CITY COUNCIL CALENDAR
Thursday, May 12, 2022
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NOTE:
THIS MEETING IS HELD AT 7PM CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS - ROOM 214, CITY HALL, 133 WILLIAM STREET, NEW BEDFORD, MA - FOR OFFICIAL POSTING, PLEASE SEE CITY'S WEBSITE
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THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING IS TUESDAY, MAY 24TH, DUE TO THE HOLY DAY ON MAY 26TH; THE AGENDA WILL CLOSE ON THURSDAY, MAY 19TH AT 10 A.M., AND BE RELEASED ON FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2022
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OPENING OF SESSION BY
CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT IAN ABREU
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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL
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HEARINGS

1.  HEARING, NSTAR Electric Company d/b/a Eversource Energy for location of 65’ Conduit and Cable and one (1) Handhole in ROCKDALE AVENUE, Easterly starting at the intersection of Allen Street.

 

1a. AN ORDER,

2. HEARING, New Cingular Wireless PCS d/b/a AT&T Wireless for location of one small cell wireless facility attached to utility pole located near 295 Tinkham Street.

 

2a. AN ORDER,

3. HEARING, New Cingular Wireless PCS d/b/a AT&T Wireless for location of one small cell wireless facility attached to utility pole located near 189 Tinkham Street.

 

3a. AN ORDER,

4. HEARING, New Cingular Wireless PCS d/b/a AT&T Wireless for location of one small cell wireless facility attached to utility pole located near 70 Earle Street.

 

4a. AN ORDER,

5. HEARING, New Cingular Wireless PCS d/b/a AT&T Wireless for location of one small cell wireless facility attached to utility pole located near 40 Concord Street.

 

5a. AN ORDER,

6. HEARING, New Cingular Wireless PCS d/b/a AT&T Wireless for location of one small cell wireless facility attached to utility pole located near 177 Princeton Street.

 

6a. AN ORDER,

7. HEARING, New Cingular Wireless PCS d/b/a AT&T Wireless for location of one small cell wireless facility attached to utility pole located near 430 Ashley Boulevard.

 

7a. AN ORDER,

8. HEARING, New Cingular Wireless PCS d/b/a AT&T Wireless for location of one small cell wireless facility attached to utility pole located near 19 Ernest Street.

 

8a. AN ORDER,

9. HEARING, New Cingular Wireless PCS d/b/a AT&T Wireless for location of one small cell wireless facility attached to utility pole located near 494 Wood Street.

 

9a. AN ORDER,

MAYORS PAPERS

M1.      COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting a HOME RULE PETITION, authorizing the City of New Bedford to grant a Utility Easement to the University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth for the purpose of installing and maintaining underground utilities under a portion of the land owned by the City at Fort Taber Park.

 

M1a.    AN ACT,

M2.      COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the RE-APPOINTMENT of CYNTHIA WALLQUIST, New Bedford, MA, as the Executive Director of the COMMISSION FOR CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES; this term will expire April 2025.

M3.      COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the RE-APPOINTMENT of ESPERANZA ALEJANDRO-BERUBE, New Bedford, MA, to the COMMISSION FOR CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES; this term will expire May 2025.
M4.      COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the RE-APPOINTMENT of AUDRA DEPINA, New Bedford, MA, to the COMMISSION FOR CITIZENS WITH DISABILITIES; this term will expire May 2025.
M5.      COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the APPOINTMENT of JOSHUA AMARAL, New Bedford, MA, to the BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES, Mr. Amaral will be replacing the late Reverend Constantine Bebis; this term will expire April 2024.
NEW BUSINESS

10. REPORT, Committee on Finance, recommending that the City Council Amend the Order for the Community Preservation Act FY22 Projects funding amount from $1,412,500 to $1,600,000.

 

10a. AN ORDER,

11. REPORT, Committee on Finance, recommending to the City Council ADOPTION of the LOAN ORDER, in the amount of $119,000,000, to finance the costs of projects outlined in the City’s Long Term CSO Control and Integrated Capital Improvements Plan including capital planning, wastewater treatment plan improvements, wastewater collection system improvements, pumping station improvements, wastewater collection systems investigations, CSO abatements, and general system improvements.

 

11a. LOAN ORDER, (To be Passed to a Second Reading.)

12. REPORT, Committee on Finance, recommending that the City Council refer the Order for the proposed sewer rate increases to the Quasi Committee of the Whole that’s considering the annual fiscal year budget.

 

12a. AN ORDER,

13. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting, that the Committee on City Property meet with a representative of the Fall River Diocese and a representative of the Administration to discuss an action plan by the Diocese to address the number of vacant Churches in the City New Bedford. (To be Referred to the Committee on City Property).

14. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting that the Committee on City Property meet with a representative from the Mitchell Administration, to discuss what action plan is being implemented for the number of vacant School and City buildings, that are not generating taxes and are deteriorating in the City.

15. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting that the Committee on City Property meet with the owners or representatives of the former Shaw’s Supermarket and the Flagship Theater plaza to discuss the developers plans for the property or possibly of an action plan for said location; possibly developing the area into a thriving business and service plaza modeled after development in Fall River Southcoast Marketplace. (To be Referred to the Committee on City Property.)

16. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings meet with State officials, the Administration and New Bedford Port Authority to discussed present condition of the boat slips at Pope’s Island Marina Facility; further, discuss the 2014 report provided to the New Bedford Port Authority and the City of New Bedford that includes a reported inspection and assessment of the marina and improvements needed due to deterioration, the report also indicated that replacement of the floating docks would cost on their recommendations close to $5,500,000; furthermore, that the Committee request year end audits of New Bedford Port Authority for years 2018,2019,2020 and 2021 and that the City explain as to why we don’t have a lease contract with the State since 2019 and where has the revenue from the 195 slips or more gone to since 2019 through 2021. (To be Referred to the Committee on Appointments and Briefings.)

17. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Gomes and Pereira, requesting that the Traffic Commission look at changing the traffic flow to one lane on Cove Road in a westerly direction from Margin Street to the end of the residential homes located just before Crapo Street, which at that point it can turn into a two-way in a westerly direction on Cove Road; and further that a solid line be painted from the gas station located on Cove Road and County Street in a westerly direction until the end of the residential district with the residential parking spaces also be repainted; this request comes on behalf of many of the residents in the area looking for a safer traffic flow. (To be Referred to the Traffic Commission.)

18. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Morad, requesting, that Department of Public Infrastructure Commissioner Jamie Ponte, provide the City Council with a summary report detailing current and past due Commercial, Industrial, Municipal and Residential accounts for Water and Wastewater billings as of April 30, 2022, said report shall include comparable information for the periods of March 2021 and August 2021. (To be Referred to the Committee on Appointments and Briefings, Committee on Finance and the Committee on Ordinances.)  

19. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Lima and Gomes, requesting, that Executive Secretary/Parking Clerk Laurie Alfonso brief the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods on the application that was submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, specifically, the MassDOT Safety Equipment Grant application which details “proposed speed transition zones” in the following areas: East Beach, Victory Park/Clegg Field Baseball Complex, West Beach, Downtown Elm Street Parking Garage, Buttonwood Park, Riverside Park. (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods)

 

19a. COMMUNICATION, Councillor Lima, submitting maps detailing the “Proposed Speed Transition Zones.” (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.)

20. COMMUNICATION/DEMOLITION, Anne Louro, Preservation Planner, to City Council,  re: BUILDING DEMOLITION REVIEW – 38 WASHBURN STREET (Map 85/Lot 177) circa 1889, wood framed, three-family residential structure is not located in a National Register Historic District; the structure has been significantly altered; the structure has deferred maintenance and unpermitted additions, resulting in the building being structurally compromised and beyond feasible rehabilitation; therefore, "in light of these findings, the Preservation Planner has determined that the building at 38 Washburn Street is neither a Historically Significant nor a Preferably Preserved Building."
21. COMMUNICATION/DEMOLITION, New Bedford Historical Commission, to City Council,  re: BUILDING DEMOLITION REVIEW – NS MANOMET STREET (Map 105/Lot 207) circa 1940 coal bin structure; the structure is associated with the Manomet Mills, an early 20th century textile mill complex which became a National Register Historic District in 2012; the structure has been a long-term, vacant, blighted structure and has become a nuisance property, attracting trash, dumping and illegal activities; the City’s Neighborhood Task Force has sought demolition to cure the violations associated with this property; the structure consists of a brick building, metal canopy and bunker-type concrete walls, all parts of the structure must be removed as they currently have an adverse effect on the nearby historic resources and will continue to be a blight to the neighborhood and attract nuisance activity, “in light of these findings, the New Bedford Historical Commission has determined that the structure located at NS Manomet Street is not Historically Significant nor a Preferably Preserved Historic Structure.”
22. COMMUNICATION/DEMOLITION, New Bedford Historical Commission, to City Council,  re: BUILDING DEMOLITION REVIEW – 24 N FRONT STREET (Map 79/Lots 2 & 4) Buildings 4, 12, 19, western part of 2; a historic resources survey, funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission found the property at 24 N Front Street, known as the former Revere Copper site, to be eligible as a National Register District; the property is significant as the largest copper manufacturing facility in New Bedford during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and as a relatively unaltered example of a large-scale, mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century manufacturing complex; the property is significant because of its association with the Paul Revere Copper Company (founded in 1801 in Canton, MA) and Paul Revere’s great-grandson Edward H.R. Revere (1867-1957), who became general manager in 1920 and lent his surname to the present company name in 1929; the existing buildings are in fair to poor condition and the current configuration of the buildings on the site does not lend itself to the operations of a water-dependent facility; the waterfront site has the potential to be a valuable port facility and the redevelopment of the site will mitigate site environmental hazards, have positive impacts on local employment and the commercial tax base, as well as help catalyze other economic investments in the adjacent Hicks Logan and Wamsutta Mills districts, “in light of these findings, the New Bedford Historical Commission has determined that Buildings 4, 12, 19 and western part of 2, located at 24 N Front Street are Historically Significant but are not Preferably Preserved Historic Buildings.” 
23. COMMUNICATION/DEMOLITION, New Bedford Historical Commission, to City Council,  re: BUILDING DEMOLITION REVIEW RE: 24 N Front Street (Map 79/Lots 2 & 4 ) Buildings 1, 3, 3A, eastern part of 2; a historic resources survey, funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission found the property at 24 N Front Street, known as the former Revere Copper site, to be eligible as a National Register District; the property is significant as the largest copper manufacturing facility in New Bedford during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and as a relatively unaltered example of a large-scale, mid-nineteenth- to mid-twentieth-century manufacturing complex; the property is significant because of its association with the Paul Revere Copper Company (founded in 1801 in Canton, MA) and Paul Revere’s great-grandson Edward H. R. Revere (1867–1957), who became general manager in 1920 and lent his surname to the present company name in 1929; the existing buildings are in fair to poor condition and are unable to be adapted for the purposes of modern fish processing; the property owner will be collaborating with the City to construct a new building which is architecturally sensitive to the Hicks-Logan District and provide an easement to assist in the potential widening of N Front Street, per statements made by the applicant team during the presentation to the Historical Commission; “In light of these findings, the New Bedford Historical Commission has determined that Buildings 1, 3, 3A and eastern part of 2, located at 24 N Front Street are Historically Significant but are not Preferably Preserved Historic Buildings.” 
24. COMMUNICATION/DEMOLITION, The New Bedford Historical Commission, to City Council, re: BUILDING DEMOLITION REVIEW, 24 N Front Street (Map 79 Lots 2 & 4) Buildings 15, northern part of 14, and eastern part of 10; a historic resources survey, funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Historical Commission found the property at 24 N Front Street, known as the former Revere Copper site, to be eligible as a National Register District; the property is significant as the largest copper manufacturing facility in New Bedford during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and as a relatively unaltered example of a large-scale, mid-nineteenth- to mid-twentieth-century manufacturing complex; the property is significant because of its association with the Paul Revere Copper Company (founded in 1801 in Canton, MA) and Paul Revere’s great-grandson Edward H. R. Revere (1867–1957), who became general manager in 1920 and lent his surname to the present company name in 1929; the selective demolition of these buildings within the site will allow for its productive use and provide parking to support the future rehabilitated Ice House and other activities throughout the site; “In light of these findings, the New Bedford Historical Commission has determined that Buildings 15, northern part of 14 and eastern part of 10, located at 24 N Front Street are Historically Significant but are not Preferably Preserved Historic Buildings.”

25. COMMUNICATION, City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council, to City Council, on behalf of Gabriel N. DaRosa, 56 Westwood Drive, North Dartmouth, MA 02747 d/b/a BLUEBIRD TRANSPORTATION LLC, 458 Dartmouth Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, hereby submitting a copy of the Application requesting a RENEWAL of a PRIVATE LIVERY LICENSE, to carry passengers for hire over the streets of New Bedford. (Term of License July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023.)

26. COMMUNICATION, City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council, to City Council, on behalf of Anthony Snow, 33 Arthur Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914 d/b/a CAB TRANSPORTATION LLC, 12 Welby Road, New Bedford, MA 02745, hereby submitting a copy of the Application requesting RENEWAL of a PRIVATE LIVERY LICENSE, to carry passengers for hire over the streets of New Bedford. (Term of License July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023.)

27. COMMUNICATION, City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council, to City Council, on behalf of Tanya DePina, 47 Lauren Drive, New Bedford, MA 02745 d/b/a COMFORT TRANSPORTATION, LLC, 47 Lauren Drive, New Bedford, MA 02745, hereby submitting a copy of the Application requesting RENEWAL of a PRIVATE LIVERY LICENSE to carry passengers for hire over the streets of New Bedford. (Term of License – July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023.)

28. COMMUNICATION, City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council, to City Council, on behalf of Ari M. Bokhari, 3 Revolutionary Way, Hopkinton, MA 01748 d/b/a MAGIC WHEELS TRANSPORTATION, 44 Liberty Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, hereby submitting a copy of the Application requesting a RENEWAL of a PRIVATE LIVERY LICENSE to carry passengers for hire over the streets of New Bedford. (Term of License – July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023.)

29. COMMUNICATION, The Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches, submitting a Memorial Park Bench and Tree Dedication Program application in memory of Sarah D. Clark. (To be Referred to the Special Committee on Memorials and Dedications.) 

30. COMMUNICATION, Councillor Pereira, submitting a copy of a letter sent to the Board of Health in support of the establishment of Little City Tattoo’s, to be heard at the Board of Health meeting on May 05, 2022. 

31.       COMMUNICATION, Councillor Morad, submitting a copy of a support letter sent to the Planning Board regarding the proposed Bartlett Estates Subdivision. (To be Received and Placed on File.)

 

TABLED BUSINESS

 

 

 

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