Council adopts ordinance allowing pre‑annexation agreement, authorizes immediate enactment

Worcester City Council on March 3, 2025, unanimously adopted Ordinance 2025-02, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a pre‑annexation agreement with certain property owners to facilitate annexation and extension of utility services. Council also voted to suspend the rules to move the ordinance to third reading and allow immediate enactment.

The ordinance was read into the record and Councilor Moulton moved to advance it to third and final reading. Councilor Malta moved to suspend the rules to permit immediate enactment; Councilor Kanapik seconded the suspension. City Clerk Hamilton called the roll on the suspension and every voting member present voted yes. Councilor Malta then moved to adopt the ordinance; Councilor Myers seconded. Hamilton called the roll on adoption and the ordinance passed with six affirmative votes; one council member, Councilor Abernathy, was absent.

Ordinance 2025-02 is described in the meeting as authorizing the mayor to enter into pre‑annexation agreements “for the purpose of facilitating the annexation and extension of utility services to those properties.” The suspension of the rules was explicitly requested to permit immediate enactment of the ordinance following the vote.

Formal actions recorded at the meeting show a motion to suspend rules followed by a motion to adopt. Both votes were recorded by roll call. The council did not append conditions or amendments on the chamber floor during the adoption vote; no amendments were reported in the transcript.

The council took no additional formal steps at that time to implement the agreement beyond adopting the ordinance and authorizing immediate enactment. The agenda indicated future communications from the mayor and future meetings where implementation details could be discussed.

The council’s next regularly scheduled meeting is March 17, 2025.