City Council Meeting

City Council Meeting - 7.5.2023

File Attachments:

City Council Meeting Agenda 7.5.23 (application/pdf, 217 KB, opens in new window/tab)

Chapters

Meeting Open - Agenda Item II Announcements (00:00:00)
Meeting Open - Agenda Item II Announcements

I. PUBLIC FORUM This meeting will be open to the public. Persons who wish to participate remotely in the Public Forum portion of the meeting may request a remote attendance link by contacting the City Clerk at cityclerk@fitchburgma.gov. II. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Agenda Item III Appointments Committee-Agenda Item IV Reports of Committee on Records (00:07:12)
Agenda Item III Appointments -- Item IV Committee on Records

III. APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE Appointments Committee Oral Report Meeting of July 5, 2023 New Appointment: Fitchburg Cultural Council (Term to expire July 1, 2026) Ellen Daoust New Appointment: Fitchburg Council on Aging (Term to expire July 1, 2026) Todd A. Goodwin IV. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON RECORDS
Agenda Item V Communications from His Honor the Mayor (00:08:16)
Agenda Item V Communications from His Honor the Mayor

V. COMMUNICATIONS His Honor the Mayor 1. Permanent Full Time Firefighters For the City of Fitchburg Francis J. Leblanc Brendan V. Byrne 2. Poll workers for the period of September 1, 2023, through August 31, 2024.
Agenda Item VI Reports of Committees: Public Safety (00:08:45)
Agenda Item VI Reports of Committees: Public Safety

VI. REPORT OF COMMITTEES Public Safety Committee Oral Report Meeting of July 5, 2023 126-23. A & R Automotive Group to petition for a Class II Dealer’s License located at: 19 Dwight St. Fitchburg, MA 01420
Agenda Item VI Reports of Committees: Finance (00:09:35)
Agenda Item VI Reports of Committees: Finance

VII. ORDERS – FINANCE 196-23. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of funds from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs FY24 Greening the Gateway Cities Program Implementation Grant Award in the approximate amount of $88,650.00 (EIGHTY-EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY AND 00/100 DOLLARS) for the purpose of said grant, which is to achieve tree planting, promote stewardship and appreciation of Fitchburg’s trees for the environmental benefits and energy savings that a healthy tree canopy brings to the residents of the City. 197-23. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of funds from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs FY24 Greening the Gateway Cities Program Partnership Grant Award in the approximate amount of $12,944.00 (TWELVE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR AND 00/100 DOLLARS) for the purpose of said grant, which is to assist DCR Urban and Community Forestry as they plant trees in target neighborhoods in Fitchburg to increase tree canopy cover for environmental and energy efficiency benefits
Agenda Item VIII Orders- Other: Order 186-23 Police Personal Services (00:11:47)
Agenda Item VIII Orders-Other: order 186-23 Police Personal Services

VIII. ORDERS – OTHER 186-23. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is transferred from within the sum of TEN THOUSAND AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($10,000.00) same to be transferred from POLICE, PERSONAL SERVICES, PATROLMAN and credited to POLICE, PERSONAL SERVICES, OVERTIME. (Suspension of Rules)
Agenda Item VIII Orders- Other: Order 187-23 Contract Fee Rubbish Removal (00:13:16)
Agenda Item VIII Orders-Other: Order 187-23 Contract Fee Rubbish Removal

187-23. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is transferred from within the sum of FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($50,000.00) same to be transferred from HEALTH, SANITARY LANDFILL EXPENSES, CONTRACTED SERVICES and credited to HEALTH, RUBBISH REMOVAL EXPENSES, CONTRACT FEES for the purpose of covering rubbish removal costs for the remainder of the fiscal year. (Suspension of Rules)
Agenda Item VIII Orders-Other: Order 188-23 NACCHO Grant (00:27:18)
Agenda Item VIII Orders-Other 188-23 NACCHO Grant

188-23. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of funds from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) grant in the approximate amount of $25,000.00 (TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND AND 00/100 DOLLARS) for the purpose of said grant, which is to address issues of vaccine equity.
Agenda Item VIII Orders-other: Order 189-23 Opioid Settlement (00:32:41)
Agenda Item VIII Orders-Other 189-23 Opioid Settlement

189-23. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of ONE HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($140,000.00) from RESERVE FOR APPROPRIATION, OPIOID SETTLEMENT and credited to the following HEALTH, OPIOID SETTLEMENT accounts: PERSONAL SERVICES, OUTREACH WORKER $80,000.00 PERSONAL SERVICES, COORDINATOR STIPEND $10,000.00 EXPENSES, CONTRACTED SERVICES $50,000.00 (Suspension of Rules
Agenda Item VIII Orders-Other: Order 190-23 Health Expenses (00:50:44)
Agenda Item VIII Orders-Other: Order 190-23 Health Expenses

190-23. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is transferred from within the sum of TWENTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($20,000.00) same to be transferred from HEALTH, PERSONAL SERVICES, ASSISTANT TO DEPARTMENT HEAD and credited to HEALTH, EXPENSES, CONTRACTED SERVICES to cover the cost of a contracted outreach worker. (Suspension of Rules
Agenda Item IV Ordinances: 198-23 Parking (00:50:55)
Agenda Item IV Ordinances: 198-23 Parking

IV. ORDINANCES 198-23. AN ORDINANCE: Article IV, §169-24 of the Fitchburg City Code entitled “Parking prohibited at all times” as most recently amended, shall be amended as follows: A new line shall be inserted directly below the line beginning “Holt Street” and the following words shall be inserted therein: The words “Industrial Road” shall be inserted under the “Name of Street” column; The words “Both” shall be inserted under the “Side” column; The words “Entire Length” shall be inserted under the “Location” column. A new line shall be inserted directly below the line beginning “Spruce Street” and the following words shall be inserted therein: The words “Stevens Road” shall be inserted under the “Name of Street” column; The words “Both” shall be inserted under the “Side” column; The words “Entire Length” shall be inserted under the “Location” column. A new line shall be inserted directly below the line beginning “Fulton Street” and the following words shall be inserted therein: The words “Game On Way” shall be inserted under the “Name of Street” column; The words “Both” shall be inserted under the “Side” column; The words “From the intersection of Industrial Road and Victoria Lane to the entrance of the Game On Facility Entrance” shall be inserted under the “Location” column. (First Reading)
Agenda Item IV Ordinances: 199-23 Towing Zones (00:52:08)
Agenda Item IV Ordinances; 199-23 Towing Zones

199-23. AN ORDINANCE: Article VII, §169-99 of the Fitchburg City Code, entitled “Specific towing zones designated” as most recently amended, shall be amended as follows: A new line shall be inserted directly below the line beginning “Richardson Street” and the following words shall be inserted therein: The words “Roper Road” shall be inserted under the “Name of Street” column; Page 4 The words “Both” shall be inserted under the “Side” column; The words “From Industrial Road to the Westminster Town Line” shall be inserted under the “Location” column. A new line shall be inserted directly below the line beginning “Scripture Road” and the following words shall be inserted therein: The words “Victoria Lane” shall be inserted under the “Name of Street” column; The words “Both” shall be inserted under the “Side” column; The words “Entire Length of Street During Game On Functions” shall be inserted under the “Location” column. (First Reading
Agenda Item IV Ordinances: 200-23 Parking Prohibited (00:52:44)
Agenda Item IV Ordinances: 200-23 Parking Prohibited

Parking Prohibited
Agenda Item X Petitions: 183-23 Rainbow Crosswalk (00:54:17)
Agenda Item X: Petitions': 183-23 Crosswalk

X. PETITIONS 183-23. Councilor Sam Squailia, on behalf of NoWoCo Pride, to paint a rainbow crosswalk inside the existing White Ladder Painted crosswalks across Boulder Drive and Commercial St at Cushing Plaza, for the 5th Annual Pride Festival on July 22, 2023 being held at Riverfront Park. See attached image for reference. Painting can be either temporary chalk paint or permanent paint at the discretion of DPW/FPD. (Suspension of Rules)
Agenda Item X Petitions: 201-23 - 202-23 Unitil (00:56:44)
Agenda Item X: Petitions 201-23 - 202-23 Unitil

201-23. Unitil, to petition for a new pole #22A on Beech St., approx. 260' North of Pratt Street and approx. 43' South of LaFlamme Pl., as outlined in the enclosed Petition. (Public Hearing July 18, 2023) 202-23. Unitil, to install conduit from existing pole #6, approximately 245.3' South along Old Princeton Rd., and approximately 155.6' West to the Flagg Pond Substation. This is for the purpose of installing a fiber optic service line as outlined in the enclosed Petition. (Public Hearing July 18, 2023
Agenda Item X Petitions: 203-23 - 204-23 - Adjournment (00:59:10)
Agenda Item X: Petition's 203-23 - 204-23 -- Adjournment

203-23. Remove the current no parking area on the east side of Snow St. (Snow Street East from Cherry Street to opposite Union Street) and replacing it with time limit parking (Two Hour Parking) to add ten new parking spots. (Refer to Public Safety) 204-23. City Councilor Bernie Schultz, on behalf of Catherine Tucker of 308 Milk Street, to request a sidewalk repair in front of 308 Milk Street. (Refer to Public Works) XI. OTHER BUSINESS