Council Advances Funding and Safety Measures
At a glance
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The City Council approved $1.8425 million in grants and donations, including $800,000 for public health, $1 million through the MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund, and $42,500 for clean-energy workforce development. It also approved a tax-increment financing plan for Curtis Apartments Phase II and adopted numerous transportation, winter operations, and public safety orders.
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What this means
The approved funding will support public health, housing development, clean-energy workforce programs, water-system confined-space safety equipment, and a comfort dog for the Worcester Police Department. The council also directed city officials to study food deserts, snow-plowing rates, speed-calming measures on Salisbury Street, and possible mixed-income artist housing in municipal buildings. Several neighborhood requests, including sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic calming, and utility conduits, were referred to committees or approved for further review.
Key decisions
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- Approved an $800,000 public health grant and a $1 million MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund grant.
- Approved a $42,500 clean-energy workforce development grant, a $1,000 donation, and a $4,500 comfort dog donation to the Worcester Police Department.
- Approved the UCH-TIF plan and agreement for Curtis Apartments Phase II by a 9-0 vote, with one councilor recused and one absent.
- Approved a six-year contract for aquatic facilities maintenance and transferred $32,257.32 for confined-space water-system safety equipment.
- Approved a winter snow-plowing and sanding rate increase while requesting a report on whether FY25 snow-plow rates were competitive with surrounding towns.
- Adopted orders addressing speed monitoring and speed tables on June Street, Salisbury Street safety improvements, a Belmont Street bus shelter, fire-safety education, streetlight visibility, and Sunderland Road repairs.
- Requested reports on food desert locations, mobile speed radar signs, a potential Flagg Street and Salisbury Street rotary, and mixed-income artist-preferred apartments in municipal buildings.
- Adopted stop-sign ordinances at three locations and approved a crosswalk on Holden Street and dead-end signage on Stark Road.
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