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City Council Meeting - October 20, 2026

Agenda

Condensed from the posted PDF: routine petitions are grouped, items are quoted in short form. Full text at the URL above.

Mayor Joseph M. Petty. At-Large: Bergman, King, Mitra, Rosen, Toomey. District: Economou (1), Bilotta (2), Fresolo (3), Ojeda (4), Rivera (5). City Clerk Nikolin Vangjeli; City Manager Eric D. Batista.

  1. Pledge of Allegiance
  2. Star Spangled Banner
  3. Roll Call
  4. Proclamations, Acknowledgments, Moments of Silence
  5. Approval of the Minutes
    • 5a. Minutes of the City Council Meeting of October 6, 2026
  6. Public Participation (2 minutes per speaker on agenda items; in person or by Zoom)
  7. Petitions
    • 7a (Parks, Recreation and Cemetery): trim city tree at 42 Agate Ave. blocking the stop sign (Karen Chevalier)
    • 7b-7d (Public Works Committee): sidewalk repairs on Beeching St. (Kevin Conklin); two streetlights on Coburn Ave. (Bilotta); resurface sidewalk near 428 Shrewsbury St. (Mitra)
    • 7e-7u (Traffic and Parking Committee), 17 requests: speed or traffic study and calming on Englewood Ave. (Hope Joyce); speed hump on Houghton St. (Keila Alvarenga); relocate handicap space on Caroline St. (Robert Cesaitis); speed humps on Ward St. (Korzep and Minichilli); flashing crosswalk signage at Cambridge St./South Crystal St./St. John's Rd. and at Cambridge St./Canterbury St./Fremont St., plus a study of a roundabout at the latter (Dominick Calsolaro); traffic and speed study on Mower St. (Matthew Wamback); speed humps on Prouty Ln. (Rivera for Carol Chandley); three-way stop at Agate Ave. and Anna St. (Chevalier); Melrose St. lane markings, 25 MPH signage and enforcement (Alexander Hoppe); permanent speed humps on Endicott St. (Samuel Torres et al.); make Dorchester St. one-way eastbound from Ward St. to Vernon St. (John Yanczewski et al.); two speed humps on Elmire Ave. (Rivera for Octaviano Castro); "No Parking Here to Corner" on Wall St. at Thorne St. (Bilotta for Friendly House)
    • 7v-7x (set hearing November 10, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.): conduit locations - Charter Communications at 135 Kenberma Rd.; National Grid on Main St. and on Newbury St.
    • 7y (City Manager): review reconfiguring the pickup and drop-off area at Union Station (Michael John Grandone)
  8. Chairman's Orders (adopt)
    • 8a. Committee on Public Works: send School Committee Clerk a copy of Jeffrey Conlon's "No Littering" signage petition for Brantwood Rd. and Manhattan Rd.
    • 8b. Committee on Public Works: report on the process for removing concrete survey markers protruding through sidewalks, with short-term safety fixes and funding
    • 8c-8e. Committee on Veterans' Memorials, Parks and Recreation: report on extending spray park hours; forward Ilanit Megidesh's European Starling petition to MassWildlife; six-month update on humane wildlife deterrents at the Salisbury Pond Dam
  9. Orders
    • 9a. Repair driveway at the Coburn Ave. basketball courts (Bilotta)
    • 9b. Identify funding for toilet seats in the new Institute Park bathrooms (Rosen)
    • 9c. City Solicitor review of ordinances so street and sidewalk resurfacing becomes an administrative function under the Pavement Management Program, keeping Council oversight via monthly Construction Progress Reports (Economou)
    • 9d. Process to accelerate posting and awarding of resurfacing bids (Economou)
    • 9e. Update on the March 31, 2026 order for a draft ordinance imposing escalating fees on lots left underdeveloped and vacant more than five years, and legal impediments (Bilotta)
    • 9f. Increased speed and traffic enforcement on Goddard Memorial Dr. near Beatrice Dr. (Rivera)
    • 9g. Feasibility of requiring contractors on curb and sidewalk resurfacing to plant at least one tree per property (Rivera)
    • 9h. Community forum with Amazon on its expected Prime Air drone service from the Westborough distribution center, held in the part of the city to be served (Rosen)
    • 9i. City Solicitor report on zoning changes to regulate drone launch sites (Rosen)
    • 9j. Feasibility of a proactive annual pothole repair program, and an annual review of high-traffic sidewalks, instead of waiting for 311 requests (Mitra)
    • 9k. Citywide survey and replacement of damaged, faded, missing or illegible street and traffic signs (Mitra)
  10. Resolutions
  • 10a. Go on record in opposition to Statewide Ballot Question 8 and urge a NO vote on November 3, 2026 (Petty)
  • 10b. Affirm support for workers' rights and solidarity with working people (King)
  1. Recess to Finance Committee - no items pending
  2. Reports of the Committee on Public Works
  • 12a-12f (accept and adopt): honorary designation of Oread St. (Main St. to Beacon St.) as Ruth Rodriguez-Fay Way (Ojeda); sidewalk resurfacing in front of 50 Marland Rd.; sidewalk and street resurfacing on Neptune Rd. (Economou, two petitions); sidewalk resurfacing on Boyden St. (Ojeda); street resurfacing on Pine View Ave. (Rivera)
  • 12g-12h (accept, leave to withdraw): sidewalk resurfacing on Mower St. (Rivera); street resurfacing on Puritan Ave. (Fresolo)
  • 12i (accept): curb cuts for the crosswalk at Laurel St. and Everett Gaylord Blvd. referred to Traffic and Parking Committee (Bilotta)
  1. Reports of the Committee on Veterans' Memorials, Parks and Recreation
  • 13a (accept and adopt): extend 2027 spray park hours by one hour one day a week (Christina Foley petition, amended October 6, 2026)
  • 13b-13e (accept, place on file): City Manager communications on the proposed Purple Heart and Gold Star Memorials at Worcester Common and on the summer 2026 aquatic program; Morgan Landing court lights petition (Patrick Grady); European Starling petition (Megidesh)
  1. Tabled Items
  • 14a. Legal opinion on a residential rent control program (Lukes, tabled 2019)
  • 14b. Resolution supporting an Act effectuating equity in COVID-19 vaccination (King, tabled 2021)
  • 14c. Establish an Office of Housing Stability (Haxhiaj and Nguyen, tabled 2023)
  • 14d. Gordon Davis petition for a Public Safety committee investigation into systemic racism and public safety (tabled 2024)
  • 14e. Equity audit of all city departments every five years (King, tabled 2025)
  • 14f. City Manager communication on how the U.S. Department of Justice report on the Worcester Police Department differs from the municipality's account (King, tabled 2025)
  1. Business Under Suspension of Rules (items from October 13, 2026)
  • 15a-15d (adopted 11-0): school-zone pedestrian safety notifications to students; copy of the Safe Routes to School Taskforce strategic plan; hybrid beacon for crosswalks near Chandler Elementary Community School (all King); parking report for Roosevelt Elementary and Rice Square Elementary (Petty)
  • 15e (referred to Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee, 8-3): review Rule Five on calling special meetings (King)

Scheduled standing committee meetings (Esther Howland Chamber)

  • Mon Oct 19, 5:15 PM: Public Health and Human Services (Rosen, King, Toomey)
  • Tue Oct 27, 5:00 PM: Economic Development (Bergman, Mitra, Toomey)
  • Wed Oct 28, 5:30 PM: Traffic and Parking (Rivera, Bilotta, Ojeda)
  • Tue Nov 17, 5:00 PM: Public Works (Economou, Fresolo, Mitra)

Last modified 2026-10-18