Council approves utility petitions, budget transfers and HERO Act measures; amends obstruction fee

At its March 13, 2025 meeting, the New Bedford City Council approved a series of administrative and public-works items, including utility petitions from Eversource Energy, several mayoral budget transfers, the local adoption of certain state HERO Act provisions for disabled veterans, and an amendment to a right-of-way permit fee schedule.

Why it matters: the utility petitions clear Eversource work tied to a Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) roadway project and to individual service connections; the council action on the fee schedule establishes new permitting and a revolving fund effective July 1, 2025; the HERO Act adoption implements state-level tax exemptions for disabled veterans within the city’s enabling ordinance.

Key outcomes and votes at a glance

- Eversource petitions (Items 2, 3 and 4): The council granted an order permitting approximately 34 feet of conduit and a new hand hole on South First Street (item 2), and adopted orders for conduit and manhole work on County Street and conduit on River Street (items 3 and 4). Council recorded motions to open and close public hearings and approved the orders by voice vote.

- Eversource Shawmut Avenue pole (Item 5): The council voted to drop the order for the Shawmut Avenue work (motion to drop presented by Councilor Brian Gomes and carried by voice vote).

- Mayor’s communications and budget transfers (M1–M6): The council referred the mayor’s request to increase the Quest Center Revolving Fund limit (M1) to the Committee on Finance. The council adopted transfers for EMS (M2), airport (M3), library (M4) and planning (M5) as presented. A solicitor-account transfer (M6) passed on roll call 7–3.

- Obstruction-fee schedule and revolving fund (New business, Item 6): The Committee on Finance recommended updating the permit fee schedule for obstructions and disturbances on city rights-of-way effective July 1, 2025, and establishing a revolving fund with the same effective date. Councilors identified a scrivener’s error in the paperwork: the city’s existing obstruction fee is $30 but the received order listed $35. Councilor Linda Morad moved to amend the order to read $30; the amendment and the amended order were adopted by voice vote. The updated fee schedule and revolving-fund establishment take effect July 1, 2025.

- HERO Act adoption (Item 7): The committee on ordinances’ report to adopt the provisions of the HERO Act as they relate to tax exemptions for disabled veterans was received and the council voted (by roll call) 10–0 to adopt the order. The council first voted to waive Rule 17 and then adopted the ordinance provisions.

- Ordinance on alarm systems (Item 8): The council received the committee report and passed the item to a second reading (no final adoption at this meeting).

- Reappointments (M7–M9): The council granted the reappointment of Melissa Chester Letender to the Community Preservation Committee (M7) by roll call, 10–0; it also approved two constable reappointments (M8 and M9) and handled other mayoral reappointments and appointments on consent.

- Licenses and appointments (Items 14–20): The council granted renewals for some private livery licenses (items 14 and 16), referred a contested license (item 15) and moved items 17–20 (new private livery license applications) to the Committee on Appointments and Briefings for review.

- Referrals (Items 10–13, 21–23): The council referred a written motion on vacant properties to the special committee on housing, a motion on crosswalk striping near Buttonwood Park to the Department of Public Infrastructure, a request for a briefing from Primary Care for All Americans to the veterans-and-health committee, a street-closure request for construction to the Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods, an open-meeting complaint to legislative counsel David Geratowski, and Community Preservation funding recommendations to the Committee on Finance. A state delegation letter about naming a new pedestrian bridge for U.S. Army Corporal Andre Lopes was received and placed on file.

Consent and adjournment: The council took up and adopted consent items and adjourned at 7:55 p.m.

What’s next: Several items were referred to committees for further review (finance, appointments and briefings, public safety, housing and memorials). The obstruction-fee changes and the HERO Act provisions take effect or apply under the timelines described in the motions and state law.