1.14.2025 Fall River City Council

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hey he city council committee on finance will come to order clerk will call the role council is kadim here Dion here Hart here Kilby here Pereira here HTI here Roso here Samson here president CRA here pursu to the open meeting law any person may make an audio or video recording of this public public meeting or may transmit this meeting through any medium attendees are therefore advised

that such recordings and trans or Transmissions are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present and not deemed acknowledged and permissible we have nothing before Finance except for one individual since this input time who signed up Sarah Riley subject matter National Grid quad Crossing you want to come down please and speak into the microphone and you have three minutes

thank you Sarah Riley 1679 copicut road I will try to be brief um the energy facility sighting board has yet to rule on the National Grid reliability project listen I am no Mike myosa I'm under no misconceptions that this project is going to be stopped or could be stopped today National Grid is simply addressing Crossing Quant road before the council but they're failing to share that this particular Crossing

at quanap road is over the copicut river which feeds the reservoir it's a choke point for the copicut swamp and Watershed filtering into your drinking water the copicut supplies up to 19% of the drinking water for over 105,000 people so we have to consider potential impacts to water quality opening fishing access to the Copa has already irrevocably altered the landscape of the reservoir over a period where we had

five envir enal police officers now we only have two no one wants to talk about how opening access along 500 ft of the drinking water supply will increase Public Access illegal and otherwise and essentially turn it into a beach on our drinking water supply or how it will pollute the reservoir um here is uh I don't know if anyone here doesn't realize but I clean up garbage from the copicut um it's sort

of my hobby um I have a Year's worth of fishing bobbers that I pulled from the copaa from April 20 23 to April 2024 I had to bring in the old diaper back guys it's 243 Bobbers in your drinking water supply in one year this is 120 fishing bobbers in the last 10 months almost 10 months and that's just Bobbers that's not tires or um tremendous amount of litter that I pick

up um I'm happy to share with you guys actually the documented um uh cleanups that I've done thank you does do over the last 14 months I have cleaned I've done 25 cleanups on the copicut I've cleaned 4,875 lers of garbage from the Copa cut and its Watershed and that equates to 485 kilos of pollution in your drinking water I'm going to read that again 14 months 25 cleanups 4,875 lers of garbage weighing 485 kilos

I'll spare you the evidence but really we're drinking it or you guys are drinking it we drink well water on the copot um while National Grids replanting plant is adequate foot traffic along the Copa has already leveled existing and mature erosion control along much of the shoreline um what measures do we have that would protect and allow vulnerable immature plants to take hold none what

measures monitor the drinking water supply as they're doing this construction what guarantees do we have that the existing infrastructure the copicut river Culver at quanap Road can sustain a funcher and other heavy machinery directly over the headwaters of the reservoir 3 years into this project there are no major resolutions only a promise for cameras a guardrail on a completely eroded embankment over an

ancient Culvert with questionable age and rating can you try to wrap it up please yep from a corporation who is accustomed to cutting the red tape and not bound by conservation restrictions they've had time to address the neighbors concerns they just haven't opening access without adequate funding for environmental policing and long-term management is irresponsible at best development over Environmental

Protection is an age-old story as Laura says unless unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better it's not thank you very much thank you con SE eight con Samson I just want to what is your first name again Sarah Sarah that's amazing and I just want to commend you for the work is anyone helping you with that is there any committee that's absolutely amazing the

committee is me myself and I and my kids and my kids friends yeah we we bring in people from the community I get offers all the time but typically when I go out it's you know because I've had a last minute cancellation and I have free time well thank you thank you very much for the work that you're doing down there I had no idea I wish I would have known

you had been here tonight um thank you for what you do I yield thank you thank you thank you very much there be another further fin entertain a motion Finance has been made is there a second second all in favor I I city council Community Finance is now agend go right into thee ready regular city council meeting will begin quick will call the Road Council is kadim here Dion here har here Kilby

here Perera here ponti here raposo Samson here and president C here will everyone in the council chair please rise for a moment of Silent prayer

please remain standing for salute to the flag I pled alance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all pursuing to the open meeting law any person may make an audence or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit this meeting to any medium attendees are therefore advised such

recordings or Transmissions are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present not deemed acknowledged and permissible Madam clerk first item before you is the mayor's request for the for confirmation of the reappointment of Joan maderis to the Redevelopment Authority motion to confirm confirm motion to confirm has been made and seconded all in favor I I any opposed motion carries

have the mayor's request for confirmation of the appointment of Katherine Driscoll to the commission on disability motion confirm second motion to confirm made in second all in favor I any opposed motion carries items three A and B are the mayor's request for confirmation of the of reappointments the first for Debbie pachico to the commission on disability motion to confirm second motion to

confirm has remain seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries and 3B would be the confirmation of the reappointment of Lisa Silva to the commission on disability motion to confirm second motion has made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries item four is the mayor's request um to approve Grant orders from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the Mass Department of

Environmental Management the first is the amount of $710,000 for municipal Public Safety Staffing within the police department motion to adopt second motion to adopt has been made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries the second is a grant for $900,000 for municipal Public Safety Staffing within the fire department motion to adopt second motion to adopt has made and seconded all in

favor I any opposed motion carries the next is 63,9 7325 for the Shannon Community safety initiative motion to adopt second motion to adopt has a made in second all in favor any opposed motion carries we have $52,000 from Mass D for substain sustainable materials recovery program motion to adopt second motion to adopt hasn't made and seconded on the motion counc seat s I'm just curious on this is

there any part of this grant that's going to be looking to expand the pilot program for cardboard I don't know if City administrator can answer that or not there is no no part of this grant we'll go c i y thank you thank you councel motion has been made and seconded all in favor any opposed motion carries and the last in the amount of $5,000 for Mass D the drop off equipment program motion to

adopt motion to adopt has been made and seconded all in favor I I any opposed motion carries item five is a communication from the mayor and the fiveyear financial forecast MO to refer the committee on finance second refer the committee on finance has been made and seconded on the motion c yeah I just have a question on that if we're going to refer this to finance um I know that our CFO is taking on another Position

will she be here to discuss this is there plans for a new CFO I mean if we're going to put it in finance I want somebody who knows the history um or the projections whatever I just haven't heard this will probably be come before before the next meeting I'm not sure she's leaving this mon I'm not sure when she's leaving I'm not sure just is she leaving in time SCH I don't

have a timeline that I can put out right now but we'll have confident knowledge discuss it at the next Finance meeting I would hope so that would be my hope have confident people thank you I thank you counc C4 counc just quickly I would Ur your Administration to kindly keep the city council a bris on um how interviews are going or if they're advertising or if say I'd like

to it's a very I I what I learned a long time ago that the person who handles the books in any organization is probably the most important person working in city government so I'd like to be uh the council to be kept informed on the developments for a new hire we can make that request c yeah thank you thank you motion has been made in second all in favor I any opposed motion

carries item six is is the board of election Commissioners and the orders that authorize the dates of the preliminary election and municipal election preliminary would be on September 16th municipal election on November 4th and also the designation of pulling places motion to refer to finance motion refer to committee on finance is there a second no what point of information uh why would we do

that may I through the chair go ahead yeah I I just have some questions about particular polling places I think after the change of last year I would like actually speak to Mr Lions about it a little bit more if we could motion to refer to finance second motion committee on finance has made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries item seven is the director of engineering and planning in the 2024

year and development developmental update motion accept place on file motion accept and plac on file has a made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries item eight is the traffic commission making recommendations to the ordinances for committee on ordinances second second motion forther committee on ordinance and legislation has been made in seconded all in favor I any opposed

motion carries item nine is a proposed ordinance for Passage through second reading and enrollment motion so made motion to pass second reading an rollment has been made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries whereas residents and property owners have expressed safety concerns related to the intersection of Bay Street and Mount Hope Avenue and whereas there have been numerous reports

of Northbound and southbound drivers failing to adhere to the stop signs located at this intersection and whereas these traffic violations have resulted in multiple vehicular accidents threatening the well-being of pedestrians drivers and Property Owners now therefore be a resolve that the Committee on Public Safety conven with the director of traffic and parking a represent pres ative of the for police

department and any interested parties to discuss additional safety measures that may be implemented at the intersection of Bay Street and Mount Hope Avenue motion to adopt motion to adopt has been made is there a second second second on the motion con for5 coun Vice pres per I think that we all received an email from a constituent on Bay Street in Mount Hope Avenue and I did uh speak with

Council raposo uh because I had spoken to the traffic uh commissioner Miss this is maatha and at this point there were stop signs there but she put up the illuminated one with the flashing signals and I called the gentleman back and he said those have been extremely helpful um if there continues to be a problem he would call us again so I don't know you can still refer it I

guess but sure uh at least you know something was done right away with several counselors that called her I think there was a couple of us that called M so she did that and I just think that's being proactive I appre appreciate it on her behalf age I Yi thank you thank you councilor motion has been made in second all in favor I I any opposed motion carries where have Community whereas

Community organizations such as Viva Fall River FL River arts and culture commission the Creative Arts Network and others have put on many different exciting events in 2024 and whereas many of these events were well attended and enjoyed by all and whereas these efforts should continue to be supported and highlighted now therefore resolved that the committee on Economic Development and Tourism invite these Community

organizations to discuss their 2024 year in review share ideas for plans in 2025 and how we can further support their efforts to benefit the residents of the city of Fall River motion to adopt second motion to adopt has made in seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries where has there been numerous residents who have experienced vehicular vandalism in the neighborhood of

President Avenue in Madison Street and whereas residents in the area have reported this information to the Fall River Police Department and other relevant parties and whereas the damage to vehicles in the neighborhood has persisted following the filing of the forementioned reports and those who live in the vicinity of this area are concerned about the well-being of all parties involved in this matter now

therefore be it resolved that the Committee on Public Safety convene with the police chief to discuss this ongoing issue and develop a strategy to combat property vandalism and increase Public Safety over Ro in the president Avenue in Madison Street neighborhood motion to adopt second motion to adopt has been made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries of the police

chief's report on licenses motion to adopt second motion to adopt the chief's report has it made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries motion to lift item 14 from the table second motion to lift item 14 from the table has been made and seconded all in favor I I any opposed motion carries item 14 is in order granting permission to New England power company for transmissions trans excuse me

transmission lines located at uh copicut road and quanap road I need a motion before we do anything counc just can't have I'll make a motion to deny motion to deny has been made there a second second and second on the motion to deny council4 Council kby yeah last meeting it it got it got tabled but I I had a um you know the Instinct at first to refer this to Public Works and

transportation um so this can be more thoroughly vented than just the public hearing as we have um individual came before us um that obviously does a ton of volunteer work um and she does have some legitimate questions that as a resident she deserves specific answers to those questions it's not the Forum here to do that so I think public correction Transportation bring the parties together have a really good in

depth conversation of what her concerns are and what the uh utility company is committed to doing will you make that form of a motion I make a motion I'll second that okay motion for public work and transportation has made in seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries I see the gentleman uh the attorney uh going going no like that but you don't sit in this seat okay you counc counc

councel councel councel we we we are on to the next item that's been discussed it's been referred we're not going to get into okay thank you people can disagree and not disagree but we we we will go on to the next meeting with that one thank you Mr President item 15 our minutes of the zoning board of appeals held on November 21st motion accept and place on file motion accept and place

file has been made there a second second second all in favor I any opposed motion carries motion take 16 through 18 together second motion to take items 16 17 and 18 together has made and seconded all in favor I I any opposed motion carries is there another motion go ahead mam C you can motion to accept and place on file we we have minutes of the city council public hearings committee on

finance and regular meeting of the city council all held on December 17th motion to approve motion to approve second as a made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries committee on ordinances and legislation at a meeting held on January 14th voted unanimously to recommend that the accompanying proposed ordinance be passed through first reading this is the ordinance that relates to the position

um of Deputy Chief of EMS budget and compliance motion so made second first reading has been made and second it all in favor I any opposed motion carries the committee on ordinances and legislation at a meeting held on January 14th voted four y one nay to recommend that the accompanying resolution in proposed ordinance be granted leave to withdraw with councelor reposo voting in the negative this would be the

resolution and proposed ordinance relating to the affordable housing trust motion to refer to finance second motion refer to committee on finance has made and seconded on the motion thank you Mr President so um I appreciate the work that the ordinance committee um has tried to do when it comes to this and I know this is a complex issue um speaking personally I'm a little frustrated at the fact that it's getting

leave to withdraw which was the intention of the ordinance committee um with no disrespect to my five colleagues that are on the ordinance committee but we are often asked as elected officials you know in in in in months in months from today we're going to be sitting you know um at a forum or at a debate stage and I can guarantee you dollars to dimes that we're going to be asked a question

what are you as an elected official going to do to address the housing issues and the housing crisis that plagues your city and granted I recognize that it's a state issue it's a county issue it's an East Coast issue I get all that but there's there's an There's an opportunity to do what other communities have done something that has been pushed by the mass Municipal Association pushed by other cities and

towns and I recognize they're maybe not like Fall River but there's an opportunity here for us to try to do something to address housing now I want to urge my colleagues to reconsider their thoughts on just letting this die and not do anything with it because that's what the in intention of a leave to withdraw would have done and when a incoming Federal Administration a new president is sworn

into office in a couple of days it's pretty clear that what they're trying to most likely do is reorganize government at the federal level in the sense of how do we know we're going to continue to get the same federal aid that we get year after year for Community Development for additional funds that we do for housing and homelessness and all these other things the Reliance on Federal and State

funds while every city in town often relies on that it's it's it's upsetting to me that we wouldn't put some money aside to set up a trust an affordable housing trust fund like 29 or 30 other cities and towns have done in the state of Massachusetts to try to Spur affordable housing to to complement development it's a board it's an it's not an elected body it has its own account we just need

a little surplus of money to be able to start the fund with a board of directors that reports to the mayor and to the city council there's 45 pages here from you know passed out from the mass Municipal Association I actually went with a colleague um two or three years ago to colleag in seat one I think we went maybe four years ago now at an MMA conference in Boston and there were

there was a whole seminar about what cities and towns are doing to help with affordable and market rate housing if I can't find a singular issue that's impacting our community it's housing and this is an opportunity for us to do something what can local housing trusts do it can provide financial support for construction of affordable homes by private developers nonprofit or profit

it can rehab existing homes and convert them to affordable housing it can increase affordability in new Housing Development projects maybe help some developers who are maybe a CH are challenged to build affordable housing because their cost of material is so high now that it generally wasn't in Prior years we can develop Surplus Municipal land or buildings we can preserve properties faced with expiring

affordable housing restrictions we can support rent assistance for low and moderate income households I mean it's 39 P 38 Pages here of something that we could probably do and I know if this was another project we would have found the way to do it I'm telling you if this was another project that maybe pulled at the pur strings a little bit more politically we would have found a way to get some money

to start this now we don't want to do it and it's okay but when people come down here and ask us what are you going to do as counselors to addressing housing issue and we're going to kill something and maybe not invite the mass Municipal Association down I think is a is an error it's an error in judgment so I asked for the referral to the committee on finance so I guess I as the

sponsor of this initial resolution we print the 38 Pages again I'll come with more facts maybe I can see if I could send a letter to somebody at the mass Municipal Association I know the former city administrator here what was his name Adam chaplain he's up there now maybe he can come back down to a Torah Fall River and see what other cities and have done and done this successful we

can invite him to that meeting quite a few years Adam Ching that was with Bob K he might lost Direction maybe not but I think he's running that ship up there now so um maybe it'd be a good idea if we maybe send him a letter and invite him to the committee on finance if you can Mr President Madam Clerk and and we can hear from him what other cities and

towns have done and find how we can you know scrub together a couple hundred, here to start this maybe it's not a couple hundred, maybe other cities and towns have done it for a million dollars I don't know but we're sitting on money and stabilization can we do something with housing I think we can and I'm open to having a a healthy professional debate about this because for me this is

the opportunity to do it if you don't want to do it don't sit here and say we're going to fix it when we can't because this is the opportunity to start doing it I yield for now thank you counc councilor CD Council Samson um to my colleague I want to say um you know to say that this is not a a to you know I voted it down because you weren't at

that meeting this is a topic that yes you put before us but the last two meetings we had on you weren't present you're the expert tat you have so much passion about it when you sit here but you're not at that table to answer the questions so maybe I would suggest that you revisit that or put it into a committee that you will come and sit there because the four people that were

at that table that has expertise is saying it's a duplicated efforts and if you read exactly what was put before us it looks exactly as a duplication of efforts but then when you sit here it looks as it you know you have another way of looking at it but you weren't there to vote on it you didn't have the passion sitting at the table so we went with what was in front of us and what

I've looked into that looks like it's an exact duplication of efforts that the city is doing and if we look at the numbers you put down we're looking at putting a committee together for possibly six units in Fall River so my suggestion to you would to be file a new resolution and put it into a committee that you can explain it since you have all this expertise with that I yield you

guys no I would just say I understand the need for affordable housing but the percentage of affordable housing we have here in the city of for River and all the gentlemen that were at the table speaking of that maybe MMA maybe Adam Chapan maybe we can assist Westport Swansea Somerset that they should start doing affordable housing why is it always come into for River we have a lot of lowincome Housing and I know with

people coming in buying property and rents being raised it's been a tragedy for many people but there are still some good landlords out there who are keeping rents low but with all that is being done one of the problems was that the city becomes the owner of these properties or what have you and all of the building in that um U Mike Dion is doing there are more affordable housing

apartments that are coming up he had a number of them that he listed Administration as well talked about it Mr Fiola talked about it and um so did the City attorney with you know so I wish that you would have come to these meetings to hear what they have to say but that's why I voted no it I agree with my colleague in seat number eight it seems to be a d a duplication of

services but honestly the biggest problem that the state needs to look at look at is that every community in Massachusetts have affordable housing because they don't we have done our share in for River for a long time with that I yield thank you thank you councelor C SE six C so uh and I I appreciate my my colleagues comments about this a duplication of services so my my guess my question to you is if the

federal government through this do or Dodge or whatever musk and Trump are doing together over here on uh on working to reduce government expenses and reduces the possibly amount of money that comes to cities and towns how are we going to be able to sustain the same amount of resources that the Community Development gets through Federal funding to sustain the programs that CDA are doing right now

and yeah I me maybe I should have shown up at the ordinance committee meeting could have sat there and answered questions but as City councilors I am not a one professional on affordable housing trusts I'm not an attorney I don't pretend to be one but I can tell you that if you read the attachment of 38 pages that i' I I gave some of you it clearly says there's the opportunity to

do this and I'm not saying we're going to we're going to take over Community Development I'm just saying that there's an opportunity and maybe this is just something that's a little too complicated for us right now maybe we need to we need to drop this down a little level for some of us to understand which is why this is going back to the hopefully with the Council of support the committee on finance

today so that we can talk more about it break it down a little bit more for maybe us to understand that if this has benefits to it it's we should explore it I'm just saying this is an opportunity for us and if we want to say no it's okay but um this is our opportunity to do it and other communities have done it and these same communities have done it also have Community Development agencies so

it's really not a duplication of efforts so I you for now thank you thank you Mr President I appreciate the uh resolution that my colleague had submitted and I think part of the conversation that we had was when you look at the proposed ordinance that was submitted to us um the establishment of a Board of Trustees and the ACT giving them the authority to acquire property and do everything that I think that you

know local government should not be part of um is what kind of convoluted the conversation and I I prefaced my statements with the fact that I I think what my colleague is trying to do is create a trust to get additional revenue and funds to help offset um affordable housing which I'm fully in support of but as written I I think the issue becomes that we already have CDA we

already have CPA we already have uh an agency that's dealing with um both profit and nonprofit organizations to to get additional monies for affordable housing so I'm not opposed to sending this to finance um I think it should go to finance but I think a larger conversation to my colleagues uh I think ultimate point is number one we need to we need to have a conversation about you

know from a master plan standpoint what does the housing uh industry look like in Fall River what do we want to see that because I think part of you know market rate housing affordable housing we need to see we need to understand what that looks like and what uh what we need from from a master planning standpoint in in terms of the city of Fall River so you know I I fully support

putting forth a trust fund that would help offset and and provide additional funds for uh other Revenue coming from CDA and the CPA I fully support that uh but in terms of creating you know a Board of Trustees who are going to oversee this and then it just gets a lot it gets convoluted once we start talking about acquisition of property and maintaining number one as as my colleagues had mentioned and I'm I

brought this up in ordinance uh now we're we're hamstrung with you know chapter 30b and procurement law and then you've got prevailing wage uh Mr Dion mentioned that anything under 11 units CDA does not have to do prevailing wage we would if it was under the um city of for River under a department so those are the types of things and concerns that we have but I would support setting

this over to finance so we can have a a more Global conversation about about the housing market and then also talking about if we streamline uh the resolution and and the proposed draft ordinance that we have there to to make it specific to um providing additional funds and not necessarily creating a committee uh to over oversee all the acquisition and uh Renovations of Apartments then I think that's something

we can support or at least I can support with that a yeld just curious you think you should go to finance or the committee on Housing Development Finance everyone here I want Mr Ponte to be there I can't Mee there's also housing committee because it might be a very long meeting we bringing back the individuals that were there it is will be if there's other meetings on the agenda other items on agenda it might

hinder it quite a bit because I can see that being a very long meeting honestly Mr President it's been sitting an ordinance since February so another couple months if you only want to wait for a time that maybe somebody from MMA can come down here or I'm completely fine we're waiting for someone from MMA to come down I think be worthy of having that discuss I got a lot of respect for

him sure and I can't wait for him to tell me what other communities are doing about housing in this community yeah he was the city administrator in Arington M he's I love the guy he's a great guy motion to refer to committee on finance has been made and seconded all in favor I any opposed motion carries committee on ordinances and legislation at a meeting held on January 14th voted unanimously to recommend that

the accompanying proposed ordinance be passed through first reading this ordinance relates to shortterm rentals motion to pass first reading second motion to pass first reading has been made and second all in favor I on the can can I I'm sorry um I was looking for my paper on this can we get a brief overview of what the out my desk's a mess can we just somebody just made maybe the chair

of the committee give us an overview of this for the community a copy of the ordinance and there's something that they wanted to change um that counselor that counselor reposa I want to put in he want to share that with you but it's just they have some rules and regulations about short-term rental they have to work at n months and rental for three um and there's there's a whole list of ordinances you have it but she

put it on your desk look under there she gave them all inspectional purpose definition this is only first reading anyway right right it is and it'll be amended on the second reading motion to pass first reading has made second all in favor did you get any opposed motion carries Council take a brief recess two minute recess to get some um traffic

city council regular meeting will be convened the last item before you is for Passage through final ordination a miscellaneous traffic ordinance motion to pass second second motion to pass ordination have M second on favor I any opposed motion carries that's motion to adjourn mot second all in favor any opposed City c is now good night everybody hey hey hey o hey hey hey hey hey hey