• Fall River Now — Week Ahead, July 6, 2026
    Jul 6 2026

    Transcript

    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.

    Fall River Now generates content via AI, like this podcast. Check FallRiverNow.com for more information.

    In this episode

    • Conservation Commission @5:30 p.m.
    • Fall River Public Schools Grievance Subcommittee @4:30p.m.
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    2 mins
  • Fall River Now — Weekly Recap, Week Ending July 3, 2026
    Jul 3 2026

    Transcript

    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.

    Fall River Now generates content via AI, like this podcast. Check FallRiverNow.com for more information.

    In this episode

    • Pothole Reported at Corner of Stevens Street and Brayton Avenue
    • Large Pothole on Eastern Avenue Reported
    • Potholes Reported on Augustus Street
    • Pothole Reported Near North Eastern Avenue
    • Fall River City Council Rejects FY2027 Budget, Votes No Confidence in CFO at June 30 Meeting
    • Fall River Board of Health Votes to Mandate Suspensions for Tobacco Sales to Minors on June 29
    • 6.26.2026 Licensing Board
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    2 mins
  • Fall River Now — Week Ahead, June 29, 2026
    Jun 29 2026

    Transcript

    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.

    Fall River Now generates content via AI, like this podcast. Check FallRiverNow.com for more information.

    In this episode

    • Board of Health @3:30 PM
    • Special Meeting of the City Council @ 5:30 p.m.
    • Board of Park Commissions @5:30 p.m.
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    2 mins
  • Fall River Now — Weekly Recap, Week Ending June 26, 2026
    Jun 26 2026
    Transcript 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. Fall River Now generates content via AI, like this podcast. Check FallRiverNow.com for more information. In this episode 6.18.2026 Zoning Board of Appeals6.24.2026 Transitional Living on Rock Street Project Press Conference6.24.26 Redevelopment Authority6.24.2026 - Summer Evenings in the Park AnnouncementFall River Council Approves $501,300 for Preservation Society, Confirms AppointmentsFall River City Council Rejects FY27 Budget, Recommends ReductionsFall River City Council Approves Key Appointments, Contracts, and Ordinances6.23.26 Fall River City Council6.23.26 Fall River City Council - Ordinances and Legislation6.23.2026 Fall River School Committee - Special MeetingResident Reports Damaged Road at Elm and Durfee Streets6.22.2026 Fall River School Committee - Special Education, Alternative Education Early ChildhoodFall River City Council Postpones Vote on Community Maintenance Director, Addresses Legal Counsel and Traffic OrdinancesFall River City Council Confirms Community Maintenance Director, Debates Legal Action Authority6.20.2026 - Relay for Life of Greater Fall River - Opening Ceremony Survivor LapPothole Reported Near Crestwood Street in Fall River
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    3 mins