2026-10-27 - City Council

The first item on the agenda is to approve the minutes from October 13, 2026. >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Motion made and seconded. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed, so voted. The next

item on our agenda is to meet with the finance department to discuss the surplus and disposition of 34 Briggs Street without objection. Invite Ms. DeMaranville to join us at the table. >> How are you?

>> I'm well, thanks. How are you? >> Thanks. >> Great. I see you're all loaded up with a presentation, so. Just a brief one. >> Yep. Name and role with the city for the record, please. >> So Christine

DeMaranville, Government Operations Administrator and Treasure Collector. >> Fantastic. Could you proceed at your discretion? >> Sure. So we're going to go through the, again, just a quick recap of

the tax title and the surplus of tax possession process. We went over on 9/8 as well as on 9/29, so we'll review that process quickly and then go through the designation of surplus request for 34

Briggs Street. So the way we, the city takes ownership through tax title is under Mass General Law Chapter 60. It's a very lengthy process as we mentioned before. It can take from 18 months to several

years for us to put a property through tax title and land court. Tax title is the last resort for the city. We don't want to be landlords. It generally involves multiple notices to the owners. We send

them the tax taking when it occurs. We send them multiple letters. They get some communications from our tax title attorney and there's plenty of documents that go back and forth. But basically it's a

lot of notifications to let these people know that they are overdue on their taxes. And it's just a fairness mechanism to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. So once we put the

property through land court and it becomes a tax possession is when it's foreclosed. So once it's foreclosed, the city actually owns the property. And once we own the property, we have two options.

The first is to sell the property through a real estate agent and the proceeds that we make after taxes and fees from the sale go to the former owner. Or we can retain the property for municipal

purposes. So the one we're discussing tonight is 34 Briggs Street. What we would like to do is surplus the property and sell it through a realtor. This will allow the city to recoup unpaid taxes and

fees. It'll also put the property back on the tax roll. It'll eliminate the eyesore in the neighborhood. You can see from the pictures that there's overgrown vegetation and a lot of other issues

inside the property. And it will also cease to devalue other properties in the neighborhood. So the motion tonight is we're requesting to approve 34 Briggs Street as surplus and sell it through a

realtor. >> Thank you so much. Questions or comments from the committee? >> I just asked one question. >> Sure. >> That's a multifamily, right? >> It is, three stories. >> Yeah, that was my only

question. >> Okay, great. >> Thanks. >> And we're at that place now. It's foreclosed, we own it, it's time to do something with it. >> Yeah, it foreclosed on July 7th, 2026. It had been in tax title

since December of 2018, so it's been a very lengthy process. >> And what is the current amount owed to the city? >> $83,000 as of today. >> And what do we think we can get for it? >> Unfortunately,

it's not completely vacated, which affects the sale price. So if we put it through a realtor, it's gonna be sold as is through pictures online, which affects the sale price. We're estimating about

250,000. >> Okay, so we get our 83, and the current owners get the balance. >> Less fees for legal fees and other things, and then the owner will get the difference. >> Okay, and the current

occupants, are they legal occupants? >> They are, it's the owner before the city just became the owner. And our law department is working on the vacate process. >> Okay, so they haven't left with the

property yet? >> Yeah, not yet, they're on the second floor. >> Okay, all right, unfortunate, yes. Anything from the remainder of the council? >> Council Carrera. >> Have we done a certified

appraisal? >> Yes, we have. >> We have, what is that amount? >> I believe it came back at about 185,000. >> Is that where we're gonna start? >> No, we're gonna start higher than that, cuz that's what

the realtor thinks we can get. >> But that will be our bottom. >> Yes, yeah, we wouldn't wanna go below that. >> Okay, thank you, Council Carrera. Council Partier. >> I don't know if Council Carrera

will have anything. I took it right by there, I'm all right. I took it right by there to just say, there's like a decrepit camper in the back. It looks really, really run down. And an extended way in

circumstances as well. It looks like there are four units behind, like 34 ABCD bricks, which are relatively newer homes. I'm sure they don't like looking at that every time they have to drive out on a

common driveway to get to the main road. So I certainly appreciate the city taking action on this. I'm sure the neighbors will be thrilled. So thank you, thank you for the presentation. You just

asked, did you have anything, Deb? >> No questions, thank you. >> Okay, seeing nothing further. >> Any further wishes of the committee? >> Motion to declare 34thburg Street Surplus and sell it to a

realtor. >> Second. >> Motion made and seconded. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor? Aye, opposed, so voted. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much, we are adjourned. >> Christine, please

come back to what it's all for, that'd be great. >> All right, good evening, everyone. Thank you for joining us. I call the meeting to order. If you could please join us in the pledge and remain

standing for the invocation. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice

for all. >> We shall pass this world but once, therefore, if there can be any kindness we can show, or any good thing we can do, let us do it now. Let us not defer and neglect it, for we shall not

pass this way again, amen. >> Roll call, please, Madam Clerk. >> And I will just inform the public that Council Car is attending via Zoom. And so we may have to take roll call votes. If there's a

situation where I can do something by agreement, we'll do it, or without objection, we'll do it that way. Thank you, Councillors. I'm sorry, roll call, please, Madam Clerk. >> Council Sanders. >>

Present. >> Council Betelia. >> Present. >> Council Duarte. >> Present. >> Council Carrera. >> Present. >> Council Schatz. >> Present. >> Council Pottier. >> Present. >> Council Car. >> Present. >>

Council McCall. >> Present. >> Council Martin. >> Present. >> Thank you, reading of the records from October 20th. >> Second. >> Second. >> Motion and second as stated by Councillor Pottier. Without

any objection, the motion is approved. And do we have any public input this evening, Madam Clerk? >> We have one. >> Motion open public input. >> Second. >> Without objection, there's a motion and

second to open a public input. Without objection, public input is open. JP. >> I hate to say this, but anyone. I respect all you guys a lot. I know a lot of people mess. I want to speak. Last week's

public input, I saw something I didn't like. It said people, your line, you have, Madam Mayor. People, not politics. It looks like to me, show favoritism to your friends. If you're able to do it,

it'll really come off. So we will go in the back, tell people, shut the camera off. Where people can speak. I'm important. I live all the time. My way, they're involved in many times they want to

speak up. They look like one person's doing. I saw how I feel inside. These people, not politics. P-E-N-P. I told one of the people I told you earlier. P-E-N-P. People, not politics, right? Your line,

that you'll use your campaign. Look to get all your friends elected. See your office, the senator, put in a seat wrap. All your friends are going to get in. We found, they say, dirt under your

opponents. He was against them. Is that fair? Anyone else? I don't want to talk bad about nobody. Respect everyone. Everyone, I speak from the heart. Every day I speak from the heart. Everything I try

to do, help all people. That's fortunate. I do care each one of you people on the council. I respect you a lot. I found an old pitcher. In 2010, he was running for the wrap. You remember that, Madam

Mayor? You remember the same wrap? I'll support you that time, back then. I do now. I respect everyone. Please, only I have a campaign. No dirty, nothing dirty. I'd say thank you. - Thank you, JP.

Without objection, public input is closed. And we will move on to communications from the mayor. We have a presentation for the final budget, the supplemental budget from the finance team. And I would

invite them to join us at the conference table. Give them a quick, if you could read the document into the record. - Sure, we have communication from chief financial officer, dear council president

Sanders, and members of the municipal council. On behalf of Mayor O'Connell, the finance department is pleased to put forward a balanced final fiscal year city budget of $336,405,283.70. This budget

is balanced, provides services, meets all contractual obligations, and satisfies legal obligation and fixed costs. Attached to this letter, you will find a budgetary breakdown in a presentation which

will present on October 27, 2026 in full council. - Thank you, Madam Clerk. Okay, if you guys could just take a moment to introduce yourselves and then begin your presentation. - Ian Ford, city

auditor. - Patrick Del Russo, CFO. - Christine DeBramble, government operations administrator and treasurer collector. - Well, Mayor O'Connell, city council, thank you for having us in tonight. We

have a very brief presentation that's pretty straight to the point. We would ask that we can go through the presentation and then we'd take any necessary questions after if that's okay with the

council. And so without further, we will just jump right in. - So here's the overall final 2027 budget. As she just stated, the amount is $236,405,283.70. Supplemental budget requests were closed out

on 9/24/26. This is a needs-based final budget. Once again, no layoffs, no service reductions. We fully funded the school's number for net school spending. We did not need a Proposition 2.5 override.

And as been the policy under Mayor O'Connell, we have another year of fully funded free senior trash bags. - So the FY27 revenue sources total $148 million. This includes our levy limits, 2.5% growth,

new growth, and debt exclusions with the exception of the debt exclusion that the mayor paid off to save the taxpayers money. - So here are a list of the supplemental requests we are requesting

tonight. It's all for the general fund. Nothing to increase the budget for water or sewer. The amount is $717,583. I guess we'll take questions after the fact on this. - Sure, I think something to

highlight on this account that's $717,583, $480,000 being proposed to go back into the reserve fund, which will bring that balance up to a million dollars. Should we need to access additional funding,

we'd have to come back to the City Council. And based upon our agreement with Council President Sanders, the supplemental budget expenditure requests, what you're seeing on this page here are the

requests that did not make it into the vote for this evening. These are additional supplemental budget expenditure requests, many of which are one-time payments. So you'll see some buybacks. You'll

see some retroactive arbitration awards. You'll see some retirements. These are all, and you'll see some areas where we're still having continued discussion with departments. In these cases here, this

isn't being asked to be voted tonight, but which is more of informational purpose for the council that we could be coming back to you at a later time to discuss these and discuss funding them in a

more appropriate way because these are one-time payments, one-time expenditures that should be used with one-time revenues. And here I think we're pointing out to the supplemental budget expense

breakout, we're doing all this even while the state, we face a third consecutive year of state aid cuts, a third consecutive year of the Commonwealth increasing our assessments more than increasing

our local aid. So that's something I think that's really important to recognize when we look at how much money that it costs to provide the wonderful services for our city, 141 million in education

requests, fully funded. Employee benefits, $75.9 million. Public safety, $47.6 million. The third highest paying CBAs and budgets per population in the Commonwealth. We're doing all this while the

state is not increasing its contribution to the community. - And this slide just goes with Patrick's slide with the pie chart which just breaks down each departmental type with salaries and wages to

get to the $33,336 million figure. - So we have two proposed motions before you tonight. The first motion is to approve the new expenditures as stated on slide four of the presentation. If we could

take that now, that would be great. - All right, all right, thank you both. And I will open it up to Council if there are any questions or comments. - Okay, seeing none, does somebody want to make the

motions? - Motion to approve the new expenditures on slide four. - Sorry. - Okay, so there's a motion and a second to approve the new expenditures as stated on slide four on a roll call vote. And once

we do the roll call, there is no, okay, I'm sorry. - On discussion. - On discussion. - I mean, I like what I see, but I have to vote no because I'm still looking for the $50,000 for an attorney for

the council. And until I see that, you will get a no vote from me. I mean, I know you can allocate a lot of money for different things, but $50,000 for the council, I think is minimal to have our own

attorney, thank you. - Okay, okay, if there's nothing else, Councilor McCall. - Yeah, with that being said with Councilor Hussain, Patrick, I know we requested that from the council. How come that

wasn't added into the supplemental budget this year? - So let me take this, believe it or not, what did not make it on the letter requested from the clerk of committees for the supplemental budget. So

we asked the department to submit request that the attorney for the council was not, to best of my knowledge, on that letter. - But we requested it during the budget hearings. - I understand that, but

it didn't make its way over to me. It didn't follow the process in which it would make it up for consideration. I think it's important to point out that that conversation should be had with the law

department, as I mentioned at the preliminary budget. Again, there's gonna be a million dollars in the reserve fund, so if that gets worked out between the council and the law department, it's not

like there's not funding available to it. I just wanna point that out. - Thank you, Patrick. - So from my understanding, when we had that discussion during, I'm sorry, going back and forth, may I just

wanna get this clarified because a few people have asked me about this. So you're saying that during the time that we brought this to your attention, the law department was supposed to act on this for

us? Or was that the responsibility of the council president? Or is that the responsibility for a councilor whole? I'm just trying to understand the process of this work. Because I know that I was one

of them that voted to have a lawyer for the city council, and I just wanna make sure we understand the process before I vote tonight. - Okay, I'm not sure if Patrick knows whose responsibility it is,

but-- - Would you know-- - Where did you get the information, I guess? - No matter, would you know the process? - I don't know the process of the council, no. - So again, as we stated in the

preliminary budget, how the council decides it wants to have that discussion with the law department, that's between the council and the law department. That's not something the finance department's

just not gonna arbitrarily throw money into something when the law department and the council is not necessarily in agreement on that. So what we've put forward as a balanced budget, despite state aid

cuts, we've funded everything that we need to do. And that's what the CFO's responsibility is on behalf of the mayor and the city. - Thank you, Patrick, thank you, Madam Mayor. - You're welcome, and I

will point out, I think there's been lengthy discussion between council and the law department on the issue of another attorney. So you can certainly have that discussion again, but it has been delved

into very deeply. - Councilor Cabrera. - Personally, I don't think, thank you, Madam Mayor, I don't think that the law department should be making the decision for the council to have an attorney. If

they wanna recommend something, I understand that, but they shouldn't be making the decision for us. The Town of Fall River has their own attorney, excuse me, the city. The city of New Bedford has

their own attorney, so it's being done. And I don't understand why we can't make that decision as a council. I'm sure the money is there, I'm sure you can come up with the money, Patrick. Why can't we

make the decision for our own attorney? - I think that's a discussion for the city solicitor. - If there's a motion to invite the city solicitor in, I mean, that discussion doesn't necessarily impact

what's in front of us here. - All right, so we will move on with the vote then, because I think we're getting off track here. Councilor Dewart. - Just one brief comment. My recollection, because we

did discuss it at length over several meetings with the city solicitor, and my recollection was that the council could not even come to a consensus on how that would actually even work, and so there

was nothing that would even be forwarded to the finance department for a sub budget. Thank you. - Thank you, Councilor. All right, so with that, Councilor Schatz. - I wanna step in. Thank you, I'm

here through you. In light of all the savings that you found by now back filling some positions, I believe it was $604,000, so this money's not an issue to fund that. I think it's a simple request. Is

there a mechanism that we could do that tonight and amend this? - Council cannot add money to a budget, you can only cut money from a budget. - No, but I didn't know if there was a way, I'm giving

this a dollar or so an opportunity to your administration to do that. - We would not entertain, we can't do it tonight, there's really not a mechanism to do it, but we would not entertain that at this

point, because there has been discussion at length with the city solicitor and there has not been any details worked out on how that would even work. The city solicitor is the attorney for the whole

entire city, for the city council, for the zoning board, for the planning board, for the whole entire city, as well as the assistant and the special city solicitor. - Thank you, Madam Mayor. And I

commend the work that you're doing upstairs there. We have an incredible law office upstairs, everyone that works in that department, but going forward, I think we've had a few requests for that from

the city council, other communities are doing it. More opinions or more legal ideas would be good to have, and I don't think it would be anything wrong with actually getting a second opinion. There

were lawyers that convened all the time, you go to courtrooms, there are multiple lawyers, I think if we could have an additional voice in the discussion, it would help. - Thank you, Councillor Shab.

Sorry, we are really getting off track now, so if you guys want to invite law back in, you can invite them back in, but this has been discussed at length. I don't know if people don't remember the

details and the reasons why, but we could probably get the-- - And then maybe we'll find a way to-- - The minutes out, okay, excellent. All right, so motion and second on a roll call vote, please. -

Councillor Martin? - Yes. - Councillor McCall? - No. - Councillor Carr? - No. - Councillor Cardio? - Yes. - Councillor Shab? - No. - No. - Council Duart? - Yes. - Council Patilio? - No. - And Council

Sanders? - Yes. - Okay, so it's five to one, so the motion does not pass. What does that implicate, what are the consequences of that, Patrick? - The consequences is that the city does not have a

final budget. These expenditures at this point are not approved, so the city will need to, I guess, reassess the next steps as to what, if any, steps do this. There is a mechanism in which we could

simply reduce local, there's a lot of what-ifs that have to get evaluated at this point. From being 100% us that we weren't prepared, obviously this is supposed to be the simplest vote the city does,

believe it or not. All the tax rates that the preliminary budget set, so this, I think, is a first. - Okay, but if there's no reconsideration and there's no funding for this, are there gonna have to

be cuts? - Yeah, all these expenditures here will not be-- - So that's an arbitration increase for the police, longevity pay for people-- - For the Fire Department, correct, so these contractual

obligations are not funded for the Fire Department, that's correct. So that's what it'll be, so that's surprising that the Council has taken this position. - Disappointing. - You know, $717,000,

quoting 500, the real vote that's on the table is in front of you is the $717,583. If, again, as was stated by Council Doer, though the city, to be responsible, you need an agreement as to what you

were gonna use your legal counsel for, right? We're not gonna just add money to a line item with, it's a blank check, that's completely irresponsible. Completely irresponsible, it just, we don't do

that for anything else, we don't. And you, the Council, couldn't come to a consensus as to what they were going to even use the legal counsel for, how it was gonna get applied, how it left the

application, what the standard for the use of the-- - Yeah, and honestly, that's not your argument or discussion to have. I think, you know, Council is trying to hold this hostage because they're not

getting an attorney, is irresponsible, and I would ask for a vote of reconsideration even if it's moved to next week or two weeks or whatever it is, because if this doesn't get funded, you've got a

whole bunch of employees that aren't getting paid. - That's correct, and again, I just, it's very, very, very disappointing. You see all these other communities around us falling and failing, and the

Council won't approve a balanced budget with $1717,583 in additional new growth. I frankly, I don't know what to say. I mean, maybe we should be experiencing problems like we have in Brockton, Fall

River, and New Bedford. It's very disheartening to see a team of people appear that don't have any interest in working out the details between the law office and the Council. That's not my

responsibility. We balance the budget again, despite state A cuts, despite 20% increases in health insurance over the last two years, and we can't get a vote on $717,000. - Thank you. - You guys

should be disappointed. - Thank you. - Council Schatz. - Still taking a comment? Thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you, and I appreciate what you've done. It was a simple request. It was requested back

when we had the initial discussions. I'm sure we can find a way, especially if there was a reconsideration vote, to add that $50,000 line item to the budget. Thank you, Madam Mayor. - Well, are you

going to do the reconsideration vote, or? - Consider it. If in two weeks, if that's, yeah, I'll make that motion. - I can't, I don't think it's appropriate for me to sit here and say yes, I'll give

you something if you make that motion. So I think if you want to make the motion, you make the motion. - I'll make a motion to reconsider it in two weeks. - Thank you. Can we get a second? - Second. -

Motion and second to reconsider the previous motion in two weeks on a roll call, please, Madam Clerk. - Yeah, someone has to hit up down there. - Oh, excuse me. - Council Carrera. - Yeah, for a while.

We don't, the council doesn't please what you have the law office do, do we? You tell them what you want them to do. You don't have to run it by us, is that correct? - I think I've been stated

publicly that we would put funding forward if there was an agreement worked out with the law office and the council. So we've stated that publicly numerous times. - Yeah, and again, this isn't, you

know, we're talking about the supplemental budget right here. If you guys want to have a discussion about something else, you can do that within the next two weeks would be the appropriate time to

have that discussion. - Madam Mayor. - Council call. - Council Car has a hand up. She's trying to get your-- - Council Car, Council Car. - No, thank you, Madam Mayor. So I just have a couple of

questions. Can this slide that was presented to us tonight be changed within the next two weeks and voted a different number? Is that legally okay to do? - The council can only reduce. They cannot add

and they cannot transfer funding between a proposed expenditure request or appropriation request. - Well, I think the question is can it be changed not necessarily by council? - Yes, it can. - So

there would be nothing to stop the administration from putting a $40,000 legal fee for council on here and the amount being 1757 next time. - No, it would be the same number. We're just, the only way

to do that inside of this number would be to reduce the amount of money you're putting in the reserve fund. So that 480 would drop by buying a like amount in the scenario you're describing. - Okay, so

then apparently the council needs to come to some kind of an agreement with the law order. - Council Car, if I could, that is gonna be a discussion that you can have in the next two weeks tonight.

It's really only about the supplemental budget that's before us. And right now there's a motion on the table for reconsideration. So if we can get that motion done, then council at the end or next

week can put on the agenda, whatever it is they wish. - Okay, so I was going to suggest that the maker of the motion add for the council to meet with the law office next week regarding this request,

so. - I think it has to be a clean motion for reconsideration. You can make some other motion at another point in the meeting, perhaps under new business and-- - Okay, that's fine. We'll make it

later, okay? - Okay, thank you, all right. So if we are ready, we have a motion for reconsideration on the floor on roll call vote, please. - Council Sanders? - Yes. - Council Betelio? - Yes. -

Council Dewar? - Yes. - Council Carrera? - Yes. - Council Schaffes? - Yes. - Council Pardia? - Yes. - Council Car? - Yes. - Council McCall? - Yes. - Council Martin? - Motion passes. - Okay. - And what

is the second motion that needs to be made this evening? - It's irrelevant now. - It's irrelevant now, okay. - It's irrelevant. So then we'll just move on from this. Is that, okay, okay. All right,

thank you. - Thank you. - All right, so we will move on to appointments. And the first appointment, I just want to point out to council, it says two years, it should be five years. Thank you. So I

would ask the clerk reads it to read in five years and if council would, if they approve it, would approve the five year term, please. Madam Clerk? - I have a communication for Mayor Shauna O'Connell.

Dear Council President Sanders and members of the Municipal Council, I am writing to formally submit the reappointment of Mr. Lawrence Sylvia residing at 75 Joshua Lane to the Taunton Redevelopment

Authority for a five year term expiring October, 2031. This mayoral appointment is subject to approval by the Municipal Council. - Motion to approve. - Second. - Motion and second to approve. Honor

roll call, please. - Council Martin? - Yes. - Council McCall? - Yes. - Council McCall? - Yes. - Council Pardier? - Yes. - Council Schall? - Yes. - Council Carrera? - Yes. - Council Dewart? - Yes. -

Council Betelio? - Yes. - Council Sanders? - Yes. - Motion passes, thank you. And page four, please. - I have another communication for Mayor Shauna O'Connell. Please be advised that I am reappointing

Julie Pelletier of 27 Garfield Street of Taunton to serve as a commissioner on the Taunton Housing Authority for an additional five year term expiring in October, 2031. - Motion to approve. - Second.

- Motion and second to approve. Honor roll call, please. - Council Sanders? - Yes. - Council Betelio? - Yes. - Council Dewart? - Yes. - Council Carrera? - Yes. - Council Schall? - Yes. - Council

Pardier? - Yes. - Council McCall? - Yes. - And Council Martin? - Yes. - Motion passes, thank you. Communication from city officers on page five, please. - We have a communication from Chief Financial

Officer, Dear Council President Sanders and members of the Municipal Council. The Finance Department and Department of Public Works respectfully request to come before the Department of Public Works

Committee to review the needs of the wastewater enterprise fund. We plan to have our engineers from beta in attendance to discuss capital needs of the department. We would ask this meeting be held on

December 8th, 2026. - For the DPW committee to set it up. - Motion and second to refer to DPW committee without objection. Page five is referred to DPW committee. - I have another communication from

the Chief Financial Officer. The Finance Department would like to respectfully request ratification of an inventory and tagging policy to be included in the city's consolidated financial policies. We

ask that this matter be taken up in the committee of the whole on November 10th, 2026. - Refer to the committee of the whole. - Second. - Motion and second to refer to the committee of the whole.

Without objection, the matter is referred to committee of the whole. - I have a communication from the city solicitor. Dear Council President Sanders and members of the Municipal Council. As you know,

the council voted to appoint Captain Eric Nichols to the position of chief of police effective November 1st, 2026. In order to finalize the terms and conditions of the police chief's employment

contract, we are requesting that the Municipal Council hold an executive session during its Tuesday, October 27th, 2026 meeting. We suggest that the executive session could occur at the end of the

regular council meeting. The purpose of this executive session under the open meeting law is to conduct strategy sessions for negotiations with non-union personnel or contract negotiations with non-

union personnel. - Thank you, Madam Clerk. So we will, I think, make that motion or one of the councils can make that motion after we're done with everything else. - I have a communication from Great

Taunton Area Allied Veterans Council. Dear Mr. Sanders, on behalf of the Greater Taunton Area Allied Veterans Council, we request the honor of the presence of members of the Taunton City Council at

the annual Veterans Day ceremony starting at 11 a.m. on Taunton Green, followed by ceremonies at Church Green. - Thank you, Madam Clerk, for informational purposes. And we have one petition. - We have

a new petition for hours of operation license. It's DDO New England LLC doing business as Taco Bell, located at 2318 Bay Street Taunton. - For the Police and License Committee? - Second. - Motion and

second to refer to Police and License Committee without objection. The matter is referred to Police and License Committee. Committee reports. - Goodbye, title approved. And recommendations adopted by

committees, including last week's Committee of the Whole, which met at the end of the general meeting. - Second. - Second. - Motion and second. The motion, as stated by Councilor Potier, is approved

without objection. - Madam Clerk, I do a roll call on that just to be safe. - Okay, sure, no problem. A roll call has been requested. So, I want a roll call vote, please, Madam Clerk. - Councilor

Martin. - Yes. - Councilor McCall. - Yes. - Councilor Karr. - Yes. - Councilor Potier. - Yes. - Councilor Schabb. - Yes. - Councilor Carrera. - Yes. - Councilor Dewar. - Yes. - Council D'Italia. -

Yes. - And Councilor Sanders. - Yes. - Okay, thank you. Councilor Potier, do you have any others under Committee reports? - I'll also. - Okay. - I said Madam Mayor, I'll say. - Okay, thank you. And

so, there's nothing else until new business. Are there any motions under new business? Councilor Patilio. - I make a motion that the City Solicitor meet with the City Council to discuss the City

Council appropriation for our own attorney and set up the guidelines for the Council attorney. - Second. - For next week. - Motion and second, realizing that the next Council meeting is on a Monday

morning. - Oops, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I made that in two weeks. - Thank you, Madam Mayor. - Okay, motion and second. Honor roll call, please. - Councilor Sanders. - Yes. - Council D'Italia. - Yes. -

Council Dewar. - No. - Council Carrera. - Yes. - Council Schatz. - Yes. - Council Cardier. - Yes. - Council Card. - Yes. - Council McCall. - Yes. - And Council Martin. - No. - Okay, 7-2 rather, motion

passes. Okay, and so, Council Sanders, did you wanna make the motion for Executive Session? - Sure, I move that the Council retire to Executive Session in order to address the agenda item previously

mentioned. - And will the Council be returning to Open Session? - We will not. - Okay. - I'll second that motion. - There's a motion and a second for Executive Session on roll call vote, please, Madam

Clerk. - Council Martin. - Yes. - Council McCall. - Yes. - Council Car. - Yes. - Council Cardier. - Yes. - Council Schatz. - Yes. - Council Carrera. - Yes. - Council Dewar. - Yes. - Council Betelio. -

Yes. - And Council Sanders. - Yes. - Motion passes, the Council will be in Executive Session.