City Council - 3.4.2025

City Council Meeting - 3.4.2025

Note: Please view "City Council as a Whole Meeting - 3.4.2025" for Presentation of the Dog Poster Awards and Swearing in and Promotion of Michael Lopez to Captain

File Attachments:

City Council Meeting Agenda 3.5.25 (pdf, 383 KB, opens in new window/tab)
City Council Meeting Minutes 3.4.25 (vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document, 143 KB, opens in new window/tab)

Chapters

Resumption of Meeting (00:00:00)
Resumption of Meeting

Please see 'City Council as a Whole Committee - 3.4.2025' for Meeting Open, Dog License Poster Awards, and Promotion of Michael Lopez
Public Forum (00:00:29)
Public Forum
Announcements (00:03:02)
Announcements
Report of the Appointments Committee Meeting - March 4, 2025 (00:05:03)
Report of the Appointments Committee Meeting - March 4, 2025

Appointments Committee Oral Report Meeting of March 4, 2025 + New Appointment: Fitchburg Board of Registrars (Term to expire April 1, 2028) - Zachary Bos + New Appointment: Fitchburg Housing Authority Board (Term to expire March 4, 2030) - Heidi Bogner + New Appointment letter: Fitchburg Human Rights (Term to expire February 4, 2028) - Maryam Ashraf + Re-Appointment letter: Trustees of Public Burial Grounds (Term to expire January 1, 2028) - Andrew J. Hawthorne + Re-Appointment letter: Fitchburg Human Rights Commission (Term to expire January 1, 2028) - Cheryl Maguy-Stewart + Re-Appointment letter: Fitchburg Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds (Term to expire January 16, 2028) - Josiah W. Richards + Re-Appointment letter: Board of Assessors (Term to expire January 1, 2028) - Chris Paquette
Report of the Committee on Records - Through February 18, 2025 (00:06:22)
Report of the Committee on Records - Through February 18, 2025

Minutes from the Regular City Council Meeting of February 18, 2025
Communication: New Appointments and Re-Appointments (00:06:51)
Communication: New Appointments and Re-Appointments

V. COMMUNICATION Her Honor the Mayor 1. New-Appointment letter: Nancy 'Cie' Morin, as a Member of the Fitchburg Cultural Council, for a term to expire March 18, 2028. 2. New-Appointment letter: Milagros 'Millie' Whitfield, as a Member of the Fitchburg Cultural Council, for a term to expire March 18, 2028. 3. Re-Appointment letter: George J. Bourque, as a Member of the Fitchburg Council on Aging, for a term to expire March 18, 2028.
032-25: Auditor's Report for the Year Ending June 30, 2024 (00:07:36)
032-25: Auditor's Report for the Year Ending June 30, 2024
Report of the Council as a Whole Committee: March 4, 2025 (00:07:54)
Report of the Council as a Whole Committee: March 4, 2025

Council as a Whole Committee Meeting of March 4, 2025 Oral Report + 029-25. Mayor Samantha M. Squailia, to accept M.G.L. 64L, Section 2 to implement a local meal excise. + 030-25. Mayor Samantha M. Squailia, to accept M.G.L. 32B, Section 21-23 regarding group Health Insurance.
Report of the Finance Committee Meeting: February 12, 2025 (00:09:07)
Report of the Finance Committee Meeting: February 12, 2025

Finance Committee Meeting of February 26, 2025 Oral Report + 018-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the transfer of FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5,000) within CDBG Year 45 COVID-19 funds to COVID Rent and Utility Assistance from the following accounts: - Pandemic Legal Assistance - $1,328.27 - COVID Grant Administration - $3,671.73 (Be Adopted) + 023-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of funds from the Shannon Community Safety Initiative Grant awarded by the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security in the approximate amount of FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY-TWO AND 76/100 DOLLARS ($479,882.76) to address the underlying causes of criminal activity, and to build positive relationships with young people. (Be Adopted) + 024-25. ORDER THAT: The City of Fitchburg hereby appropriates the sum of SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($700,000) same to be charged against Available Funds and credited to the following DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, SNOW & ICE accounts: - PERSONAL SERVICES - Overtime $75,000.00 - EXPENSES - SALT $625,000.00 (Be Adopted) + 025-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby appropriates from Available Funds, the sum of THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($35,000), to FACILITIES - Contracted Services, for critical equipment repairs and maintenance at City Hall and the Legislative Building. (Be Held) + 026-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby appropriates from Available Funds, the sum of ONE HUNDRED FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($105,000), to be credited to: - LAW OTHER EXPENSES - Labor Negotiator $100,000 - LAW OTHER EXPENSES - Litigation/Special Counsel $5,000 (Be Adopted) + Community Development Block Grant Year 51 (Recommended as amended)
Orders 037-25 to 057-25: CDBG Year 51 (00:10:41)
Orders 037-25 to 057-25: CDBG Year 51
Orders-Finance (00:20:36)
Orders-Finance

+ 033-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of funds from the Department of Fire Services Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant in the approximate amount of FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS ($4,650) for the purpose of purchasing three AED machines. + 034-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated from AVAILABLE FUNDS the sum of TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($225,000) for POLICE PERSONAL SERVICES - OVERTIME. + 035-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby transfers the sum of FIFTY-SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($57,000) from POLICE PERSONAL SERVICES - Patrolmen to: - POLICE EQUIPMENT & REPAIR - Tire Replacement $ 2,000 - POLICE EQUIPMENT & REPAIR - Training $16,000 - POLICE OTHER EXPENSES - Dues & Subscriptions $ 2,000 - POLICE OTHER EXPENSES - Provision for Prisoners $ 4,000 - POLICE OTHER EXPENSES - Animal Control $ 2,000 - POLICE MAINT OF BUILDING - Electricity $24,000 - POLICE MAINT OF BUILDING - Heating Fuel $ 3,000 - POLICE MAINT OF BUILDING - Households $ 4,000 + 036-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby appropriate and transfer the sum of FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($50,000) from RESERVE FOR OTHER MUNICIPAL PURPOSES - Capital Expenses to POLICE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS - Building Renovation.
Order-Other: 058-25 (00:20:51)
Order-Other: 058-25

058-25. ORDER THAT: the Mayor be and is hereby authorized to enter into an extension for the Deed Restriction set forth in the deed for the property located at 21 Market Street from the City of Fitchburg dated December 2, 2020 and recorded in the Worcester North Registry of Deeds in Book 9806 Page 155 originally to Y & M Home Solutions LLC and thereafter in a Deed dated April 28, 2022 and recorded in said Registry in Book 10319 Page351 currently in the name of Luis A. Hernandez, said Deed Restriction requiring the building permit for the rehabilitation of the premises to be obtained within 9 months from the date of the original deed (December 2, 2020) and the complete rehabilitation and constriction of the premises within 18 months of the deed. Said dates to be extended as follows: application for a building permit to be no later than August 20th, 2025; completion of the rehabilitation of the premises no later than August 20, 2026; and that the Mayor be further authorized to enter into any and all agreements to effectuate the terms of this Order. (City Property)
Loan Order: 019-25 - Amend Loan Order 160-24 (00:21:10)
Loan Order: 019-25 - Amend Loan Order 160-24

019-25. LOAN ORDER: the Loan Order #160-24, which was ordered by this Council on September 17, 2024 and authorized a borrowing of $12,700,000 for various water projects, is hereby amended by replacing it in its entirety to read as follows: ORDERED: That $11,400,000 aggregate amount is appropriated for the following projects, including all costs incidental and related thereto, which amount may be apportioned to such projects as needed to accomplish the projects: (i) rehabilitation and/or upgrade of the Meetinghouse Gatehouse and Mare Meadow Pump Station, at an estimated cost of $4,300,000; (ii) Main Street water main replacement project, at an estimated cost of $4,500,000, which amount is expected to be used in addition to certain American Rescue Plan Act funds available for the project; (iii) Regional Water Treatment Plant roof replacement and/or weatherproofing project, at an estimated cost of $850,000; and (iv) Water Street water main replacement project, at an estimated cost of $1,750,000; and that to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the Mayor is authorized to borrow $11,400,000 under G.L. c.44, Section 8 or any other enabling authority; that the Mayor is authorized to contract for and expend any federal or state aid available for the projects; that the Mayor is authorized to take any other action necessary to carry out the projects; and that the Treasurer is authorized to file an application with the Municipal Finance Oversight Board to qualify under Chapter 44A of the General Laws any or all of the bonds authorized by this order and to provide such information and execute such documents as the Municipal Finance Oversight Board may require for these purposes. (First Reading)
Petitions (00:24:07)
Petitions

+ 059-25. Liz Murphy, Executive Director of Community Development & Planning, to request approval of a TIE agreement for 533 Main St. (Economic Development) + 060-25. Councilor Beauchemin, to remove parking meter bags on Grove Street. Cars are utilizing parking spots for the entire day. (Public Safety)