Amazon may be preparing to deliver packages by drone to parts of Worcester, but at least one city councilor wants residents to have a chance to ask questions before the service takes flight.
Councilor Gary Rosen is calling for a community forum on Amazon’s planned Prime Air drone delivery service, which is expected to launch drones from the company’s distribution center in Westborough into portions of Worcester. Rosen wants Amazon representatives to explain the program directly to residents and business owners in the neighborhoods that would be served.
The proposal is among several items on the city council’s Tuesday, Oct. 20, agenda that raise questions about how Worcester manages changes affecting residents’ everyday lives. Councilors will also consider ways to speed up street and sidewalk repairs, take a position on a statewide ballot question that could eliminate recreational marijuana sales and review proposals addressing potholes, damaged traffic signs and workers’ rights.
Although this week’s agenda is relatively light on supporting reports, several proposals could lead to changes in how city departments operate or how Worcester regulates new services. Most are requests for further review rather than decisions that would immediately change city policy.
Amazon drones raise questions about local oversight
Rosen’s concerns extend beyond informing residents about the planned delivery service.
In a separate request, he is asking the city manager to have the city solicitor examine whether Worcester’s zoning ordinances need to be changed to give the city greater control over where companies could establish drone launch sites.
The two proposals address different aspects of the emerging delivery service: what residents can expect from drones operating in their neighborhoods, and what authority the city has over facilities used to launch them.
Rosen wants the community forum held as soon as possible in the part of Worcester expected to receive drone deliveries, rather than at a location elsewhere in the city.
The agenda does not specify which Worcester neighborhoods Amazon intends to serve, when deliveries would begin or whether the company has agreed to participate in a forum.
Councilors seek faster road repairs and more proactive maintenance
For residents tired of waiting for streets and sidewalks to be repaired, Councilor Tony Economou wants to find out whether the city can eliminate some of the steps that slow the process.
Economou has introduced two requests aimed at making Worcester’s street and sidewalk resurfacing program more efficient, from the initial submission of a road for consideration to the awarding of construction contracts.
Under the first proposal, streets and sidewalks needing resurfacing would be submitted directly to the appropriate city department for administrative review and consideration under the Pavement Management Program, rather than following the current process.
The change would retain city council oversight by requiring streets and sidewalks added to resurfacing lists to be included in the city’s monthly construction progress reports.
Economou also wants the Department of Public Works and the city’s chief financial officer to examine how Worcester could post and award resurfacing bids more quickly, allowing construction to begin and finish sooner.
The review would include practices used in other communities to determine whether Worcester could adopt more efficient procedures.
Councilor Satya Mitra, meanwhile, is proposing a more systematic approach to potholes.
Rather than relying on residents to report potholes through Worcester 311, Mitra wants DPW to examine the feasibility of an annual program in which crews would inspect every public street and fill potholes as they find them.
He also wants the department to explore a similar annual inspection program for sidewalks in heavily traveled pedestrian areas.
In a separate request, Mitra is calling for a citywide survey of damaged, faded, missing or otherwise illegible street and traffic signs, with replacements made as needed.
Together, the proposals would move some maintenance work toward regular citywide inspections rather than depending primarily on complaints or individual requests. None of the measures has been approved, and the agenda does not include cost estimates or proposed implementation schedules.
Council could take stand against marijuana ballot question
Worcester City Council also considers formally opposing a statewide ballot question that would repeal Massachusetts’ legal recreational marijuana retail system.
Mayor Joe Petty has introduced a resolution urging Worcester residents and voters across Massachusetts to reject Question 8 in the Nov. 3 election.
The proposed law would repeal the legalization, regulation and taxation of recreational marijuana sales approved by Massachusetts voters in 2016. It would not eliminate all legal marijuana possession or the medical marijuana program.
Under the proposal, adults 21 and older could continue to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, including no more than five grams of concentrate, and transfer that amount to another adult without payment. The measure would establish civil penalties for certain possession violations and allow existing recreational marijuana businesses to apply for medical dispensary licenses.
The Cannabis Control Commission would remain in place, but its authority would be limited to regulating medical marijuana.
The proposed law would take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
Petty’s resolution argues that ending recreational marijuana sales would threaten jobs, locally owned businesses, municipal tax revenue and investments made under the state’s existing regulatory system.
The resolution cites more than $1.6 billion in annual sales statewide and raises concerns about the potential effects on workers, small businesses and entrepreneurs who entered the legal cannabis industry after Massachusetts voters approved legalization.
It also argues that eliminating licensed recreational sales would not eliminate demand, potentially shifting more transactions into an unregulated market without the product testing, age verification and other safeguards required of licensed businesses.
The resolution maintains that opposing Question 8 does not amount to endorsing marijuana use, but rather supporting a regulated marketplace over an illegal one.
If adopted, the resolution would place the Worcester City Council formally on record against Question 8. It would not change state law or determine the outcome of the ballot question.
Workers’ rights resolution also on agenda
Council Vice Chairman Khrystian King is introducing a separate resolution affirming Worcester’s support for workers’ rights, including the right to organize, bargain collectively, receive fair wages and benefits, and advocate for improved working conditions.
The resolution recognizes workers’ contributions to the city’s economy and calls for dignity, fairness and respect in the workplace.
If approved, it would establish the council’s position in support of labor rights but would not itself create new employment regulations or change existing labor laws.
Other highlights on the agenda:
- A little more time to cool off? Worcester’s spray parks could stay open an extra hour one day a week under a proposal returning from the Veterans’ Memorials, Parks and Recreation Committee. The request originated with a petition from Christina Foley seeking the additional hour during the 2027 season. The committee is recommending that the council request a report from the commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Cemetery on the potential impact of extending operating hours. That review would help determine what the change might involve before any adjustment to the schedule is made.
- Keeping wildlife safe at Salisbury Pond: The Veterans’ Memorials, Parks and Recreation Committee is recommending that the city manager request an update in six months on efforts to prevent wildlife from going over the Salisbury Pond Dam. The request specifically calls for humane and preventive measures, although the agenda does not identify which animals are involved or describe any particular incidents. The proposed follow-up would allow councilors to review what steps have been taken or improved. No specific wildlife deterrent or new project is being authorized through the request.
- What to do about European starlings? A petition from Ilanit Megidesh asking Worcester to reduce its population of European starlings, an invasive bird species, is heading toward a different kind of resolution. The Veterans’ Memorials, Parks and Recreation Committee recommends placing the petition on file while forwarding a copy to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The request raises the issue of managing an invasive bird population, but the agenda does not identify a proposed removal method or establish how many birds are present in the city. Any response from MassWildlife would be separate from the council’s action on the petition.
- A seat, please, at Institute Park: Rosen has a relatively straightforward request concerning the new bathrooms at Institute Park: Install toilet seats. Rosen is asking the city manager to identify funding to ensure seats are installed on the toilets in the new facilities. The agenda does not specify how many seats are needed or what the installation would cost. Although a small item compared with major infrastructure projects, the request concerns a basic amenity for people using one of Worcester’s public parks.
- Vacant lots could face higher fees. Councilor Robert Bilotta is seeking an update on a proposal to impose escalating fees on properties that have remained vacant and undeveloped for more than five years. The council previously approved a request March 31 asking the city manager to have Inspectional Services draft an ordinance and examine potential legal obstacles. Bilotta now wants to know where that work stands, including whether the city has identified any legal impediments to establishing such a fee system. No fee amounts or proposed ordinance language are included in the material provided for Tuesday’s meeting. The request could revive a discussion about how Worcester encourages the development of long-vacant properties.
- Honoring Ruth Rodriguez-Fay: A portion of Oread Street could receive the honorary designation Ruth Rodriguez-Fay Way under a recommendation from the Public Works Committee. Councilor Luis A. Ojeda submitted the petition on behalf of Kelly M. Fay Rodriguez and Joselina Fay, requesting the designation for Oread Street between Main and Beacon streets. The committee considered the petition Oct. 7 and recommended that the City Council adopt the accompanying order. The designation remains subject to council approval, and the agenda materials provided do not include biographical information about Rodriguez-Fay.
- Memorials on Worcester Common: Plans for proposed Purple Heart and Gold Star memorials on Worcester Common are also returning to the council through the Veterans’ Memorials, Parks and Recreation Committee. The committee reviewed an informational communication from the city manager concerning the proposed memorials and recommends placing it on file. Purple Heart and Gold Star memorials recognize different forms of military service and sacrifice, including service members wounded or killed and families who have lost loved ones in military service. The agenda item does not include new construction details, funding decisions or a proposed installation date. Placing the communication on file would not itself authorize construction.
Worcester City Council meets Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Esther Howland Chamber at City Hall. The meeting is also livestreamed on the city’s website.
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