[0:29] Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Today is Tuesday, August 25th, and I am calling the special meeting of the number of city council to order at 701 PM. We do not have a member of the clergy, so I will take a moment of silence.

[0:50] Thank you. Tonight we are led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Councillor Atlard Shane Bergel.

[1:06] to be visible with liberty and justice for all.

[1:10] Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:12] Thank you, Councillor.

[1:16] I am joined tonight in the New Beverage City Council Chambers

[1:19] by my colleagues, Council of At Largie and Abram,

[1:22] Councillor of Wood, two Scott Pemberton,

[1:24] Council of Wood, one Leo Showcat,

[1:27] Council of Wood, five Joseph Lopes,

[1:29] Council of At Largie Brian Gomes,

[1:31] Council of At Largie James Roy,

[1:33] Council of At Largie Naomi Carny,

[1:35] Council of Wood, three Sean Oliver,

[1:37] Council about large and first vice president Shane Bergo, Council of Wood for direct

[1:42] Baptiste, and I am City Council President and Council of Wood's six Ryan Parallel.

[1:47] I'd like to note that this meeting is being excuse me, I don't need letters to be

[1:50] read into the picture.

[1:52] Thank you.

[1:53] I would like to note that this meeting is being live streamed in recorded City Council

[1:57] and committee meetings can be viewed on the New City of New Bedford's home page under

[2:00] quick links then meetings.

[2:02] Before we get to the business, the chair would just like to read a brief announcement.

[2:09] We are all aware of the occurrence last week, and now that everyone has had time to settle

[2:14] down from the emotions that sprung up during last week's meetings, we need to conduct

[2:18] the business of the city in an orderly and deliberate manner.

[2:22] So there's no need to rewind or replay what happened last week, but only the need to remind

[2:27] everyone of some basic ground rules for proceeding in an orderly way.

[2:30] The President is responsible to preserve decorum.

[2:35] There are rules of decorum that detail some expectations of everyone in attendance at meetings of the City Council

[2:40] in the rules that posted here at City Hall.

[2:44] The rules posted, however, are not exhaustive and the chair reserves the right to preserve order in a sole discretion.

[2:51] In preserving decorum in order, no person, other than members of the City Council, may speak or address the meeting without the explicit

[3:00] permission of the chair. Members of the city council are also responsible to maintain order as well.

[3:08] Councilors must confine their remarks to the merits of the pending question. In preserving

[3:13] decorment order, the President requires that all remarks be made through the chair, and the chair

[3:17] will not allow members of the council to directly address each other, the media, or any other persons.

[3:23] Once debate ends, and a vote is being taken, no member of the council shall give commentary during

[3:28] vote and shall simply answer yes or no on each question put to a vote.

[3:34] Disruptions of this meeting will not be allowed.

[3:38] So the chair to determine that a particular person is disrupting the meeting, the chair

[3:42] may alert the person that the behavior is causing a disruption and the chair could ask the

[3:46] person to leave.

[3:48] The chair is now advising everyone that yelling or shouting out loud or making noise during

[3:54] the course of debate will be considered a disruption.

[3:58] If you have to be warned and then requesting the person disrupting to leave the meeting refuses

[4:03] to leave voluntarily, the chair will be left with no choice but to have the disrupting

[4:07] person removed by the police at the chair's direction.

[4:12] It is the chair's expectation that the need for such action will not be necessary, but everyone

[4:18] should understand how the chair intends to proceed.

[4:20] I ask for everyone's assistance in keeping order and conducting tonight's government business.

[4:27] Thank you.

[4:28] I'll ask the clerk to read item number 1.

[4:33] Mr. President, I am one of the communications from Council President Pereira, calling

[4:36] a special city council meeting for Tuesday, August 25th, 2026 at 7 p.m. for the purpose of

[4:42] considering and hearing the unfinished business remaining from the city council meeting agenda

[4:46] previously scheduled for Thursday, August 2026, which was unexpectedly adjourned.

[4:53] Motion received a place on file.

[4:56] Motion received a place on file made by Councillor Roy.

[4:59] Seconded by Councillor Bergo.

[5:00] Say aye. Opposed, the aye's have at last, the clerk to read item to. Mr. President item 2 is an ordinance and

[5:00] Anyone on the question?

[5:06] meeting chapter 9 of comprehensive zoning, formed based code districts. This was passed

[5:10] with second reading on July 16th of 2026.

[5:15] A motion to pass to be ordained made by Council of

[5:17] Bergo, seconded by Council of Avery, anyone on the question? Last, the clerk to call the roll.

[5:23] Councillor Avery. Yes. Yes. Councillor Baptiste. Yes. Councillor Bergo. Yes. Yes. Yes. Councillor

[5:31] Yes, yes comes a go. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[5:34] Come to lobes. Yes, come to Oliver. Yes. Yes.

[5:37] Yes. Come to Pemberton. Yes. Yes.

[5:39] Yes. Come to Prairie. Yes.

[5:40] Come to Roy. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[5:42] Pass the loan is 0 on this.

[5:43] Item passes 11 to 0. The ordinance has been ordained.

[5:46] I will ask the clerk to read item 3.

[5:49] Mr. President, item 3 is report from the special committee on special permits and licensing.

[5:54] Recommended to be council approval of the application for a new private

[5:57] other relations on behalf of George Alameda doing business as all needs transportation located

[6:02] at 32 Liberia Lane in New Bedford, three A is the communication.

[6:11] Motion to grant the delivery license made by Councillor Abrough, seconded by Councillor

[6:14] Baptiste, anyone on the question?

[6:16] All those in favor say aye.

[6:18] Opposed.

[6:19] The aye's have it.

[6:20] I'll ask the clerk to read item four.

[6:22] Mr. President, item four is report from the special committee on special permits and licensing.

[6:25] recommending to the City Council approval of the petition for the waiver of residency on behalf of Anna Thomas of Fall River Mass.

[6:33] Doing business as all things with Anna, located at 127 West Rodney French Boulevard in New Bedford,

[6:39] requesting a waiver of residency in accordance with the section 15-38 of the City Code to obtain a license to deal in junk,

[6:46] old metals or any other secondhand articles for a is a communication.

[6:53] Motion to grant the waiver made by Councillor Avery, seconded by Councillor Bergel, anyone on the question?

[6:57] I will ask the clerk to call the roll.

[7:01] Councillor Avery Room?

[7:02] Yes, Councillor Baptiste.

[7:04] Yes.

[7:04] Can't you ever go?

[7:05] Yes.

[7:06] Yes.

[7:07] Can't you go home?

[7:11] Yes.

[7:11] Can't you ever go home?

[7:13] Yes.

[7:13] Can't you ever go home?

[7:14] Yes.

[7:15] Yes.

[7:16] Yes.

[7:18] Yes.

[7:18] Councillor Roy.

[7:19] Yes.

[7:20] 11-0.

[7:21] Item passes 11-0.

[7:23] The waiver is granted.

[7:24] We'll ask the clerk to read that.

[7:25] Number 5.

[7:26] Mr. President, item 5 is a report from the Committee on Appointments and Briefings.

[7:30] Recommended to City Council grant the demolition of the building located at 535 Brock Avenue, known as the Coffin

[7:36] Howlin House, map 011.00565A is the communication.

[7:43] Motion to grant the demolition.

[7:44] Motion to grant the demolition made by Council of Bergo.

[7:48] Second, second by Council of Oliver.

[7:51] Anyone on the question?

[7:53] All those in favor say aye?

[7:55] Opposed the ice have it.

[7:57] That's the clerk to read at number six.

[7:59] Mr. President item six is a report from the Community and Appointments and Briefings.

[8:02] Recommended the Council approval of the appointment of just an Olson of the Bedford Mass Chooses to the Water Board.

[8:07] Six A is the communication.

[8:10] Motion to receive in place on file grant the appointment of April 40.

[8:13] Second. Motion to grant the appointment of Justin Olsen and leave rule 40 made by Councillor

[8:19] Bergo second and by Councillor Roy anyone on the question? I will ask the clerk to call the

[8:25] roll excuse me Councillor Avery. Yes, Councillor Baptiste. Yes, Councillor Bergo. Yes, yes,

[8:31] Councillor Carny. Yes. Yes, Councillor Schokec. Yes, Councillor Gomes. Yes, yes,

[8:36] Councillor Loops. Yes, Councillor Oliver. Yes,

[8:43] yes,

[8:43] Yes.

[8:44] President.

[8:46] Item passes 11 to 0.

[8:51] Last the clerk to read.

[8:52] Item number 7, please.

[8:54] Mr. President.

[8:54] Item 7 is report from the Committee on Finance, recommended the City Council approval

[8:58] of the Housing Development and Center for Program and Resolution for Attacks.

[9:02] Increment exemption for Vanco Studio Architects LLC.

[9:06] Seven A is the Housing Development and Center for Program and Seven B is the Resolution.

[9:19] Motion to approve the H step and grant the resolution made by Council

[9:22] a little second if I counsel a burgo. Anyone on the question? All those in favor say aye.

[9:28] Opposed the I-SAB at the last of the quick to read item number eight.

[9:30] Mr. President item eight is a report from the Committee on Finance,

[9:34] recommending to the City Council adoption of the orders to lay out and taking of Hillman Street

[9:38] at the terminus of Pleasant Street for the purpose of re-aligning Hillman Street to the West

[9:42] so a new signalized intersection can be built. Eight A is a registered land and eight B is a recorded land.

[9:52] Motion to adopt the orders of taking made by Councilor Abrams second by Councilor Roy anyone on the question

[10:00] Also, in favor, say aye. Opposed, the ayes have it. I will ask the clerk to read item number 9.

[10:05] Mr. President, item 9 is report from the Committee on City Property, recommending the City Council

[10:09] approval of the proposal submitted by South Coast Investments Incorporated for the

[10:13] Development of Fire Station number 3, located at 834 Kempton Street and approval

[10:18] of the proposals submitted by the Bush Development for the Development of Fire Station

[10:21] number 11, located at 754 Brock Avenue, 9A is the order and 9B and C are the proposals.

[10:28] I wish receiving place on file and grant the proposal of the fire station's second.

[10:35] Motion to grant the approval of the proposals of the fire stations made by Council Oliver.

[10:40] Second, by Council of Gomes, anyone on the question?

[10:44] All those in favor say aye.

[10:46] Opposed, the eyes have it.

[10:50] Colleagues, items 10 through 12, they are all reports out of committee for no further action.

[10:54] I would like to wave the readings and take no further action.

[10:59] May by council.

[11:00] Second by council. All of our anyone on the question. All those in favor say aye.

[11:05] Opposed the ice have it. That brings us to item number 13, please.

[11:10] Mr. President, I am 13 is written motion from council.

[11:12] votes.

[11:13] Request not the convenient ordinances in the planning board, we zone plot 39, a lot 22,

[11:18] 30 Brigham Street from the split zoning of residential B and next use business to

[11:22] make use of business for the entire parcel.

[11:25] Follow a recommendation and follow a recommendation and refer to the committee and ordinance

[11:30] in the planning board and receive a place on fire.

[11:32] Motion to refer the items to the committee on ordinances in the planning board made by

[11:36] consular lobes.

[11:38] Second, by Councillor Abrew. Anyone on the question? Motion speaks for itself.

[11:43] All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed the ayes have it.

[11:47] I'll ask the clerk to read item 14.

[11:49] Mr. President, item 14 is written motion from Council Goams.

[11:53] Requestments, the City Council go on record.

[11:54] For the third time against Massachusetts House Bill,

[11:58] H2196 and Senate Bill S1393 that would authorize safe injection sites and cities and towns across the Commonwealth.

[12:05] considering that under U.S. Department of Justice Federal Law 21, U.S.C. Section 856,

[12:11] injections, and injection sites are deemed illegal, and further requesting that letters

[12:15] be sent to Governor Mooraheerley, our state delegation, and the Senate and House Speaker's

[12:21] expressive opposition to any site being located in a city of New Bedford. And further

[12:25] request that the New Bedford Board of Health declined to vote on implementation of any

[12:29] site posed within the city.

[12:30] for the recommendation way for Friday.

[12:33] Second, and we rule 17.

[12:35] So we're going to we rule 17 first.

[12:37] It's a pending legislation.

[12:38] So I have a motion made by Councillor Gomes.

[12:41] Second, by Councillor Cairney to we rule 17.

[12:44] And then we can.

[12:45] Councillor Ebrou.

[12:47] Yes.

[12:47] Councillor Baptiste.

[12:49] Yes.

[12:49] Councillor Brogo.

[12:50] Yes.

[12:51] Yes.

[12:52] Yes.

[12:53] Yes.

[12:54] Yes.

[13:27] Bill has been up in Boston once more, I do not support drug injection sites of any kind.

[13:38] We should be helping these people to get off whatever drug they're on and see a better

[13:44] life for me to open up an injection site where we'll have police officers arrest somebody

[13:50] with drugs on them in a neighborhood or in a pool over, but I'm going to invite people to come

[13:56] to a site where you can inject drugs into you,

[14:00] illegal drugs, I can't be a part of that.

[14:03] And I will not be a part of it.

[14:05] And I hope that my colleagues, we voted on this a couple

[14:09] of times already.

[14:10] I hope my colleagues will follow that same suit.

[14:13] New Befford wants to lead, not following the state,

[14:18] as far as an injection site.

[14:20] I believe this is not good for the city and New Befford.

[14:23] It's not good for the people again.

[14:24] We want to help these people who have the problem.

[14:27] I don't want to hinder or contribute to it in any way.

[14:31] Again, and I don't want to put our law enforcement and others in line to deal with this

[14:36] on a daily basis here in the city in Newgovern.

[14:39] Thank you.

[14:40] Thank you, Councillor.

[14:40] Chair, I can just Councillor Roy.

[14:44] Thank you, Mr. President.

[14:47] I oppose this motion, respectfully, for a few reasons.

[14:52] This motion is present and it oversimplifies this legislation.

[15:00] This legislation is much broader than safe injection sites. It addresses harm reduction services. That includes overdose prevention and reversal, health screenings, referral, treatment and recovery services and other social supports.

[15:15] We should be fair in considering the full scope of the legislation before we take a position on it. Also, I, Mr. President, I'm firmly in the belief that our policies that we create here should be based in evidence and not fear.

[15:30] There's two often that fear leads policymakers to adopt ineffective programs or reject effective ones.

[15:38] Substance use is a complicated public health issue that is deeply shaped by stigma and prejudice.

[15:47] As policymakers, Mr. President, we have a responsibility to understand the research and follow the public health evidence.

[15:56] And you know, we really shouldn't be taking potential public health tools off the table before they're even proposed.

[16:05] Any program would require approval from our local Board of Health.

[16:09] And in New Bedford, we may ultimately decide that certain harm reduction services are not right for our city.

[16:16] But that's a very different thing from deciding in advance that they should never even be considered.

[16:23] We should not take public health tools off the table before our public health experts have had an opportunity to evaluate them.

[16:34] And, you know, federal law is a legitimate question, but it shouldn't freeze us when it hasn't frozen our state legislatures.

[16:42] There are legitimate questions about how state authorization interacts with federal law to be true.

[16:49] Our state lawmakers are grappling with those questions right now and have attempted to address

[16:54] them through state legal protections.

[16:56] But the bottom line is that any unresolved legal questions don't require us to preemptively

[17:03] shut down the conversation here on harm reduction services.

[17:11] Mr. President, and before I yield, I think it's important that as a body, we should actually

[17:19] know what legislation we're opposing.

[17:24] The Councilor of the Good Council from Clara Street's motion

[17:27] references H2196, but that House Bill, Mr. President,

[17:32] was redrafted, and has a different bill number.

[17:36] And both Rependrix and Cabral are our co-sponsors.

[17:39] But if we're going to take a formal position as a city council,

[17:45] drafting letters to state leaders,

[17:46] We should be looking at the current bill and understand what it actually does.

[17:56] Some of you know that my dad died of a heroin overdose and many people in this room have

[18:03] lost loved ones to substance use disorder.

[18:07] Thankfully, overdoses in our city are declining.

[18:12] And certain harm reduction services may never be needed or may ultimately not be the right

[18:17] But these raised difficult and necessary questions, and I'm not in favor of closing the door on that conversation.

[18:24] Thank you.

[18:25] Thank you, Councillor.

[18:27] The Chair will recognize Councillor Burgo.

[18:34] Thank you, Mr. President.

[18:37] I agree with my colleague from Hussie Street.

[18:40] I'm glad he mentioned the change in the House bill.

[18:43] So I think if the make of the motion would be amenable,

[18:47] you would want to amend to reflect the correct H5274 bill.

[18:55] I think we all know I've been very vocal in my support for harm reduction, I believe harm reduction saves lives.

[19:00] I believe that when someone is struggling with substance use disorder,

[19:03] our first responsibility as a community should be to keep that person alive long enough to have another opportunity to recover.

[19:11] Whether that means access to our can or treatment or recovery services,

[19:15] That means meeting people where they are even when they are not ready to meet us where we want them to be.

[19:22] And I don't believe that supporting harm reduction means that we must ignore the legitimate concerns of residents, businesses, neighbourhoods, law enforcement, public health officials or municipal government.

[19:32] In fact, I believe the opposite.

[19:34] I said before that you cannot simply force something like this onto a community and expect it to work.

[19:40] If we are going to consider new approaches to addressing the overdose crisis, they have to be implemented responsibly.

[19:48] They should be phased in, be transparent, and have accountability.

[19:52] And most importantly, there has to be meaningful community involvement.

[19:56] That is where my concern with the current legislation comes in.

[20:00] The current House bill H5274 does something that I think is important. It recognizes that the local community should have a voice. It requires approval from the Board of Health in the host municipality before a harm reduction program can be established.

[20:16] I think that's a step in the right direction, but I believe we can and should go further if we are talking about placing a program of this nature and a municipality.

[20:25] I believe the elected representatives of that municipality should have a voice in that decision as well.

[20:32] I would support a House and Senate bill that says, in effect, that before a harm reduction program can be established in a community,

[20:40] there must be approval from both the local Board of Health and the local legislative body.

[20:45] A new better, that means the Board of Health and the City Council.

[20:48] That to me is a reasonable balance, it doesn't say no or never, it doesn't reject harm reduction.

[20:55] It says that if we're going to do this, we're going to do it with a people who live and are at the table.

[21:02] We should be able to have public discussion and establish expectations.

[21:05] And we're going to make sure that the people who are ultimately responsible for the health safety and well-being of this community

[21:11] have an opportunity to participate in the decision.

[21:14] That is the kind of legislation I could support, but that brings me to the second part of this motion.

[21:20] The motion doesn't simply ask us to express concerns about how these programs should be regulated.

[21:25] It asks this council to send a letter expressing opposition to any such site being located in the city of New Bethford.

[21:32] And it asks our Board of Health to decline the vote on implementation of any site proposed within the city.

[21:38] That is where I have a problem.

[21:40] So, because my objection is not to harm reduction, my objection is not that I believe we should

[21:47] categorically prohibit these programs from ever being considered in New Befford, my objection

[21:51] is to the question of how we regulate them, how we implement them, and how we involve

[21:56] the community, those are very different positions.

[21:59] And because of that distinction, if this motion remains written as an outright letter of

[22:03] opposition to any site in New Befford, I would have to vote no.

[22:06] Now, because I support the legislation as currently written, not because I think the concerns

[22:11] raised by residents should be dismissed, and not because I believe New Bethlehem should

[22:15] have no say quite the opposite.

[22:16] I am voting no, because I believe we should be advocating for a better version of the legislation

[22:21] rather than simply telling the Commonwealth that New Bethlehem is opposed to the concept all

[22:26] together.

[22:27] There is a difference between saying we don't want this year and saying if this is going

[22:31] to be allowed in Massachusetts, here are the protections, safeguards, and local approvals that

[22:36] we believe must be in place before it can happen in our community.

[22:40] I believe the second position is more responsible and I also want to address the reference

[22:44] in the motion to federal law.

[22:47] I understand why that language is included and I understand the concern about the conflict

[22:52] between state authorization and federal law, but again, that is not the basis for my position

[22:57] tonight.

[22:58] my position is that Massachusetts needs to establish a clear transparent and locally accountable

[23:03] framework for harm reduction programs if the Commonwealth is going to pursue this policy.

[23:09] I don't want New Befford's voice to be reduced to a simple yes or no after the fact.

[23:14] I want New Befford at the table before the decision is made and frankly, I think that is

[23:18] a much stronger position for this Council to take.

[23:21] We can support harm reduction in still demand accountability.

[23:23] We can acknowledge that overdose prevention saves lives while also insisting that neighborhoods have a voice.

[23:30] We can support treatment and recovery while insisting on transparency.

[23:34] And we can recognize that a policy may have merit while still saying that the way it is implemented matters.

[23:40] That's the position I have consistently tried to take as a counselor.

[23:44] So I will support amending this motion to correct the Houseville number and to make sure that we're accurately describing the legislation before us.

[23:51] I would also support language that asks our state delegation to pursue legislation requiring

[23:56] both board of health approval and approval by the local legislative body before a harm

[24:00] reduction program can be established.

[24:03] But if the motion ultimately asks me to send a letter saying that I oppose any such

[24:07] site in the Befford, I will vote no.

[24:10] And if the majority of the council votes differently than I do, I would respectfully request

[24:13] that the letter reflect the actual vote of the spotty, specifically I would ask that the letter

[24:18] identify the individual counselors who voted in favor of sending that letter, rather than representing

[24:24] the letter as though it reflects the unanimous or collective position of the New

[24:29] Beper City Council, because I think the people of New Beper deserve to know where each of us

[24:33] actually stands. I am perfectly comfortable having my vote attached to my position. I simply

[24:38] don't believe that my vote should be represented as something it was not. At the end of

[24:42] the day, I think we all agree on one thing. We want fewer people dying from addiction in

[24:47] our community, where we may disagree is on the best way to get there. Thank you.

[24:53] Thank you, Councillor. Anyone else?

[24:59] On a second...

[25:02] Thank you, Mr. President. Well, first two votes were 11, nothing. And I don't know what has changed. As far as the

[25:12] House bill, I want to thank both of my colleagues. I would expect it to call if you found this

[25:17] on the agenda and you thought it was not the wrong house bill. When I looked it up, this is

[25:23] but I got out of the bill.

[25:27] So I apologize to my colleagues for that.

[25:29] I will ask the clerk to make the corrections on that.

[25:32] As far as changing the motion from what it is,

[25:36] I am not about to do that.

[25:37] I'm going with the motion to where it is.

[25:39] This council, as I said, voted twice.

[25:41] 11, nothing.

[25:42] Something has changed here, and I understand that,

[25:45] and everyone has the opportunity to do that.

[25:47] But to both of my colleagues, again, I appreciate you finding out the right bill.

[25:56] I'm not going to take it as an insult, but I take it as, I thought we worked together

[26:00] that you would call me and tell me something about this.

[26:02] And I still question whether I have the right bill or whatever.

[26:05] I know what I got when I looked it up.

[26:07] And that's what I went with.

[26:08] Again, I stand firm.

[26:10] I do not want injection sites in the city in New Beverage.

[26:12] I want to help those to have the problem.

[26:15] I've been addressing the problem for a long time.

[26:18] Remember, I'm the guy that's standing here

[26:19] that when this problem first came to the city in New

[26:22] Buffet and we addressed it, we addressed not only this other

[26:27] drugs that were being used in the city and asked for that

[26:30] what the city was, what was the city's plan to address this

[26:34] issue, have we ever seen a plan?

[26:37] At least we have put something forward, not we, at least I know

[26:40] that I have something for and we'll talk on the next

[26:43] but I would ask my colleagues to follow what is before you.

[26:48] We took two votes, 11, nothing.

[26:49] I understand we have a new council.

[26:51] But I don't understand what happened to the vote from last time.

[26:54] Thank you.

[26:56] Thank you, Councillor.

[26:58] So, without objection, the chair, the clerk has updated the bill number to reflect H5274.

[27:05] That's correct, Councillor.

[27:08] Okay, thank you.

[27:12] I have a right here if we can do that for everybody.

[27:16] Everybody wants to see what's in the bill before we vote on it.

[27:20] So there was a motion to receive in place on file H5274.

[27:25] It's been second by Council of Berger when he went on the question of receiving and

[27:28] placing on file Bill H5274.

[27:33] All those in favor say aye.

[27:36] Opposed the I's have it.

[27:38] The question before us now is an adoption of the motion and waving rule 40.

[28:16] Council would you like to include rule 40 in adoption in the motion 1 vote or which like two separate votes?

[28:24] 1 vote.

[28:29] There was no the the make of the motion wish to amend it. I am allowing it from the chair without a vote.

[28:43] Okay, so we're going to take the first vote on adoption of the motion.

[28:47] Is that fine counselor and then a second vote to wave rule 40?

[28:52] So the motion before us was made to adopt the motion.

[28:55] I imagine we'll want to roll a call vote.

[28:58] I'll last a clerk to call the world.

[29:00] Councillor Andrew.

[29:01] Yes.

[29:01] Can't speak up, please.

[29:02] No.

[29:03] No.

[29:04] No.

[29:05] Yes.

[29:06] Can't speak up.

[29:08] Yes.

[29:09] Yes.

[29:10] Can't speak up.

[29:12] No.

[29:16] No.

[29:17] No.

[29:18] No.

[29:21] Passes.

[29:23] Passes.

[29:23] 6 to 5.

[29:25] Wave-roaf 40.

[29:26] Motion-awave-roaf 40, made by councilor Gomes.

[29:29] Second.

[29:30] Second of by councilor Carny.

[29:32] Anyone on the question of waving-roaf 40?

[29:36] Well, that's the clerk to call the roll.

[29:37] Councilor Avery.

[29:38] Yes, councilor T.

[29:40] Yes.

[29:42] Yes.

[29:43] Yes.

[29:44] Yes.

[29:45] Yes.

[29:46] Yes.

[29:48] Yes.

[29:49] Yes.

[29:51] Yes.

[29:52] Contemporary.

[29:53] Yes.

[29:54] Contemporary.

[29:55] Yes.

[29:56] Yes.

[29:58] Rue 40 passes.

[30:00] 11, to zero. I'll ask the clerk to read item 15, please.

[30:04] Mr. President item 15 is written motion from Council Goams, request not the committee on public safety

[30:08] and neighborhoods meet with the Mitchell administration to discuss and provide the committee

[30:13] with the comprehensive strategic plan of action to address the homelessness, drug, mental

[30:17] health and alcohol related issues affecting downtown and communities throughout the city. And to

[30:23] also provide the committee with a report, identifying all city agencies currently involved in addressing

[30:27] these issues, including the respective roles, programs, and measurable success rates.

[30:33] And further requests that the administration consider a using a portion of the $1.5 million

[30:38] received by the city to the opioid lawsuit settlement toward addressing this ongoing crisis,

[30:44] which is increasingly impacting public spaces, parks, storefronts, properties, and other

[30:48] locations throughout the city.

[30:50] Further, committee on public safety and neighbourhoods?

[30:53] Motion or further ahead into the committee on public safety and neighbourhoods made by Council

[30:56] of Gomes, second of the Council of Berger. Anyone on the question? The chair recognizes

[31:00] Council of Gomes.

[31:01] Thank you very much, Mr. President. Many of you are very aware that of what's been

[31:06] happening, and we've addressed this issue. There's another issue that we've already addressed.

[31:11] If it made some, I feel I've made some great recommendation. First of all, take that 1.5

[31:18] that same money that you received, the same money that this Council was told before you

[31:24] We went and sued when we were saying to go after the company, the companies, the administration

[31:31] that said, that was a long shot and I was up here, a grand standing.

[31:36] It's funny the grand stand turned into a two million whatever was given to the city in New

[31:41] Befford.

[31:42] I understand that the administration has used 500,000 of that, which has gone to different

[31:46] agencies across the city.

[31:48] I want accountability for where the money is going and how many people are we helping.

[31:52] You take this 1.5 and put together an operation such as I've put before you and I spoke of before.

[32:00] One stop shop. One stop shop. I can walk into doing and I can turn myself in and look for the help that I need may be drug, alcohol, whatever it is.

[32:08] We can put you in a bed in your own room. We can give you a job within the city. All in one place, but have all those agencies, those agencies that receive all that money, I want them all there.

[32:21] So you don't have to go back and forth I've said it before you go ABC you get to D in all of a sudden

[32:30] There's no room in the end. So where do I end up? I end up back in the streets back where I came from I want to see this go away

[32:37] And I want to see some type of

[32:39] Program put in place we have a problem throughout this city. It is a very sad situation as far as I'm concerned as public safety chair

[32:48] I see it

[32:50] I see it at daytime and I'm seeing it at night and it's very scary.

[32:55] It's very scary to see somebody's daughter, somebody's son out there looking like a zombie.

[33:01] Just looking for that next fix or whatever.

[33:04] And really, the city hasn't really stepped up the effort to curb this problem.

[33:08] And if these programs that are across the city are doing with this supposed to be doing,

[33:13] they are saving some lives.

[33:15] I need to save more than that and I need to save what's happening on our streets of our city.

[33:19] It's something that I'm not very proud of, you know, when you talk about tourism and you want to run a tour and you see them coming through downtown with a group of people on a tour walk or whatever and then just blocks away I have people that are having the problem. I really have a problem with that and I want to do something about it.

[33:40] received a lot of money. He's got $1.5 million left. Let's invest this money into putting

[33:46] it together a program that can address the issue that's going on. I try to help some of these

[33:52] people so we don't go on with this program because right now what I feel we're doing in the city

[33:57] is yes we're helping some people some people are getting to help because they've got some type of

[34:01] assistance but what we're doing is just closing the door and don't worry about it. Let it go.

[34:06] Let custom house square be where it is.

[34:08] Let this place be where it is.

[34:10] You got to hear from these business owners.

[34:12] You got to hear from these business owners.

[34:14] How can you have a historical district and look to tourism

[34:18] and have this problem that you're not quite addressing?

[34:23] That's becoming an epidemic as far as I'm concerned and a crisis in this city.

[34:28] And it needs to be addressed.

[34:29] And I can't address the issue alone.

[34:31] This is a collective effort by a city.

[34:33] I don't care what's going on in climate wealth of Massachusetts because we'll

[34:37] hear that happening all over the place, happening, yeah.

[34:40] We're supposed to be the leadership.

[34:42] We're supposed to be our own drive.

[34:45] We set the pace.

[34:46] If we can put together a good program that helps these people, then we'll invite everybody else

[34:51] to join in and we'll give them the book on how it's done.

[34:54] That's how I work.

[34:55] That's what I want to see done.

[34:57] I'm sick and tired of talking about it.

[34:59] I'm not going to break.

[35:00] Please, my voice tonight, as I usually do, I'm not going to do that, but when I am going to say, I want

[35:05] to address the issue address, and we've got $1.5 million holding somewhere that can address this issue

[35:12] immediately and help some of these people. Unless that money has been spent somewhere else.

[35:18] Thank you, Councillor Chaplin, Councillor Baptiste. Thank you, Mr. President. First and foremost, those people are people.

[35:26] There are families, there are friends, there are uncles and aunts, cousins, sisters, brothers.

[35:32] There's a mental health issue in our city, right?

[35:35] So when we talk about an addiction issue in our city, we're having a mental health issue.

[35:40] And we're having an affordable housing issue in our city as well, that the mayor chooses to ignore.

[35:46] And I think a bunch of people choose to ignore.

[35:48] And I know a lot of these services that are going around the city,

[35:52] They're told not to go for grants now, so that the new health department get all the money for that.

[36:00] And that takes a lot of the services from people that actually boots on the ground, helping people directly.

[36:07] I think that it's right, we should have a one-stop shop, right, and how long are they going to let it go, right?

[36:15] But as a representative of downtown, I understand what every business owner says,

[36:20] But like, these people have nowhere to go, and they've lost trust, they've lost hope, and they've lost help, right?

[36:28] And I think that we have to come together a little bit more and be a little bit more human and thinking about how do we serve people?

[36:34] How do we talk to people and see what their greatest needs are and make sure that we can get the un-house house and get the on-the-service serve.

[36:42] I had a young lady that was living down south in that seven months pregnant.

[36:46] She can't get into her, um, she can't get into her storage until the first of the months, so she has all her stuff outside, seven months pregnant, right?

[36:56] And she can't get Catholic social services because she don't meet the threshold at seven months pregnant.

[37:01] You're telling me you can kill a baby of Massachusetts up to nine months, but you can't help a seven month pregnant lady that's trying to help herself, and I think that's absurd that we're not helping people that actually need help.

[37:13] And I'm sorry to say what some people might agree with it.

[37:19] Some people might not agree with it, but the mental health problem that we have due to the substance abuse problems, right?

[37:28] The substance abuse comes from mental health, right?

[37:30] And we need to get to the root of the problem and peel back the onion before we just throw people out.

[37:34] And I think that this 1.5 million will help, but it's only going to put a dent into what we have to do into the city

[37:41] because we have a bigger problem in this city, right?

[37:44] And we have to help our people,

[37:47] because unfortunately there are people

[37:49] and whether people want to admit it or not,

[37:52] because they look like us and they just fell on high time.

[37:55] And not everybody else is an addict.

[37:57] Some people just fell on high time.

[37:59] They can't pay their rent, where they're going to go.

[38:01] They lost their family.

[38:02] They come out here from long-term substance, help.

[38:06] And they get in a halfway house.

[38:07] And they leave the halfway house with nowhere to go.

[38:09] how do we help these people man? So that's why these services kicking somebody out to

[38:14] shelter at 7 o'clock in the morning and tell them to find their way until it opens up at

[38:18] 5 o'clock without actually giving them the proper services that they need to make sure that they

[38:23] have a social role in our society, a valuable role in our society. So I yield the flow with that.

[38:29] I don't want to be going winded, but you know there's a lot of things that go on.

[38:34] I'm not running for like mayor and I've been so I didn't write nothing down so I don't have

[38:38] other agendas of the world. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Chair Reckonist, Councilor

[38:44] Pemberton.

[38:47] Thank you Mr. President. I'll be quick. I just want to say that I agree with my

[38:52] colleague from Clare Street and then my colleague in front of me. I don't know the street you've

[38:59] I'm sorry.

[39:00] Don't look a street.

[39:03] This is something I see on a daily basis every single day.

[39:10] And they're right.

[39:11] They're not getting help.

[39:13] They're not getting help.

[39:15] They're, you know, we see them.

[39:17] They're in one location.

[39:19] They're told to move to another location.

[39:22] And then another location.

[39:24] And then another location.

[39:26] And it's just a big, big circle.

[39:28] and there ain't no one helping them.

[39:32] You know, in the last 10 years,

[39:35] there had been some grants.

[39:36] Those grants came up to over $30 million

[39:39] to help the homeless people.

[39:42] 30 million dollars, and I'm not gonna say that it's gonna end it.

[39:49] But $30 million, the situation is actually worse.

[39:56] So we need to find help, we need to get help with this.

[40:00] Thank you, people. Fast. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor. Anyone else?

[40:08] On their first. Anyone on their second? Chair of his Councilor Combs.

[40:13] Thank you very much. I'll be very brief. Yes, we have people that have mental disabilities in this city.

[40:20] But what I've been trying to say here is I'm glad Council from the North End brought the issue up of how much money has been spent.

[40:28] 30 million dollars if that is a right figure, what is going on here and where is the

[40:36] record of achievement here? I still have the problem. I have a problem with it. Just take

[40:44] a, when we leave tonight, I invite my colleagues to take a walk through downtown with me. I want

[40:50] to walk you by the ziterion so you can look at that beautiful ziterion and all them beautiful

[40:54] lights and what's coming to attractions.

[40:57] And I want to take you to the next block.

[40:59] The same people that I'm hearing from that living

[41:01] over Olympia building downtown.

[41:04] I want you to see what that block looks like from there

[41:07] to the next block where the vet's hall is, in between,

[41:12] it's hot wrenching.

[41:14] It's hot wrenching.

[41:16] Come with me for the walk, gentlemen, and ladies,

[41:18] come with me for the walk.

[41:20] Get a look at the salvation I'm building

[41:22] and what it looks like at night.

[41:24] People smoking crack.

[41:27] People laid out.

[41:28] People laid out in between the churches

[41:30] on the school street side.

[41:34] One, not even.

[41:35] One block from this criterion.

[41:37] So if I miss the corner at school street

[41:40] and I go one more street down at Walnut

[41:42] and take that right and come up to head towards this criterion,

[41:47] again, it's hot wrenching.

[41:49] That somebody's got it, that somebody's son,

[41:51] that somebody's father, I understand all of that.

[41:54] And I also understand about losing a loved one

[41:56] because of drugs.

[41:57] I've been in the same situation,

[42:02] but we have to do something about it.

[42:05] And just going at the pace that we've been going,

[42:08] I don't see anything being achieved.

[42:09] And I don't see the help going to these people

[42:14] that need you.

[42:16] And I'm not going to take this all

[42:18] as these are all our people.

[42:20] Yes, we have people that are out there,

[42:21] But please take a look, somebody's people are not from the area, they've came to the area because they found an area where it's tolerated or put up with.

[42:32] Again, these people need help. All I want to do is help them, and I want to put a good program together that achieves that.

[42:39] Not that it becomes money makers. You know, we have programs out there that just money makers, money makers.

[42:46] You want to see somebody get a new life, get a rebirth in their life, get a second chance

[42:51] at being somebody.

[42:53] I thank you for the opportunity.

[42:56] Thank you, Councillor.

[43:00] Anyone else on the question?

[43:03] On referral to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods, all those in favor say aye?

[43:08] Opposed.

[43:09] The aye's have it.

[43:10] I will ask the clerk to read item 16, please.

[43:13] Mr. President item 16 is a written motion from Councillor Gomes.

[43:16] We request that the Mitchell Administration provide the committee on city property, the

[43:20] comprehensive plan of action for the self-terminal, formally utilizes a vineyard wind

[43:24] staging area and further if no current plan exists, the administration provided time

[43:29] line for a focused effort and strategic plan will be developed to utilize this area for job

[43:34] creation, economic development, and increased revenue for the city.

[43:38] Refer to the committee on property.

[43:40] Refer to the committee on city property made by Council of Gomes, seconded by Council of Oliver,

[43:45] on the question the chair recognizes Councilor Gomes.

[43:47] Thank you very much Mr. President, another issue that I addressed some time ago.

[43:52] Made a fact it might be a year and nine months before the vineyard wind and all the wind

[43:58] turbines and everything started committing because I wanted to know we spent a hundred million

[44:02] dollars of taxpayer's money and we had a walk down there sitting doing absolutely nothing.

[44:07] Well, since the vineyard wind and the wind energy thing is all done for the time being, we have that lot again.

[44:16] Why it open? Nothing happening down there.

[44:20] We brought the Portuguese ship in now.

[44:21] And at first I questioned that because I thought it was inappropriate for it to be put there.

[44:26] I thought it would be appropriate to have it downtown where everyone could see it,

[44:30] but then I understood with the amount of people and how they tried to how they orchestrated everything that doubt was suitable for the moment.

[44:36] We have a little cruise boat down there.

[44:38] We have nothing going on down there.

[44:40] I don't care if we receive oranges down there.

[44:43] I don't care if we ship cars out of there.

[44:45] We've got to do something to generate jobs here,

[44:48] and to get back the money that has been spent down there.

[44:51] And I'm not going to wait another couple of years,

[44:54] or three years to see what is generated down there,

[44:58] with the wind if that comes back or not.

[45:00] I want to see some action now, the brings jobs to the city of New Buffet, some type of revenue, and that's why

[45:05] this motion is here. As I said this is the second time. The first time I had this motion on,

[45:09] nobody said a dying word. I'm talking about my body here. I'm talking about the administration,

[45:15] but soon after, it came all the wind stuff. I don't know where it was just coincidental,

[45:20] but I'm going to make the move again. So, let's see what we can ship out of here. Let's see what kind of work

[45:25] we can bring for the longshoremen and many of those on the waterfront. Thank you.

[45:29] Thank you, Councillor. Anyone else on the question?

[45:34] Okay. The question is on referral to the committee on city property. All those in favour say aye.

[45:40] Opposed. The is have it. I will ask the clerk to read item 17.

[45:43] Mr. President item 17 is communication from the city clerk to the city council.

[45:47] It's me a petition from Mark DeCamber of summer set Massachusetts.

[45:50] Doing business as side quests complete at 127 West Rodney French Boulevard in New Bedford.

[45:56] requesting a waiver of residents in accordance with section 15-38 of the city code to obtain

[46:01] license to deal in junk, old metals, or any other second-hand articles.

[46:06] Before we make a motion to chair, we're just like to inform the body that this is already an

[46:11] existing business and is just coming to have this license. I just wanted the body to know

[46:16] it's a new owner, excuse me, so it's an existing business with a new owner, so a transfer.

[46:21] I just wanted the body to make that a way before any motions were made.

[46:29] Okay, motion or a further special, the committee and special permits in licensure made by

[46:33] Councillor Avery, seconded by Councillor Carny, anyone on the question?

[46:38] All those in favor say aye, oppose the aye's have at the last clerk to read item number

[46:43] 18.

[46:45] Mr. President, 18 is communication from the city clerk to the city council, submit a request to

[46:49] increase fees for dog licens violations, second hand dealers in various city council licenses.

[46:56] Motion referred to the committee on onences made by Councillor Bergau, second by Councillor Oliver, anyone on the question?

[47:03] All those in favor say aye.

[47:05] Opposed.

[47:06] The aye's have it.

[47:06] I will ask the quick to read item number 19.

[47:09] The spirit of item 19 is communication with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches,

[47:13] Committee of Memorial Park, Bench and Treated Education Program, Application for Abention

[47:17] Placts.

[47:18] We located at Fort Tabor.

[47:19] We're placing an existing bench.

[47:21] The member of Arthur C. Burton Jr.

[47:24] The motion to refer to memorials and dedications.

[47:27] Motion to refer to memorials and dedications made by Council of Appities seconded by Council

[47:31] of Carnie.

[47:32] Anyone on the question?

[47:34] All those in favor say aye.

[47:36] Opposed the aye.

[47:37] Sabot, I will ask the clerk to read that in number 20.

[47:39] Mr. President, item 20 is a communication from the Department of Parks, Recreation and

[47:43] Beaches.

[47:44] It's a minimum memorial park bench and tree dedication program application for a bench

[47:48] in plaque to be located at the corner of Butwood Street and Lake Street to the right of

[47:52] Italian, American Memorial, and Memorial, and Memory of Carl Nathos.

[47:56] Same course of action.

[47:58] Second, motions made to refer to the committee on memorials and dedications by Council

[48:02] of Baptists, seconded by Councilor Lopes, and anyone on the question, all those in favor

[48:07] on referral say aye.

[48:09] Opposed.

[48:09] The aye.

[48:10] To have it.

[48:10] I will ask the clerk to read item 21.

[48:13] Mr. President.

[48:13] Item 21 is a communication from Council of Bergo, submitting signed petitions from residents

[48:18] opposed in the closure of fire station number nine in New Bedford.

[48:21] Motion received in place on file and forward the attached appropriation orders to the mayor requesting that he submit set of appropriations to the city council for approval.

[48:31] Motion to receive in place on file, though communication and forward the attached sample appropriation orders to the Mitchell administration, asking him to submit them to the council.

[48:44] been made by Council of Bergo, seconded by Council of Shoke. On the question, the chair

[48:48] recognizes Council of Bergo.

[48:53] Thank you, Mr. President. So we got some more

[48:56] partitions from residents who recognize that public safety is not something we should

[49:02] gamble with. We saw in the last budget that the mayor was laying off 26 firefighters during

[49:10] that budget hearing, we were told that the cost savings for eliminating those 26 firefighters

[49:19] was 1.8 million and that breakdown was for 1.5 million and fire personnel services for

[49:27] those 26 firefighters and $300,000 for the health insurance associated with those laid off

[49:34] firefighters. That is what the $1.8 million equates to. We know after the fact our state

[49:41] delegation led by Senator Mark Martigny came through with an additional $500,000, which to

[49:50] my understanding would help out with $500,000 of those personal services. Since then, I've reached

[49:58] out to our...

[50:00] Or CFO's office, inquiring specific numbers on what we would need to keep fire station

[50:08] I'd open. I would assume that would just mean $1 million for fire personal services, and

[50:13] $300,000 for health insurance. Since we received that $500,000 from Senator Mark Montigny.

[50:19] As our colleagues are aware, Mr. President, this council did the hard work of freeing up space

[50:25] in this bloated budget and there is money there to save fire station 9. I know there's

[50:32] a lot of ambiguity there because Mayor Mitchell hasn't said much. He hasn't even told our

[50:36] fire chief when fire station 9 is officially closing and I think that's shameful. We have 26

[50:42] firefighters who have families to feed. They have no clue when or if they're going to be out of

[50:53] administration can't get the job done, and they've said to us before that we don't need

[51:00] to say, Mother May I, I've put together these appropriation orders for the Mitchell administration,

[51:07] so he doesn't have to do it. So Sir Jake has such a hard job over there, which why didn't

[51:11] wear a tie tonight. He's relaxing and chilling, so he doesn't have to worry about putting together

[51:15] this appropriation order, same thing with the CFO's office, since he'll be retiring soon.

[51:23] Well

[51:23] My colleagues will support this. I've you've all received a copy. The clerk has received a copy of a set appropriation on her again

[51:31] $1 million for fire personnel services and $300,000 for their health insurance

[51:37] That will keep fire station nine open

[51:39] There should be no argument here send this to the mayor's office and if he'd like to just for his cute little bow

[51:46] He can send it back down to us in the mayor's papers done deal

[51:49] Keep fire station, I know open. Thank you.

[51:52] Thank you, Councillor.

[51:54] Chair, Councillor Schoka.

[51:57] Good evening, Mr. President.

[51:59] Thank you.

[52:00] Thank you to all the people that are here tonight for different reasons.

[52:04] But we're all here.

[52:06] I'd like to say thank you to Councillor Bergo for doing all the hard work ahead of time.

[52:13] Myself, I've also been inquiring with the administration,

[52:16] and what's going on. Senator Montigny's $500,000 gift is not going to last forever.

[52:24] And, you know, firemen don't work for free. So, I say we get about two months left

[52:30] until this money's gone. So, Mr. Mayor, if you're watching this, get to work

[52:37] and get this done and stop gambling with the lives of the people in my community

[52:44] and in this city. Enough enough. Now let's go. Thank you.

[52:51] Thank you, Councillor. Anyone else?

[52:56] Okay. Seeing none. The question

[52:59] of forces on receiving and placing on file and referring the attached

[53:03] appropriation orders to the Mitchell administration. Anyone

[53:07] all those in favor say? Can we roll call? Roll call vote has been

[53:10] requested. I'll ask the clerk to call the roll.

[53:14] Constraibly.

[53:15] Yes.

[53:16] Constraibly.

[53:17] Yes.

[53:18] Yes.

[53:19] Yes.

[53:20] Yes.

[53:21] Yes.

[53:22] Yes.

[53:23] Yes.

[53:24] Yes.

[53:25] Yes.

[53:26] Yes.

[53:28] Yes.

[53:35] Item passes 11 to 0.

[53:38] I will ask the clerk to read item number 22.

[53:42] Mr. President.

[53:42] Item 22 is a communication from Council Gomes, submitting a response from Representative Cabral regarding efforts to secure additional funding to address the budget gap facing the city of New Bedford.

[53:55] Second.

[53:56] Motion received and placed on file made by Councillor Roy.

[53:58] Seconded by Councillor Gomes.

[54:01] On the question to chair, Councillor Gomes.

[54:03] Thank you, Mr. President.

[54:04] This is a response to our motion asking our state delegation to assist us in some way, somehow with a 32 million dollar deficit that the city in New Buffet has.

[54:16] What I will say to you is I've had calls from the Inspector General and I just want to bring my colleagues up to power on what's happening.

[54:23] What I really believe is the Inspector General has gotten a call from a higher archi through somewhere, because they give me a high time.

[54:32] You had 11, nothing vote here on the city council, but for a lot of to be sent to his

[54:37] Spectra General to find out exactly where the 32 million dollars is.

[54:42] I believe that's something's wrong here in this city, and we don't go from 8 million, as I said,

[54:48] to 8 million good, 12 million, 20 million, the next thing you know, with 32 million dollars in a

[54:53] hole, and nobody's got an explanation for it.

[54:56] Nobody is accountable for it.

[54:58] We don't make big mistakes.

[55:00] It's like that. At least where I come from. Maybe in this room, you can just accept that. I'm not accepting that, especially when I see what I see going on throughout the city.

[55:12] And I don't care. You've got to pay attention. You're seeing a lot of work being done. And I'm wondering how much money was in the budget for this. How much money came in a grant?

[55:21] Where did the money come from? Where did the money get spent? Where's the accountability for 32 million dollars that you're fighting here tonight?

[55:29] As the Council just previously stood up, speaking of Station 9, Station 9 was stay open.

[55:36] He is not going to close Station 9.

[55:38] He's done this before.

[55:39] This time, it's not going to work because we're not going to let that happen.

[55:43] And I believe that we have a strong enough body here to make sure that that doesn't happen.

[55:48] That Station 9 is seeing open.

[55:50] That area is two important and part of this city.

[55:53] When I have seen in the past few weeks, just with some of the situations that have risen

[55:57] in that area. Some of the action calls or whatever for that engine. You don't want to play

[56:03] with it. You don't want to play it. You're playing life and death here. And I've said it

[56:07] before. You're playing jeopardy with people of the North End, this entire city. We want

[56:12] to find out. So I wanted to bring you up to date on that day. I'm having a high time when

[56:16] we've even given them names of prominent the pop heads that were part of this city. And

[56:22] they don't want to talk to them. So I don't think I can figure and you heard we say it here

[56:27] Tonight, the call was made to my friend, not my friend,

[56:31] Governor Healey, Governor Healey,

[56:33] made the call down the line.

[56:35] We're not inspecting anything.

[56:37] I'm not going to quit.

[56:38] I'm not going to quit.

[56:39] We're going to find out when we how this all happened.

[56:43] But at this time, I want to do everything in my power

[56:46] to make sure that the city continues to work

[56:48] and continues to provide services like police,

[56:51] fire, city services, and schools.

[56:53] You understand that the people of the city should not be chart-changed in any way. Please follow me.

[57:02] Thank you, Councillor. Anyone else on their first? Anyone on their second?

[57:07] All those in favor of receiving and placing on file say aye.

[57:10] Opposed the Isabba.

[57:12] I will ask the clerk to read without objection items 23 and 24 together.

[57:19] I thought objection will ask the clerk to read.

[57:20] Mr. President, I am 23 this communication from Mason T. Matthew S. Squire,

[57:24] Tax Title Attorney to the City Council regarding the acquisition of a new

[57:28] deed in lieu, advising that the city has acquired through voluntary deed in lieu of

[57:32] tax foreclosures on the following properties. In S. Welsh Street,

[57:36] plot 84, a lot 178, and of Whole Book Street, also known as RWS Krishna Avenue,

[57:42] PLOT 134, PLOT 388, and SS-9 Street, PLOT 98, PLOT 224.

[57:49] Item 24 is communication from attorney Matthew again.

[57:53] We're going to notice a decree of final judgment of the right of redemption in tax

[57:56] lien for closure cases.

[57:58] The following properties have been acquired and held by the City of New Bedford as a tax

[58:02] possession.

[58:03] E.S. Church Street, PLOT 127A, PLOT 66, incorporating PLOT 67, and S. Lowell Street, PLOT 127C,

[58:12] at 14, SS Pembroke Street,

[58:15] plot 134, plus 272, 273, 274, and 275,

[58:20] and SS Whitman Street, plot 155, lock 35.

[58:28] Colors, the motion would be to refer

[58:30] in place on file these communications.

[58:32] So moved, made by Councillor Gomes, seconded by Councillor Roy,

[58:35] anyone on the question?

[58:37] All those in favor say aye.

[58:38] Aye.

[58:39] Opposed, the eyes have it.

[58:42] Before we take up consent, there are table items.

[58:44] Would anyone like to be removed?

[58:45] I don't know from the table. Motion to remove table the items dated 0 8 to 0 2 0 2 6.

[58:52] All four of them are. Motion to remove from the table. All four table items made by

[58:57] Council of Bergo, second of by Council of Roy. Anyone on the question? All those in favor say aye.

[59:04] Opposed the ice have it. I will ask the clerk to read the first on table item.

[59:08] Mr. President, for his item is a written motion from Councilor Gomes, request of the committee

[59:12] on public safety in neighborhoods, immediately meet with police chief Jason Filty, a representative

[59:17] from the mayor's office, and a representative from Flock Safety.

[59:20] This meeting is to bring all parties together for the purpose of enhancing policies and procedures

[59:25] and strengthening community trust around using these cameras.

[59:29] The policy is transparent with every search being logged in additional safeguards in place.

[59:34] not only to protect the civil rights of the citizens, but for the police department as well.

[59:42] Motioner refer to the Committee on Public Safety and Abelhoads, made by Councillor Gomes,

[59:45] second by Councillor Bergo, on the question that you are back in Councillor Gomes.

[59:50] Thank you very much, Mr. President.

[59:52] Let me make it clear if I had the opportunity to finish the evening.

[59:58] I think it would have been clear to most in here.

[1:00:00] I have your concerns. I have your concerns. You have concerns about these cameras. I have concerns about them.

[1:00:08] And that's why I placed this motion on. That's why I wanted it to go to committee. I wanted to have the chief in.

[1:00:13] We have the people from flock. We're going to discuss what's in place, what's not in place, what hasn't been in place.

[1:00:19] These cameras have been in use for almost two years, almost two years. Some of us did not know about it.

[1:00:26] criticize us for how we did the budget. I stand by what I did. I didn't understand, I

[1:00:34] did not understand the way it was worth it. It was a simple adding on to the system that

[1:00:38] we already have as far as I'm concerned. But as far as he's what cameras are concerned and

[1:00:43] the misuse of them, we have to get a hand on it. And if I had gotten to finish the other

[1:00:48] night, I'm happy that the chief suspended the cameras at this time. It should be suspended

[1:00:54] and until we get all the answers that we need to address this issue, this issue is one that

[1:00:59] has come to fruition, not only here in the city in New Beffitt, across the Commonwealth,

[1:01:03] across the country on what is happening with these cameras. I don't want to see anybody's rights

[1:01:08] violated in any way, but I am also not about to throw the tools away that can make our community

[1:01:13] safer. And if we can make our community safer with strategic guidelines, some of what people

[1:01:19] who are accountable, you have to go through certain avenues

[1:01:22] in order to get to use this system.

[1:01:25] I was in a way, and I believe many of us were not aware

[1:01:28] that this system could just be used randomly.

[1:01:32] We just heard of a new story today.

[1:01:34] 7,700, something time.

[1:01:37] One office to use in this.

[1:01:38] On the same person, putting in different titles

[1:01:44] or whatever, drug investigation, suspicious activity.

[1:01:48] This can't go on and I understand what the people here, the people that I represent, but I know I represent a hundred thousand people and I know that, you know, since there's a nine, I've been across the city from sassiquin down there and it's very interesting, but what I'm hearing is very interesting, you have people that have the concerns and you have people who support this and they support this with the proper policies and procedures put in place to see that this does not happen or no one's rights is violated in any way.

[1:02:18] And that's what I'm going to follow, that's what I'm going to try to do.

[1:02:22] We've already got a meeting scheduled for September 9th, ladies and gentlemen, on this

[1:02:26] issue, which I took a previous agenda away, so that this issue can be addressed so that

[1:02:31] people of the city can get answers, and we can get the answers that we need.

[1:02:36] There's a lot to learn, I'm learning this about these cameras and what they can do, what

[1:02:41] they can't do.

[1:02:42] I want to make sure that the people of this city are protected, your civil rights are protected,

[1:02:46] But again, I'm not going to throw the tools away

[1:02:50] that can make a safer community.

[1:02:52] And I must ask everyone here this evening.

[1:02:55] God forbid something very bad happened in any house

[1:02:58] across this city.

[1:03:01] And these cameras could help to get the suspect.

[1:03:04] Do you want to use them?

[1:03:06] Do you want to use your neighbor's cameras?

[1:03:08] Do you want to use those city cameras

[1:03:09] that are all over this city to capture that suspect

[1:03:13] or that criminal?

[1:03:14] I do, and I think most people do.

[1:03:18] So if my colleagues see fit, I want to refer this to committee.

[1:03:23] Again, this action wasn't completed.

[1:03:26] This action was on behalf of the people to get the answers.

[1:03:29] To understand how this all works, and to understand that we do not.

[1:03:33] We do not want to play with any type of technology that violates the civil rights,

[1:03:38] or the well-being of a city and its people, and also puts my police department up, police

[1:03:43] department, the city and new benefits, police department, and any type of jeopardy in any

[1:03:47] situation.

[1:03:48] Thank you for the opportunity.

[1:03:51] Thank you, Councillor.

[1:03:52] Anyone else on the question?

[1:03:56] Okay.

[1:03:57] Seeing none, the question before us is, now is referral to public safety.

[1:04:01] And Rulco. Rulco vote has been requested.

[1:04:07] Constraibre, yes.

[1:04:09] Constraibre.

[1:04:10] Yes.

[1:04:12] Constra-Carny.

[1:04:13] Yes.

[1:04:14] Constra-Carny.

[1:04:15] Yes.

[1:04:16] Yes.

[1:04:18] Yes.

[1:04:19] Yes.

[1:04:20] Constra-Carny.

[1:04:20] Yes.

[1:04:21] Constra-Carny.

[1:04:22] Yes.

[1:04:27] Item passes 11-0.

[1:04:30] I will ask the clerk to read the second table of item.

[1:04:32] This President, second table item, is a written motion from Council's Bergo, Lowe's in A-Brew,

[1:04:40] requesting that the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhood's meet with representatives

[1:04:43] of the Mbiffin Police Department, the City's solicitor, the Information Technology Department,

[1:04:47] in any other department officials to discuss the cities use of law enforcement surveillance

[1:04:52] technologies, including but not limited to automated license plate reader systems,

[1:04:57] Flock safety cameras, public safety cam...

[1:05:00] Government networks and any other technologies capable of collecting or retaining data on the movement of vehicles or individuals, and further that the committee review the city's policies governing the collection, retention, sharing, security, and deletion of data generated by such technologies.

[1:05:16] The circumstances under which such data may be accessed or shared with outside law enforcement agencies.

[1:05:21] The safeguards in place to protect residents is constitutional, constitutional rights and privacy,

[1:05:26] and whether additional local policies or ordinances are warranted to promote transparency,

[1:05:31] accountability, and public confidence while preserving the legitimate public safety benefits these technologies provide.

[1:05:37] Motion to refer to the committee on public safety neighbourhoods.

[1:05:41] Motion has been made to refer to the committee on public safety and neighbourhoods by Council of Bergo second.

[1:05:46] I missed that. I apologize. Council of Gomes on the question.

[1:05:57] Seeing no one on the question,

[1:05:58] all those in favor say aye. Oh, roll. Roll call has been requested.

[1:06:06] Councillor Abrew. Yes. Councillor Apteest. Yes. Councillor Berigo. Yes. Yes. Councillor Carni. Yes.

[1:06:13] Yes. Councillor Schoke. Yes. Councillor Gomes. Yes. Yes. Councillor Lopes. Yes. Councillor Oliver. Yes.

[1:06:20] Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, come to Roy. Yes, yes, passes.

[1:06:27] I forgot my microphone was on passes 11 to see them.

[1:06:30] Let's get myself there.

[1:06:31] Call the heart.

[1:06:32] I will ask the clerk to read the next table then.

[1:06:35] Mr. President of the Third Table Item is written motion.

[1:06:38] Council's burgo Abram and Lopes.

[1:06:40] Request in the committee on ordinances, consider whether the appropriate policy outcome is either

[1:06:45] the complete removal and abolition of automated license plate reader systems and other

[1:06:51] moléculin PDM bangles.

[1:06:53] Law Minister I will make sure you

[1:06:56] offer the committee on ordinances?

[1:07:01] Motion to refer to the committee on ordinances made by

[1:07:04] council Bargo to earn the chair chair.

[1:07:08] Barack Council Ernesto Bergk?

[1:07:10] Thank you so obviously we know what we've

[1:07:14] had told listening to what it

[1:07:16] got the use from New Beatford has been

[1:07:18] suspended, a part of the questions that I think will have in the other committee is about whether

[1:07:25] or not other agencies are utilizing our technology still. I will be very clear. I am for

[1:07:34] terminating usage of automatic license plate readers. I think what's important though, beyond

[1:07:42] just suspension of the technologies that we don't, just because it's suspended is not

[1:07:48] mean that they're not still active and that other agencies may still be using them.

[1:07:53] I have this already planned on our, as you know, I'm the chairman of ordinances and this

[1:07:58] is set to be heard on our September 8th ordinance agenda. I'm hoping that we can act on this

[1:08:03] soon. I had outlined in a community meeting yesterday that even if things go well, we all

[1:08:10] that the process or drafted ordinance ordinance often takes time and even if everything goes

[1:08:16] well on September 8th, and we refer something out, we expect a veto from the Mitchell administration.

[1:08:24] And therefore, if we follow the process of a veto from the Mitchell administration, the earliest

[1:08:29] that we could potentially see a veto override is probably not till the end of November,

[1:08:34] which is why there is a sense of urgency of getting this into the ordinance committee.

[1:08:38] So, that is my intention. I want to be very clear that when we get into the committee on ordinance on September 8th I am drafting ordinance currently that I hope our legislative council will review and that my colleagues will review to completely terminate not only the contract but any continued use of this type of technology. Thank you.

[1:08:59] Thank you, Councillor.

[1:09:02] Chair Reckon, Councillor Roy.

[1:09:06] Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:09:08] Round two.

[1:09:12] The community is rightfully outraged, Mr. President,

[1:09:15] and that outrage is justified,

[1:09:17] because the harm, mass surveillance technology,

[1:09:20] causes is clear.

[1:09:22] Flock must come down right now.

[1:09:25] Mayor Mitchell and Chief Thotie must take action immediately.

[1:09:29] On Thursday at the City Council meeting,

[1:09:31] And again tonight, I'm speaking to the motion before this city council and to the council's role as a legislative body.

[1:09:41] We need to get rid of flock.

[1:09:44] And we need to create a law and ordinance to protect the rights and safety of new Bedford residents.

[1:09:51] This isn't in either or.

[1:09:53] It's a both and.

[1:09:54] We should demand that flock come down now.

[1:09:58] while also a dream.

[1:10:00] Messing the larger problem of how surveillance technology is governed in our city. And that means looking beyond

[1:10:07] automated license plate readers, focusing on just ALPRs would be a mistake and incredibly short sighted

[1:10:15] Mr. President. Flock is one surveillance technology and one vendor. New Bedford has and will continue to encounter

[1:10:23] many others, without an ordinance, the mayor or chief could eliminate flock today and acquire a different

[1:10:30] surveillance technology tomorrow. This is why I rise in favor of sending this particular

[1:10:36] motion to the ordinance committee and ordinance could govern all surveillance technology

[1:10:43] currently in use and could stop the city from adopting new surveillance technology in the first place,

[1:10:50] not just regulate how it's used.

[1:10:53] Right now, the mayor and chief have the authority

[1:10:55] to take down Flock, Mr. President, and they should.

[1:10:58] I've spoken with the chief, I've spoken with the mayor,

[1:11:01] I've urged them to end Flock immediately,

[1:11:04] and besides advocates advocacy,

[1:11:06] what we can do as the legislative body is past a law,

[1:11:11] giving the public and their elected officials

[1:11:13] a permanent voice in decisions about surveillance technology

[1:11:18] in New Bedford.

[1:11:19] Thank you.

[1:11:19] Thank you, Councillor. Chair, I can answer Councillor Abram.

[1:11:23] Thank you very much, Mr. President. I rise tonight because I support all of these motions.

[1:11:30] And we need to have the very serious discussion on whether or not

[1:11:33] flock belongs in this community and the answer is a resounding in my opinion.

[1:11:37] No. I support our police officers having the tools they need to be successful.

[1:11:42] When the chief comes before us, or even deputy chief B. Lung has been her a while,

[1:11:46] ask him, has this body ever denied a capital improvement, appropriation, or a transfer, the answer

[1:11:53] is no.

[1:11:54] We have always given them the tools they need, so this is not a defund the police movement.

[1:12:00] This is about accountability.

[1:12:01] This is about trying to make sure you can balance the needs of constitutional rights and public

[1:12:07] safety.

[1:12:08] You can have both.

[1:12:10] Again, I support the police officers having the tools they need, but public safety cannot

[1:12:14] come at the expense of constitutional rights.

[1:12:17] The Fourth Amendment, we all know that the Fourth Amendment is, it protects Americans from unreasonable

[1:12:22] searches and seizures, article 14, by the way, of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights

[1:12:27] provides similar protections.

[1:12:30] Some of you in this room may have heard about the Supreme Court decision, Carpenter of

[1:12:34] the United States, and recognizes, in this decision, that government access to information

[1:12:40] and revealing the person's historical movements can raise

[1:12:43] serious, fourth amendment concerns.

[1:12:47] That's the issue here.

[1:12:48] It's one thing for an officer to see a license plate

[1:12:52] while a patrol, right?

[1:12:54] And to run it if they suspect this issue and handle it.

[1:12:59] It's another thing to create a searchable record and database

[1:13:02] where vehicles have been, where they've been,

[1:13:05] where they're going, and that information

[1:13:07] you could be shared with third-party operatives.

[1:13:11] And we don't know where that information is going.

[1:13:15] I'm not saying that flawed cameras are automatically

[1:13:18] in constitutional.

[1:13:19] I'm saying it raises some questions and concerns.

[1:13:22] But why should we roll the dice and take a chance

[1:13:25] on a quote ruling and telling us we've gone too far?

[1:13:28] Why not just rain it in now to the good council

[1:13:31] who spoke before me?

[1:13:33] Let's look at other technologies that aren't as controversial

[1:13:36] that haven't had that dark cloud over them.

[1:13:40] We need very clear rules in my opinion, Mr. President,

[1:13:43] about who can access this information, why they can access it,

[1:13:47] how long it's been retained, who it can be shared with,

[1:13:50] and how the searches are audited.

[1:13:52] And we'll talk about all this in committee.

[1:13:54] We've already seen examples all over the place

[1:13:57] where this flat technology has been abused,

[1:14:00] why continue to risk it.

[1:14:03] And I reject the argument, too, by the way.

[1:14:05] Well, if you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about if you're not breaking the law.

[1:14:10] Privacy is not something we earn by being innocent.

[1:14:14] People should be able to go to work.

[1:14:17] Go to their doctor for health care.

[1:14:19] Go to church, participate in a political meeting or in a gathering,

[1:14:23] or simply drive through the city without assuming that the government is creating a searchable record of their movements.

[1:14:30] Our responsibility is to protect both public safety and individual liberty.

[1:14:39] So I believe we have two choices when we get to the committee.

[1:14:44] Establish strong privacy and constitutional protections with our legal counsel

[1:14:48] or if we cannot guarantee those protections, seriously consider taking them down

[1:14:55] and taking them down immediately.

[1:14:56] technology should serve the public, not to-

[1:15:00] Turn the public into a database. The Fourth Amendment didn't become outdated because technology changed. Remember that.

[1:15:09] If anything, technology makes these protections more important than ever on that, Mr. President, I'll yield thank you.

[1:15:16] Thank you. Chair recognizes Councillor Bebtiste.

[1:15:20] I'm not going to be as polished as everybody else, sorry.

[1:15:26] It's shit got to come down immediately, I think that we have to understand about people's

[1:15:31] rights and how people feel intrusive on their rights, right?

[1:15:36] I'm going down Middle Street yesterday and everybody in Temple Lin is like, you know, we

[1:15:41] haven't had violence out here in a long time, we haven't had trouble out here in a long

[1:15:44] time.

[1:15:44] Why are these cameras up over here facing our houses?

[1:15:47] Why is the block lit up like Gillette Stadium out here, you know, and that's going on

[1:15:52] all over the city, right?

[1:15:53] Not to mention right this young lady got caught using a flock camera because she had a tool nine on her. How many people were using the flock cameras for that same reason without it's with

[1:16:04] And went that we didn't know about for the last two years that was snug right under our noses, right?

[1:16:10] I'm sure I would like to see everybody who used them what they ran it for what they did it for like every single cop that signed up for the program

[1:16:17] I would love to see what they used all them flock what what they use that technology for and how they used it for their own

[1:16:23] personal use. So they used it for somebody else's personal use. This is a problem all across

[1:16:29] the country and people across the country. You know, we got a bunch of people with ring cameras outside,

[1:16:33] we got a bunch of city. You know, if they would invest that money in the city cameras,

[1:16:37] they wouldn't all be broken. A lot of these crimes wouldn't, you know, go unsolved and put some money

[1:16:42] back in the shot spot because if you say that this crime out here and that that that that that

[1:16:48] that we need these and it keeps people safe, and I'm not against the cop, my brother got shot

[1:16:55] on duty.

[1:16:56] You understand what I'm saying, man, I got friends and family that I'm on the job, and they

[1:17:01] all feel a certain way about it as well.

[1:17:03] We have to look at what the people, I have to look at the people I represent, right?

[1:17:08] I can't look at where everybody else says or how everybody else feels, I represent the

[1:17:12] people of Ward 4 and the people of Ward 4, this is what the people of Ward 4 don't want.

[1:17:16] for some of the people that do want it,

[1:17:18] there's a resounding number that don't want it, right?

[1:17:21] So I feel like this has to come down immediately.

[1:17:24] And I think that everybody got to get off their high

[1:17:27] host, whether it's the chief, whether it's the mayor,

[1:17:30] like listen to the people that's around here,

[1:17:32] listen to the people in the city and all like,

[1:17:35] or put the cameras in front of your houses,

[1:17:38] let the cameras go in front of their groups

[1:17:39] and let them feel like when they're going in and out

[1:17:41] the house, they can have them like shining

[1:17:43] and people can watch what they do.

[1:17:45] You know, let's start putting in front of people's houses that to make them feel uncomfortable to make them feel how people that, you know, now it's in what one and all that but it was in predominantly brown neighborhoods before that and you know, it wasn't a problem for two years before that and and then it came out that it wasn't everybody else's neighborhood everybody's up in arms, but you know, my people hasn't felt safe forever. I haven't felt safe in 51 years, you know, and you know, the safest place I feel is in my neighborhood.

[1:18:16] And with the people from my neighborhood, and the cops that do a good job in this city, protecting our city.

[1:18:23] And we're just talking about the people who overbeared their bounds and take this technology and use it for their own services and our abuse and the services.

[1:18:31] So if you have to shut it down because people are abusing the services and you're going to make ordinances, what's to say, somebody's not going to abuse it again.

[1:18:38] It started off with a couple of people having it and everybody, then anybody could have signed up for the program and how many people had

[1:18:47] could see me riding on the street, could see anybody doing anything, right?

[1:18:52] It's so intrusive, man.

[1:18:54] Everybody got rent cameras, the city can invest more on their city cameras.

[1:19:00] We can invest more in law enforcement, right, and get more cops on the street and help that department.

[1:19:06] pay cops one money so twenty five cops ain't trying to go to fair haven and thirty

[1:19:11] cops ain't trying to go to bridge water and everybody's trying to leave the

[1:19:15] station because they're not getting treated right and the money ain't getting paid

[1:19:19] right but you want to put money into this stuff and not keep the people that

[1:19:22] keep the city safe here right we got to look out for the people that's keeping

[1:19:26] the city safe and we got to also look out for the safety of people's rights

[1:19:30] and that's all I got to say sorry like I don't have nothing prepared I'm

[1:19:36] I just rode down the street yesterday and I felt like I had to block my face

[1:19:40] You know everywhere I went right cuz I'm riding down this drones up in the sky

[1:19:44] There's a flock camera working out there and it's lit up like jillette. I was like the end of pastry is practicing and you're not a front like what's that?

[1:19:52] So you know, it's it's an issue, you know, and these people have real concerns and they attack them and they

[1:20:00] There are people, right? So we have to represent, I represent Ward 4, right? And I don't know how everybody else feels about my people. When they call me up, this is what they tell me. So that's what I got voted in for. It's a fight for the people. So I yield the floor in that. Thank you.

[1:20:15] Thank you. Chairman, this is Councillor Schokat.

[1:20:19] Thank you again, Mr. President.

[1:20:23] Just talk to follow all that passion. I'll do my best.

[1:20:26] I got this book here. It helped me in law school. It's called the Constitution. And I just quickly, I don't know if the mayor's copy has dust on his, mine, mine doesn't have dust because I look at it quite a bit.

[1:20:42] But it says, amendment four, the rights of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated.

[1:20:56] And no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause.

[1:21:01] So,

[1:21:04] I know the mayor gets that moniker all the time.

[1:21:07] If he's the smartest guy in the room.

[1:21:09] Well, I get news for you, pal.

[1:21:12] There's the smartest guy in the room.

[1:21:14] President Washington.

[1:21:16] And he was one of the founders.

[1:21:19] And what would President Washington think today that this country

[1:21:23] has let a surveillance government company make billions of dollars by violating everyone's rights.

[1:21:32] And, okay, I know some of the people out there who were attorneys can say, well, you know,

[1:21:37] the case law is not there and it really doesn't.

[1:21:42] My colleague from Hussie Street actually brought up a point and yes, I remember if we would.

[1:21:47] He brought up a great point and let me just six found on it from earlier.

[1:21:50] He said it's not so much the flock technology on its own violating the Constitutional of the Fourth Amendment,

[1:21:59] but the sum total of flock, drones, facial recognition, all these things form a mosaic.

[1:22:09] Okay? And now that mosaic is violating the Fourth Amendment.

[1:22:16] I don't know how this got out of hand across this country, but we, the people, need to stand

[1:22:22] up and stop it now.

[1:22:26] Now, I have nothing but the utmost respect for the New Bethlehem Police Department.

[1:22:30] I always have, and I always will.

[1:22:32] This is not about the police.

[1:22:34] This is about that goddamn flock company.

[1:22:46] Okay?

[1:22:47] So that is what we need to do, and I also want to say, I'm actually excited at the

[1:22:53] prospect, because we don't have the Supreme Court applying the Constitution to this issue.

[1:23:00] And we don't have the Congress of the United States or the United States Senate writing

[1:23:04] law, and we don't have the State House and the State Senate doing it either.

[1:23:10] So this now falls upon us to figure out how the fourth amendment and flock works together, the

[1:23:18] a case law in the Estature, and as someone who went to law school, that's one of the most exciting

[1:23:25] things, and I think my colleague from Husty Street would agree that we're definitely on the front

[1:23:31] here here, and we're going to be able to write some law that even the Supreme Court of the United

[1:23:35] State's hasn't done yet.

[1:23:38] I spoke my piece.

[1:23:40] Thank you.

[1:23:40] Thank you, Councillor.

[1:23:41] Chair, right now, it's Councillor Gomes.

[1:23:44] Thank you very much.

[1:23:46] I'm going to support this and I'm going to support this going to on this and I hope that

[1:23:50] something comes out of it that's in the affirmative on behalf of the people.

[1:23:54] But I want you to know that I represent 100,000 people in this city.

[1:23:59] If not more, they've called it 100,000.

[1:24:02] I believe there's 120,000 people in this city.

[1:24:06] We have an obligation to listen to all those people.

[1:24:09] I've listened to the people who have come here.

[1:24:11] I've listened to my constituency.

[1:24:13] As I said earlier, I've traveled throughout the city this week

[1:24:16] from the north of the south.

[1:24:18] There are many people that support this,

[1:24:22] but they want some provisions put in place

[1:24:24] to make sure that people's rights are not violated.

[1:24:27] Now, I'm going to say this.

[1:24:29] I heard a colleague earlier say my people don't want this in the neighborhood.

[1:24:35] I've heard this before, but I've also heard from them neighborhoods and did not hear from

[1:24:39] their neighborhoods right now that they don't want those cameras in their neighborhoods,

[1:24:44] where their concerns are as the shots that are being fired and the boys that are being killed

[1:24:49] and people being hurt within the neighborhoods.

[1:24:52] That's what their concern is and representing 100,000 people I need to hear from everybody.

[1:24:57] I cannot just hear from a small...

[1:25:00] Group of people, the way they feel, and they have the right to. Each and every of one of us have the right to.

[1:25:08] But we have to hear from the entire city, and the entire city has not been heard from.

[1:25:13] And I heard one Councillor. I'm not going to mention any names.

[1:25:17] I'm on a local broadcast. I got to believe that 60% of the people do not want the camera here.

[1:25:23] I got to tell you, that's wrong, Councillor. That's wrong because you have not been throughout the city.

[1:25:27] and you have not heard from the people of this city.

[1:25:31] You know, many people are very quiet on this issue.

[1:25:33] You have not really heard them.

[1:25:35] I know where the, I mean, I want to call it noise,

[1:25:37] and I'm not going to be rude in any way.

[1:25:39] I know where the voices have come from,

[1:25:41] and I understand your concern.

[1:25:43] I really do, but I also understand that I have a city here

[1:25:46] that we've been placed here in a position to keep our city safe

[1:25:51] and to do what we have to do to keep our city safe.

[1:25:54] And I've done that for the time that I've been here.

[1:25:56] You know, when you didn't want no cameras on the police officers,

[1:26:00] like we want cameras on the police officers,

[1:26:01] remember the administration told us, no?

[1:26:04] They said we couldn't use the covert money to get those cameras.

[1:26:08] Only to do exactly what I said to do after that.

[1:26:11] Have you heard anything from the people like we were hearing from the people

[1:26:14] and the complaints that were coming about this department that was so bad,

[1:26:18] so bad that I knew was nothing but a bunch of BS out there,

[1:26:24] where their problems in certain situations sure there was,

[1:26:27] but those cameras solved it.

[1:26:29] So what I'm seeing here tonight is we can look at this in oneness,

[1:26:33] but may in a fact we maybe we should travel throughout the city.

[1:26:36] Maybe we should visit every ward and give every ward the opportunity to come out

[1:26:40] and express what the opinions are on these cameras before.

[1:26:43] We take action before we put something in place

[1:26:46] that does not represent the entire city that I represent,

[1:26:50] and that's 120,000 people in the city and New Buffet.

[1:26:53] And not everyone is against the technology.

[1:26:56] You don't have a police department that's against the technology.

[1:26:59] You have officers out there that want to do the right thing.

[1:27:02] Do the right thing each and every day.

[1:27:04] They just don't want to see the system abuse,

[1:27:06] like some have chosen to do.

[1:27:09] The action that the department has taken is fair.

[1:27:12] Suspended.

[1:27:13] Suspended.

[1:27:14] But let's come to the table.

[1:27:15] Let's all do this together.

[1:27:17] Working together, success comes to those who work together.

[1:27:21] Separation comes to those who have an opinion that don't want to listen to the other opinion or try to come up with something that blocks that opinion

[1:27:28] I represent the whole city. I'll say it one more time and I want you must hear from this whole city and I don't believe we've heard from this whole city

[1:27:36] We can't fit the whole city in city counts of chambers ladies in gentlemen

[1:27:40] But what we can do is keep our city safe put the best technology forth

[1:27:46] It can be any affirmative without violating that rights and again I support this going on and on and we look forward to it and on and but again

[1:27:54] We should hear from the entire city and no one in this room is going to tell me nobody

[1:27:59] Not one of my colleagues that you've heard from the entire city because you have not

[1:28:04] Thank you for the opportunity

[1:28:06] Thank you Councillor chair. I can just cancel a pamperton

[1:28:10] Thank you, Mr. Weather. I just want to see in and say that I

[1:28:15] in against the FARC, and let's support this motion, and I think that they should come down.

[1:28:22] I support our police department.

[1:28:23] I always have, they are, they are, they are the police department, very special place in

[1:28:28] my heart.

[1:28:28] We all know this, but this is not the correct tool for them to use, and not at the expense of

[1:28:37] the city of Dubefrodo, none of the people.

[1:28:40] They also, you know, the other thing I always hear is, you know, we also have phones, our phone

[1:28:45] trackers, trackers, our phone knows what we're doing.

[1:28:47] That may be true, but you know something, I signed up for that, I knew that.

[1:28:51] But I also have control of my phone.

[1:28:53] We don't have control of those flood cameras, and we definitely did not sign up for it.

[1:28:57] Thank you.

[1:28:59] Thank you, Councillor.

[1:29:00] Anyone else on their first?

[1:29:04] Okay.

[1:29:05] On their second, the chair of the council, April.

[1:29:08] Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:29:10] Just two quick things.

[1:29:11] That's one.

[1:29:11] I was remissed in my first opening remarks.

[1:29:15] One, I do want to praise and commend Chief Thoty, because we had that community forum

[1:29:20] about a month ago at Polaski.

[1:29:22] There were some serious concerns about the cameras.

[1:29:25] What did the Chief do?

[1:29:26] I praise his stewardship, and I praise his transparency in conducting the audit and exposing

[1:29:32] the issue and working with his internal affairs, and everyone else to make sure that those

[1:29:37] issues were eradicated, and then suspension of flock until everyone could figure this out.

[1:29:43] So I do want to praise him for that.

[1:29:45] I have to.

[1:29:45] And the other thing I wanted to mention, it's interesting, we want more men and women for

[1:29:50] the ranks, and we want to fill the ranks, we're losing them left and right for various

[1:29:54] reasons which we're not going to get into tonight, but it's funny from a laborist.

[1:30:00] From the rank-and-file union standpoint of which I have always been a supporter of, and I've always had their backs.

[1:30:08] I would think flood cameras or massive aliens should give them some cause for concern and for pause I would think.

[1:30:15] More cameras you have, the less need you have for actual, real, warm bodies and rank-and-file out on the streets.

[1:30:22] Think about it. It could be a cost saving measure for a municipality. Do you pay health insurance on a camera?

[1:30:28] Do you pay pension credits towards the pension of a camera?

[1:30:32] Think about it.

[1:30:33] It's an interesting thing.

[1:30:35] So, you know, it's just the timing and we're in a fiscal mess and cameras and it's been

[1:30:39] up for a couple of years and we've been seeing the slow degradation of where we are with

[1:30:44] our finances, been fiscal matters here in the city.

[1:30:47] I don't know.

[1:30:49] But those are just two points I wanted to mention.

[1:30:51] So, if the union leadership is listening, which I'm sure they are and they're thick

[1:30:56] about it.

[1:30:56] And that's all.

[1:30:57] And that's all I recommend.

[1:30:58] Think about what we're saying, what I'm saying.

[1:31:00] This could have some very serious labor shortage issues for you in your department.

[1:31:05] Thank you.

[1:31:06] Thank you.

[1:31:07] And when else on the 1st, on the 2nd, the chair recommends this council to show, oh, sorry,

[1:31:12] excuse me.

[1:31:13] Chair recommends council to the county on her 1st.

[1:31:15] Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:31:17] I just rise that we do have some deep concerns about these flood cameras in the city.

[1:31:24] I realize that these flood cameras, all of a sudden,

[1:31:30] very suspicious to me, didn't hear about them a month, two months ago,

[1:31:35] all of a sudden, the whole country within a month's time,

[1:31:39] the flux spent all over the entire country.

[1:31:43] These have been out since 2017.

[1:31:46] It's a $7.5 billion business.

[1:31:50] I'm like, and it's been on the market.

[1:31:53] You can buy stocks in these companies.

[1:31:57] To me, all of a sudden, there was nothing in there all here.

[1:32:01] To me, I found a little bit suspicious, and we do deserve discussion on this to find out

[1:32:06] how they work.

[1:32:07] I don't know all the technologies I've been reading up on that, and they can do just

[1:32:11] for anything, but they can do nothing.

[1:32:13] It's up to the person to install the technologies, but it's all the country, and we don't

[1:32:18] know, from these companies, where this data is going, who is sharing it, and we need some

[1:32:24] serious discussion to see a new method as we look at at these flood cameras.

[1:32:29] So I'm just standing up to support this.

[1:32:31] I'm glad that suspended until we know exactly how they work, what they do, and who's

[1:32:37] going to be using them.

[1:32:38] Thank you.

[1:32:40] Thank you, Councillor.

[1:32:41] Anyone else on their first?

[1:32:44] Chair Reckon is a council of Shokeh on his second.

[1:32:46] Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:32:51] I would say that something we should look at would be getting this

[1:32:58] voter question put on the ballot. Now, unfortunately it's too late to do it this fall,

[1:33:03] so it would have to be the following year. Yeah, the election year. So my recommendation,

[1:33:10] and obviously we're not going to make anything today, but would be that we put that on the

[1:33:16] for the next year and in the meantime, those cameras stay off.

[1:33:21] So that way, we won't hear from the five people

[1:33:25] that want these things in some neighborhood

[1:33:28] that say that they feel as though they were left out.

[1:33:31] I can promise you that there is no way on God's green earth

[1:33:36] that a majority of this city wants to be surveilled.

[1:33:40] Who knew?

[1:33:41] People don't like to be surveilled by the government.

[1:33:43] It's kind of a shock, right?

[1:33:46] I don't know, but look, I would say we need to make sure that these things stay off until

[1:33:54] at least the people have voted as to how they feel in a binding question and we'll explore

[1:33:59] that later.

[1:34:00] Thank you.

[1:34:01] Thank you, Councillor.

[1:34:03] Anyone else on their first?

[1:34:06] Anyone else on a second?

[1:34:08] All right. Seeing none, the motion, the question before us is on referral to the committee

[1:34:16] on ordinance. All those in favor say roll call vote has been requested and I will ask

[1:34:22] the clerk to call the roll. Councillor Avery. Yes, Councillor T. Yes. Yes, Councillor Brugo.

[1:34:28] Yes, Councillor Carny. Yes. Yes. Councillor Showcat. Yes. Yes. Councillor Gomes. Yes. Councillor Lopes. Yes.

[1:34:36] Council of Oliver. Yes. Yes.

[1:34:38] Council of Pembers in. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[1:34:40] Council of Prahra. Yes. Yes.

[1:34:42] Council Roy. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[1:34:44] Let me see. Item passes 11-0.

[1:34:46] I will ask the clerk to read the final

[1:34:48] table item. This present the fourth table item is a

[1:34:52] written motion from Council of Showcat.

[1:34:53] Requestment the city be bedford and meet the

[1:34:55] cease-to-use of Flockham or citywide until

[1:34:58] which time permit legislation can be.

[1:35:00] And act it as to their use. Motion to receive and place on file and amend to read as the following.

[1:35:08] Then after everyone speaks, make a motion to forward to

[1:35:11] of air-mintual and chief-thirty.

[1:35:16] Second, I'm playing a funny one, you guys.

[1:35:19] Did you not make a motion to do that?

[1:35:21] Was a motion to a motion, is immediately

[1:35:24] cease to use the floor cameras into a mend and say that,

[1:35:27] and that the New Bethra Police Department

[1:35:29] take down, or physically obstruct or cover,

[1:35:33] all ALPR technology equipment.

[1:35:36] Second, the amendment to insert in here.

[1:35:41] after the use where it says the use of lock cameras and insert and the clerk has a

[1:35:47] language.

[1:35:47] And that the new beffit police department take down a physically of structural cover all

[1:35:51] A L P R technology equipment, citywide has been made by Councillor Schilke second

[1:35:57] by Councillor Oliver and he went on the question of the amendment,

[1:36:02] okay without no question

[1:36:04] on the amendment I will ask the clerk, all those in favor of inserting the amendment say

[1:36:09] I oppose the I's have it.

[1:36:12] Council, do you have a motion?

[1:36:14] Yes.

[1:36:15] I would like that motion to be sent to the Mayor's office, to the Mayor, and to Chief

[1:36:20] 30 please.

[1:36:21] That's.

[1:36:21] Motion to refer the item to the mayor, the Mitchell administration, and Chief

[1:36:26] 30.

[1:36:27] May by council of Shoka, second by council of Bergo, on the question that chair

[1:36:31] recognizes council of Bergo.

[1:36:36] I want to thank the maker of the motion for making that amendment.

[1:36:39] And I know my colleague from Jenny Lynch Street, sorry, I never know where any of you

[1:36:48] people live.

[1:36:50] She mentioned, I know Flockel tell me, she mentioned that she's happy that they're suspended,

[1:36:59] but I want to make a clear note here that these cameras are technically suspended, pending

[1:37:07] in internal investigation. Well, in that internal investigation ends, we have no clue whether

[1:37:12] or not they'll be turned right back on. So that's why I think it's important that while

[1:37:17] the suspension is in effect right now, we have seen in other municipalities that the camera

[1:37:23] has still been accessed. We even saw when this initially went into place back in 2024, there

[1:37:30] were outside agencies and other municipalities accessing our cameras before we even started

[1:37:35] utilizing it.

[1:37:36] So even though New Beffered might have stopped operation or suspended their use of it, I think

[1:37:42] that it's prudent that this amendment was made and that we make this request of Mayor Mitchell

[1:37:47] and Chief Thoody that during the suspension they cover up or take down these flat cameras.

[1:37:52] Again, this is simply a request and we know that Mayor Mitchell does not like to be told what to do.

[1:37:58] Hopefully he does listen and as one of my colleagues has mentioned earlier that Chief Thoody

[1:38:03] has been a bit more reasonable, so I'm hoping that they will take this request seriously

[1:38:09] and actually take down those slackers, but I just wanted to make that note that this

[1:38:13] suspension was only put into place due to a pending investigation, and that I assume once

[1:38:20] this investigation is over, they will be back up and running, and they probably still are

[1:38:24] currently running.

[1:38:25] Thank you.

[1:38:26] Thank you.

[1:38:27] Anyone, Council Oliver, excuse me, I apologize.

[1:38:30] Thanks. Thank you, Councillor President. I rise today, obviously, where the guardless of how

[1:38:37] you feel on this issue, whether you're full or flocked or flocked technologies, or against

[1:38:41] it, the problem is that public trust has been broken here in the city of New Bedford,

[1:38:47] where there is the lack of transparency from this administration as far as the directives

[1:38:52] in which flock was instituted. So, I support this as I did the other motions to send

[1:38:59] to commit the various committees. So that way we can do the work that this administration didn't

[1:39:05] do. To start having the discussions not only as far as what an ordinance will look like,

[1:39:11] but what the public outcry is whether you're for it or against it. So the fact remains

[1:39:19] that, yes, I trust that the new Bedford Police Department is not utilizing this technology now,

[1:39:26] But we don't know what the backdoor parameters are for the owners of the technology of the actual technology and the cameras, what they are doing.

[1:39:35] So that's why I support not only turning them off, but covering them so that way the public trust can be restored while this body does the work that the administration failed to do and start having the real discussions as to what flock technology if at all looks like for the city of New Bedford.

[1:39:55] So thank you. Thank you. Thank you counselor. Anyone else?

[1:40:00] Okay? Seeing none. The question is on referral to the Mitchell administration in chief 30, all those in favor say aye. Opposed the I's have it. Motion to take up an adopt consent.

[1:40:13] So, move.

[1:40:14] Made by council, the Bergo, second by council of Gomes, all those in favor say aye. Opposed the I's have it. Before we adjourn, the chair would just like to acknowledge two points to the members of the public in our gallery here this evening.

[1:40:28] First, the chair would like to thank everybody for maintaining proper decorum in the chamber of this evening,

[1:40:34] and also would like to recognize the vast majority of you who are here on Thursday.

[1:40:39] We're not causing problems in a few bad actors in the crowd,

[1:40:43] riled everybody up and we're really misbehaving.

[1:40:47] I'd like to thank you and appreciate all of you this evening from maintaining decorum across this meeting.

[1:40:55] With that, motion to adjourn has been made by Council A, Bruce 2nd by Council of Roy, all those in favor say aye.

[1:41:02] Opposed the I7 and we are adjourned to 841 PM.

Special City Council Meeting

Agenda

Transcript