20.     REPORT, Committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Youth, Health and Housing and Disability Issues, recommending to the City Council to take “NO FURTHER ACTION” on a WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Alves, asking that the City Council “Committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Health, Housing and Disability Issues” seek to set up a meeting with representatives of the Administration, Planning Department, Department of Public Facilities, the City’s Veteran’s Affairs Office, Office of the Veteran’s Transition Housing, local Homeless Advocacy Groups (including Mr. Frank Robbins, a strong advocate and interested Community Leader,) and any/all other interested Community Groups to discuss uses for the closed National Guard Building located on Sycamore Street, in an effort to see what possible uses the City and/or City Agencies could have for the building before the building goes further into disrepair (the Chairman of said Committee has toured the building and is confident that, although some damage is visible,  the building overall is currently in good shape) and /or something devastating happens to the facility, and it is determined that it can no longer be used for a useful purpose or before it is damaged beyond repair; further, that the Committee Members work with the Administration to develop a feasible and functional plan that could be presented to the State National Guard Command Personnel to demonstrate the functional value of the building to the City of New Bedford, and so that the City of New Bedford can make the request to the State for the formal transfer of the building to the City; and further, that we seek to develop such a plan and request before the State sells this historic and stately building to a private developer and the City loses the opportunity to save and use this key facility for Community use.

20a.     WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Alves, asking that the City Council “Committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Health, Housing and Disability Issues” seek to set up a meeting with representatives of the Administration, Planning Department, Department of Public Facilities, the City’s Veteran’s Affairs Office, Office of the Veteran’s Transition Housing, local Homeless Advocacy Groups (including Mr. Frank Robbins, a strong advocate and interested Community Leader,) and any/all other interested Community Groups to discuss uses for the closed National Guard Building located on Sycamore Street, in an effort to see what possible uses the City and/or City Agencies could have for the building before the building goes further into disrepair (the Chairman of said Committee has toured the building and is confident that, although some damage is visible,  the building overall is currently in good shape) and /or something devastating happens to the facility, and it is determined that it can no longer be used for a useful purpose or before it is damaged beyond repair; further, that the Committee Members work with the Administration to develop a feasible and functional plan that could be presented to the State National Guard Command Personnel to demonstrate the functional value of the building to the City of New Bedford, and so that the City of New Bedford can make the request to the State for the formal transfer of the building to the City; and further, that we seek to develop such a plan and request before the State sells this historic and stately building to a private developer and the City loses the opportunity to save and use this key facility for Community use. (Referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Health, Housing and Disability Issues and the Mayor - July 19, 2007.)