Where

Esther Howland (South) Chamber

Watch the recording (opens in new tab) of this meeting on YouTube.

What was decided

The council approved a $43,468,416 loan order on an 8-3 vote. It also adopted a request for a report on a possible $100 million street and sidewalk loan program. Many traffic, sidewalk, parking, and zoning petitions were referred to committees or accepted.

Decisions recorded

• Approved a $43,468,416 capital loan order, 8-3. p. 46page 46 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted an order asking the City Manager for a report on a possible $20 million per year loan for street and sidewalk work, 7-3. p. 25page 25 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Approved the transfer of MSBA Stabilization Fund money to the New High School Fund and closure of the MSBA Stabilization Fund, 10-0 (Ojeda recused). p. 14page 14 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Approved expanding the New High School Fund to include the Burncoat High and Middle Schools project, 10-0 (Ojeda recused). p. 15page 15 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Voted to advertise four proposed salary ordinance amendments, 10-0 (Toomey absent). p. 11page 11 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted year-end capital transfers and related grant, transfer, and prior-year payment items, 11-0. p. 16page 16 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted a resolution to accept and spend a $3,183,690 state preparedness grant, 11-0. p. 16page 16 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted chairman's orders 11a through 11j, including a request for a draft ordinance to reduce minimum off-street parking requirements. p. 20page 20 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted an order asking for a neighborhood meeting on noise from St. Joan of Arc Church, and referred the noise ordinance discussion to Public Safety Committee. p. 22page 22 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted an order asking the Commissioner of Emergency Communications and Management to research 911 follow-up surveys, 9-0 (Bergman, Economou absent). p. 23page 23 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Voted to rescind the 35 and 30 mph special speed regulations on Hope Ave., 11-0. p. 24page 24 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted an order asking for a report on streetlights out of operation and repair timelines. p. 25page 25 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred the joint Public Works and Traffic and Parking pavement management review request to both committees. p. 26page 26 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted, as amended, an order asking for a report on the Town of Holden sewer use lawsuit.
• Held an order on Canal District outreach reports under privilege.
• Adopted, as amended, an order on the Declaration of Independence statue, adding a refurbished plaque request. p. 28page 28 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred a youth tobacco and vaping meeting request to Public Health and Human Services Committee, 11-0. p. 29page 29 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted an order asking the Commissioner of Public Works to study tree root damage to sewers, and referred it to Public Works Committee. p. 30page 30 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted an order asking for a legal opinion on developers at 4 Brandt Ln. using Pine Hill Rd., as amended, 9-0 (Bilotta absent, King abstained). p. 31page 31 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted an order asking for a plan on conservation land deeding in light of the housing crisis. p. 30page 30 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred an order on youth busking and vending permits to Education Committee. p. 32page 32 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Held one City Council Office staff vacancy communication under privilege.
• Referred City Charter and City Council Office communications to Municipal and Legislative Operations Committee.
• Referred the Worcester Regional Research Bureau OZ Zones report to Economic Development Committee.
• Referred the zoning map petition for 321 Greenwood St. to Economic Development Committee. p. 33page 33 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred the zoning map petition for 455 Grove St. to Economic Development Committee. p. 33page 33 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted the Economic Development Committee report on NCAA events, 10-1 (King opposed). p. 34page 34 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted the Economic Development Committee report on NCAA tournament criteria, 9-1 (Bilotta absent, King opposed). p. 34page 34 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted Public Safety Committee reports on food permitting and police reports. p. 34page 34 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted and adopted 13 sidewalk and resurfacing petitions, items 19a through 19m. p. 35page 35 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted and adopted, as amended by Councilor Economou, the Proctor St. guardrail petition. p. 36page 36 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted committee reports recommending Leave to Withdraw for repaving requests on Vinton St., Gilman Rd., and Norton St. p. 37page 37 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred the Public Works Committee Rd. Burncoat-related sidewalk request, item 19w, to Traffic and Parking Committee.
• Voted to advertise proposed parking, stop sign, and handicap space ordinances, items 20a through 20m, 10-0 (King abstained). p. 38page 38 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted and adopted 12 traffic sign, crosswalk, and parking orders, items 20n through 20y. p. 40page 40 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted the report on the Salisbury St. crosswalk repainting request, placed on file.
• Accepted Traffic and Parking Committee reports on Shrewsbury St. crosswalk requests, items 21a through 21z. p. 41page 41 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Accepted Traffic and Parking Committee reports on Shrewsbury St. crosswalk requests, items 22a through 22h. p. 45page 45 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted a $43,468,416 loan order for capital improvements. p. 46page 46 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Ordained 26 traffic, parking, and salary ordinances, items 24a through 24z, 11-0. p. 47page 47 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Ordained the salary ordinance amendments, items 25a through 25c, 11-0. p. 49page 49 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Placed on file the Beaver Brook Dog Park audit order. p. 51page 51 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Held City Council Office survey and staffing communications under privilege a second time, 10-1 (Bilotta opposed). p. 51page 51 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Took no action on a tabled legal opinion order on rent control. p. 51page 51 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Adopted an order asking for a report on community policing on Boylston St., 7-3. p. 52page 52 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Suspended the rules to extend public participation by one hour, 11-0. p. 52page 52 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred the Gordon Davis sump pump request at 10 Varnum St. to the City Manager.
• Set public hearings for August 18, 2026 at 6 p.m. on conduit and pole location requests from Charter, National Grid, and Verizon. p. 9page 9 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred speed hump, parking, and bus stop requests, items 9a through 9l, to Traffic and Parking Committee. p. 8page 8 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred stone wall, stone deposit, and dam requests, items 7a through 7e, to Department of Public Works. p. 4page 4 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred the 95 Vernon St. Adaptive Reuse Overlay District zoning request to Planning Board.
• Referred street resurfacing, sidewalk, and sewer extension requests, items 7g through 7p, to Public Works Committee. p. 5page 5 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred parking, traffic, and signal requests, items 7q through 7z, to Traffic and Parking Committee. p. 5page 5 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred crosswalk, parking, and speed hump requests, items 8a through 8z, to Traffic and Parking Committee. p. 6page 6 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Held three City Council confirmation appointments under privilege. p. 11page 11 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred the 128 Providence St. zoning map amendment to Planning Board.
• Referred the GreenTech Park Tax Increment Financing Zone resolution to Economic Development Committee.
• Held the municipal civilian review board report under privilege.
• Referred a Main Street loading zone and parking ordinance to Traffic and Parking Committee.

The full text is in the city's PDF, linked below.

Minutes posted on the city website (PDF, 242 KB). Saved copy (opens in new tab), saved October 27, 2026.

Agenda

A copy of the agenda wasn't saved here. It is on the city website (opens in new tab).

Terms used here

CDBG

Community Development Block Grant: federal money, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, for housing and neighborhood projects that serve low- and moderate-income residents.

tabled

Set aside by a vote, to take up later. A tabled item comes back when the board votes to take it off the table.

variance

Permission from the zoning board to use or build on a property in a way the zoning doesn't allow, such as closer to a lot line, because of a hardship particular to the property.

All the terms in the glossary

Source

This meeting on the City of Worcester calendar (opens in new tab). First recorded by Worcester Publick on October 27, 2026.