Commission on Disability to Meet 9 Times Annually, Taking July and August Off
The Fall River Commission on Disability held its meeting on June 24, 2026, beginning with a unanimous vote to move all voting items to the top of the agenda. The commission unanimously approved having the Diamond Regional Vocational Technical High School assume management of the commission's website starting in September, with the only cost being for hosting. Following this, the commission voted to allocate up to $2,000 for website hosting and related expenses with Bluehost for the next three years. This motion was an amendment from an initial proposal of $115.63, passed to ensure sufficient funds. The commission also voted unanimously to cancel its August meeting, in addition to its usual July and December breaks, meaning it will meet nine times per year. The minutes from the May 13, 2026 meeting were also approved without opposition. The main discussion centered on an ADA update regarding changes to city polling places. Chairman Dennis Palselli and Commissioner Dan Robillard had worked with the Election Commission, led by Director Ryan Lyons, to tour sites and recommend changes, which were recently approved by the City Council. Commissioners Dan Robillard and Ann O'Neill-Souza reported on the council meeting, noting the favorable outcome. The changes aim to improve accessibility, particularly by increasing parking, enhancing security at housing authority locations, and discontinuing the use of the inaccessible Candace Fire Station. The commission also received brief updates on a successful Community Access Monitor (CAM) training and the distribution of scholarship funds before adjourning. The next meeting was scheduled for September 9, 2026.
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City Officials
Public / Other
This is the meeting of the Fall River Commission on Disability for Wednesday, June 24th, 2026.
0:11This is a conference call meeting, and pursuant to the Open Meeting Law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting.
0:29Or may transmit the meeting through any medium.
0:34Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made, whether perceived or unperceived, by those present and are deemed acknowledgeable.
0:52Okay, roll call.
0:55Chairman, Ms. Palselli.
0:57Present.
0:58Commissioner Lisa Silva?
1:00Present.
1:01Commissioner Dan Robillard?
1:03Present.
1:05Commissioner Ann O'Neill-Souza?
1:07Present.
1:08Vice Chair— Chairwoman and Commissioner Debbie Pacheco and Katie Driscoll will be out today.
1:17And Katie Driscoll is also out today, and they both informed me.
1:28Okay, um, public input.
1:29Is there any public input?
1:34Is there any public input?
1:38Is there any public input?
1:41I'm going to go ahead and, um, I don't know if we need a motion for this, but I'm going to go ahead.
1:49Can I make a motion to move all the voting items to the top of the agenda, please?
1:55So essentially taking the agenda out of order to start with all voting items.
2:01Okay, do I hear a second to that motion?
2:04I'll second that.
2:06Okay, uh, roll call vote.
2:09Chairman Dennis Palselli?
2:11Yes.
2:12Commissioner Lisa Silva?
2:13Yes.
2:14Commissioner Dan Robillard?
2:16Yes.
2:17Commissioner Ann O'Neill-Suza?
2:19Yes.
2:21Okay, the first item to vote on is under the web access workgroup, and it's an item to have the Diamond Regional Vocational Technical High School assume management of the Disability Commission website in September.
2:43Do I hear a second to the motion?
2:47Motion with a question.
2:50Okay, well, just to get the matter onto the floor.
2:53Okay, uh, do I hear a second to that?
2:56I'll second.
2:58Okay, question very briefly.
3:02Uh, uh, are we— do we know what our assumed cost is going to be for this, Mr. Chairman?
3:17There's only a cost for Bluehost to host, but there will be no cost for Diamond.
3:22Very good.
3:23Thank you.
3:24Thank you.
3:25I yield.
3:26Okay, most people adapt.
3:29Are there any other questions or discussion?
3:35Okay, hearing none, uh, roll call.
3:38Chairman Dennis Paulselli?
3:39Yes.
3:40Commissioner Lisa Silva?
3:42Yes.
3:43Commissioner Dan Robillard?
3:45Yes.
3:46Commissioner Ann O'Neill-Suzza?
3:48Yes.
3:50Okay, the second item would be to allocate, um, for, for 3 years— not, not, it's not 3, it's not, uh, it's not per year, it's, it's the whole, for the whole 3 years— to allocate the total of $11 $115.63 for Bluehost to host the website for the next 3 years.
4:17Mr. Chairman?
4:19Yes?
4:20I make a motion to amend that to $2,000 based on a conversation that I had with our accountant.
4:29Okay, um, do I hear a second to— we're going to vote on the amendment first, you guys.
4:34So do I hear a second to the amendment?
4:38I'll second that.
4:41Okay, roll call.
4:44Chairman Dennis Panselli?
4:45Yes.
4:46Commissioner Lisa Silva?
4:48Yes.
4:49Commissioner Dan Robillard?
4:51Yes.
4:52Commissioner Ann O'Neill-Souza?
4:54Yes.
4:57Okay, so now we will vote on the motion, the amended motion to allocate $2,000 to Bluehost for the hosting of our website for the next 3 years.
5:09Uh, is there any other— any questions?
5:13Okay, I'll entertain a roll call vote.
5:17Do we need a second?
5:20Oh, is there a second to that motion?
5:22We need a second to the motion.
5:23Well, who made the motion, Sandy?
5:27Dennis.
5:29Okay.
5:30No, no, no, I, I introduced it.
5:34I'm sorry.
5:35Okay, okay, then we need someone to make the motion and then second it.
5:40Yeah, we need somebody to make the motion.
5:42The chair is not supposed to make the motion.
5:44I just simply introduced.
5:46Can, can we re— can we restart?
5:48I, I motion that we allocate $2,000 for the purpose of website expenses.
5:55Okay, I apologize, you guys, for the confusion.
5:58Okay, who seconded?
5:59Anybody second it?
6:00Commissioner O'Neill.
6:03Okay.
6:05All right.
6:05Uh, now, now, are there any questions or discussion?
6:09Mr. Chairman, very briefly.
6:12Yep.
6:13Uh, $2,000.
6:17Uh, the, uh, this may not all go to Bluehost, but there may be other associated expenses with the website.
6:26So that's why we're doing $2,000 to be safe.
6:30If we don't use it, uh, it doesn't come out of our account.
6:35But okay, the number on the agenda is definitely incorrect.
6:41Uh, the amount for Bluehost will definitely be more than the number on the agenda.
6:46So, okay, I have a question.
6:49Is that issued in one lump sum for 3 years, or Is there an amount per year?
6:57No, it's one lump sum, whatever the total will be, but there's different parts to it.
7:08You have a domain, you have security, there's a whole bunch of features, but the price is inclusive of everything.
7:19Thank you.
7:22Are there any more questions and discussion?
7:29Okay, I will entertain a roll call vote.
7:33Chairman Dennis Paulselli?
7:34Yes.
7:35Commissioner Lisa Silva?
7:37Yes.
7:38Commissioner Dan Robard?
7:40Yes.
7:40Commissioner Ann O'Neill-Suza?
7:43Yes.
7:46Okay, and just 2 more quick items to vote on.
7:50The first is several commissioners have suggested that in addition to taking July off, we take the month of August off with the workgroups continuing to operate during the summer and report back to the full commission in September.
8:07This does nothing to the Chapter 40, Section 8J.
8:14It simply means that the commission will be meeting 9 times a year, um, taking December for the holidays and taking July and August.
8:25So you'll be meeting 9 times a year.
8:28So I need a motion for that.
8:32Motion to, uh, not meet in the month of August.
8:38Okay, do I hear a second to that?
8:40Second.
8:42Okay, are there any questions and discussion?
8:48Okay, I'll entertain a roll call vote.
8:51Chairman Dennis Ponselli?
8:52Yes.
8:53Commissioner Lisa Silva?
8:55Yes.
8:56Commissioner Dan Robillard?
8:58Yes.
8:59Commissioner Antonia Alsuza?
9:04Yes.
9:04Okay, and the final vote was be a vote to approve the minutes for the meeting of May 13th, 2023.
9:14Do I hear a motion and then a second?
9:16Motion to approve the minutes for the Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 Disability Commission.
9:25Okay, I have a second.
9:28Okay, um, are there any questions or discussion?
9:33Roll call.
9:35Chairman Dennis Paulselli?
9:36Yes.
9:37Commissioner Lisa Silva?
9:39Yes.
9:40Commissioner Dan Robillard?
9:42Yes.
9:42Commissioner Ann O'Neill-Suza?
9:45Yes.
9:46Okay, we'll go back to the next item, which is the ADA update.
9:52Um, I shared with all of you, um, 2 documents.
9:58The first are the changes in the polling places that was recommended to the City Council, which I'll turn over to Dan in a minute.
10:11I had some issues going on and I couldn't make last night's City Council meeting.
10:18But— and the second document I shared was the letter supporting the recommendation of the Election Commission to make changes to polling places.
10:29And last night the city council dealt with all of those.
10:34Now, those— there were some time-sensitive issues, so I, I couldn't, um, I couldn't, um, have the commission vote on the letter that I wrote to the, um, you know, to the city council.
10:51But, um, I was hoping, and I am hoping, that with Danny and I Commissioner Dan Robillard and I touring the sites, all the sites, with the Election Commission and a couple of other agencies, that, that you, you had the confidence in us representing the Commission in all of this process and all of this project.
11:15So does anybody have any questions on the changes?
11:20Actually, let me turn it over to Dan to report on last night's City Council meeting.
11:26I hope I'm not putting you on the spot.
11:28No, uh, Commissioner Ann O'Neill-Souza and I, uh, along with, uh, Election Commissioner Ryan Lyons, spoke before the Committee on Finance, uh, in which all of these matters, uh, were later addressed by the full council.
11:46And it's my understanding, although I was a bit confused by the original action, uh, at the Finance Committee Uh, it is my understanding that all of those actions were handled and voted favorably by the council, uh, in the full council later in the evening.
12:08There's just one thing just to fill in the detail that I did not— that was not in the proposed recommendations that was sent to the city council, but I understand the city council dealt with it later, and that's regarding the Liberal Club.
12:25Yeah, they dealt with the home rule petition at the same time, um, as they dealt with the other matters that are, uh, that were before the full council.
12:41Uh, a city adminis— acting city administrator and commission member, uh, on behalf of the mayor, Anne O'Neill-Suzakin, can add or correct me if I've misspoken, but that's my understanding of what I witnessed last night.
13:02No, I, I believe that's an accurate, um, assessment.
13:06It just has to go up in, um, unofficial session to the legislature, go through the Senate and the House, and then once that passes, it will come back and then, then it can be enacted locally.
13:20That's good.
13:21And the Liberal Club, with all the other changes that are on the, um, that are on the, uh, that were on the recommended list, I just have to ask both of you a question.
13:39Did, um, Mr. Lyons explain that these changes would take effect the the next municipal election so that they won't have to be one set of changes one year and another set of changes another year?
13:54Did he go into all that with the council?
13:56Do you know?
13:58Uh, not that I recall.
14:00It's my understanding that these are taking effect, uh, this year.
14:05Am I wrong, uh, Acting Administrator?
14:09It— in the event that the Liberal Club will be included, then the goal is to have everything move there for September.
14:19Yeah.
14:21Wow.
14:21Okay, okay.
14:23That's a little change from Senator— the senator felt that he would be able to shepherd it through quickly, so okay, we'll see.
14:34If not, it will be for next year.
14:36Yeah.
14:37Okay.
14:37So let me put on the record and thank Mr. Lyons and some of the other agencies, but I really want to thank Mr. Lyons for working with this Commission through Dan and myself in coming up with the changes in the polling places.
14:57These are going to be really accessible, and I like the changes.
15:04And I don't know, Dan, if you want to add to that or— Yeah, first, let me say it was a terrific experience going around on the van with Ryan, his staff, and some members of the housing authority.
15:27We really dove in and looked at the issues, and parking was the biggest one.
15:35As well as security concerns around some of the housing authority places.
15:43And of course, the removal of the Candace Fire Station, which has long been a pet peeve of members of this commission going back since 2006.
15:56So, I think it's a good plan because it addresses Much greater parking for voters.
16:06It protects the— enhances the security of the residents with coming out of their places of living.
16:20And we get out of the fire station, which is great and absolutely necessary for full accessibility and compliance.
16:30So for those reasons, I think it's a great plan.
16:35And I really appreciated the collaboration that went into this as well.
16:42The last item on the ADA report is that the CAM training went very well.
16:47It was my understanding, I thought I heard this last Wednesday in part 2 of the training, that We may be hosting a site visit, but, but the details are not clear yet.
17:02And that probably wouldn't take place until sometime next year.
17:06But the community access monitor training went very, very well the past 2 weeks, and we did have representatives— representation from this city involved.
17:17I thought I heard somebody from the housing authority, and I think there were some other There were some others as well.
17:24So it went very, very well.
17:28Finance, you should have all gotten the budget report for the month of— what month are we in?
17:34May.
17:35Was it May?
17:36Yeah, for the month of May.
17:39And under outreach, we are— the scholarship monies are going out to the appropriate recipients.
17:50We're still waiting for some institutions to turn in their— their appropriate vendor forms because this is the first time we've sent scholarship monies to those institutions.
18:03But otherwise, they're all going out.
18:08So we're all set on that level.
18:14And we've already dealt with the worksite.
18:20Updates.
18:21So under old business, is there any old business?
18:31Is there— under new business, are there any announcements or updates from commissioners?
18:41Okay, our next meeting then, as of the vote for today, Will be— what did I— I think it's, uh, Wednesday, September 9th.
18:52Yeah, will be Wednesday, September 9th, 2026.
18:57Do I hear a motion to adjourn?
19:01Motion to adjourn.
19:03Second.
19:05Okay.
19:07Oops.
19:15Chairman Dennis Paltelli?
19:17Yes.
19:18Commissioner Lisa Silva?
19:24I think she had to go off.
19:26Is Lisa still— No, I'm here.
19:28Sorry.
19:28Okay.
19:29I couldn't get off the mute.
19:32Yes.
19:32Commissioner Dan Rolag?
19:34Yes.
19:35Commissioner Anna O'Neill-Souza?
19:39Yes.
19:40Okay, we are adjourned.
19:41Have a good rest of the summer, everybody.
19:43Thank you.
19:44Good summer.
19:45Bye.
19:46Thank you.