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.
AGENDA ITEMS:
1. CITIZEN’S INPUT TIME – Not to exceed the first thirty (30) minutes of the meeting.
1a. Catherine Synnott, 12 Ruth Street, Apt. #210, speaking on the "Excess Number of Storage Unit Facilities in the City". (Referred – July 28, 2026.) (September 15, 2026 – not present, matter moved to October 20, 2026.)
1b. Brian Santerre, 173 Eugenia Street, speaking on "Illegal Parking of Commercial Vehicles with USDOT Numbers". (Referred – July 30, 2026.) (September 15, 2026 – not present, matter moved to October 20, 2026.)
1c. Victor DeSousa, 169 Clara Street, speaking on “Neighborhood/Quality of Life Issues with Lighthouse Tavern, Brock Avenue/Clara Street”. (Referred – August 03, 2026.)
1d. Ernesto Silva, Jr., 49 Ellen Street, speaking on “Pothole Damage to Vehicles". (Referred – August 17, 2026.)
1e. Ronald Bush, 120 Mill Street, Apt #1E, speaking on "Feasibility Studies done on Mill Buildings and Vacant Buildings". (Referred – October 05, 2026.)
INVITEES: Catherine Synnott; Brian Santerre; Victor DeSousa; Ernesto Silva, Jr.; Ronald Bush
2. COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the APPOINTMENT of ALYSSA DACUNHA, Assistant Director of the Board of Health, of Dartmouth, MA, as the Executive Director of the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities; this term will expire April 2028. (Matter ID #1449) (Referred – September 10, 2026.)
INVITEES: Alyssa DaCunha
3. COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the APPOINTMENT of JOANA GONCALVES, Community Relations Specialist of New Bedford, MA, as the Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission; this term will expire September 2029. (Matter ID #1450) (Referred – September 10, 2026.)
INVITEES: Joana Goncalves
4. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Abreu, Oliver, Lopes, Choquette and Carney, requesting, that a representative from the New Bedford Board of Health or the New Bedford Health Department appear before the Committee on Appointments & Briefings to discuss the Board’s recent vote to adopt a new Cigar Minimum Pricing Regulation, effective January 1, 2025, which restricts the sale of tobacco and nicotine delivery products; and further, that the Committee on Appointments & Briefings also hear from local business owners in the City of New Bedford who retail cigars to discuss the potential economic impacts this may have on their industry. (To be Referred to the Committee on Appointments & Briefings, the New Bedford Health Department, the Administration, a representative of the New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association, and local New Bedford-based convenience, liquor, cigar and retail business community.) (Matter ID #0114) (Referred – January 23, 2025.) (February 18, 2025 – tabled) (February 17, 2026 – tabled)
4a. NEW BEDFORD TOBACCO REGULATIONS, (Matter ID #0115) (Referred – January 23, 2025.) (February 18, 2025 – tabled) (February 17, 2026 – tabled)
INVITEES: Peter Brennan, Executive Director, New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association; Mark Galan, Public Health Program Manager, Health Department; Stephanie Sloan, Director, Health Department; Representative, Mayor’s Office
5. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Morad, Abreu, Giesta, Oliver, Gomes, Choquette, Lopes, Carney and Baptiste, requesting, that the City of New Bedford Board of Health immediately rescind the recently approved Cigar Minimum Pricing Regulation that was implemented on January 1, 2025 for an eighteen (18) month period; and further, that the New Bedford Board of Health seek additional grant funding to allow the Health Department Sanitarians to continue their efforts in education of the City's youth regarding the dangers of tobacco and nicotine product use and to increase the Health Department's ability to police City's retail establishments that are legally selling tobacco and nicotine products; and further, that representatives of the New Bedford Board of Health appear before the Committee on Appointments & Briefings in six (6) months, twelve (12) months and eighteen (18) months to update the Committee regarding their efforts of education and policing. (To be Referred to the Committee on Appointments & Briefings and the Board of Health.) (Matter ID #0230) (Referred – February 27, 2025.) (February 17, 2026 – tabled)
INVITEES: Peter Brennan, Executive Director, New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association; Mark Galan, Public Health Program Manager, Health Department; Stephanie Sloan, Director, Health Department; Representative, Mayor’s Office
6. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Abreu, Carney, Choquette and Pereira, requesting, that HR Director, Jose Gouveia, appear before the Committee on Appointments & Briefings to discuss the City's current voluntary benefit package, benefits that are paid for solely by the employee. (Matter ID #1500) (Referred – September 11, 2025.) (November 18, 2025 – tabled)
INVITEES: José Gouveia, Director, Human Resources
7. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Abreu, Choquette, and Pereira, requesting, that HR Director, Jose Gouveia, and CFO, Bob Ekstrom, appear before the Committee on Appointments & Briefings to discuss the City's current Prescription Drug Plan and possible savings options available. (Matter ID #1501) (Referred – September 11, 2025.) (November 18, 2025 – tabled)
INVITEES: José Gouveia, Director, Human Resources; Quillan Lowney, City Auditor
8. COMMUNICATION, Valerie Kilduff, MassDOT Project Manager for Design-Build, to Council President Pereira, requesting an opportunity to present to the City Council regarding the next phase of the I-195 Project. (Referred – October 08, 2026.)
INVITEES: Steve Cobb, DW White Construction; Jonathan Kapust, HNTB; Valerie Kilduff, MassDOT; Daniel Mastrangelo, MassDOT; Michael McGrath, MassDOT; Taylor O'Neill, Howard Stein Hudson; Matthew Pike, DW White Construction; Motahareh Rahimi, MassDOT; Erin Reed, Howard Stein Hudson; Erin White, DW White Construction; Representative, Mayor’s Office
Chair Suggests 'Waive Reading', 'No Further Action' and 'Report Out to the Full City Council'
9. CITIZEN’S INPUT TIME – Not to exceed the first thirty (30) minutes of the meeting.
9a. Kyle Fahey, 59 Shawmut Avenue, speaking on "Excessive Car and Motor Bike Noises". (Referred – July 13, 2026.) (September 15, 2026 – tabled)
9b. Carmen Norman, 941 Oakley Street, speaking on “Safety Concerns & Traffic Accidents near 5 Nauset Street”. (Referred – July 22, 2026.) (September 15, 2026 – tabled)
10. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings meet with the owner and operator of Nice N’ Clean Car Wash located at Bolton Street and Bliss Street, this property has an ongoing problem with trash and maintenance affecting the entire neighborhood and businesses surrounding the property, it also affects the Veterans monument located just across the street south of said business; and further, that the Health Department and the Department of Inspectional Services take a look at this location and issue notices for trash and maintenance violations and that the owner be notified of any violations. (Matter ID #2065) (Referred – December 14, 2017.) (January 03, 2018 – RETURNED UNSIGNED by the Mayor.) (July 31, 2018 – Remain in Committee) (February 10, 2020 – Remain in Committee) (March 16, 2021 – tabled; secure address for owner to invite to meeting) (April 20, 2021 – tabled) (May 17, 2022 – Remain in Committee) (June 14, 2022 – tabled)
11. 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) (September 15, 2026 – tabled)
12. RELATED MOTION, Councillor Pereira, requesting that the City Solicitor be invited to the next Appointments & Briefings Committee meeting to discuss the Host Community Agreement made with South Coast Renewables, LLC (formerly known as “Parallel Products of New England”) and that the New Bedford Fire Chief also be invited to discuss fire concerns at the proposed location. (Referred from Committee – July 18, 2023.)
13. COMMUNICATION, Amelia Moore, 241 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA, presentation given at an Appointments and Briefings Committee meeting during Citizen’s Input Time regarding her proposed “Grandfather Tax Law”. (Presented – February 15, 2024.) (September 30, 2024 – tabled)
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