An individual may petition the City Council on a wide range of topics including the condition of streets and sidewalks, street lighting, public safety, housing, zoning, taxation, traffic, parking and many others. No petition, paper, order, communication, or report of any description which deals with personalities, or with matters not within the general supervision and/or relating to city government or does not specifically state the business to be discussed, shall be placed on any city council agenda by the city clerk (see Rule 11 of the Rules of City Council). The deadline for filing a petition is 4:15 p.m. on the Thursday preceding each Tuesday Council meeting. In the case of Monday holidays, the deadline for filing a petition will be 4:15 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding each Tuesday Council meeting to accommodate Open Meeting Law posting requirements.
Alternatively, you may continue to use the following PDF form. Include your contact information and send along to the email address, mailing address or fax number on this page.
How do I complete the Petition Form? - View Example
Please note that any petition submitted to the City Clerk's Office in Spanish may take additional time to be translated into English prior to its inclusion on a City Council Agenda.
Petitions relative to zone changes are subject to General Law - Part I, Title VII, Chapter 40A, Section 5, which may be amended from time to time. As a result, the process petitions of that nature follow may vary slightly from more traditional requests.
To file a zoning petition, the petition must be submitted through any of the following means:
There is no fee associated with filing a zoning petition, and petitions must be submitted within the traditional deadline for all petitions, which is 4:15 p.m. on the Thursday preceding each Tuesday Council meeting.
Once submitted to the City Clerk's Office, the petition is subject to the following timelines and processes:
Persons submitting zone change requests are encouraged to work directly with the Department of Planning and Regulatory Services on their petition prior to its submission to ensure the requested actions are consistent with their desired outcomes, either by visiting their office located in Room 404 of City Hall at 455 Main Street, calling their office at 508-799-1400 or emailing planning@worcesterma.gov.
The City of Worcester Zoning Ordinances are divided into both maps and text, both of which are and can be amended from time to time.
According to Chapter 166 of the Acts of 1996, any individual may petition the City Council for betterment of private streets. Any petition for this action requires the signature of at least two-thirds of the abutters on any given street requesting this action. Please review and complete the following PDF form and submit the form to the City Clerk's Office for processing. The deadline for filing a petition is 4:15 p.m. on the Thursday preceding each Tuesday Council meeting.
According to Chapter 302 of the Acts of 1984, any individual may petition the City Council for temporary repairs on private ways. Any petition for this action requires the signature of at least two-thirds of the abutters on any given street requesting this action. Please review and complete the following PDF form and submit the form to the City Clerk's Office for processing. The deadline for filing a petition is 4:15 p.m. on the Thursday preceding each Tuesday Council meeting.
According to Section 11A of Chapter 12 of the Revised Ordinances of 2008, any petition for an Honorary Street Name Designation is also completed through the City Council. In order to begin the process for designating a street name in honor of a person or group, please review and complete the below PDF and submit the form to the City Clerk's Office for processing.
Generally, the City Council meets weekly on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the third floor of City Hall. During the summer months of July and August, the City Council generally meets three times.
City Council, School Committee and City of Worcester Boards and Commission meetings are generally all open to the public and interested individuals are encouraged to attend. The following guide will help you participate.
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Learn more about the terminology used in City Council.
City Clerk
City Hall Room 206
455 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone: 508-799-1121
Fax: 508-799-1194
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Office Hours:
Monday
8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tuesday - Friday
8:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.