5.13.2025 City Council - Committee on Regulations

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Hey. The committee on regulations will now come to automatic clerk. Call the roll.

Here 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 recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledgeable and permissible. Uh is there any citizen input hearing? None. Item number two is the minutes for December 17th, 2024.

Approve. Second. Motion was made and seconded. Discussion hearing none. All those in favor? Opposed? So voted.

Motion carries.

Item number three, uh, taxi cab driver license application denied by police chief for Robert F. Allen. This was, uh, adopted 4825. Uh, need to hold a discussion regarding uh, this matter. So I I will call the applicant down before us. And uh, please whoever

Deputy, welcome. Good evening,

Deputy. Why don't you just tell us why or whoever wants to take the lead? Sure.

Y uh Deputy Chief JT Forever Police Department, 685 Pleasant Street.

Uh the reason for the denial is uh the criminal history is concerning uh regarding the background that we do on the licensing. So that's why it was denied. Okay. Is there any specifics or is that as far as uh would you like to say anything about that? Can I just speak into the microphone? If you can just state your name for the record. Robert Allen. Okay.

I'm just curious on why it was denied this time when two years ago it was approved for the same record.

my record hasn't changed in two years.

Uh I don't recall was what was the uh do we know what the recommendation was two years ago? It was approved uh council uh but it wasn't under my regime obviously uh detective motives uh ran the background. I reviewed it um spoke with the chief and the termination was that was concerning enough to deny. Okay.

This is what I don't understand why two years ago it was approved and now two years later it's denied. Uh so you just heard the deputy chief. There was obviously a different uh group of individuals that were reviewing your application and based on what they found in the uh background. They're making a recommendation that the the application be denied.

You know, I'm trying to get this license so I can try and support my child. You know, I got a seven-year-old child I'm trying to help support. I understand. Uh but there are rules that we got to follow. So the recommendation comes down. But I have no problem in New Bethford when they do a Cory check on me. And now all of a sudden, we're not we're not in New Befford. everywhere in

the city of Fall River. But like I said, two years ago you guys approved it, you know. So what's the difference between two years ago and my record now?

I just explained it. There's there's no difference in my record. You know, this is what I don't understand.

Do any of the councils have any questions?

Yeah. Um, thank you, Mr. Chairman. um help explain to me why we should grant this application when the police department denied it. Regardless, I know the police can't get into your history and I'm not expecting you to get into your history either, but tell try to convince me why I should approve as one counselor your taxi cab driver license because my life has changed since my

I've had my children. You know, it's you know, like I said, my records, you know, I admit I've I've done wrong. I've done drugs which kept me in trouble. You know, I've changed my life around. I've been clean off of drugs for over 30 years. You know, now all do all I do is drink occasionally, you know, but I I do nothing else except for try and help raise my child. Has there been any uh

other um issues, any other arrests within the last 5 years that can be discussed with us in a public forum?

Unfortunately, I can't speak to his criminal history. I can just bring it up. I don't care. Bring it up. I can't do it under the criminal justice. I can't do it. I can't say it out loud.

You can say it. You got a copy of my record? I do. May I have it? If I can interject as the officer said. Um, no.

Just so I can see you you're it's privileged information. You have to you have to uh basically sign a release and things like that. if you voluntarily like answer the question and then for instance I have I have no I have nothing of as far as I know of my on my record over the last 5 years. When was the last time you were arrested?

Oh since before my daughter was born.

When was that? I don't know. My daughter is going to be eight. So you were arrested within the last 10 years. Yes.

Okay. And the arrest was for the what?

What happened? Supposedly it was assault and battery on household but it got dropped. Were there any other issues that occurred? No. So, you've only been arrested once? You know, about as far as I know. Yes. Councelor, if I may, it's not necessarily the amount of times someone's been arrested. It's the convictions that are a concern. So, there's convictions on his history that was being lost by check. You know, Mr.

Alen, I'm just going to ask that when somebody's speaking if you could just let them finish. Well, we'll give you an opportunity to speak. So, it's the convictions that we're concerned about.

Obviously, we understand that uh not always does an arrest uh deem guilt.

People are get due process, but the convictions is what we look at. So, you were convicted of a crime many years ago. How many years ago? Well, like I said, my my record dates back about 30 years. The last time I've been convicted of a felony was probably about 20 some odd years ago. Chief, what was does that makes does that sound accurate with your timeline of event? He has a pretty

lengthy criminal history. So I I'm not going to go into specific dates and quantity, but I will just say that um in good faith, I could not sign an approval on it. Understood. I'll make a motion to deny. Mr. Chairman, I'll second. Motion was made. Second discussion. Hearing none. All those in favor? I opposed hearing none. So voted motion carries. Question chief. No, it's done. No, let me just ask you one

question. I'm going to ask you if you want to ask him a question, it's got to be taken outside. You can have a conversation with them outside. go to public meeting for your information. A point of information, Mr. Chairman, this this this has to go before the full council for ratification. This isn't the it's referred here.

So, is this getting referred back tonight for with a recommendation? So, we denied it. So, is it over now? Does it go back to full council after the agenda? It's received if if received. Okay. All right. You might want to let him know that it's going to full counsel. uh for discussion tonight. M he's not listening, but we'll have that conversation. Okay, you all done? Yeah. Okay. Item number four is an

order for a taxi cab driver license application denied by police chief or David Carrero adopted 422 2025. Is Mr. Carrero here?

Yes. Afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Could you just state your name and address for the record? David Carrero. Address 199 Street, New Bedford. Yes. Thank you. Uh, deputy chief. Uh, councelor, same concerns, a lengthy criminal history with convictions that would be of concern.

So, in good faith, uh, we do not approve the application. Okay. Do you have anything you want to say? Um, I was approved three years ago, but my last conviction was eight years, I believe, and it was a misunderstanding between me and my girl at the time, and a roommate interfered and she called the cops.

Okay. Any discussion, questions?

Um, yes, Mr. Chairman, I have a question. Um, so how many times have you been convicted of a felony or or a misdemeanor or anything? I don't know if they were felonies, but I've been convicted twice. One was 20 years 25 years ago. Okay. And the other one was about eight years ago. And what happened in both situations?

Um, the first time I got into a dispute, I was walking out of the Cape Cod Mall and somebody ran up on me and blew the horn and I turned around, said, "Hey, what are you blowing the horn for?" Next thing I know, I got two people chasing me down and they attacked me, ripped my shirt while threatening to hit me. And I told both of them, "Look, if you don't

get off me, because they were assaulting me, I'm going to hit one of you." And they continued to tear at my neck and I popped a 54 year old woman in the in the face. That was 20 years ago. Yes. Okay.

At least 20 I'm 53 now. 20 25 years something like that. Okay. You you hit a person that you hit was that the person who was attacking you? Yes. Okay. And then the the other one eight eight years ago. What happened? It was a dispute between me and my girl at the time and and a roommate interfered and she accused me of kicking a door. But even my girlfriend said I didn't kick the door

and they were going to put my girl on the stand and my my girl has severe PTSD and she couldn't go on the stand because she's been abused and she had a tough childhood. So I took a plea bargain and I've been through anger management and things have I'm a lot better now than I was. Are you still in anger management? No, it was eight years ago. Are you still angry? No. Okay, I

yield. Any other discussion? So, um, it was eight years ago the last Oh, yeah.

conviction. Yeah.

I've driven taxis since I've been on New Bedford and never had it really had an issue. How many years you've been driving a taxi? Oh, 10 years. I drove for a while on a Cape before I moved to New Bedford.

And yours was approved last time? Yes.

I know we want to be consistent, but I think this might be a little bit different here. No second. Is there another motion? I'll I'll second it for the purposes of a roll call and discussion. Okay. Motion was made in a second. Roll call.

Yes.

No.

No.

Any other motions? Motion to deny.

Motion to deny. Is there a second? Mot discussion. Roll call.

Yes.

Yes. Yes. Okay. Thank you. That's uh there's a council meeting, so the council the full council has to vote on it as well. Okay. So that's 7 o'clock.

Seven. Seven o'clock tonight. Do you want me here? It's up to you. You can or you can watch it on television.

Television. Can I stay? I can stay. Yeah.

Six. I don't have any money. You can speak to your citizens input too if you like. That starts at six. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. So who approves? Then you said I can the full council when we have that meeting. Yeah. Who who approves here? It's already been approved. But it's already been approved. It's already been Well, it's been it's been denied. The official act has been denied. So the vote was denied.

It's being referred to the city council to deny it. So you can come at six o'clock under citizen input. If you want to speak, am I going to Could I get approved? Potentially. If if you want to come at 6:00 and speak before the full council and try to get convince them to approve it, the city the full city council can approve it still. Okay.

We're only we're a subcommittee of the of the city council. Denied now at at in the subcommittee. Correct. We're making we're making a recommendation to the full council to deny it. So to get approved. Yeah. Okay. Thank you.

Seeing no other business for us, is there a motion to adjurnn? So made second. All those in favor. Post. So voted. carries. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you.

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