City Council

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Jan 21 2026 9:23 am City of Fitchburg Massachusetts 01420 CITY COUNCIL Councilors at Large President Ward Councilors Anthony M. Zarrella Ward 1 – Bernard J. Schultz III Sally H. Cragin Ward 2 – Paul R. Beauchemin Amy L. Green Ward 3 – Joseph S. Bowen, Jr. Kevin T. Starr Vice President Ward 4 – Andrew J. Van Hazinga Elizabeth R. Walsh Derrick J. Cruz Ward 5 – Marisa R. Fleming Anthony M. Zarrella Ward 6 – Derrick J. Cruz The regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Fitchburg was held at the Legislative Building at 700 Main Street and over the Zoom meeting platform and live streamed at FATV Studios, Fitchburg, on January 6, 2026. The meeting was called to order by President Zarrella at 7:00 P.M. The meeting opened with a salute to the Flag led by Councilor Walsh. The Clerk called the roll 10 Councilors were present (Councilor Beauchemin, arrived at 7:09). Board consists of 11 members. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. PUBLIC FORUM There were no comments from the public. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II. ANNOUNCEMENTS The next meeting of the Widowed Helping Widowed Support Group will take place on Thursday, January 8 from 4 until 5:30 p.m. in Room 205 at the Fitchburg State University Recreation Center, 130 North Street. Kathy Boisvert and Bernie Schultz will co-facilitate the meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fitchburg City Councilor Bernie Schultz is hosting a City Council Community Meeting on Monday, January 12, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. right here in the Legislative Building, 700 Main Street. Massachusetts State Senator John Cronin and newly elected Fitchburg City Councilors Joe Bowen & Kevin Starr will make presentations, and then answer questions following their presentations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The dog license poster contest is beginning. Calling all your artists who are animal lovers! Leominster Fitchburg Animal Control, and the City Clerk of Fitchburg seek submission to the annual “Dog License Poster Contest.” Artists who live or are educated in Fitchburg from grades 1 to 6 are invited to create an original artwork to help members of our city keep their dog safe! Prizes include trophies from Fitchburg Police Department, and goody bags contributed by sponsors Friends of Fitchburg DOGS and Be PAWSitive Therapy Pets and Community Education. One drawing will be selected for artwork for winning poster, and numerous Honorable Mentions will be given. Flyer will be posted on the City of Fitchburg Facebook page, and available at the Clerk’s Office. The deadline is Friday, February 13th, 2026. Work must be original, no stencils and use bright colors; 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper oriented vertically. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON RECORDS Regular City Council meeting minutes of December 10, 2025 Regular City Council meeting minutes of December 16, 2025 Report read and minutes adopted by unanimous consent 10/0. 10 members present. Board consists of 11 members. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Appointment stands referred to the Appointments Committee. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- V. REPORT OF COMMITTEES 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 read and accepted. Petition was granted by unanimous consent 10/0. 10 members present. Board consists of 11 members. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Councilor Beauchemin joined the meeting at 7:09 PM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 read and accepted. Orders adopted by unanimous consent 11/0. 11 members present. Board consists of 11 members. Orders signed by the Mayor January 15, 2026 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Legislative Affairs Committee Meeting of January 6, 2026 Oral Report 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. Motion and second to approve and adopt the policy as amended by unanimous consent 11/0. 11 members present. Board consists of 11 members. Order signed by the Mayor January 15, 2026. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Motion and second to grant petition by roll call vote 5 in favor and 6 opposed. Motion fails. Rules remain as they stand. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VI. ORDERS – FINANCE Orders 003-26 and 004-26 stand referred to the Finance Committee: 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 SEVENTY-SIX 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VII. ORDINANCES 214-25. AN ORDINANCE: Amending Chapter 169, § 54(C)(1) titled Vehicles and Traffic is hereby amended as follows: That the General Ordinances of the City of Fitchburg, Chapter 169, § 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 SIDE LOCATION Salem Street Northeast From the intersection of Heywood Street and Salem Street, northwest for 100 feet (Final Reading) Ordinance was sent to a third and final reading and adopted to be enrolled and ordained by unanimous consent 11/0. 11 members present. Board consists of 11 members. Ordinance signed by the Mayor January 15, 2026. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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) Ordinance was sent to a third and final reading and adopted to be enrolled and ordained by unanimous consent 11/0. 11 members present. Board consists of 11 members. Ordinance signed by the Mayor January 15, 2026. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following Ordinances were referred to the Legislative Affairs Committee: 006-26. BE IT ORDAINED THAT – Chapter 172, §§ 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, §§ 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. Ordinance 006-26 (Legislative Affairs) 005-26. BE IT ORDAINED THAT – Chapter 138, §§ 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, §§ 138.2 through 138.3, as most recently amended, be further amended by adding the language denoted as emboldened in the enclosed Ordinance. Ordinance 005-26 (Legislative Affairs) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  VIII. PETITION Petition was referred to Public Safety: 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) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IX. OTHER BUSINESS Next Regular Meeting Tuesday, January 20, 2026 7:00 PM The meeting adjourned at 7:31 P.M. ___________________________________ Joanna Bilotta-Simeone, City Clerk