WORCESTER—Discussion continues around the city’s new controversial rental property registry program at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, with City Manager Eric Batista communicating an amendment per request of the city’s solicitor, Michael Traynor.
Implemented on March 9 of this year, the program requires property owners to register every rented unit with the municipality. This mandate applies to various property types, including residential, commercial, industrial properties, and even vacant lots rented for any purpose.
The registry program, officially approved by the council in 2022, incorporates a nominal fee structure. These fees contribute to funding the program, including the hiring of new inspectors. In addition, a noncompliance penalty, which is still undetermined, created the most confusion and concern.
Introduced officially at the city’s landlord summit, Batista writes that it “drew understandable attention. The rental registry is a new program and marks a change from what people are used to. As with any change, it will take time to adapt.”
In response to significant community and council members opposition, the primary focus of the amendment is to decrease the penalty fee for noncompliance, which many have argued is unnecessary and impractical.
“The way the ordinance was originally written, it imposed a $300/day for failing to register,” writes Batista in the letter to council. “The amended ordinance would impose a fine equal to double the application registration or renewal fee for each month of noncompliance.”
It costs $15 per until to register a residential, commercial, retail or office unit and $25 to register a lot. There is an annual renewal fee of $5 and $15, respectively.
The amended ordinance would change the penalty fee from $300 per day to $200 per month for noncompliance.
“Every tenant in the city deserves rental units that are safe and livable,” said Batista in the amendment letter. “The program is meant to ensure that, just as car inspections are meant to ensure cars are safe for the roads and health inspections are meant to ensure food is safe to eat.”
Also on the Worcester City Council agenda Tuesday:
- A petition submitted by Gordon Davis, Worcester resident, requests that the city manager consider holding public hearings concerning the equity audit of the Worcester Police Department and the release of public records of police misconduct and hate incidents and the Diversity Officer position and plans concerning the merger of the Human Rights Commission with the Diversity Office.
- City Council Vice Chairman Khrystian King issued a request for the city manager to review the feasibility of establishing a solar trash collection receptacle program in the downtown business corridor, public parks and other identified locations in the city. He also requests the establishment of a trash pickup and recycling pilot program to pick up materials from city receptacles and provide the council with a report regarding potential revenue streams from wayfinding signage and advertisements, to assist in funding of these services.
- City Manager Eric Batista recommended the adoption of a resolution to accept and expend a grant totaling $250,000 from the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Department of Conservation & Recreation, to support Elm Park and Newton Hill improvements program
Worcester City Council meets on Tuesday, April 9, at City Hall in the Esther Howland (south) Chamber at 6:30 p.m.
Charlene Arsenault can be reached at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
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