on tonight's Council

There's been active discussion in many places regarding many things about tonight's Council agenda. I just sent the following email: 

Good morning,

I find that there are several matters before you this evening that overlap with concerns I have as a member of the Worcester School Committee. I thus write to you in that capacity, cc'ing my own district councilor as well as the members of the Education Committee.

First, I want to applaud the city for moving forward with Complete Streets work on Mill Street. The "Speedway," as it has long been known, is a menace to pedestrians. We are, as a city, overdue for due consideration of our pedestrians, many of whom are children. As those on Education will recall, we took that matter up at our fall meeting, and I look forward to the city administration collaborating with WPS administration on making the streets of the city safer during all weather for our community on foot, on bikes, in buses of all kinds, as well as in cars. I urge you not to delay this work out of what is clearly a political display. We are all aware that campaigning during public meetings is barred.

Second, I note with interest that there are a number of items regarding lifeguards and access to water safely in the city during summer months. Would that this level of interest had resulted from the Parks committee meeting on January 9th, during which I and others  spoke during public testimony, noting the city's lack of structure, support, training, or adequate funding for lifeguards. The stabbing of a lifeguard resulted in no after action assessment by the city, and the ensuing years have only further weakened the department, as word has spread among guards that Worcester is not a safe place to work. Let me be very clear: as the mother of a former Worcester lifeguard, and as a current Committee member, I will publicly and vigorously oppose any collaboration to recruit our students as lifeguards until there is a top to bottom overhaul of the city aquatics department, including leadership, training, funding, staffing, support, and protocols and process. Until then, I will not endanger our students in this manner. 

Let me also be clear, though: We cannot, in the climate crisis we are in, stand by and not have safe access to water, either. Please make the changes necessary.

Third, the inclusion of "robot dogs" on the agenda is dismaying. We do not create a safer city for our children by adopting measures against which science fiction has been warning us for at least a century.

Finally, I have followed with interest the question regarding mock health clinics, in part because I have waited for other measures to come back from the city administration from the Education Committee without that happening. I hope the Council will take seriously the responsibility the city administration has to respond to Council items, whatever their personal opinions on the contents therein.

Thank you, as always, for your time and attention,

Tracy Novick