10.27.2026 City Council - Committee on Health and Environmental Affairs

The Fall River City Council Committee on Health and Environmental Affairs met on October 27, 2026, to discuss the restoration of grocery transportation services for local veterans and seniors. Committee members Chair Michael G. Canuel and Councilor Linda M. Pereira were joined by Councilor Christopher M. Peckham, Sr., who arrived shortly after the start of the meeting. City Administrator Ann O'Neil-Souza and Health and Human Services Director Tess Curran explained that an unexpected driver departure caused a two-week pause in grocery shopping rides in late September, though medical transportation remained uninterrupted throughout. The grocery program temporarily resumed in mid-October using existing staff, while the Human Resources Department conducts background checks to hire permanent and backup drivers.

Councilor Pereira expressed concern regarding scheduling consistency, vehicle availability, and whether veterans were encountering challenges securing rides to medical facilities in Providence and Brockton. She also noted that a former driver who had taken medical leave for heart surgery was interested in returning to work. Officials clarified that the Council on Aging plans to resume direct oversight of senior rides starting December 1, while the Veterans' Services Department will focus on veterans' transit. Councilor Peckham requested that the Veterans' Services Officer provide documentation showing whether any medical appointments were missed, and the committee voted unanimously to table the matter until Veterans' Services Director Talos Farris could be present.

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