New Bedford City Council Meeting Summary for October 23, 2025

The New Bedford City Council convened on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 7:01 p.m. to deliberate on infrastructure repairs, capital improvement plans (CIP), and urgent legal funding. The meeting was marked by significant opposition from council members regarding the size and transparency of the proposed $17.4 million CIP, leading to its rejection. While several smaller financial transfers and appointments passed unanimously, the Council voted to appropriate funds for legal representation regarding the Parallel Products appeal and addressed community concerns regarding unregulated sober homes.

Consent Calendar

• Verizon Pole Installation: Approved motion to grant a hearing and subsequent order for Verizon of New England to install a 145-foot midspan pole and cable on Hathaway Road near 19 Hathaway Road to support a new building and ensure electrical safety. Councilor Oliver requested a police detail for installation day, which was acknowledged by the presenter.
• Mayor's Paper M7: Adopted by voice vote the order transferring $1,076 from the fire code enforcement reserve for fire other charges and expenses.
• Mayor's Paper M9: Received and placed on file, referring the appointment of Cheryl Ann Viveris to the Traffic Commission to the Committee on Appointments and Briefings.
• Tabbed Item Removal: Removed communication dated 10/09/2025 from the table and took no further action.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Councillor João Silva & Others (Opposition to CIP): Multiple council members expressed strong opposition to the $17.4 million capital improvement plan. Councillor Ryan Pereira, Councillor Naomi Carney, and Councillor Linda Morad stated they were "voting no" because the amount is "the largest in the city's history" and contradicts prior assurances of a "lean CIP." They emphasized the burden of the loan on taxpayers.
• Councillor Leo Choquette (Concern on Process): Expressed concern that several department heads were unaware of the allocations proposed for their departments until the meeting, calling it "totally insane" and indicating that funds were being allocated without input from the experts running those departments.
• Councillor João Lopes and Naomi Carney (Sober Homes): Spoke in support of a petition signed by over 2,000 residents. They argued that unregulated sober homes are functioning as "money grabs" and "rooming houses" without proper oversight, clinician support, or staff, distinguishing them from legitimate licensed facilities.
• Councillor Leo Choquette (Parallel Products): Expressed frustration that a request for $100,000 for the Board of Health's legal representation regarding the Parallel Products appeal was returned unsigned by the Mayor, stating this disqualifies him from supporting the larger $17 million CIP.

Discussion Items

• Capital Improvement Plan (M1): A motion to adopt the $17,421,338 loan order for building repairs and infrastructure was debated. Councilors Pereira, Choquette, Carney, Morad, Gomes, and Baptiste opposed the item due to the high cost, lack of a "lean" plan, and potential taxpayer burden. Councilors Lopes and Oliver also participated in the debate regarding the lack of administration transparency and the timing of the expenditure.
• Parallel Products Legal Fees (M11): Councillor Choquette moved to appropriate $100,000 from ordinary revenue for the Board of Health to secure independent legal counsel for the anticipated appeal by Parallel Products, citing a conflict of interest with the City Solicitor's Office. Councillor Choquette explained that the Mayor failed to appropriate the requested funds within the statutory timeframe, necessitating council action under Mass General Laws.
• Police Department Staffing (Item 9): Councillor Gomes moved to refer a request to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods to immediately fill vacant leadership positions, including Deputy Chief, North End Captain, and Sergeant positions, noting that the department cannot operate effectively without this leadership.
• Sober Homes Petition (Item 12): Councillor Lopes moved to receive and place on file a communication containing over 2,000 resident signatures regarding the need for regulation of unregulated sober homes. He confirmed he has scheduled a meeting with the administration and is contacting state delegation to address the issue.
• Parallel Products Legal Fund Audit (Items 5 & 6): Following a request by Councillor Morad, items regarding the expenditure of $250,000 previously appropriated for fighting the Parallel Products project were referred to the Audit Committee. Councillor Morad expressed concern that the administration representative, Neil Mello, failed to appear the previous week to explain the expenditures, suggesting a potential "handshake" deal was made.

Key Outcomes

• Rejected: The $17.4 million Capital Improvement Plan (Order M1) failed by a roll call vote of 0 to 11. Councillors Abreu, Baptiste, Bourgo, Carney, Choquette, Giustin, Gomes, Lopes, Morad, Oliver, and Pereira all voted "No."
• Approved: A roll call vote of 11 to 0 adopted Item 11, appropriating $100,000 for the Board of Health to acquire independent legal representation for the Parallel Products appeal.
• Approved: The transfer of $750,000 for health insurance (Item 4) failed by a roll call vote of 5 to 6.
• Approved: The referral of the $17.4 million CIP (M1) to the Committee on Finance was not the primary action; instead, the full approval of the CIP was rejected. However, related items M2, M3, and M4 (school repairs and Trinity Day Academy study) were received and referred to the Committee on Finance by voice vote (11 to 0).
• Approved: The establishment of a cable television public education and government access stabilization fund (Item 3) passed unanimously (11 to 0).
• Approved: The appointment of Daniel Higgins to the Election Commission and Cheryl Ann Viveris to the Traffic Commission were received and referred to the appropriate committees by voice vote (11 to 0).
• Approved: The motion to refer the debate on unregulated sober homes (Item 12) was received and placed on file by voice vote (11 to 0).
• Approved: The motion to refer the request to fill Police Department vacancies (Item 9) was approved by voice vote (11 to 0).
• Referenced: Items regarding the expenditure of the $250,000 Parallel Products legal fund were referred to the Audit Committee for further investigation by voice vote (11 to 0).
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:54 p.m.