NOTE: THIS MEETING IS BEING LIVE STREAMED AND RECORDED. CITY COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS CAN BE VIEWED ON THE CITY OF NEW BEDFORD’S HOMEPAGE UNDER QUICK LINKS, THEN MEETINGS.
1. COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting a RESOLUTION, adopting the 2025, City of New Bedford Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
1a. RESOLUTION,
INVITEES: Christina Connelly, Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Mayor; Brian Nobrega, Director, Emergency Management; Michele Paul, Director, Office of Environmental Stewardship; Shawn Syde, P.E., City Engineer, Department of Public Infrastructure
2. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Morad, requesting, that the Special Committee on Environmental Affairs meet with City Solicitor Mikaela McDermott and Director of Resilience and Environmental Stewardship Michele Paul, to obtain a full briefing regarding the City’s ongoing legal position and financial exposure resulting from the Mass DEP and EPA contamination site at Bliss Corner. (Matter ID #0228) (Referred – January 27, 2022.) (September 27, 2022 – tabled 30 days) (November 09, 2022 – tabled 9 months)
INVITEES: Eric Jaikes, City Solicitor; Michele Paul, Director, Office of Environmental Stewardship
3. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Gomes, Dunn, Giesta, Lima, Abreu, Coelho, Carney, Markey and Lopes, requesting, that the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods meet with officials from the Department of Inspectional Services, the Department of Public Infrastructure, the Fire Department, the Health Department and the owner of Bob’s Tire Company located at 85 Brook Street, due to the local resident’s complaints of the foul odor and runoff water from the site where the shredding of tires is occurring, this has become a quality-of-life issue for the residents of that area; and further, that an explanation be given to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods as to when permission was given to shred tires at this location; and further, that if Bob’s Tire Company has any Code violations, that the shredding of tires be halted immediately at this site. (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods and the Special Committee on Environmental Affairs.) (Matter ID #0214) (Referred – February 13, 2020.) (April 21, 2021 – tabled)
INVITEES: Brian Medeiros, Chief, Fire Department; Michele Paul, Director, Office of Environmental Stewardship; Jamie Ponte, Commissioner, Department of Public Infrastructure; Danny Romanowicz, Commissioner, Department of Inspectional Services; Stephanie Sloan, Director, Health Department; Owners, Bob’s Tire Company
4. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Choquette, requesting that Wendy Morrill and Tracy Wallace of South Coast Neighbors United appear before the Special Committee on Environmental Affairs to present community-based waste solutions for Greater New Bedford. (Matter ID #0429) (Referred – March 26, 2024.)
INVITEES: Wendy Morrill, South Coast Neighbors United; Stephanie Sloan, Director, Health Department; Tracy Wallace, South Coast Neighbors United
Chair Suggests 'Waive Reading', 'No Further Action' and 'Report Out to the Full City Council'
5. LOAN ORDER, in the amount of $6,800,000.00 to pay the costs of Buttonwood Park Pond and Dam Rehabilitation and Dredging Project. (Matter ID #1952) (Referred to the Committee on Finance – December 13, 2018.) (Referred – March 14, 2019.)
6. WRITTEN MOTION, Council President Morad, requesting that the Department of Public Infrastructure Commissioner Jamie Ponte, Department of Resilience and Environmental Stewardship Director Michele Paul and the Health Department Director Damon Chaplin appear before the Committee on Environmental Affairs to provide the City Council a detailed briefing on the proposed Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection mandated Title 5 regulations as related to property owners with septic systems in the City of New Bedford; and further, that the New Bedford City Council immediately send correspondence to the members of our State Legislative Delegation and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection indicating our opposition to the mandated Title 5 regulations and affirming our support of their request for a delay in the regulations until funding can be appropriated for the property owners and the City of New Bedford in implementing these changes. (To be Referred to the Committee on Environmental Affairs, Department of Resilience and Environmental Stewardship Director Michele Paul, Department of Public Infrastructure Commissioner Jamie Ponte, Health Department Director Damon Chaplin, Senator Mark Montigny, Representatives Antonio Cabral, Christopher Hendricks, Christopher Markey, Paul Schmid and Massachusetts’ Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Gary Moran.) (Matter ID #0238) (Referred – January 26, 2023.)
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