CITY OF WORCESTER

JOURNAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Esther Howland (South) Chamber

Convened: 6:33 P.M.

Recessed to Executive Session: 7:28 P.M. Adjourned from Executive Session: 8:21 P.M.

Mayor
Joseph M. Petty

www.worcesterma.gov

City Manager
Edward M. Augustus, Jr.

City Auditor
Robert V. Stearns

Councilors

MOMENT OF SILENCE in memory of Peter Stefan, who passed away at the age of 85. Mr. Stefan was a mortician and owner of Graham, Putnam & Mahoney Funeral Parlors in the Main South neighborhood of Worcester.

Order - That the City Council of the City of Worcester hereby approves the minutes of the City Council Meeting of March 8, 2022.

Mayor Petty read the item and recognized the following speakers: 1. Idella Hazard, Worcester resident, spoke in favor of item #13a CC 2. Fred Nathan, Worcester resident, spoke in opposition to item #13a CC 3. William S. Coleman, Worcester resident, spoke in favor of item #13a CC 4. Kathleen Roy, Worcester resident, spoke in opposition to item #13a CC

The City Council convene in Executive Session at the Tuesday, March 22, 2022, meeting for the purpose of discussing litigation strategy with respect to the case of Town of Holden v. Department of Conservation and Recreation and the City of Worcester, Superior Court Department Civil Action No. 1385CV00910D, and the City Council will reconvene in open session.

Joanne McGrail request removal of resident permit parking on Holland Rd.

Dennis Molinari II request removal of resident permit parking in the vicinity of 40 Winneconnett Rd.

Adriana Soto request removal of handicap parking space in front of 161 Providence St.

Idella Hazard request City Council request City Manager advise maintenance staff to lock the front doors to City Hall after the closing of City Council meetings, so as to not lock anyone in the front foyer.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the appointment of John DiCicco and the reappointment of Kimberly Vanderspek to the Election Commission.

Transmitting informational communication relative to a summary of the FY23 health insurance procurement process and resulting premium rates.

Recommend adoption of a Resolution to accept and expend a grant in the amount of up to One Hundred Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($100,000.00) to aid in the preparation of a citywide long-range plan.

Recommend adoption of an Order of Taking of the 132-acre Namiotka property in Holden and Rutland, MARefer to CCM Item 9.36A

Transmitting informational communication relative to a report concerning the feasibility of administratively predetermining the amount of abatement amounts for bills from private street conversion, as well as utility installations, and automatically in advance, factor in those amounts to each assessment.

Transmitting informational communication relative to the 2022 Spring Sweeping Program

Transmitting informational communication relative to the Fiscal Year 2022 financial update, as of February 28, 2022.

Recommend that Six Hundred Thirty Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars And No Cents ($630,250.00) be transferred from DPW Account #45C722, Water Transmission Mains, and be appropriated to DPW Account #45C786, Water Shed Land Acquisition, to allow for the Namiokta taking.Refer to CCM Item 9.6A

Recommend that Twelve Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($12,000.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C744B, Off Street Parking Building Rehab, and be appropriated to DPW Account #46C707, Parking Garage Improvements, to allow for contractually obligated payments for garage improvements.

Recommend that Thirty Seven Thousand Five Hundred Eighty Nine Dollars And No Cents ($37,589.00) be transferred from Loan Account #91C7804, Citywide Capital Equipment, and be appropriated to DPW Account #41C703, DPW Equipment, to allow for the purchase and payment of approved DPW equipment.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept and expend a grant in the amount of Fifteen Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($15,000.00) from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners through the Library Services Technology Act Grant (LSTA) program.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept and expend a grant in the amount of Seven Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($740,000.00) from Massachusetts Executive Office For Administration And Finance under the Mask Program.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept and expend a competitive grant in an amount up to Five Hundred Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($500,000.00) per year for four years from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration under the FY2022 Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Support Grant program.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept and expend a competitive grant in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($500,000.00) from Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services under the FY2022 Jail/Arrest Diversion Grant program to support the on-going creation and implementation of the Community Crisis Response Program.

Recommend adoption of a resolution to file, accept and expend a grant in the amount of Two Million Five Hundred Fourteen Thousand Five Hundred Sixty Seven Dollars And No Cents ($2,514,567.00) from Massachusetts State 911 Department under the FY2023 Support and Incentive Grant program to support continued operations and improvements of the Worcester Regional Emergency Communications Center.

Recommend that Two Hundred Five Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($205,000.00) be transferred from Account #121-92000, Court Judgments, and be appropriated to various accounts to provide funding for Law Department expenses through the remainder of Fiscal Year 2022.

Recommend that Fifty Thousand Dollars And No Cents ($50,000.00) be transferred from Account #120-91000, Law Department Regular Salaries, and be appropriated to Account #120-92000, Law Department Ordinary Maintenance, to fund costs associated with outside legal counsel.

Recommend an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 Table of Organization for the Executive Office of Economic Development.

Recommend adoption of an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 table of organization of the Department of Public Works and Parks, Water Enterprise, by eliminating and adding positions as detailed.

Recommend an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 Table of Organization for the Department of Public Works and Parks.

Recommend an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2022 Table of Organization for the Worcester Public Library.

Recommend that the loan order this Council adopted on June 19, 2015 which authorized the borrowing of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($250,000.00), for Traffic Signal Improvements, be hereby amended in its entirety.

Recommend that the loan order this Council adopted on June 21, 2016, which authorized the borrowing of Two Hundred Eighty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($280,000.00), for Traffic Signal Improvements, be hereby amended in its entirety.

Transmitting informational communication relative to a report outlining a comprehensive overview of this year’s Summer Recreation and Safety Initiatives

Concerning the Compensation of the Cultural Development Officer.

ORDER of Councilor Etel Haxhiaj - Request City Manager contact the appropriate representatives from Eversource to determine the feasibility of the company sending written communication to the residents of Flagg St. detailing the timeline for construction on the street, including ample written notification to residents whose backyards the company need to access, as well as how Eversource plans to assist landscaping in excavated areas. (Tabled Under Privilege - Haxhiaj March 15, 2022)

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS Upon the Communication of the City Manager Transmitting informational communication relative to the Residential Street Resurfacing Program for FY23 and FY24: recommend adoption of the accompanying Order. (Tabled Under Privilege - Russell March 15, 2022)

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)

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)

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 and Tabled - Rivera November 16, 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 and Tabled - Rivera November 16, 2021)

ORDER of Councilor Sean M. Rose – Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning various diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work undertaken by the city, including but not limited to implementing pronouns in professional signatures, creating an equity cabinet, creating a DEI workforce recruitment sourcing platform, issuing an executive order to address institutional racism, implementing the Worcester Police Department cadet program, conducting three (3) racial equity audits as well as diversity initiatives in WDP and WFD. Further, request City Manage provide City Council with a report concerning Human Resource’s involvement with DEI work in the city. – Item #19a CC Order adopted

ORDER of Councilor Khrystian E. King – Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the number of new and existing Alcoholic Beverage Licenses, including wine and malt licenses, as well as marijuana establishments that are approved in the city with an equity lens. – Item #19b CC Order adopted

ORDER of Councilor Khrystian E. King – Request City Manager provide City Council with information pertaining the current challenges residents are facing when attempting to access fuel assistance, as well as how those current challenges are being addressed. – Item #19c CC Order adopted

Motion King #9.41A CM – Request City Manager request Police Chief provide City Council with an update concerning the timeframe for when all Worcester Police Department (WPD) vehicles will be equipped with water safety devices to assist law enforcement in water-related emergencies, as well as related costs associated with same.

Motion Russell # 9.6B CM – Request City Manager request City Solicitor provide City Council with a draft ordinance allowing for the administration to predetermine and factor in abatement amounts when providing assessment bills from private street conversions.

Motion King @ #9.30A CM – Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the impact inflation is having on the city’s bottom line, projects and budgeting.

Motion Colorio @ #9.30A CM – Request City Manager provide City Council with a report comparing taxes collected over the last three years to determine whether more individuals and companies are defaulting on their taxes.