Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

I would like to call to order the special committee meeting on special permits and licensing.

It is 6 30 p.m.

on Wednesday, June 10th, 2026.

I am joined in the new Bedford City Council Chambers this evening by my colleagues in government.

Ward two Councillor Scott Pemberton, Ward One Council Leo Shoket, and Councillor at Large and Second Vice President Naomi Carney.

And I am Ian Abrew, Counselor at Large and Chairman of this committee.

I'll ask the clerk at this time, sir.

Are there any letters to be read into the record?

There is.

I have one letter from Councillor Lopes.

Uh I am writing to inform you that I will be unable to attend tonight's committee meeting due to a work related commitment.

Please read this letter into the record to make my colleagues in the public of the reason for my absence.

Second.

Made by Councillor Schoquette, seconded by Councillor Pemberton.

Anyone on the question?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, the ayes have it.

No.

This meeting is being live streamed and recorded.

City Council and committee meetings can be viewed on the City of New Bedford's homepage under quick links, then meetings.

Alrighty, I'll ask the clerk to read item one, which is before us.

Item number one is a communication.

City clerk, uh clerk of the city council submitting an application for a new private livery license on behalf of Maria De Pina, 28 Windsor Circle, Brockton Mass, and Maria L.

Pyers.

Um 60 Foster Street, Brockton Mass doing business as Sister Express Transport, 109 Robson Street, New Bedford Mass.

The term of the license is July one, 2026 to June thirtieth, 2027.

It was referred here on April 9th, 2026, where it was um uh heard on uh May 11th, 2026 and was tabled on the same day.

Item number one is before you and it remains on the table.

Colleagues in your motion to remove this item from the table.

Motion removed by Councillor Schocket.

Second, seconded by Councillor Pemberton.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, the ayes have it.

Do we have Ms.

Depina or Ms.

Pyers here?

Thank you.

Good evening.

Would you mind providing us with your name and address for the record, please?

Goodbye.

My name is Maria Pyrris, 659, um Robson Street.

No bad fact.

Thank you.

Would you mind just pulling the microphone down a little bit closer to you?

Thank you.

All right.

So would you mind just telling us a little bit about your application here and what you're looking to do, and then I'll open it up for questions from my colleagues.

Okay.

Okay.

We want we are applying for a living.

Sir, if you want to just go into the microphone.

Just for the record so we can be clear.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

So we are applying for a livery license.

We want to do medical transportation school bus.

Okay.

Thank you.

I'll open the floor to questions from my colleagues at this time.

Questions, anyone?

Chair recognizes Councillor Carney on her first.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Um and um how many vehicles will you be having and where will they be parked?

Two.

And a driveway.

So you have a driveway, so they will not be parked on the street on Roboston Street.

There'll be another driveway.

Correct.

Okay.

Do you own the house?

No.

Rent.

You rent the house and the landlord said it was okay for you to utilize the driveway.

Yes.

Okay.

And do you have other tenants in that on Roberson Street in that house?

Yes.

And are they allowed to use the driveway also?

Yes.

So how many how many parking spaces are in that driveway?

Is it three?

Three.

So it'll be one vehicle two of your vehicles?

Yeah.

And one that's open for whatever tenant pulls in.

Correct.

And then there are other how many tenants in the house?

Oh they are in the first floor.

They're not turned on the second floor.

It's a two-family home.

So if so the other ones, so the another renter might be parking on the street while you utilize the driveway for your vehicles.

So they'll be using two and there's one more uh place for them to come.

Right.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Chair recognizes Councillor Shoket on his first.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Good evening, ladies.

And sir.

Um just a quick question.

Uh do you plan on expanding the business at any time in the next year?

Or are you going to stay with the same amount?

Yes.

Yes, yes.

Okay.

So in that case, if they needed more parking or they had more vehicles, would they have Mr.

Chairman, would they have to come back to us or how would that work?

Maybe if they have to add more sorry about that.

Yes, I thought I was on.

They would because of uh they would need the appropriate parking infrastructure in place.

So that'd have to be uh that'd be through the clerk's office, but we would litigate that here as a body at that point.

Right now it passes muster.

Sure.

Uh because it's one vehicle so yeah just in case just so they know if if you do expand which listen we want to see businesses grow and thrive.

So but just real realize that when you get to that point if you need more cars you'll you know we will we'll have to come back to us and we'll have to figure out how you're going to do the parking again.

But I I I wish you the best.

I know.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Thank you, uh counselor.

Um folks I just for the record um your application says one vehicle but the clerk said that uh and maybe I didn't hear he said in his notes you had said you have two so is it one or two vehicles you're going to have as part of this business?

Two.

It is two.

Okay.

So I'll just fix that.

So it is two on the record okay two.

Okay thank you.

Any other questions for this applicant?

All right.

Hold on one yeah uh you know that's that's probably correct um speaking with the clerk so this is what we're going to do um I'm taking it that the body wants to refer this offer a positive recommendation I would ask for a motion uh to amend this application.

Uh the chair recognize Councillor Carney for point of information.

Yes ma'am can we as a body amend it after they fill the license with the clerk's office because that was filed with the clerk's office so that's the clerk's paperwork.

Are we able is can we obviously do the amendment or does it have to go back to the clerk's office and come back so this is what we're going to do because they're here they're from Brockton and they we've tabled it I don't want to send them out tabled again and have them come back next month.

I'm going to take a brief recess.

I'm going to call legal counsel he's out of town but he is available for a phone call so are you okay if I take a brief recess?

Yeah instead of bothering legal counsel why don't you just could you just text uh Clerk Farius well I I can call I can call either one of them but I have to take a recess regardless.

So yeah well I thought that's you know it'll be a quick recess David was on vacation instead of bothering him no but I mean yeah all right so I'm going to take a brief recess alright we're going to take a brief recess it is 6.37 and I'll be right back.

Okay.

Just sit tight for a second guy 25th okay it is 6.39 p.m.

We are back from recess so just to catch everybody up and get everybody up to speed our clerk of committees did check with our city clerk um and we can indeed make the amendment of this application through the clerk's office here on the floor to refer to the full city council.

So at this time the chair is going to recognize counselor carney for the motion.

So I'd like to make a motion to amend the new livery license for extra express transport from one vehicle to two and then refer out the recommendation for uh positive approval to the full city council.

Made by Councillor Carney seconded by Councillor Pemberton anyone on the question of the motion for the amended language all is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed the ayes have it okay Ms.

DePena Ms Pyers uh you have received a positive recommendation from this committee this evening this item will be on the City Council agenda on June 25th at 7 p.m here in the council chamber.

So if you want to come to watch the final vote uh of your referral it will be heard here for a vote for final action on June 25th at 7 p.m right here in these chambers okay thank you have a great evening all right the chair will ask the clerk to read item two.

Item number two item number two is a communication city clerk clerk of the city council submitting an application for a new private livery license on behalf of Fabio Jara de Grace de Grassa doing business as Gross's solutions transportation 175 Hemlock Street New Bedford Mass license to expire on June 30th 2026.

175 Hemlock Street, New Bedford Mass license to expire on June 30th, 2026.

Would the chair have something to read to the folks?

I do.

So for um for items number two and three, because they're both of the same uh applicant.

Uh because Mr.

DeGrasse will not have sufficient time to utilize delivery license before its June 30th expiration date.

Um, through no fault of the City Council, um, there are some changes that are going to have to be made on this item.

Umce we've heard um the applicant and they have spoken about this item, and if we were uh to give this item and this applicant a positive recommendation to the full uh New Bedford City Council for approval.

If you see your communication packet, it says the license is set to expire on June 30th, 2026.

So we would need to umend item two, the date now for um the renewal period or the activation period would have to go from July 1, 2026, beginning of this fiscal year through June 30th, 2027.

So at that point, if it is the will of the body to send this out positively, um I'll look for that motion at that time.

We're going to amend this to what I just said, and I can I can remind and rehash the language if I need to as well.

So I need a motion to receive in place on file item two.

Motion receive and place on file.

Made by Councilor Choquett, seconded by Councilor Pemberton.

Anyone on the question?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, the ayes have is Mr.

DeGrassa here.

All right, sir.

Same drill.

Tell us a little bit about what you're looking to do and we'll go from there.

I am interested in doing medical transportation and school bus.

Okay.

Anything else or is that pretty much the deal?

That would be pretty much colleagues.

Questions?

Councilor Carney?

So same questions that we always ask.

How many vehicles will you be um utilizing?

And where will you be parking them?

So I'm interested in starting with two vehicles and we'll be parking into my residence uh 175 Hemlock Street.

And is that um do you have a driveway?

Yes, I do.

So you'll be packing both your vehicles in the driveway.

Correct.

And will you be driving?

Yes.

Very good.

That's all I have.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, madam.

Anyone else for this applicant?

Chair recognized Councilor Pemberton on his first.

Yeah.

So is that the I uh uh is that the same address for the previous item one, no, this is different.

Okay.

All right.

Item one is roll those.

All right, yeah, item one's yes.

I I would draw.

Yeah.

Yep, no wrong.

Is that it, Counselor?

Point of information.

Chair recognizes Councillor Shocet on his first.

Okay.

Uh good evening now, Mr.

DeGrecker.

Uh no question per se.

Just wanted to wish you the best of luck.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate it.

I thank you, Councilor Choquett.

Anyone else for this applicant?

All right.

So at this point, the chair will be uh uh entertaining a motion to send this item to the full New Bedford City Council for a positive recommendation amending the dates from July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027.

The dates from June 30th, 2026, and instead have it be July 1st, 2026 to June 30th, 2027.

And refer to the full city council.

Made by Council Choquett.

Seconded by Councillor Pemberton.

Anyone on the question?

All those in favor say aye.

All right.

Opposed, the ayes have it.

Okay, guys.

So same deal as I told the prior applicant.

June 25th will be the final vote for your application here in the full New Bedford City Council in this room at 7 p.m.

So if you can make it, that'd be great.

If not, the clerk's office will notify you.

For sure.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

All right.

So with that being said, item three is now no and void.

I'll entertain a motion to waive the reading and take no further action on item three.

And refer to the full city council.

Item two made a number three, take over the further action.

Made it by counselor showcase.

Seconded by Councillor Pemberton.

Anyone on the question?

All is in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

The ayes have a seeing there's no other business before us.

Motion adjourned.

Made by Councillor Pemberton, seconded by Councillor Choquette.

Anyone on the question of adjournment?

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

The ayes have it.

We are adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

Have a great evening, everyone.