Council enacts public camping, loitering bans
The Chicopee City Council voted to enact ordinances banning camping and loitering on public property, with the loitering ordinance passing 12-0 and the camping ordinance passing 11-0, citing reports of people sleeping on library and City Hall steps.
Select Board · Meeting of September 15, 2026
CHICOPEE — The Chicopee City Council voted to enact ordinances banning camping and loitering on public property, with the loitering ordinance passing 12-0 and the camping ordinance passing 11-0, citing reports of people sleeping on library and City Hall steps. Councilor Cushane sponsored both measures, saying "things have to be done the right way in the right place." A separate background-check ordinance for license applicants, including hawkers and peddlers, was referred to the Ordinance Committee after Councilor Brooks said the current process has no such requirement. More than 100 families, represented by resident Ann Lutzerwitz, asked the council to require traffic and safety studies before a 23-home subdivision near Mountain View Street proceeds, warning it would add "more than 200 additional vehicle trips a day" on a single access road.
The council also accepted a $31,342 federal justice grant for its real-time crime center and approved a five-year sewer agreement with Ludlow for the Bluebird Acres mobile home park.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,070 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of September 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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