Worcester City Council Agenda Preview: January 23, 2023
Worcester Renaissance, Private Streets, ARPA Money
The City Council meeting is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The agenda is here.
This week: Worcester Renaissance, private streets, ARPA money.
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/91727574825
Older Cops: There’s a citizen request that the City raise the age limit for new cops from 32 to 38. This will go to the Public Safety Committee for discussion.
“Worcester Renaissance Project”: Geoffrey Killebrew has a project he wants to present to the Council. His plan is to increase the number of street vendors and buskers in the city, and hold an event series that would be an “incubator” for these activities. This will go to the Parks and Recreation Committee for further discussion.
Private and Public Streets: In response to a request by the Council, the Commissioner of Public Works has a report about the condition of private streets and how the city can improve them. There are 79 miles of private streets in the city, mostly dirt roads, “typically constructed without meeting acceptable engineering standards.” The city has very little ability to spend money to improve private streets.
Private Street Parking: The City Solicitor has a report noting a private street resident can keep people from parking in front of their house. Before getting someone towed, the resident needs to either post NO PARKING or tell the person directly that they can’t park there.
Even More Private and Public Streets: The Planning Board wants the Council to approve a request to remove Southgate Place as an official street. This will go to the Public Works Committee for discussion.
Boards and Commissions: A vacancy is opening up on the Library Board, which the Council needs to fill within 60 days. The Manager is appointing Timothy Magliaro to the Community Preservation Committee as the Conservation Commission delegate, Kevin Durkan to the Off Street Parking Board, Lenny Ciuffredo to the Civic Center Commission, and reappointing Bernard Reese and Robert Bilotta to the Human Rights Commission.
Downtown Business Improvement District: The Executive Director of the BID has submitted a report to the Council, noting among other things that in September the property owners who fund the BID voted to renew it for another 5 years. The BID does various things downtown, most visibly employing the small army of people who keep the streets and sidewalks clean.
Knitty Council: A group of people who knit and talk politics called “The Worcester Knitty Council” asked the City Council if the Senior Center could find them a spot where they could put a box of mittens etc. for people to take. This has been held multiple weeks as some Councilors have asked for more information about the group. This is all a bit silly, but if you name yourself after the Worcester City Council, you are inviting this sort of silliness into your life.
Snow Plow Conflict of Interest Waivers: Some city employees want to plow snow for the city as contract workers. They unsurprisingly need the Council to approve this. This week, 6 people have waiver requests before the Council: policemen Thomas Mulvey and Timothy Foley, school clerk Linda Paldino, teacher Robert Mazzone, and public facilities worker James McDermott.
Opioid Overdose Strategic Plan: The Health Department has submitted their strategic plan to the Council. Random facts: In Massachusetts, about 10% of reported overdoses are fatal. Half of overdose victims refuse to go to the ER after an overdose. (I’m surprised that even half agree to this.) The “priority areas” in the plan are expanding access to housing; getting better overdose data; distributing more Narcan; educating people about addiction; expanding treatment programs; encouraging doctors to prescribe medication for Opioid Use Disorder; and tracking the effectiveness of interventions.
Financial Report: The CFO has a financial report for the first 6 months of the current fiscal year. Tax revenue has been stable. Everything is said to be fine.
ARPA Money: We continue to take a remarkably long time to distribute the money the city got from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Manager has a report noting that of our $146 million in funds, $40 million had been expended as of December 31, $28 million has been committed to something specific, and we have yet to award $78 million of the money. For some of this last category we are in the middle of finalizing the contracts to award the money.
Worcester Knitty Council may mean well but their request is odd. Couldn't they just donate their goods? I've rangled enough cats to worry that requests like this lead to more problems.