Council committee sends Quest Center funding question to full council after debate over unpaid invoices and Vineyard Wind grant

The New Bedford Committee on Finance debated a mayoral request to increase the Quest Center revolving fund for fiscal 2025, heard managers describe about $14,700 in unpaid invoices and impending utility bills, and referred the matter to the full City Council with an amended funding figure of $200,000.

Chair Linda Morad, councilor at large, opened the discussion after the clerk read a communication from Mayor Mitchell asking that the Quest Center revolving fund be increased from $150,231 to $238,000 for FY2025 under Massachusetts General Laws chapter 44, section 53E½.

The request prompted a detailed fiscal update from Jen Viera, who said the Quest Center had "a balance of a thousand $36 as of today" and that "I have approximately $14,700 in invoices that need to be paid, that does not include gas and electric for May." She told the committee her oldest outstanding invoice dated to Feb. 13. City accounting staff member Robert (Bob) Ekstrom provided a line-item estimate, saying electricity runs "about $11,000 a month," gas about "$1,000 a month," and a cooling‑season conversion would cost about "$6,200." Ekstrom summarized those items and the unpaid invoices as roughly a "no frills" remaining need of about $44,000 to carry the building through the fiscal year without additional work.

Councilors pressed for detail on whether maintenance has been deferred to preserve the fund and on concrete projections for spending through June 30. Viera said the Quest Center had tried to do as much maintenance in‑house as possible and that projected expenses were based on prior years and current commitments. When asked about tenant rent changes, she said she did not have the full breakdown at the meeting but could provide a list of tenants and current license fees.

Derek Santos, executive director of the New Bedford Economic Development Council, described a separate but related capital project made possible by a $1.5 million Vineyard Wind grant matched with ARPA funding to address deferred mechanical, interior and exterior work on the third floor. Santos said the mechanical phase (HVAC) is essentially complete, interior work had been awarded and mobilization was expected in a few weeks, and the exterior work would be bid later in the summer. He told the committee the improvements are intended to make the third floor rentable to maritime and offshore-related companies and that the city has also proposed the space to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) for program use.

Councilor Joseph Lopes moved to amend the mayoral request and authorize $200,231 for FY2025; that motion failed on an earlier roll call. After further discussion and additional proposed amendments, the committee voted to amend the amount to $200,000 and refer the item to the full City Council. The final roll call on the $200,000 referral was 6 in favor, 1 opposed (Councilor Derek Baptiste), and the item was sent to the full City Council for consideration on the upcoming agenda.

The committee’s discussion emphasized short‑term obligations (unpaid vendor invoices and two months of utilities) and longer‑term plans tied to the Vineyard Wind grant and other prospective tenants. Councilors requested more detailed tenant rent schedules and actual utility invoices before final council action.

The Finance Committee took no additional appropriation at the meeting; instead it referred the mayoral amendment and the supporting fiscal details to the full City Council with the amended figure of $200,000 and asked staff to provide the requested documentation when the item returns to the council agenda.

Votes at a glance: The committee voted to refer the mayor’s request to the full City Council with an amended authorization of $200,000 (final roll call 6 yes, 1 no). Earlier procedural motions to receive and place on file were approved during the meeting.