COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY & NEIGHBORHOODS -  October 26, 2022

MEETING AT 7:00 PM, City Hall, 133 William Street, New Bedford, MA City Council Chambers Room - 214

AGENDA

1. 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) (Ref’d 05/12/2022)

 

1a. COMMUNICATION, Councillor Lima, submitting maps detailing the “Proposed Speed Transition Zones.” (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.) (Ref’d 05/12/2022)

 

INVITEES: Laurie Alfonso, Executive Secretary/Parking Clerk, Traffic Department

 

2. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Dunn, Abreu, Council President Lopes, Councillors Giesta, Lima, Carney, Markey, Gomes and Baptiste, requesting, that Police Chief Cordeiro, Public Information Officer Scott Carola and Police Union President Turgeon be invited to a meeting of the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods to discuss providing the Council and public with a weekly crime report with up to date statistics on violent crime, property crime, and other crime, the crime data should be compiled both in a Citywide and Ward specific format; and further, the report should show trends based on previous weeks. (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.) (Ref’d 02/25/2021) (03/24/2021 – tabled; MOTION made that the Chief provide the Committee by email a weekly crime report; RELATED MOTION made that the Chief and Public Information Officer ask for an explanation of the discrepancies between City’s crime to FBI and City’s budget)

 

INVITEES: Scott Carola, Public Information Officer, New Bedford Police Department; Officer Christopher Cotter, President, New Bedford Police Union; Paul Oliveira, Chief, New Bedford Police Department; Representative, Mayor’s Office

 

3. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Lima, Gomes, Dunn, Giesta, and Carney, requesting that Fire Chief Scott Kruger, Inspectional Services Commissioner Danny Romanowicz, Planning Director Jennifer Carloni, Environmental Stewardship Director Michele Paul, and Health Director Damon Chaplin, come before the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods to discuss the conditions that caused the fire at Bob’s Tire Co., 55 Brook Street, on July 7, 2022, to apprise the Committee on the three inspection summary reports that were prepared on February 5, 2021 relative to Bob’s Tire Company, F & B Tire, and Pearl Street Tire, and to update the Committee on the Administration’s intentions relative to ensuring that the aforementioned tire companies are in compliance with City Codes and Ordinances, as well as State and Federal Regulations. (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.) (Ref’d 07/21/2022)

 

INVITEES: Jennifer Carloni, Director, Planning Department; Damon Chaplin, Director, Health Department; Scott Kruger, Chief, Fire Department; Michele Paul, Director, Environmental Stewardship; Danny Romanowicz, Commissioner, Inspectional Services

 

4. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillors Gomes, Dunn and Giesta, requesting, that the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods meet with officials from the Department of Inspectional Services, the Department of Public Infrastructure, the Fire Department, the Health Department and the owner of Bob’s Tire Company located at 85 Brook Street, due to the local residents’ complaints of the foul odor and runoff water from the site where the shredding of tires is occurring, this has become a quality-of-life issue for the residents of that area; and further, that an explanation be given to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods as to when permission was given to shred tires at this location; and further, that if Bob’s Tire Company has any Code violations, that the shredding of tires be halted immediately at this site. (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.) (Ref’d 02/13/2020)

 

INVITEES: Robert Bates, Owner, Bob's Tire Company; Damon Chaplin, Director, Health Department; Scott Kruger, Chief, Fire Department; Jamie Ponte, Commissioner, Public Infrastructure; Danny Romanowicz, Commissioner, Inspectional Services

 

Chair Suggests ‘Waive Reading’, ‘No Further Action’ and ‘Report Out to the Full City Council’

5. WRITTEN MOTION, Council President Lopes, Councillors Abreu, Lima, Giesta, Baptiste, Morad, Carney, Dunn and Markey, requesting that the Fire Chief attend a Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods meeting to discuss the fire coverage area of each of the City’s Fire Stations and provide each Councillor with a copy of the coverage map. (To be Referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.) (Ref’d 02/13/2020) (05/20/2021 – tabled)

 

6. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, Council President Lopes, Councillors Markey and Carney, requesting, that the City Council go on record in opposition and condemnation of the Boston Globe’s article along with the report done by Citizens For Juvenile Justice, titled, “We Are The Prey”; and further, that the New Bedford City Council also go on record in support of the men and women of the New Bedford Police Department as this report was not fairly done, and does not fit the image, the profile and the mission of our law-enforcement in the City, this report condemned our Police Department for racial profiling of minority groups of juveniles; and further, that the department continues to enforce law and order and justice for all Citizens of the City of New Bedford; and further, that Acting Police Chief Paul Oliveira reassure the people of the City that his leadership and New Bedford Police Department will mirror an image and commitment that all Citizens of the City of New Bedford will be treated fairly with no bias, only law and order and protection of all City residents. (Ref’d 02/10/2022)

 

7. RELATED MOTION, Councillor Morad, requesting that the Public Safety Chair hold another Public Safety meeting within the next 30 days and invite the Director of Parks, Recreation and Beaches, Mary Rapoza, in order to continue the discussion on how our parks will be monitored over the course of the Summer of 2022. (Ref’d from Committee 04/21/2022)

 

8. REPORT, Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods, recommending that the City Council follow the recommendations put forth in the “Comprehensive Beach Plan” submitted by Councillor Gomes and the “Summer Action Plan” submitted by Councillor Pereira, and to refer said plans to the Full City Council for distribution to all of the Invitees of the April 21, 2022 Public Safety Committee meeting as well as the Administration. (Ref’d 04/28/2022)

 

 

 

 

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