Boards & Commissions | City of Worcester
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The City of Worcester's Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) is a five-member volunteer regulatory board appointed by the City Manager that holds public hearings on special permit applications, variance requests to deviate from zoning requirements, applications for privileged non-conforming structures, and appeals of Building Commissioner zoning decisions. The ZBA evaluates applications against criteria in the Zoning Ordinance and may impose conditions on approvals to protect public health, safety, or welfare. As of July 2025, all current and upcoming agendas, archived meeting minutes dating back to 2021, and meeting videos are available through the OneMeeting portal; public comments must be submitted at least 48 hours before meetings using the Board & Commissions Public Comment Form. The City of Worcester warns of ongoing scams impersonating city officials requesting wire transfers for permits, and clarifies that legitimate permit fees are requested by check or through the OpenGov portal only.
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The City of Worcester provides public access to governmental meeting materials in compliance with Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, which requires open meetings with public notice and accessible records. As of July 2025, all current and upcoming agendas, archived meeting minutes dating back to 2021, and meeting videos are available through the OneMeeting public portal, with older archived files being added on an ongoing basis. Residents can search City Council and Standing Committee agenda attachments through the Laserfiche WebLink document imaging portal. The city permits both in-person and remote participation at all City Council and Standing Committee meetings under Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021.
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Worcester's City Council is the legislative body consisting of eleven elected officials: Mayor and Councilor-at-Large Joe Petty, six additional Councilors-at-Large, and five District Councilors representing Districts 1–5. As of July 2025, all current and upcoming agendas, archived meeting minutes, and meeting videos are available through the OneMeeting portal, with archived materials going back to 2021 and older files being added on an ongoing basis. Residents can petition the City Council on topics including street conditions, lighting, public safety, housing, zoning, taxation, traffic, and parking, and can contact their councilors using the city's online contact form or identify their district representative through an interactive map.
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