Ordinance Committee — October 26, 2026

The New Bedford Committee on Ordinances met on October 26, 2026, chaired by Councillor at Large Shane A. Burgo, to consider rezoning requests, proposed zoning amendments, legal advertisement procedures, and police surveillance technologies. The committee addressed a petition to rezone Parcel 39-22 at 30 Brigham Street from split-zoning (Residential B and Mixed-Use Business) to entirely Mixed-Use Business. Property owner Ashton Albanaz testified regarding difficulties leasing the commercial space due to the split zone, and the committee voted to advance the rezoning with a favorable recommendation to the November 12 City Council agenda. The committee also held a public hearing on an ordinance submitted by Mayor Jon Mitchell prohibiting data centers across all city zoning districts. Planning Director Jennifer Carloni discussed neighborhood impacts, high water and electricity usage, and noise concerns observed in Lowell and elsewhere. Resident Warren Samuels raised questions regarding statutory conflicts and existing approvals, and the committee voted to advance the data center ban to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation.

The committee then turned to a proposed home rule petition to modernize how municipal legal notices are published, aiming to reduce municipal advertising costs that had already exceeded $15,000 for the City Council alone in 2026. A supportive communication from City Clerk Dennis Farias was read into the record. Following discussion with Legislative Counsel David Gerwatowski, the committee passed motions directing all city departments to submit legal advertising expenditures and software tools used over the current and prior fiscal years, and instructing counsel to draft a home rule petition establishing the city website, public libraries, and the clerk's office as primary posting locations with print newspapers as a backup. The item was subsequently tabled for redrafting.

Finally, the committee took up communications regarding automated license plate readers (ALPR) and location tracking technology, including a court decision regarding warrantless data retrieval and recommendations from Police Chief Jason Thody. Chair Burgo noted that Chief Thody was attending a professional conference on ALPR technology and that the New Bedford Police Department had given notice that its contract with Flock would terminate on November 12. With Deputy Police Chief Belong in attendance, the committee voted to receive the supplementary materials on file and table the matter until the November 18, 2026, committee meeting.

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