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Welcome to Fall River Now. Here's your look at the week ahead in Fall River city government.

The City Council has a packed agenda for its meeting Tuesday evening at 5:55. Mayor Paul E. Coogan is seeking approval for a loan order of nearly six-point-nine million dollars for repairs and maintenance at the Third Street Parking Garage. Also up for a vote is a one-point-four million dollar appropriation from surplus funds to cover Fire Department salaries; that item was previously objected to in June.

The council will also consider appropriating more than three hundred and thirty-one thousand dollars from the Opioid Stabilization Fund. Other financial items include establishing a new fund for public access and cable television, with an initial appropriation of more than five hundred and eighty-six thousand dollars for FREDTV and FRCMedia. Several proposed ordinances are on the docket, including changes to salary schedules for city executives and new rules for solid waste collection.

On Thursday at 5:30 p.m., the Zoning Board of Appeals will hear several significant development proposals. One applicant is seeking a variance to demolish an existing structure and construct a five-story, twelve-unit apartment building. Another request asks to convert a former automotive repair shop into an eight-unit dwelling. The board will also consider a special permit for a medical spa to offer tattoo services.

Kicking off the week, the Fall River Housing Authority meets Monday at 4:30 in the afternoon. The board is scheduled to vote on contract awards for site improvements at the Stanley and Ray Streets and Cory Row developments. Commissioners will also consider change orders for elevator and fire alarm system projects at other properties, and will vote on an updated agreement with the Fall River Joint Tenants Council.

The Licensing Board meets Wednesday at 5 p.m. to discuss alleged license violations at Sosabi Restaurant. The board will also revisit several tabled applications, including a request for a new all-alcohol license from New Asia One on South Main Street.

The Traffic Board meets just before that, on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The board will consider requests to make Field Street and Oliver Street one-way. It will also review seven new applications for handicap parking spaces across the city.

The Board of Library Trustees will meet Tuesday at 1 p.m. The agenda includes a discussion of an Open Meeting Law complaint and several items related to a public records request for meeting minutes dating back to 2020.

Other meetings include the Southcoast Public Health Coalition on Wednesday at 2 p.m. to review its budget proposal for the next fiscal year. And on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., the City Council Committee on Public Works and Transportation will take up a previously tabled request for a curb removal on California Street.

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Welcome to Fall River Now. This is our weekly recap for the week ending July 10, 2026, where we cover the most significant local government news.

Topping the news, a major downtown redevelopment project received a big boost this week. On Thursday, state officials announced one-point-five million dollars in state housing tax credits for the Durfee Block project at 84 North Main Street. At the event, Mayor Paul Coogan and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll were among the speakers who highlighted the project's goal of creating new housing and commercial space.

Also this week, the Braga Bridge is shining a lot brighter. A new LED lighting system on the bridge was officially activated at a ceremony on Tuesday. Though rain moved the event indoors, officials celebrated the modern, energy-efficient system, which can be programmed with different colors for special occasions.

The Fall River Planning Board honored longtime member Mario Lucciola for his service at its meeting Wednesday. The board also voted to delay a decision on the Spring Street roadway reconstruction plan until its August meeting. The delay was requested by the applicant to allow more time for soil testing.

At the Conservation Commission meeting on Monday, a proposed marina expansion drew some concern. Commissioners heard about potential navigation issues related to the project. Several other ongoing items were tabled pending further information from applicants, including tree replacement work on Bell Rock Road.

The School Committee's Grievance Subcommittee met Tuesday. The group held a brief public meeting before going into a private executive session to discuss administrator bargaining.

On city streets, residents were active reporting problems this week. The 311 system saw an increase in complaints about potholes, with new reports of road damage coming in for areas near Weetamoe Street, New Boston Road, and North Eastern Avenue. Residents also reported yard waste clogging a drain on Valentine Street and a large depression in the road near Orchard Street that creates puddling and icing hazards.

Looking ahead to next week, a number of public meetings are scheduled. The Fall River Housing Authority will meet Monday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. On Tuesday, the Library Board of Trustees meets at one p.m., and the City Council holds its regular meeting at 5:55 p.m. at Government Center. Then on Wednesday, the Traffic Board meets at four p.m., followed by the Licensing Board at five p.m.

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Welcome to Fall River Now. Here's your look at the week ahead in Fall River city government.

First up, the Conservation Commission has a very full agenda for its meeting tonight, Monday, at 5:30 p.m. Many of the items were carried over from last month's meeting.

Several large-scale projects are up for review. McAllister Towing is seeking approval to repair and replace a bulkhead, elevate parts of its site, and dredge its terminal basin on Shaw Street. National Grid and Weaver Cove Industrial Park are proposing to separate existing transmission lines onto new monopole structures, running from the Sykes Road Substation to the Somerset border over the Taunton River.

Also on the agenda, Liberty Utilities wants to install about 222 feet of a new gas main on Jefferson Street. And Weaver's Cove Industrial Park has filed a plan for the after-the-fact restoration of areas where vegetation was cleared on New Street.

The commission will also take up some policy matters, including a discussion on adopting a new fee structure and a review of outstanding enforcement orders in the city. Other items include a request to clear land for future development near Bristol and Monadnock streets, and a proposal for vegetation management along the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad right-of-way.

On Tuesday afternoon at 4:30, the Fall River Public Schools Grievance Subcommittee will meet. The agenda indicates the subcommittee plans to go into a closed executive session. The purpose of that private meeting is to discuss strategy related to collective bargaining and grievances with the Fall River Administrator's Association.

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Welcome to Fall River Now. This is our weekly recap for the week ending July 3, 2026, where we cover the most significant local government news.

Topping the news this week, the Fall River City Council voted to reject the mayor's revised budget for fiscal year 2027. The vote took place at a special meeting on June 30th, the final day of the fiscal year. The council also passed a vote of no confidence in Chief Financial Officer Emily Arpke. The meeting highlighted ongoing conflict between the council and the city administration over the budget.

Also this week, the Board of Health voted to mandate suspensions for businesses that sell tobacco products to minors. At its meeting on June 29th, the board also unanimously approved five applications for the keeping of animals.

In response to a heat wave, Mayor Paul E. Coogan's office announced that the city has opened two cooling centers for residents. The centers are open from Thursday, July 2nd, through Saturday, July 4th. Locations and times are available on the city's website. Officials are advising residents to stay hydrated and check on their neighbors.

The city’s Licensing Board met on June 26th and approved a new license for beer and wine sales for Highland Pizza. The board, chaired by Gregory Brilhante, tabled three other items for future consideration.

On the city's 311 reporting system, residents filed several complaints about potholes. Reports mentioned deteriorating pavement at the corner of Stevens Street and Brayton Avenue, and on stretches of Eastern Avenue and Augustus Street.

Looking ahead, the Fall River Public Schools Grievance Subcommittee has a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 7th. The meeting will be held at four-thirty p.m. in the School Committee Conference Room.

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Welcome to Fall River Now. Here's your look at the week ahead in Fall River city government.

The city's finances are the focus of a special City Council meeting on Tuesday evening at five-thirty. Councilors will take up the Mayor's revised proposal for the Fiscal Year 2027 municipal budget. The discussion will center on the General Fund Appropriation Order. The meeting will also include time for citizen input.

First up this week, the Board of Health meets this afternoon, Monday, at three-thirty. The board will hold a public hearing on a proposed regulation to restrict the sale of tobacco products. The hearing includes time for review, discussion, and a potential vote on the new rules.

Also on the health board's agenda are five applications from residents seeking to keep animals. Those requests come from addresses at 175 Sprague Street, 377 Quincy Street, 66 Merritt Street, 266 Glasgow Street, and 2123 Highland Avenue.

On Wednesday, the Board of Park Commissioners will meet at five-thirty. They'll consider a request to hold a weekly Farmers Market in Kennedy Park every Saturday morning from July through November. Another proposal is for a wedding ceremony at the Kennedy Park Pavilion on July eleventh.

The board will also review a request from Victory Church to hold a basketball tournament in a city park on August fifteenth. Commissioners will also revisit approvals for the Fall River Pickleball League and a Skate Park Celebration at Lafayette Park. The discussion will focus on whether to allow business vendors to sell wares at those events, in addition to food trucks.

Finally, the commission will hear two requests from residents for tree removals. One is for a tree at 99 Moore Street and the other is for a tree at 139 Montgomery Street. According to the agenda, the city's Tree Department has confirmed that both trees warrant removal.

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Welcome to Fall River Now. This is our weekly recap for the week ending June 26, 2026, where we cover the most significant local government news.

Topping the news, the City Council rejected the mayor's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 municipal budget in a contentious meeting on Tuesday. The council first made large cuts to the Emergency Medical Services budget before voting down the overall city budget. The spending plan will now return to the mayor's office for revision.

In other major financial news from city government, the council approved an appropriation of just over half a million dollars in Community Preservation Act funds for the Fall River Preservation Society. The order passed with eight votes in favor.

The Fall River School Committee held a special meeting this week, approving several key leadership positions. The committee appointed a new Director of Special Education and confirmed contracts for new principals and vice principals at multiple schools. The superintendent also reported on a recent professional development retreat for district leadership.

Also in schools, a subcommittee reviewed proposed new start and end times for several alternative education programs, including the Evolve Academy and Ascend Virtual School. The changes are aimed at improving services for the next school year.

The Fall River Redevelopment Authority met on Wednesday, approving a payment warrant totaling over forty-one thousand dollars. The board also heard updates on the city's Urban Renewal Plan.

City officials announced this week that an old rooming house on Rock Street is being renovated into a transitional living facility. The project will also include apartments on the first floor.

On a community note, organizers announced the launch of the sixth annual 'Summer Evening in the Park' series. The free concert events are organized by the Narrows Center for the Arts.

This week, the City Council's Committee on Ordinances and Legislation approved several new traffic rules, including new handicap parking spots and parking restrictions near a school.

Two scheduled meetings were canceled this week: the Community Preservation Committee meeting on Monday and a Licensing Board meeting on Tuesday. However, the Licensing Board did hold a meeting on Friday afternoon.

Residents flagged a couple of road hazards this week through the city's 311 system. One report described the road caving in around a grate at Elm and Durfee streets, while another noted two large potholes on North Eastern Avenue.

Looking ahead, construction is scheduled to begin on the north side of Columbia Street and will continue through late August. Other construction phases are planned for Columbia Street in September.

The city has announced several Food Truck Festivals at the Gates of the City, scheduled for July seventeenth and August fourteenth.

And next week, the Fall River Board of Health will hold a virtual meeting on Monday, June twenty-ninth, to discuss regulations restricting the sale of tobacco products.

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