City Council - 3.17.2026

City Council Meeting - 3.17.2026

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Chapters

Meeting Open (00:00:00)
Meeting Open
Public Forum (00:01:28)
Public Forum
Announcements (00:01:48)
Announcements
Report of the Appointments Committee - March 17, 2026 (00:04:23)
Report of the Appointments Committee - March 17, 2026

III. REPORT OF THE APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE Appointments Committee Oral Report Meeting of March 17, 2026 New Appointments: Fitchburg Conservation Commission Abigail Wolf (Term to expire on January 1, 2027) New Appointments: Fitchburg Redevelopment Board Brian Lipomi (Term to expire on March 17, 2031) Kerry C. Siomos, Jr. (Term to expire on March 17, 2031) Re-Appointment: Fitchburg Airport Commission Richard Liberatore (Term to expire on July 1, 2028) Re-Appointment: Executive Director of Community Development and Planning Elizabeth ?Liz' Murphy (Term to expire on December 12, 2028)
Report of the Committee on Records (00:13:42)
Report of the Committee on Records
Communications: New Appointments & Re-Appointments (00:13:52)
Communications: New Appointments & Re-Appointments

V. COMMUNICATIONS Her Honor the Mayor 1. New Appointment letter: Deanna 'DJ' Tardiff, as a Member of the Fitchburg Disability Commission, for a term to expire on April 7, 2029. 2. New Appointment letter: Julio Fuentes, as a Member of the Fitchburg Cultural Council, for a term to expire on April 7, 2029. 3. New Appointment letter: Brittney Fish, as Director of Human Resources, for a term to expire on December 31, 2028. 4. New Appointment letter: Alex Stellato, as a Full-Time Police Officer. 5. New Appointment letters: Full Time Student Police Officers For the City of Fitchburg + Nathan Voight + Dylan Bartlett + Stefano Allen
Communications: Promotion Letter (00:14:34)
Communications: Promotion Letter

Promotion letter: Firefighter Skylar Kozloski to rank of permanent Firefighter Lieutenant.
Communication: The MassDOT Highway Division (00:15:35)
Communication: The MassDOT Highway Division

The MassDOT Highway Division In accordance with 333 CMR 11.05 The MassDOT Highway Division is hereby notifying you that the 2026-2030 Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) for the proposed herbicide application has been submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR).
043-26: Annual Report - Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority for FY 2025 and Audited Financials for FY2024 (00:16:05)
043-26: Annual Report - Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority for FY 2025 and Audited Financials for FY2024

VI. ANNUAL REPORT 043-26. ANNUAL REPORT: Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority for Fiscal Year 2025 and The Audited Financials for Fiscal Year 2024.
Report of the Finance Committee - March 11, 2026 (00:16:33)
Report of the Finance Committee - March 11, 2026

Finance Committee Meeting of March 11, 2026 Oral Report + 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. (Be Held) + 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. (Be Adopted) + 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. (Be Adopted) + 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. (Be Adopted) + 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. (Be Adopted) + 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. (Be Held)
Report of the Legislative Affairs Committee - March 17, 2026 (00:18:13)
Report of the Legislative Affairs Committee - March 17, 2026

Legislative Affairs Meeting of March 17, 2026 Oral Report 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)
Orders-Finance (00:38:41)
Orders-Finance

VIII. ORDER - FINANCE + 044-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of funds from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security State 911 Department Training Grant in the approximate amount of ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY THOUSAND NINETY-EIGHT and 84/100 DOLLARS ($170,098.84) for the purpose of training Fire Department dispatchers in Emergency Medical Dispatch procedures, and Police Department dispatchers in 911 Emergency procedures. + 045-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg approve the expenditure of Shannon Community Safety Initiative Grant fund in the approximate amount of THREE HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND EIGHTY-TWO AND 51/100 DOLLARS ($322,082.51) from the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security for multi-jurisdictional youth initiatives. + 046-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of state earmark fund in the approximate amount of THREE HUNDRED FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS ($304,000) to support the production of market-rate housing at the Iver Mills development project on River Street.
Ordinance: 023-26 - To Amend City Code Ch. 94, Art. I, Sect. 94-1 - 94-3 Titled 'Building Fees' to Update Fee Amounts (00:38:51)
Ordinance: 023-26 - To Amend City Code Ch. 94, Art. I, Sect. 94-1 - 94-3 Titled 'Building Fees' to Update Fee Amounts

023-26. AN ORDINANCE: amending the Code of the City of Fitchburg, Chapter 94, Article I Section 94-1 through 94-3 titled Building Fees to update fee amounts.
Ordinance: 047-26 - To Amend City Code Ch. 132 by Adding a New Article VIII, 'Municipal Parking Garage Restrictions' (00:39:27)
Ordinance: 047-26 - To Amend City Code Ch. 132 by Adding a New Article VIII, 'Municipal Parking Garage Restrictions'

047-26. AN ORDINANCE: amending Chapter 132 of the Code of the City of Fitchburg by adding a new Article VIII, Municipal Parking Garage Restrictions.
Petition: 048-26 - To Hold a Public Hearing To Consider Proposed Amendments to the Fitchburg Zoning Ordinance (00:39:51)
Petition: 048-26 - To Hold a Public Hearing To Consider Proposed Amendments to the Fitchburg Zoning Ordinance

X. PETITIONS 048-26. City Council to hold a Public Hearing to consider proposed amendments to the Fitchburg Zoning Ordinance, including revisions to Sections 181.10,181.31, 181.51, 181.64, 181.94, and 181.95, relating to site plan applicability, site plan review and special permit procedures, revisions to the definition of ?Transportation Terminal,? extension of permitted hours of operation for marijuana establishments, and expansion of zoning districts permitting marijuana delivery courier and operator uses. (Referred to Public Hearing on April 7, 2026)
Petition: 049-26 - Unitil to Petition for a New Pole A on Jeffrey Keating Road, Approximately 95' From Mount Elam Road (00:40:49)
Petition: 049-26 - Unitil to Petition for a New Pole A on Jeffrey Keating Road, Approximately 95' From Mount Elam Road

049-26. Unitil to petition for a new pole A on Jeffrey Keating Road, approximately 95' from Mount Elam Rd. and approximately 665' from Forest Hill Road. (Referred to Public Hearing on April 7, 2026)