City Council - Regular Meeting

Recording in progress.

Good evening everyone. Welcome to the Wister City Council meeting. If you can stand for the pledge of allegiance followed by the star spangle bearer. Hi Oh, say by the dawn early light. What so proudly we held at the twilight lasting who brought stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight. For the parts we watch were so gallently streaming and the rockets red. The bombs were in gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star spangled yet? For the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Roll call. Councilors Bergman here. Bada here. Economo here. Fizzolo here. King. Mitra here. Oh here. Rivera here. Rosen here. Tumi and Mayor Petty here. Do we have anything? We have can be online. No.

Okay. Next is the city council see approved the minutes the city council meeting of March 31st 2026. All those in favor? Also ordered public participation. The person may speak for no more than two minutes on any item appearing on the agenda. So Mr. Cork.

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

Okay, we got the So, uh, this your name, your residents, and the item number.

Yes, I city of Worcester. I'd like to speak on 7A. Um, in regards to them finding new stakeholders for the Central Mass, um, Health Links, I think they better do it damn fast. Pardon my language. In the past two and a half weeks, I came across two ODS. I was able to get the ambulance for one and that's just in a location of Coral Street and Grafton Street. That's pretty scary. And that's just when I was going to catch a bus during the day between 1:00 and 3:30. That is very scary. I think what the city council needs to do is get in touch with the ambulance new mass in St. V's and find out how many ODS have come in because this is absolutely ridiculous. This is panadmic human lives we're talking about. Yes, they're drug addicts, but drug addicts are human beings and panadmic is panadmic. And while we're waiting for stakeholders uh stakeholders, we are losing people. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Next speaker, this name's their residence and item number. Hello, my name is Gary Hunter and the first thing I'd like to talk about is 7A. I'm strongly in support of the uh getting the people together and uh and these people in the back of me to come up with a solution because they're being treated poorly and their union is being treated poorly. So, I would like the the city council to back them up 100%. I would like to say 18A. Um, it's a they're asking you to be against the ballot question to do away with the recreational marijuana. I personally really don't smoke, but I don't think you can go backwards. Go forward and it's not causing much of a problem. So, we should keep it the way it is. I want to talk um rent stabilization. Um there are many candidates that are sitting here during their campaign said they were in favor and you know who you are of rent stabilization and then turned their now you uh have a different pro programs. I don't think extra apartments are going to stabilize the rent. I think you got to get the rent stabilized and then you still need more apartments. I would also like um talk about the process of getting uh PE stuff on the agenda. You you pulled back that most people can't put stuff on the agenda. They go through the city council. Um it's closing off people's opportunity to speak. If you look at a city like um New York City, you you know people are afraid of the Democratic Socialist. Look how much he's gotten done in the time he's been

elected. I know it's a different form of government, but we're not getting anything done. Okay. They're getting rent stabilization and they're getting Okay. Thank you. And thank you. I'm not finished. Oh, time is up. Thank you. We're still talking about chickens for two years getting all this stuff done. I appreciate it.

Good afternoon. Maro Deep Squali, WCCA TV, Western Massachusetts. Allocating up here for 16J. Allocating an increase of funding provisions to subsidize WCCAT TV public access community media provides numerous benefits that can enhance the community and promote civic engagement. There are several comp compelling reasons for this. Promoting local voices. We provide a platform for diverse voices, cultural exper expression, enhancing civic engagement, not just informing people about what's going on in the city, which we do a lot of, but lifting organizations, sharing ideas, putting the technology in the hands of the person so they can express and tell their own story. encouraging participation, supporting local economy, not just by sponsorships and getting people to talk and be interviewed, but we're creating it's a job pathway, a career pathway. Supporting public assets can lead to creation in in production, editing, broadcasting, and film production jobs. Education opportunities, skill development, youth engagement, building community equity connections. We have a network of of people of all different backgrounds, opposite sides of the fence. They come together and they produce something. It's it's constructive dialogue. It enhances community identity. In conclusion, I want to say that sustaining the WCCA uh represents a unique investment in the community's cultural, social, and economic fabric. And and so you're supporting a civic asset. And it's important that we continue to do that. and we appreciate the support that the city had given WCCA for the last 40 years and we're still going strong. There's more demand now than ever. I can tell you that right now. So, thank you so much for giving me your ear and God bless these people behind me because I know they got a good fight. Take care.

What's your names to your residents and item number? Uh the CHL resolution. Yes.

Uh good evening. My name is Cara Goodier and I am the treasur of SEIU509. I want to take a moment to talk about the community health link and the critical role it plays in supporting thousands of indiv individuals in the Worcester community each year. This program is not just a service, it's a lifeline. It connects people to care, stability, and hope and often during the most difficult times in their life. The staff behind this work shows up every day with dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the clients they serve. The time and energy they invest should inspire us all to do better and to fight harder for programs like this. We all know somebody who's needed a little extra help at some point in their life. Now imagine that person, someone you love and care about, finally building trust with the people supporting them only to have that support taken away. How would you feel? This is what many are going through. The possibility of program disruptions and without a clear plan in place to continue this work, we are putting both the workforce and the clients at risk. This is a disservice not only to the dedicated workers who have built trust and relationships in this community but to the in individuals who rely on these services to maintain their health and sta stability. Many of these clients serve through community health link live with dual diagnosis. Consistent ongoing treatment is not optional. It's essential. When the continue when when the continue is disrupted, it becomes significantly harder to for individuals to re-engage in care to stay healthy and on a stable path. We cannot afford to let that happen. We must come together to ensure that this workforce continues and that these services do not appear without solution. The stakes are simply too high. Our community deserves better.

Thank you. I'm also speaking on the resolution for CHL. Good evening everybody. My name is Ariana Power. Today I'm not just speaking as a former employee. I'm speaking as someone who gave my time, my energy, and my heart to the work we did at CHL. When we were told that our program was closing, we were also given reassurance. We were told there would be support. We were told there wouldn't be anyone left behind. But for many of us, that support never came. Instead, we were left navigating uncertainty on our own without clear direction, without meaningful assistance, and without the stability we were promised. This closure is not just about one program or one organization. It's about people. It's about the hundreds of dedicated staff members who are now facing the reality of losing their jobs. Hundreds of people who showed up every day to care for others are now left wondering who will show up for them. And the impact doesn't stop with us. The residents and the clients we served, some of the most vulnerable members of our community are now at risk of losing not just services, but stability. For many, CHL wasn't just a provider, it was a lifeline. It was housing. It was treatment. It was safety. And now all of that is uncertain. Reports have already highlighted concerns that this closure could compromise critical care for vulnerable residents and disrupt essential services. When you take away behavioral health services, you don't just create a gap, you create a ripple effect. Emergency rooms become overwhelmed. Shelters fill up. Families struggle. Communities feel it. This is bigger than job loss. This is about the well-being of an entire

community. We as staff were the people were there in people's hardest moments. We helped them rebuild their lives and now we're asking who is stepping in to make sure that work continues? Who's making sure no one falls through the cracks? Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Thomasina Levik. I am a Worester worker, not a resident. I'm here to speak about Community Health Inc. in a resolution for our workers and our programs. We cannot let you mass set back the families. Before becoming a CHL worker, I was a parent receiving services for my family. Without the support and the care, I wouldn't be here today. I brought the same care back to the community throughout my time working at CHL. We can't allow UMass to disrupt the system of care that has been part of the community since 1970s. We cannot not be a part of the planning to keep our programs up and running in full capacity. The only way to do that is to is keeping the longtime experienced and established caregivers open. Um, no deal should be approved without the caregivers saying uh staying in their positions. The programs in full operation during this transition in Open Sky does it does the only responsible thing for our clients is to keep the workers in their positions. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello. My name is Livia Keller. I'm an employee at CHL. live in North Bridge. Um I think right now we've been lacking a little bit of of data when it comes to this issue. Um for example, I learned uh last week that our detox program, which used to have a capacity of 26 beds when it reopened, is now at 12 beds. And we still there's no letter of intent from Open Sky about when they're going to take over. So yes, there is some kind of plan for a new organization to take over. Meanwhile, the programs are actively shrinking. It's 26 to 12 beds. Half over half of the beds are already gone because these staff are already leaving because they don't know if they'll have a job in the future. They have to worry about feeding their children, covering insurance. So staff are put in a place where they either look for a new job which may not even be in the same field or stay on and do not know what will be h happening to their future. So this has seemed like a future issue. It's not. Is it a present issue? Again the programs are already shrinking. The detox programs already shrunk. The CSS, the TSS, those are the part of the continuum have already shrunk. The mental health program has already shrunk. I'm in the mobile crisis intervention program. We see people out anywhere in the community in the Worcester area that is already shrinking because staff don't know what's going to happen to them. So, this is not talking about a future plan. This is talking about the present. There's already a shortage of services here.

Thank you.

Thank you. uh friend Nathan Worcester. So uh whenever UMass a memorial pleads poverty, it really means, hey, if you think you can find the money, go for it. Same thing with UMass Medical School. You think you can find it, go try to find it. I just want you to think about something right here today. They might claim poverty, but yet two of their big clinics that are on UMass Memorial Hospital, guess what? They're moving to White City. Two of them, two clinics. That takes money. They'll have to pay rent over to White City. Kind of makes me wonder where the money comes from. Did they take it from this thing here we're talking about today? Who knows? But the public knows now.

Anybody else? Or did your name say your resident item number?

My name is Fiona Jatan Singh. I'm a resident of the city of Worcester. I'm here to speak on a couple of items on the agenda. Um, first of all, the same one that everybody else has spoken on, the um, closing of community health linked does not benefit the community. I know there's a few other items talking about the mental health of the city residents, the children in the city. Closing the the one main service that we have for the mental health of the the community is not going to benefit the community, especially the workers that are being um, not told what their future is going to be, whether they would have a job or not. that's not helpful to the citizens of the community or the people that are working in our community. Also, um I don't know the number of item, but for the stretch code, I heard that some there was a motion to repeal the specialized stretch code. That makes absolutely no sense. You guys already voted to approve it last or two years ago. It's not even been three years to have it in place. So, there's not even enough data to say that it's not working. So, that makes absolutely no sense. Um and that's all for now. Thank you.

Thank you. Everybody online. Mr. Cook. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The first person I can identify is Tracy Novik. Just sent a request to unmute Tracy now.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Uh, good evening, Mr. Chair, members of the of the council. Uh, my name is Tracy Novik. I live here in Worcester. I'm speaking to you tonight on items 16 C and 20A. Uh, that's the trains at Union Station and then, uh, the WRRB report. First of all, Mr. Mr. Chair, I wanted to thank you and the manager for putting together the task force that you did on the commuter rail line. I think that I speak for those on it that it has been informative and useful. Um I will report however that we have not received a rush hour heart to hub back yet. So that is still something that's happening. Um and in another surprising um turn of events, we discovered that um at access to the platform from the station itself has been fenced off at the back. That's a revision to the plan that was not shared. So, there's still improvements to be made in terms of the partner aspect. Um, I did want to note that unless and until we actually see trip length closer to driving length, it we won't be competing in terms of traffic. We do still need your advocacy on that. I did also want to echo a couple of things from the um Wester Research Bureau report. By the way, they've been an excellent partner in this work. We do really need a continued advocacy on improvements to the line. That's part of what will actually give us speed. And then we also need to be looking in both directions. Um the Alustin project which involves the West Station project is something that very much is going to have a lot to do with our access to continued service. Um Mr. Dunn serving on that committee is very very important. And then also I want to encourage you all to be looking at the West Rail uh project as well. The Compass Rail going out through Springfield. Springfield's been getting a lot of attention lately. Um partly because they've got trains that go down into Connecticut and uh we need to make sure that we're not left out of that conversation either. So partly I just wanted to mark your cards and put that back on the agenda. Um I was not able to be there in person tonight, but I did also bring you back schedules for those

who are wondering how many trains come into Worcester every day. I can drop those off at city hall. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The next person I can identify with their hand raised is uh Tom. If we could just have you please provide your full uh name and city of residence, please.

Yeah. Tom Tom Marino Worester uh A8.4B the stretch code. Um wow. Wow. Uh you would think that understanding how you could opt out of this program when you opted into it would have been a good idea, don't you think? I I mean I don't know what I don't recall what committee this went to, but what the hell were they doing? Uh so thoroughly embarrassing. Congratulations. Uh this is the product of you know voting for the political whim of of the moment. This felt really good to vote for and then well developers said so we rushed to to run out of it not even knowing how to get out of it. Absolutely stunning incompetence. Stunning. I don't understand why we can't just do work instead of play politics all the time. How about we work? How about we have committee meetings that are substantive that actually do something? Otherwise, don't have them. Stop wasting the electricity. Uh and uh the other item 20F, uh we're about two weeks away from two years that this report can't be produced. Um you know, the gutlessness to not be able to articulate what in the report they agree with and what they don't is really stunning. Uh I know that you we're just going to wash this away. We have some councilors who are lying to the people of this city about the role of the post commission outright lying to the people of the city. Uh and we can't we can't produce a report in two years. Uh you know in light of the stretch code it's probably possible that we can't prod produce a report in two years. I mean just embarrassing all around.

Okay. Next speaker. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, the next person with their hand raised is David Webb. Just sent your request to unmute, David. Uh, yes. Hello. Are you able to hear me? Yes, we can.

Great. Cool. David Webb, Olympia. I'm in support of 7A. Supporting CHL and the incredible people who work there and make an actual difference and actually improve the city of Worcester. Disrupting the community's continuity of care is violent and a demonstration of this administration's values. especially in consideration of 13A, the chair of the so-called safety committee, asking for a report on how poorly her police department handles mental health cases. Maybe the city would actually have public safety if its counselors actually cared about safety instead of their own comfort. So, on the same note, 9A shot spotter was pushed onto Worcester by councelor Tumi and Chief Sauier uh despite the science explaining how it was harmful. Ignoring reports and investigations completed elsewhere in the country, they doubled down on the technofascist state and with predictive policing through Shot Spotter connect uh now I think called Soundthink uh which uh amplified and automated harm to Worcester's redlinined neighborhoods. Um as far as 27C, I think it's almost comical how often the lawyer on the council brings forward ideas that turn out to be illegal, but I'm really glad that this administration checked with other people. I think a real estate attorney asking to suspend the safety standards and the stretch code is exactly what's wrong with this council. And I'm really really really really really really appreciative that after a significant amount of public pressure uh the city administration checked with a competent legal team at the state instead of relying on its landlord counselors andor incompetent law department. So, uh, thank you very much for getting a qualified, uh, opinion, and I, uh, strongly encourage you to do the same thing with, uh, public records, uh, in regards to, uh, the, uh, item about the discrepancy between the Department of Justice's investigation and the city of Worcester's report, I think that the public would, uh, understand what was going on if the public records department actually did their jobs in

accordance with the law. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, uh, there's another person online. Looks like uh, initials as if you could just provide your full name, please, prior to testimony. Can I speak? Hi, this is Ashley Spring. Can you hear me? We can.

Perfect. Ashley Spring, Palm Harbor, Florida. Um, I just wanted to call in and voice my support for 7A. um as somebody who has had to call on crisis intervention for my child um in the past and they were not available because there wasn't enough people to respond in this emergent situation. I can attest to the need for services like this. Um so in support of 7A also in support of um was it me one second here? Uh yes, 13A. Um councelor Tumi's request um for a report concerning the WPD pro WPD process um uh concerning mental health related emergencies. Clearly with the lawsuit that Worcester is dealing with, that is going to be necessary. Um, I also wanted to um support 18A um councelor Rosen's um motion um for the recreational marijuana uh facilities. Um 27A, Councelor King's uh request of the uh um city manager to provide a report concerning the status of the designated union representative seat on the Wester Housing Authority. Um I we should not have any empty seats. I don't know why there is an empty seat for so long. This is, you know, an issue with the committees um left and right. So, um in support of that and I believe it was the um 27C as well, although I'm not sure. Um and that's it. Thank you.

Thank you. Can I speak? Yeah, go ahead. This name res.

My name is Margot Barnett. I've been a resident of Worcester for about 30 years. Um, I was intending to come tonight to speak on the code. Um, I understand that I that that's not a active item tonight. I will say something right at the end, but I want to say something about 7A. I I was listening on the phone as I was um walking driving and walking here and then I got here. So, I'm glad you're letting me speak. This city has treated the population that Community Health Link serves like trash. They are human beings and their lifeline has been community health link. I think it's really important that community people speak up. I think it's I was hearing really eloquent things from the workers. Listen to them. Having a plan to come together to keep the workforce and keep the workforce unionized is the thing that can serve this population. This city can do better and it can take a leadership role in this. I want to say a personal note that I was planning to say uh in relation to the code. I want to say just that um this is a um tough day for me because 15 years ago today my mother passed away very suddenly. She was a fierce advocate for affordable housing and an equally fierce advoc advocate for sustainable for environmental sustainability. and she wrote a dissertation in 1993 about how these two causes could go hand in hand and a lot of what's happened between now and then has shown that that's possible. So as you go forward with implementing building codes that provide for affordability and sustainability remember that these two things go hand in hand. Thank you. Okay, with that we are going to go continue the meeting. Oh, I'm sorry.

This your name and say your residence.

Hello, my name is Jenny Paknney. I'm a resident of 16 Kelly Square here in Worcester. Um, I do have two petitions, uh, 14 I and 14J. I'm requesting the installation of additional street lights in the vicinity of my residence. There are two street lights that have been knocked over that were knocked over during the winter storm of 2025 that still have not been replaced. Those are directly in front of 16 Kelly Square. As well as I would like to see if we could install additional street lighting in the vicinity of 4 Milbury to 18 Milbury Street. There are two bars in that vicinity. There's a barber shop and a restaurant, two restaurants and a bakery. There is not enough adequate lighting for after 8:00 p.m. It is severely dark over there. And I think that the installation of additional street lights would make our residents feel safer. As well as I have about 6 to eight elderly people that live in my building that don't like to go outside after dark because you don't know what's going to happen. So, if we could pass that, that would be great and I would appreciate it.

Thank you. Thank you. We close that part of the meeting. We go to the first item of business. uh that the city council seed does hereby go to support the UMass Memorial Health immediately convening stakeholders of memorial at municipal and state government in the community SEIU union representation to discuss the transition plan for the community health link mental health and substance abuse services to new providers uninterrupted manner. Council King, thank you Mr. Chairman. Can you hear me? Yes.

Okay. Um it's an honor to bring forward this particular item. Um as a a former uh vice president of SEIU Local 509 and transparency, um this is important. This intersects with the next item that we have coming up as relates to um co-responsing with police. Um CHL actually um and the mobile crisis unit and the youth crisis uh mobile crisis unit um are also co-deployed um with the police. um they were a part and parcel to um the pilot program as well, Mr. Chairman. And we've heard today um the public safety and public health impacts um that losing this will have. Um you know, we've had a number of challenges as um we heard today in the public testimony from 509 and and Worcester residents. Um we've seen a reduction in um substance abuse treatment beds. Um we have a number of um you know slowdowns or shutdowns. Um we had a a freeze over at CHL for a period of time. Um in addition to that in 2023 we had the three substance abuse programs um that were were shutting down or pausing. Um in 2021 MIR which is um a youth detox um was the last one in the state that has shut down. Um and those are having real live consequences. I mean many of many of us will remember um you know that we had uh the plumbing village um health center shut down. We had Grace House um which is also a UMass uh program that was shut down um for teen girls. Um you know a number of challenges um and this is important. Um there's an intersection as it relates to

uh you know um comorbidity, dual diagnosis, folks who have mental health challenges having uh substance use challenges and medical challenges. Um and as that lays before us, Mr. Chairman, uh we have Open Skies stepping to the plate. Um I can tell you as an update that I've uh been in communication with them. Um they um have initiated some communication with um Mr. mayor, your office. Um, and at my request, um, we are convening, um, the governmental affairs of UMass has been very responsive. Um, we're looking forward to a meeting in days, um, that will involve SEIU, that will involve community stakeholders, um, that will involve our state elected officials um, and Mayor Petty and myself, the vice chairman of the city council. Um, so those things are moving forward, Mr. Chairman. Um however um you know we are seeing a significant crisis um as relates to mental health and substance abuse services in our city. Um one of the major uh facts of this matter is that in order to continue effectively and competently um with these service provision it requires a workforce. and you've seen the last couple of meetings um testimony from not just a competent and committed workforce um that's that was working at CHL but in addition to that they are passionate and they're knowledgeable um and we need to make sure we can do everything we can Mr. chairman um to move that forward. Um I'm looking forward to the meetings coming up. Um but time is of the essence. When we saw the reduction in the pause in substance use services, we saw an uptick in that particular neighborhood um and in the neighborhoods um you know that are surrounding. Some of these programs allow for um people to bring their

children into treatment um you know that are being reduced. Um some of them are focused on uh um geriatric um you know um geriatric mental health challenges while those folks are actually in um nursing uh facilities um where those folks go in and it doesn't matter how small or how large each specific program is it they save lives um they connect people they help lift folks up Mr. chairman and um and anything that this body can do is um you know will move forward. I I I want to thank the the chair of public health uh councelor Rosen who uh has um you know been really eager um to hold some hearings on this. Um and you know again um the there is a work in progress and and I'm looking forward um to where we go with that. Mr. Chairman. Um that being said, I I I really hope um and anticipate um a unanimous um vote on this resolution, Mr. Chairman. Um but it there it's it's a tall task. Um and you know, I I'll comment on this again. You know, our human health division is our that deals with some of these um social ills is the lowest funded department in the city, Mr. Chairman. Um, and we got to put more value in where we put our dollars. Thank you, Mr. Chen.

Thank you. I just want to thank everybody for coming out tonight, Council King, and uh, appreciate you being here. You do good work. Council Council Rosen. No, go ahead.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Mr. Chairman, as you know, I just finished before we started this term of the city council, four years on the Worcester Board of Health where we had the pleasure of talking about different agencies dealing with health issues throughout our community. And one of those certainly few times during those four years was the community health link. and being new during that time to the board of health, I was very very impressed, as I still am, with the work that this fine agency does. Uh, and if you just go online and read about community health link, there's so many programs involved dealing with homelessness or mental health issues or addiction. A lot of these issues we certainly talk about at the city council and will continue to talk about in our public health committee, you know, which I chair. Uh, but the agency has done such a good job over the years and we knew at times it was challenging for UMass Memorial. you know, the money that was put in, the money that they they said they lost. I don't I don't know. But it really wasn't money lost at all because the work that these fine people have done and all through community health link has helped so many residents of our community. Community Health Link, so many residents of the city of Worcester. So, I support this resolution by councelor King and I look forward as the chair of our public health committee to meet with the stakeholders, the agencies especially that hope to absorb these programs. I want to meet with UMass Memorial, the folks there and make sure that their heart is in this that we continue to provide the services to the people who are being served now so well by community health link. Yeah,

I'm concerned that in washing its hands of community health link that the uh university uh of Mass UN University of Memorial, they will kind of wash their hands and stop thinking about the people in need that this agency has been serving for so many years. I don't want to see that happen. You know, I can say this. I don't trust you. I can say that I don't trust them. To trust them, they should have come forward and said, "We need some help financially, but our goal is to help the people in the community, help the people in the city of Wester, and to keep community health link going." We're starting at the point of we're starting, Mr. chairman, starting at the point of what do we do without Community Health Link? Gee, something passed us by. No, where was our efforts to keep the agency open and to keep the agency going and serving the needs of the people in the city of Worcester? So, I don't like what I've seen so far and I don't mind saying I don't trust UMass Memorial on this particular issue and that's why I want to be part of these discussions with members of the union workers with the hospital with the agencies going to take over many stakeholders and with some of the people we've heard tonight and a few weeks ago some of the people who have availed themselves of the services and their opinion really counts. with me because so many people say the services they've gained and gotten at the community healthc have been so good. So if they're that good and I know they are that good then why are we closing it? Let's start with UMass Memorial with

that question. Why are we closing it? What can we do first to keep it open? If there's nothing we can do to keep it open, then we'll go to their position on it. But it's not my position that we close this agency. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Okay, so we'll take a we'll take a roll call vote on this. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, who's that? Councelor King. Yes, sir. If I could just for two minutes um second time. Go ahead.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I just um you know want to state that I certainly have um advocated over the years with respect to the closing of many of these programs. U Burnco Family Center was one that I didn't mention. I did mention uh motivating youth recovery. Um and these are family matters. Mr. Chairman, the one thing I've learned here in the city of Worester that we are a family, family of neighborhoods, a family that um has concerns for the greater good. Um and as I stated, I I've certainly challenged um UMass and I want to state also for the record um that UMass has been working with the state. I become aware to transition for this transition that there's a board appointed to do that. Um again, we we will be meeting with stakeholders. Um but the the key to this, Mr. Chairman, is that we need to keep 90% of staff in order to have those programs function effectively. when we reduce the substance use beds, those weren't replaced. Mr. Champ, all you have to do is go down to UMass or any hospital's emergency room. Um, that's where folks end up. Um, and that's that comes at a high cost um for us as a commonwealth, as a municipality. Um, you know, and it and it it also um you know, uh creates a a uh a treatment process um that is not um smooth. So you know again um Open Sky is a local community connected and strong agency um and I have the utmost intention um to work with all stakeholders to um realize um not just maintaining these services but expanding them. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. So we'll take a we'll take a roll call vote. All set. Roll call. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Economa, yes. Frisola, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. Okay, we have committee items. Next, we have 8A motions to thank you for coming out tonight and uh see you soon. be no one left. Okay.

So, we have uh I'm sorry. So, take some of these collectively unless anybody has an issue. 8A. Mr. Chairman, did we take do we take the other item that was held last week on the co-response? The what? Which item is that? What number? Hang on. It was supposed to be first order of business was that one was CHL and then uh the Wor PD co-response 98 you said request. Yeah, we're coming up to that. I think did I miss it? I'm not sure. No, I said next. Okay. My apologies, Mr. Chairman.

We have a bunch of first items of business. We have we have about 30 of them. So, we get if I go if I go by it, we'll go back to it. Okay. Okay. So 8A motion to accept and adopt. 9A motion to accept. What? What? 8A. I want to say two. What's that? Okay. Go ahead. Council Rosen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I know this came out of committee and it's unusual for the counselors to speak on their committee reports and as the chair of public health working with uh council king and council Tumi, we had a very long and excellent hearing about legislation that's going to help us find more doctors who are primary care physicians here in Massachusetts and espec Especially in the city of Worcester, I think what we heard in the last two years out of all the medical school graduates, 5% only, only 5% go into primary care. And we wonder why people in Worcester can't find physicians. Many are retiring. The primary care physicians get paid so much less than those who specialize. So 5% is nothing because 95% of medical school graduates recently in the Massachusetts have gone into specialties. they don't want to go into primary care. There's bills like these three all across the country. These three bills have been supported by many health agencies, by a couple of cities and towns, and they've come to us, and they asked Worcester if we could support them. I'm not going to go through all of them. You all have the backup, I think, for the third time. It must be about 50 pages long on the the the legislation. But at our meeting, we had Dr. Wayne Alman speak. He's from Tus Medical. We had Dr. Hirsh, who used to be our medical director. We had our new uh commissioner of public health, Dr. Sema Dixit, and we had Fran Ans. He she's the chair of the board of health. And they did educate us about these three uh these three uh legislative bills. And I just would like the Worcester City Council tonight to support them because it's going to help find more uh physicians in the city, city of Worester and the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts who will specialize in primary care and that's so so necessary. So your support is needing on needed on this and I think it's going to go through the legislature and it's going to be good for the people and the city of Worcester. Thank you for the time. Thank you. Thank you councelor Councilman. Just want to recuse myself. Okay, just for the record, council Burn has recused himself on 8A, so the motion is accepted to adopt. Mr. Jim, all those. Yes, council K.

Thank you. Um, you know, I I want to thank Councelor Rosen uh for his leadership in this particular matter. Um, and I want to encourage the press um that's covering this and I want to encourage folks to go to um that public subcommittee meeting. Um that particular meeting had a host of professionals and experts um on this subject matter and you know there was some good comments and questions from councelor Tumi, myself and councelor Rosen and some related orders that came out. Um this is again um you know as a frontline social worker I know exactly um what the impacts are and you know um some really good work went on there and and you know I I just encourage folks um to take a look at it um by the you know the eye test. Um we can certainly see um what the challenges are um for people receiving care. We know the challenges that we've got have experienced with the hospitals um reducing um you know the service provision and the health care you know from Lemonster to um Clinton to Marboro um and Worcester becomes a hub and um you know it becomes challenging and often delayed treatment delayed medical mental health care um can have life consequencing um results. So, um this is very important and I encourage the press and I encourage the public um to please go to that meeting um that was um expertly chaired by councelor Rosen um to to to gather further information. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Motion accepted to adopt. Roll call. Councelor Bergman's recused. Councelor Bilada, yes. Councelor Economa, yes. Councelor Folo, yes. Councelor King, yes. Councelor Mitra, yes. Councelor O'Hada, yes. Councelor Rivera, yes. Councelor Rosen, yes. Councelor Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. So, I'll take um some of these collectively unless anybody wants me to pull one out, but 9A motion to accept. I'd like to speak on 9A, Mr. Chairman. Okay. Council King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um this crisis response the co-response team uh was initiated via a um million dollars that was invested. Council King, let me just I think you want referring to 13A. Oh, I thought we were on 9A. No, I got the wrong thing here. 9A is on the public safety shot spotter. Okay. 13A. I think you're referring to 13A. Request manager by council with report concerning the current process. Okay, go ahead. 13A. You want to go to 13A? Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, since you're on it.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, you know, again, um, this came out of uh, city manager's executive order um, in response to matters that I filed um, and the council supported relative to a differential response for the Worcester PD um, for mental health calls. I've continually asked for metrics and data as relates to this and I don't believe we've we've quite um received that yet. So I appreciate the spirit of this particular order. Mr. Chairman, I do um want to state that you know I I I have met with a number of folks um at CHL um crisis response folks um crisis service folks um and more um regarding this over the years. And it would came to my surprise when I heard that it was being sunseted and transitioned into another form. Um particularly because um that pilot program that lasted for a year we had allocated a million dollars for um that you know they were just at the point um where um things were kind of coming together um and they were we're were looking some for some more funding, some more staffing, some increased hours, etc. um you know it it ended up operating at a loss. My understanding that the city manager um pivoted um and um you know the the services um you know I uh in in addition in initially um there was a two response team um a twoerson response team dedicated to 911 calls only. Um, we were using CRT vans with very clearly identifying um, uniforms um, and logos on the the van. That's all gone, Mr. Chairman. Um, these folks were dispatched by 911 7 days a week only

from 3 to 11 p.m. Um, and you know, there was con consults, clinical consultation that was used. I'm not sure. Um, you know, I know it's it's kind of morphed over into a management oversight, um, with with the current, um, uh, you know, uh, structure of it. Um, and, you know, I I know there was a number offormational gathering sessions with other um, towns and cities with the Springfield Police Department, Brookline, Brainree uh, Police Department. Um, and they had, uh, individuals from CHL. Once again, this all intersects. You know, there was questions about how this came forward. It's all connected, Mr. Chairman. Um CHL was representing um and working hard to be present at community meetings, meetings throughout the city. Um and um there was also a number of training that that went on with Worcester PD. They attended regular roll call attendance um and developed and connections between the CRT members and the police departments. And I can tell you this, Mr. German. What's been reported by those uh uh folks is that they developed a great working relationship with 15 police officers that they worked with specifically regularly um often being requested on the scene um when they're on um and there was some data that being tracked. Mr. Mr. Chair, I'd like to make a motion that we get that data. Um, in pace with respect to, you know, the percentages that folks that went inatient were able to remain in the community, diversion from arrests, how many times those folks came in contact with the team. Mr. chairman. Um I know that um as they're transitioning um as they transitioned um you know I had a number of questions and again going back to CHL going back to the critical services that they provide. Mr.

Chairman um you know the the mo the mobile crisis intervention service has the youth mobile crisis and and an adult team uh for folks you know um under 21 for youth and above 21. But there's still wait list for that. There's always a need for more services. Mr. Chairman, um you know, I I I want to again um state that um you know, some of those calls by the Wister Pedia were designated high priority. Um and even though the things were transition, they they did the best that they could. Um, you know, and again, um, there was a firehouse component, um, to the CRT response, um, versus the MCI response, um, that, you know, had a someone go out within 60 minutes. Mr. Chairman, and once again, as I stated previously, Council Council

Mr. Chairman, I'm wrapping up. Just be careful more you say, I know this is in litigation, so

Well, I don't know what's in litigation, Mr. Chairman. I haven't seen any litigation. I'll make a motion that we go into executive session to see what our lit uh litigation strategy is. You know, I did have some concerns about um this bring forward, but I'm sure that the chair of public safety took all that into consideration. Therefore, I'm comfortable speaking upon it. Um Mr. Jim, I I will also say um you know that um I'm hopeful um that we can make sure that this is um a priority of this administration and I would like some more data um you know brought forward and and if the fact is is is that if we're going to try to hide behind a lawsuit when we're looking to provide services um we can't do that, Mr. Chairman. um with regards to strategy and what have you, that's fine, but it's time for transparency and trying to do a public service in the interest of public health. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Okay, council me.

Mr. Chair, since we're on this out of order, I'd like to speak on my order so that it's separate from all of this other discussion. Uh this order is about understanding where we are today and where we need to go to continue to better respond to mental health emergencies as a city. Um I'm asking for a clear picture of what is currently in place. What are we doing today? This has nothing to do with past practices or issues or whatever. It's like what are we doing today? What protocols are being used by the police department and emergency communications when a mental health call comes in? How often are CL clinic clinicians and mental health professionals involved in those responses? Today, I do know for a fact that we've got about 80 hours worth of uh uh clinicians uh that are working with our police department. Um I want to know what training is being provided to officers and dispatchers around crisis intervention currently. Um understanding effectiveness. What data do we have on outcomes? Are we seeing reductions in repeat calls and hospitalizations, arrests? Where are we seeing success? where are the gaps and focus on coordination. How integrated is the response? Um, and from all of the anecdotal information that I've gotten from people that the crisis intervention team is doing a great job out there in the community. Um, what systems are in place for real-time coordination between police, dispatch, and mental health. Uh, and looking ahead for expansion opportunities. I'd like to ask a report to include recommendations for continued expansion including increasing the co-response teams, our clinician availability, enhancing dispatch triage, uh strengthening partnerships uh with local providers uh and exploring alternative response models where appropriate. Um and what resources, staffing, funding or partnership are needed to expand? Are there state and federal opportunities that we should be

leveraging? And the goal here is simple. To ensure that every resident experiencing mental health crisis has met the most appropriate, effective, and compassionate response safely. And that's the important thing. And understanding understanding that our current efforts and identifying opportunities to grow them is the first step in getting there. And the reality of all of this is is that we need to state the facts of what's actually happening now so that we can continue to improve. That's my order and that's what it was about. Thank you. Thank you. So, we'll send that to the manager. Mr. Chairman Ro, I'd like to speak. Council Bala.

Thank you. Um, no, I want to thank councelor Tubi for this order and and we talked about the need for more data. Um, and I think we can glean some data from the LA last uh council meeting item 14 8.14A that was transmitting uh communication relative to the study and analysis of police response data from 2024 and 2025. Um and in that there was an analysis of the clinical co-response model and I think the data really clearly shows that we need to invest more in the clinical co-response model. Um there were about I don't know if people recall from that report the city was kind of broken down into different grids into grids. There were about uh 39 full squares the city was cut into grids and about uh 28 of those grid squares had more than 22 calls for for co-response. So, I think it's, you know, glad that Chief Sauier is in there doing more to implement crisis training, you know, for for the recruits and and for uh WPD. But I think obviously um we can't expect WPD to be everything. And uh I think it's, you know, important that we invest more in the clinical call response to to help WPD manage these calls and also to help those in need that might not be um need police intervention. So, um I think would like to you know urge the administration to continue to to to grow this program and um just I have one question through the chair to the city manager what clinical response is happening right now with this just to clarify is that with with WPD is is there a program happening or did that sunset I just unclear

Mr. manager. Yeah. Through the chair to the council. There is some level of work that's happening with the PD. Um and we're again, we're working through a report to be able to bring to the council. We just want to be sensitive to some of the details that are provided in that report as we go through the process of the litigation issue that we have that we were we were served and we were sued as a city for this with this purpose. Um and so we want to be mindful to that. We have some meetings coming up uh to address some of those issues um and the litigation as well. Um, but again, we look forward to bringing forward and being transparent with this information to the council. Thank you. So, we'll send that to the manager. Council Rosen,

you got to be fast around here. Mr. Mayor, I just want to say I support this 100%. Six or seven years ago when my last time on the city council, I filed an order very similar, and I mentioned what was called the co cahoots program. It's been for decades in uh Eugene, Oregon. Probably some remember that. Now, what we're doing now, I think some of that did come out of that. So, I'm glad that happened, but I I've lost track. I was off the council for four years. I lost track. So, I'm looking forward to your reports, Mr. Manager, on this. I think it's a great item and I'll, you know, compliment uh Council Tumi and even Council King. Many of the comments he said are certainly important as our uh council bolard. So look forward to hearing more. And if anyone wants to read a little bit good stuff about things like this, people going out and working with the police, not taking over for the police, not interfering with the police, but just adding another layer of help for people who are suffering mental health crisis. Uh the coups program is an excellent example because it's been going there in Eugene, Oregon for decades. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I just have a point of clarification. Councelor King, just a uh through the chair to the administration with respect to the mobile crisis response and CHL, are they currently involved um with um corresponds with police? Um are they not involved? Mr. Manager, through the chair to the council, CHO currently is not involved in any corresponds uh with police right now.

And what agency is through the chair? uh through the chair to the council. My understanding is right now we have uh staff that works in the department um and there's some clinicians uh and CIT officers that help in that. Uh so again those are the details that we look to bring forward as part of the report. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Um so the CHL um there there was not a pivot to a different agency or to CHL to assume different duties once that pilot closed. I thought that pilot closed in January um of 2025. Mr. Manager through the chair.

Yeah. Through the chair to the council. So, one of the challenges of the CHL has to do with the ability to how do you uh FIFA service and how do you bill uh for this product? And so, there's a certain certification that an agency needs to have to be able to do this work. And that's what's been at kind of in the discussion between UMass, between CHL, the state entities, uh, etc. That is what we've been trying to kind of put together in a report that we can submit to council, uh, till we can articulate with with specificity some of the challenges and some of the issues that we would have to face moving forward. A lot of that may be addressed as part of this effort that's happening with THL uh in their transition with the actual uh uh uh programs that they're going through. Um and so again, it's related to a particular certification. It's basically called CBHC uh in which they pro uh are able to bill uh for these types of services.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's my understanding that um you know there was a deficit of few hundred,000 during the pilot program um and that um in order to effectively do the work we need three times the amount three times the 1 million that we put in um to have some um increased efficacy with regards to co-response u Mr. Chairman. So you know again I just want to be clear um this report um I it's written kind of funny. I'm assuming that it's not just going to be processed that we're going to get an idea of what was in what what was encompassed the pilot um um co-response model that we had and what's not being replicated by CI uh CIT and or CRT and and and and what have you um because we need to make sure that we're filling those gaps. We know that um the community needs it. It's public health and public safety issue, Mr. chairman. And um um if that's not included in this report um in this order, I would make an order um a motion um to make sure that the gaps are outlined and identified. Not the gaps, but the the structure of the pilot um model um and everything that it pertained in any uh documentation um and and and what's currently going on and what's not currently going on um as a comparative analysis. Mr. Chairman, that would be a motion cuz I'm not sure if that's in the order. If that's encompassed in the order, I withdraw my motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Manager. Yeah, just quickly, there's been a multiple orders uh submitted over a number of months and probably over a year related to this matter. So, my intent in this report is to provide a comprehensive uh understanding of the gaps, the challenges, what we currently do, what the uh current opportunities could be. Um again and and I'm trying to be mindful to the fact that we're also as part of a litigation process as well which we're trying to address but this report is trying to be it's trying to provide a comprehensive outlook including some of the data points that have been uh requested in previous because that we've had a number of orders from multiple counselors for a period of time and so we want to be make sure that we provide a comprehensive report.

Mr. Chairman that's correct. So I'll I'll leave I'll leave my motion on the floor as stated um given the fact that he's going to do that anyway. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you, councelor Tumi. Thank you, Mr. Chair. To be very clear, this is this motion that I filed here is about where we are right now and how what we need to do moving forward and not discussing about all of this other stuff. It's like let's move on uh and create a great program here within the the department. Um including Excuse me. I'm sorry. I thought my mute my mute was on. Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. been flying blind. My bad. I thought might be

um so it's it's basically moving forward. How do we continue to By the way, I did say with what we currently have, we've got over 80 hours of crisis um intervention clinicians that are uh on the streets with our police officers um and responding themselves as well. So um that's what I want is the facts of what we're doing now and how we can improve for the future. So I'm going to send that to the manager. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Vada, yes. Economa, yes. Friso, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty,

yes. So, we'll take the few items collectively here. 9A, motion to accept. 10 A through Z, motions to accept. Uh 11 A through 11 uh Z motions to accept and 12 A to 12H motion is to accept. Roll call. Counselors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Cono. Yes. Folo. Yes. King. Yes. Yes. Metitra. Yes. Oh, yes. Rivera. Yes. Rosen. Yes. Tumi. Yes. Yes. And Mayor Petty.

Yes. Uh 13B request standing committee on education invite the chief financial officer in the W public schools and chief financial operation officer to the upcoming meeting for the purpose of the administration providing a presentation relative to the Wister public schools budget for fiscal year 27. Council King.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've been um this is not a necessary say for the record this is not a necessary um order. The reason that the order was filed is that we historically um get together with the school side um pre pre just before budget and kind of go through things. We've had an issue a few years ago where it was brought to the council um that we weren't quite doing enough and the council had not been approached by any stakeholders from the city side. So this is an attempt to circumvent that and make sure there's transparency and communication. Mr. Chairman, I only filed this as sort of a double notice. Um it's not necessary to file. It was just there um so that um you know we can um uh um kind of let the public know this is what we're doing in addition to when it's posted for the actual committee meeting. Mr. Chair, we've had some challenges uh working with the school side. I'm looking forward to um we're actually we're going to schedule something soon. We've we've tried probably six, seven, eight different dates that haven't worked out and time is running thing. Mr. Chairman, I'm wondering if item 15.26 can be um added as a motion, maybe as an amendment to this order. Um that particular item is the most recent financial um report update from Tim McGirthy, the chief financial officer. In this particular report, it's noted that we we're looking at a decrease of approximately $2.7 million in budgeted state aid um with impacts on the municipality and worn public schools. Mr. Chairman, it goes on to talk about um the $10 million that we've paid from the sewer reserve, the $10.5 million new debt services, etc. Talks about uh inter intergovernmental state aid, um etc. All of these and local receipts, all those things impact our discussions. Mr. Chairman, um in the education committee that I chair, Mr.

Chairman, I would ask that um I'm not sure if it's by way of a motion that we attach a motion that we this be attached um to this order so that we can um uh move forward and get that into committee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Usually goes to motora. Mr. Chairman, um well then can I have the first page? I like the documentation indicating um the committee with you school budget. Okay. So send that to Dr. Mitchell. Send that to your committee. But but councelor Yeah, that should be fine. Okay, you'll be fine to send the first page to council's committee. Are those in favor? I'm sorry. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada. Yes. Economo, yes.

Folo, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. Mr. Chairman, point of order. Is that still going to municipal operations? Yeah, the report. We asked for one page. You asked. So, he's getting it though. I wasn't trying to block it. I just want to make sure it's going there. No. Okay. We have 14A, the 14B.

Uh, we're going to refer to Parks and Rex 14. We'll take these collectively unless somebody has something 14 C the 14J refer to public works in 14 U the 14 W set a hearing for May 5th 2026 for national grid and Verizon roll call councilors Bergman yes yes econom yes yes king yes yes yes rivera Yes. Rosen. Yes. Tumi. Yes. And Mayor Petty.

Okay. With 15.2 appointments. Recommending a reappointment of John Deo and Paul Franco to the Elections Commission. Roll call. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Bilada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Fzolo. Yes. King. Yes. Mitra. Yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. Next item is 15.3A. Recommend to pass the proposed safety ordinance, salary ordinance to enable the regrade of the medical director job classification. The motion is to advertise the proposed ordinance. Roll call. Counselors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Economu, yes. Fzolo, yes.

King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. 15.4A, recommend the adoption of the auto road to the acquisition of 15 Lia Road, uh, FKA, Nelson Place for conservation purposes. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Econom, yes. Brazo, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes.

Next item up is 15.7A, transmitting transmitting information communication relative to 2526 winter operations. Councelor Cono. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to talk about potholes again. No, I'm just joking. I heard my colleague say it's I just want to uh commend um the public works department, the commissioner, his staff for coming forward with this report. I think it addresses a lot of issues that that we all faced this past winter um when it came to snow removal, ice removal across the city. Um looking at the work that's been done with the men and women of DPW, you know, they've done all they can. It's it's in it's it's incumbent upon us um as a body to make sure that we are providing the the resources needed to keep up with some of the equipment, keep up with pay structures. And I and I do know this, you know, over the last few years, we have had milder winters. Um, and I know it forced a lot of contractors who have had equipment to decommission that equipment instead of paying the high insurance costs. Insurance costs are tremendous in this field right now. And I know it affected a lot of the smaller guys. It's like it just wasn't worth operating. So, I appreciate the commissioner seeing that and and forecasting uh the need for more equipment. the more need for a higher uh pay scale for our private contractors. Um the one thing I was most disappointed with actually was the maybe the lack of communication within the department um during our our uh snow season. But again, I'm happy with the action the commissioner has taken to address that.

And I'll certainly be asking as we get into August, September, how we're looking for next season because I think it's going to be crucial. Um, I certainly do not want a repeat of this winter. It was it was a tough winter, a tough winter for all of us on the council. And uh I'm not trying to be overly critical, but I do uh look forward to the action items that the commissioner has brought forward. And again, I just want to say thank you, commissioner, for bringing these all forward um to better our city. Thank you. Thank you councelor councelor a vera follow for by councelor Bergman.

Thank you. Uh uh I also want to echo uh uh council's um this is a great um information for us to have and I guess I just have a question. Um, first I want to read because I think the conclusion uh states, you know, perfectly, you know, um, collectively these recommendations provide a clear path forward and strengthening the municipality's winter operation program to better align performance with evolving service expectations and needs. The Department of Public Work is prioritizing these actions and will work throughout the coming year to implement improvements across operations, staffing, communication, fleet management, and technology. And my question and staffing is I was I was made aware or I was told and I just want to ask a question for clarification purposes. I can ask city manager or I can ask the um commissioner Westland. It doesn't matter. to the chair to the um administration. How many jobs in a DPW does um residents have to take civil service tests?

Mr. Manager, uh through the chair to the council, it's probably the majority of them. Um we're looking over 300 jobs if not over 400 jobs that require civil service um uh that have to be taken uh uh laborers, foremans, etc. Uh but I have the commissioner here who could probably clean it up based on my please through the chair. Good evening and I'm glad we're not talking about potholes. Thank you very much. Uh although we are a civil service department there are no tests required for any of the positions related to civil service unlike the police department

Mr. Manager through the chances of council they all through civil service but the civil service process not does not require testing.

Okay. Um what they do is they put their name on a list and they go through that process and they they sit in that list until that list is gone through and they go through every single individual verifying uh their current status the their uh in regards to what their their their application status uh they they look at uh backgrounds etc. They do a full overview of the individual uh and then they have the opportunity to interview with the department that gets selected. Once that list is complete, then you can call the next list and the next list, etc. It's a whole civil service process. Again, this body here uh voted and supported a home rule petition requesting to be removed from civil service, which gives us the ability to if we needed someone tomorrow and we posted a job today, we can try to figure out a way to get that moving much quicker and not have to go through that list, but be able to get people employed. uh that civil service uh home rule petition that this body unanimously supported is currently held right now at the state level. It's under uh is under um uh study and so we've been working with the delegation to try to find ways out of that. Um but again it's there's no test. It's just a civil service list that they can get involved but majority of the employer over 300 400 employers or so they all go through that civil service kind of list.

Okay. I appreciate the clarification. Thank you very much. and I look forward to uh a great uh year fixing up roads and streets and stuff. Thank you. Thank you. We have council Bergman for our council meet.

Thank Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh I guess I'm going to ask more com I'm going to have more comments than questions and I'll save the questions for the most part um to our budget hearings coming up. But I would note and I do appreciate the report. report is a detailed report as my colleagues have said it's thorough and it does answer a lot of questions but to me at least it raises a few as well. In 2017 2018 we had 91.9 in of snow substantial winter um actually one of the heavier winters on this list. We spent 5.5 million almost 5.6 million. Leap forward to this year we had 79.4 4 inches of snow, slightly less uh but similar. And we spent almost twice that amount, over $10 million. Now, I understand costs have gone up in six years. I understand we pay a lot of the um people that are doing the work more. I just have a hard time, we can again talk about this more at the budget time. I just have a hard time believing we spent twice as much money six years later for less amount of snow. Similar, but less snow. And the kicker to me and all that is I was on this council in 20 2017 2018. I don't recall every phone call I got, but I can tell you I got a lot more phone calls this year for twice the money that was spent than I did six years ago for half the money that was spent. And to me, that's the problem. Problem is, I don't mind budgeting more, and we'll talk about that during the budget time. But what I mind is budgeting more when there's more complaints. If there's less complaints, that's fine. But there's more complaints. So that's an issue for me. I would like, however, to make a suggestion actually and ask of the commission doesn't have to respond now. But when we come back at the budget time, the one thing I don't see in this report that would be helpful to me is I do see a reference to center line mile,

which I'm assuming is a way to measure how many miles of of roadway is being plowed or treated. Um uh there are there are no breakdowns to me at least uh of the cities like Boston, Manchester, New Hampshire, Springfield that have similar amounts of center line center lane miles. There's no breakdown of what's their cost per center lane mile compared to Worers. I'd like to know that. I understand the terrain might be different. um situations aren't going to be apples to apples always, but how much are we spending per center lane mile versus Boston, Manchester, and Springfield? That would be my one of my asks coming um towards budget time, which hopefully it's about a month off. So, we should have commissioners should have plenty of time hopefully to get us that information. I look forward again more robust conversation uh in a few weeks down the road. Thank you.

Thank you, Councelor Pada.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah. Uh thank you commissioner for this report. Um it's good to know how we handled this winter, what the challenges were and I really appreciate the clear roadmap of what we need to do to improve. Um and certainly look forward to supporting that come budget season. One thing that I question I just had related to sanding u because I know there were some real challenges with uh getting sanding after the first big storm up on Scrim Jorah Tower Road uh uh Merrill Road up in the Indian Hill uh Indian Lake neighborhood. And I notic the in the report from 2016 that the rate of pay for Sanders was one of the lowest ones like compared lower than uh where Worester was remained pretty competitive for other equipment uh compared to other is is are we looking this year um and maybe this might be premature are we looking to increase the the the rate for sanding because I I I believe feel like that was a bit of a challenge like this last winter. there

through the chair. That's certainly one of the things that we're going to be looking at. The recommendation will come uh later towards the fall uh to this city council for recommended rates. And in my report, what I did suggest is that we need to not only be competitive, but we need to uh look at perhaps matching what Mass DOT is paying for their larger pieces of equipment. That's where we suffer most in this city is larger pieces of equipment. And when we had mass DOT that reached out for the the two major storms and they brought in trucks uh that they were not using, they were large uh large dump trucks with wing plows and with belly scrapers and with uh brine equipment on them. So those are the pieces of equipment that we desperately need to be able to address our our main roads and our thorough affairs.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you council me.

Thank you Mr. Chair to you to commissioner commissioner. Thank you for the report. It's well written very nicely presented. Gives us a good idea about where you were and where you stand. I'm just going to you know touch base on couple of things that you have written in your report and um some of them I probably like to advise you that something could probably be done that might help. Uh I like the S sw analysis that you have done which includes the strength, the weakness, the opportunities and threats that we have. You have consulted with many of your employees and other people. I just want to know if you have also consulted the police department, the school department, the road transit authorities how they felt about this winter and where they stand. Have you taken their opinion? That was one of the questions I had. I also want to touch base on one of the reports that you have said about the progress. This is progress since 2016 where you are saying overall the comparison of 2016 shows a program that continues to perform well and has met uh incremental improvements but is still operating with many of the same structural challenges identified a decade ago. Again same thing I echo with my council colleague that we have you know the budget has gone up but we have the similar structural challenges uh what needs to be done why is that because we have given so much extra money I think that there should have been some improvement and then going to your last conclusion where you are saying that uh collectively these recommendations provide a clear path forward in strengthening the municipality's winter per winter operations program to better align performance with evolving services expectations and needs. The Department

of Public Works is prioritizing these actions and will will work throughout the coming year to implement improvements across operations, staffing, communication, fleet and management and technology. I'm always of the opinion that this is good that we need to improve these things but I I always advocate that let's have a goal let's have something called smart goal where we have a you know specific measurable attainable relevant and time bound if we say I need staff can you tell me how many what are they going to do cleaning the snow or potholes what is their job you know and is it attainable I mean is something that they can do. Is it relevant? Yes, it is. And it give me a time that by next October I need 50 more people. So it's like a smart goal specific you know what you need them for and it's measurable the 50 people it's attainable. Yes I don't want thousand people. You said yeah 50 that can be done it's relevant and give us a time bound. This conclusion tells me that yes we need it but I don't think there is any end to when how how we are going to really get this all these things that we need to improve. So it'll be helpful probably if you think and give us some idea about for each item technology you know improvement the workforce what can we do incorporating all these elements which I call is a smart goal so that probably would be helpful for us to work on it and give you more I think report is very good gives us where we stand gives us you know we had a harsh winter but again I echo it's you know we've given also a lot more money to meet with the winter we I don't know how the winter will be in coming years but I think we need to be ready for it because people expect when given so much money we we are kind of able to give them the

best satisfaction but thank you for you and your team you do a good job we need to improve. Thank you question councelor O'Hara.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. Uh just have a few questions. So um again this information um actually provides us with a lot of um action steps you know and then uh just starting off with workforce and staffing establish a more sustainable staffing model. Um through the chair to the commissioner it says um the second one on the actions expand cross trainining to increase flexibility across crews and assignments. Uh this is interesting to me because uh when would that take place? I mean something like this obviously would mean um if there's going to be training, we can't create snow

to make it snow in the fall or even now. So how would this training take place? Commissioner,

sorry through the chair. Uh that training uh will probably take will take the the three following major steps. The first is that we just started our first CDL training class. Uh that is an in-house training that's administered through the HR department and we've got six people in the class that with the proper training uh they will have obtained their CDL license before next winter. So that will be helpful. uh we always continue uh to cross trainin not only through the CDL program but with new employees on how a plow operates, what the plow plow routes look like, what the expectations are and the third part is the training of our inspectors. Uh this past year we had new inspectors. Uh that what was brought out through the uh the interviews is that we need to do a better job of helping the inspectors to understand what their role is during a storm and how to uh deploy the resources that they have available, the limited resources uh to to serve their their areas.

Council. Okay. Thank you. So, with this new trained staff um through the chair to the commission, when they're sent out for the first time, will they be by themselves or they'll be there with someone? Obviously, they'll be trained leading up to it. But again, when the snow falls, it's uh it's very different from what they've been trained, right? It's just like everything else. Uh through the chair, uh that is something that we will train in advance and then for the first few storms, they would go out and partner with an experienced driver.

Okay, great. Thank you. You're welcome. Uh moving on to two fleet and equipment um under the actions strengthen maintenance capacity to improve equipment readiness during storm events. Can you please explain to me what what that actually means? What what does that look like?

Sure. Uh through the chair. Uh when I started last February, there were four mechanics in the central garage. Currently, we have five mechanics in the central garage. We've added one mechanic to the sewer garage and one mechanic to the water garage. So, we need to continue to work with HR. As the city manager explained, we need to continue to pull those lists for uh mess um so that we've got more personnel available uh to be able to accomplish those repairs during storms.

Okay. Um, and then during these storms, are all these uh mechanics available or are these uh these are just full-time mechanics, right? They're not working in other departments. And are they available throughout these storms? Uh through the chair, as with all other employees, overtime for the mechanics is voluntary. So, they are available if they wish to work. Okay. Um, do we see that as an issue during the the winter season? Is that something that we run into where they're just not available

through the chair? As with all employees, that was one of my uh one of my recommendations is that we look at either requiring overtime or better uh incentivizing overtime for employees. Yes, it is a problem for us when there is not a declared emergency. Uh we have a swing from uh when it's a declared emergency, we have up to 72 city trucks on the road. When it's not a declared emergency, we could have as few as two dozen.

Okay. Okay. Uh yeah, I just see that as a as something that's um that's difficult and um it kind of it definitely puts us behind on being able to get those machines operating quickly and back on the road. So I'm not sure if this is something that you know um scheduling wise, hours wise or whatever it may be being able to make sure that we actually have like you mentioned at least maybe two available at all times. Um so I'm hoping that that's something that we can you know make happen. So thank Mr. Man just like to add

sure uh through the chair to the just want to add related to this uh uh the overtime situation. You know, one of the things that this council body did also uh last year uh actually not this past winter, the winter before that is we created a different incentive structure or stipen structure for depending on because historically depending on the vehicle or depending on the size of the vehicle, you will receive a different uh stipent. This council body increased all the stipens. So no matter what vehicle you drove, you received the same stipent. So there's been effort by this council body to try to improve that stipen for our employees. Uh but again we're something that we still need to evaluate because the voluntary uh component related to overtime has become a little bit of a challenge.

Okay. Thank you. Um to the chair to the commissioner again another question under facilities. Um it says replace undersized and deteriorated salt storage facilities to ensure adequate capacity and reliable operations. Um, I don't think that's something that's in the budget now. Or maybe it is. But when do you see that taking place? Again, this the reason why I'm asking all these questions is um I don't want the winter to come anytime sooner, but we need to make sure we're prepared if we have all these action items. Some of these action items I'm noticing are are very important. obviously the mechanics, but um if we had an issue with some of the um salt stoages, how are we going to be able to address this before the next um winter

through the chair? Uh we don't have yet the uh the capital appropriations that will be recommended. Um but we did put in for a request to uh have all three salt sheds replaced. Um that would be a tall order for us, but we're committed to doing that because what we saw this winter was with back-toback storms or long duration storms. Um like many other communities, uh we were we were hardressed to keep our salt sheds full. Fortunately, uh the the folks that came before me, uh they saw the need to uh put up a fourth salt shed up off of Ballard Street. uh that was our our reserve for salt. So at the end of this winter that reserve was empty. So uh there's a there's a definite need to not only increase the size of the existing salt sheds and replace them because they are falling over frankly. Um, but also, uh, we're looking at the possibility of adding another salt salt shed or salt storage area over on the west side of the city because uh, the the the time it takes to get from the the airport, for example, back to the salt shed and back to the airport. By that time, we've lost those roads. So, we need to have a better source of salt on that side of the city.

Okay. Uh, thank you. I think something that just comes to mind is um you know I think we have already all heard about the the closing of Anna Maria and just popped in my mind if there's an opportunity they may have a salt shed or some an opportunity or some space where we can use it. It's not too far from the airport. It's probably you know closer ride. Um if that's an opport opportunity to look into if there's something there that we can use. Um, again, just trying to get ahead of it, um, while while we're while we're discussing it. And then, uh, when it comes to communication and coordination, there's a lot here on all these action items. Uh, establish clear roles and responsibilities during storm operations, strengthen dispatch protocols, real time, um, enhance public communication strategies to provide consistent Can you just give me an idea of how would you how how do you plan on approaching this? Is this going to be more of a um full department type training? Is this going to be including the the the the drivers? Is this going to include um any new drivers? When you're going to, you know, you you I don't know the time frame of when you hire new drivers to to do the snow plowing, but obviously this is one of probably the most important things is communication and coordination. This is where all the councils receive the calls throughout the winter months. How are we going to make sure that we are strengthening these these communications during the snowstorm, especially when we have the new drivers that we're trying to reach out uh through the chair? Uh this will be uh to your list of of questions of who this will apply to. This will apply to everybody from me down through the the newest earliest uh latest drive latest plow driver hired. So the the big thing here under communication is the internal communication instead of going to uh the um for the folks that are out

inspecting instead of going to their supervisor or uh their their root supervisor uh they would go directly to the director. So that communication really put the director under a lot of duress that didn't need to happen. There are plenty of other people that can be called before you get to the director level. So that will be clarified. Uh the inspectors will also be uh clear on who they should call. Uh plow drivers will be clear on who they should call. So we're going to be working we're working right now to ensure that we're ready better prepared for next winter. Uh so all of that will be happening between now and that first snowflake.

Is there um to the chair to the commission? Is there an orientation that happens for the new plow truck drivers or is it just more of the director would just explain to them you know expectations because every year just you know something new comes up something road an issue that you guys identify and you know you want to look forward to next year. Just want to know what what type of conversation is had with these uh truck drivers truck drivers

uh through the chair. It's not only an orientation when they first start, but if they're going to be selected to work a plow route, um they are all trained so that they understand number one, what the expectations are, number two, how to work and operate a plow, and number three, uh what their plow routes are that they're assigned to. Okay. Thank you. I appreciate it. I mean, like I said, there's a lot of action steps here, and I think it's important for the for the residents to know that we you everybody sees it. you're seeing in your department and you're you're taking full responsibility on a lot of these things and you're you're passing it down to um those that work in your department. So, I think it's important for them to hear how these things are going to be done and some some somewhat of a time frame. So, I I appreciate the work and and I look forward to, you know, the next steps. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Carl. Second time,

Mr. Cham, I just want to, you know, in wrapping up, I just want to say which I neglected to say earlier was the one thing I really appreciate the most is that you spoke to other members of your team, uh, whether it be inspectors or the men and women out in the field um, to get an idea what their what their sense of things and that, you know, they brought clear items to the table that they felt needed to be addressed. Um, communication being one of them, equipment being another one. Um, and I appreciate that you came forward with the report and the action plan that you came forward with. If anything, at least now for us on the council, it gives us a better understanding when we speak to the manager, when we're at budget budget session, um, to make sure that we're looking at these items to fulfill these items to make all of our lives a lot better, not just here in this floor, but the entire city. So, I just want to commend you for doing that. I want to commend the men and women for being out there and being part of the process um because I think that does make a big difference. Thank you

through the chair. I appreciate the kind words from all the counselors. Um I've got 40 years experience with plowing, managing, directing snow removal, but only one year in the city of Worcester. So it was important for me to interview those 12 employees uh who have a combined 222 years of experience in plowing the city of Worcester. So they came forward. Uh they were very transparent. They were very forthcoming. Uh and that's where a lot of these recommendations came from. So thank you.

Thank you. So send that to uh committee ro. Thank you uh commissioner. I appreciate it in the efforts of everyone and um just make sure that report stays active, not like the 2016 report seem to have disappeared. So, um councilors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Economo, yes. Brazil, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty,

yes. Next item is 15.10A, 10A transmitting information communication wrote to the review of eight conceptual designs for the Elm Park master plan. Send that to Veterans Memorial and Parks. Roll call. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Fizzo. Yes. King. Yes. Metitra. Yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. Mayor Petty, yes. Next item is B. transmitting information communication over to the 2025 Tree City USA awards. I'm going to place that on file and congratulations again to the parks department. Much appreciated. Roll call. Counselors Bergman.

Yes. Bada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Folo. Yes. King. Yes. Metitra. Yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. C. Transmitting information, communication relative to changes to consump consumption and seal of alcoholic beverages and municipal park policy for special and sporting events. Send that to parks. Councelor Rivera. I just want to ask question. Sure. Sure. Council Vera, go ahead.

Yeah. uh through the t of to the commissioner if you could I notice on the report um there certain parks that were named here are green park institute park and Columbus east park are are are just to clarification are are these the parks only that's going to be allowed to get a permit to so if there's an event are these the parks only that they'll be allowed commissioner Mr. manager commissioner

through the chair to the counselor. Yes, it's only those specific parts parks and they'll be required to have a permit event permit application or application permit for use of that particular park. Um, and then the license commission would deal with the alcohol piece and all the requirements on the alcohol side.

Mr. Mr. Manager Yeah, I just want to add to that. Um, one of the reasons just to anticipate it if why we chose these parks. Okay. Um, I think one of the reasons we chose these parks is because these are the parks where we've had a number of requests in the past related to these parks. Um, and so we felt as though these will be an opportunity for us to start to explore that. Uh, we had a number of requests many years ago for the common. We expanded to the common. Uh so now this is just an addition of expanding additional parks. If we see that this uh uh continues to be a success and and is something that's able to be managed, then we can then explore other parks and working with the council on what those areas that are needed. Thank you very much. Thank you, Council Conno.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just real quick, I just want to I want to thank the commissioner, the manager, the parks team, um everybody involved. you know, it's it's it's finally time that this has come forward. Um, I feel it opens more doors than it closes here in our city. I think it offers more opportunity for more events. Um, everything you would look for in a medium to big size city to make it vibrant, add to the quality of life, and um, I'm just happy that it came forward. And again, I just want to say thank you to the commissioner, the parks commissioner, and his team at the parks department for doing an outstanding job here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Okay. Um, we'll send that to veterans and parks. Roll call. Counselors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Economo, yes. Folo, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. and Mayor Petty. Yes, we are on 156A transformation communication rel the transition to a riskbased food permitting inspection system for establishments serving food sent to public health. Mr. Chim,

council Rivera Council River.

So my question is uh either to the ch administration or the commissioner. I um clarification on this this is good. Great. Um but I I just uh and I just move to the question. Um right here it says the move to risk to um a riskbased system will increase the safety of food serving establishments throughout the city and bring our community more in line with the federal and state food safety regulations. I guess the question would be is what were we following before before then chair through administration commissioner The riskbased system is new I guess for me. So through the chair to the council. Um so we do follow the current food codes. Um the way that this brings us more in line and allows us to do a better job is the implementation for the way that we are enforcing the codes. uh a riskbased system uh concentrates on the methods and types of foods being served. The current system that we have right now is based on number of seats how we do our permitting um through the riskbased system also. Uh it allows us to um move towards the the restaurants or the establishments that do not um follow the processes that they should be. And it also allows us to reward the establishments that are following those processes. Thank you for the clarification.

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, council uh Rosenfall by councelor Tumi. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh question. Do we still through the ch the commissioner? Do we still have a like an ABC type of system? remember years ago we used to kind of rate these food establishments mainly restaurants I guess but food establishments with some type of a letter grade do we still do it that way for the chair

commissioner to the chair to the council um I am unaware of any uh letter rating system that we've used um I wasn't prevent uh presented with one when I was here um we have been asked uh by constituents and and several uh outside uh groups to see about the possibility of instituting a grading system. Um right now we're still looking at the way our setup is and moving towards the risk base will put us in a better position if we do want to move forward to a grading system in the future. So through the chair right now we deal with any violations of the establishment. Uh, do we let people know eventually online or some other way? I was going to say the scores, but we, you just said we don't have scores, but the results of the visits to these establishments, if we have, you know, a restaurant where we see a lot of rodent activity, do we post anywhere or let people know or is it just it's between the city of Worcester and the establishment? Is that the way it is? Just between those two parties and no one else is privy to the information through the chair,

through the chair to the council. Um, no. That that is incorrect. Everybody is privy to that information. All of our inspections are public record. Um, we do not currently have the ability to post all of our inspections online due to some privacy issues and and public record items with items that may need to be redacted. Um however uh through a records request we can provide any inspection record to anybody that asks. Um we are looking at a potential through this method too to require uh all of the establishments to have their most recent inspection on file and be able to offer it to anybody that asks while in the establishment

through the chair. So, someone who wanted to know about what's going on at Worester restaurants would have to make a public records request for each one of those to find out what's going on. Commission chair through the chair to the council. Yes. Um that's that's how it works for uh most addresses and uh complaints, inspections, permits that we have through ISD is that we would get a request for that address or that business and then we would go through look at all the records and produce um anything that we would have that complies with the law.

Mr. Chairman, you probably remember which city council of several years ago always brought this up about posting, I think we all know, right? former mayor of Worcester always brought it up and uh so I was asking the questions because I thought of all those discussions we've had over the years and you know it's something that I'm not going to make an order of motion here but something the administration might want to consider is you know if possible since we're changing the system here I'm not looking so much for the the ice cream truck or the ice cream stand or something like that but I'm looking more at the restaurants and you know what their reputations are healthwise and you know I think It's something that the public should, you know, have access to, like the former mayor wanted years ago. But I won't make the motion. It's just something I want to plant a seed in the administration. Maybe in the future, we could start looking at that because it's it's public information, but there's a process that, you know, kind of uh discourages the public from maybe looking for that information. So, I, you know, I've always been for transparency and for information and easy access to it. whatever the public is, you know, is supposed to have or can have, then they should have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Council Bergman. Oh, I'll be quick. I'm sorry, Council B. Council Tumi was next. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I was Where did you say this was going to be going this report? It's under public safety. Yeah, I was going to ask that they come to public safety. And also, uh, Commissioner, thank you very much uh for for uh this very good report. Um when it comes to public safety, could we have a further discussion on um the uh hazard analysis critical control point strategies um so that we can understand what that process is a little bit more through the chair to council? Yes. Uh absolutely. We can go through all of the different steps and and items that we're going to be implementing through the new process.

That's great. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Good job. Thank you, Council Bergman.

I have to be even quicker this time, Mr. Chairman, um a comment, two comments actually. First of all, I want to thank the commissioner. I I do believe this is a much more sensible, practical way of going about um doing the inspection. So, I want to commend you and your department for taking the initiative to to kind of change paths and and do this in a much more sensible way. As we're at spring season, everybody's planting seeds everywhere. I know councelor Rosen planted a seed, so I want to plant kind of a different seed. With all due respect to my colleague, councelor Rosen, I remember those discussions and one of the things I brought up and I just want to repeat it again as we're kind of throwing out the idea of the grading system is I can reason why I opposed it before and I would oppose it again if it ever came back to the council is I can envision a scenario where competing restaurant to another restaurant has somebody call up board of health saying I got a bad stomach ache last night. I think that restaurant has sal manila. Well, can you prove it to us? Hey, my my medical records are confidential, but I'm just telling you something's wrong in that restaurant. All of a sudden, how does somebody at the code department know whether that's true or not? Let's say they give a bad grade. How do you undo that bad grade? And then once you undo that bad grade, even though we all know the bureaucracy of undoing that bad grade is going to be probably difficult, if not insurmountable, everybody in the city knows that restaurant serve food that caused somebody to have salmonella. You can't unring the bell. And unless it's proven, I don't know how you can start um designating a grading system. And I worry I really really worry about the competitive nature of the environment and how false information can cause financial ruin to businesses. I think the system we have now is a good system. I think anybody who has concerns can find out through board of health whether there are issues in a

restaurant. I think word of mouth spreads quickly as far as who's clean and who's not a clean establishment. And I think the system that's going to be initiated or started now will go a long way in making sure that people know uh where they're eating and how safe it is. So I commend the commissioner again. I hope we we keep things the way they are. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you Dr. Mitch. Council me through you to the commissioner. Thank you very much for the report and I think uh as a principal this is a great idea to go for safety is our concern always. So see that everybody's safe. The fees is this significantly higher or lower than what you had before the fee structure that we had commissioner

through the chair to the council. Uh it is relatively the same. Um when we went through uh as you can see in the in the memo that we put together um we have uh four uh original fee structures for the different types of restaurants. Um we for the sizes we had one to 99 uh over 100 and then over 500 and they were 275 uh 350 I believe and 450 and then we had one for 500 for um 10 thou uh establishments over 10,000 square feet. Um, with the new fee structure that we're proposing, we actually lower um the the initial um fee for risk level one down to $200. Then we do uh and then each one after that is $125 and that accounts for the two-hour inspection um for the inspector going out. So, um the the fees themselves are relatively the same with a minor increase at the top and an actual reduction for the the lower establishments.

Okay. Thank you. Uh Mr. through you. One more uh thing that when the inspectors go to these different places to inspect, do they let them know ahead of time that they're coming or they're kind of a, you know, go hidden? Commissioner,

to the chair, to the council, um they are random and they show up. These are safety inspections. We do not tell people when we're going to show up to catch them doing stuff wrong. So, um, we do have follow-up inspections. If we do show up on the initial inspection and we do find violations or areas of correction, then we do speak with them and we schedule a followup. But the initial uh, inspections throughout the year, the compliance inspections aren't done on a scheduled basis. Makes sense. Excellent way to do this. An excellent report. Thank you. Thank you, Council Mutra. So, send that to uh, Excuse me, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Council Ba.

Yep. Uh, no, just want to say again, thank you for this. I think this is good step forward and I think it'll definitely help small businesses especially uh like you said in the report that where it mentions how um low-risk establishments could be paying more simply because they have a higher amount of seating. So, I think that makes a lot of sense and again to knowing that we have so many small businesses that are in neighborhoods that uh I think it's great that we're we're making sure that there's stronger regulatory compliance and that it's it's more efficient for the department to um you know to to make sure that businesses are, you know, following the rules and and and the sanitary codes, especially businesses that are in buildings that also have residents. So, I think it's important to to make sure that local businesses are are are uh doing what they can. So, thank you.

Okay, all set. Send that to U public safety. Roll call. Counselors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Folo. Yes. King. Yes. Mitra. Yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Penny,

yes. We have a couple people in the audience if we want to take a couple items out of order. 21A and 27B. These are both of economic development items. First one was 21A. Upon the communication, CM manager recommend the adoption of a resolution to for a certified project designation tax in agreement finance agreement for resource center LLC. Motion is accept and adopt in the roll call. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Cono, yes. Folo, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes.

Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. Congratulations. Okay, we have uh 27B, communication manager recommend the adoption of the housing development certified project tax increment exemption amendment for 39 Green Island Boulevard. So motion is to accept and adopt on the roll call. Roll call. Mr. Mayor, which item was that again? I'm sorry.

Uh, a second. Let me work it up. Make sure I gave you the right number. I'm sorry. Uh, that should go with economic development for a hearing. I'm sorry. 27B. Thank you. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Okay, we can vote on it if we want. Point to order, Mr. Chairman. What's that? Point to order. We just began the vote to send that to committee. I thought uh the first vote was to send it to U is to vote it. Then um then I thought it had to go to economic development for a hearing under the Yeah, you you said that it was going to committee. That's what we vote. We're voting on it. What's that,

Mr. Mayor? I wrote that note down because um those items have traditionally gone to economic development committee, but if um the chief development officer thinks otherwise, then we'd be fine with that as well, I'm sure. Mr. Dunn. Yes, Mr. Mayor. So, traditionally, new applications for these projects go to the economic development committee, but where this one is actually an amendment to a previously approved project, uh, we felt like it was within the council's authority to take it up for a vote if you so choose. Okay. Council Bergman, you f that?

Yes, we had a chair, we had a good discussion at the last economic development meeting about issues related to this and I I think it could be voted on this evening. Okay. Mr. Chairman, Councelor King. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If uh through the chair, to the administration, if you could just um state for the public uh what the amendment is. Mr. Doug.

Yes. Through the mayor, to the council, as described in our communication. This is the what we refer to as the second residential building in the Ballpark District. So, this was a tax increment exemption plan and uh certified project under the housing development incentive program that was approved by the city council previously uh with Madison Properties. And this is an amendment to that because we wanted to make sure that the council was up to date on the fact that Madison Properties has a purchase and sale agreement um with the buyer GFI partners who will be constructing this and their proposal with the project meets all of the requirements and expectations of the project as was approved by council previously. Um and they are inheriting the same um terms of that tax increment exemption agreement that was previously approved by the council. So, from our perspective, it's not what we would do with a new application, a new project that the council's never seen before where we would send that to committee. Um, this is an amendment to a previously approved project.

So, just a change in name through the chair basically through the chair through the chair to the counselor. I would uh think it would be more accurate to say it's changing the the project sponsor. Uh it's not just like a a name change. Uh Madison Madison Properties will not be involved in the ownership moving forward. Yes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I support voting on it. Okay. So, motion to accept and to adopt a roll call. Councelor Bergman, yes. Yes. Economo, yes. Fzolo, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty,

yes. Okay, that brings us to finance items, I believe. Oh, go backward. 15.26A. Mr. Mayor, I believe the next item would be 15.26A.

1562A. Okay, we're on 15.35. There's a finance items. Let me know if you have any questions on any of them. But three 15.35 A and B 15.36 A through E. Motions adopt on the roll call. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to pull out 15.36B and 15 36E. I have some questions. Okay. So, vote the other ones except for B and E at 15.36. Okay. I'm going to hold up B and E. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bilada, yes. Economo, yes. Fzolo, yes. King, yes. Mitra,

yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. So we have 15.36b which is um $3,323 be transferred from fund uh damage settlements in appropriate to cost center transportation and mobility and ordinary maintenance. Council King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's a it's a rather small sum, Mr. Chairman, so I'm not splitting hairs as it relates to that. That's more so um the idea that um this indicates that this funding will repair traffic signals that have been damaged by motor vehicle crashes. Um so outside of the small amount um I just have a question as to why are we paying for this? And I don't know if there's a pattern of this um sort of thing where we're where where there's some sort of motor vehicle crash um into something and and we're paying for the repairs. I'm wondering if is there an insurance um uh consequence to the motor vehicle operators in this particular instance but also um sort of across the board in like circumstances um shared to the ad administration. Just wanted to to have that question answered.

Mr. McGarthy why we're paying for this.

Uh Mr. Mr. Chairman, through the chair, this is exactly the results of an insurance settlement. This is a reserve for appropriations account. So, when an accident occurs that impacts city property, the city obviously has to go out and address whatever that issue may be, whether it's the uh vehicle or a street light in this case. And then the insurance company uh has to go and reimburse the city for costs. any reimbursements that come in are put into this reserve for appropriations account that is then used to go back and in as in this case fund the department replace the funds that were taken out of the department to address the issue in the first place. So these are accounts that simply reimburse departments for costs that have been covered by an outside insurance agency.

Thank you. And through chair to the administration um do we have an idea how much is in that fund? And then secondly, um um if there is an insurance settlement, um I'm assuming that there's some flexibility with respect to whether or not we use it um for that particular um issue. Um you know, there there could be potentially a situation where um there's an accident, there's insurance coverage, and we choose not to um perhaps fix it or it's not to that level. I'm just curious um how that works through the chair, Miss McCarthy.

Uh so through the chair, I would have to look up the actual balance in the fund at this time. It's constantly changing as funds are received and then funds are distributed out to departments. Um the funds go back into a department's OM or whatever kind of source the payment originally came from. The the department could then use that for whatever purposes it has available. Presumably the amount would match the cost to the department or at least closely resemble the cost to the department to address the original problem. So in essentially it goes back to just make the department whole but if there is excess funds they utilize it as part of their OM structure to pay for any of the needs within the department.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. Okay, we have 15E which is $37,87.17 transfer from damaged settlements the property of the cost center police ordinary maintenance.

Mr. Chair, this is just another financial question I have. Um, and I'm just wondering um including Worester Police Department, but outside the Worcester Police Department as well. Um, I've seen some damaged vehicles over the past few weeks. I've seen one outside the police headquarters. I've seen them in other departments. Um, and I'm just wondering, um, how do we track that? Where's that data collected? Um, and, um, is when you when you say no fault, is that a determination by the city or is that a determination by the insurance folks that you're um, repeating through the chair? Uh,

Mr. McGirthy. uh through the chair. Um the impact or uh effect of some sort of accident is tracked by the department. Uh the department will you know assess the vehicle, determine whether or not a there is a kind of a a perpetrator for whom the insurance could be sought or they'll determine whether or not it's something that they have to repair or replace internally. Um if it goes to the level of a legal question, it would go to the law department for uh representation. Um again, those they would represent the city in terms of securing those funds. Uh in terms of the no fault insurance, the language simply means that the city was not at fault in this circumstance. It doesn't imply no fault or fault under state law or insurance jargon. simply a a situation where the city was not at fault for the accident and therefore it is being reimbursed for any issues.

Okay, Mr. Chairman, I would like a report back on any documentation related to this particular um situation involving um um these vehicles. And the reason why is um you know I'm wondering across departments um you know how um the public's um property is being managed. So um I like to take a look at that so that um we can determine um if in fact um there's a opportunity um to do better across departments. Mr. Chairman, that be my motion. Thank you.

Okay. Okay. So, we'll take 15 36B and E on the motion. Roll call. Okay. We'll take B and E first. Then we'll do the motion separately. Roll call. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Folo. Yes. King. Yes. Metitra. Yes. Oh, yes. Rivera. Yes. Rosen. Yes. Tumi. Yes. and Mayor Petty. Yes. Now we have the motion. Can you repeat the motion one more time, Council King?

Yeah. The motions. I'd like to report on these particular inst uh um I just moved it. These particular um accidents that's referenced for this small minimal uh funding. Um I think it's $37,000. um like a uh a report from that um that's comprehensive so we can see the details of those accidents um and as it related to the no fault vehicle um no fault motor vehicle accidents um and the rest of the order is that this is in the interest of determining if there's um a way that we can protect the public's property um across departments in a more effective way. Thank you. Okay. Roll call.

Counselors Bergman. No. Bada. Yes. Economo. Nope. Folo. Yes. King. Yes. Mitra. No. Oha. Yes. Rivera. Yes. Rosen. Yes. Tumi. No. And Mayor Petty? Yes. Okay. Okay, we are on chairs 16 A to 16R motions to adopt. Roll call. Counselors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Economo,

yes. Fzolo, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. Okay, we have orders. First order, the city council see here by amend this meeting schedule for the ensuing dates as follows. Uh social just changing the dates from May 12th, 2028th. No meeting to budget hearing May 19th, 2026 and joint agenda on May 26th. and no meeting uh budget hearing only June 6th and joint agenda on June 9th. Roll call.

Mr. Chairman, are these all the same time order? Yeah. Five. We start at five. Was that right? Five o'clock. Mr. Mayor, um I do believe uh we sent out a general poll to see what the counselor's preference were. And I think um the best times appeared to be 5:00 p.m. for the for the hearing starts. Okay. Is that we have Mr. McGrithy 5 p.m. You agree here? Okay. Roll call. Mr. Chairman. Yeah. Council K.

Thank you. Um so I just want to understand this um point of clarification. So um May 12th, no meeting, just budget. May 19th joint agenda. No budget. Is that right? No budget on May 19th. It's a joint agenda. Correct. Is that correct, Mr. McGriff? No, there'll be a budget. All these have budgets. Go ahead, though.

All right. So, since they all have budgets, Mr. Chairman, we've had a number of uh cancelled city council meetings. Um, and I think we should do everything we can um to ensure that um, you know, we're we're we're hearing things um, you know, and when we have these joint agendas, that's when we have marathon uh, city council meetings, which I'm not averse to, but you know, in the past, we've had folks that are averse to doing the work um, up until midnight. Um, but I would just ask, Mr. chairman um that there be uh consideration that we not um cancel city council meetings. What we've done in the past, Mr. Chairman, is um you know when you chaired those sorts of meetings where it wasn't cancelled so we wouldn't have a joint agenda um because things get backlogged um without things being held they get backlogged. um was that you know we as a a a legislative body was very were very selective at the request of the chair being yourself Mr. Mayor is what you've done in the past um asking folks to be selective about what they're filing um so Mr. Chairman I would ask that um you know we have these city council meetings um that would be a friendly amendment um if you're inclined to receive that amendment Mr. Chevy.

Yeah, we're not changing any We're just changing some of the dates. So, we didn't change or we're not canceling a council meeting. Correct, Mr. McGriffy. May 12th, no meeting. Yeah, but yeah, we just switched that was the 19th was the No, I believe the 19th was no meeting. Mr. Mayor, that's correct. So, the way that it was structured, um, we're basically just changing which days are full budget hearing days and which days are budget hearings with, uh, council meeting days. So, we're just flipping which is which. We're just flipping because of people's schedules. I believe that's correct. Okay. And if we need another meeting, I have no problem doing another meeting if we have to when we get closer. That never happens.

It does if we ask. Yes. The problem is everybody's busy, but Right. So, May 12th, we was on our agenda that we had a city council meeting on May 12th. We're no longer having a city council meeting that involves a city council agenda. Is that correct? That's not happening. get correctly because May 19th was the no city council meeting. So we just switched we just switched the meetings. We just switched the meetings. I understand what you're saying. Yeah. Um thank you. Okay. Council Roer.

Yeah. Just to sorry uh just to be clear through the through the chair. Um can just give me the dates then uh because it's just reading this kind of all bunched up. So May 12th, what do we have? So May 12th is uh budget meeting. Okay. And then May 19th is a joint meeting. Budget and council. Okay. And manager. And then also budget, council, and manager. All three. Okay. And then the 26th is no meeting budget. I'm sorry. Say it again. Just the budget. Just budget. Okay. And then after that we have what? June 2nd. There's a joint agenda

and then the ninth is city council agenda. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yeah. Okay. Just for a second time. So between May 12th and June 9th, there's only one city council agenda meeting um by itself. Is that correct? Stand alone. uh standal um May 12th, June 9th, we have on June 9th. We have one on say the two meetings. There's nothing difference in this than what it was before except we switched a few dates. We flip-flopped. Okay, thank you.

Okay, roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada. Yes. Economo, yes. Fzolo, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. B, request the city may provide council with a report concerning the current city ordinance related to excessive and unreasonable noise levels and the city federal request that said report include information concerning the department u or departments tasked with enforcing such ordinance. Dr. Council Mitra

thank you Mr. Chair through you to Mr. Chair uh manager u as it reads you know I request a report on the uh noise ordinance or the you know excessive uh unreasonable noise that happens in the city and who is the organization in our city that controls that or enforces that uh if in the report if you can give that because uh people are saying that they call the WPD and uh they don't find that anybody knows about the ordinance. So I know that probably there is one ordinance but just wanted to know if there is one uh what it is uh after what time the ordinance is probably going to be followed and which department is responsible for it. So that's the request I have. Thank you.

So send that to the manager. Roll call. Counselors Bergman. Yes. Economo. Yes. Fzolo. Yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty,

yes. We have one request to take an item out of order and that is um 27D, which was held under privilege I believe. But uh this is 27D recommendation senior manager transformation information communication road to the residential chicken keeping anybody on this what's the what's what are we voting on is made the motion in front of me is place the item on file who who made that motion I

it's just the motion oh it's from I I don't I don't have that item in front of me. I just lost the page. What What number is it so I can just look at it? It's the 27D 27D. That's on the residential chicken keeping. Can I ask a question on that, Mr. Chair? Councelor Rivera.

Yeah, I understand the direction the city is going. I was just wanted to know was there any options of obviously the city is made up of different you know buildings houses you know and there's some um residents who have plenty of yard um so it's it's across the board not if you have the right yardage or right acreage or whatever it's just across the board no chickens as opposed to from the chair to administration. Sorry, commissioner or Mr. Manager.

Yeah, through the chair to council. That was uh all taken into consideration. If you provide an opportunity for uh consideration depending on the yardage or the acreage that you have in your home.

Um then now you have to create a process to manage that where there's a special permit process etc. to determine to allow certain properties in the city. And then you have to then have a body or through a special permit process to decide uh who is allowed and who is not, whether the three deckers is allowed or not, whether the tenant is allowed or not or homeowner is allowed or not, who like there's a lot of So what we felt as though because we would have to create a special permit process, you're basically allowing tickets in the city, so might as well allow it across the board. and and so it it because you the level of capacity of staffing and oversight that would be required to do that would be the same as if you would try to allow it across the board in the city. So for us we saw this as uh either you allow it or we continue to enforce the current city ordinance that we currently have which does not allow uh uh chickens and our position and the position of the commissioner uh through the discussions we felt as though our position was to keep the court ordinance the way it is.

Sure. Okay. So just by keeping the um through the chair through administration just by keeping the ordinance it goes forward but are you saying just for clarification are you saying that some residents do have an option to for ask for permits or no that's just how Mr. Mayor through the chair to the council in the current current ordinance no one in the city is allowed to have uh chicken okay thank you thank you Mr. Chairman council king

thank you Mr. Chairman, I I certainly appreciate Elgalo's um questioning of the city manager. Um you know, we've revisited this issue previously. Um and there's a number of um you know, uh things that could be done. Um it's done in other cities, it's done in other municipalities here in the city. There's all sorts of options. I'm not following the logic of special permitting. Um and perhaps if you're unable to enforce every single um matter pertaining to residential chicken, it's chickens. Um it's um it's like implementing it across the city. Um you know, we've gone through this again and again through the chair administration. My as from what my recollection um the planning board had recommended this that we do move forward with residential chickens um as an ordinance on two separate occasions. So my question is is that accurate? Is my memory faulty? And then uh subsequent to that Mr. Chairman um what were the basis for those two recommendations through the chair?

Mr. the manager to the chair to the council. The planning board did uh approve uh in both uh instances, but I I will have the chief development officer explain a little bit of the uh of the reasonings why the planning board uh made those decisions. Mr. done

through the chair to the council. Uh obviously that level of uh detail is not in the report before you that was submitted by the inspectional services commissioner but it was um some of that detail was included when the report was uh issued to the manager committed to the manager to come back um based on petitions from residents. So was on the two occasions a petition from residents uh to consider allowing um chickens and the planning board did not you know recommend a particular ordinance. They didn't recommend you know it should be by right or it should be allowed only in you know residential single family zones or only on lots with a certain acreage or it should be by special permit. That's not really what was before them. It was basically just a petition from residents that said, "We'd like the city to explore creating uh permission for this under, you know, whatever parameters deemed appropriate." Um, so that was ultimately what they said generally that the planning board was pro-ch. Um, but again, they didn't have specifics in front of them to uh vote on a particular ordinance recommendation. That information was provided to the city manager through the council to come back with a a report and a position from the administration on whether to um create some framework for it or to continue as the manager said with the current prohibition on it.

Thank you through chair to the administration that particular um report that was was sent over the request the ask basically was that this term or the prior term? Mr. done through the chair to the counselor. It was in 2025. I believe it was uh late summer of 2025 when it was uh sent from the city council to the city manager to evaluate all of those uh considerations and come back to the council with a um with a final report on that. I'm sorry. So, was that the prior term or was that this term? M through the chair to the counselor. That would be the prior term because this term started in January.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I understand the term limits. I just wanted to state it for the public. Um that being said, Mr. Chairman, it's it's particularly um ties the hands well, it actually doesn't tie the hands of this legislative body. We can do what we will. This is simply a recommendation um from the administration. Um I don't think um it really allows for thoughtful consideration if we simply file this. Mr. Chairman, um this should go to committee for discussion. And I think it's a it's a quality of life for some people on both sides of the issue, a quality of life issue. Um there's some public health concerns that can be addressed. There's some public health needs that are met. Um and it's certainly worth given the history of this an opportunity to not simply kill this um but to um you know have a further discussion by this body. Um it's apparent to me based on some of the questions that was just previously asked that there's there's there's not an awareness as relates to all of this. From what I recall off the top of my head, um you know, there was discussions about not allowing roosters because of noise. Um there was discussions about, you know, again, how they do things in in in other cities, um you know, uh etc. Um there was also discussion about um you know, folks coming from all over the world to the city of Worcester, um and whatnot. So, you know, I think that that those considerations certainly should should happen, Mr. Chairman, and and I'm not sure who uh there is no motion on the floor. It's a recommendation from the manager. Um I would I would recommend, Mr. Chairman, that we we move to send this to the appropriate committee. Um and in addition to that, Mr. Chairman, um we've had it's not just residents. We've had people over the years, we've had folks call in who are experts in this area um in support.

We've had um um a situation where the the the there's been a paralysis by analysis by by uh the city um legislative body um when it was before us and we could have actually voted it. It was kicked back to the city manager um some time ago. Um but I think it's worthy of of further consideration. Mr. Chairman, that would be my motion to request that it go to the proper committee. Um, Mr. Chairman, um, I'm certainly not chicken-hearted enough to vote this and file it. Um, you know, I I think it's it's chickenhearted to do that. Um, and I would ask that we send this to the appropriate committee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Councelor Bergman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh so I want to start out by making a motion to adopt the manager's uh recommendation. Say this matter has been kicking around a long time. Deserves a vote tonight. Listen, there's going to be people vote for people vote against it. That's Mr. Chairman. Hang on. I'm finished. Go ahead. I don't know. Go ahead. Council

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um there people vote for it. There people vote against it. That's the nature of democracy. That's the nature of what we do. Let me just say that I base a lot of the decisions I make, not all of them, um, in my position, city council based upon expectations. I don't think people move to the city of Worcester expecting to have chickens. I think people do move to city of Worcester expecting Worcester to be more of a city kind of atmosphere. I've said it before, I respect those who want to grow grow their own uh produce, who want to raise honeybees, who want to have chickens, but you have to take into consideration this is a city environment and the expectation shouldn't be that that that's going to be something that you're allowed to do. Um there are yes there are cities who have gone ahead and done it. But you know much like what's going to come up later in a discussion on another topic. The fact that some cities do this doesn't mean that Worcester has to uh follow the lead of every uh city that that decides to make a decision that's kind of in the minority of what other cities and towns are going to do. Uh we've have we can't let me just say this. We can't get potholes right. I am going to bring up potholes tonight. We can't get potholes right now. We're going to have to devote resources to look into who has a rooster because they want to have more chickens. They don't want to have to pay to buy them because they're going to have a rooster that helps produce them. Who's following the health and sanitary code violations? Who's chickens are making noises? Who owns the chickens? Who's letting the chickens loose? Who's going to pick up after the coyotes and the hawks and the other animals eat the chickens? We don't have the capacity, nor should we, as a city to worry about chickens. If you like to raise chickens, there's plenty of locations you can raise chickens. And again, um I don't have a dislike for chicken. I eat chicken. Love chicken soup. Probably eat more chicken soup than anybody here. Um people do have chickens. I see them. But at the same time, it shouldn't be

allowed as a matter of right. And you're going to start with a discussion about special permits. Who's going to get permission from the landlord to apply for the special permit? If it's a multif family, what if one person on one floor wants chickens and the other person doesn't? One person owns a dog is going to have a conflict with the chickens or a cat is going to have a conflict. It is riddled with problems. I'm going to go to the line that I love that people say all the time to me. What can go wrong? A ton of stuff. not only can go wrong, will go wrong, and we'll be back in this position, ruining the day that we decided to give this a chance. It's time to put an end to the discussion. And again, it's all well intended. There are people on both sides of the issue. They all have good arguments, but I think the argument against this and to adopt the manager's recommendation, which is my motion, should prevail. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I think the right motion would be mo there's nothing to adopt. So, I think the motion would be to support the manager's recommendation. Fine. Okay. Council, that I had a point of order that you ignored. Hang on. There's no point of order. I'm allowed to interrupt for What's the point of order then? The point of order you needed. Well, you answered it, but the point is you ignored me. I didn't. I was going to ask exactly what you said, but when someone makes a statement that we adopt something that's not adoptable, I have a right to say point of order and to be recognized by the chair. Yeah, I don't know. It's on point of order, but go ahead. But council Tumi,

thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I've been on both sides of this argument. I've been for it. I've been against it. And for me, the biggest issue is equity. The majority of people who have the yardage and and the land and the ability and to to have the space and uh for these chickens and most people who are living in the inner city do not have that. And if you're talking about food equity and all that stuff, those folks that people are saying, "Oh, but what about the the people who just want to have the eggs for the to help feed their family and all of that stuff?" I get it. My heart breaks for people. But you know what? It's a health issue. It's a health issue in terms of making sure that the community is healthy, that you're not inviting uh uh diseases, and we know that that happens, right? if you don't take care of the chickens, right? But the point is it's an equity issue. Most of the people who would be able to have chickens will be people who are middle class and upper middle class who have the land and the ability to do that. And that's not fair. It's not equitable. Um, and I, you know, I I think I get the arguments on both sides. Um, but I just don't think it's where we need to go. Uh, I think that we need to focus on things that we've been trying to accomplish the rental registry. We need to focus on things like that. We need to focus on the breadand butter issues that we're we need to do running this city on a day-to-day basis and adding chickens and all that comes with that with the inspections and making sure that, you know, they're not interfering with other people. You want to talk about noise ordinance, how many phone calls are going to come in, right? If you're in a very close-knit neighborhood and a bunch of three deckers and you've got chickens out in your backyard, you know, so I just can't I just can't support it. I

think we need to put it to be to rest and I think we need to focus on the things that we can do moving forward um and just move on. Thank you. We've talked about it for years, Mr. Chairman. Okay, we have councelor Mitch. Mr. Chairman, point of order here.

Wait, so we got What's the point of orders? Okay, so we have um three motions so far, but council me. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm in support of uh Mr. Manager's motion because I think city of Worcester is not ready for having chickens in their backyard. We don't have that much yardage. We don't we need about a acre to have chickens. We don't have that. You go to many neighborhood my neighborhood I don't think there chickens will be all over the city the street and we have problems so many different ways that we have to tackle. Now we got another problem to issue with as as many of my colleagues have already spoke. I don't think the city of Worcester is a city where we can really adopt to have the chickens in our backyard. We don't have that much space in the on the other hand it's also a health hazard. You know we know that. So issues that will bring more problems than anything in our city. We need to make our city more practical, more livable so that people can come here finding this city more attractive, do the business, raise the family, do many other things, not taking care of the chickens and having problems. So I will vote for what city manager has uh mot given the motion and really take the vote today and take care of this today. Thank you,

Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, hang on. What's that council king? If there's no one else I'd like to speak with after everyone's spoken. Oh, okay. Council, Mr. Chairman, I make the motion to file the item, please. Motion to file. Okay. Council K. And before anybody else who hasn't been heard, then councelor may have raised his hand. Council.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I just I don't know. I I was concerned of hearing uh it being equitable and need an acreage and stuff like you need so much yard space. The reality is you don't need that much yard space. Um so I just want to make sure we we we understand that residents will be watching this and and um it doesn't I don't think it matters your your your income or class you're in or whatever it may be. Um, and I'm not saying this because I'm against it or for it, but let's not just say it's it's a you have to fit in some type of category to be able to do this. Um, and I I I it's important that we we we get that out there and let residents know that doesn't matter, you know, what what what's what economical status you're in, um, or what size yard you have or don't have. Um, there there there's ways of of making this happen. So, I just want to make sure we we we we understand that. Um to to hear that it is it is a little bothersome because you you kind of um put people in a position where they feel as though because I don't have a certain yard space or I don't make enough money to do something something like this or because of where I live is uh that's going to be an issue. Um is there noise? Yes. But there's some people that have chickens and they're probably your neighbors. You don't even know uh because there is no noise depending on how it's taken care of. um there's not a rooster around, it's very quiet and you won't you won't hear it if it's taken care of correctly. Um again, I just want to make sure that we're not saying things that I feel as though they shouldn't be said um based on again economic status, where someone lives or whatever may be or again the amount of space someone needs. That's all. Thank you,

Council K.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, I'm going to reiterate some of the things I had said previously. Um you know, my family comes from the island of Bermuda. Um there's a lot of immigrants on this council. There's a number of folks that come from the islands. They come from other places. This is routine. And certainly Worcester is not Bermuda. So I say all that to say this, Mr. Chairman. Boston has this or an ordinance. Um and again, we're not Boston, but I hear a lot of we can't we can't. Um we want to attract people. Well, this will attract people. It'll attract more people than it than it than it um propels away from the city of Worcester and in Boston. Um, as uh councelor O'Hada astutely stated, it doesn't take a whole lot of space. Um, I also reject the exclamation of um of uh equity as an aspect of this. Um, but you know, in that ordinance in in in our capital in this state, um, it requires um, you know, a number of things. One is it requires that the coups and runs are located in the rear yard with a set back of 5 ft um from the property um unless a solid barrier exists. Um it also um prohibits roosters um because of the noise issues to prevent noise issues, Mr. Chairman, and we've discussed this before, but this legislative body has not um predator protection um is part of it. um electric fencing is recommended. In addition to that, neighbor relations. Um there is um a recommendation um in their policy to um proactively engage with work with with neighbors. Um but the abuters also have an opportunity to comment on the permit application. Mr. And um you know cube space must provide a minimum of two

square feet per hen hen and not exceed 8 ft in height. Um and the maximum number of hens is six adult hens six non-le egg laying hens replacement chicks um or pellets are permitted per lot. Um and yes there's a permitting process. Mr. Chairman, this is clearly doable. has been recommended all over the place um by these by the the planning committee um in other cities um to say that Worester can't do this. Um I can tell you this um having a chicken ordinance is going to have absolutely no impact on snow snow operations have no impact on filling the potholes. um you know and it remains to be seen um you know to what degree um the um the appetite for chicken permitting um would occur. Mr. Chairman, um I'm going to encourage my colleagues to vote notify. Um let's send this um forward. Um there's no ordinance to vote on. This is just a recommendation. So we're not voting no even on an ordinance. um you know and the fact that we're not going to set this forward um to present all the facts um is interesting to me Mr. chairman. Um, and I I think we should um educate this particular body before we reject something out of hand. Um, we had the same issue with the stretch code um as it relates to not having data, not having information by this partic in this particular term. Um, and here we are again uh folks ready to vote on an issue with all the all the information. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Council Rivera. for a second time.

Uh right a second time just clarification purposes. Obviously the way it was explained today and the way this this framework was place the whole resident city of Worester then we can't have that. But but just so so you know I'm I'm open to maybe in the future they the working it out. I mean it is what it is. You you either have the space the property for for owning a chicken or you don't. But we just can't have people in triple deckers and people in apartment buildings and people just owning anybody can own a chicken. So I understand the way it's now the position is now I I'll support the filing of it but but I'm open till till I just think if somebody has the proper space and and not and talking about good amount of land you know we're away from other other it's fortunate that not everybody has that but I know a couple of them then they should be able to own some chickens you know that and I guess that's my take on it. Thank you. Thank you, councelor. Mayor Petty,

I just had a question to the commissioner maybe in his experience in prior commissioner in prior uh cities that have you worked in. I know what the pros and cons have you seen. Have you learned anything of this when it comes to chickens and and cities? Commissioner,

do the chair to the council? Um, yes. I've had uh experience in three other communities dealing with chickens and and chicken enforcement and chicken permitting. Um in in all cases um allowing chicken permits um increases the effort and enforcement required to keep that under control. Um the other items that I've seen from communities that have allowed chickens in there is an increase in the rodent population. Um, we've also seen increase in uh trash complaints. Um, we've also seen the increase in noise. Now, yes, uh, I do know all of the studies. I do know that chickens among themselves do not create lots of noise. However, we do get the roosters in there and then if the chickens do escape, there are noises. We also have the predators that come in. We do see an increase in foxes. in Worcester, we would see increases of potentially coyotes and bears due to the surrounding communities that we have um that are experiencing those issues. So, um in writing this uh report to the council and and in speaking with the the city manager um I took into account my experiences as well as the communities that I've worked in um in making this recommendation.

Thank you, M. Mr. Mayor. Uh thank you a lot, Commissioner. appreciate your comments and your experience. I think you said it pretty clearly especially have one of the biggest concern I think the council is the rodent issues or predator animals coming in and even public health issues that could cause. So yeah, so I'm not a big supporter of this and uh so I appreciate your report and your and your recommendation. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Mayor, I just rise. There were couple of comments that um council to me implied uh that I uh was uh had some bias and uh perhaps even uh implicated that I was racist um with my comments. in order. Mr. Chairman,

that has nothing out of order. Mr. Chairman called this woman racist. No one called her bias. Out of order, rule her out of order. Mr. Chairman, that is out of order. It's a false statement. No one called her biased. No one called her racist. I'm asking you, Mr. Chairman, I don't move. We are moving on. Were her comments out of order, Mr. Chairman? I don't think that was out of order. No, it was it was out of order, Mr. Chair. Was not his intention. I I'm sorry and and I agree with councelor King. Uh it's out. Nothing was implied in that way. Leave the council, Mr. Chairman. You have anything else you want to say? Council,

I can't believe that order is actually good. Okay. So, the motion is to file. Roll call. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Economo, yes. Frosolo, yes. King, no. Mitra, yes. Oh, no. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes.

Okay, we're going back to the agenda, the orders. request of the C man's request the commission of public works review and repair the existing guide rail on May Street near the intersection of man street Azerite roll call councils Bergman yes Bada yes econom yes fzolo yes king yes Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi,

yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. 17D, request to see manage request commission public works repaint the crosswalks at the intersection of Vikes View Street and Coernau. Council Bada. Yes. Since we just talked chickens ad nauseium, could we please take 17D to 17 uh I as one order?

Okay. Request city manager request the commission of public works repaint the crosswalks at the intersection of Hamilton Street and Harrington Way and request the city manager request commission of public works repaint the crosswalks at the intersection of Bigalow Davis Parkway and Lake Gav and request the city manager request uh commissioner parks and Rex request the crosswalks at the intersection of Province Street and Harrison Street and request the city manager request the commission of public works repaint the crosswalks at the intersection of Harrison Street and Blake Street and request city manager uh request the public works repaint the crosswalks at the intersection of Borman Street and West Boilson Street and request the city manager request commission public works consider discontinuing the practice of allowing the public oversight parking and DPW parking lot located at Fantasia Drive. Council Bada,

thank you. Yeah, the 17D through I just wanted to get some crosswatching page in uh 17J. I know there's been issues with a auto body shop uh illegally parking their cars in this lot overnight. So, we're trying to just crack down on that. So, those that's all it is. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, roll call. Counselors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Folo. Yes. King Um, this is all of them, right? D through J. Yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty,

yes. Request your manager request commissioner pox immediately review and remove shops on the Sunny Hill Drive resulting from the chip seal on the road. Council Rivera and Bergman. Mr. Chairman. Councelor Rivera. This is councelor Bergman. Go ahead.

We communicated. I think it's okay if I go first. I'll be really quick. Uh it's something council re and myself filed together. Him taking the lead as a district counselor, but at some point I I can certainly wait till the um budget discussion. The chip sale program seems to have been a failure. Maybe I'm wrong. Seems to have been a failure. As a result of it being a failure, uh, these shards are now breaking off the asphalt and causing issues in the neighborhoods and constituents are asking us, you know, who's who's responsible for cleaning it up. Obviously, it's not them. They didn't put them there. It's DPW. So, fortunately, adding more work upon DPW's plate are issues like this. So, I guess I'll wait for the uh budget discussion to find out how many streets are affected by this and what's the game plan in trying to clean these up. It's unfortunate it happened. I don't know what technology and expert advice was given, but again, it's not something that's successful and the residents of the city shouldn't have to suffer from it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Okay. Send out the public work. Council Rivera. So basically uh similar to what uh council Bergman said is uh we're getting I'm getting quite a few complaints on on different streets who are paved this way with the cheap sale and uh having issues with uh you know when they with their cars when they're mowing the lawn when they're you know blowing leaves just like uh is a problem a lot of in the yard. So we're just hoping that we can remedy the situation. That's it. Thank you. I know council com to that

as amended. Then councelor Conwell filed an item a couple weeks ago on this item and hopefully we get a detailed report on this coming forward. Okay. So as amended 17K roll call councilors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Folo. Yes. King. Yes. Mitra. Yes. Oh, yes. Rivera. Yes. Rosen. Yes. Tumi. Yes. And Mayor Petty.

Yes. I request the manified council to report concerning whether there's enough affordable city, state, public, private, and collegeowned pools as well as local lakes and ponds in the city to ensure the city can avoid summer closures and provide swimming lessons and swimming opportunities to the city's youth. for a request of sub report also review the availability of any federal and state funding that could be applied to funding the swimming pool at Beaverbrook Park. Council Rosen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I just want to make sure that we're ready for this summer and there's enough swimming opportunities for our youth and especially opportunities for them to learn how to swim. And we do have a lot of pools throughout the city and many many of our colleges and universities have pools and you know since they don't contribute much to pilot programs here in the city maybe they would let us use or let the the youth use their pools in the summer. But there's other agencies that have pools. You know we have our beaches and our ponds and our lakes and we know throughout the summer that sometimes they get closed down different bacteria and situations. You know, I know co-spawn sometimes, Indian Lake certainly sometimes, and you know, we do our best to keep those open, but I just want and we do talk about spray parks in the city, Worester, which I I like the spray parks, but obviously you can't learn how to swim in a spray park. So, maybe a report from the administration soon if possible, and just what opportunities are available to the young people in the city of Worcester to learn how to swim and to be able to swim during the summer. But then I I added this because I remember the pool at Beaverbrook Park and I know we've clo I was on the council when we closed all the pools and we had good reason because we hadn't maintained them for so many de decades we couldn't s salvage them. We couldn't save them. I understand we don't build pools any longer but we have the two state pools. That's good. The the Vernon Hill State pool was a Dennis Shine and I think park and pool and we have the one over at Bennett Field and we have the one at the city pool at Krompton Park. And I know they're always busy and this lines waiting and sometimes they have to tell stu uh children to line up and take them in different shifts. So, but Beaverbrook, I mean, if we have the room over there and I know we're not talking about building any more pools, but maybe we could talk about building one more pool. This would

be a great location in that neighborhood for a swimming pool. But if it's impossible, then I know the neighborhood, the people I've talked to would settle for a uh spray park over that as much as we don't really want a spray park. We want a pool. So that's the recommendation to send it to the manager and get a report back and see what we're doing with swimming in the city of Worcester and including at Beaver Book Park. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bilada, yes. Econom, yes. Folo, yes. King Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes.

And Mayor Petty, yes. Next may uh request stand committee on public health and human services review America at the Commonwealth's new public health data and workflow plan with merit the develop department of public health strives to help municipalities reduce administrative burdens improve uh visibility into the local trends enhance the ability of communities to provide efficient and effective public health services and ensure access to the same secure highly quality reporting tools throughout the Commonwealth. Council Rosen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As it reads, okay, send that to public health.

Like to sign on to that, Mr. Chairman. Okay. As amended, public health. Public health. Yep. Protocol. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Yes. Economo. Yes. Presolo. Yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. Mayor Petty,

yes. Question Command Public Health and Human Services hold one or more public hearings to discuss the state of youth mental health in the city, including whether more needs to be done to provide care, treatment, and hope to struggling youth in the city who are experiencing mental behavior and addiction health services among others. Council Rosen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. uh the youth of the city I know as certainly as a former teacher, former school committee member, city councelor certainly and uh member of the board of health recently and now the chair of our public health committee. The youth of Worcester are struggling a lot of issues out there and they were struggling before CO but CO didn't make it any better. CO made it a lot worse. And I'm concerned about the youth in the city of Worcester. Uh so many issues, so many challenges and issues they face. You know, social media being probably one of the worst ones. I mean, people might say social media is great. I don't use social media and I'm thrilled not to use it, but you know, from what I, you know, hear about it and read about it and I know the state's talking about limits on social media, the bullying of our youth on social media. You know, a lot of teens and pre-teens are hurting and that's not good. We know how many homeless. We have so many homeless students in the city of Worcester in our public schools. We have so much so many youth with addiction problems. We have and we this city council, the previous city council last year, maybe the year before too, heard from the LGBTQ community about their youth and the issues they face. We can go on and on with a long list. I would just like the public health committee to take a look at mental health and behavioral health and addiction and all that and services here in the city of Worcester and try to, you know, come up with a plan that will help our youth in the future because they have a I mean, when I grew up years ago, decades ago, things were not like this. We didn't even have cell phones of course in those days and we just didn't have all these issues that the kids face now. And uh they need our help. So, as a city council, let's help them and go through our public health committee on this item. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, councelor King, follow by councelor Fizzole for councelor Rivera. Just want to say thank

you, Mr. Chairman. Um, I want to say thank you to councelor Rosen for this item. Uh, we've talked about a lot of things tonight. Um, and I think this is the most important item on this agenda, Mr. Chairman, because it's about our future. It's about our young people. Um it's about resourcing and assessing what's the state of young people in the city of Worcester. Um you know we know as as we talked earlier um you know um dual diagnosis, coorbidity, trauma, the trauma to prison pipeline, all of these things um are real. Um, and when you add to it the lack of um, services and support, um, we talked about CHL, we talked about losing the the motivating youth recovery mirror program, teen substance abuse, um, inatient. None exists in the state any longer. Um, Burn code family services, that was right up there on Burnco Street, where families can go and engage in clinical treatment with their children. Gone. um Grace House, another UMass CHL program um that was across the street from uh Dardy High School where young girls could go and have a therapeutic millule um where they could um exercise um the skills that they learned in their treatment process. Not there. We look at the challenges that our educators are having um managing behaviors. Um we we look at all of those things. um the lack of as just mentioned in the previous order, the lack of things like pools in our city. I'm glad that the counselor um has brought that forward and and and we'll we'll I'll have a partner in that fight. Um but this is the most important thing on this agenda, Mr. Chairman. And I'm not saying that in any sensational sort of way. Um you know, I I I look forward to this. I look forward to the hearing. I look forward to seeing who's brought

into the room for this public hearing. Um because when we have systemic shortcomings, it ends up with adult challenges um that impact life, family, and the fiscal realities of our city. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Councelor Fazole.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Through you, uh I couldn't agree more with my colleague, Councelor King. This is the most important item on this agenda. And that's why I wanted to sign on. I thank my colleague, the chairman of the public health committee, councelor Rosen, for uh adding this to the calendar tonight. Uh my eight terms in the legislature. Uh I was educated uh by so many who would come in and ask for their support uh with mental illness and depression. And uh it really hit home how how uh unfortunate uh that that is to have that type of uh illness. And uh in in all in all seriousness, in all due respect, I believe the Commonwealth does not uh fund that area of our government uh does not support this this addiction and mental illness as well as it should. So, anything we can do here at a local level, I support 100%. And I'd uh again look forward to the hearings as well and and uh just wanted to stand and

Okay. lend my support. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, amend the men to sign on everyone. Okay. Roll call as amended. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Folo. Yes, King. Yes, Mitra. Yes, yes, Rivera. Yes, Rosen. Yes, Tumi. Yes, and Mayor Petty. Yes. Question manager provide council with an update concerning when bids for the opportunity to rent uh the restaurant space within Union Station and it's and will be available. The current lease for the space expires prior to July 1st, 2026. Council Kane.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's my understanding that one of the um restaurants over there is uh lease is expiring. I'm not sure what the status is of um all the other um you know opportunities um in Union Station are. Um I know that has some involvement here and perhaps um our purchasing division. Um but uh we have um you know a venue um that has infrastructure um that's currently involved with um our FIFA um you know um and our uh hosting um being the host city for Ghana um as a venue uh structure um and activating spaces for businesses um and interfaith opportunities. Mr. gym. And um that being said, you know, there's there certainly are some some challenges within the building. Um but um you know um what we're what we're trying to do here is um make sure that we have a process that makes sense. We have um you know uh Luchianos has been in that building for quite some time. I know that their specifically their lease is up on July 1st. There's um 30 events currently on hold for that space. There's 30 35 working people in Worcester that don't know if they're working after July 1st. Now, it's my understanding that when bids go out, it takes a period of time. Um we are in um we're in almost in May and I have significant concerns um Mr. Chairman. So, um, I'd like to amend this order to also include, um, the other spaces in Union Station, um, and any related, uh, work that's being done with the Worcester redevelopment authority pertaining to those spaces, including

Luchiano's um, so we can have a transparent process through the mayor to the admin, uh, through the chair to the administration. Um, as relates to putting bids out for these sorts of things. Um, how long does that process generally take take um, low and low low estimate, high estimate? um you know for a bid to go out and through the chair um has it bid go gone out um for this and is a decision pending based on the bid response Mr. done

through the chair to the counselor. It kind of depends on the nature of the goods or services being procured. But for a a request for proposals for a lease opportunity like this, we would generally have that open for about 45 days. Uh and that will be advertised um it'll be released uh by next week. We uh had hoped to have it released by now, but we uh took a step back because the Worcester redevelopment authority board wanted to make sure that we were um engaging with uh the community and stakeholders. So, we did a listening session. Um so, that took some time to get that planned, get the word out about that, host that uh digest the commentary, take that into account as we structure the request for proposals evaluation criteria. Um but that is uh effectively finalized. So, we're just working on the steps necessary to get that uh advertisement released uh next week and we would expect that procurement to be completed before the end of June.

And if you could share through the chair um you said that that that process was finalized as of what date was it finalized? Uh Mr. Dunn. Uh through the chair to the counselor. Off the top of my head, I think we had the listening session at some point in March. uh and then uh went through the uh current draft document that we had with the request for proposals and discussed uh those evaluation criteria and uh we're just working to then get it advertised. So like I said it should be released next week

in March. Thank you. And um through the chair to the administration the listening um the listening piece of it um what was the participation like? um in that Mr. Dun through the chair to the counselor. We had a couple of board members including the chair participate in that uh some staff and then as it relates to the uh community uh I believe it was certainly less than 10. I think we probably had about seven or eight uh participants uh at that session.

Uh I'm not quite sure you know how we got to this point, but I can certainly say that um businesses like Luchiano are important to us. Um, obviously the bidding process um is what it is and everyone has a fair opportunity. Um, but when you have a host of Worcester employees um on hold um and there's been no response, it's extremely difficult. What happens on July 1st? Um if um a new contract um sorry if a bid has not been awarded and has not been um accepted um by the awardee through the chair. What happens on July 1st to that business or a business such as Luchiano's um whose um lease would be up?

Is it done

through the chair to the counselor? Um, just for clarification, it sounded like there was maybe the impression that there's like some outstanding requests or or information or communications that have been transmitted to the redevelopment authority by Luchianos that have gone unresponded to. Uh, that's not the case as of today. Uh, typically what happens in these types of situations is that, uh, the leases provide for a holdover term. Um, so it wouldn't be extended. Um we actually communicated three years ago to Luchianos um when his uh lease was expiring at that time that it would be extended uh one final time for three years and would not be extended further without going through the request for proposals process. So this was not done in any kind of opaque manner or any kind of ambiguity. Um it was something that everybody um involved in the matter was was well aware of going into it.

Thank you. I I must have misspoke. I didn't think I I didn't I wasn't saying that. I was just saying um that you know um that lease is ending. Um and and it's quite possible that a new contract with someone else won't be realized as of July 1st. So on July 1st um if that has not been uh consummated, a contract with Luchos or someone else, whoever is the best applicant for that um opportunity, what happens? Will there be a hold over on July 1st to what date? Like h how does that work? How is it communicated? When is it communicated through the chair? Mr. Dunn,

through the chair to the council. I think that's um you know reasonable anticipation that uh for the procurement process to conclude and then actually have a lease agreement executed by that date and preparing uh for operations assuming it would be somebody else. Obviously, we've uh communicated to Luchianos and he's expressed uh publicly that he has every intention to submit a proposal to that RFP. So the continuity of operations is a lot more seamless um if he were to be the awarded bidder. Um but if there was uh somebody else selected uh we would be working with him and we would start that communication soon about the likelihood of the hold over um being necessary and being quite frankly an opportunity um if there are uh for whatever reason events that have been scheduled beyond the current lease agreement.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. Um I appreciate the explanations. I look forward to um Luchianos and whoever else um deems uh this as an opportunity to actually have that opportunity to bid and um again I just want to reiterate my concerns for the events and the uh employees that are unable to uh move forward. Um I was um under the uh impression um that you know given the fact that this has been three years in the making um that we would have been much further along in the process. Um thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Okay. Roll call. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Mr. Chair, can I sign off on this as well? Council,

I'd like to sign on. Okay. As amended, the council doesn't want to sign on as amended. Councilors Bada, yes. Economo, yes. Folo, yes. King, yes. Metitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. and Mayor Petty.

Yes. 18A. That the city council see hereby go on record in opposition to the November Massachusetts ballot question which seeks to roll back marijuana legislation in the Commonwealth. If this ballot question passes recreational marijuana shop would have would have would have to um convert to medical marijuana shops and the adults would lose their right to cultivate cannabis at home. Council Rosen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we usually discuss and take votes on supporting legislation and other efforts in the community, but uh this is important, I think, to the city of Worcester. We have, I believe, 15 up to 15, I think we hit 15 pot shops here in the city of Worcester. And some of them are minority owned and they employ a lot of people. land. Uh the revenue throughout the city has been has been strong from the pod shops. We started out the first few years, I think 2019 to around 2023, and we collected $5 million in community impact fees. Then we had to stop collecting them across the state. I think no one collects those any longer, but that was early on we collected that. And it looks like just some of the figures I dug out, 400 uh pot shops statewide. What are we going to do? Close all those down with all the employees and especially where it's been, you know, really uh, you know, good revenue for the city of Worcester and for the state. 140 licensed farms to cultivate, you know, legalized licensed farms to cultivate marijuana and over a billion dollars in state and local taxes have been raised, $8 billion in gross sales. This is this has been very successful in the city of Worcester and throughout the Commonwealth. and to actually and and I wasn't in favor of it several years ago when it first came up. You know, I didn't support it. I wasn't in favor of it, but I was wrong. It turned out to be very good for the city of Worcester, for the Commonwealth financially, and for those who, you know, certainly, you know, embibe in in marijuana. Uh they seem to think this is good legislation, and it's maybe certainly improved their lives to some degree socially. We even have uh you know at least one place in the city where people can go and smoke marijuana over on Water Street. We've had that for years and so on. So it seems like this

is legislation that's really just so bad. It's so bad. It's so unnecessary. It's so wrong. It's financially dangerous to the city of Worcester and to the Commonwealth. So, I think we should go on record and hope that we can persuade, influence many, many voters here in the city of Worcester to vote against this unnecessary this bad legislation. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay, Council Bergman.

I didn't vote for it either. Um, and what I'm referring to is the legalization. I'm not suggesting it should be made illegal, but I'm very conflicted on this uh item, and I'll tell you, and I'll tell share with you why. Uh, what the reasons I I were was not in favor initially of of legalizing marijuana are no different today than they were when it was legalized. The CDC, which is no insignificant institution, you know, came out of many reports on this. Cannabis likely uh can contribute to cannabis use disorder, which is an addiction. Uh brain function doesn't fully form till age 25. There's suggestion that smoking marijuana prior to that age could affect brain function. heart health, lung health, uh mental health, including depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, uh all contribute according to the CDC. And driving, there's still no measure of telling whether or not somebody's driving under the influence of marijuana. So, it's not necessarily a safety issue. It is a safety issue uh to the public. It's not necessarily without pitfalls or potential harm. So, whether it's successful monetarily or not doesn't really matter to me. I still have the same concerns that I had two years ago. So when I'm faced with this resolution, on one hand, I don't want to support it because I quite frankly don't think we should have voted for it originally. On the other hand, I do agree with what's already been said that there are monies that have been that are that are out there now because of the fees and and the financial success of some of these um dispense some of these facilities. uh they contribute to a lot of good programs and you know as government does best now that we're spending the money I don't know if we could figure out how to not spend the money um because we would have to do away with some very good programs as far as I'm concerned 40% of the voters of Worester voted against it approximately 60 voted for it uh it was not a vote that was overwhelming and I

don't think the voters of the city of worester care about whether council Bergman supports this resolution or not so respectfully because I cannot um be inconsistent with how I felt about marijuana use to begin with. This has nothing to do with medical marijuana, which I support 100%. But because I had I voted against this initially and because I don't want to see businesses harmed um by rolling it back, I'm going to abstain. Okay. Council Rosen second time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Mr. Chairman, if we if this passes, besides ruining many businesses, costing a lot of jobs and so on, taking away the rights that people have had for the last many years to smoke and cultivate marijuana, I would hate to see that the sale and use of marijuana returns to the black market like we had for years, for decades. That would be just, you know, foolish to do. So, I understand where councelor Bergman is coming from. I opposed it at the beginning, too. But it's been with us and people, you know, use it. You can make the same arguments that councelor Bergman just made for tobacco, but it's legal. You can make the same arguments for alcohol, but it's legal. I don't use marijuana. I never have. I don't support its use. But I'm saying that to roll back what's happened over the past several years, at least 400 vendors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I don't know how many users, but there's a heck of a lot of users. And a lot of those users don't use tobacco and a lot of them don't even use alcohol, but they use marijuana. It's terrible legislation. I really hope that this council will go on record in saying the 15 shops that we have in the city of Worcester, okay, owned some by minorities, many employees, let's keep them in business. Let's not close them down because some people think that marijuana is bad, but I guess they think tobacco and alcohol are good. None of them are good, but they're all legal. At least they are right now. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Council Tumi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I I certainly understand uh council's intent and I also agree with councelor Bergman. Um I didn't support it myself. Um, but I want to just take a step back and I I don't want to harm a business or or anything like that, but we talked at length tonight about mental health of our youth and the THC level in the current um marijuana that's being sold out there is extremely high and is having an incredibly adverse effect on the mental health of our youth. And so, for that reason, I would also abstain. Not because I don't support our small businesses and all of that, but it's just we're talking about youth mental health and that's one of the things that they're talking about right now. That's a leading contributor to some of the problems that our youth are having. Thank you.

Okay, Council King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I did in fact vote for this. um you know and and some great points were brought up as relates to the fact that we have legalized alcoholism which is um a much more um you know um detriment to a society overall. I also speak as someone who's never smoked marijuana, never tried alcohol. Um so it's not a matter of of personal indulgence or anything of that nature. So I want to state that for the record. Um that being said, Mr. Jim and you know um when I'm going to speak a little bit less about the business piece and the public health and um you know uh fairness aspect and that is this um when you look at um sentencing disparities for um possession of marijuana, they're significant. They absolutely were was considered um as it relates to um you know this legisl this the um legalizing of um marijuana in our state. Um certainly um that's important and those run along the lines of uh socioeconomic status and yes race. um you know um black folks are you know more four times more likely um to um be arrested um than their counterparts. That's significant. That's research. That's evidencebased. That's not Christian King projecting. Um in addition to that, Mr. Chairman, um you know, being caught with possession of of marijuana in the past resulted in obstacles to housing. Couldn't get housing. Um and again if you think about

the disproportionate impact you have the money to to mount a a a um you know good legal defense for these infractions. um you know in addition to that um access to um you know uh education were limited um there were obstacles there were barriers um and when you look at the mental health component um yes there is cannabis uh use disorder I'm very familiar with that as a licensed clinical social worker um who can diagnose um there's also a thing called alcohololism so we can't be selectively moral um when it comes to these sorts of matters. Mr. Chairman, from the mental health perspective, we know that um you know, it can be used um to treat um you know, the impacts of having pervasive and chronic pain that impacts your medical and your mental health. um you know and and you can't you know um understate um the importance of disrupting um you know and and contributing to criminal justice reform um as it relates to all of this. So, um while I um want to be on the record and be clear is for those reasons and more um that um we want to make sure that um you know that that there is equity um and that decriminalization um and getting away from the prison industrial complex and letting people um you know continue through life in a way that's safe and fair. And while there are some real um gains that need to be made as it relates to things that were brought up such as you know what's the situation with driving um etc. um I think we'll get there um but we shouldn't go back Mr. Chairman. We cannot go back and I I hope that the more majority of this council in the second largest city um in New England um

comes out clearly um in opposition to this attempt to recriminalize. Thank you. Thank you. Roll call on the resolution. Counselors Bergman abstain. Bada. Yes. Yes. Economo. Yes. Proso. Yes. King. Yes. Mitra. Yes. Oh, yes. Rivera. Yes. Rosen. Yes. Tumi. Abstain. And Mayor Petty.

Yes. Okay. 20A. Communication. Paul Matthews, ex director of the Wester Regional Research Bureau. The promises of the Worester Franklin Framingham line infrastructural improvements. Potential ridership across the line. Refer to public service and transportation. Roll call. Councilors Bergman. Yes. Bada. Yes. Economo. Yes. Fzolo. Yes. King, yes. Metitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty,

yes. We have reports. We have 21B to 21E, which is a motion to accept. We have 22 A to 22 C is motion to accept. 22 23 A to 23B is a motion to accept. 24 A to 24 C is a motion to accept and to adopt and 24D to 24 W is a motion to accept. Roll call. Counselors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Cono, yes. Fizzo, yes. King, yay. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes.

And Mayor Petty, yes. 25A to 25 motions to accept. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bilada, yes. Economo, yes. Froso, yes. King, yes. Metitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. 26A is ordained on the roll call. Mr. Chairman, a question. Um, how soon would that get implemented? We're talking about the uh the illegal dumping fine. Okay. Right. That's what we're on. Correct.

Yeah. U Mr. Manager to the Council, we will work very quickly to try to uh implement that. Will signage be put up in various areas where there's problem dumping or or anything like that? Yeah, that's something that we would work to identify what are the areas that we could um potentially do that. Uh now we would need to take in consideration that often times this happens in private property. Um so we would work to notify the property owners as well. Thank you, Mr. Manager. Okay, roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Economo, yes. Frisola, yes. King, yes.

Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And mayor Petty, yes. We have items under privilege. First one's request to manage provide council with a report concerning the status of the designated unit representative C on the West Housing Authority as as the term for the position expired on November 30th, 2025. Federal request that said report include information related to the overview of its appointment process used for the disposition as well as the timeline for filing necessary vacancy. Councelor King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, you know, this particular moment is not about simply filling the vacancy. Um, it's about strengthening the perspective at Worester Housing Authority and opening this process up in a way that reflects a full labor community. Mr. Chimman. Um, speaking briefly on this, um, this particular seat that I referenced that's now been held, um, expired in November of 2025 and it's currently vacant. Um, it may have changed in the last few days. I don't know. Um, I know that there was a communication from the city manager that's not a part of this record indicating that um it was going to be steps taken so that it would not be be vacant, but I'm not sure what the update is. Mr. chairman. Um the um the law, the master law um requires um that um the for a labor seat um that um a representative organized lady who shall be appointed by the city manager or a mayor. um comes from a list of not less than two or more than five names representing different unions unions that are submitted by the Central Mass Labor Council, the AFL CIO, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeur Warehouse and Helpers of America of the City of the District, which the city is included, Mr. Chairman. Um if no such names are submitted within 60 days after vacancy, um there may be an appointment by the city. um um within 60 days after the vacancy occurs. Um and that appointment may be of any representative organized labor of the own choosing in this instance the own choosing of the city manager um and strong mayor's uh systems deem the mayor

Mr. challenge. Um this particular seat did expire um you know and and and the central mass labor council uh was required to submit that and we went through November, December, January, February, March um to April, 5 months um without a seat, not the two that's required. Um in addition to that, Mr. Chairman, this is not, you know, a simple criticism. This was this this was filed in the spirit of valuing valuing the role role and voice that Central Mass Labor Council brings. I was a member of that body for almost 10 years. Um so I I certainly value that. Um it was more about making sure the seat reflects the full scope of today's workforce. Mr. Chairman, labor's evolved. Working class is broader, more diverse, and not confined to a single umbrella. Um given the nature of the legislation um there are many unions and working people who are not represented through the central mass labor council and historically um you know that's just been the fact um the city has always that that seat has always been attended to represent the entirety of working people. So again, it's not just about a a vacancy. Um it's about being transparent about the process. Um um and in my view, um making sure that there's three attributes that um are embodied in the next person who assumes that position. And that's someone who knows trades and understands the work required to maintain and revitalize our housing stock. Someone who knows struggle. someone who's with lived experience who understands what our residents face daytoday including a lived experience in public housing and someone who knows community and civil rights who understands that housing is about dignity, stability and equity. So this is not about moving away from neighbor from labor. That's not what the spirit of this. It was about evolving how we define and represent labor in this

moment and that opportunity was was given to the city. Um these terms are last for 10 years. The past decade of service concluded in November and by law the seat was vacant. Um we had a responsibility to feed it to to to fill it with someone who can guide the future and revitalize the integrity of our public housing. Um the current the the the outgoing um uh commissioner served from 1995 to 2005 and then 2015 to currently. So over 20 years of serving mostly as chairperson. Um and um you know we we certainly um and there was a holdover and I'm pretty sure that if I didn't file this there would continue to be a hold over chairman. Um so you know um the Central Mass Labor Council did not submit more than one name the last I knew. Perhaps that's changed and I'm sure it probably has. Um but if you don't submit two names it essentially uh usurps the uh authority of the city um because then the decisions made on a singular um nomination um which means that there is no actually decision being made by the city. Um, so you know, um, um, I I certainly would like a report back so folks can understand the important work and the process um, to to to validate and outline what the law is and uh, how we move forward. Historically, we've always moved forward um, because there's been a conscientious effort. Uh, I'd also like to report back. Um it's my understanding that there's also an additional um position um uh that's on a state level from Worester Housing that hasn't been filled since 2021. I like a report on that on back on that as well. Mr. Chairman, we have a lot of different

entities with the Worcester Redevelopment Authority. We have the Worcester Housing Authority. We have different boards and commissions um as we spoke about in previous weeks. and part of the duties um of the administration is to make sure that we're on top of these things. Um so I would appreciate that to come back um in short order. Um thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you councelor Bergwin. Through the chair to the city manager, has that position been filled to the chair to the council? Uh yes. I made a decision recently and provided the documentation to the housing authority and that's the email that we all received. Is that correct? That is correct.

All right. So my motion be to file that. Mr. Chairman, council king for a second time. Yes. If the if the manager just could repeat his his answer to the counselor's question so I can be clear. C Mr. Manager, I think he just I think his answer was yes. The position was filled. I I don't think that was his answer. Oh. That's why I'm asking them to repeat it. To the council. What I've stated is that I have uh appointed somebody to that position and I've communicated that to the council body. Okay. So that person's been sworn in. They applied. They had an application etc. through the chair.

Um was he how is the processes being sworn in through council? I I'm not aware if the person had been sworn in as of yet. Uh but I know that the person has been appointed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, requesting some transparency for this process. Um I understand the city managers indicate he's made an appointment and he's communicated that and I accept that. Um this is simply a request for information um to provide transparency. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. So, we have motion to file takes precedent. So, from first motion is motion file. If that fails, then we'll send this. The motion will be sent us to the city manager for report. Roll call. Councilors Bergman.

Yes. Bada. No. Cono, yes. Councelor Folo, recused. Councelor King, that's motion to file, right? Correct. No. Mitra, yes. Oh, no. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. and Mayor Petty.

Yes. Okay. And next item up is 27C communication. C manager recommend adoption of the of a pause in the enforcement and the specialized stretch code in response to the city council order and may just come back and ask that motions to file. Council Bergman.

Thank you, Mr. Mr. Chairman. So, there's a lot to be said about where we're at right now on this, and I'm certainly not here to say that um I am or anyone on this council is happy with the outcome in the sense that at least can't take a vote on it and it would have been good to to kind of take a vote on it. But I just want to go back a little in time. I I did spend a good amount of time over the last week listening to the actual hearing or council meeting in which this item was voted on. I think it's important for background because there's been a lot of people that said, "Well, council voted for it the first time, so why are you thinking about changing your mind?" And in the in the meeting that we voted on this, um there were representations made um that there would be incentives provided for the stretch code. So it would minimize the impact on developers. Uh not truth is not significant incentives have ever been uh provided. There was representations that this would bear no impact or have no impact on the biomedical field. Well the truth is it does and we know from some of the developers in Worcester that have expressed concern about that. Um there's there was representations made that the cost would be cheaper upfront than actually uh keeping it based on fuel. um as opposed to converting to electricity. So it' be cheaper to go with the specialized stretch code. That hasn't turned out to be true either. Nowhere was it said that parts were made out of the United States and difficult to obtain. Nowhere did in that conversation did there was there a conversation about delays in those pieces of equipment that needed to be imported from other countries. So, I make my decisions based on the information I receive that I believe is accurate. And I made a decision that night, and I I will say

that I was one of the 10 out of 11 councils that voted for the specialized stretch code. I would say that I also made my decision that night based upon what I believe to be the opportunity for the city council to pull back uh their enthusiasm for the specialized stretch code if in fact it didn't turn out to be working out the way uh we had hoped it would. And I'm looking at a publication from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources in which it says that the code may also be rescended by any m municipality. Now, that would lead me and others to believe that if it isn't working out well, we could certainly pause it as a as an interim step to rescending it. And that was the intent of what I proposed. Now, incidentally and coincidentally and curiously, that language in the Department of Energy Resources was updated and guess when it was updated, April 2026. So, I think there's a recognition there as well that perhaps that statement wasn't accurate. Then I'm looking at another publication from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources which it says please note once a stretch code specialized code is adopted by municipality all future additions and amendments are automatically adopted unless the municipality resends adoption of the code itself. So there were certainly credible agencies dealing with this subject in Massachusetts that would lead one to believe that this could be paused or rescended. And that's the good faith belief that I had in moving forward and trying to do this. Now, not only that, we have anecdotal evidence from from uh developers and others that this stretch code, specialized stretch code, I should say, has become very difficult to work with. So, that was the intent. As it turns out, Massachusetts General Law trumps, so to speak, or prevailed over um the language that we've received from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and we can't do it for at

least 3 years. So, I accept that. That that's the reality. I will tell you I've learned some lessons. One of the lessons I I've learned I want to do in the form of a motion, which is that anytime this body is asked going forward to opt in to any legislation, I'm asking that there be a detailed report from the law department that if we adopt that opt in, what do we have to do to opt out? I don't in case we don't like it, in case we change your mind, in case like what happened here, factors are different than what was represented to us. I don't want to ever be put in a position again, I don't think my colleagues do either, with having to be in a position we're in tonight where those of us that feel the information we were given to opt in didn't pan out to be accurate and now we're stuck with something for the next year and a half that none of I don't believe I shouldn't say none of us I don't believe benefits anyone because if our goal is to develop more units uh that is going to be impeded by the specialized stretch code we have to put Worcester in a place, Mr. Chairman, where developers look at Worcester differently than other communities and say Worcester has something that other communities don't have. You know, being one of 19 or so communities that have adopted the specialized stretch code, my opinion only, isn't going to get us the interest from the developers that the other 351US 19 communities are going to get without having the specialized stretch code. I would also say that I don't, you know, I'm concerned um I'm concerned that developers are going to get the wrong message. So, we're going to have to work harder. I'm going to have to work harder. Those of us that feel that development is stifled by the specialized stretch code in its current form under the current conditions uh are going to have to work harder to to make sure more units are built. I don't think the specialized stretch code in 2026 is is helping that. And it's unfortunate we're in the position we're in. I get it. I'm not looking to to point fingers

and blame anyone. Massachusetts general law is the law of the Commonwealth and we've swore an oath to uphold it and that's just the way it's going to be. Uh but at the end of the day, um I'm hoping we all re-energize ourselves and look for ways to accomplish two things and they're not mutually exclusive to make more units e easier to be developed and to provide more opportunities for people to have roofs over the head in the city of Worcester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Anybody else? Mr. Chairman, Council King.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um once again, um we have I have the opportunity um to talk about climate, to talk about green energy in addition um to the business interests, the housing, the development um in concert. Um and it's an honor to have that opportunity. I'm glad to be the first person to put that on the floor today. Um, that being said, Mr. Chairman, um, I was exoriated on the council floor in and in the public sphere for holding this item. I'm glad I held it. I'm going to reiterate it didn't have the data, didn't have the information, and that's more true, Mr. Chairman. Um, there's some some mythical matters at play. Um there's a claim that the code is slowing down housing production. Um I asked for data. Show me the data pre and post um pre and post um specialized stretch code. Well, I've gotten some of the data.

Um since that the specialized stretch code went into effect for Worcester. Um we've produced more housing, not less. Um a 44% increase in total units. an even higher um larger increase or higher increase in multif family developments. Mr. Chairman, um so the idea that we have to choose between building and building responsibly and green initiatives and the green Worcester plan, well, Mr. Chairman, that's a false hope. Worcester is doing both. Um there's also a concern that it's too expensive, too complicated. U but the requirements are straightforward, Mr. Chairman. There's no mandate for all electric uh buildings. If fuels are used, the requirement is simply to pre-wire for future electrification and include a minimal level of solar. Those are lost lowcost decisions during construction that prevent much higher costs later. For large buildings, the additional cost for high efficiency standard um is around 2 to 3% and much of that is offset um through existing incentives. And importantly, the upfront costs translate into long-term savings for guess who residents. Um, we have fiscal responsibilities for sure. Um, we also have to be clear about the financial impact of stepping back. I'm glad we're not doing that. Um, the previous speaker, um, you know, there was a conflation of opt in versus pause. Um, you know, in terms of what the the council's authority is or isn't. um you know it was reported back from the administration that the administration had the ability to pause on its own which led me to think well if you can pause you can pause for selective selectively um Mr. Chairman, pausing this code would also impact us fiscally. It would cost over a million between$1 to2 million in loss of state funding.

State funding for resources meant to support our infrastructure in Worcester and longterm planning. So, it's no small decision. This body wanted to vote this and not even send it to committee for a full full hearing. um you know with regards to mass safe um yes there have been um are some potential changes to mass safe it's not a settled issue um you know but we shouldn't base long-term decisions on uncertainty Mr. shipment. At the end of the day, this is going to this is really about who bears the cost. Do we push those costs onto future residents? Do we make smart decisions? Now, Worcester has the opportunity to lead and to continue to lead um to build more housing and to build in a way that works for people over the long term. We can do both, Mr. Chairman, and we should. Let's let's think about some of the comments that were made. Well, if we continue to have this, we're not going to have affordable housing. have less affordable housing or whatever the the language was. Um you know and and builder builders aren't going to come because they can't profit and the numbers won't work. Um and also um it'll drive rents up. The market rate is the market rate. No one building or or not many folks building um you know are are going to uh rent their le their rents less than the market rate unless it's inclusionary zoning or specific uh project that's getting um state and federal funds for affordability. Let's think about um our on the row alow um that development cost 166 million. It sold for 157 million. Now, they also received um you know um 2.5 million in HTIP, a $10.1 million tie. So, you're

talking about um you know 63.6 million in profit. To think that a few hundred,000 a million dollars would would uh dissuade them from doing business with the city is not accurate. In addition to that, Mr. gym. Um we had some things that were stated that hey um we can't compete. You know, this is this is this is really um you know having an impact. But we did have a chief development officer that was able to state on the record that there's not an ability to assess any cost benefit analysis pre- or post code um pre or post specialized stretch code because there wasn't enough time. Um, I'm very glad that the legislature um is aware that you need additional time um to actively assess this um responsibly and to to have taken the decision a week ago would have been irresponsible um legislation by this body. I'm glad we didn't do it. Mr. Jim um you know when you talk about the other factors that are involved when you're talking about um tariffs when you're talking about um percentage um interest rates um when you're talking about the workforce when you're talking about our permitting process when you're talking about those things um folks say well it's a disadvantage don't forget Springfield um other gateway cities they said you know don't have it but guess what they don't have it they don't have the specialized stretch coal, but they also are experiencing production delays. They're also experiencing labor shortage. They're also experiencing complex permitting, um high development dollars, high interest rates, um you know, so again, conflating um you know, an opt out or a pause um was really a pause. We're going to take a vote to opt out, then we should just call it for what it is, Mr. Chairman. Um, in

addition to that, one of the things that we weren't we did not discuss, um, we have environmental justice neighborhoods here in the city of Worcester. Um those environmental justice neighborhoods um are the locations where largecale developments usually occur. And then we know that large buildings emit um um gas house ga gases um um where it becomes problematic and those happen in invest environmental justice neighborhoods. No assessment of that impact but we want to take a vote. No assessment of that. Um again we were put in a situation where the city administration is having two departments department of uh sustainability and resilience and the economic development working at cross purposes to a degree that I've never seen. Now that happens on occasion but not to this degree. We have yet to receive any data as it relates to the impact on the environment. We had the Environmental League of Massachusetts on the state level um reach out and communicate with all the counselors um in opposition

couple minutes left.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In opposition to that um you know and that um there was an increase in 44% more permitted houses post stretch code. Mr. chairman. Um reduction in energy use by 40 to 60%. Mr. Chairman, um that we can have good climate um and and impact all rate players, rate payers um and we can lower the use of the grid. Um so those are all impactful matters. Mr. German, we did not talk about um you know the the and we didn't get a report back on um the health conditions that would be impacted if we roll it back. Um truly um an incomplete report, Mr. chairman. Um, you know, the risks that future a uh uh folks would not realize, low lifetime energy bills, um long-term climate and resilience goals, quality of life, um you know, and and again, the slower greenhouse gas reduction, heat island mitigation. We hadn't have those, you know, and and I'm going to state this very clearly. um when things come before us that are of this sort of stature, we need the full information to the administration. We need the full information. Um and it's it's it's really um not okay to ask me as a sitting counselor to make a decision with half the information.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council Mitra. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, this council has been speaking uh discussing about the about enforcing to pause the uh specialized stretch code or not to pause for the last few weeks. Uh we know it has been a long time that we discussed about it and now we know the reality that we can't talk about it and the legislation doesn't allow us. I absolutely agree with uh my colleague councelor Bergman what he said that you know we accept what is in our hands now but we should move forward should move forward to do the development in our city that we need we need a lot of homes we know that every every year we have to develop about thousand homes for few years we have to develop about 12,000 homes and this would have given probably as we thought some incentive for the developers to move forward and expedite the job on and and get those done. Pausing was not killing it. Pausing was just to moratorium. You know, after 12 months or 20 months, whatever would have been the vote, we would have resumed it back again. We are in favor of specialized stretch code. What I really would like to know from Mr. manager is that after all this discussion that we were having, I got the message from u you know the from the from your office that we cannot discuss about it anymore. Could you please give us an explanation that when did you come to know about it and how come we didn't know this about about this rule before?

Uh Mr. edge or mine

uh through the chair to the council. You know, there was a lot of discussion on the last time we uh we presented the item uh and made the recommendation of of pausing. We were under the impression based on our review of information and the economic development team and myself and others working to try to understand the implications of it including the uh uh the commissioner of uh uh inspectional service to try to understand the implications of what this could mean. We looked at all the possibilities of what are our options and we felt as though the pausing or uh was a was a valid a valid option. there was indication or we felt as though based on previous information or information that we've known um that we felt as though that was the right uh decision after the conversation that happened on this council floor um and the request to to hold the item u it gave uh us the ability uh to to further review that. Uh so the solicitor uh on her under her review uh she provided her guidance to us uh and then she also then confirmed her review with the state which aligned uh her her review of of the actual matter. Um so that's when uh we knew right away there was a some language in the in the law that prohibited us to do what we actually uh had requested it to do. and and we moved quickly to try to provide some information to the council um and to the public uh to let them know that we were in in essence basically uh uh uh requesting to not resend but file the item because we uh there is this provision that we cannot uh take any decision. We cannot act on it. We cannot pause it. We cannot uh opt out uh within that three-year uh provision. And earlier some of the language that you

heard uh from the council here related to the do department of energy resources they uh some of that language also was what we utilized to to kind of lead us in that way. Um uh but again uh further work through our solicitor uh she was able to identify these things and provide that feedback to us which then we were able to confirm uh with the state including the attorney general's office. And so then we were able to then move quickly to provide some information to the public and ask the council just to file the item.

Thank you m Mr. Manager. uh in that case after what I hear from you I would definitely agree with councelor Bergman that anytime we have such things probably we should really go through our solicitor and find out the facts before we put it on the floor because it certainly now after discussing so much uh not to be able to talk about it and finding that's what is the legislation is puts us to be in a little bit of an unprofessional position that how come we're discussing all this when this was not even supposed to have been discussed. So I just will request you that make sure that we are talking about with the with the solicitor before we put it on the floor. Thank you,

Mr. Manager. Yeah, through the chair to the council. Uh I definitely hear you on that. I take full responsibility as a city manager. It's my job to make sure to review, ask every question, dot every eye, cross every tea. Uh, so I take full responsibility in knowing that we put the council in that position that I put the council in that position when we should have uh put more thorough process into reviewing that documentation.

Mr. Mayor, I'll be real quick, but I just the community come up to me a lot while people who were very supportive the stretch code and this council is supportive of it and one of the questions they kept on saying one of the statements with me made is that we had a 44% increase in u making permits in the last year or so and uh I just want to what's that across the state

across the state and uh I was just curious what our stats are here in the city of Worester would you have like with the percentage is it decline increase like I just want to make sure people understand when does the effective date of the specialized stretch code go into effect. Mr. Dunn.

Thank you Mr. Mayor. I'll start through the through the chair um and then turn over to Mr. uh Antennova. You know, one of the things that I tried to do in approaching this was to really take a balanced approach in evaluating the data. As councelor King also mentioned, I wasn't going to make conjectures about, you know, what might be or, you know, talk about data that doesn't yet exist. And I think one thing that I learned through that process and reviewing information and studies and commentary from both the development community but also the sort of energy advocacy community is that you need to kind of understand and take that with a grain of salt and kind of question the data that you might be getting. Um you know what's the source of that data? Is it comparing apples to apples? One of the things that I referenced specifically in the report to council is that there's a lot of conversation about comparing like the specialized stretch code and the performance of those buildings to the base code even just earlier tonight that was referenced that like it's 40 to 60% more efficient. But again, we need to be talking about what's the differential between the stretch code and the specialized stretch code, not the base code and standard buildings. Because if we want to really evaluate the costbenefit analysis and what might happen um in terms of utility bills or just the overall energy performance of the building, we need to be talking about just what's in front of us. And that's the differential between the stretch code and the specialized stretch code. You know, data can be often framed in a certain way. It can be used uh strategically depending on who's uh putting out that data to maybe support their position on a particular matter. To be honest with you, I don't know what the 44% increase in building permits um where that came from. Um it's certainly not uh aligned with our experience here in Worcester and what we're seeing. Um so I'd happy to I think uh Mr. Antanovic looked at that specifically in terms of what we're talking about with um new construction as well. Like as we know the specialized stretch code only refers to new construction. Um, so if somebody pulled a residential building permit to put a deck on the back of their house, I don't know why we would be counting that in

terms of residential permits being up. I also people use the term permit in different ways. I don't know if people are referring to, you know, what comes before a planning board. It's one thing to see a project be proposed in front of a planning board and have somebody, you know, contemplate building units. It's another thing to get a building permit and actually start commencing the construction of that project. Um, so we did try to um take a look at uh our experience with uh new residential building permits from prior uh to when the specialized stretch code was adopted to now. Um I'd be happy to have Mr. Antana comment on that. Commissioner

to the chair to the council. Um so after last council meeting I did hear the same statements that there were an increase in permits after the passage of the specialized code. it it kind of piqu my ears because in my experience enforcing the specialized code that hasn't really been the case. Um so we went back and uh I asked um Nancy our uh operations manager to run a couple of reports for me. We did a year before the council adopted it, a year after the council adopted it, and then we did a year before the activation date and a year after the activation date. Um what we did see was an increase in applications prior to the the adoption, but what we've seen afterwards is yes, there is an increase in permits from the year before to the year after. What we've seen though is a decrease in new residential permits from 130 down to 103. There's been a drop in of 16% in new residential permits. we've seen an increase in the amount of renovations and repairs. So, what that is is that is people um not wanting to take on the big projects and not wanting to upgrade to the new systems. They are doing less lesser projects um and not being bumped into the the higher costs and the higher uh stringencies of the codes.

Thank you. Um Mr. Manager,

yeah, I just want to add something else. One of the things that we're seeing, again, this the the the specialized fetch coast is addressing new construction. A lot of the new construction that's even happening here in the city of Worcester or any external uh uh uh communities across the entire state, a lot of them are requiring state incentives. Now, if you if you utilize state incentives, if you're seeking subsidy from the state, the state requires you to utilize the passive house uh model or the passive house requirements of the building codes, which then uh allows you to go through the specialized stress code or utilize the specialized stress code. But to do that, they're requiring those subsidies in major dollars. And we talk about HDIP program. We talk about all these kind of the affordable homes act. All those dollars are helping to but they're requiring that. So the taxpayers are taking on that responsibility. And in addition to that, many of the developers are not only seeking that incentive at the state level, they're also seeking local incentives. So it's a double whammy, right? Just to a be able to meet the requirement that the state is requiring on these passive house uh requirements. So again there is significant and when we talked about data and we talk about like the the the actual uh cost um we have to look at these nuances right because it's easy to throw out 44% of new construction yeah we've had an increase okay how many of those increases have actually been projects that have been supported by incentives from the state level because if a 100 or 80% of them are the state automatically requires you but then the state has to pony up those dollars and it's significance of millions of dollars to be able to get those projects moving. Otherwise, developers will stay stagnant. They won't they won't build those projects.

Mr. Mayor, out of the 103 projects, I think you said about 103 going from one 140 to 103 or something like that. How many of those are, I guess, lack of a better term, rail going forward that were done after we passed the specialized dress code stretch code? commissioner. So through the chair of the council, um those of those 103, those are those are real projects. Those are physical permits that we have in that are under review and in the building permit process, not just planning, not with a planning approval. These are actual permits in with plans ready to go.

And other than that, how many mill how many are going forth with construction? I'm just trying to get an answer like still 103 is a lot of new construction through the chair commission um to the council right right now. Um we

I can't tell you that answer because we don't know what the financial situations are with all of these projects. We know that the applicants have put them in. We typically don't see an application come in to the building department if a project is not going to be moved forward and they don't have the funding. Um, like I said, the biggest drop we've seen is just the amount of new projects. One of the other items that that we've noticed and and it's something that Worcester uh doesn't have in place right now, um but out east towards the Boston area, a lot of the communities that adopted the specialized code um were able to make their projects pencil out because their zoning codes had density bonuses that allowed all of these all electric buildings to create more units within their envelope in order to make the the projects pencil out on the other rent for the developers and the investors.

Interesting. Um, Mr. Mayor. Okay. So, what if I get this is that it's sort of it's going the it's not going to a positive direction, but still a positive result. Uh, and not to the degree that you were hoping um of it's gone down 16% the permits for new construction. Correct. Through the share. Yes, commissioner. Okay. and uh but it's still over 100 that going forward as far as you know at this point in time. Yes, that's that's the number we have is 103 new residential permits. So, as these progress, maybe several months, we get a report back to the council asking where these 103 projects are at

through the chair, we can we can absolutely do that. and also formal motion. I know the manager talked about um all the subsidies that go into uh making this happen from the state, from us, maybe a detail, I don't know if that's economic development of you, but uh detailed report on the analysis of that and how that impacts the u taxpayer, but also the project itself. I'm sure Mr. Dunn and I can come up with a good report on that. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um roll call on those orders on chairman on those uh orders. Council chair madam chair.

Excuse me Mr. Mayor. What did you say? You wanted want to do him next? Okay. Council Rivera. Thank you. um through the chair administration commissioner um um just to clarification 103 permits down 16% so not up 44% down 16% and out of the 103 I don't know if you answer this question how many of them are new projects new residential which the stretch the special code comes into play

through through the chair to the council. Um, all of those are under the specialized code. All of those 103 are enforced underneath the specialized stretch code. Sounds good. And the next question is I heard what the city manager say through the chair to the administration is um do all of them qualify for programs uh state and local programs or are they just straight up themselves um putting doing it them you know without tax credits or local or state funding. programs

through the chair to the council. I don't have that answer right now without doing an analysis of all 103 permits and speaking with Mr. Dunn as to which ones are getting credits. Um um I don't have that answer at at my fingertips right now. And if I may through the through the chair to the counselor, um I agree with the commissioner in the sense of uh we don't necessarily especially on the smaller projects um don't always have that uh like reporting info like they don't have a requirement to tell us if they're getting the um passive house incentive under Mass Save for example. Uh there are some limitations because I think of the and I don't know for sure because we haven't like reviewed the full list or provided that to council but of the 103 um projects that uh the commissioner was referencing like what are the size there's probably a great range in terms of the size everything from a single family probably all the way up to you know more than 100 units in in one of those projects. Um, but the passive house incentive program through Mass Save is probably the most right now, at least if it doesn't get cut, uh, is probably the most predictable incentive that is out there. Uh, and right now it is, um, at uh, $3,000 per unit uh, in terms of offsetting the construction costs um, for that. Um, but what I think is kind of again being deliberated is that I think there's some folks that feel like that's a great incentive and that it's offsetting a significant amount of the cost. But then there's other folks that are saying the additional costs are far beyond that. So it's that's not even making a dent in the added cost that those projects are seeing. Um, in addition, the requirement to access that particular program under Massave is that it's um limited to multif family projects over five units. So if you were doing like for whatever reason a new construction of three units that was triggering specialized stretch code that that program would not be available to you because you haven't met that eligibility criteria of a project in excess of five units to take advantage of that.

Thank you to the chair council Rosen.

Thank you Mr. Chairman. I don't think the discussion tonight is necessarily about the pros and cons of the specialized stretch code. I think it's more about why three or four years ago, I wasn't on that council, but three or four years ago that council that adopted this wasn't told they were making at least a threeyear commitment to it. So, my question would be, and it's been kind of talked around tonight, my direct question to the manager would be, why weren't they told that there was a three-year commitment a few years ago when they adopted this? Seems like none of them really knew. Mr. manager

to chair to the council. I think there was something that it was misclification or misunderstanding on the current uh statue or the or what was happening at the time um based on what was recommended by the department of sustainability and resiliency. So all parties in the city three years ago were not aware of those provisions uh that were actually included uh as part of the mass general law. uh in and in in in what's in the master law in correlation to what do the OE uh was releasing.

So through the chair this this to me seems like a problem here. So, three or four years ago when the council was advised by the administration to adopt a specialized dress code stretch code, they they didn't find out that it was a three-year commitment at least because I assume the city manager, the economic development office, the city solicitor at the time, the law department didn't know that it was a three-year commitment is that correct through the chair to the manager. Uh Mr. Manager

through the chair and that also includes the department of sustainability and resiliency who actually move for who move that forward as well. So collectively everyone.

Okay. So collectively I So I mentioned three, you just added one. So at least four. And again I hope my colleagues see that as a problem. Now some said tonight, I don't want to criticize. No, we we have a job to do here. Okay. And this was I mean two weeks ago I was among seven or eight of us who was adamant. I wanted to hold this. I wanted to pause it. Want to pause. I shouldn't say hold it. I wanted to pause it and I felt that was a good decision at the time and and I still do. If we didn't have this three-year commitment, I'd be voting tonight to to pause it. But what worries me, what concerns me is that four of our departments, our city manager and economic development especially, who were a few weeks ago were saying, Rosen, you should support the pause because it's the right thing to do. I just can't accept the fact that we didn't know. If we're going to run a city government that way by people saying I'm sorry, we didn't know. Not acceptable to me. So, I won't go along with the council to say I don't want to place the blame. I'm just saying it's not acceptable. It better not happen again. If we're going to accept it again, then that means we'll accept it again and again and again. I won't. So, we can't the discussion here. It's been all tonight. It's been about the should is it good? Is a stretch code good or bad or good for the city? Bad for developers? None of that matters. The question tonight is, are you going to accept the administration encouraging us, twisting our arms, pause it, but not knowing that we can't even do that? Not knowing the state law, you know, I find that it's unexcu inexcusable and I just won't accept it.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. Anybody else? Council Bergman. Council Bol had his hand up. Oh, I'm sorry. Um,

yeah. No, I I just want to say I think this is why it's so important for as a council for us to do our due diligence and take time and research. And I know uh, you know, just things like this do happen. Um, and I know you know, but we talk when we talk about housing development, the stretch code has not had a significant impact on slowing housing down in the city. And you know and that's credit to our economic development team and the city manager for you know stitching together the different programs that the state is offering by providing incentives to and that's what we should be doing and I think to we should be doing what Boston is doing as well which is putting together more incentives to balance out the build the construction of housing that saves residents money and that is better for the environment. It's it's possible to do both. So, um I just, you know, want to say I think, you know, it's important that as a as a council we do our due diligence and do research and and and and um really this is why government doesn't move fast for this exact reason. Um so that's all I want to say.

Okay, Council Bergman second time.

I just want to wrap up. I didn't use my second five minutes. I don't think I finished my first, but I don't need all of that. I just want to wrap up with a few comments. I want to reiterate my motion, which is I think consistent with what councelor Rosen just said. Going forward, I'm just going to say for myself, I hope my colleagues agree. I personally will never vote for an item that requires us to opt in or opt out unless and until I have a report from whoever I need to have report from. And it could be more than one department. and it certainly includes the city solicitor on what happens if we decide that we didn't take the right course of action and we need to resend pause whatever word you want to use unless and until I have that information in front of me I will be an abstain or and I will be difficult about it because it's not fair to any of us u to be put in that position and that's and it's an automatic we should know if we're voting for something what if it turns out not to be a good idea you know some people in the audience think that you know we have a shift beyond the average human being that every time we vote for something, it has to be the right decision. I'm going to admit, I'm not going to speak for anyone else, I've made a couple bad decisions in my time on the council and and I'd like to know when I make those bad decisions that they can be undone or at least have the information before I take those decisions. Now, thankfully, the vast majority of decisions have been correct. But let me also say something else, and I don't have to ask either of the department heads that are in front of me. Something I know intuitively. There's nobody, no other colleague of mine or anyone else that's going to ever convince me that the cities and towns in Massachusetts that don't have the specialized stretch code are at a disadvantage compared to Worcester that has it as far as attracting developers. It just doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense. Just like a comment a while ago that people might move to Worcester if we allow chickens.

It just doesn't make sense. Not to me anyways. Maybe to other people it does. So the specialized stretch code, yeah, it is a disadvantage. Now, could we work with it? Yeah, we could. But did that pause need to happen? It did, but it can't. And again, I don't want to go backwards. But what I want to do is reiterate that that motion should be voted on. And going forward, we have to have clear information on what the ramifications are if we vote to opt in or opt out of something and how we can undo it because yes, circumstances change. Let me just add one last thing and that is that and it was alluded to by by Mr. Duck. Things are often phrased in ways that people want the want people to hear based on the outcome they want to have happen. I'm going to be extra vigilant particularly when it comes to a couple departments, not every department in this city when the information is presented to me by what I perceive as to be people that might be more activists than policy makers. because much of the information, and I don't want to skip over this, much of the information I heard 2 and 1/2 years ago turns out to be not accurate whatsoever. Now, I granted it could have been just information that was available at the time and it turned out not to be accurate, but when people are striving for a result, often times it's easier to to cater what is said in a way that tries to get you the result you want to get. And I'm going to be it's on me. I voted for this. I voted for this. I believed everything I was told. I'm not saying anybody lied to me. But what I am saying is I took it at good faith value that what was being presented to me was 100% accurate to the best of the ability of the people telling me that. And I look back now and I don't feel that was the case. And I am not mad at anybody but myself, but I'm just saying it will never happen again.

Okay. Anybody else? Chairman councel King, your time is up, but Thank you. Let me suspend the rules. Do a roll roll call. Suspend the rules of council king. Councilors Bergman. No. Bada. Uh, no. Economo. No. Folo. No. King. Yes. Mitra. No. Oh, yes. Rivera. No. Rosen, no. Tumi, no. Mayor Petty, no.

Okay, so the motion is to file. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Economo, yes. Friso, yes. King, yes. Metitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. and Mayor Petty

motions to Wait a second. We have one more item. I'm sorry. We have among council BL request C manage requests chief financial official with a report concerning the scriveners error on the fourth quarter tax bills that caused the date of the remitance to not be updated from the third quarter due date of the February 2nd 2026 and the correct fourth quarter bill due date of May 1st 2026. You want to file that council board? Yes. Yeah. Thank you. So motion is to file. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Economo, yes. Fizzolo,

yes. King, Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty, yes. Motions to adjurnn. Roll call. Councilors Bergman, yes. Bada, yes. Economo, yes. Rzolo, yes. King, yes. Mitra, yes. Oh, yes. Rivera, yes. Rosen, yes. Tumi, yes. And Mayor Petty,