City Council - 3.11.2026

City Council Meeting - 3.11.2026

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Agenda (pdf, 421 KB, opens in new window/tab)

Chapters

Meeting Open (00:00:00)
Meeting Open
Announcements (00:01:49)
Announcements
Special Presentation: Dog License Awareness Poster Contest (00:03:28)
Special Presentation: Dog License Awareness Poster Contest

VII. SPECIAL PRESENTATION Presentation of trophies from Fitchburg Police Department to the winners of the Dog License Awareness Poster Contest
Public Forum (00:18:21)
Public Forum
Report of the Appointments Committee - March 11, 2026 (00:19:31)
Report of the Appointments Committee - March 11, 2026

III. REPORT OF THE APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE Appointments Committee Oral Report Meeting of March 11, 2026 + New Appointment: Fitchburg Planning Board - Erik Salmi (Term to expire on February 17, 2029) + New Appointments: Fitchburg Conservation Commission - Abigail Wolf (Term to expire on January 1, 2027); Sabrina La Fave-Saletnik (Term to expire on March 3, 2029)
Report of the Committee on Records (00:20:24)
Report of the Committee on Records

Regular City Council meeting minutes of February 17, 2026
Communications: New Appointments & Re-Appointments (00:20:43)
Communications: New Appointments & Re-Appointments

V. COMMUNICATIONS Her Honor the Mayor 1. New Appointment letter: Ernest Martineau, as an Associate Member of the Fitchburg Planning Board, for a term to expire on March 17, 2028. (Leave to Withdraw) 2. New Appointment letter: Brian Lipomi, as a Member of the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority, for a term to expire on March 17, 2031. 3. New Appointment letter: Kerry C. Siomos, Jr., as a Member of the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority, for a term to expire on March 17, 2031. 4. Re-Appointment letter: Richard Liberatore, as a Member of the Fitchburg Airport Commission, for a term to expire on July 1, 2028. 5. Re-Appointment letter: Elizabeth ?Liz' Murphy, as the Executive Director of Community Development and Planning, for a term to expire on December 12, 2028
Communication: Fitchburg Retirement Board (00:22:04)
Communication: Fitchburg Retirement Board

Fitchburg Retirement Board In accordance with M.G.L. Chapter 32, Section 103 (i), this letter shall serve as notification that the Fitchburg Retirement Board shall be conducting a public meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9:50 a.m. in the North Meeting Room located on the third floor of City Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to address the increase to the fiscal year 2026 cost-of-living allowance paid to those receiving retirement benefits from the Fitchburg Retirement System.
031-26: Auditor's Report for the Year Ending June 30, 2025 (00:22:39)
031-26: Auditor's Report for the Year Ending June 30, 2025

VI. ANNUAL REPORT 031-26. ANNUAL REPORT: Auditor's report for the year ending June 30, 2025
Report of the Finance Committee - February 25, 2026 (00:22:53)
Report of the Finance Committee - February 25, 2026

Finance Committee Meeting of February 25, 2026 Oral Report + 025-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog, Inc. grant funds in the amount of TEN THOUSAND EIGHTY-SIX DOLLARS ($10,086) for the purchase of a cruiser insert and Ace K-9 system. (Be Adopted) + 026-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby transfers the total sum of ONE HUNDRED NINETY-ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($191,000) from within the following Police Department accounts: From: ++ POLICE PERSONAL SERVICES - Patrolmen $131,000 ++ POLICE PERSONAL SERVICES - Professional Standards $ 28,000 ++ POLICE PERSONAL SERVICES - Sergeants $ 20,000 ++ POLICE PERSONAL SERVICES - Sick Time $ 12,000 To: ++ POLICE PERSONAL SERVICES - Overtime $125,000 ++ POLICE PERSONAL SERVICES - Clerical $ 35,000 ++ POLICE EQUIPMENT & REPAIR - Contracted Services $ 20,000 ++ POLICE EQUIPMENT & REPAIR-Recruit Academy Training $ 11,000 (Be Adopted) + 028-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of grant funds from the Massachusetts Office of Disability in the approximate amount of SIXTY-SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($67,000) to fund the design of an ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan. (Be Adopted)
019-26, 020-26, 021-26: Orders Related to the DPW Labor Contract (00:24:43)
019-26, 020-26, 021-26: Orders Related to the DPW Labor Contract

Finance Committee Meeting of February 25, 2026 Oral Report + 019-26. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of FORTY-SIX THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($46,100) same to be charged against RESERVE FOR OTHER MUNICIPAL PURPOSES - Expenses and credited to the following departmental accounts: ++ PUBLIC WORKS - Labor $ 12,027 ++ PUBLIC WORKS - Overtime $ 2,117 ++ PUBLIC WORKS - Stipends $ 22,000 ++ CEMETERY - Labor $ 2,380 ++ CEMETERY - Overtime $ 445 ++ CEMETERY - Stipends $ 4,000 ++ PARKS - Stipends $ 3,000 ++ EMPLOYEE BENEFITS - Other $ 131 (Be Adopted) + 020-26. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is transferred the sum of NINETEEN THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($19,900) from within DPW Water Division PERSONAL SERVICES to the following accounts: ++ LABOR $ 4,113 ++ OVERTIME $ 751 ++ BUYBACKS $ 36 ++ STIPENDS $ 15,000 (Be Adopted) + 021-26. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is transferred the sum of FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5,000) from within DPW Wastewater Division PERSONAL SERVICES to the following account: STIPENDS $5,000 (Be Adopted)
032-26: Grant Fund Expenditure of $10,000 to Support an Overnight Winter Warming Center (01:27:56)
032-26: Grant Fund Expenditure of $10,000 to Support an Overnight Winter Warming Center

032-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure, by the Board of Health, of grant funds in the amount of TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000) from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts to support an overnight Winter Warming Center. (Suspension of Rules)
033-26: Appropriate $195,099.20 from 'Reserve for Appropriation - PEG Access Expenses' (01:28:36)
033-26: Appropriate $195,099.20 from 'Reserve for Appropriation - PEG Access Expenses'

033-26. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of ONE HUNDRED NINETY-FIVE THOUSAND NINETY-NINE AND 20/100 DOLLARS ($195,099.20) from RESERVE FOR APPROPRIATION - PEG ACCESS Expenses to RESERVE FOR APPROPRIATION - PEG ACCESS Cable Franchise Fee for the purpose of remitting to FATV the fourth quarter 2025 franchise fee, and its share of annual capital grant proceeds. (Suspension of rules)
Orders-Finance (01:29:34)
Orders-Finance

IX. ORDERS - FINANCE + 034-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg approve the expenditure of grant funds from the Federal Aviation Administration in the approximate amount of ONE HUNDRED NINETEEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT AND 03/100 DOLLARS ($119,768.03) for the purpose of improvements and deferred maintenance at the Fitchburg Municipal Airport. (Ref. Resolution 042-26) + 035-26. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($750,000) from Wastewater Enterprise Fund Retained Earnings, crediting Wastewater Enterprise Fund Expenses - Architectural & Engineering. + 036-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby appropriates the sum of ELEVEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SIXTEEN AND 73/100 DOLLARS ($11,416.73) from Available Funds to cover the Fiscal Year 2025 Snow & Ice deficit. + 037-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby appropriates from Available Funds the sum of THREE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($318,000) to DPW CAPITAL - Equipment. + 038-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby appropriates from Available Funds the sum of TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($25,000) to COUNCIL ON AGING EXPENSES - Capital Improvements. + 039-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of MassDevelopment grant funds in the approximate amount of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($250,000) to support the design of water, sewer, and storm drain upgrades, and a hotel study for the Airport land now designated as non-aviation.
Order-Other: 040-26 - To Enter Into a Grant of Easement for a Property at Prentiss Hill Road/New Westminster Road (01:30:34)
Order-Other: 040-26 - To Enter Into a Grant of Easement for a Property at Prentiss Hill Road/New Westminster Road

X. ORDER - OTHER 040-26. ORDER THAT: That the Mayor is hereby authorized to enter into a Grant of Easement for the property located at the northeasterly side of Prentiss Hill Road and the southeasterly side of New Westminster Road owned by the City of Fitchburg described in a deed recorded at the Worcester South Registry of Deeds in Book 3595 Page 38 to Massachusetts Electric Company for the purpose of installing and maintaining an overhead and underground system as part of the City of Fitchburg pump station project located thereon all in accordance with the terms of the easement, and to execute any and all documents necessary to effectuate same. (Suspension of Rules)
Ordinance (01:34:09)
Ordinance

XI. ORDINANCE 041-26. AN ORDINANCE: by the City Council of the City of Fitchburg that the Code of the City of Fitchburg, Chapter 3, Article I, Section 3-5 titled Temporary Appointments is hereby amended as outlined in the enclosed Ordinance. (Ref. Petition 014-26) (Legislative Affairs)
Resolution (01:35:00)
Resolution

XII. RESOLUTION 042-26. RESOLUTION THAT: If the Site or any portion thereof is sold, conveyed, gifted, demised, ground leased, or otherwise transferred, or refinanced, and as a result of said transaction, the Recipient receives funds that exceed the aggregate amount necessary for repayment of existing monetary liens, mortgage loans, and other debt on the Project and all of the costs incurred by them in the acquisition, development, ownership, and sale of the Site or of the portion of the Site transferred (the ?Net Proceeds?), then Recipient shall reimburse MassDevelopment the full amount of the Net Proceeds up to the amount of the Recoverable Grant that has been disbursed and has not already been repaid to MassDevelopment (the ?Disbursed Funds?). (Ref. Order 034-26)