CITY OF WORCESTER

JOURNAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Esther Howland (South) Chamber

Convened: 6:33 P.M.

Adjourned: 6:46 P.M.

Mayor
Joseph M. Petty

www.worcesterma.gov

City Manager
Edward M. Augustus, Jr.

City Auditor
Robert V. Stearns

Councilors

Order - That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby approves the minutes of the City Council Meeting of October 26, 2021.

No speakers were recognized during this portion of the meeting.

Hearing: CROWN CASTLE NG. EAST, LLC. for a conduit location on: MAIN ST. Granting permission to CROWN CASTLE NG. EAST, LLC. for a conduit location on: MAIN ST.

Hearing: NATIONAL GRID for a conduit location on: BURNCOAT ST. and DEVENS RD. Granting permission to NATIONAL GRID for a conduit location on: BURNCOAT ST. and DEVENS RD.

Hearing: NATIONAL GRID and VERIZON NEW ENGLAND, INC. for a conduit location on: LUDINGTON RD. Granting permission to NATIONAL GRID and VERIZON NEW ENGLAND, INC. for a conduit location on: LUDINGTON RD.

Elaine Zamarro et al. request installation of stop sign at the corner of Darby St. and Tylee Ave.

Dennis Sullivan et al. request installation of handicap parking space in front of 15 Delaware St.

Elizabeth Plonski et al. request installation of No Parking Anytime on both sides of the street from 7A Revere St. to 9D Revere St.

Elizabeth Plonski et al. request installation of residential permit parking from 7A Revere St. to 9D Revere St.

Councilor George J. Russell on behalf of Idella Hazard request the handicap parking space in the vicinity of 68 Providence St. be removed.

Michael Letendre request installation of No Parking Anytime signage on Myrtle St. from Southbridge St. to Portland St.

Norma Rivera request removal of handicap parking space in front of 6 Berkshire St.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the reappointment of Jose Ramos to the Worcester Housing Authority with a term to expire on 11/30/26.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the appointment of Tony Economou to the Civic Center Commission with a term to expire on 10/4/26.

Recommend appointment of Marcia Macri to the Advisory Committee on the Status of Women with a term to expire on 8/31/24.

Recommend adoption of an Order to grant exemptions to three (3) snow plow contractors that are also City employees.

Transmitting informational communication relative to a summary of the listening sessions on police body cameras.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Fiscal Year 2022 financial update, as of October 31, 2021.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to accept with gratitude a donation in the amount of Two Hundred Fifty Dollars And No Cents ($250.00) from the Massachusetts Councils on Aging for Worcester Senior Center Walking Club.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept and expend a grant in the amount of One Hundred Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($100,000.00) from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to enhance the Worcester Police K9 Program.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to accept with gratitude a gift of a mobile clinic van with an estimated value of to Seventy Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($70,000.00) from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation through the United Way to benefit the City’s Mobile Vaccine Clinic effort.

Recommend that Ten Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Five Dollars And No Cents ($10,875.00) be transferred from Account #330-07, Reserve for Appropriation Damage Settlement, and be appropriated to Account #50S519, Worcester Public Schools Damage Settlement, to provide funding for the replacement of the North High School sign.

ORDER of Councilor Sarai Rivera - Request City Clerk research the feasibility of authorizing legal residents who have not been naturalized yet to vote in elections at the local level. (Tabled Under Privilege - Mero-Carlson October 26, 2021 and Tabled Under Privilege - Petty November 9, 2021)

ORDER of Councilor Sarai Rivera - Request City Manager consider prioritizing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for REC Worcester’s capital project involving the development of the new REC Worcester headquarters and Center for Food Justice and Urban Agriculture (for Worcester and Central Massachusetts), in an effort to support community food security, as well as youth development and employment. (Tabled Under Privilege - Mero-Carlson October 26, 2021 and Tabled Under Privilege - Petty November 9, 2021)

COMMUNICATION of the City Manager transmitting informational communication relative to a legal opinion as to the jurisdiction of office space and facilities within City Hall. (Tabled Under Privilege - Mero-Carlson March 12, 2019; Tabled Under Privilege - Petty March 19, 2019 and Tabled - Petty March 26, 2019)

ORDER of Councilor Konstantina B. Lukes - Request City Manager request City Solicitor provide City Council with a legal opinion regarding the process of instituting a residential rent control program and the resulting impact of implementing such a program. (Tabled Under Privilege - Lukes September 17, 2019 and September 24, 2019 and Tabled - Lukes October 15, 2019)

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' MEMORIALS, PARKS AND RECREATION Upon the Petition of Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson request restoration and relocation of the Sullivan Memorial located in Melrose St. to a location approximately 50 feet north of its current location: recommend adoption of the accompanying Order. (Tabled Under Privilege - Mero-Carlson April 21, 2020 and April 28, 2020 and Tabled - Mero-Carlson May 5, 2020)

RESOLUTION of Councilor Morris A. Bergman, Councilor Sean M. Rose and Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson - That the Worcester City Council urges our State Delegation and others to pursue the naming in 2020 of the Worcester District Courthouse the “Sarah E. Wall Courthouse”. (Tabled Under Privilege - Bergman June 2, 2020 and June 9, 2020 - Petty and Tabled - Russell June 16, 2020)

ORDER of Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson, Councilor Kathleen M. Toomey, Councilor Sean M. Rose, Councilor Morris A. Bergman, Councilor Matthew E. Wally, Councilor George J. Russell, Councilor Donna M. Colorio, Councilor Gary Rosen and Mayor Joseph M. Petty - Request City Manager support the (re)opening of the City’s licensed cigar and hookah lounges and for the state to amend the classification of these establishments. These establishments can, and should, fit under the guise and parameters set forth as restaurants as they have or will have a common ViC license. (Tabled Under Privilege - Rivera September 8, 2020 and Tabled Under Privilege - Mero-Carlson September 15, 2020 and Tabled - Mero-Carlson September 22, 2020)

COMMUNICATION of the City Clerk transmitting a draft of social media policies and procedures for City Council, in the event that a Facebook page for the City Council is created, including information relative to best practices used in other communities. (Tabled Under Privilege - Bergman January 26, 2021, Tabled Under Privilege - Mero-Carlson February 2, 2021 and Tabled - Petty February 9, 2021)

RESOLUTION of Councilor Khrystian E. King - That the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby support Representative Rebecca Rauch and Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz’s SD 699 HD 1283, An Act effectuating equity in COVID-19 Vaccination Bill. (Tabled Under Privilege - Bergman February 9, 2021 and Tabled - Bergman February 23, 2021)

PETITION of Meighan Sharry request City Council request City Manager effectively stop efforts to develop athletic fields at Duffy Field/Wetherall Park. (Tabled - Petty March 30, 2021)

ORDER of Mayor Joseph M. Petty - Request City Manager dedicate new growth over the budgeted amount to the Fire Department’s Community Risk Assessment Master Plan. (Tabled Under Privilege - Toomey October 12, 2021 and October 19, 2021 and Tabled - Mero-Carlson October 26, 2021)

RESOLUTION of Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson and Councilor Matthew E. Wally – That the City Council of the City of Worcester does hereby support the State Legislature’s Redistricting Committee’s use of the local census building blocks and local knowledge of the City Clerk and Board of Election Commissioners to redraw the State Legislature’s districts for the next ten (10) years. (Tabled Under Privilege - King October 12, 2021 and Tabled Under Privilege - Mero-Carlson October 19, 2021 and Tabled - Mero-Carlson October 26, 2021)

ORDER of Councilor Sean M. Rose – Request City Manager request Commissioner of Public Works and Parks divide Construction Progress Reports into sections by City Council district. – Item #18a CC Order adopted on a roll call vote of 10 Yeas and 0 Nays

Motion Toomey – Suspension of Rules – Request City Manager request Commissioner of Public Works and Parks consider extending the time when the Millbury Street Drop-Off Center is open for two to three weeks to allow residents to drop off yard waste.

Motion Rivera – Suspension of Rules – Request City Manager request Police Chief provide increased traffic enforcement on Florence St.