City Council - 7.15.2025

City Council Meeting - 7.15.2025

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Chapters

Meeting Open (00:00:00)
Meeting Open
Public Forum (00:01:54)
Public Forum
Announcements (00:04:40)
Announcements
Report of the Appointments Committee Meeting - July 15, 2025 (00:06:25)
Report of the Appointments Committee Meeting - July 15, 2025

III. REPORT OF THE APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE Appointments Committee Oral Report Meeting of July 15, 2025 New-Appointment letter: Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority (For a term to expire July 15, 2030) Joseph S. Bowen New Appointments: Poll Workers For the period of September 1st, 2025, through August 31st, 2026. (To be sworn in during training sessions) New-Appointment letter: Fitchburg Cultural Council (For a term to expire July 15, 2028) Sarah Beth Wheeler Re-Appointment letter: Commissioner of the Department of Public Works (For a term to expire July 3, 2028) Nicholas J. Erickson, PE
Report of the Committee on Records - Through July 1, 2025 (00:09:08)
Report of the Committee on Records - Through July 1, 2025

IV. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON RECORDS Council as a Whole minutes June 11, 2025 Council as a Whole minutes June 17, 2025 Regular City Council meeting minutes of July 1, 2025
New Appointments: Three Full-Time Student Police Officers for the City of Fitchburg (00:09:44)
New Appointments: Three Full-Time Student Police Officers for the City of Fitchburg

1. New-Appointment letter: Full-Time Student Police Officers for the City of Fitchburg + Nicholas Gray + Andres Porras + Diandra Boddie
Re-Appointment: Joyce Jacobs - Fitchburg Conservation Commission, Term to Expire August 1, 2028 (00:13:13)
Re-Appointment: Joyce Jacobs - Fitchburg Conservation Commission, Term to Expire August 1, 2028

2. Re-Appointment letter: Joyce Jacobs, as a Member of the Fitchburg Conservation Commission, for a term to expire on August 1, 2028.
Communication: Board of Health (00:17:20)
Communication: Board of Health

VI. COMMUNICATION Board of Health 095-25. City Councilor Bernie Schultz, in conjunction with Fire Chief Dante Suarez and Director of Public Health Steve Curry, to address public safety issues at 240 Water Street, the former St. Bernard's Church. The church spire is no longer straight up and down and presents a falling danger. In addition, homeless people frequently have broken into the church buildings and present an ongoing fire hazard for the city. A more permanent securing of the buildings at this address is necessary.
Report of the Finance Committee Meeting: June 25, 2025 (00:25:25)
Report of the Finance Committee Meeting: June 25, 2025

Finance Committee Meeting of July 9, 2025 Oral Report + 136-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is transferred the sum of SIXTY THOUSAND ($60,000) from EMPLOYEE BENEFITS - Health Insurance to the following HEALTH DEPARTMENT accounts: ++ SANITARY LANDFILL - Contracted Services $ 45,000 ++ RUBBISH REMOVAL - Clean up Funds $ 15,000 (Be Adopted) + 137-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is transferred the sum of TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000) from LAW - OTHER EXPENSES - Labor Negotiator to the following accounts: ++ LAW EXPENSES - Damages Persons & Property $7,500 ++ LAW EXPENSES - Registry & Other Fees $2,500 (Be Adopted) + 138-25 ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is transferred the sum of TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($238,500) from EMPLOYEE BENEFITS - Health Insurance to the following accounts: ++ EMPLOYEE BENEFITS - Workers Compensation $ 15,000 ++ EMPLOYEE BENEFITS - Unemployment Insurance $150,000 ++ EMPLOYEE BENEFITS - Medicare $ 57,000 ++ MISCELLANEOUS - Medicaid Billing Commissions $ 16,500 (Be Adopted)
Report of the Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting: July 15, 2025 (00:27:08)
Report of the Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting: July 15, 2025

Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting of July 15, 2025 Oral Report + 270-23. Marisa Fleming on behalf of Ward 5 residents to relocate the election polling site either back to Saima Park or any other suitable location where traffic is not so dense. + 139-25. Josiah Richards, request to raise a Disabilities Pride Flag in front of the Legislative Building from July 21 through July 28. + 140-25. The City Clerk, petitions the City of Fitchburg to relocate the polling places for the following wards to more suitable, accessible, and publicly owned locations: 1.?Ward 1 Current Location: Knights of Columbus, 165 Electric Avenue Proposed Location: South Street Elementary School, 376 South Street 2.?Ward 2 Current Location: St. Joseph's Church Hall, 49 Woodland Street Proposed Location: Reingold Elementary School, 70 Reingold Avenue 3.?Ward 5 Current Location: Rollstone Congregational Church, 199 Main Street Proposed Location: Crocker Elementary School, 200 Bigelow Road These relocations are proposed to: + Improve accessibility for voters with disabilities, in compliance with ADA standards + Utilize public buildings that are already familiar and regularly accessed by the community + Enhance security, parking availability, and site control for city staff and election workers + Reduce reliance on private or religious venues for public electoral functions
Orders-Finance (00:44:33)
Orders-Finance
144-25: Transfer $40,000 From 'Parks Personal Services - Labor' to 'Parks Capital - Parks & Playgrounds' (00:45:10)
144-25: Transfer $40,000 From 'Parks Personal Services - Labor' to 'Parks Capital - Parks & Playgrounds'

144-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby transfer the sum of FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($40,000) from PARKS PERSONAL SERVICES - Labor to PARKS CAPITAL - Parks & Playgrounds. (Suspension of Rules)
145-25: Transfer $20,000 From 'Recreation Personal Services - General' to 'Recreation Expenses - Building & Grounds' (00:47:21)
145-25: Transfer $20,000 From 'Recreation Personal Services - General' to 'Recreation Expenses - Building & Grounds'

145-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby transfer the sum of TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($20,000) from RECREATION PERSONAL SERVICES - General to RECREATION EXPENSES - Building & Grounds. (Suspension of Rules)
146-25: Various Transfers Within Fiscal 2025 Departmental Budgets (00:49:23)
146-25: Various Transfers Within Fiscal 2025 Departmental Budgets

146-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby transfers within the following Fiscal 2025 Departmental Budgets, the respective sums set aside each account: INFO TECH: TO - Personal Services - Clothing - $300 INFO TECH: FROM - Expenses - Dues & Subs - $300 CITY CLERK: TO - Expenses - Dues & Subs - $325 CITY CLERK: FROM - Personal Services - Overtime - $325 ELECTIONS: TO - Personal Services - Overtime - $3,000 ELECTIONS: FROM - Personal Serv - Election Workers - $3,000 FACILITIES: TO - Personal Services - Overtime - $800 FACILITIES: TO - Personal Services - Clothing - $250 FACILITIES: FROM - Expenses - City Hall Supplies - $1,050 FIRE: TO - Personal Services - Overtime - $35,000 FIRE: FROM - Personal Services - Holidays - $35,000 (Suspension of Rules)
Ordinance: 147-25 - To Change the Annual Fee for Fire Alarm Monitoring to $300, Effective Jan. 1, 2026 (00:50:36)
Ordinance: 147-25 - To Change the Annual Fee for Fire Alarm Monitoring to $300, Effective Jan. 1, 2026

147-25. AN ORDINANCE: by the City of Fitchburg that the Code of the City of Fitchburg, Chapter 23, Section 36, titled Fire Alarm System Monitoring License Fee is hereby amended as follows: Section 23-36 Fire Alarm System Monitoring License Fee The following rate is to be the fee charged annually for the City Fire Department to issue a license to monitor fire alarm systems: $300. This section shall take effect January 1, 2026. (First Reading)
Petition: 143-25 - To Accept Project Implementation Services for Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations (00:51:34)
Petition: 143-25 - To Accept Project Implementation Services for Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations

143-25 - Community Development & Planning, to accept Project Implementation services for Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations at no cost to the City of Fitchburg through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center's On-Street Charging Solutions Program. (Suspension of Rules)
Petition: 148-25 - To Obtain Final Council Approval of the Crocker Solar Array (01:46:24)
Petition: 148-25 - To Obtain Final Council Approval of the Crocker Solar Array

148-25 - Jeremy Roche, to obtain a final Council approval of the Crocker solar array and to authorize the Mayor to execute all documents which may be reasonably necessary to effectuate the said project. (Suspension of Rules)