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Chicopee council adopts multiple ordinances updating salaries, traffic rules and solicitation permits
Summary
The council approved a package of ordinance amendments — updating pay ranges for several municipal positions, relocating bus stops, adding stop signs and parking restrictions, and rewriting door-to-door solicitation rules to remove fees.
The Chicopee City Council voted Wednesday to adopt a series of ordinances advancing municipal salary updates, traffic and parking changes, and an amendment to solicitation rules.
The council’s ordinance committee presented favorable reports for multiple items, which the full council received and approved by roll-call votes. The salary changes update Chapter 7 of the city code to align positions’ ordinance language with current contractual pay. Traffic amendments add and relocate bus stops, add stop signs and parking prohibitions on several local streets, and the council adopted a rewrite of the door-to-door solicitation ordinance to suspend fees.
What the council approved - Chapter 7 salary amendments (operative 07/01/2025): planning department development manager — $80,429.76; human resources positions (assistant director $80,000; benefits coordinator positions; senior generalist; administrative assistant; HR benefits partner); treasurer’s office (assistant treasurer $78,425.28; special projects manager $55,081.44); auditing department budget analyst $61,261.92; office of the mayor — chief of staff $78,425.28. The council said these ordinance amendments are intended to match current contractual pay.
- Solicitation ordinance rewrite: the code was rewritten to remove permit fees for door-to-door solicitation and to issue identification numbers for groups (for example, troop numbers for scouts) rather than charging fees.
- Traffic and parking changes (selected items): relocated bus stops (Meadow Street southbound; Chicopee Street moved 300 feet south); added isolated stop signs (Barber Street, Alfred Street); added parking prohibition on a segment of Pendleton Avenue and on the corner of Medford Street; removed a designated disabled-parking spot at 36 Bonner Street; and added an engine-brake prohibition on Griffith Road from its intersection with James Street to the end of Griffith Road. One requested stop sign for Exchange Street was denied after engineering cited current MassDOT guidance as making that location inappropriate.
Votes at a glance (The council took roll-call votes on each adoption; votes shown reflect the roll-call recorded in the meeting minutes.) - Chapter 7 — Planning department (development manager): enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no (motion passed). - Chapter 7 — Human resources salary updates: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Chapter 7 — Treasurer’s office positions: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Chapter 7 — Auditing department budget analyst: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Chapter 7 — Office of the mayor chief of staff: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Solicitation ordinance rewrite (Chapter 188-17): enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Meadow Street bus stop relocation: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Chicopee Street bus stop relocation: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Barber Street stop sign: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Pendleton Avenue parking prohibition: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Removal of disabled-parking at 36 Bonner St.: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Alfred Street stop sign: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Exchange Street stop sign request: ordinance committee recommended denial; council received unfavorable report and denied the request based on engineering advice; roll call: motion to deny passed. - Medford Street corner parking prohibition (south side first phase): enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no. - Griffith Road engine-brake prohibition: enrolled and ordained; roll call: 8 yes, 0 no.
Why it matters: The salary ordinance changes align city code with contractual pay, which affects payroll administration and transparency. Traffic and parking ordinance changes reflect engineering reviews and neighborhood requests; the Exchange Street stop sign was declined after MassDOT-aligned engineering guidance.
Council procedural notes: Several traffic and license items were approved after the ordinance committee reported favorably; motions were made to receive the committee reports, take second and final readings, and enroll and ordain the ordinances. Where engineering or the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) provided approval, councilors cited those endorsements during brief remarks.
What’s next: Administrative staff will update the code and municipal payroll systems to reflect the ordinance changes and will implement traffic sign and pavement markings through DPW and coordination with PVTA and Chicopee Electric Light where applicable.
