The Fall River Commission on Disability held its meeting on Wednesday, September 17th, 2025. The meeting began with a motion to take the agenda out of order to address all voting items first, which passed unanimously. The commission then proceeded to elect its officers for the 2025-2026 term, unanimously reappointing Dennis Paulelli as Chair, electing Deborah Pico as Vice Chair, and Lisa Silva as Clerk. Following the elections, the commission unanimously approved an allocation of $8,000 for the 2026 May 16th scholarship brunch, to be held at McGovern's restaurant, with scholarship funds to be allocated separately at a later date. The minutes from the August 13, 2025 meeting were also unanimously approved. After returning to regular order, Chairman Paulelli provided updates. He announced that the commission would host virtual CAM (Community Access Monitor) training in 2026, which will be free, offer CEU credits, and be spread out over two weeks. He also noted that no ADA improvement grants were submitted by the City of Fall River this year and reminded members that there is no waiting period to reapply. Updates were given on a scholarship recipient transferring institutions, with the scholarship set to follow the student. The next meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, October 8th, and information about election candidates for mayor, city council, and school committee was shared, available at fallriverfrdia.org/election2025. The meeting concluded with a unanimous vote to adjourn.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Watch the video to verify.
City Officials
Public / Other
Okay, this is the meeting of the Fall River Commission on Disability for uh Wednesday, September 17th um 2025.
0:12And 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.
0:26Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.
0:44Okay, I will entertain roll call.
0:47Chairman Dennis Paulelli here.
0:51Commissioner Lisa Silva here. Commissioner Dan Roblard.
1:01Oh, what happened?
1:07Commissioner Dan Robelard here.
1:11Commissioner An O'Neal Souza here.
1:15Commissioner Katie Driscoll here.
1:19Okay. Now, one of our one of our commissioners has a a commitment at 3:30.
1:25So, I'm going to entertain a motion that we take the agenda out of order to include all the voting items at the top of the agenda. And we'll save the updates, you know, um we'll we'll do the updates later. So, I will need a motion to Mr. Chairman.
1:43Yeah. I I'd like to make a motion to take the agenda out of order beginning with item number five and then proceeding to uh item number six. Let us see.
1:57Okay. Do I hear a second to that motion?
2:00I'll second that, Lisa.
2:04Okay.
2:06Um roll call vote.
2:09Chairman Dennis Pelli.
2:10Yes.
2:11Commissioner Lisa Silva. Yes.
2:14Commissioner Dan Robelard.
2:16Yes.
2:17Commissioner O'Neal Souza.
2:20Yes.
2:21Commissioner Katie Driscoll.
2:23Yes.
2:25And if it's okay, I will do the um I will do the public input um toward the end of the meeting after the voting items if that's okay. Um I will ask for public input. So, having do that, having done that, the next item um on our agenda will be the election of officers.
2:48And I've asked Dan Robelard if he if he could um chair the the election for the position of chair. So, I will I will relinquish to Dan Robelard.
3:03Absolutely, Mr. Pili. Thank you. At this time, I'd like to open nominations for the office of chair of the for river disability commission for the year 2012526.
3:17I'll entertain a motion uh for chair of the commission.
3:25I'll make a motion to reappoint Dennis Pelli as the chair of the disability commission.
3:33There's been a motion made by Commissioner Ann O'Neal Souza. Can I have a second?
3:39I'll second that, Lisa.
3:41Seconded by Commissioner Lisa Silva. Can I have a roll call vote on the office of chair please?
3:48Chairman Dennis Paulelli.
3:50Yes.
3:51Commissioner Lisa Silva.
3:53Yes.
3:54Commissioner Dan Robelard.
3:56Yes.
3:57Commissioner Ann O'Neal Souza.
3:59Yes.
4:00Commissioner K. Driscoll. Yes.
4:10Okay.
4:12Did that go forward? I couldn't hear anybody voting.
4:17Oh, has everybody voted? Uh, what's Okay, everybody.
4:27Did that motion pass, Sandy?
4:29Yes.
4:31Beautiful. Thank you. At this time, I'd like to entertain a a motion for the office of vice chair of the for disability commission for the year 202526.
4:47I'll make a motion uh to elect Vice Chair Deborah for Vice Chair Deborah Pico.
5:01Second.
5:07Okay, we need a roll call vote.
5:10Chairman Dennis Paulelli, yes.
5:12Commissioner Lisa Silva, yes.
5:15Commissioner Dan Roblard, yes.
5:18Commissioner Annne O'Neal Souza, yes.
5:22Commissioner Katie Driscoll, yes.
5:33I assume that motion uh pass, Sandy.
5:36Correct.
5:38Beautiful. At this time, I'd like to entertain a motion for clerk of the commission for the year 202526.
5:53I can make a nomination. Can I? Am I?
5:55Absolutely. I'd like to nominate Lisa Silvo.
6:00Second.
6:06There's been a motion made and a second.
6:08Can I have a roll call vote, please?
6:11Chairman Dennis Paulelli.
6:13Yes.
6:14Commissioner Lisa Silva.
6:21Commissioner. Okay. Commissioner Dan Roblard.
6:24Yes. Commissioner Ann O'Neal Souza.
6:27Yeah.
6:28Commissioner Katie Driscoll.
6:31Yes.
6:34Okay. So, all the officers have been unanimously reelected for the year 202526.
6:43Congratulations to all.
6:49Okay. Commissioner Robel, thank you very very much for for chairing the elections.
6:56You're welcome.
6:58Okay. The next item is um the allocation of funding for the 2026 May 16th scholarship brunch to be held at McGovern's restaurant. Um and this is this will cover everything except the scholarship. So, it it's um in the past we've done $8,000. Um and Mr. Chairman.
7:23Yep.
7:24I'd like to make a motion that we allocate $8,000 for all items uh for the 2026 scholarship event uh except for the scholarships themselves. That'll come at with a separate allocation at a later date. But for now, I motion that we allocate $8,000.
7:48I'll second that motion. Commissioner O'Neal Souza.
7:54Okay, I'll entertain a roll call vote.
7:57Chairman Dennis, I'm sorry before because I don't want to I don't want to cut anybody, but does anybody have any questions about that?
8:06Okay, hearing none, go for the roll call.
8:09Chairman Dennis Paulelli.
8:10Yes. Commissioner Lisa Silva.
8:13Yes.
8:14Commissioner Dan Roblard.
8:16Yes.
8:17Commissioner Ann O'Neal Souza.
8:20Yes.
8:21Commissioner Katie Driscoll.
8:22Yes.
8:25Okay.
8:26Thank you. I'm going to go back. Um well, let's let's just the last voting item would be the approval of the minutes for the meeting of oh, what was it? August the August 2025 meeting of the for disability.
8:49I believe it was August 11th, folks.
8:51That's what it was. I drew a blank for a minute.
8:5313th.
8:55Oh, 13th. I'm sorry. Thank you. And Commissioner Souza. And Motion to approve the minutes for August 13 2025.
9:05Second.
9:07Okay. Roll call.
9:09Chairman Dennis Pelli.
9:11Yes.
9:12Commissioner Lisa Silva.
9:14Yes.
9:15Commissioner Dan Robelard.
9:17Yes.
9:18Commissioner Annel Souza.
9:20Yes.
9:21Commissioner K Driscoll.
9:23Yes.
9:26Okay. Those are all the voting items. Um what I'm going to Motion to return the agenda to regular order.
9:35Okay. Do I hear a second to that? Second roll call.
9:42Chairman Dennis Pulcelli.
9:44Yes.
9:45Commissioner Lisa Silva.
9:47Yes.
9:48Commissioner Dan Robelard.
9:50Yes.
9:51Commissioner Ann O'Neal Souza.
9:53Yes.
9:54Commissioner Commissioner K Driscoll.
9:57Yes.
9:59Okay. I'm a little I'm a little disoriented, but that's okay. Um, I'm trying to figure out why don't we do updates and then I'll do the public input. Does that is that okay with um can I do that or should I It's fine.
10:17Okay. So, we'll do updates. We've taken care of all the voting items. So, um let me just do updates on the ADA. Next Wednesday, I will be talking to Jeff Dugan. Um he has agreed to have the commission host um CAM training in 2026.
10:382025 calendar is all full.
10:42So 2026 um will be a CAM training and we will be hosting it and it will be zoom be virtual. There is no cost involved.
10:53Um I'm sorry. uh as we get closer and once we finalize it um I'll have some things to say about let's see if we can um if we could um uh ask city departments to take advantage of this opportunity um because it is it's free it's there are CEU credits involved as I explained last month and uh and it's virtual so you don't really have to go anywhere you however you want to um take advantage.
11:30And it's not two consecutive days off like it used to be. It's spread out uh one one week and one the next week. Um and it's very valuable. It's I've I've done a lot of disability awareness education and I think the community access monitor is the most dignified way to train people about disabilities and how people with disabilities get around and what the requirements are without people having to, I don't know,
12:03go around in wheelchairs for a minute or so or pretend you're blindfolded or whatever. some of these awareness activities that I'm not exactly a fan of as you can tell. Um, so, so I'll let you I'll I'll um I'll once I I'll I'll let you know next month what the date will be uh under ADA.
12:29Otherwise, I don't have any real ADA updates right now. Oh, I do have one.
12:34There was nothing from the city of Fall River from what I heard according to what I heard from uh the Mass Office of Disability. I don't think there was any improvement grants that were submitted this particular year. I just want to remind everybody though that there is no truth to the fact that you have to wait a year. So, if you submit for an ADA improvement grant one year, you do not
13:03have to wait another year or two or whatever, you can submit the next year.
13:09It could be um to conclude a project that was started one year and maybe didn't get funded or it could be for a whole different project, but you don't have to wait a year to submit an ADA improvement grant.
13:24So um and as far as I know, there are no updates under B policies. There's no updates on policies.
13:35And, uh, the budget report for September has already been distributed and we're all set on scholarships. Um under the outreach we did have one person who was transferring to another institution.
13:55Um I'm trying to think now this person will be going to you know what I don't remember. So I'll I'll I'll look it up and let you guys know next month. But I know that uh the person will be transferring in January which is in the same fiscal year. So we will make sure that the scholarship goes to the next institution that this person is going to. It just the the exact
14:27details right now escape my mind, but I'll look it up and I'll do both an email to everybody and I'll also report it, you know, so that it's on the record next month.
14:42Um, that takes us to old business. Is there any old business?
14:50Okay, hearing none. We'll be under new business and the next meeting will be Wednesday, October uh 8th. I just want to um I want to give some information that I promised Keith Thol Community Voler Media um about where people can get information about candidates for the election. Um um I know I was concerned about it as a a person with a visual disability, but um but I think it might be of interest to
15:31um not only the disability community, but anybody in the community. And I told them I would do this. Um channel 95 uh fall rivermedia.org 2025. I'm sorry. It's fall riverfrdia.org/election20205.
15:53That's fria.org/election2025.
15:59Has all the information, videos, um pro biographies, anything you want to know about candidates.
16:06And it's accessible. I've been on it.
16:08I've checked out the site. Um, but that's the site that you can go to to get any information you want about candidates for mayor and city council and school committee. And I'll I'll probably repeat this again at the October commission meeting, but I just I just wanted everybody to know that that's the website you can go to to get any biographies and whatnot on the candidates.
16:34So, any questions about that?
16:40Okay, I will entertain a motion to adjourn.
16:43Motion to adjurnn.
16:46Do I hear a second to that?
16:49I'll second that. Lisa.
16:52Okay.
16:53Roll call.
16:55Chairman Dennis Pelli.
16:57Uh, yes.
16:59Commissioner Lisa Silva.
17:01Yes.
17:02Commissioner Dan Roblard.
17:04Yes. Commissioner Anonil Souza,
17:14I think.
17:15Yes. My apologies. I forgot I was not.
17:18That's That's okay.
17:20Commissioner Katie Driscoll.
17:22Yes.
17:24All right. The meeting is adjourned.