a report outlining CSX memorandum of understanding, agreement the City including information concerning CSX compliance and all aspects of said agreement including not limited to the compliance or lack thereof with trucks operating and driving on Grafton Hill area causing traffic concerns in the neighborhood. Councilor Fezzel.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Mr. Chairman, through you to the manager, I don't see the chief development officer here, but I don't believe Peter Dunn was and the Chief Development Officer when the TIF was agreed to with CSX. That's probably 15 to 20 years ago. I know our Legal Attorney, probably wasn't here as well. But I was a state representative at the time. I attended the planning board and zoning board meetings and A lot went into satisfying CSX's move here to Worcester. The base of Grafton Street, cosmetically, was changed You know, immensely.

We took by eminent domain property and allowed them to have their entrance at the base of the 290 on-ramp. and we also closed a street completely, Coral Street, from accessing to Grafton Street to allow the west side of traffic from 290 to line up perfectly with the entrance. And in doing so, we increased response time with the fire department by a minute and a half to the neighborhood of Union Hill. So we did a lot for CSX. We accommodated them quite a bit. And in that tiff, an agreement was, it was a couple of agreements that I don't believe they ever adhered to.

One of them was that leaving their property they were supposed to go if they were going to go east on 290 obviously they'd get right on the ramp right there at their Entrance and exit of their property. If they had to go west, they would go Take a right out of their property, go down under 290 and catch 290 West on Summer Street. That was the agreement that was produced with the city and CSX at the time. What had happened was that when drivers would

use GPS, they would tell them to take a left out of Grafton Street and use Hamilton Street and Lake Ave as a cut way to get to places like UPS in Shrewsbury and also CSX has a yard that they store you know other tractors tractor trailers across from Market Basket, and Shrewsbury. So about 60 days later, we as a neighborhood group had someone come in and tell us that that agreement was no longer in place because Grafton Street is Route 122 and it's a state route and general law does not allow you to prohibit commerce from happening on a state road.

So that whole agreement that we had with them, we were told, could not be enforced. In turn, those tractor-trailers are going and using Hamilton Street and Lake Ave and they are doing harm to the infrastructure of those roads because of their weight and because of their speed. They also speed very, very fast. on Lake Gav, the Tractor Trails. In fact, again, while I was campaigning on that road, they'd hit a pothole and I'll tell you, It would shake you. And when I go to the houses, the people say that when they do hit potholes, their foundation shakes. And I truly believe it. So that was one issue I had with the agreement with CSX.

The other one was that they were supposed to create 50 new positions, 50 added positions. and throughout my time in the legislature and up until now, I have not been able to get an answer whether that has ever been the case. I don't think it has, and I'd like the Law Department or the Chief Development Officer get back to us in a report and find out exactly if that occurred, and if so, What positions were created at the yard there in Worcester on their property? So in closing, Mr. Chairman, through you to the manager, CSX in my opinion has had a negative impact on the neighborhoods in District 3.

The traffic that has occurred, the traffic flow has been ruined forever because of our design of narrowing the lower end of Grafton Street taking away a dedicated right hand turn that people could go and get on to 290. It's backed up traffic. We have backup. Traffic is backed up now up over Hamilton Street through Plantation Street back on Grafton Street, beyond East Middle School. We never had that before CSX was in the city, Mr. Manager. And I know they did a lot of cosmetic work. you know on Franklin Street and Plantation Street with new streets and sidewalks and the new Thank you.

Thank you. I've met with the attorney. I give them credit. They called me and they met with me. And the attorney here in Worcester that represent CSX. And I told him exactly what I just spoke on here. And I asked him if CSX would pay for a pay detail that Police could be on Hamilton Street and on Lake Avenue. And he said in all honesty, We pay our taxes and we pay a lot of taxes here in the city. I'm following this order I promised the people of Hamilton Street and Lake Ave that I would do it and I'm

I'm going to try to address the issues and I'm not going away with it. They need to be held accountable for, in my opinion, what traffic on that side of the district has to occur as each and every Workday. So having said that, Mr. Manager, if you could please get back to us in a timely report, I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

King, sign on as amended. Okay. We send it to the manager. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Request City Manager to request Commissioner of Public Works and Commissioner of Transportation and Mobility to provide counsel with a report prior to committing to any segment of road design. that includes the following aspects of proposed redesigned segment, current annual daily traffic, current vehicle speeds at 85% and 50% max, accident rate, for a million vehicles, travel time impact on those using the redesigned segment, any proposed changes in the signal timing or Bergman, Sequencing, the bicycle and pedestrian account, monthly, yearly, the impacts of the local businesses based on the construction timing and redesign segment changes, Councilor Bergman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There seems to be a number of items on tonight that address directly and directly the Vision Zero plan and traffic and safety. This is one of those. In addition to Councilor Rosen's item, which talked about, he himself said, it's too late to do much about Pleasant Street. I'm not sure that's that's going to be the end result of that. But this order is intended for me to make that statement not have to be the statement in the future. And what I mean by that is I want us to be able to thoroughly vet these types of sequencing or changes in roads, I should say, redesign segments so that when they're done and approved, we don't have to second guess whether or not They're done well and they're done safely and they're done in the best interest of the residents of Worcester.

I say that because a number of people say, well, Of course, it's designed by either the state or the city, and it's going to be designed to make things safer. I'll use Mill Street as an example. I know people are tired of hearing about that, but I think it's the best example for this point. I and my colleagues had asked six months after Mill Street was somewhat completed, give us the data. Is it safer? took a year, six months beyond that, to get information back. And even that information was ambiguous. So I'm not comfortable or satisfied that every time a project takes place in which there's a new redesign segment, either asked upon us by the state, because we're taking their funds or designed by our departments that it's always necessarily safer. I'm not saying it's not intended to be safer. But I'm not convinced that it's always safer. But I also want to talk about common sense. The city of Worcester has grown more than any other city, we all know that, in the last decade.

and majority of new people that have come in, about 30,000 of them. How many of them do you think are going to commute every day by bicycles versus cars? Again, if you go online, the reports have been done by the Research Bureau and others. Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, they have bicyclists. that make up a significant number of people that commute. Worcester has an insignificant number. Does that mean that in the future there won't be more? No, it doesn't mean that. And when we can, and I said this earlier, When we can incorporate aspects of Vision Zero, we should. And there are some streets where traffic by vehicles, automobiles, and bicyclists, and pedestrians can all coexist. And there's many more streets that we can add that type of setup. But there are a lot of streets where we shouldn't because with the population we have now and with the anticipated growth in our population, we're only going to have more and more people using cars. We've got to be realistic.

If you take into account the weather, then we certainly are not being practical in designing roads with less lanes to accommodate only bicyclists and pedestrians because it's not going to be used five or six months out of the year. So I would like to not have to say that cat's out of the bag, it's too late to do anything about it. I would like these major... Councilor, Councilor And I think when the argument is, well, they're being designed by the state, that it must be good, I have an issue with that as well. Because nobody knows the roads better in the city of Worcester than the people in the city of Worcester. and when I attended that meeting, Councilor Rosen, Councilor Rivera, others were there as well.

When I attended that meeting up at West Tatanik School, it was obvious to some of us that were there that the advertisement by DOT about the meeting had a description of what they were trying to do, and they described the road from Tatanik Square to the Holden Line that segment of Pleasant Street, which all of us here know doesn't go to the Holden line, it goes to the Paxton line. Now maybe it was a typo, it hasn't been corrected as far as I know, but to me it's just indicative or indication, indicative I was trying to say, indicative of how we're best served when we're deciding road redesigns right here in this chamber by listening to the very people that live on the streets, not by the engineers in Boston who are deciding what works best for the people in Worcester. I think we've had too many examples of not doing this where we've regretted it, where we've heard from constituents, that they don't like it and they haven't had an opportunity to weigh in.

So I'm simply suggesting that the democratic process works best when we have people at the local level participating in the conversations, not relying upon the one meeting that DOT has at the 25% mark, which in my opinion, it's poorly advertised. Many people don't even know about or attend. Attendant, and oftentimes it's misdescribed like it was in this case. It's better served when we have discussions here first in either the Crimewatch neighborhood groups and then at the council or in other forums instead of, again, waiting until it's too late. Thank you.

Thank you. So I'll send that to the manager. All those in favor, oppose, so audit. Christy, Manager, Richelta, NR, I'm sorry, RCAP, solutions regarding individuals needing the assistance of housing. Bergman. I'll be really brief.

Mr. Chairman, I can just tell you that I've run into many people in my professional in a professional role that our tenants, as well as landlords, but particularly tenants, who are looking to reach RCAP for the opportunity to get assistance, they're at the former Reliant building on May Street. and I've actually gone with constituents and clients before to try to help them. The door is closed. It says on the door to call to make an appointment and nobody ever answers the phone. And I know it's not going to solve our housing crisis, but every little bit counts. And I don't know if there's a way for the manager to contact them. I know it's a private entity. I certainly respect the role I've talked about it tonight between private businesses and city government but if a phone call could be made I think would be helpful. Thank you.

Okay. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. In communication with City of Cork, Transmitting and Communication of the Certification Requirements of the Open Meeting Law for Public Parties. You can file that. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. Report to the Planning Board. 15A, refer to Economic Development. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered. 15B, refer to the Public Works Committee. Those in favor, oppose, so ordered. 16A to 16D, the motion is to advertise proposed ordinances. Those in favor, oppose, so ordered. 17A to 17D, motions to accept. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. 18A to 18G, the motions to accept. All those in favor, oppose, so ordered. King has asked that we hold under privilege 19G and so 19A to 19F, motion is ordained on the roll call. Roll call.

Bergman, Councilor Bilotta, Councilor Economou, Councilor Fresolo, Councilor King, Councilor Mitra, Councilor Ojeda, Yes. Councilor Rivera? Yes. Councilor Rosen? Yes. Councilor Toomey?

Yes.

And Mayor Petty?

Yes. I have done the privilege to communicate with the same man as recommended adoption of an auto authorizing a release deed for the form of Clinton Street right away. Roll call.

Yes. Councilor Bergman. Yes. Councilor Bilotta. Yes. Councilor Economou. Yes. Councilor Fresolo. Yes. Councilor King. Yes. Councilor Mitra. Yes. Councilor Ojeda. Rivera? Yes. Councilor Rosen?

Yes.

Councilor Toomey? Yes. Mayor Petty?

Yes. 20B, Councilor King is asked to hold down under privilege. To do that, we need four votes. 20B, that's on the Grafton Street 90-day trial basis, and the ordinance to primarily establish no parking at any time portions of both sides of the Grafton Street. Roll call.

Councilor Bergman? Yes. Councilor Bilotta? Yes. Councilor Economou?

Yes.

Councilor Fresolo? No. Councilor King?

Yes.

Yes. Councilor Mitra?

Yes.

Councilor Ojeda? Yes. Councilor Rivera? Yes. Councilor Rosen? Yes. Councilor Toomey? Yes.

Okay, that brings us to the end of the meeting. Motion is adjourned. All those in favor, opposed, so ordered.