[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6308557,"mediaKeyId","2421499-4c97017910e85bd51c8039a316ab37f0","parentId",2421499,"title","Fall River council adopts resolution to probe shelter operations after recent death; public urges winter capacity, tiny-house options","audioSeconds",8987,"startMs",424000,"endMs",9411000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2421499-4c97017910e85bd51c8039a316ab37f0&start=424&end=9411","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2421499-4c97017910e85bd51c8039a316ab37f0/thumbnail_424000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6308557/Fall-River-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Fall-River-council-adopts-resolution-to-probe-shelter-operations-after-recent-death-public-urges-winter-capacity-tiny-house-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308557-db24725ca1ab218172d29a3fd1f74c24/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197662&Signature=LuWf~4cshvU2gE873kM7inV3Y5iiH95NedQC1B~2APMqV8ORy3hcbJ8eUE2t-RBP5OaUMUPB~EH21H6rgsjJF~S4Y1NQdYqVYK0cVrqd~2NqJwxFrRRZJ0KRocRPa7VpSn25cW9CdHrC~QucuwcuIVi2NyrbCAiRidtYP5YdPSCuntlqTz5mAY-MJVmAP~AETbOst6yrXeQSne9NmqEzI5E6Uu8xFUmBEk35z5dKyhy7fCUQujLqMOMACiXZir4yuqkpRcLX-odNu7-LI3NE0DicP0U1NIJhXB78FVO4aio82DyqR-tZJdxxFvPq1cqBM9m-PXY7hRUgJvdmLIIO1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fall River City, MA","date","2025-02-26T03:52:42Z","article","Councilors voted Tuesday to have the finance committee meet with the administration to examine shelter operations and funding after a recent death of an unhoused resident prompted weeks of public outcry.

The resolution calls for discussion of “ongoing issues related to the First Step In providing safe shelter services in the winter,” including funding, admission barriers and bed counts. The full council adopted the measure after public comment and several rounds of debate.

The move follows more than two hours of testimony during the meeting’s citizen input period from veterans, volunteers and service providers describing gaps in shelter capacity and barriers that keep people from entering shelters. “The HERO Act will help many veterans, but we also need more shelter beds,” said Vietnam veteran Thomas Cabral, who addressed the council during public comment. “This resolution to implement tax relief is not just policy. It’s about honoring those who served,” Cabral added while urging support for veterans and related services.

Multiple speakers urged the city to increase year-round shelter capacity. Janice Heppe, a board member with UIA, said the group supports a minimum of 50 year-round shelter beds and lowering access barriers such as removal of a local ID requirement. “Housing insecurity is the number-one issue in our cities,” Heppe said. Community organizer Tracy Albornas told the council that shelter access and moving people into affordable housing are both necessary to reduce street homelessness.

Several commenters described local interim responses. Richard Branko, who said he has lived outside, thanked volunteers and cited an extensive outreach effort that helped limit deaths over the winter; he also criticized perceived wasteful spending and urged the city to prioritize shelter dollars. Volunteer and outreach leaders described a “FAST team” (a multiagency outreach team) and ongoing collaborations with churches and nonprofits that run warming sites and meals.

Council members acknowledged the breadth of services the city and nonprofit partners provide while also stressing the need for a clearer account of contract obligations and shelter performance. One councilor advised the administration to report the city’s contractual obligations with Stepping Stone, including any funding commitments, and noted that the city spends roughly $3.9 million annually on homelessness work through grants and the Community Development Agency.

Counsel and staff who briefed the committee said the city maintains multiple shelter options and emergency motel placements, and noted that the Tamayo Center and other community sites have been used as warming centers. Several councilors argued the city should also explore alternatives such as tiny homes, motel-based programs and more targeted wraparound services — ideas raised repeatedly by public commenters.

The resolution directs the finance committee to meet with the city administrator, corporation counsel, director of financial services, the chair of the board of assessors and the veterans’ service officer to examine the operational, contractual and funding issues affecting First Step In/Stepping Stone.

Supporters said the meeting should be used to collect service agreements, clarify admission standards (for example whether pregnancy or sobriety rules apply), and explore whether the city can expand the use of municipal facilities as temporary warming centers when shelters are at capacity. The council also discussed possible outside audits if contract or finance irregularities are identified during the follow-up.

The resolution passed on a voice vote in full council; no roll-call breakdown of the final adoption was entered in the minutes.

What’s next: the finance committee will schedule a convening with the listed administration officials; the resolution asks for documentation of service agreements, current bed counts, admission criteria and a description of warming/cooling center activation during extreme weather.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2.25.2025 Fall River City Council","oneSentenceSummary","Councilors voted Tuesday to have the finance committee meet with the administration to examine shelter operations and funding after a recent death of an unhoused resident prompted public outcry.","taxTitle","Fall River City, Bristol County, Massachusetts","taxId",4215,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6308547,"Fall River committee reviews $1.816 million CPA appropriation; committee members urge more housing applications",1654,1902000,3556000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2421499-4c97017910e85bd51c8039a316ab37f0&start=1902&end=3556","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2421499-4c97017910e85bd51c8039a316ab37f0/thumbnail_1902000.jpg","/articles/6308547/Fall-River-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Fall-River-committee-reviews-1816-million-CPA-appropriation-committee-members-urge-more-housing-applications","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308547-8d0692275963ad4e9fc610a62534ac4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197662&Signature=JeJxZ4nuisqk~csbYsyqJ5A48eODK908u4wG6ajl6Sqp3ohKaYV85f5b2mAT4WKqx2fW-ZQuGcDy0fMnWCV~BMq7Esjlzn-ctkX5f3FvhNde5zcYprLMUmXIuRdQhX5QUe0NASs9Hpp5-jSuhEbMcUAUUIw0Vvn3RODUOdu8qlH0nHrvrDSTTnN0RqcYBHxp0u3j0OHCmG23RnOAwAXfcnZb-Fs-JwVnz~FX7~QjYAvRorphDnP-I4-y9f5E~sgH1Ug9eQRqGSCx4reO4-6MYZ2URO036tE25AmVkXbcw3-cVdYY53xjI9ndnwT8CdcyFKbmkvaDpmbhO7ATmYyzaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Community Preservation Committee presented an order appropriating $1,816,044 from Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds for fiscal year 2026 and reviewed the committee’s recent awards, reserves and application process.

John Brandt, chairman of the CPC, summarized this year’s eligible projects and noted the committee’s preference to use CPA money as matching funds for larger capital projects. Brandt described historic preservation awards (including St. Anne’s and Durfee-related work), window restorations and a Coughlin School preservation project; he said the committee set aside the statutory minimum for housing and open-space categories when applications were lacking.

Committee members and councilors discussed reserves and how the CPC handles emergency applications. Brandt said the CPC keeps a 10% minimum in each statutory category and that unused funds accumulate for future eligible projects; he noted the community housing reserve stood at $249,150 and would rise after the current appropriation. He said the committee has limited emergency approvals but created an emergency application process this year for time-sensitive projects such as land purchases.

Several councilors questioned why fewer open-space and recreation applications arrived in the current cycle; the CPC explained that fewer matching-state funds and fewer city-park project submissions reduced the category’s pipeline, and two planned water-department land acquisitions were withdrawn before the funding round.

Councilors and CPC members discussed outreach and grant-writing support. The CPC chair said he had met with the mayor and encouraged the administration to coordinate grant applications with the CPC to increase project readiness. Councilors suggested the city’s grant writer and other staff should help prospective applicants prepare complete funding packages so high-quality housing projects can move forward.

A motion to refer the appropriation order to the full council carried on a voice vote; the CPC will provide its appropriation schedule and project details with the council for final approval.

","The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) presented a $1,816,044 appropriation order for FY2026 funds and described project choices and reserves; councilors urged the administration and nonprofits to submit more affordable-housing and open-space project applications so available funds are used.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6308552,"Fall River committee discusses HERO Act options; finance committee tables proposed increases for veterans and seniors",4510,2736000,7246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2421499-4c97017910e85bd51c8039a316ab37f0&start=2736&end=7246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2421499-4c97017910e85bd51c8039a316ab37f0/thumbnail_2736000.jpg","/articles/6308552/Fall-River-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Fall-River-committee-discusses-HERO-Act-options-finance-committee-tables-proposed-increases-for-veterans-and-seniors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308552-4e9eaaa28794a41db7f26b4811f07d4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197662&Signature=QV-yVwpDGAW7vkAEciyLLf-3cgWJrbj2Kil4Tb4JygCN4aDEad-Yv16hlBy6F5WrVAwaBKQIujBGJIfj3nEFVaEFiqvX-f1fE4z4AAYFibsLn~-V5vjz7xh2-i2jtxiC2u3pl0JP76HpqrLTPmAKEkZ8UJI0IXKyGqI751YXcR3y6AQ5fv1eIQGoybQZI~nrFTdbVOhGayPpSoYXbfTagOTeaaluAOGl-v~K-V0sYAxuQ3lxu5WjCiOKCQHfTwTacJQ~cAWVd8Q30f46IlHuIBxb2Wtwws1Lu-SGUmbG~JcdylbCPrCkP6KiNQH-fzjTZtKYEBkc2-mCH8rjKVEG6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Fall River City Council debated proposed increases in local property-tax exemptions for veterans and senior citizens under the state HERO Act and related provisions before the finance committee moved to table both resolutions for further consideration.

The HERO Act allows municipalities either to index veteran exemptions to inflation (clause I) or to adopt a local policy that doubles the existing exemption amounts (clause J). City staff described two paths: a CPI-based adjustment or an immediate percentage increase up to 100 percent under clause J.

City officials and the board of assessors presented baseline numbers. The transcript shows the existing local veteran exemption levels are $400 per year for (non-% disabled) veterans and $1,000 per year for % disabled veterans; those two categories together represented roughly $160,000 and $100,000 in exemptions last year, respectively, according to the assessors’ summary. The administration proposed a modest first-step increase for this cycle (the package discussed in committee proposed raising the non-% disabled exemption to $600 and the % disabled exemption to $1,500), citing budget constraints.

“About a year and a half ago I came to the council to ask that we look at increases for the elderly,” said Richard Gonzales, chairman of the board of assessors, describing the long history of unchanged exemption thresholds. Gonzales said the city has not updated key exemption thresholds in about 45 years and argued for a phased increase.

City administrator Seth Aiken and interim director of finance Emily Arpke told the committee the administration felt the proposed incremental increases were affordable in the current budget; they said the city could consider further increases in future fiscal years but recommended stepping up gradually to avoid mid-year budget shortfalls.

Several councilors pushed for a faster timetable. “It’s been 45 years — we should plan a path to meaningful increases,” one councilor said. Another urged the administration to bring back a short timeline (one year) for a follow-up increase so veterans and seniors have a clear commitment rather than a multiyear promise.

Committee members also discussed the fiscal mechanics. The assessors’ office explained the overlay account (which covers abatements and similar adjustments) carried a modest year-end balance last fiscal year and is budgeted further in the coming year; reimbursements from state aid cover a portion of total exemptions, but not the full incremental cost if the council adopts larger local increases.

After extended discussion the finance committee moved to table resolutions for the veterans and seniors exemptions to give the administration time to return with refined numbers and a timeline. A roll-call vote on the motion to table (taken during the finance meeting) recorded five yes votes and two no votes; the motion carried.

What’s next: the administration will meet with finance staff to produce a clearer fiscal projection and a recommended timetable for phased increases, including the estimated impact on overlay and reimbursement amounts. Councilors asked for a historical list of exemption counts and a clearer projection of fiscal impact before voting on any permanent changes.

","Councilors debated whether to increase local property-tax exemptions for veterans and seniors under the state HERO Act, heard city financial staff on tradeoffs and ultimately tabled resolutions for further review at the finance level.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Fall River council adopts resolution to probe shelter operations after recent death; public urges winter capacity, tiny-house options

Fall River committee reviews $1.816 million CPA appropriation; committee members urge more housing applications

Fall River committee discusses HERO Act options; finance committee tables proposed increases for veterans and seniors