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. CITIZEN’S INPUT TIME – Not to exceed the first thirty (30) minutes of the meeting.
1a. Kyle Fahey, 59 Shawmut Avenue, speaking on “Excessive Car and Motor Bike Noises”. (Referred – July 13, 2026.)
1b. William Lacey, 914 Lucy Street, speaking on “Unsafe Driving by New Bedford Police Officers on Lucy Street”. (Referred – July 13, 2026.)
1c. Carmen Norman, 941 Oakley Street, speaking on “Safety Concerns & Traffic Accidents near 5 Nauset Street”. (Referred – July 22, 2026.)
1d. Catherine Synnott, 12 Ruth Street, speaking on “Excess Number of Storage Facilities in the City”. (Referred – July 28, 2026.)
1e. Brian Santerre, 173 Eugenia Street, speaking on “Illegal Parking of Commercial Vehicles with USDOT Numbers”. (Referred – July 30, 2026.)
INVITEES: Kyle Fahey; William Lacey; Carmen Norman; Catherine Synnott; Brian Santerre
2. COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the APPOINTMENT of BRIAN J. SOUSA, New Bedford, MA to the ELECTION COMMISSION; this term will expire April 2029. (Matter ID #1299) (Referred – August 20, 2026.)
INVITEES: Brian J. Sousa
3. COMMUNICATION, Councillor Gomes, submitting a Host Community Agreement Proposal Application on behalf of Shamar James, Founder/CEO of THConnect, LLC, dba Houz of Diesel, seeking to operate a co-located adult-use marijuana retail and product manufacturing establishment at 301 Herman Melville Boulevard, New Bedford, MA 02740. (Matter ID #0116) (Referred – January 23, 2025.) (February 18, 2025 – tabled) (September 16, 2025 – tabled w/ a RELATED MOTION that a letter be sent to CCC staff asking why they did not attend the meeting and request that the Mayor reconvene the HCA Screening Committee as soon as possible.) (November 18, 2025 – tabled) (December 09, 2025 – tabled w/ a RELATED MOTION that a letter be sent to the Mayor asking him to enter into a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the Houz of Diesel enabling the organization to seek reimbursement from the State for funds previously expended.) (February 17, 2026 – tabled)
INVITEES: Atty. David Gerwatowski, Legal Counsel; Atty. Eric Jaikes, City Solicitor; Shamar James, Founder/CEO of THConnect, LLC, dba Houz of Diesel; Representative, Mayor’s Office
4. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Abreu and Pereira, requesting, that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings discuss the ongoing construction project on County Street; and further, that the Committee meet with local businesses to discuss the impact of the street disturbances. (Matter ID #0652) (Referred – May 07, 2024.) (July 16, 2024 – tabled) (June 23, 2026 – tabled)
4a. RELATED MOTION, Councillor Pereira, requesting, that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings meet with the County Street business owners, a Representative from MassDOT, Mayor Mitchell, DPI Commissioner Jamie Ponte, State Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral, and State Senator Mark C. Montigny for a discussion regarding future projects, including the upcoming TIP project, and possible issues that may arise. (Referred from Committee – July 16, 2024.)
INVITEES: Jamie Ponte, Commissioner, Department of Public Infrastructure; Shawn Syde, City Engineer, Department of Public Infrastructure
5. COMMUNICATION, Councillors Pereira, Abreu and Gomes, submitting a PETITION from residents of the South End of the City of New Bedford related to the sewage treatment facility located on South Rodney French Boulevard. (To be Referred to the Committee on Appointments & Briefings, the Department of Public Infrastructure, the Administration, and the State Delegation.) (Matter ID #1584) (Referred – September 26, 2024.) (October 15, 2024 – tabled) (May 20, 2025 – tabled) (May 19, 2026 – tabled)
5a. RELATED MOTION, Councillors Pereira and Gomes, requesting, the Administration and the Office of Environmental Stewardship meet with the Committee on Appointments and Briefings to discuss whether a company can be hired to conduct an odor analysis in the South End of the City; and further, to report to this Committee the amount spent on said analysis and provide a timeline of the study and data once the analysis is concluded. (Referred from Committee – October 15, 2024.) (May 20, 2025 – tabled) (May 19, 2026 – tabled)
INVITEES: Wendy Morrill, South Coast Neighbors United; Michele Paul, Director of Resilience & Environmental Stewardship; Jamie Ponte, Commissioner, Department of Public Infrastructure; Tracy Wallace, South Coast Neighbors United; Representative, Mayor’s Office
6. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Carney, Gomes, Abreu, Oliver, Council President Morad and Councillors Giesta and Markey, requesting that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings meet with Wendy Morrill from the South Coast Neighbors United organization and Stephanie Sloan, Director of the Health Department, to speak on the South Coast Renewables, LLC (formerly known as “Parallel Products of New England”) project being proposed for the City of New Bedford. (Matter ID #1191) (Referred – June 22, 2023.) (July 18, 2023 – tabled) (June 17, 2025 – tabled)
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'
7. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, Carney, Lima, Morad and Markey requesting, that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings meet with the potential developers of two homes located in New Bedford Historical Districts, one at 52 Ash Street and the other at 110 Hawthorn Street; the Ash Street residence was sold to Caldeira, LLC for the potential location of a 21-person rooming house; the Hawthorn Street residence is owned by Jeff A. White of D.W. White Construction, Acushnet, MA, who is negotiating a lease with Fellowship Health Resources (a Rhode Island based company) for a seven-person rooming house; and further, requesting that the owners of both locations attend a meeting to provide detailed plans to the Committee; and further, requesting that representatives of the New Bedford Preservation Society and WHALE (Waterfront Historic Area League) also be invited to attend said meeting, along with residents located within a six-block area; the integrity of the neighborhood’s single-family homes is at stake, homes that have been preserved for their historical significance and whaling heritage. (Matter ID #1412) (Referred – August 17, 2023.) (September 19, 2023 – RELATED MOTION re potential ordinance amendment, referred to Ordinance Committee; main motion tabled)
8. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Pereira, Carney, Baptiste, Markey and Abreu, requesting that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings meet with the New Bedford Port Authority, a representative of Vineyard Wind, a representative of MassCEC, and local business owners to discuss the parking situation in the neighborhood surrounding the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. (Matter ID #1531) (Referred – September 14, 2023.) (October 23, 2023 – tabled) (March 18, 2024 – tabled)
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