Marlborough Updates Fines, But School Smoking Fee Hike Snuffed Out

MARLBOROUGH, MA — The Marlborough City Council this week approved a slate of new fine levels for various health and building code violations, but backed off raising a fine for smoking on public school property.

According to City Solicitor Jason Grossfield, the city is updating fines to bring city ordinances in line with state laws. One such update includes setting specific fines for certain violations rather than a range. In some cases, Marlborough ordinances stated fines would be between $50 and $100 for some violations.

Marlborough uses state health and safety codes when it comes to regulating areas restaurants and sewage treatment. But city fines were not in line with those same state codes.

For example, the fine in Marlborough for violating minimum food safety standards for restaurants was $50. In state code, the first offense is a $100 fine, with escalations for subsequent offenses. The change in Marlborough code approved this week sets those fines at $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and $300 for the third and every other offense.

The councilors also had the opportunity to update a fine for smoking on school property that was created when smoking was still cool — and before the advent of vaping.

A school policy established in 1993 fines anyone $25 per offense for smoking on school property, with a $100 fine on the second offense. At-Large Councilor Kathleen Robey floated an amendment to increase the $25 fine to $100 for the first offense. That effort burned out with only two votes in favor.