MassVoter.com← New Bedford City CouncilNew Bedford City Council · 2020–2021 Council · Meeting night
April 21, 2021
2 meetings this evening, 3 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 →6:31 p.m. · Special Committee on Environmental Affairs
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
Special Committee on Environmental Affairs: committee votes are recommendations to the full council, which takes the final vote. About this committee
Attendance
Present: Ian Abreu, Hugh Dunn, Maria E. Giesta, Scott J. Lima, Joseph P. Lopes, Linda M. Morad
Absent: Derek Baptiste, Naomi R. A. Carney, Debora Coelho, Brian K. Gomes, William “Brad” Markey
0 recorded votes, 0 with disagreement. This meeting on its own page
No recorded votes.
7:02 p.m. · Committee on Ordinances
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
Committee on Ordinances: 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:
- Baptiste arrived late (7:19)
- Carney arrived late (7:15)
3 recorded votes, 1 with disagreement. This meeting on its own page
New Bedford, Massachusetts Meeting: Committee on Ordinances Date: April 21, 2021 Time: 7:02 P.m. Place: Held Remotely in Accordance with the Governor of Massachusetts’ March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law G. L. C. 30A, Section 20 and the City Council’s Vote to…
To send a Favorable Recommendation, recommending that the City Council approve the request for amending the City of New Bedford Zoning By-laws, Chapter 9, Section 4400 with updated definitions, requirements, and references to the Bristol County Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Insurance Study report that will become effective on July 6, 2021 (Ref'd 04/16/2021) was received and placed on file by
Yes: Abreu, Dunn, Giesta, Gomes, Lima, Lopes, Markey, Morad
From the minutes
“The Committee VOTED: to send a FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION, recommending that the City Council approve the request for amending the City of New Bedford Zoning By-laws, Chapter 9, Section 4400 with updated definitions, requirements, and references to the Bristol County Flood Insurance Rate Map and Flood Insurance Study report that will become effective on July 6, 2021 (Ref'd 04/16/2021) was received and placed on file by Councillor Lopes and seconded by Councillor Markey, ved and placed on file by Councillor Lopes and seconded by Councillor Markey, This motion passed on a Roll Call Vote of Yeas 8, Nays 0, with Councillors Abreu, yes; Dunn, yes; Giesta, yes; Gomes, yes; Lima, yes; Lopes, yes; Markey, yes, Morad, yes and Councillors Baptiste & Carney not present for the vote. (1b) Attorney Elizabeth Lydon from the Solicitor’s Office was present to address the Committee..”
To recommend to the City Council Adoption of the Ordinance, Amending Chapter 9, Section 4400, Flood Hazard Overlay District (Fhod), which updates definitions, requirements and references to the Bristol County Flood Insurance Rate Map (Firm) that will become effective on July 06, 2021.
The minutes list each councilor’s vote, but the list does not match the 7–3 count, so individual votes are not shown. We will ask the City Clerk to confirm.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Lopes and seconded by Councillor Markey, the Committee VOTED: To recommend to the City Council ADOPTION of the ORDINANCE, Amending Chapter 9, Section 4400, Flood Hazard Overlay District (FHOD), which updates definitions, requirements and references to the Bristol County Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) that will become effective on July 06, 2021. This motion passed on a Roll Call Vote of Yeas 7, Nays 3, with Councillors Abreu, Camey & Giesta opposed; and Councillors Baptiste, yes; Dunn, yes; Gomes, yes; Lima, yes; Lopes, yes; Markey, yes and Morad, yes. kok * Notice, City Clerk of reference of a COMMUNICATION, Mayor Michell, to City Council submitting four (4) Ordinances, amending Chapters 2, 10 and 19, as they pertain to the Department of Public Infrastructure and Environmental Stewardship, and the New Bedford Energy Now Revolving Fund, changing the name of the Environmental Stewardship Department and Department Head, to the Department of Resilience and Environmental Stewardship and to the Director of Resilience and Environmental Stewardship (Ref'd 03/25/2021) was received and placed on file by Councillor Lopes and seconded by Councillor Lima..” (Motion: Lopes, second: Markey)
To recommend to the City Council Adoption of the four (4) Ordinances, amending Chapters 2, 10 and 19, as they pertain to the Department of Public Infrastructure and Environmental Stewardship, and the New Bedford Energy Now Revolving Fund, changing the name of the Environmental Stewardship Department and Department Head, to the Department of Resilience and Environmental Stewardship and to the Direc
Yes: Abreu, Baptiste, Carney, Dunn, Giesta, Gomes, Lima, Lopes, Markey, Morad
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Lima and seconded by Councillor Markey, the Committee VOTED: To recommend to the City Council ADOPTION of the four (4) ORDINANCES, amending Chapters 2, 10 and 19, as they pertain to the Department of Public Infrastructure and Environmental Stewardship, and the New Bedford Energy Now Revolving Fund, changing the name of the Environmental Stewardship Department and Department Head, to the Department of Resilience and Environmental Stewardship and to the Director of Resilience and Environmental Stewardship. This motion passed on a Roll Call Vote of Yeas 10, Nays 0, with Councillors Abreu, yes; Baptiste, yes; Carney, yes; Dunn, yes; Giesta, yes; Gomes, yes; Lima, yes; Lopes, yes; Markey, yes; Morad, yes..” (Motion: Lima, second: Markey)
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.
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