The Fall River City Council confirmed Christopher Hathaway as the Director of Community Maintenance at a special meeting on May 19, 2026. The appointment was unanimously approved after being lifted from the table, with Vice President Dionne absent and not voting.
Councilors also discussed a resolution to pursue legal action to obtain a judicial determination on the City Council’s authority regarding reappointment confirmations, investigations into city departments, and the ability to hire outside agencies for investigations. Corporation Counsel Alan J. Rumsey advised against the resolution, stating that the Corporation Counsel is the sole legal officer authorized to pursue lawsuits for the city and that an actual controversy must exist for a court to hear an issue. Councilor Peckham expressed distrust of the Corporation Counsel’s legal opinions, citing a lack of transparency regarding a police department investigation. Councilor Cadime argued that disagreements with Corporation Counsel’s interpretations of reappointments and investigation authority could constitute a legal controversy. The resolution was ultimately tabled until the May 26, 2026, Regular Meeting of the City Council, with Vice President Dionne again absent and not voting.
Key actions
- Voted unanimously to lift item 2 from the table
- Confirmed Christopher Hathaway as Director of Community Maintenance unanimously
- Voted unanimously to lift item 3 from the table
- Voted unanimously to waive the rules to allow Alan J. Rumsey, Esq., Corporation Counsel, to answer questions
- Voted unanimously to table the resolution until the May 26, 2026, Regular Meeting of the City Council
- Voted unanimously to adjourn at 6:34 p.m.
How each councilor voted
| Motion | Ponte | Cadime | Camara | Canuel | Hart | Peckham | Pereira | Raposo | Dionne |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lift item 2 from the table (Unanimously voted to lift) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | — |
| Confirm Christopher Hathaway as Director of Community Maintenance (Unanimously voted to confirm) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | — |
| Lift item 3 from the table (Unanimously voted to lift) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | — |
| Waive rules to allow Alan J. Rumsey, Esq., Corporation Counsel, to answer questions (Unanimously voted to waive) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | — |
| Table the resolution regarding legal action for judicial review (Unanimously voted to table) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | — |
| Adjourn the meeting (Unanimously voted to adjourn) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | — |
Y = yes · N = no · A = abstained · P = present · — = absent. Votes the minutes do not record individually are inferred from the result and the attendance roll.