City Council - 1.6.2026

City Council Meeting - 1.6.2026

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Agenda (pdf, 442 KB, opens in new window/tab)

Chapters

Meeting Open (00:00:00)
Meeting Open
Public Forum (00:01:21)
Public Forum
Announcements (00:01:44)
Announcements
Report of the Committee on Records (00:03:34)
Report of the Committee on Records
Communication: New Appointments and Re-Appointments (00:04:02)
Communication: New Appointments and Re-Appointments

IV. COMMUNICATION Her Honor the Mayor 1. New-Appointment letter: Reverend Daniel W. Spigelmeyer, Jr., as a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Public Library, for a term to expire January 20, 2029. 2. New-Appointment letter: Thomas C. Hopkins, as a Member of the Fitchburg Council on Aging, for a term to expire January 1, 2029. 3. Re-Appointment letter: Tiffany Wells, as a Member of the Fitchburg Disability Commission, for a term to expire October 1, 2028. 4. Re-Appointment letter: Doris Matte, as a Member of the Fitchburg Disability Commission, for a term to expire February 1, 2028. 5. Re-Appointment letter: Carolyn Quirk, as a Member of the Fitchburg Disability Commission, for a term to expire February 1, 2028. 6. Re-Appointment letter: Barbara Slattery, for a Member of the Fitchburg Disability Commission, for a term to expire July 1, 2028. 7. Re-Appointment letter: Deborah Dion, as a Member of the Fitchburg Council on Aging, for a term to expire January 1, 2029. 8. Re-Appointment letter: Sabrina Holley-Williams, as a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Public Library, for a term to expire January 1, 2029. 9. Re-Appointment letter: Joanne Huse, as a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Public Library, for a term to expire January 2, 2029.
Report of the City Property Committee - January 6, 2026 (00:05:12)
Report of the City Property Committee - January 6, 2026

City Property Committee Meeting of January 6, 2026 Oral Report 215-25. Councilor Fleming on behalf of Eduard Gukasov, the current owner of 185 High Rock Rd is requesting a modification to the claw back provision of the property deed as outlined in the enclosed petition.
Report of the Finance Committee - December 17, 2025 (00:07:03)
Report of the Finance Committee - December 17, 2025

Finance Committee Meeting of December 17, 2025 Oral Report 202-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg approve the expenditure of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program Action grant funds in the approximate amount of ONE HUNDRED FORTY-THREE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY DOLLARS ($143,970) to complete the design of pedestrian improvements and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) features along the Elm Street corridor. (Be Adopted) 203-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg approve the expenditure of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Dam & Seawall Repair or Removal Grant funds in the approximate amount of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($250,000) to complete design modifications for the Scott Reservoir Dam. (Be Adopted) 204-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg transfer within the Treasurer/Collector accounts the sum of ELEVEN THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($11,025) from Tax Title - Continued Appropriation to Contracted Services. (Be Adopted) 210-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg approve the expenditure of a donation from Amazon in the amount of THREE HUNDRED FIFTEEN THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS ($315,400), to fund engineering design services for infrastructure improvements to Interval Road and Poplar Street to support Amazon's use of its 135 Intervale Road facility. (Be Adopted) Page 3 211-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby transfers within the sum of ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($180,000) to FIRE PERSONAL SERVICES - Overtime from: FIRE PERSONAL SERVICES - Firefighter $100,000 FIRE PERSONAL SERVICES - Incentives $80,000 (Be Adopted) 212-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of E911 Support and Incentive Grant funds from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security in the approximate amount of TWO HUNDRED NINETEEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED NINETY-FOUR DOLLARS ($219,594) for the purpose of supporting dispatch salaries and to provide enhancements to the E911 service system. (Be Adopted) 213-25. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of grant funds from the Mass DEP Sustainable Material Recovery Recycling Program - Recycling Dividends Fund, in the approximate amount of TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS ($24,000) to implement programs and policies to maximize the reuse, recycling, and waste reduction of curbside and drop-off disposal in Fitchburg. (Be Adopted)
Report of the Legislative Affairs Committee - January 6, 2026 (00:10:36)
Report of the Legislative Affairs Committee - January 6, 2026

Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting of January 6, 2026 Oral Report
205-25: To Approve the Cannabis Social Equity Policy Dated November 14, 2025 (00:11:40)
205-25: To Approve the Cannabis Social Equity Policy Dated November 14, 2025

205-25. ORDER THAT: That the City Council does hereby approve the Cannabis Social Equity Policy dated November 14, 2025 as included with this Order.
206-25: To Move the 'Announcements and Recognition' Section of City Council Meetings to the End of the Agenda (00:15:40)
206-25: To Move the 'Announcements and Recognition' Section of City Council Meetings to the End of the Agenda

206-25. Councilor Fleming and Councilor Walsh on behalf of Elizabeth Keese, I am requesting consideration to move the 'Announcements and Recognition' section to the end of the City Council agenda beginning in January 2026 as outlined in the enclosed petition.
Orders-Finance (00:25:56)
Orders-Finance

VI. ORDERS - FINANCE + 003-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant funds in the approximate amount of SEVENTYSIX THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN AND 11/100 DOLLARS ($76,307.11) for the purpose of continuing the Police Department Civilian Domestic Violence Advocate program. + 004-26. ORDER THAT: the City of Fitchburg hereby approves the expenditure of funds from the Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) in the approximate amount of TWENTY-NINE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY-SIX DOLLARS ($29,556) for critical technology and equipment upgrades to support community policing efforts.
Ordinance: 214-25 - To Amend Ch. 169, Sect. 54(C)(1) to Add a Part of Salem Street to the List of Permit Required Parking Areas (00:26:44)
Ordinance: 214-25 - To Amend Ch. 169, Sect. 54(C)(1) to Add a Part of Salem Street to the List of Permit Required Parking Areas

214-25. AN ORDINANCE: Amending Chapter 169, Sect. 54(C)(1) titled Vehicles and Traffic is hereby amended as follows: That the General Ordinances of the City of Fitchburg, Chapter 169, Section 54(C)(1), as most recently amended, be further amended by adding the following location to the list of streets, or parts thereof, which have been designated as permitted parking areas for only those with resident parking permits: + NAME OF STREET Salem Street + SIDE Northeast + LOCATION From the intersection of Heywood Street and Salem Street, northwest for 100 feet (Final Reading)
Ordinance: 092-23 - To Amend Ch. 3, Art. IV, Sect. 3-43 O to Add a CPI Adjustment Factor Formula for Advisement (00:27:34)
Ordinance: 092-23 - To Amend Ch. 3, Art. IV, Sect. 3-43 O to Add a CPI Adjustment Factor Formula for Advisement

092-23. BE IT ORDAINED THAT - Chapter 3, Article IV, section 3-43 O. shall be amended as follows by adding to the end: Attached to said petition shall be a communication from the City Auditor indicating what each salary would be if increased by the 'CPI Adjustment Factor' as defined below, which communication shall be read out or summarized by the Chair at any session in which the Council or a subcommittee thereof debates or votes on such petition. For the purposes of this subsection, the CPI Adjustment Factor shall be defined as the lesser of five percent (5%) or the result of the following calculation: [(CPI-U for January December of the then current fiscal year minus the January December CPI-U for the preceding fiscal year) divided by the previous fiscal year's January December CPI-U] multiplied by 100 equals the CPI Adjustment Factor. But in no case shall the CPI Adjustment Factor be less than zero percent (0%). CPI-U shall mean the Consumer Price Index Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH (1982-84 = 100) as published by the New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (www.bls.gov/regions/new-england/data/ConsumerPriceIndex_Boston_Table.htm). After a review of the proposed increase the City Council shall then vote on the Mayor's salary and the City Councilors' salary. (Final Reading)
Ordinances: 005-26 & 006-26 - To Amend Sections 138.2-138.3 & 172.1-172.6 of the City Code to Enhance Enforcement of Junk Vehicle Infractions (00:30:07)
Ordinances: 005-26 & 006-26 - To Amend Sections 138.2-138.3 & 172.1-172.6 of the City Code to Enhance Enforcement of Junk Vehicle Infractions

+ 005-26. BE IT ORDAINED THAT - Chapter 138, Sections 138.2 through 138.3 of the Code of the City of Fitchburg be amended as follows to enhance enforcement of junk vehicle infractions: ++ That the General Ordinances of the City of Fitchburg, Chapter 138, Sections 138.2 through 138.3, as most recently amended, be further amended by adding the language denoted as emboldened in the enclosed Ordinance. (Legislative Affairs) + 006-26. BE IT ORDAINED THAT - Chapter 172, Sections 172.1 through 172.6 of the Code of the City of Fitchburg be amended as follows to enhance enforcement of junk vehicle infractions: ++ That the General Ordinances of the City of Fitchburg, Chapter 172, Sections 172.1 through 172.6, as most recently amended, be further amended by deleting the language denoted with strikethrough and replacing with the language denoted as emboldened in the enclosed Ordinance. (Legislative Affairs)
Petition (00:30:31)
Petition

VIII. PETITION 007-26. J & G Auto Sales, to petition for a Class II Dealer's License located at 369 River St. Fitchburg, MA 01420. (Public Safety)