City Hall - 455 Main Street Worcester, Massachusetts

Mayor Petty read the item and moved to adopt the item. Order adopted

Mayor Petty read the item and recognized the Chief Financial Officer, who provided an overview of the funds provided in the Department of Sustainability and Resilience.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed consultancy fees associated with the Mobility Action Plan grant, as well as the vehicles used to oversee the city’s lakes and ponds with the Chief Sustainability Officer.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Bergman, who moved to, “Request City Manager request Chief Sustainability Officer provide City Council with a report concerning potential cost savings that may be realized through the city’s ongoing sustainability projects. (Bergman)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King, who discussed the process for obtaining grant funding for EV school buses, any barriers associated with developing a strategic communication plan and quantifying both efforts and funding towards environmental justice neighborhoods with the Chief Sustainability Officer.

Mayor Petty moved to approve the budget. Budget approved.

Request City Manager request Chief Sustainability Officer provide City Council with a report concerning potential cost savings that may be realized through the city’s ongoing sustainability projects. (Bergman)

Mayor Petty read the item and recognized the Chief Financial Officer, who provided an overview of the funds provided in the Department of Inspectional Services.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King, who discussed optimal staffing levels for the department, the impact the Rental Property Registration Program will have on employees’ workload in the department, the number of non-residential properties in the city, the use of additional technologies to aid the department, and the creation of a taskforce to monitor problem properties with the Commissioner of Inspectional Services.

Councilor King then moved to, “Request City Manager request Commissioner of Inspectional Services provide City Council with a report detailing metrics related to the Department of Inspectional Services’ capacity to inspect housing units once every five (5) years. (King)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Colorio, who discussed salary increases associated with management positions in the department with the Chief Financial Officer and City Manager.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed salary increases associated with management positions in the department, funding sources for constable services, the effect vacancy factors have on departmental budgets, qualifications for field inspectors, whether sanitary or building code issues are typically “grandfathered” in, how many vehicles are used by the department and capital work done at 25 Meade St. with the Commissioner of Inspectional Services, Chief Financial Officer, City Manager, and Director of Housing and Health Inspections.

Councilor Russell then moved to, “Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how much money was used to refurnish Inspectional Services at 25 Meade St. (Russell)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Mero-Carlson, who discussed concerns over providing management positions with larger raises than union employees with the Commissioner of Inspectional Services and City Manager.

Councilor Mero-Carlson then moved to, “Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the pay grades and steps currently provided to the city’s various sanitary inspectors. (Mero-Carlson)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Haxhiaj, who discussed the intent of creating the Rental Property Registration Program and Periodic Inspection Program with the Commissioner of Inspectional Services and Director of Housing and Health Inspections.

Mayor Petty moved to approve the budget. Budget approved.

Request City Manager request Commissioner of Inspectional Services provide City Council with a report detailing metrics related to the Department of Inspectional Services’ capacity to inspect housing units once every five (5) years. (King)

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how much money was used to refurnish Inspectional Services at 25 Meade St. (Russell)

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the pay grades and steps currently provided to the city’s various sanitary inspectors. (Mero-Carlson)

Mayor Petty read the item and moved to take items #5a through #5c collectively.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell, who moved to hold the budgets associated with items #5a through #5c. Budget held.

Budget held (See Item #5a)

Budget held (See Item #5a)

Mayor Petty read the item and moved to take items #6a through #6d collectively.

Mayor Petty recognized the Chief Financial Officer, who provided an overview of the funds provided in the Human Resources budget.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King, who discussed funding allocations for the department for the purpose of realizing findings from their Equity Audit, how the department evaluates the compensation of the city’s employees, and the process used to monitor employee leave benefits with the Chief Human Resources Officer.

Councilor King then moved to, “Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning efforts being made to address wage gaps and pay equity. (King)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Bergman, who moved to, “Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the percentage increase for salaries of unrepresented, non-union employees in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). (Bergman)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Colorio, who moved to, “Request City Manager provide City Council with a report listing the positions in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget that will see a percentage increase in their salaries of more than 4.5%. (Colorio)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Toomey, who discussed the centralization of safety equipment within the Human Resources Department, as well as the funding allocations for employee parking benefits with the Chief Human Resources Officer, City Manager and Chief Financial Officer.

Councilor Toomey then moved to, “Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how many parking spaces the city currently provides its employees, including information relative to how many of those spaces are utilized. (Toomey)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed where payments associated with employee parking are paid to, as well as recent department head hires with the City Manager.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King for a second time, who discussed whether hiring practices used throughout the city are centralized within the Human Resources department, the method for processing internal complaints, retention measurements occurring since the Equity Audit, and data collection around the culture and climate of the Police and Fire departments with the Chief Human Resources Officer and City Manager.

Councilor King then moved to, “Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning common reasons listed for why employees leave the City of Worcester when providing exit interviews. (King)”.

Mayor Petty moved to approve the budgets associated with items #6a through #6d. Budget approved.

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning efforts being made to address wage gaps and pay equity. (King)

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning the percentage increase for salaries of unrepresented, non-union employees in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). (Bergman)

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report listing the positions in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget that will see a percentage increase in their salaries of more than 4.5%. (Colorio)

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning how many parking spaces the city currently provides its employees, including information relative to how many of those spaces are utilized. (Toomey)

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report concerning common reasons listed for why employees leave the City of Worcester when providing exit interviews. (King)

Budget approved (See Item #6a)

Budget approved (See Item #6a)

Budget approved (See Item #6a)

Mayor Petty read the item and moved to take items #7a through #7c collectively.

Mayor Petty recognized the Chief Financial Officer, who provided an overview of the funds provided in the Health and Human Services Department budget.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Colorio, who discussed the rationale for restructuring the departments’ positions associated with homeless outreach, as well as the potential for increasing the number of recovery coaches in the city with the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Deputy Commissioner of Health and Human Services and City Manager.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Pacillo, who discussed the regrading of the Veterans’ Services Specialist to a Veterans’ Services Advocate, as well as the potential for increasing the number of individuals in the department with the Veterans’ Services Agent/Director and City Manager.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed whether there are any funding allocations in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget for safe injection sites, as well as the discontinuance of afterschool programs associated with Recreation Worcester with the City Manager and Director of Youth Opportunities.

Councilor Russell then moved to, “Request City Manager consider reviewing the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Health and Human Services Department Budget to determine ways in which the city can offset the loss of State Grant Funding for Recreation Worcester, to ensure the program fully operational. (Russell)”.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King, who discussed the process for compiling data relative to public health needs in the city, evidence and community-based research associated with setting goals for the department, how the department conducts its grant writing process and oversight efforts that have been undertaken by the Division of Youth Services with the Commissioner of Health and Human Resources, Director of Public Health, Veterans’ Services Agent/Director, Director of Elder Affairs and City Manager.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Toomey, who discussed the reduction of funds available to veterans’ benefits in previous fiscal years, as well as the importance of Recreation Worcester with the Veterans’ Services Agent/Director, Deputy Commissioner of Health and Human Services and Chief Financial Officer.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Ojeda, who discussed whether the department’s budget could be considered conservative, ways in which the department could grow, and ways Recreation Worcester can impact the city’s youth with the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, City Manager and Director of Youth Opportunities.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Mero-Carlson, who discussed the importance of continuing to provide youth services through Recreation Worcester

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell for a second time, who discussed holding the City Manager’s budget until such a time that the youth services component of the budget is addressed with the City Manager.

Mayor Petty moved to, “Request City Manager provide City Council with a report detailing both short-term and long-term plans the city can use to address needs relative to providing youth services to the community. (Petty)".

Mayor Petty moved to approve the budgets associated with items #7a through #7c. Budget approved.

Request City Manager consider reviewing the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Health and Human Services Department Budget to determine ways in which the city can offset the loss of State Grant Funding for Recreation Worcester, to ensure the program fully operational. (Russell)

Request City Manager provide City Council with a report detailing both short-term and long-term plans the city can use to address needs relative to providing youth services to the community. (Petty)

Budget approved (See Item #7a)

Budget approved (See Item #7a)

Mayor Petty read the item and recognized the Chief Financial Officer, who provided an overview of the funds provided in the Department of Innovation and Technology.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Pacillo, who discussed the timeline for placing the online vendor check on the city’s website with the Chief Information Officer.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Russell, who discussed the employee workload required to maintain the city’s website with the Chief Information Officer.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor King, who discussed ways in which the city is standardizing providing data to the public and departments, as well as how the department interacts with collecting data for the Worcester Police Department with the Chief Information Officer.

Mayor Petty recognized Councilor Bergman, who discussed the process for best conducting searches for property owners with the Chief Information Officer.

Mayor Petty moved to approve the budget. Budget approved.

Mayor Petty read the item and moved to recommend the item be held.

Recommend Hold

Mayor Petty read the item and moved to recommend the item be held.

Recommend Hold

Mayor Petty read the item and moved to recommend the item be held.

Recommend Hold