Appointments & Briefings Committee — October 20, 2026

The New Bedford Committee on Appointments and Briefings met on October 20, 2026, to consider mayoral appointments, public infrastructure projects, employee benefits, and public input. During citizen input, resident Ernesto Silva Jr. addressed the committee regarding a denied claim for vehicle damage caused by a seven-inch pothole, while resident Ron Bush advocated for the adaptive reuse of vacant mills and schools into supportive recovery housing. The committee interviewed and voted to refer two mayoral appointments to the full City Council: Alyssa DeCunha as Executive Director of the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities and Joanna Goncalves as Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission, with councilors expressing strong support for Goncalves and mixed sentiment regarding the administrative handling of DeCunha's appointment.

The committee also reviewed municipal operations and major regional infrastructure projects. Personnel Director José Gouveia provided comprehensive updates on employee voluntary benefits, detailing a transition to Symetra for life insurance, potential dental and vision options, and prescription drug plan changes, including moving retirees to BeneStar to achieve an estimated first-year savings of over $700,000. Additionally, MassDOT Project Manager Valerie Kilduff presented updates on the I-195 and Route 18 interchange rehabilitation, announcing that Phase 3 is tracking nine months ahead of schedule for winter 2026, and outlining upcoming Phase 4 ramp closures and detours slated through 2029. Routine motions on tobacco minimum pricing regulations were tabled, and items 9 through 13 were discharged to the full City Council with recommendations for no further action.

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