MassVoter.com← New Bedford City CouncilNew Bedford · Committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Youth, Health, Housing and Disability Issues · 6:00 pm
June 17, 2025
3 recorded votes, 0 with disagreement.
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
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Attendance
Present: Ian Abreu, Derek Baptiste, Shane A. Burgo, Naomi R. A. Carney, Maria E. Giesta, Brian K. Gomes, Joseph P. Lopes, Shawn Oliver
Absent: Leo Choquette, Linda M. Morad, Ryan J. Pereira
During the meeting:
- Abreu arrived late (6:35)
- Lopes arrived late (6:27)
Every vote, in order
Written Motion, Council President Burgo, requesting, that representatives from Primary Care for All Americans (PC4AA) come before the Committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Youth, Health, Housing & Disability Issues to provide a briefing on their work and discuss how their initiatives could…
To receive and place on file an informational packet on Primary Care for All Americans, a draft Resolution for New Bedford and Resolutions from Central Falls and Scituate, supporting primary health care. Cheryl Bartlett, CEO of New Bedford Community Health, was recognized. Ms. Bartlett shared that Primary Care for All Americans is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising public awareness abo
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Giesta and seconded by Councillor Burgo, the Committee VOTED: To receive and place on file an informational packet on Primary Care for All Americans, a draft Resolution for New Bedford and Resolutions from Central Falls and Scituate, supporting primary health care. Cheryl Bartlett, CEO of New Bedford Community Health, was recognized. Ms. Bartlett shared that Primary Care for All Americans is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising public awareness about the importance of securing a primary care physician. (Matter #0319).” (Motion: Giesta, second: Burgo)
To recommend that the City Council take “No Further Action” on the Written Motion, Council President Burgo, requesting that representatives from Primary Care for All Americans (PC4AA) come before the Committee to provide a briefing on their work and discuss how their initiatives could benefit residents of New Bedford.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Burgo and seconded by Councillor Oliver, the Committee VOTED: To recommend that the City Council take “NO FURTHER ACTION” on the WRITTEN MOTION, Council President Burgo, requesting that representatives from Primary Care for All Americans (PC4AA) come before the Committee to provide a briefing on their work and discuss how their initiatives could benefit residents of New Bedford. (Matter #0319).” (Motion: Burgo, second: Oliver)
On motion by Councillor Burgo and seconded by Councillor Oliver, the Committee Voted: To follow the Chair’s recommendation to waive the reading and take “No Further Action” on the following items: Written Motion, Councillor Morad, requesting that the Director of Community Services Cynthia…
To follow the Chair’s recommendation to waive the reading and take “No Further Action” on the following items: Written Motion, Councillor Morad, requesting that the Director of Community Services Cynthia Wallquist, the Acting Director of the Department of Facilities and Fleet Management Jen Vieira and the Chairperson of the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities Dennis DeMarinis be invited to a
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Burgo and seconded by Councillor Oliver, the Committee VOTED: To follow the Chair’s recommendation to waive the reading and take “NO FURTHER ACTION” on the following items: WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Morad, requesting that the Director of Community Services Cynthia Wallquist, the Acting Director of the Department of Facilities and Fleet Management Jen Vieira and the Chairperson of the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities Dennis DeMarinis be invited to a meeting of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, Elderly, Youth, Health, Housing and Disability Issues to discuss the status of various access issues related to the Hillman Street complex. (Matter ID #0339) (Referred – February 24, 2022.) RELATED MOTION, Councillor Pereira, requesting that the Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners and the Management Team of Peabody Properties for Melville Towers be invited to appear before the Committee on Appointments & Briefings in order to address the issues that were raised by tenants at the June 28, 2022 Appointments & Briefings Committee Meeting. (Referred to the Committee on Appointments & Briefings from Committee – June 28, 2022.) (November 15, 2022 – tabled) (Referred – February 13, 2023.) WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, that letters of support be sent to our Federal delegation, Senators Markey, Warren and Congressman Keating, requesting that HUD’s Senior Citizens Housing Rules be reviewed and reverse the current practice of allowing mix-use in Senior Housing, other than 65 and over, and Citizens with disabilities; this request is on behalf of our local Senior population that have been put into a housing situation that is unsafe and detrimental to their quality of life; and further that a letter be sent to HUD’s Boston Regional Office requesting, a meeting with the Council’s Committee on Appointments & Briefings to discuss the Senior housing situation along with testimony from New Bedford’s Senior Citizen population regarding their quality of life and living standards. (Matter ID #1243) (Referred to the Committee on Appointments & Briefings – July 21, 2022.) (November 15, 2022 – tabled) (Referred – February 13, 2023.) WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Gomes, requesting that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings meet with Chairman George Smith and Members of the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities, the Council on Aging Board, the Director or Representative of the New Bedford Housing Authority and a Representative from Peabody Property for the purpose of discussing issues affecting seniors in public and private senior housing throughout the City. (Matter ID #1389) (Referred to the Committee on Appointments & Briefings – August 18, 2022.) (Referred – February 13, 2023.) COMMUNICATION, City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council submitting a copy of an email from Rhonda Siciliano, HUD responding to the residents' issues/concerns at Melville Towers. (Matter ID #0018) (Referred to the Committee on Appointments & Briefings – January 12, 2023.) (Referred – February 13, 2023.) (Matter #0339).” (Motion: Burgo, second: Oliver)
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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