[{"_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",6506551,"mediaKeyId","5618328-7d6b89b6dc595a7034a1d1819336cce8","parentId",5618328,"title","Council instructs solicitor to seek court ruling on whether police chief appointment requires council confirmation","audioSeconds",1936,"startMs",4408000,"endMs",6344000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5618328-7d6b89b6dc595a7034a1d1819336cce8&start=4408&end=6344","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5618328-7d6b89b6dc595a7034a1d1819336cce8/thumbnail_4408000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6506551/New-Bedford-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Council-instructs-solicitor-to-seek-court-ruling-on-whether-police-chief-appointment-requires-council-confirmation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6506551-bb4b49aa9416461004eca44565afc737/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175442&Signature=OM6Ny4Mk1QHrygSPBenShHaFCFkL3lcYhSF6LxC4u4pefxywvehrhBFQ0dkHF~9kZyK8qNEP9UNRzK4VV5TYR2z1YtrIKageDaAT2QVgjuKktqsIfmGqWNtSMDafkoapvsL8mWjuJx3tunDtDvfjtNgWqLNs5RkL8jRwpFXeJd~RpKHv44ltvcaljjf3dId-nJF3bs0mQFauHtOJEiJ5Y1ILCctnoZatEhPGI1dGgPtDLu7fwjHf~HFISFcjUna8l~86eUhdULiuMyvR9jGY1XSLr5xiXrbWy1S1pkfZ9OUHbjsv07dWwUiRj3ROz3bevNbzvg1xmBGqDZ3Xq1u3-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Bedford","date","2025-08-21T00:00:00Z","article","The New Bedford City Council voted to instruct the city solicitor to file a complaint in the appropriate court seeking a declaratory judgment on whether the mayor’s appointment of the police chief is subject to City Council confirmation under the city charter.

Attorney David Geratowsky, appearing at the council’s request, told members the charter requires that “all heads of departments” be appointed by the mayor “subject to confirmation by the city council,” and that the city code also names the police chief as head of the police department (citing New Bedford City Code §19‑91). Geratowsky said he found no specific charter or statute that exempts the police chief from council confirmation and noted a section of state law permitting a mayor to enter an employment contract with a police chief (chapter 41, §1080/§108o) does not change appointment powers: “Nothing contained in this section shall affect the appointment powers of any city or town over its police chief,” he said, reading from the statute.

Councilors debated history and precedent. Some members noted chiefs previously were confirmed by the council, and one speaker said the 1996 legislative change that removed the police chief from civil service altered appointment procedures and warranted legal review. Councilor Ryan Perera moved and Councilor Maria Giesta seconded a motion directing the city solicitor to file a complaint in court asking for a ruling on the dispute; the motion passed following a roll‑call/voice vote.

Why it matters: Councilors framed the vote as protecting the council’s charter responsibilities and preventing a precedent that could allow future mayors to appoint department heads without the council’s advice and consent. Supporters of the motion said the court could provide a definitive legal ruling; others said the council could instead vote to request the mayor to submit the appointment for confirmation as a less adversarial first step.

What the solicitor said: Geratowsky summarized his analysis to the council: the charter provides the primary rule for appointments, the city code describes the police chief as head of the department, and the solicitor said he was unaware of any specific exemption that removes the chief from the charter’s confirmation requirement. He recommended the council could seek a declaratory judgment to resolve the question.

Action taken: The council voted to instruct the solicitor to file a complaint seeking a ruling on the council’s confirmation authority over the police chief appointment. The motion was approved (the council recorded “the ayes have it” after a roll‑call sequence); no detailed vote tally was entered in the transcript for that specific motion.

Next steps: The solicitor indicated he would prepare the complaint and related filings if so instructed by the council. Councilors discussed alternatives including a unanimous council request to the mayor to submit the appointment for confirmation, but some members said prior informal requests had not produced the desired result.

Ending: Councilors said the action was aimed at resolving a legal question about separation of duties under the charter rather than an attack on any individual appointee. Several members stressed they supported the person named to the post and framed the action as a procedural, not personal, matter.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Bedford - City Council","oneSentenceSummary","After a lengthy debate about the city charter and appointment powers, the New Bedford City Council voted to instruct the city solicitor to file a complaint seeking a court ruling on whether the mayor's appointment of the police chief requires council confirmation.","taxTitle","New Bedford City, Bristol County, Massachusetts","taxId",5758,"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},6506555,"Council rejects nonbinding ballot question on U.S. citizenship for police hires, refers proposed ordinance to committee",561,1259000,1820000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5618328-7d6b89b6dc595a7034a1d1819336cce8&start=1259&end=1820","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5618328-7d6b89b6dc595a7034a1d1819336cce8/thumbnail_1259000.jpg","/articles/6506555/New-Bedford-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Council-rejects-nonbinding-ballot-question-on-US-citizenship-for-police-hires-refers-proposed-ordinance-to-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6506555-84a94e4db227138150cc3a2c65994d9f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175442&Signature=ienqy7VhRWlg0n2ktrPb181CCJjB9zs6iiz1FOk~l-Gk60x4Uz6H016ElQsOGsePClx26DAK9SU44C8zWc0S2B8HLhFOTkddNDaRRa7wim6LoHvvCxK7Pj0FXkStO3u-OPQlyBDwzrRKctxfnQO7n5Iy7kScgYykM7Gt7GKFT45tEVOlPdOWz0thlhzEPt7Gpy5NBpDBqwO~nj-cz-Iw149~h5uVdHlHV6M~dVoljN~9V0AtfJjWFg-VSIoxjpiW6EzEEct6j3-DNRJL5iQ9~1c5pzYG312wlaz3nK09tD-QcjzXOe1o9LPf77hYDYfVjIgRM0Uj29FGgK5gFCVkEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Bedford City Council voted down a nonbinding municipal ballot question asking whether United States citizenship should be a requirement to be hired as a police officer in New Bedford, then separately voted to refer a related ordinance proposal to the Committee on Ordinances for further study.

The ballot question — presented as a proposed public‑opinion question for the November 4, 2025 municipal ballot — failed in a roll-call vote, 5–6. The council recorded votes as follows: Yes — Councilors Ian Abreu, Naomi Carney, Leo Choquette, Joseph Lopes and Sean Oliver; No — Councilors Derek Baptiste, (name transcribed as Bruego/Bergau), Maria Giesta, Brian K. Gomes, Linda M. Morad and Ryan Perera. The motion to place the nonbinding question on the ballot therefore failed.

Separately, Councilor Brian K. Gomes moved to refer to the Committee on Ordinances a proposal directing the city solicitor and ordinance committee to draft an ordinance that would require U.S. citizenship for anyone hired by the New Bedford Police Department. Gomes said he did not want current officers without citizenship removed immediately and that the intent was to require citizenship for future hires and to work with existing officers to obtain citizenship. “I do not want them off the force,” Gomes said. “What I do want is the department to work with these officers to make them citizens of The United States.”

Councilors across multiple wards supported sending the proposal to committee for detailed study. Councilor Naomi Carney said the council should include an exemption and a timeline for existing permanent‑resident officers now on the force to obtain citizenship. Councilor Leo Choquette urged the council to examine “all potential avenues,” including legal review that could reach higher courts depending on how any ordinance is written.

The referral to the Committee on Ordinances passed on a roll call, 11–0. The ordinance proposal references city‑code and state guidelines about ballot questions and municipal hiring; item 8 as presented referred to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 53, section 18A for ballot wording.

What was discussed: Supporters argued U.S. citizenship aligns with practices in other countries and that arrests by noncitizens could raise legal questions in court. Opponents (as reflected in roll-call votes on the ballot question) did not support placing the nonbinding question on the municipal ballot; on the ordinance referral, councilors sought to balance neighborhood concerns, recruitment needs and protections for incumbent officers.

Next steps: The item was referred to the Committee on Ordinances for drafting and legal review. Councilors discussed potential exemptions or timelines for existing officers with permanent lawful resident status and asked for legal analysis of enforceability and any state‑ or federal‑law conflicts.

Ending: The council sent the question of citizenship in police hiring to the ordinance committee for further drafting and legal review while rejecting the immediate placement of a related nonbinding ballot question.
","A nonbinding municipal ballot question asking whether U.S. citizenship should be required to be hired as a New Bedford police officer failed 5–6. Separately, the council voted unanimously to refer a proposed ordinance to the Committee on Ordinances that would require U.S. citizenship for new police hires.",{"_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},6506560,"Council asks Board of Health for another hearing on proposed South Coast Renewables waste transfer project",1042,1974000,3016000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5618328-7d6b89b6dc595a7034a1d1819336cce8&start=1974&end=3016","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5618328-7d6b89b6dc595a7034a1d1819336cce8/thumbnail_1974000.jpg","/articles/6506560/New-Bedford-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Council-asks-Board-of-Health-for-another-hearing-on-proposed-South-Coast-Renewables-waste-transfer-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6506560-95272bfd1493186627730842410a5315/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175442&Signature=VEYkNyIXjiMLTio6PkHCP4Fpa-HjvoEWzmjdymtcm3c44pPyOd9v3As9Cx1N4JvZu~CQN1DlDMILtpu-nRsc4BgKgtIn3i5FS2hCS3EilfktIRQow0-wcOdn4Fe7esc7ON9RU60hfzUsCL97aNdJecKZ2TTJnraLciRViwZZifR3JcDNayL~nU4RBSFRLBNOiF7WMTrTpzKbqEeMRwFocrTrM9a94bOH3zr8bGULJ2DC90nNPwpdux1hsRSrbX6-foUENuJIxpjgha6Ng15AyOEFCCvHY92dccHfpYe9U~ntTGYQty39WiZvcGHCoQ6mXYRv-KT0DbIEMSjHAQ4TbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Bedford City Council voted to refer a motion asking the New Bedford Board of Public Health to hold an additional public hearing on a proposed waste transfer facility operated by Parallel Products, which is doing business as South Coast Renewables LLC, and to involve residents of the city’s Far North (North End) neighborhood before the Board of Health takes a final vote.

Councilor Brian K. Gomes, who made the motion, said the earlier public hearings were poorly noticed and structured so that residents had little opportunity to speak. He asked the council to work with Ward 1’s councilor and the Board of Health to convene a follow-up hearing focused on appearance, notification and direct public engagement. “Many of the people in that far North End had no idea about this meeting,” Gomes said during the council meeting. “This is not how you notify people when you’re making an impact on their life.”

The council’s request to the Board of Health was referred to the Committee on Public Safety and the Board of Health; the referral was approved by voice vote.

Why it matters: The proposal would place a regional solid-waste transfer operation near residential areas in New Bedford’s Far North End. Council members and residents raised concerns about traffic, odors, public-health impacts and the format of the prior hearings conducted by state and local officials. Councilors and residents argued that additional public input focused on local concerns is needed before the Board of Health issues a final determination.

Councilors noted specific neighborhood impacts and expressed frustration with notice and hearing procedures. Councilor Linda M. Morad said the Board of Health hearing schedule limited public comment to a short window late in multiday sessions and that some residents had been effectively excluded. Councilor Naomi Carney criticized the reliance on outside experts unfamiliar with local conditions and urged local fire and health officials be included in future hearings. Councilor Sean Oliver and others called for the mayor to attend and state his position publicly.

The council also discussed a friendly amendment from Councilor Joseph Lopes proposing to move the meeting site from Pulaski School to Normandan/Nomanda Middle School for space reasons; Councilor Gomes later said the hearing would remain at Pulaski School to preserve the schedule and allow more neighborhood participation, and the council agreed to keep Pulaski.

Separately, councilors Brian K. Gomes and Linda M. Morad submitted and had read into the record a letter the two sent to federal officials asking for assistance to stop the project. The letter requests that the White House and federal agencies review the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) positive site-suitability determination and asks for an administrative cease-and-desist while the matter is reviewed. The council received and placed that communication on file.

What was proposed: The developers’ application (as described in council communications) seeks site suitability for a facility at 100 Duchenne Boulevard that, according to submitted materials, would accept up to 1,500 tons per day of municipal solid waste and could generate thousands of truck trips daily. The council and residents said the site sits near single-family homes, schools and public-housing developments; the communications cited specific counts used in submissions to state agencies.

Next steps: The referral sends the request for a local, focused Board of Health hearing to the Committee on Public Safety and the Board of Health. Councilors and supporters said they will coordinate to ensure the Board of Health hears neighborhood testimony before it votes. Councilors also said they intend to follow up with the mayor’s office and, if needed, to pursue additional administrative or legal options.

Ending: City councilors said they will monitor Board of Health scheduling and pushed for stronger local outreach and notice to affected residents. A decision date cited in council remarks for the state process was mid-September 2025; councilors asked that any additional local hearing be held before that date.

","New Bedford City Council voted to refer a motion asking the Board of Health to hold an additional public hearing on a proposed waste transfer facility operated by Parallel Products/South Coast Renewables after councilors and residents criticized prior hearings' notice and format.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council instructs solicitor to seek court ruling on whether police chief appointment requires council confirmation

Council rejects nonbinding ballot question on U.S. citizenship for police hires, refers proposed ordinance to committee

Council asks Board of Health for another hearing on proposed South Coast Renewables waste transfer project