The Worcester City Clerk requested $203,760 in CPA funds to preserve and bind approximately 1,698 physical record books containing vital records, business filings and council items dating from 1770 to the present.

Deputy City Clerk Claire Robbins said the City Clerk is the keeper of Worcester’s vital records and that many volumes are in poor condition. Robbins provided counts in the hearing: 489 birth books, 700 death books, 335 marriage books and additional business and council records. She said the cost per book for appropriate archival binding is approximately $120 and that the work would prioritize the oldest and most fragile books first; the physical binding is separate from a later digitization step.

Robbins described a three‑year timeline to complete binding and vault upgrades, with an objective to have bound books preserved in the vault by July 2028. She said staff will work with a conservator/vendor experienced in archival binding and that staff will participate in project implementation.

Committee members asked about phased work and public access; Robbins said phased binding could be feasible depending on vendor logistics and that the intent is to make bound records easier for staff and the public to use, while continuing to follow state retention schedules. The CPC will score the application and make recommendations to City Council on June 17.