Good afternoon Fitchburg,
On Friday, April 3, Governor Baker signed into law An Act to Address Challenges Faced by Municipalities and State Authorities Resulting from COVID-19. Over the course of this week City Departments have been working with state agencies and associations to understand, develop, and implement the finance provisions in the bill. I am happy to report the following:
Real Estate and Personal Property Tax:
- Due dates:
- Real Estate and Personal Property Tax is traditionally due on 5/1/2020
- Real Estate and Personal Property Tax due date to be extended to 6/1/2020
- Exemption Applications
- Real Estate Exemption Applications are traditionally due on 5/1/2020
- Real Estate Exemption Applications due date to be extended to 6/1/2020
Waiving Interest & Fees
- Real Estate, Personal Property, and Excise Tax
- Waives interest and fees for excise tax commitments that were due between 3/10/2020 and 6/30/2020 if paid by 6/30/2020
- Waives interest and fees for Real Estate and Personal Property tax for bills due 5/1/2020 if paid by 6/30/2020
- Waives interest for water & sewer bills that were due between 3/16/2020 and 6/30/2020 if paid by 6/30/2020.
If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the Treasurer’s office at 978.829.1830
I would like to once again thank the Governor, his administration, and our state delegation for acting quickly on this legislation to provide relief to municipalities, such as Fitchburg.
As of 11am today, there are a total of 79 positive COVID-19 cases in Fitchburg, of which 18 are now recovered. As always, please continue to practice social distancing, good hygiene and please stay home if you are not feeling well, as well as call your primary care physician. The state and federal government have been reporting that today marks the first day for the next two weeks where health care providers will experience a rise in the number of positive COVID-19 cases. I urge everyone to play their part, and stay home. We must work together so that hospitals can focus on those patients who are most in need of help.
A friendly reminder to residents with the upcoming spring weather, yard waste pick-up beings on April 20. Please remember to bring your yard waste out to the curb the evening before your traditional trash pick-up day.
Our Father’s House, as reported in yesterday’s Sentinel and Enterprise, has been working with city departments to make preparations to provide shelter for those that are housing insecure. With the assistance of MEMA, FEMA, New Creation Community Church, and the owner of the property, Piera Fico, it has been a coordinated effort to bring this project to fruition, which opened yesterday – thank you to all who made this possible. Furthermore, I would like to recognize the Longsjo Foundation for their generous $8,000 donation to help Our Father’s House provide these services.
The City of Fitchburg is very fortunate to have available to the public, parks and trails that are great opportunities for residents to get out of the house, exercise, and enjoy nature. At this time, basketball courts have been causing frequent gatherings of people, not practicing social distancing. For this reason, basketball courts will be closed to the public until the COVID-19 state of emergency is lifted. Please remember when using our parks and trails to practice carry in, carry out with trash, limit group sizes to less than ten people, stay six feet apart from others, and be respectful of the park and other users.
The Fitchburg Public Library staff have joined the battle to fight the spread of COVID-19 by assisting hospitals and other healthcare workers with face masks and face shields. Utilizing the Library’s 3D printers, the Library is creating face shields, while other staff members have been actively sewing masks – thank you all!
This weekend marks an important holiday that in its traditional celebration, brings people together through church services with music, candlelight, flowers, and the ringing of church bells. It draws symbolic parallels of sacrifice and rebirth. As we go forward to celebrate Easter this weekend, individually from our homes, let us remember the sacrifices of essential staff and their families have made, so that we all can bring about the healing of our community and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as soon as possible. God Bless us all!
Thank you,
Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale