L1.       COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting AN ORDER to provide for the payment of current expenses, and to balance the budget for the Fiscal Year beginning July 01, 2016, and ending June 30, 2017, at the approved FY 2017 tax rates, the sum of SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($700,000.00) now standing to the credit of the account from FREE CASH be and is hereby assigned to the Fiscal Year 2017 General Fund budget, and that the portion raised by Ordinary Revenue and Municipal Receipts is hereby reduced by the same amount to ensure that the FY 2017 budget is funded as intended.

L1a.     AN ORDER,

L2.       WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Rebeiro, requesting that the City of New Bedford create “gentrification mitigation zones or GMZ” these are areas with large working class population and high concentration of poverty according to the US Census Data tracts, above-average increases in property values and signs of resident displacement, the districts would be subject to stronger protections for tenants whose housing may be at risk as developers and people with higher incomes move into a neighborhood; and further, in a gentrification mitigation zone, tenants of a building that’s put up for sale would have the first chance to buy it, with the possible assistance of local (i.e. CPA), State and Federal funds and if renters opted not to buy their building, the sale would be subject to a tax of 1 percent or less to assist tenants who face displacement locally, furthermore, developers in these proposed zones would also have to create Community Impact Statements to address how they would affect the neighborhood’s character, existing affordable housing, schools, other resources and would be required to meet with any Ward Councillors and At-Large Councillors in which a zone lies and the local neighborhood councils to present their plans.  (To be Referred to the Committee on Ordinances.)

L3.       WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Rebeiro, requesting, that DPI Commissioner Zeb Arruda, add another light to the existing pole located Russell Street and Acushnet Avenue, to brighten the area and assist the efforts for greater public safety.

L4.       COMMUNICATION/DEMOLITION, New Bedford Historical Commission, to City Council, re: 1494 East Rodney French Boulevard, (Map 12, Lot 77), circa 1890 wood framed structure; the structure retains historical significance due to its association with New Bedford’s 20^th century boat building industry and the widely recognized innovative boat design and manufacturing techniques attributed to Palmer Scott; the structure has been vacant for nearly a decade, has experienced a high level of deferred maintenance, and the level of rehabilitation required to meet current building code standards far exceeds the value of the property;  and therefore, in light of these findings, the New Bedford Historical Commission has determined that the structure at 1494 East Rodney French Boulevard is Historically Significant, but is not a Preferably Preserved Structure.