MassVoter.com← New Bedford City CouncilNew Bedford · Committee on Ordinances · 7:00 p.m.
August 25, 2025
7 recorded votes, 3 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, Leo Choquette, Maria E. Giesta, Brian K. Gomes, Joseph P. Lopes, Linda M. Morad, Shawn Oliver, Ryan J. Pereira
Absent: None
During the meeting:
- Burgo arrived late (7:04)
Every vote, in order
Item #3 was taken out of order without objection. Written Motion, Council President Burgo and Councillors Gomes, Morad and Pereira, requesting that the Committee on Ordinances meet to discuss removing the City Council as a Granting Authority for Special Permits as they pertain to Automotive Sales…
To Table the matter.
The minutes record 4–7 with 11 councilors present and do not say who did not vote, so individual votes are not shown. We have asked the City Clerk to confirm (Oct. 1, 2026).
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Burgo and seconded by Councillor Morad, the Committee VOTED: To Table the matter. (Matter #0153).” (Motion: Burgo, second: Morad)
To recommend that the City Council take “No Further Action” on the matter.
The minutes record 8–3 with 11 councilors present and do not say who did not vote, so individual votes are not shown. We have asked the City Clerk to confirm (Oct. 1, 2026).
From the minutes
“The Committee VOTED: To recommend that the City Council take “NO FURTHER ACTION” on the matter. (Matter #0153).”
Item #4 was taken out of order without objection. Written Motion, Councillor Lopes, requesting that the Committee on Ordinances review and consider revisions to the current Body Art Ordinance, specifically Section 4000 – Special Regulations, Section 4200 – Body Art, with the goal of updating the…
To recommend to the City Council that in Section 4220 Separation/Distance the words “or church” be stricken from the current Ordinance.
The minutes record 3–8 with 11 councilors present and do not say who did not vote, so individual votes are not shown. We have asked the City Clerk to confirm (Oct. 1, 2026).
From the minutes
“The Committee VOTED: to recommend to the City Council that in Section 4220 Separation/Distance the words “or church” be stricken from the current Ordinance. (Matter #1152).”
To recommend that the City Council take “No Further Action” on the matter at this time. This passed by a voice vote.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Morad and seconded by Councillor Giesta, the Committee VOTED: To recommend that the City Council take “NO FURTHER ACTION” on the matter at this time. This passed by a voice vote. (Matter #1152).” (Motion: Morad, second: Giesta)
Items #1, #1a and #2 were taken up together without objection. Public Hearing on a Related Motion, Councillors Morad and Carney, requesting that the City Council order the Committee on Ordinances and the Planning Board hold Public Hearings relative to the Definitions, Section 1200 of the City Code…
To receive and place on file a copy of the Communication, provided by Michael McCarthy, Assistant City Planner, Planning Department, containing a presentation titled “Zoning Overview: Use Table” dated June 16, 2025; Addendum A: Detailed Summary of Zoning Use Table Changes; and Addendum B: Use Table, as amended on May 28, 2025.) (Received – July 25, 2025.) Related Motion, Councillors Morad, Carney,
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Morad and seconded by Councillor Lopes, the Committee VOTED: To receive and place on file a copy of the Communication, provided by Michael McCarthy, Assistant City Planner, Planning Department, containing a presentation titled “Zoning Overview: Use Table” dated June 16, 2025; Addendum A: Detailed Summary of Zoning Use Table Changes; and Addendum B: Use Table, as amended on May 28, 2025.) (Received – July 25, 2025.) RELATED MOTION, Councillors Morad, Carney, Oliver, Baptiste, Giesta, Pereira, Gomes and Lopes, requesting, that the Committee on Ordinances hold a meeting within the next thirty (30) days where a formal presentation by City Planner Jennifer Carloni and City Solicitor Eric Jaikes will detail all changes to Coding, Definitions and Principal Uses that were made to the Table of Principal Use Regulations previously adopted by the City Council on November 26, 2024. (Referred from Committee – May 28, 2025.) (Matter #1031).” (Motion: Morad, second: Lopes)
To Continue the Public Hearing to Monday, September 29, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., in City Council Chambers.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Morad and seconded by Councillor Abreu, the Committee VOTED: To Continue the Public Hearing to Monday, September 29, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., in City Council Chambers. (Matter #1031).” (Motion: Morad, second: Abreu)
An Order, Councillor Morad, Ordered, that pursuant to M.g.l. c. 44 sec. 53F ½ , an Enterprise Fund is hereby accepted and established for all Emergency Medical Services effective on July 1, 2025 (FY 2026) to be known as the Emergency Medical Services Enterprise Fund and that all receipts, revenues…
To recommend that the City Council take “No Further Action” on the matters at this time.
From the minutes
“On motion by Councillor Burgo and seconded by Councillor Giesta, the Committee VOTED: To recommend that the City Council take “NO FURTHER ACTION” on the matters at this time. (Matter #1009).” (Motion: Burgo, second: Giesta)
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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