City Council preview: April 26
This week’s City Council meeting is Tuesday at 6:30pm. The agenda is here.
Topics: Community crisis response, lots of new board and commission members, discussion of police drones continues.
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/91727574825
Changes in Community Crisis Response: The Health Department has a report saying that we are adopting a “Cahoots” model, managed by Community Healthlink. Some 9-1-1 calls will be handled by clinicians alongside the police, and some will be responded to by clinicians alone.
A Bad Idea: “William S. Coleman III request the Worcester Senior Center be named the "Edward M. Augustus, Jr." Worcester Senior Center.”
Raising the Smoking Age: Aaron Ross wants the Council to try raising the smoking age in Worcester to 25.
Stopping Police Drones: Last week the Council received a report on the WPD’s plan to buy a drone. There have been many requests for more reports, including one this week from Councilor Nguyen asking for the project to be put on hold until a “comprehensive and civil liberties focused policy regulating the use of it is submitted to the City Manager, City Council and the general public.”
Boards and Commissions, Part One: The Manager has appointed Jamaine Ortiz and reappointed Elizabeth O’Callahan to the Human Rights Commission; Brandon King to the Planning Board; Shannon Campaniello to the Zoning Board of Appeals; Xaulanda Thorpe, Lucelia DeJesus, Keith Krikorian, Johanna Hampton-Dance, Gabriel Rodriguez, Benetta Kuffour, Jackson Restrepo, and Victor Agudelo-Ortiz to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees; and Miranda Hotham and Lyndsay Nystrom to the Conservation Commission.
Boards and Commissions, Part Two: The Council will vote whether to appoint Sheri Pitcher to the Worcester Redevelopment Authority; Vanessa Andre to the Historical Commission; and Hamilton Soriano to the Cable Television Advisory Committee.
Resident Permit Parking: There’s a proposal to remove resident permit parking from part of Richland Street. This will go to the Traffic and Parking Committee for further discussion. The Council will vote whether to add resident permit parking to Northampton Street.
One-Way Street: There’s a proposal to make King Street a one-way street. This will presumably be sent to the Traffic and Parking Committee.
Property Transfers: The Council will vote whether the city should officially take the foreclosed property at 104 Armory Street, and whether to sell the lot at 13 Hawley Street.