MassVoter.com← New Bedford City CouncilNew Bedford City Council · 2020–2021 Council · Meeting night
March 9, 2020
2 meetings this evening, 6 recorded votes in all, in the order they were held.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
Your New Bedford ballot: 15 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →6:34 p.m. · Committee on Finance
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
Committee on Finance: committee votes are recommendations to the full council, which takes the final vote. About this committee
Attendance
Present: Ian Abreu, Derek Baptiste, Naomi R. A. Carney, Hugh Dunn, Maria E. Giesta, Brian K. Gomes, Scott J. Lima, Joseph P. Lopes, William “Brad” Markey, Linda M. Morad
Absent: None
During the meeting:
- Dunn arrived late (6:38)
- Gomes arrived late (6:49)
2 recorded votes, 0 with disagreement. This meeting on its own page
Notice, City Clerk of reference of a Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting a salary request for Ms. Elizabeth McNamara being considered for the position of Associate City Solicitor, at Step 3, Grade M-12, which is $76,397.00 (Ref’d 02/13/2020) was received and placed on file by…
To recommend to the City Council Approval of the Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting a salary request for Ms. Elizabeth McNamara being considered for the position of Associate City Solicitor, at Step 3, Grade M-12, which is $76,397.00.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Lopes and seconded by Councillor Abreu, the Committee VOTED: To recommend to the City Council APPROVAL of the COMMUNICATION, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting a salary request for Ms. Elizabeth McNamara being considered for the position of Associate City Solicitor, at Step 3, Grade M-12, which is $76,397.00..” (Motion: Lopes, second: Abreu)
Notice, City Clerk of reference of a Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting a request to classify as “Special Municipal Employee”, the positions of Special Legal Counsel and Hearing Officer (Ref’d 01/09/2020) and an Order, was received and placed on file by Councillor Abreu and…
To recommend to the City Council Adoption of an Order, relative to classifying the position of special legal Counsel and Hearing Officer as “Special Municipal Employee” positions.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Lopes and seconded by Councillor Lima, the Committee VOTED: To recommend to the City Council ADOPTION of AN ORDER, relative to classifying the position of special legal Counsel and Hearing Officer as “Special Municipal Employee” positions..” (Motion: Lopes, second: Lima)
7:01 p.m. · Committee on Appointments and Briefings
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
Committee on Appointments and Briefings: committee votes are recommendations to the full council, which takes the final vote. About this committee
Attendance
Present: Ian Abreu, Derek Baptiste, Naomi R. A. Carney, Debora Coelho, Hugh Dunn, Maria E. Giesta, Brian K. Gomes, Scott J. Lima, Joseph P. Lopes, William “Brad” Markey, Linda M. Morad
Absent: None
4 recorded votes, 1 with disagreement. This meeting on its own page
Notice, City Clerk of reference of a Communication, City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council, to City Council, on behalf of Jose Manuel Cabral, 56 Cottage Street, Chelsea, MA 02150 d/b/a Leonardo’s System Corp d/b/a Puerta A Puerta Express, 265 Rivet Street, New Bedford, MA 02744, hereby submitting a…
To recommend to the City Council to take “No Further Action” on the Communication, City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council, to City Council, on behalf of Jose Manual Cabral, 56 Cottage Street, Chelsea, MA 02150 d/b/a Leonardo’s System Corp d/b/a Puerta A Puerta Express, 265 Rivet Street, New Bedford, MA 02744, hereby submitting a copy of the Application requesting a New Private Livery License to carr
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Morad and seconded by Councillor Carney, the Committee VOTED: To recommend to the City Council to take “No Further Action” on the COMMUNICATION, City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council, to City Council, on behalf of Jose Manual Cabral, 56 Cottage Street, Chelsea, MA 02150 d/b/a LEONARDO’S SYSTEM CORP d/b/a PUERTA A PUERTA EXPRESS, 265 Rivet Street, New Bedford, MA 02744, hereby submitting a copy of the Application requesting a NEW PRIVATE LIVERY LICENSE to carry passengers for hire over the streets of New Bedford. (License will expire June 30, 2020.).” (Motion: Morad, second: Carney)
Notice, City Clerk of reference of a Communication, Mayor Mitchell, to City Council, submitting the Appointment of Leo E. Choquette, Jr., New Bedford, MA to the Zoning Board of Appeals, as an Alternate Member replacing John Walsh; this term will expire December 2021 (Ref’d 2/13/20) was received and…
To recommend to the City Council Approval of the Appointment of Leo E. Choquette, Jr., New Bedford, MA to the Zoning Board of Appeals, as an Alternate Member replacing John Walsh; this term will expire December 2021.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Lopes and seconded by Councillor Dunn, the Committee VOTED: To recommend to the City Council APPROVAL of the APPOINTMENT of LEO E. CHOQUETTE, JR., New Bedford, MA to the ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS, as an ALTERNATE MEMBER replacing John Walsh; this term will expire December 2021..” (Motion: Lopes, second: Dunn)
Notice, City Clerk of reference of a Communication, Mayor Mitchell to City Council, requesting that the salary for Ms. Judith Perkins, nominee for Director of Personnel, be established at Salary Step 3 ($102,132.00) on the Unit C Salary Schedule (Ref’d 01/23/2020) Ms. Perkins appointment was…
To recommend to the City Council Approval of the salary for Ms. Judith Perkins, nominee for Director of Personnel, be established at Salary Step 3 ($102,132) on the Unit C Salary Schedule. Tis motion Passed on a Roll Call Vote of Yeas 8, Nays 3. (Councillors Carney, Giesta and Morad Opposed).
Yes: Abreu, Baptiste, Coelho, Dunn, Gomes, Lima, Lopes, MarkeyNo: Carney, Giesta, Morad
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Lima and seconded by Councillor Markey, the Committee VOTED: To recommend to the City Council APPROVAL of the salary for Ms. Judith Perkins, nominee for Director of Personnel, be established at Salary Step 3 ($102,132) on the Unit C Salary Schedule. Tis motion PASSED on a Roll Call Vote of Yeas 8, Nays 3. (Councillors Carney, Giesta and Morad OPPOSED)..” (Motion: Lima, second: Markey)
Notice, City Clerk of reference of a Written Motion, Councillor Abreu, Council President Lopes, Councillors Giesta, Lima, Baptiste and Carney, requesting, that the City of New Bedford look into establishing a Government Academy, similar to the program in Framingham, a six-week program where…
To table this matter at this time.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Abreu and seconded by Councillor Lopes, the Committee VOTED: To table this matter at this time..” (Motion: Abreu, second: Lopes)
From the official minutes kept by the New Bedford City Clerk (agendas and minutes). The minutes are text documents; we read every action, check every roll-call count against the councilors named, and quote the exact wording. Most items pass by voice vote, and the minutes record only the result for those; how each councilor voted is shown only for roll calls. MassVoter never grades officials; votes and attendance are shown exactly as the minutes record them. Councilor photos: cropped from the City of New Bedford's official 2026 City Council photo (newbedford-ma.gov). The 2024–2025 group photo, and the photos of Maria E. Giesta and Linda M. Morad cropped from it: City of New Bedford, provided by the City Clerk.
How to read these pagesWhere the votes come from, how we check them against the official minutes, what isn't included yet, and how to report a mistake.About city pages →