City Council — September 24, 2026
The New Bedford City Council met on September 24, 2026, to address a variety of municipal petitions, committee reports, and appointments. The meeting opened with utility hearings presented by Eversource representative Jessica Elder regarding pole and conduit installations across Acushnet Avenue, Ashley Boulevard, Purchase Street, Maxfield Street, and County Street, all of which were approved following public hearings. The council also approved several routine financial communications, including referring prior-year unpaid bills totaling over $33,000 to the Finance Committee, reauthorizing the MIS department's $30,000 Southeastern Regional Revolving Fund, and reappointing Kathryn Duff to the Planning Board.
The centerpiece of the meeting was a heated debate over an ordinance regulating automated license plate readers (ALPR) and mass location tracking technology. Councillor Shane A. Burgo moved to substitute the ordinance committee's draft with an alternative that utilized definitions from Police Chief Jason Thody and Solicitor Eric Jaikes to halt ALPR use until permanent legislative safeguards are enacted. Despite intense pushback from Councillor Brian K. Gomes, who argued that pausing ALPR technology severely compromises public safety and police investigations, and repeated failed attempts by Councillor Shawn Oliver to add sunset clauses (at 6, 9, and 12 months), the substituted ordinance passed to a second reading on an 8-3 vote. Following an audience disruption that led Council President Ryan J. Pereira to order an individual removed and call a brief recess, the council unanimously voted to refer Chief Thody's correspondence back to the Committee on Ordinances to continue drafting permanent safeguards.
In other business, the council approved appointments including Brian J. Souza to the Election Commission and Gerald L. Ribeiro as constable, granted a secondhand dealer residency waiver to Mark DeCambra of Side Quest Complete, approved sidewalk planter encroachments for Art History Architecture New Bedford Inc. outside the Star Store building, and received the official state election warrant for November 3, 2026.
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