Fall River Now

Meeting summary The City of Fall River observed National POW/MIA Recognition Day with a memorial ceremony held at the veterans' monument park. The event opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, recognition of Mayor Paul E. Coogan, and an opening invocation delivered by Reverend Andy Stinson honoring the more than 81,500 American service members who remain missing and unaccounted for across foreign co...

Meeting summary The Fall River City Council Committee on Ordinances and Legislation met on September 22, 2026, to consider multiple traffic, parking, and administrative code amendments. After approving the August 11, 2026 minutes, the committee reviewed a slate of proposed handicap parking installations and passed the ordinance through all readings with an emergency preamble. The committee then ad...

Meeting summary On October 22, 2026, the One SouthCoast Chamber hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the relocation of the United Way of Greater Fall River to its new office at 141 North Main Street in downtown Fall River. Katie Green, Vice President of Marketing and Events at One SouthCoast Chamber, emceed the gathering, acknowledging ribbon cutting sponsor Mary Reynolds of Spectrum, cha...

Meeting summary The Fall River Board of Assessors met on November 5, 2026, with Chairman Richard Gonsalves, Nancy L. Hinote, and Richard B. Wolfson in attendance. The board opened the meeting at 10:30 a.m. and unanimously approved the open and executive session minutes from their September 30, 2026 meeting. Members then reviewed three monthly invoices and unanimously approved two monthly reporting...

Meeting summary The Fall River City Council Committee on Ordinances and Legislation met on November 10, 2026, chaired by Councilor Andrew J. Raposo. The meeting opened with citizen input from resident Janet Riley, who voiced strong opposition to a proposal from the Law Department to strike Section 2-33 of the city code, arguing that removing the council's established right to outside legal counsel...

Meeting summary The Fall River City Council met on November 10, 2026, conducting a series of public hearings, a Committee on Finance meeting, and a regular City Council meeting. During the public hearing and regular session, the Council discussed and ultimately adopted the FY2027 tax classification with a 1.75 tax shift, maintaining the city's policy of shifting the tax burden toward commercial pr...

Meeting summary The Fall River School Committee's Special Education, Alternative Education, and Early Childhood Subcommittee met on November 10, 2026, to review staffing requests, alternative education updates, alternative suspension programming, and an out-of-district placement contract. Special Education leadership presented requests for additional staffing driven by an influx of over 200 specia...

Meeting summary The Fall River Redevelopment Authority met on November 4, 2026, and approved several business items, including the monthly warrant of $414,321.85 and open session minutes from September 30, 2026. A substantial portion of the meeting was devoted to a presentation by consultant Emily Innes of Innes Land Strategies Group and Executive Director Sarah Page regarding the Pleasant Street...

Meeting summary On November 10, 2026, the City of Fall River and the Department of Veterans' Services held a remembrance ceremony at Miller Green honoring Corporal David Miller, a Fall River native and World War II veteran of the United States Army Air Forces. Miller survived the Bataan Death March following the surrender of allied forces in the Philippines in April 1942, but died in captivity as...

Meeting summary The Fall River Housing Authority held a regular meeting chaired by Vice Chairman David Underhill, with Commissioners Jason Burns and John Medeiros in attendance. Following roll call and standard procedural reading, the board accepted the minutes from the postponed October 8, 2026 meeting, approved the accounts payable vouchers, and accepted the management and monthly financial stat...

Meeting summary On November 9, 2024, the Massachusetts Army National Guard held a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the reopening of the Fall River Armory on Dwelley Street following an extensive modernization and renovation project. The renovated facility was rededicated in honor of Sergeant Robert J. Barrett of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, who was ki...

Transcript Welcome to Fall River Now. Here's your look at the week ahead in Fall River city government. The City Council meets Tuesday evening at 5:55 for a packed session led by major financial items and property matters. Councilors will hold the public hearing on setting the fiscal year 2027 property tax classification to establish the percentage of the tax levy carried by each class of real and...

Meeting summary The Fall River Board of Park Commissioners met on November 4, 2026, and approved multiple community requests, park use permits, and tree removals. Following the approval of the October meeting minutes, the board approved a request from Greater Fall River Recreation for the use of Kennedy Park on December 5 for the 42nd Annual Children's Christmas Day Parade. The board also granted...

Transcript Welcome to Fall River Now. This is our weekly recap for the week ending November 6, 2026, where we cover the most significant local government news. Topping the news this week, the Fall River Board of Assessors voted Thursday to back a 1.75 tax factor. Chairman Richard Gonsalves, Nancy L. Hinote, and Richard B. Wolfson attended the November 5 meeting, where they approved the factor foll...

Meeting summary The Fall River Conservation Commission met on November 2, 2026, to address multiple regulatory filings, enforcement matters, and ongoing policy development. Most active project hearings were tabled to allow for additional peer review and administrative coordination, including Notices of Intent for Weaver's Cove Industrial Park, Liberty Utilities, National Grid, and McAllister Towin...

Transcript Welcome to Fall River Now. Here's your look at the week ahead in Fall River city government. The Fall River Redevelopment Authority takes center stage Wednesday evening at 5:00. The board will vote on approving the November warrant for expenses and payments, and review the Pleasant Street and Flint Neighborhood Urban Renewal Plan with Innes Land Strategies for potential board approval....

Meeting summary The Ad Hoc School Transportation Committee held its inaugural meeting on October 29, 2026, electing School Committee Member Kevin Aguiar as chair following a viva voce vote. During citizen input, residents from Judge Street, along with a written statement from another homeowner, addressed urgent infrastructure and safety issues on Arruda's Lane. They explained that severe erosion a...

Transcript Welcome to Fall River Now. This is our weekly recap for the week ending October 30, 2026, where we cover the most significant local government news. Topping the news, the Fall River City Council met Tuesday to approve major municipal grants and address a snow removal deficit transfer. During the session, multiple residents from Grinnell Street spoke out during public input, warning that...

Meeting summary The Fall River Licensing Board held a meeting on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, chaired by Commissioner Melanie C. Cordeiro alongside Commissioner Michael Perreira, with Chairman Gregory Brilhante absent. Because only two members were present, applicants were notified that petitions required unanimous consent, or else could be tabled to the next meeting. Several one-day alcohol permi...

Meeting summary State, federal, and local officials gathered in Fall River for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the Route 79 urban boulevard project. Mayor Paul E. Coogan opened the event, introducing Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. Speakers celebrated the completion of the $115 million infrastructure project, which replaced an aging elevated expr...

Meeting summary The Fall River Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Board met on October 28, 2026, presided over by Mayor Paul E. Coogan. During citizens input, a written letter from resident Collin R. Dias was read into the record. Dias raised concerns regarding the structure and fairness of the TIF Board, specifically criticizing the formal board seat held by Jobs for Fall River (now operating as Brist...

Meeting summary The Fall River City Council held a public hearing, Committee on Finance meeting, and regular City Council meeting on October 27, 2026. During public input, multiple residents from Grinnell Street described decades of severe localized flooding destroying personal property, and a resident of New Boston Road reported an unexplained 50% drop in municipal water pressure. Acting Police C...

Meeting summary The Fall River City Council Committee on Health and Environmental Affairs met on October 27, 2026, to discuss the restoration of grocery transportation services for local veterans and seniors. Committee members Chair Michael G. Canuel and Councilor Linda M. Pereira were joined by Councilor Christopher M. Peckham, Sr., who arrived shortly after the start of the meeting. City Adminis...

Meeting summary The Fall River School Committee Facilities and Operations Subcommittee met on October 22, 2026, to address building projects, operational workflows, and facility planning. Under an amended order of business, member Collin R. Dias questioned a $10,000 expenditure for tree removal at the Wiley School, a vacant property the School Committee voted to return to the city over a year prio...

Transcript Welcome to Fall River Now. Here's your look at the week ahead in Fall River city government. The City Council heads into a packed Tuesday evening with major financial decisions on the table. Starting at 5:55 p.m., councilors take up four grant orders submitted by Mayor Paul E. Coogan totaling over seven point four million dollars. That includes five million dollars for the reconstructio...