Listen to the full meeting
The Fall River City Council meeting on August 11, 2026, consisted of a public hearing, a Committee on Finance meeting, and a full council session. The meeting began with a public hearing on an auto body shop license, a utility pole installation, and a curb removal, all of which were later approved by the full council. The Committee on Finance meeting featured a commendation for Juliana Madera, a high school student who raised $35,000 via a GoFundMe for residents displaced by a fire on Hick Street. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to resident concerns about the dangerous condition of Aruta Lane, a private road in Tiverton that provides the only access for 20 Fall River households on Greenleaf and Judge Streets. After discussion on the jurisdictional complexities, the council passed a resolution to refer the matter to the Committee on Public Works and Transportation.
The council also received extensive updates on the Route 79 corridor project. Director of Engineering Dan Aguiar discussed the final construction punch-list items, while Ken Fiola of the Bristol County Economic Development Consulting detailed the state’s bidding process for the 19 acres of new developable land. Multiple councilors expressed strong disappointment that the city would not have a representative on the state’s committee for selecting the developer, despite being a key partner in the project. During the full council meeting, Ann O’Neil-Souza was officially confirmed as the new City Administrator by a 7-0-1 vote. The council also approved a $6,883,400 loan order for repairs and renovations to the 3rd Street parking garage. An Open Meeting Law complaint filed by School Committee member Collin R. Dias against the council, alleging intimidation by Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey, was referred to the law department for review. Various other licenses, ordinances, and administrative items were also addressed.
Topics discussed
- 0:52 · Public Hearing: Auto Genie LLC Auto Body Shop License
A public hearing was held for an auto body shop license at 235 John Street. The applicant’s attorney, Peter Salino, explained they had already received a variance from the ZBA. - 1:05 · License to operate an auto body shop at 235 John Street for Auto Genie LLC was approved. — approved
License to operate an auto body shop at 235 John Street for Auto Genie LLC was approved. - 2:24 · Petition for jointly owned pole locations on South Beacon Street was approved. — approved
Petition for jointly owned pole locations on South Beacon Street was approved. - 2:26 · Public Hearing: National Grid/Verizon Pole Installation
A hearing was held for the installation of three new poles and two anchors on South Beacon Street to provide power to a new 17-home condo development. - 4:01 · Public Hearing: Curb Removal at 89 McDonald Street
Property owner Nelson Cabral requested to widen a curb opening from approximately 10 feet to 25 feet to improve driveway access and encourage off-street parking. - 11:15 · Citation for Juliana Madera
The City Council recognized student Juliana Madera with a citation for organizing a GoFundMe that raised $35,000 for victims of the Hick Street fire. - 12:58 · Aruta Lane Road Conditions
Resident Jennifer Dutra and her neighbors from Greenleaf and Judge Streets requested help addressing the dangerous condition of Aruta Lane, their only access road. The council discussed the jurisdictional issue, as the road is a private lane in Tiverton, and ultimately referred the matter to the Public Works committee. - 25:58 · Zoning Amendment Petition Correction
Resident Ian Tompkins addressed the council regarding his zoning amendment petition, which was not sent to the planning board in time. He agreed to accept a refund of his fees and resubmit a revised petition later. - 28:08 · Loan order for $6,883,400 for repairs to the 3rd Street Garage was adopted by the full council. — passed
Loan order for $6,883,400 for repairs to the 3rd Street Garage was adopted by the full council. - 28:14 · Loan Order for 3rd Street Parking Garage
A loan order for $6,883,400 for repairs, renovations, and maintenance of the 3rd Street parking garage was discussed and ultimately approved by the full council. The work is hoped to be completed by November. - 28:31 · Loan order for $6,883,400 for the 3rd Street parking garage was referred from the Committee on Finance to the full council. — referred
Loan order for $6,883,400 for the 3rd Street parking garage was referred from the Committee on Finance to the full council. - 28:42 · Route 79 Corridor Construction Update
Director of Engineering Dan Aguiar provided an update on the Route 79 project, noting that it is about 90% complete. He detailed ongoing work on punch list items and safety enhancements for shared-use path crossings, which MassDOT agreed to reconstruct to original specifications. - 44:26 · Route 79 Land Development Plan
Ken Fiola briefed the council on MassDOT’s invitation to bid for the development of the 19-acre Route 79 corridor. Councilors expressed significant concern and disappointment that the city will not have a representative on the state’s proposal evaluation committee. - 1:30:06 · Appointment of City Administrator
The City Council confirmed the Mayor’s appointment of Ann O’Neil-Souza as the new City Administrator. - 1:30:29 · Confirmation of the appointment of Ann O’Neill-Souza as City Administrator. — approved
Confirmation of the appointment of Ann O’Neill-Souza as City Administrator. - 1:33:45 · A request to reconsider a zoning map amendment petition was accepted and placed on file, effectively granting the petitioner a refund. — approved
A request to reconsider a zoning map amendment petition was accepted and placed on file, effectively granting the petitioner a refund. - 1:34:36 · Former Police Station Update
A communication from the interim city administrator regarding updates on the former police station on Bedford Street was accepted and placed on file. - 1:35:24 · Handicapped Parking Ordinance
The council passed a proposed ordinance for handicapped parking through all readings with an emergency preamble. - 1:35:45 · Adoption of an emergency preamble for a proposed ordinance on handicapped parking. — passed
Adoption of an emergency preamble for a proposed ordinance on handicapped parking. - 1:36:11 · A proposed ordinance for handicapped parking was passed through all readings. — passed
A proposed ordinance for handicapped parking was passed through all readings. - 1:36:41 · A proposed ordinance for miscellaneous traffic was passed through first reading. — passed
A proposed ordinance for miscellaneous traffic was passed through first reading. - 1:36:41 · An order establishing a 1-year ad hoc school transportation committee was adopted. — approved
An order establishing a 1-year ad hoc school transportation committee was adopted. - 1:37:12 · Noise Pollution Ordinance Amendment
A resolution was adopted to have the Committee on Ordinances and Legislation review and amend the city’s noise ordinance to better define daytime violations and decibel levels. - 1:37:12 · A resolution to have the Committee on Ordinances and Legislation amend the city’s noise pollution code was adopted. — approved
A resolution to have the Committee on Ordinances and Legislation amend the city’s noise pollution code was adopted. - 1:38:33 · Population Estimates and Municipal Services
A resolution filed by Councilor Peckham to convene a meeting about the city’s population and its impact on services and funding was given leave to withdraw. - 1:38:33 · A resolution regarding population estimates and their impact on municipal services was granted leave to withdraw. — no_vote
A resolution regarding population estimates and their impact on municipal services was granted leave to withdraw. - 1:44:02 · Petition for curb removal at 89 McDonald Street was approved. — approved
Petition for curb removal at 89 McDonald Street was approved. - 1:45:41 · Open Meeting Law Complaint
The council received and referred to Corporation Counsel an Open Meeting Law complaint from School Committee member Collin R. Dias, alleging he was threatened and intimidated by Corporation Counsel Alan Rumsey before a previous meeting. - 1:45:41 · An Open Meeting Law complaint filed by Collin R. Dias was referred to Corporation Counsel. — referred
An Open Meeting Law complaint filed by Collin R. Dias was referred to Corporation Counsel. - 1:53:30 · Application for a building sign over a public way at 830 Globe Street was approved. — approved
Application for a building sign over a public way at 830 Globe Street was approved. - 1:55:18 · Application to hang election banners on South Main Street and Pleasant Street was approved. — approved
Application to hang election banners on South Main Street and Pleasant Street was approved. - 1:55:21 · Election Banner Placement
The council approved requests to hang election banners on South Main Street and Pleasant Street, but denied the request for Bedford Street due to the pending demolition of the old police station. - 1:55:31 · Application to hang an election banner on Bedford Street was denied. — denied
Application to hang an election banner on Bedford Street was denied. - 2:01:13 · A resolution to refer the issue of road conditions on Judd Street, Greenleaf Street, and Aruta Lane to the Committee on Public Works and Transportation was adopted. — passed
A resolution to refer the issue of road conditions on Judd Street, Greenleaf Street, and Aruta Lane to the Committee on Public Works and Transportation was adopted.