WORCESTER—The Worcester City Council returns to the chamber Tuesday, May 6, with a packed agenda that spans neighborhood investments, big-ticket budget proposals, and even the question of whether residents can keep chickens in their backyards.
While final votes are still weeks out, the city council is getting its first look at the proposed FY26 operating and capital budgets—including a hefty $158.9 million loan order. The funds would bankroll a long list of projects, from $47 million for the new South Division Fire Station to $15 million for street and sidewalk repairs, $13.25 million for park upgrades, and nearly $17 million for sewer construction. The proposal spans departments and touches everything from guardrails to golf courses, with city leaders authorized to shift funds internally without returning to the Council—so long as the projects remain the same.
Councilor and Vice Chair Khrystian King is requesting a comprehensive accounting of the CSX Neighborhood Improvement Fund, a source of community development dollars tied to the freight operations near city neighborhoods. King is looking for clarity on how much has come in, how it’s been spent, who decides where it goes, and whether there’s a mechanism to track annual container fee donations. The goal: transparency and equity in how rail-adjacent areas benefit from industrial development.
City councilors weigh a sweeping proposal from Worcester Housing Authority CEO Alex Corrales to discontinue and reconfigure several streets in Great Brook Valley, reshaping the neighborhood’s footprint to support future housing plans. The request includes changes to Joseph P. Carlson Way, Service Road, and Great Brook Valley Avenue—parts of which would be discontinued, redrawn, or moved via permanent easements. City property rights in some areas would also be abandoned. A detailed layout plan was submitted showing new road alignments, and the Planning Board has already recommended the petition as a top priority following a favorable review by Public Works.
Other highlights on the agenda:
- Pickleball push continues: Councilors consider a request to assess whether city schools can double as pickleball courts—but that’s just the beginning. A petition now calls for a citywide plan to create at least 30 courts by repurposing underused tennis courts or building new ones. It also urges the city to work with the school department to add a minimum of eight courts at or near the city’s four junior high schools to expand athletic opportunities for middle schoolers. This builds on the sport’s explosive growth—and the reality that Worcester players are flooding suburban courts to find open space.
- Frances Perkins Library reopening timeline: Councilor Jenny Pacillo is asking for an official update on the closing of the Frances Perkins Branch Library. Specifically, she wants a detailed timeline outlining when the branch is expected to reopen and what repairs or upgrades might be underway. The closure has raised concerns about access to public resources in the neighborhood.
- Chickens in the city? A petition from resident Joseph Mangiameli seeks to legalize backyard hens for egg-laying purposes. With egg prices still climbing—the cost of a dozen large grade-A eggs reached $6.23 in March, more than double last year’s price—the proposal aims to give residents a more affordable, sustainable option. Currently, no ordinance explicitly allows or bans chickens in Worcester, but neighbor complaints can still trigger removal.
- Refreshing the city manager evaluation: Councilor Morris Bergman is requesting a review of the current City Manager Evaluation Form ahead of the 2025 evaluation cycle. The goal is to revisit the existing format and consider updates that reflect current priorities and performance benchmarks.
Worcester City Council meets Tuesday, May 6, at City Hall in the Esther Howland (south) Chamber 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.
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