FITCHBURG — The City Council recently approved an ordinance to enhance the enforcement of infractions for junk, wrecked and dismantled vehicles, and voted to transferred $200,000 into an account for building demolition.
The Jan. 20, 2026 Fitchburg City Council meeting included approval of recommendations from the Appointments, Finance, and Legislative Affairs committees.
The council voted to approve an ordinance to enhance enforcement of junk, wrecked, and dismantled vehicle infractions. The ordinance allows the city to intervene when deteriorating or abandoned vehicles are left on residential properties for an extended period of time.
“The ordinance defines what vehicles will be covered specifically, and then it would be the interpretation of the building commissioner about whether it is a nuisance,” said Building Commissioner Felix Zemehl.
For residents, enforcement will begin with a notice requiring the vehicle to be removed, repaired, or properly registered. Continued noncompliance can result in fines or further enforcement action, including removal at the owner’s expense.
“This ordinance gives us teeth to enforce it.” Zehmehl said.
The council voted to transfer $200,000 from the Community Development Block Grant Housing Revolving Fund (CDBG) to the CDBG Demolition activity account. One of the CDBG’s largest tasks is to demolish the unsafe and abandoned buildings across the city. The CDBG was granted only $104,412 for demolition of sites in 2025. The transferred funds make up approximately 20% of the overall CDBG budget for the year.
The funding increase shows the CDBG’s desire to accelerate the removal of long-vacant or structurally unsound buildings. City demolition efforts will act as a precursor to redevelopment in neighborhoods with systemic vacancies.
The council also approved a suspension of rules allowing the mayor to enter into an easement and maintenance agreement for retaining walls at 62 and 82 Academy Street. This property, directly across from the Fitchburg Art Museum, is currently under development to become the Fitchburg Art Community.
“[The buildings] have a retaining wall that hold up High Street, and we need access to be able to maintain that retaining wall,” said Executive Director of Community Development and Planning Liz Murphy.
Councilor Beauchemin introduced an amendment to council rules to clarify that councilors may participate in committee meetings to which they are not assigned. The rule stipulates that if a quorum of the full council is present, a separate meeting notice must be posted by the councilor attending the committee meeting. The measures were designed to align with state standards for public meetings.
The city solicitor clarified that committee chairs retain discretion over participation and the privileges they afford councilors, above those of the general public.
Councilors also unanimously authorized $76,307.11 from a grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety & Security and an additional $29,556 for equipment upgrades, including improvements to the police headquarters camera security system. This funding came from the Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, which was created by the federal Department of Justice and is distributed across the country.
Original article
Comments