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The Special Committee on Special Permits and Licensing, chaired by Councillor Ian Abreu, met on May 11, 2026. The committee reviewed three applications. The first was a new private livery license for Gerana's Transportation Incorporated, presented by Anna Liz Valentin Burgos. She explained her business transports school-age children using three vans and is in the process of hiring two employees. The committee voted unanimously to give a positive recommendation to the full City Council. The second application, for a new private livery license for Sisters Express Transport, was tabled unanimously because the petitioners, Maria DePina and Maria L. Pires, were not present. The committee then considered two petitions from Paul N. Bryant of Fall River Pawn Brokers for a waiver of residency to obtain licenses for secondhand articles at 1351 Acushnet Avenue and 268 Union Street. Mr. Bryant explained that while he previously lived in Texas, he has been a resident of the Boston area for four years. The committee unanimously approved a positive recommendation for this waiver as well. Both approved items were scheduled to go before the full New Bedford City Council for a final vote on May 28, 2026. The meeting also included reading a letter from Councillor Naomi R. A. Carney stating she would be late. The committee, which also included Councillors Scott Pemberton, Leo Choquette, and Joseph P. Lopes, adjourned at 6:39 PM.
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All right, gentlemen, we're ready to go.
0:48Are you all ready?
0:50You may proceed.
0:53Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
0:55It is 6:30 PM.
0:57AM on Monday, May 11th, 2026, here in the New Bedford City Council chamber.
1:03I'd like to call to order this meeting on the Special Committee on Special Permits and Licensing.
1:10Note, this meeting is being live streamed and recorded.
1:14City Council and committee meetings can be viewed on the City of New Bedford's homepage under Quick Links, then Meetings.
1:22I am joined in the council chamber this evening by my colleagues in government and members of this committee We have Ward 2 Councilor Scott Pemberton, Ward 1 Councilor Leah Choquette, and Ward 5 Councilor Joseph Lopes.
1:35I am Councilor at Large Ian Abreu and the chairman of this committee.
1:39I'll ask the clerk at this time— Mr.
1:41Clerk, are there any letters to be read into the record?
1:43I do.
1:43I have one letter to read into the record.
1:44It's from Councilor, um, Carney.
1:47I am writing to inform you that I expect to be late for tonight's committee meeting due to a prior commitment.
1:51Please read this letter into the record.
1:55Motion received and place this item on file, made by Councilor Lopes, seconded by Councilor Choquette.
1:59Anyone on the question?
2:01All those in favor say aye.
2:02Opposed?
2:03The ayes have it.
2:03I'll ask the clerk to read item 1.
2:05Item number 1 is a communication.
2:06City clerk— clerk of the city council submitting an application for a new private livery license on behalf of Anna Liz Valentin Burgos, uh, 627 Allen Street, New Bedford, Mass., doing business as Gerana's Transportation Incorporated.
2:21211 Wells Street, New Bedford, Mass.
2:24The term of the license is July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
2:29The, uh, was referred here on March 26, 2026, and item number 1 is now before you.
2:35Made by Councilor Lopes, seconded by Councilor Choquette on the motion to receive and place on file.
2:40Anyone on the question?
2:41All those in favor say aye.
2:43Opposed?
2:43The ayes have it.
2:44I believe, Miss Burgos, you are here.
2:46Yes, good evening.
2:48So before we open it up to the floor for our colleagues from— questions from our colleagues, can you tell us a little bit about what you're looking to do?
2:56I'm sorry, what?
2:58Tell us a little bit about what you're looking to do here in your application.
3:01We do transportation for school-age— pick up the microphone, please.
3:05We do transportation for school-age children and daycare services.
3:11Okay, I'll open the floor for the colleagues at this time.
3:14Councilor Lopes.
3:16Miss Burgos, how many vans do you have?
3:18We have 3 vans.
3:203 vans.
3:20And where do you park those vans?
3:22Um, we have 2 of the vans parked on 456 Mill Street, and we have 1 van parked on 627 Allen Street.
3:29That's the van that I drive in the morning time.
3:32So that's the one that you drive?
3:33So basically your own van?
3:34Because I live there.
3:36Yeah.
3:36Okay, so you have 3 drivers.
3:38Now, do you do anything other than school School runs?
3:42Do you do airport runs?
3:43Do you do dialysis runs through GATRA or anything like that?
3:46I'm sorry, what?
3:47Do you do airport runs?
3:49No.
3:49Do you do any runs for GATRA?
3:51No.
3:52No, just school and daycare.
3:54Okay.
3:55Thank you, ma'am.
3:56Yep.
3:56Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
3:57Thank you, Councilor Lopes.
3:58Anyone else on the afferents for this petitioner?
4:02If you'll allow from the chair, colleagues.
4:05Ms. Burgos, how many jobs will you be creating with this company of yours?
4:10Is it just yourself, or will you be employing a few people?
4:13I'm just curious about that.
4:14Yeah, I'm hiring right now 2 people.
4:17You're hiring 2 people?
4:18Yeah.
4:19So we have an interview supposed to be this past week because we was trying to hire a person, but they need to come here and do all the, you know, driver things.
4:31Well, if you're struggling, of course, to look for qualified employees, perhaps you should also leverage the partnership with that great New Bedford Career Center through MassHire.
4:40That might be something for you to consider as well, right here on Elm Street.
4:43Okay.
4:43All right, thank you, thank you so much.
4:45Councilors, anyone else for this petitioner?
4:49Okay, what is your pleasure on this item?
4:57Motion made by Councilor Lopes, seconded by Councilor Pemberton, for a positive recommendation to be referred out to the full City Council.
5:04Anyone on the question?
5:06All those in favor say aye.
5:08Opposed?
5:09The ayes have it.
5:10Okay, so Um, Miss Burgos, you have been given a positive recommendation, which is a thumbs up from this committee.
5:16It'll now go before the full New Bedford City Council, the meeting on May 28th, okay, at 7 PM, right here in the chambers for the final vote of passage.
5:25Okay, so if you want to come in to see the final vote, you can come in here May 28th at 7 PM.
5:30Okay, all right, sounds good.
5:32Thank you.
5:32Other than that, you're all set.
5:33Thank you, ma'am.
5:34All right, I'll ask the clerk to read item 2.
5:37Number 2 is communication.
5:38City clerk, clerk of the city council submitting an application for a new private livery license on behalf of Maria DePina, 28 Windsor Circle, Brockton, Mass., and Maria L. Pires, 60 Foster Street, Brockton, Mass., DBA Sisters Express Transport, 109 Robeson Street in New Bedford, Mass.
5:57The term of the license is July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
6:01It was referred here on April 9, 2026.
6:03Number 2 is now before you.
6:10Does, uh, Miss Pires in the chamber?
6:15I don't know.
6:18We'll table the communication made by Councilor Lopes, seconded by Councilor Choquette.
6:22Any— well, can't speak on the question of tabling.
6:24All those in favor say aye.
6:26Opposed?
6:26The ayes have it.
6:27Colleagues, if you'll indulge, I'll ask the clerk, were there any communications from this petitioner?
6:31There were none.
6:32Okay, so we'll send her a letter and we'll figure out what happened here.
6:36Colleagues, without objection, uh, are there any objections to taking items 3 and 4 together?
6:41All right, thank you.
6:42Seeing none, communication.
6:43City Clerk, Clerk of the City Council, submitting the petition of Paul N. Bryant, Round Rock, Texas, DBA Fall River Pawn Brokers, 1351 Accushnet Avenue, New Bedford, Mass., requesting a waiver of residency in accordance with Section 15-38 of the city code to obtain a license to deal in junk, old metals, or any other secondhand articles.
7:02Was referred here on April 23rd, 2026.
7:06Number 4 is a communication.
7:08City Clerk, Clerk of the City Council, submitting a petition to Paul N. Bryant, Round Rock, Texas, doing business as Fall River Pawn Brokers, 268 Union Street, New Bedford, Mass., requesting a waiver of residency in accordance with Section 15-38 of the city code to obtain a license to deal in junk, old metals, or any other secondhand articles.
7:27This was also referred on April 23rd, 2026.
7:30Number 3 and 4 are now before you.
7:33I need a motion to receive these items on file.
7:36Made by Councilor Lopes, seconded by Councilor Pemberton.
7:39Anyone on the question of receiving items 3 and 4 and placing them on file?
7:43All those in favor say aye.
7:45Opposed?
7:45The ayes have it.
7:47All right, so we now have the petitioner here, Mr. Bryant.
7:49Mr. Bryant, good evening.
7:51Good evening.
7:52Would you mind telling this committee a little bit about kind of what you're all about and what you're looking to do.
7:56And then I'll open the floor for questions.
7:58I, I bought Fall River Pawnbrokers October 28th, 2022.
8:0411 locations, 6 in Mass., 5 in Rhode Island.
8:08And we were doing the renewal this year.
8:11And I did live in Texas.
8:14I've been a resident of Revere, just north of Boston, for 2 years, and I was downtown Boston for 2 years before that.
8:23So while I did go back and forth between Texas and Boston a lot and kept a rental there after my divorce a few years ago, um, I am a Boston area resident.
8:37And, um, and yeah, we're now 51 stores in 9 states.
8:41So, but I'm committed to being up here in this area because that's where I launched the company.
8:47Thank you, Mr. Bryant.
8:49Colleagues, questions for this petitioner for items 3 and 4?
9:00Yep.
9:00Thank you, Councilor Lopes.
9:01Motion made by Councilor Lopes, seconded by Councilor Choquette.
9:05Anyone on the question?
9:06All those in favor say aye.
9:08Opposed?
9:09The ayes have it.
9:10Mr. Bryant, you got off easy tonight.
9:11Congratulations.
9:13So I don't know if you heard, um, before before with the prior, uh, previous petitioner, but this item will now be reported out and heard on the May 28th full New Bedford City Council agenda for a final vote of passage.
9:26If you'd like to come, you're welcome to.
9:27If not, the clerk's office will notify you.
9:30Okay?
9:30Okay.
9:31Thank you.
9:31Have a good evening.
9:32Y'all too.
9:32Thanks.
9:33Good night.
9:33Good night.
9:34So, colleagues, seeing that there's no other business before us at this time, motion to adjourn made by Councilor Lopes.
9:40Seconded by Councilor Pemberton.
9:41Anyone on the question of adjournment?
9:44All those in favor say aye.
9:46Opposed?
9:46The ayes have it.
9:47We are adjourned at 6:39 PM.
9:49Have a great evening, everyone.