Appointments & Briefings Committee Meeting – October 20, 2026

The New Bedford City Council’s Appointments & Briefings Committee met at 7:14 PM in Room 214 of City Hall. The meeting covered citizen input on pothole damage and recovery housing, two mayoral appointments (to the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities and the Human Rights Commission), updates on employee benefits and prescription drug plans (both tabled), a presentation on the I‑195/Route 18 interchange project, and several routine items referred for no further action. The meeting adjourned at 9:08 PM.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ernesto Silva Jr. (49 Ellen Street) spoke as a taxpayer whose claim for vehicle damage caused by a 7‑inch deep pothole was denied. He criticized the city’s policy requiring residents to report potholes before the city acts, calling it “passing responsibility to the taxpayer.” He stated he has filed a small claims lawsuit against the city, scheduled for December 9, 2026. Councillor Pemberton confirmed the proper paperwork had been filed. Councillor Abreu noted the matter is now legal and declined to discuss it further.
• Ronald Bush (120 Mill Street) asked the committee to treat adaptive reuse of vacant mills and schools as an opportunity for recovery housing (sober living, mental health services, job training, transitional housing). He urged the city to keep a clear path for code‑compliant proposals and offered to share photographs.
• Citizens Catherine Synnott, Brian Santerre, and Victor DeSousa were not present; their items were referred for no further action.

Discussion Items

Appointments

• Alyssa DaCunha (Executive Director, Commission for Citizens with Disabilities): DaCunha, currently Assistant Director of the Board of Health, holds an MPH from Brown University and has experience at Boston Children’s Hospital. She emphasized aligning the commission’s work with public health, the Clear Path program (snow shoveling for eligible residents), and addressing service‑animal complaints. Councillor Burgo expressed concern that the administration had not taken the appointment seriously and indicated he would not support her confirmation on the full Council, though he praised her work at the Health Department. Councillor Baptiste pressed for “boots‑on‑the‑ground” engagement with service providers. The item was referred to the full City Council (November 12 vote).
• Joana Goncalves (Executive Director, Human Rights Commission): Goncalves, a Community Relations Specialist, has worked for the city nearly five years. She described her role as a liaison connecting residents to resources, leading neighborhood meetings, and organizing human‑rights events (Human Rights Day Breakfast, MLK Day). Councillor Burgo noted the Human Rights Commission itself requested her appointment, not the mayor, and praised her experience. Councillors Baptiste and Pemberton also voiced support. The appointment was referred to the full Council for approval.

Cigar Minimum Pricing Regulation (Items 4 & 5)

Two related motions on the Board of Health’s cigar minimum‑pricing regulation (effective January 1, 2025, for 18 months) were pulled from the table. The Health Department representative (Mark Galan) stated they had been told by Councillor Lopes the item would not be discussed and were unprepared. Councillor Abreu, the lead sponsor, moved to table again. The motion carried; the committee pledged a good‑faith effort to address the item in the next month.

Voluntary Benefits (Item 6)

HR Director José Gouveia updated that the city is moving voluntary life insurance from Boston Mutual to Symetra (eliminating age‑band increases) and continues to offer Trustmark (short‑/long‑term disability, critical illness, hospital indemnity), Flex Spending, and Nationwide deferred compensation. No dental or vision plan is offered, though Gouveia noted Fall River provides two dental options. He stated that adding such plans would require union (PAC) approval and asked for Council direction. The item was tabled.

Prescription Drug Plan (Item 7)

Gouveia reported that the city will move retiree prescription drug coverage to Benestar, projecting first‑year savings of approximately $700,000 (though subject to utilization). The overall Med‑Ex medical plan increase was reduced to 8.5% (from an initial 10.5%) by removing GLP‑1 drugs (e.g., Ozempic) for weight‑loss purposes, while still covering them for other health reasons. Additional savings of about $54,000 are expected from a new Helscripts program that uses manufacturer coupons. Councillor Choquette asked about pharmacy benefit consultants and long‑term savings. The item was tabled.

I‑195/Route 18 Interchange Project (Item 8)

MassDOT project manager Valerie Kilduff presented the next phases of the reconstruction. Phase 3 (within a month) will shift westbound traffic onto a new bridge with no ramp closures. Phase 4 (starting late December 2026/early January 2027, lasting through summer 2029) will reconstruct the eastbound viaduct. The eastbound exit 26 off‑ramp to Route 18 southbound (ramp F) will close until spring 2029; the Route 18 southbound off‑ramp to Weld Street will also close. Signed detours will direct drivers via I‑195 east to exit 31B (North Street), then westbound back to exit 26, or via Purchase Street to Weld Street. A public information meeting is scheduled for November 5 (virtual, with multilingual interpretation). City traffic engineer Sean (last name not stated) confirmed weekly coordination with MassDOT, adaptive signal work on Coggeshall Street, and concurrent city sewer/street reconstruction on Hillman, Washburn, and nearby streets. Councillor Baptiste voiced strong concerns about drivers ignoring detours and using side streets (e.g., Maxfield, Sycamore, Pleasant) near schools, parks, and senior housing, and about the lack of police details due to staffing. The project team pledged to monitor traffic and adjust. The item was accepted with no further action.

Key Outcomes

• Appointments referred: Alyssa DaCunha and Joana Goncalves will go before the full City Council on November 12. Councillor Burgo indicated he will oppose DaCunha’s appointment.
• Cigar regulation tabled again; committee aims to discuss next month.
• Voluntary benefits and prescription drug plan both tabled; Gouveia will research dental/vision options but needs PAC approval.
• I‑195 presentation received with no further action; MassDOT and city will monitor traffic and hold a public meeting November 5.
• Citizen input items (1a–1e) and remaining agenda items (9–13) were referred to the full Council for no further action.