City Council - 9.2.2025

City Council Meeting - 9.2.2025

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Agenda (pdf, 465 KB, opens in new window/tab)

Chapters

Meeting Open (00:00:00)
Meeting Open
Public Forum (00:01:26)
Public Forum
Announcements (00:04:04)
Announcements
Report of the Committee on Records - Through July 15, 2025 (00:05:05)
Report of the Committee on Records - Through July 15, 2025

Regular City Council meeting minutes of July 15, 2025
Communication: New Appointments and Re-Appointment (00:05:26)
Communication: New Appointments and Re-Appointment

IV. COMMUNICATION Her Honor the Mayor 1. New-Appointment letters: Permanent Full Time Firefighters For the City of Fitchburg + Damon M. Suarez, replacing Firefighter Mike Pawlak, retired February 2025 + Daniel R. Motyka, replacing Firefighter James Nault, retired March 2025 + Andras Sevigny, replacing Lieutenant Sean Joubert, resigned May 2025 + Danny Sanchez-Morfin, replacing Firefighter Peter Gradito, retired in June 2025 + Connor Caisse, replacing Firefighter Anthony Knowles, resigned August 2025 + Peter Selig, replacing Firefighter Hector Rodriguez, resigned August 2025 + Sean Donelan, replacing Lieutenant Barry Hyvarinen, retired August 2025 2. Re-Appointment letter: Amanda Koeck, as the Executive Director of the Council on Aging, for a term to expire August 24, 2028.
Report of the Public Works Committee Meeting: July 29, 2025 (00:07:03)
Report of the Public Works Committee Meeting: July 29, 2025

Public Works Committee Meeting of July 29, 2025 Oral Report + 067-25. Residents of Park St., to petition concerns that Midnight Auto Repair shop is taking over Park St. leaving the residents with ?No Parking?. to create a residential permit parking only with input from Police Dept. and DPW. (Leave to Withdraw) + 141-25. Councilor Paul Beauchemin, to request two electronic speed-limit signs to be installed on Clarendon Street heading northbound and southbound, near the intersections with Daniels Street and Franklin Street Road, in order to improve driver awareness, reduce speeds, and increase safety for motorist, bicyclist, and pedestrians. (Be Held as amended) + 142-25. Councilor Marisa Fleming, on behalf of Erica Shorts property manager of the Raymond Hotel 35 Day Street to fix the cracked and damaged sidewalks located on Cherry St. Residents are finding it difficult to navigate the cracks and are worried about falling. (Be Granted)
149-25: To Appropriate $100,358.18 from 'Reserve for Appropriation - PEG Access Expenses' (00:13:45)
149-25: To Appropriate $100,358.18 from 'Reserve for Appropriation - PEG Access Expenses'

149-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT AND 18/100 DOLLARS ($100,358.18) from RESERVE FOR APPROPRIATION - PEG ACCESS Expenses to RESERVE FOR APPROPRIATION - PEG ACCESS Cable Franchise Fee for the purpose of remitting to FATV the second quarter 2025 franchise fee. (Suspension of rules)
Orders-Finance (00:14:38)
Orders-Finance

+ 150-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg approves the expenditure of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($125,000) in Commonwealth of Massachusetts earmark funds to support the design and development of a stage at Riverfront Park. + 151-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg approves the expenditure of grant funds from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in the approximate amount of SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS ($750) for the purpose of said grant, which is to promote community engagement under the SAMHSA Communities Talk to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse program. + 152-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg approves the expenditure of grant funds from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative in the approximate amount of TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($25,000) for the purpose of said grant, which is to support managed detection and response services to defend against cybersecurity threats. + 153-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of TWENTY-SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($26,500) same to be charged against RESERVE FOR OTHER MUNICIPAL PURPOSES - Expenses and credited to the following accounts: ++ TREASURER - Personal Services $1,000 ++ POLICE - Personal Services $23,500 ++ AIRPORT - Personal Services $2,000 + 154-25. ORDER THAT: there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of SEVENTY-THREE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE DOLLARS ($73,973) same to be charged against RESERVE FOR OTHER MUNICIPAL PURPOSES - Expenses and credited to FIRE - Personal Services.
Order-Other 155-25: Agreement for Payment in Lieu of Taxes With NESG MA 1 Solar LLC (00:15:00)
Order-Other 155-25: Agreement for Payment in Lieu of Taxes With NESG MA 1 Solar LLC

155-25. ORDER THAT: the City Council of the City of Fitchburg hereby adopts this Order to authorize the Mayor and the Assessor to enter into the AGREEMENT FOR PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES UNDER M.G.L. c. 59, ? 5, CLAUSE 45th, with NESG MA 1 Solar LLC, a copy of which is on file with the City Clerk and appended hereto, and to authorize the Mayor for the City of Fitchburg to take all action necessary to effectuate same. (Suspension of rules)
Ordinance: 147-25 - To Change the Annual Fee for Fire Alarm Monitoring to $300, Effective Jan. 1, 2026 (00:17:57)
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)
Ordinance: 156-25 - Moratorium on the Naming of City Buildings, Facilities or Public Spaces After Individuals (00:18:45)
Ordinance: 156-25 - Moratorium on the Naming of City Buildings, Facilities or Public Spaces After Individuals

156-25. AN ORDINANCE: amending Chapter 3, Sect. 3-21 of the Code of the City of Fitchburg as follows: + Sect. 3-21 (Reserved) Moratorium on the Naming of City Buildings, Facilities or Public Spaces After Individuals + 3-21.1 Purpose: The naming of public buildings after individuals is a permanent, significant civic gesture that should reflect broad community values and context and, public feedback has indicated the need to review and potentially revise the City's policies and procedures regarding such dedications. As such, the purpose of this section is to place a temporary moratorium on the naming of City of Fitchburg buildings after individuals until such review of City policies and procedures can be completed. + 3-21.2 Moratorium. A moratorium is hereby established on the naming and renaming of any City-owned building, facility, or public space after any individual for a period of one (1) year from the date of adoption of this Ordinance. During this moratorium, no new dedications, plaques, signage, or official designations of any kind shall be approved by any department or board of the City in honor of a specific individual. + 3-21.3 Exclusions. This moratorium shall not apply to dedications previously authorized by formal vote of the City Council prior to the adoption of this Ordinance. + 3-21.4 Amendments. The City Council reserves the right to review and amend this Ordinance or adopt formal criteria and procedures for naming City properties during the moratorium period. (First Reading)
Ordinance: 157-25 - To Amend Sect. 111-2 of the City Code by Replacing the Words 'His or Her' With the Word 'Chair' (00:19:45)
Ordinance: 157-25 - To Amend Sect. 111-2 of the City Code by Replacing the Words 'His or Her' With the Word 'Chair'

157-25. Councilor Zarrella, to amend Sect. 111-2 of the City Code by replacing the words 'his or her' with the word 'Chair'. (First Reading)
Petitions (00:21:16)
Petitions

+ 158-25. Council Derrick Cruz, to petition Her Honor, the Mayor, is hereby requested to: Convene a working group to assess the feasibility of creative solutions to food access in Fitchburg, including but not limited to a municipality owned grocery store. (Amended from Economic Development to Legislative Affairs) + 159-25. Mayor Samantha Squailia, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, to take all actions necessary and convenient for the formation of a 'Fitchburg Tourism Marketing District' in accordance with Chapter 40X of the Massachusetts General Laws. (Economic Development) + 160-25. Unitil to petition for a new pole, approximately 105' North of existing Pole #12 on Salem St., 20' North of Birch St., and 17' South of Beekman St., - 3 proposed new pole locations with anchors are being installed to extend overhead electric lines from existing Pole #9. (Public Hearing September 17, 2025) + 161-25. Councilor Marisa Fleming, on behalf of Jessica Demeo of 74 Dartmouth Street., to install a stop sign at the intersection of Montrose St. and Dartmouth St. Every intersection on Montrose St. has at least two stop signs but this intersection does not. (Public Safety) + 162-25. City Councilors Amy Green and Bernie Schultz, on behalf of Pat and Don Dwyer of 42 Heywood Street, to request a resident parking space near their exterior stairs on Salem Street. Although Pat and Don qualify for a handicapped parking space, the road grade of Salem Street does not meet ADA requirements so as to prevent them from being issued a handicapped parking space. (Public Safety) + 163-25. Councilor Fleming on behalf of Yesenia Renderos of 683 Pearl St. to install a spot light to enhance the already existing signage or the addition of street level blinking signs to emphasize the 25MPH speed limit. Speeding has always been an issue when drivers transition from White St. in Lunenburg to Pearl St. in Fitchburg. With the recent paving, this issue is expected to get worse. (Public Safety) + 164-25. City Councilor Bernie Schultz, on behalf of Louis Cormier of 93 Rainville Avenue, to repair several sections of sidewalk in front of his residence. (Public Works)