16. REPORT, Committee on Appointments and Briefings, recommending that the City Council take “NO FURTHER ACTION” on the WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Giesta, Abreu, Carney, Baptiste, Markey, Morad, Council President Lopes, and Councillors Coelho, Gomes and Dunn, requesting, that our Federal Legislative Delegation, Senators Warren and Markey, Congressman Bill Keating and Governor Baker expand the Opportunity Zone Program in New Bedford, the US Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 created the Opportunity Zone Program to provide incentives for investment in low income communities and we are asking that this program be expanded to areas of Ward Two, and other relevant neighborhoods throughout the City; and further, New Bedford is one of the largest Gateway Cities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the expansion of the Opportunity Zone Program would promote economic redevelopment, it is very important that we have a strong and dynamic Downtown, but there are many other areas of the City that should be redeveloped, and we believe the Opportunity Zone Program would help accomplish this mission.

16a. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Giesta, Abreu, Carney, Baptiste, Markey, Morad, Council President Lopes, and Councillors Coelho, Gomes and Dunn, requesting, that our Federal Legislative Delegation, Senators Warren and Markey, Congressman Bill Keating and Governor Baker expand the Opportunity Zone Program in New Bedford, the US Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 created the Opportunity Zone Program to provide incentives for investment in low income communities and we are asking that this program be expanded to areas of Ward Two, and other relevant neighborhoods throughout the City; and further, New Bedford is one of the largest Gateway Cities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the expansion of the Opportunity Zone Program would promote economic redevelopment, it is very important that we have a strong and dynamic Downtown, but there are many other areas of the City that should be redeveloped, and we believe the Opportunity Zone Program would help accomplish this mission. (Referred to the Committee on Appointments & Briefings – October 08, 2020.)