WORCESTER— Back a week after a contentious sprinkler-rule debate, the Worcester City Council returns Tuesday, Sept. 16, with a relatively lean docket compared to recent marathon meetings. But the agenda still packs key updates on roadwork, policing technology, and the city’s emergency storm response.
So, when are they getting to your road? Well, maybe the answer lies in this week’s update on streets and sidewalks. Stephen Rolle, commissioner of the Department of Transportation and Mobility, briefs councilors on ongoing and upcoming roadway projects as of Aug. 31. The monthly report, prepared with the Department of Public Works, outlines Worcester’s data-driven pavement management strategy and divides projects into six categories, from major corridor overhauls to local safety fixes. Highlights include permanent speed humps slated for installation this fall, Complete Streets improvements on Country Club Boulevard, chip seal treatments across 50 streets, and new school-access sidewalks on Sunderland Road.
Public safety also gets attention. Police Chief Paul Saucier delivers his quarterly report on the Worcester Police Department’s drone program. Between June 19 and Sept. 9, the small Unmanned Aircraft System was deployed 10 times, including for search warrants, missing persons, SWAT incidents, and assisting the Fire Department with thermal imaging during a blaze. The drones also supported Worcester Public Schools bus driver training and community outreach.
Finally, Charles Goodwin, commissioner of Emergency Communications, presents an after-action report on the city’s coordinated response to severe weather and possible tornado on Sept. 6. The Unified Command Center was activated during simultaneous large events, including the Worcester Pride Festival and Breakaway Festival, helping agencies coordinate evacuations, alerts, and storm safety measures.
More highlights on the agenda:
- Grant approvals: Councilors weigh three separate items totaling just over $1 million in outside support for city programs. The largest, $1.06 million from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, will bolster Worcester’s regional Public Health Emergency Preparedness Planning and Response, strengthening the city’s ability to react quickly to public health crises. A $25,000 gift from the Hanover Insurance Group Foundation supports Recreation Worcester, the city’s youth enrichment and after-school initiative. And a $3,942 award from the UMass Chan Medical School Prevention Research Center funds a collaboration with the Worcester Division of Public Health to integrate health considerations into built-environment decisions and climate change mitigation. That partnership includes Worcester serving on advisory boards and as a research implementation partner through 2025.
- Traffic and parking petitions: Requests include speed humps on Mason and Merrifield streets, plus a new crosswalk at 974 Main St. and Beaver Street to serve the Goddard School of Science and Technology.
Worcester City Council meets Tuesday, Sept. 16, at City Hall in the Esther Howland (south) Chamber at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will also be live streamed on the city’s website.
Editor’s note: This story will be updated as agenda items are added or revised. Refresh this page for the latest developments.
Worcester City Council meets Tuesday, Sept. 16, at City Hall in the Esther Howland (south) at 6:30 p.m. It is also live streamed on the city’s website.
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
