ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2025
7:00 PM

CITY HALL, 133 WILLIAM STREET
NEW BEDFORD, MA 02740
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, SECOND FLOOR, ROOM 214

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.   PUBLIC HEARING, CONTINUED, on a RELATED MOTION, Councillors Morad and Carney, requesting that the City Council order the Committee on Ordinances and the Planning Board to hold Public Hearings relative to the Definitions, Section 1200 of the City Code and Appendix A; Table of Principal Use Regulations. (Referred from the Committee on Ordinances – May 28, 2025.) (Matter ID #1031) (Referred – June 12, 2025.) (Duly advertised in The Standard-Times on Monday, August 11, 2025 and Monday, August 18, 2025.) (August 25, 2025 – Public Hearing continued until September 29, 2025 at 7:00 pm, in City Council Chambers.)

1a.   COMMUNICATION, Jennifer Carloni, Director, City Planning, to Councillor Ryan J. Pereira, Chairman, Committee on Ordinances, advising that the Planning Board held a public hearing on Wednesday, July 09, 2025, to discuss a request made by the City Council for the Planning Board to hold a public hearing relative to the Definitions and Appendix A; Table of Principal Use Regulations, Section 1200 of the Zoning Code (Chapter 9); given that the request was to hold a public hearing and not to specifically make a recommendation, the Board chose to include their general comments from the public hearing in the City Planner’s letter, and submit it to the Council for their consideration. (Communication also contains a presentation  titled “Zoning Overview: Use Table” dated June 16, 2025; Addendum A: Detailed Summary of Zoning Use Table Changes; and Addendum B: Use Table, as amended on May 28, 2025.) (Received – July 25, 2025.) (August 25, 2025 – Public Hearing continued until September 29, 2025 at 7:00 pm, in City Council Chambers.)

INVITEES: Atty. David Gerwatowski, Legal Counsel; Atty. Eric Jaikes, City Solicitor; Anne Louro, Interim Director, Planning Department; Representative, Mayor’s Office

Ordinance Committee_Case_25-28_Use Table Hearing_FINAL.pdf

2.   PUBLIC HEARING, CONTINUED, on a RELATED MOTION, Councillors Morad, Carney, Oliver, Baptiste, Giesta, Pereira, Gomes and Lopes, requesting, that the Committee on Ordinances hold a meeting within the next thirty (30) days  where a formal presentation by City Planner Jennifer Carloni and City Solicitor Eric Jaikes will detail all changes to Coding, Definitions and Principal Uses that were made to the Table of Principal Use Regulations previously adopted by the City Council on November 26, 2024. (Referred from Committee – May 28, 2025.) (August 25, 2025 – Public Hearing continued until September 29, 2025 at 7:00 pm, in City Council Chambers.)

INVITEES: Atty. David Gerwatowski, Legal Counsel; Atty. Eric Jaikes, City Solicitor; Anne Louro, Interim Director, Planning Department; Representative, Mayor’s Office

3.   WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that the Committee on Ordinances review the mobile Food Truck Ordinance, Section 15-72, the locations where these trucks are allowed to operate, the use of their power generators and also the noise that affects the quality of life in the neighborhoods and areas that the food trucks are operating in. (Matter ID #0853) (Referred – May 23, 2024.)

INVITEES: Atty. David Gerwatowski, Legal Counsel; Atty. Eric Jaikes, City Solicitor; Stephanie Sloan, Director, Health Department; Jason Thody, Chief, Police Department

Food Truck Ordinance - Section 15-72.pdf

4.   WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Burgo, Pereira, Abreu, Carney, Oliver, Lima, Baptiste, Gomes and Morad, requesting, that the Committee on Ordinances explore the enactment of an Ordinance or City policy to establish parental paid leave to provide compensation for a period of time for City employees in the event of an addition of a child to the employee’s immediate family to allow for the proper care of and bonding with the child. (Matter ID #1429) (Referred – August 17, 2023.) (November 20, 2023 – Judi Keating will secure monies and numbers on instituting a program; tabled) (March 25, 2024 – remain on the table) (April 22, 2025 – tabled)

INVITEES: Atty. David Gerwatowski, Legal Counsel; José Gouveia, Director, Personnel Department; Atty. Eric Jaikes, City Solicitor

04.22.2025 - Request Letter - CFO.pdf
04.22.2025 - Request Letter - Personnel.pdf

 

 

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