3.26.26 Redevelopment Authority

Welcome to the March 25th, 2026 meeting of the Fall River Redevelopment Authority.

Call to order. Um, pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium. Attendees are therefore advised that such recording or transmissions are being made, whether perceived or unpersceived, by those present, and are deemed acknowledged and permissible. So, we'll take roll call.

Ann Keane, Ben Feelberg, Bill Madurus, Ron Rousen, and our chair, Johnny Ericson, is uh absent this evening. Also participating tonight are Sarah Paige, our executive director, John Coughlin, legal counsel, Ken Fiola, administrative consultant, and Karen Martin, project manager.

So then first item on our agenda is the approval of the open session minutes from March 3rd, 2026.

Are there any comments on the March 3rd, 2026 minutes?

Uh hearing none, I will entertain a motion to approve the March 3rd, 2026 open session minutes.

A motion to approve the March 3rd, 2026 open session minutes.

Okay. Roll call vote. And Keane, yes.

Fleberg, yes. Joan Medeiros, yes.

Ron Rousen, yes.

Next item on the agenda is the approval of the warrant. Are there any comments on the March warrant in the amount of $140,51650?

Motion to approve the March warrant in the amount of 140,516500.

Okay.

50.

Y50.

Roll call vote. Uh Ann Keane. Yes.

Ben Fleberg. Yes.

Joan Mader. Yes.

Ron Rousen. Yes.

Okay. Next item um is the election of officers. If Sarah can update us on that.

Yes. So I gave everyone a list of our present officers and um we uh I was going to pass it to John. He and I were talking about the election and he's going to take the next step.

Yeah. I think it's just once a year you elect your your officers on this list.

So the question is is everybody comfortable staying in those positions?

Are there any changes? And if if everybody's willing to serve and everybody wants to stay in those positions, then I think you could just do a motion to appoint everyone to another or you can go through each one individually. It depends on whether everybody is comfortable staying the way it is or not.

Was John all set?

Yeah.

Mhm.

You all set?

Y all set. Motion to approve the slate of the office that was presented.

Current board president chair John Erikson, vice chairman Ian Keane, treasurer Joe Medeiros, ex secretary exeicio Sarah Page for a term of one year.

For a term of one year or until their successor is elected or until their successor is elected.

Okay. Roll call vote. Ann Keane? Yes.

Ben Cuttleberg, yes.

John Maduras, yes.

Ron Rousen, yes.

Okay.

All right. The next item on our agenda is 600 Deval Street.

Okay. The first thing um I'll give you some updates on where we are with Northfield Point. So um I think as I mentioned our last meeting, we received um the fully executed um contract that day of the the meeting. So, we have been able to start um proceeding with um finalizing the bid package and we have a schedule for um what's going to go forth. We are actually going to the city's converting over to an electronic

um bid open bid process I guess the whole process. So, it's going to be on open.gov gov. And um so myself um Bill from BEA met with um Trevor, the city purchasing agent, and we went through all the things that we have to do to um to get to him to put it all on the um the electronic platform.

And we um have determined that we're going to have the bid packages out on the street April um 22nd. Uh we're going to have a pre-bid meeting on May 5th. A bid opening is going to be May 21st and we are hoping to be able to bring um what we believe is the lowest and responsible bidder to the board on May 27th.

we have kept in case there's any addendums that come up, questions that come up or anything else, then we'd have to push it and bring um hopefully bring everything to the June board meeting. Um but the whole idea is to basically be able to start construction just after the 4th of July and it should be about a two to three month project. And um the final the final drawings are coming to

us tomorrow and we're going to give them a once over and then the bid um the spec book should be coming to me the beginning of next week and we'll be going through all that too. And then all of that will be all um once we think it's in final shape will be all uploaded onto the same open.gov gov platform and then once it's um released on the the uh

22nd of April, we'll be the you have to be registered with the city to get the bid packages and bid on the bid packages. So, um it's a whole new it's really it's actually going to be a great process for the whole city. Um they're slowly converting everybody over to it, but I mean it's just everything is is going to be so much cleaner. You can't submit a bid without making sure you've,

you know, completed all the forms that come with the bid. The bid package will be a lot easier.

Is everything electronic with the bid package?

Yeah. So, like they won't like the bid won't be accepted if they haven't done like their the tax certification or the non-clusion form and all of that. And plus, if they don't, you know, if there's a bid bond required, if there's no bid bond um attached, it won't submit. So I mean a lot of that is those administrative issues are taken out of the equation because for your bid to be

acknowledged and opened it has to have all those forms. So it should it should be a really good clean process. Um the biggest thing is just making sure that um you know you get enough people registered with the city and you know once it's out there and the notices go out on combis, they go out on the legal notices, they go out on the um all wherever it is purchasing just redirects

everybody that they have to um register on the city website. So I think that I think that it'll be a cleaner project and I'm looking forward to see how the whole thing rolls out. So, that's where we are with the schedule for the work. I was down on the site today. I put up a nice sign on the fence that says, you know, coming, you know, fall of 2026.

And I put a nice kind of rendering on there. So, if you're down there, walk by it, take a look at it. It um looks nice.

Everybody walked by was very excited.

So, it was good. It was really good. Um, and then so along with that, there's a couple things that um I've put in the we put in the bid package that I need you to approve. And both of the things that I'm going to talk about um will be covered by the FY um uh Seport grant that we have. So this won't be anything that comes directly out of our project

out of our pockets. It'll be reimbured through the SE port economic grant. So the first thing is the beta proposal. Um and the beta proposal um is in the amount of 134 or is it 134900 and that includes um all the bid um finalizing the bid package helping with the bid assistance doing all the um due diligence on the um the low biders and then construction admin and uh resident engineering services to cover the span

of the um the project. Obviously, um the resident engineer services will be built time and materials so that if the project doesn't go for the full duration, you know, we'll be able to um make some savings there. And it also includes just because the layout of um the paths and the walkways on the strip and throughout the the whole lay of the land. Um it's it's kind of a tight configuration. they're going to actually

do a formal layout for the contractor so that there won't be any um questions as to um you know the lines limits of the walkway and everything. So that's included in there too. And we do have I don't know if you guys remember um when we did the docks and um I did some we did um like the supplemental drainage work and stuff at City Pier, we had Joe Spencer out there. He's one of their

senior engineers and he's going to be there for this um final scope of work, too. So, that should go really well. Um so, I'm just going to need you.

Do we have Do we have concrete testing in there for the sidewalks?

Um I I don't have sidewalks.

No, it's um It's great. It's aggregate.

It's not throughout the whole thing.

Yeah, it's aggregate.

Okay. I thought there was the only thing is concrete is the basis for the solar lights and then I have to do and there is going to be a patch when we have to cut through the boardwalk part the walkway along the perimeter of the area before Northfield Point is not in the triangle and then out to the point it's all um um aggregate.

It's nice. It'll be a kind of aggregate that has a um almost a binding. It's almost got like a binding a binding agent in it.

Okay. And how's that in the winter?

It splits up a tiny bit and then in the spring you sweep it back.

So do you have the ability to plow it?

You can plow it. It is plowable.

Okay. Are you sure about that?

Yes.

And we have a warranty on that.

Um we don't have anything yet. We don't have a submitt on it yet.

Okay. I'm just saying. Right.

But there is a there is going to be a spe I don't have the final specs.

Right. So you're going to have to make sure that walkway's clear of snow, right? So, we don't want to be in a situation where we're plowing up and we're plowing up the aggregate.

So, supposedly, so I talked to Tim, our landscape, our guy who does the stuff now, he says it's plowable.

Okay.

And um but I don't think you're actually going to get a plow down the um the um So, you're going to have to snowblower.

Yeah, he's going to do what he does over at City Pier um where he uses snowblower and shovel.

Okay. So, um, but the aggregate kind of acts like a, um, and I'm I'm going to probably butcher this, but it, so it's got a binding edge. It kind of goes with the ground under it, so there is minimal cracking. So, it'll freeze and thaw kind of with the the ground under it or the support under it. So, was that a cost measure or was that something?

No, we think it looks best and it's really with that natural typical for a natural setting. Uh Eric has done some in um big conservation areas.

Eric?

Yeah.

And it's all accessibility.

Yeah.

Yep.

How do you do a sale bid on electronic platform? Somebody must look at it.

They look Well, so what gets taken?

Yeah, we look at it once they're open.

But I mean, well, when I'm saying a sale bid, I send it in.

Yep.

Isn't somebody going to check to make sure I have all pieces in there or no?

So that's what that it does. So all the pieces of your So it used to be like our bid forms used to have many pages on it like it would have the the I think there's five forms that you have to fill out for nonclusion tax.

I know I know that but it goes in an envelope and nobody sees it the bidically.

It's electronically submitted. So each piece gets So when you're at like say you're doing the non-clusion form you upload an assigned non-co and if it's not filled out this the thing knows that there has to be a signature on it. I I you know all that stuff behind the scenes and software I don't get into but supposedly it works really well and so you know if that's not there then if you're missing a piece

you can't hit you want we hit next are you concerned other people will see the bid because then administrative access if it's a sealed envelope nobody sees it nobody's going to see this either because it so where does it go to what do you see it goes into open.gov gov the platform under the specific project and nobody can open it until nobody can open it and it will open automatically on what did I say the bid

date was on but it most likely be to certain people with administrative so it goes to yes so the purchasing agent um gets the first look and then um so they can't access until the individual so nobody can see it nobody can look at it see a price and tell somebody else go no so it's going to open it's going to open up on um 5:21 at 2 p.m.

Okay.

And I'll be able to see it.

Trevor will be able to see it. Um and I think I think Bill will be able to see it from Beter also.

And all these three numbers you mentioned here for the motions are all covered under the seat program.

Yes.

Okay.

So the beta proposal for 1349 is the first one that I need you to Y motion approve the beta group proposal dated March 17, 2026. What's the overall contract price?

134.90.

No. Of the construction 20. Wait, I got it right here.

Then what percentage of the project is the 134?

Um, so Oh boy, you're going to have me do math.

900 130.

It's 965.

Is this So one 16%.

Yes. Thank you. There we go.

It's a little high.

Well, the resident engineer stuff. So it's going to be time and material billing. No cost not to exceed.

We're very happy we have an resident engineer.

No, I agree. I agree.

Um had used a really trust, right?

Because you've had some unfortunate luck with some of them.

Yes.

And Karen is thrilled that she has this person.

Yes.

You negotiated 134.90. That's the best price we can get.

Yeah. I think that I think it's reasonable based on all the assumptions we've made with like the timing and the senior resident engineer. That's probably a good price.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

All right. Motion approved beta group proposal dated March 17, 2026 in amount 134,900 for bid assistance construction administration and resident engineer services for the final phase of work at Northfield Point and authorize the chair or executive director to sign amendment number four to the agreement for the work at North Point. Northfield Point.

Roll call vote to approve the motion that was just stated. Annne Keane, yes.

Ben Fleberg, yes. Joan Medeiros. Yes.

Ron Rousen. Yes.

Second motion.

Well, I should describe it a little far.

Um, so the second motion is so one of the things that's kind of cool about um this project is we've been able to secure um old city granite. Um, and it's some of it's got some character. Um it's in a stockpile over at um behind Dery right now and I actually went over there today and it we could um get to it easily.

It's not muddy. It's on a little hill so we can get to it. Um and I've got a quote here from Dilva Landscaping to um move it's I believe 26 or 27 pieces of granite from the Dery lot over to the job site. And we want to have it on the site prior to the um the pre-bid meeting on site so that everybody can take a look at the granite and see how big the

pieces are. They need to be cleaned.

That's going to be all incorporated in the um the scope of work. So, um he gave a a quote here of $6,400 to move it.

It's going to be a little bit complicated. He's got to have a setup over there and a setup over at um at um Northfield Point so that he can pick it.

He's got to have something to pick it over there that's big enough to pick all the pieces with reach and get it onto his trailer and then have something to pick it off the trailer and put it um onto the job site. So, um he's doing all the work himself or is he Well, his him and his No, it's all his crew. He's got all the equipment. Um but and that's in the amount of 6,400.

So um and that also is covered by the um grant.

So I think the interesting thing is that's the granite that actually came from city pia.

Some of it is. Yeah. I mean Yeah. So it's like it's back home.

But it's all native. It's all in the uh the outflow tunnel.

Yeah. So it's all native stone.

So you all set now?

I'm good.

Good. Everybody else set. Motion to approve the Silver Landscaping Construction LLC proposal dated 32026 in the mono 6400 to move the city grant from storage location behind Jery High School to 600 Deval Street for installation at Northfield Point.

Okay, let's entertain a roll call vote for to approve the motion that was just stated. Uh Ann Keane, yes.

Ben Fidleberg, yes.

Joan Medeiros, yes.

Ron Rousen, yes.

And then, oh, the moing fields and dinghyd do are the next things. So, we've made some progress on the mooring fields and dingy dock. We actually received um a draft contract from um the state from our contact ceil at the um state office of fisheries and wildlife. And um I just got back to him today with some comments on the contract. You know, he wanted the formal address, contact info. And so

hopefully from that he'll be able to generate um a contract that we can sign um and then once they counter sign it um we can then start proceeding with that work also. Um I'm hoping that we'd be able to actually have um that work ongoing while we're doing Northfield Point because that way we can share the resident engineering services. So that's another good point too. Um, and so what I'm wondering,

uh, is if we could get you guys to authorize us to have the chair sign that contract once it is finalized. Um, the, uh, the it's for grant money and the grant total is 281, $281,250 and, um, that gets us the new diggy dock and the um, three mooring fields.

So the actual placement of the moorings moorings. Okay.

Yep.

And and then there was a match that was required.

Yes. The match is authority,000.

It was like 90,000. Yeah.

So that enabled us to get the that was approved though when we submitted the grant. Yeah.

Yes.

Okay.

Motion to authorize the chair to sign the contract with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Division of Marine Fisheries for 281,250 grant for the work associated with the new dingy dock in Morenfields.

Okay. Roll call vote to authorize the chair to sign the contract as just stated. Uh Ann Keane, yes.

Ben Fuddleberg, yes.

Joan Medeiros, yes.

Ron Rousen, yes.

Okay, we'll turn to Sarah for some project updates on Pleasant Street and the Flint neighborhood urban runa plan.

Great. Well, I think at the last meeting I told you part of the good news regarding NEPA regulations being changed and I think at that point there was a question about whether NEPA would require so we had already gone through a mea review and then had said that we needed to do a huge other piece and that's what we were trying to um avoid.

And um so the new regulations came into play, but it was a little unclear whether that meant we were just done or whether we would have to go back and do something else given that we were kind of halfway through the process. And so our consultant Emily Inis talked to people at the housing agency and they said, "Oh, you're fine. We will just accept the certificate that you got from

me and that's it." And I'm a little trepidacious about whether um you know that that's all a go. We were trying to talk with MEPA, but we were really glad that the housing department said they would just accept that. And that is a piece that has to be with our urban renewal plan for them to approve it. And so we worked out a schedule of all of our next steps.

And we have a few things that we want Ken and Dan to look at again because it's been so long since you looked at them. So, we're sending those out next week.

No, I'll get them to you tomorrow.

Oh, tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

And then um we will give a presentation to the redevelopment authority on April 22nd on that meeting. And this starts the whole train of uh presentations to boards. Then we go to the planning board on June 10th.

And that will allow us to go to a city council first reading, a city council ordinance meeting, which is what we think they will send us to. And then we notify Mass Historic Commission of the public hearing that the city council will have and we're hoping that gets us to July 14th, but the backup would be August 11th.

So that is great that we now have that all.

So we're talking about the ENF certificate as part of the filing with the plan.

Yeah. Okay. ENF ENF which you which we've already done, right?

Correct.

So we have that certificate. Correct.

Then you said go forward.

So now they're saying essentially that ENF is going to be all that we need to do for approval. Good.

Which is what anyone will have to do in the future. But because our certificate was so complex, I was a little concerned. But yeah, I'd just like to note that uh both Sarah and Karen spent a lot of time navigating this process through uh working with Mass Inc. and various legislative delegations to get us to the point where we are now. So I think it's very important to at least recognize their efforts because we were

the ones they were the ones that were actually out front making this work when everybody was like trying to get it done. So congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mostly Sarah. I didn't really do too much. Thank you.

It's a team effort.

It's a team effort. So, since you mentioned that, interestingly, Mass Development has asked Emily Inis to give them a presentation about what this means for urban renewal plans.

And she asked them, she told them she wanted me to come with her.

And I said, "Sure, that makes sense."

Because I lived and breathed it for a year and a half or something. And so she said, "Fine, I'll pay you. I'll pay you my hourly rate." And uh we figured out how many hours. So the redevelopment authority will get a check from Emily Inennis, which will be a reverse.

Will it cover what we paid her?

I'm not talking that long.

Not that many hours.

She'd have to be talking for a week or so at a very high rate.

But I was happy about that because there are u staff at Mass Development that we may want help from for some of our projects and so it'll be nice to have that relationship with them.

Let's see. So, um good news that's happening in the Flint neighborhood. a group is having uh an Easter egg hunt on April 4th with a neighborhood cleanup.

So, I'll be part of the neighborhood clean up and get to see the kids. Um on April 12th, there's an event that I'll send you a flyer for when we get them.

Um it's going to be the community garden kickoff with the young Marines who fill all the planters and they help put the planters together. And um so they'll be there doing that. And then there's a ribbon cutting. The mayor will be there and other dignitaries because it's a ribbon cutting for the extension of the rail trail. So they extended the Quicoan rail trail to Father Travasos Park which

is where the community garden is. And all these things are happening in that park. And I think people are really excited about that because it's a park that I don't think always was used for fun events and so we've got lots of people going there and being in community and it's really a good change.

Is that project done?

Which the extension?

Yeah.

So there's no lights?

No.

No. So at night time it's just gonna be dark, right? So if you're on the rest of the quickest trail with So I don't know. Maybe it's going to be I'm just curious cuz I walked Isn't there one more leg to the extension?

I walked there's another leg to the extension that takes it further.

Yeah. further towards the Wata.

Yeah.

But I walked out yesterday because I was curious because there's some buildings that abuted in the back.

Yeah.

And I didn't know if there was a connection from those buildings that may be used for housing in the future to actually connect to the rail trail. And then when I was there, it just comes to an abrupt end. And I just noticed there wasn't any lighting. Yeah.

Which is I didn't know if there was a second phase to it or so.

We'll look into that. Yeah, I'm just curious.

Yeah, some rail trails don't have lighting on them, but you know, this one does in other sections.

Yeah, I know. It's It's a little As you go further there, it's a little I think you need lights.

A little dark.

A little dark. I think you need lights because there's a lot of brush. There's a lot of stuff there.

Yep.

Right.

Okay. Um I'll get back to you on that.

Is the date set for that yet or not yet?

Yes, it's April 12th. Um, wait a minute.

Is April 12th at 1:00?

Oh, the community garden that same day.

Yeah. So the community garden will have up at 1 and then after that is the ribbon cutting and I haven't seen any specific definition of exactly when the ribbon cutting will be but I think the garden startup will be fun.

Okay, the next thing that we're um doing in the Flint is you know that we pulled a partnership together that's really diverse and represents lots of parts of the neighborhood and businesses and residents. So, um so we pulled them together to apply to be a TDI district and I told them that we would keep them together and you know work together and let them know about things. So, I'm

planning a meeting with them and I'm going to see if Chief Bertado will come to that because she too has committed to do some regular meetings with the neighborhood. And with spring coming on, it's a good time to kind of get everybody together and hear what the police department will be doing this summer.

And then one last thing about the Flint is that um you know we've been planning and trying to figure out what we would use the 1.7 million that we have for work on Pleasant Street and it's hard it's been hard to figure out because it isn't enough money to do you know a huge section and there it's turned out that there is a need for all new street lights. And so Chris Hathaway in the

police department is working on that piece. And there's going to be utilities going into Pleasant Street. Um, so we're kind of backed up in terms of what pieces go first. But that's allowing us to really look at some other details and to keep raising money because we need to raise more money to make all this happen. But the city is setting some funding that they get for roads aside

for this which is great. And um so Dan asked Serphead, the regional planning agency, to do a study with us and it's the kind of thing they do to look at a lot of details and they're going to do community engagement to find out, you know, what corners people are specifically worried about or what bus stops are in the wrong place and those kind of very detailed things. So, um, we're having meetings with them about

community engagement, telling them what we learned and, um, they're going to start working on that in the next month or so.

So, that's Pleasant Street.

Um, Tim's waddling.

Yeah.

Oh, right.

So, we have a bid from Tim for the water line.

Can you describe that?

I sure can.

Um, so at the last meeting, what how long is the line from where to where it's at? Like where the community garden is.

So, are you familiar where Travasos Travas Park? So, there's um there's the water park.

Yeah. And then there's um a meter box behind there. And then there's a shed here. So um we're not sure whether it's going to come directly from the meter box over or the shed yet. Darren from parks. Um we just have to do a little investigation to make sure because there's a line between the meter box and the shed. So if that can be activated, then we'll come right from the shed. If

not, we'll come directly from the meter box. So, he's um he's just got to take some time. He figures he's going to hopefully get out there next week and pass through that, make sure that line's active, but um so we still have to determine that, but it's going to come from there and go over to where the community garden is. Um and we're going to put it inside that they're putting up

a fence. Um they have a um a contract with I think it's Superior Fence and they're going to come out as soon as it's kind of really gushy over there right now and mushy from all the rain once it dries out a little more and get the um the fence footings in and put the fence in. They're hoping to try to get it done by the April 12th um uh dedication, but not sure if that's going

to work out yet or not. But um so it's going to come from either of those two locations. We still have to define that, but it's going to come over and go inside just inside the fence. It will have a little box with a a dual hose connection in there.

So, he's ditching it basically.

So, that's the new Quickest Shan River Trail area.

Mhm.

Okay. So, I think Well, it's next to the whole splash pad area because I the the area I was referring to was behind the police station.

So, yeah. So you're over by Britain Park.

I'm by Britain Park, not to. So there's a real The walkway goes behind the soccer field, right?

And then a dead end. So this is not what we're talking about.

No, we're talking over at Tas.

You may in fact have lights over there.

I haven't been on there. So I was talking about this area over here that doesn't by Brlin behind by Yes. I just want to stand corrected.

Okay.

In case there are lights out there, I don't want to So many pots.

I hope so.

Now it's later that it gets dark. So you got to go out there even later now. No, thanks Karen.

So um yeah, so he um has a price of 9900. Like I say, he's ditching it from there and um it's just going to be a one-inch line that comes over. So um so that's um that's really what that is.

And this would be from our funds. We don't have any grant money to cover it.

Our funds.

Yeah. A motion to approve the Civil Landscaping Construction LLC proposal dated 32026 in mile 9900 to install waterline bus pots for the use by the community garden group.

Roll call vote to approve the proposal in the amount of 9900.

Uh Ann Keane, yes.

Benleberg, yes.

Joe Merrick, yes.

Ron, yes.

Thank you, Sarah. you want to update us on NMA?

Sure.

So, last week's uh taste of NMA at the Eagle was really successful. Um, a lot of people who um are kind of committed to this district were there.

Interestingly, people saw it online, saw it on Eventbrite and came from Rhode Island and various places. So, um that was good that we drew people from outside. Um the restaurants bought brought lots of food. Um really good food. And it was I was a little worried since they were donating it all, you know, would we have enough? And we had a huge amount of food. It was really good. So, and lots of people came. the

mayor and Judy came and um there were, you know, really nice big tables of friends and it was just very active and vibrant and so we were really happy about that.

And um then I want to talk about what's happening in the uh purchase street area where the six restaurants are collaborating in a variety of ways.

There's going to be a spring kickoff on April 18th and once I have a final brochure I'll send that to you. Uh there's going to be a Mayday market and then starting in June there's going to be a weekly farm and artisans market that's on weekends. I think it's on Sundays. And then June 27th is a jazz festival that um is a collaboration with the Bristol Black Collective and they're bringing some good jazz bands.

So, I want to talk a little bit about Johnny's um uh text to you. He really wanted to be here to talk about NMA because he's really excited about what energy is being built. And so, we were at a meeting um upstairs in the townhouse that was just full of people. And um Joseph did a PowerPoint and we were talking about all these summer activities and there's just such commitment from

the restaurants and from just a lot of people in the community who come and so um one of the exciting uh opportunities is to do lighting on Pleasant Street. And there's a grant program that's new uh through the state's one-stop program that's there used to be a mass downtown initiative and they were kind of trying to end it last year and then they decided to use bond funds and really expand it. So

before it was kind of $50,000 for consultants and now you can ask for up to $200,000 for capital expenses and up to 500,000 if you have matching funds from the city or from some somewhere.

So, um, so we're looking at going for one of those, um, $200,000 type grants and, um, we're talking with the city because the city has to be the applicant. And I'm hoping that we can then apply as the redevelopment authority for a grant in of that similar kind. I'm not exactly sure yet what we would direct it toward in the Flint neighborhood. We have so many projects that are are surely things that we could

use it for. Um, but we're trying to find out if we're really going to be able to apply for two as Fall River or whether they'd be competing against each other and we'd be better off going with one.

Is one former and one for Pleasant Street or both for Pleasant Street?

Yeah, I'm confused. Yeah, I got I went from Nova to Pleasant Street. You say NA is Purchase Street and that would be this project called Project Radiance and then if we can also apply for a second grant, we'll apply for one over for the Flint neighborhood.

Okay. So, the first one you you meant Purchase, you said Pleasant.

I'm sorry.

Okay, that's right. That's right. We Oh, I just flew across.

So, you said that Purchase Street has a lighting issue. No, we're trying to So, there's a proposal called Project Radiance to do what a lot of cities are doing where you put lighting over a portion of the street that you would put, especially around where the restaurants are. And, you know, it's one of the ways you make a district seem vibrant and and it really attracts people. And so the kind that we would do

is called catinary catinary lighting. It's engineered with a cable system and it's designed so that you don't have the sagging that um party lights sometimes have. You know, they're small lights that will be there and so it will hold up to weather. It's basically they make a web of high um high quality um wire and um they make it really tense so that it um holds up to storms.

And on Purchase Street, um, it wouldn't be attached to buildings because they're historic buildings and it can cause damage to the building. They're harder to take care of and the other side of Purchase Street doesn't have any buildings. It's all parking lots. So, um, you put poles in, uh, up and down the street and put this carefully engineered web of lighting above. And so, we're calling it, well, I didn't

name it. It was named Project Radiance.

And people are excited about the possibility of doing this. And after people got interested, we realized there's probably a grant we can go for.

Is the objective for outdoor seating or strictly for look?

No, it's really just for the look. Um, I understand there are some around here.

The one I'm really familiar with is in Springfield where they did it outside where the casino went in and it was kind of a not exciting part of the U main street and it just looks fabulous and it just looks fun. And you know that's the idea is that you attract people to somewhere where you're trying to get people to gather and you know ideally um spend money in the stores and the

restaurants and um so it's really a way to activate a part of the city that you want to activate.

Does it go above the street or above the sidewalk?

Oh above the street. So yeah it's just this well over the street.

So from like St. regimes to townhouse Duro.

That's that's where we would it would come all the way down to Bedford, I think, is what he Well, that's what is being discussed, but I'm just not sure how much money we'll get and how far we can go. So, um, at least the plan would be, um, that that strip of restaurant area, probably down to, um, you know, clo closer to Bedford Street where a lot more restaurants are.

And you said there's a match. Is that a redevelopment authority match or a city match?

That's if you go after 500.

Okay. So, 200 is straight no match. a match, but we don't know how much 200's going to get you.

No, you don't. My next question.

That was my next question.

Right.

So, you know, it's possible we can't go for this this year. Um, but this is the effort that we're working on and Johnny is very excited about it and um, you know, we can I think he's encouraging and said that in his text.

He's encouraging the redevelopment authority to think about putting some kind of financial commitment into NMA, but there's no number, no clarity yet of that. But I just wanted to update you on this idea and we'll see where it goes and we have a lot more um research to do about the grant.

Is NMA incorporated or is No, that's my next thing that I want to say.

Yeah. So, we have a steering committee and we're going to create a nonprofit and we're going to move the steering committee to become a board and add more people. And part of what uh motivated that is we want to get liability insurance for this nonaffiliated group at this point. And um we have a fiscal intermediary um that the South Coast Community Foundation encouraged us to work with

and that's the Bristol Black Collective and they're working on um the Jazz Festival and are they registered?

Oh yeah, they're a 501c3. They get funds from a lot of grant sources around here and they do a lot of interesting projects. But I'm familiar with I wasn't sure if they were a nonprofit.

Yeah.

What are they called again? Bristol.

Bristol Black Collective.

Collective.

They put on the yearly um Junth celebration in um Kennedy Park.

Okay.

Sarah, are these U flyers being distributed throughout the city?

They are. That's just a draft.

It doesn't have QR code at the bottom.

It doesn't have QR codes on it yet.

Yeah, I just gave you a draft because that's all that has been published yet.

Um, so I think that is it for NMA.

There any further matters for open session?

Okay. So, if there are no further matters for open session, the vice chair makes a finding that an open session would have a detrimental effect on the negotiation position of the public body.

And we will enter we will uh the purpose of executive session is to approve the executive session minutes from March 3rd, 2026 and discuss strategy with respect to potential real estate transactions for properties located at 45 Anowan Street Fall River the Dval Street corridor Fall River 427 Plymouth Avenue Fall River and zero Jenk Street Fall River Mass. So, I will entertain a motion to enter into executive session

and we will not return to open session.

Motion to enter into executive session and we will not return to open session.

Ann Keane? Yes.

Ben Fleberg, yes.

Joan McGaris, yes.

Ron Rousen, yes.