The Fall River City Council held a series of meetings on December 3, 2019, beginning with public hearings on five curb removal petitions for residential properties on Guild Street, Hanover Street, Lucille Lane, Slade Street, and Wood Street. During the hearings, councilors discussed technical requirements with city engineering guidelines and confirmed direct abutter notification procedures before closing the hearings.
The Committee on Finance then convened to consider a five-year personal property Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreement for SecZetta Inc., a cybersecurity firm relocating its headquarters from Newport, Rhode Island, to 1082 Davol Street in Fall River. Jason Hobart, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, explained that the company recently raised a $10 million Series A funding round and plans to relocate 23 jobs and create 70 new positions with an average starting salary of $60,000. Although the acting mayor expressed reservations regarding personal property TIFs, the TIF Board had voted 3-1 to recommend approval, enabling the company to pursue state tax credits through the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council. Councilors requested that language ensuring a local hiring preference through the Bristol County Workforce Investment Board and Fall River Career Center be explicitly incorporated into the agreement.
During the regular council meeting, the council adopted the SecZetta TIF agreement as amended with the local hiring preference. The council also processed routine business, including passing miscellaneous traffic ordinances to final ordination, approving auto repair shop licenses, adopting committee reports, passing personnel ordinances to a first reading, and referring a resident’s complaint regarding the feeding of stray cats to the Committee on Ordinances. Finally, the council voted to reschedule its next regular meeting from Tuesday, December 17, 2019, to Monday, December 16, 2019.
Topics discussed
- 0:36 · Curb removal requests
Public hearings regarding curb cut expansions at Guild Street, Hanover Street, Lucille Lane, Slade Street, and Wood Street. - 9:21 · SecZetta TIF Agreement Presentation and Discussion — approved
Presentation by Jason Hobart of SecZetta Inc. detailing their planned move to 1082 Davol Street, capital investment, job creation goals, and discussion regarding personal property tax exemptions and local hiring requirements. - 37:25 · Auto Repair Shop Licenses — passed
Approval of auto repair shop license applications. - 37:33 · Motion to approve auto repair shop licenses — approved
- 38:32 · Motion to adopt the minutes of the City Council public hearings held on November 12 — passed
- 38:44 · Stray Cat Feeding Ordinance Communication — referred
Discussion and referral of a resident’s communication seeking a restriction on feeding stray cats to the Committee on Ordinances. - 40:04 · Motion to refer resident communication regarding stray cats to the Committee on Ordinances — referred
- 40:35 · Personnel Ordinances — passed
Passage through first reading of personnel ordinances relating to municipal department staffing. - 40:53 · Motion to pass proposed personnel ordinances relating to board/department to a first reading — passed
- 43:31 · Traffic Ordinance Amendments — passed
Action on traffic ordinance changes recommended by the Traffic Commission, passing through readings and enrollment to final ordination. - 44:08 · Motion to pass miscellaneous traffic ordinance through final ordination — passed
- 44:10 · Rescheduling December Council Meeting — passed
Council discussion and adoption of an order rescheduling the next meeting from December 17 to December 16, 2019. - 44:30 · Motion to adopt order rescheduling City Council meeting to Monday, December 16, 2019 — passed