11.10.2026 City Council - Ordinances and Legislation

The Fall River City Council Committee on Ordinances and Legislation met on November 10, 2026, chaired by Councilor Andrew J. Raposo. The meeting opened with citizen input from resident Janet Riley, who voiced strong opposition to a proposal from the Law Department to strike Section 2-33 of the city code, arguing that removing the council's established right to outside legal counsel would undermine legislative oversight and a summer memorandum of agreement regarding access issues for Judge and Greenleaf streets. The committee approved meeting minutes from September 22 and October 6, 2026, before moving to a series of traffic and parking matters presented by Director of Traffic and Parking Stephanie McArthur.

The committee addressed multiple traffic ordinances, beginning with a controversial parking prohibition request on Wilson Road near Gina's Restaurant; after extensive debate regarding neighborhood parking, enforcement concerns, and business hours, councilors voted to table the matter and refer it back to the Traffic Board. On King Street, councilors amended a proposed hourly restriction to prohibit parking at all times over 181 feet southerly, following safety guidance from Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon regarding fire apparatus access, and passed the measure through first reading. Other routine traffic approvals included 15-minute parking near Jarek's Market on 5th Street, a loading zone adjustment on 10th Street, several handicap parking designations under an emergency preamble, and the removal of eight obsolete handicap parking spaces across the city.

In administrative and legal business, the committee took up an ordinance authored by Vice President Michelle M. Dionne to reclassify the Mayor's Chief of Staff from a contract personnel salary schedule (Section 50-302) to a political appointment schedule (Section 50-303) with a $60,000 placeholder salary. Despite acknowledging that an upcoming compensation study might adjust the figure, the committee voted 5-0 to recommend passing the reclassification through first reading. Finally, the committee debated an administration request to repeal Section 2-33 of the city code relating to retaining outside counsel. With Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey absent due to a family emergency and councilors divided on whether relying solely on a negotiated memorandum of agreement provided adequate statutory backing, the committee voted 3-2 to table the measure.

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