City / Town Governance

The New Bedford Board of Election Commissioners has announced that Wednesday, June 5, 2013 is the deadline to register to vote in the Special State Election for United States Senator in Congress as well as to notify the Board of Elections of any change in voter name or address.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- The United States Department of Energy will recognize the City of New Bedford at a clean energy economy summit in Washington, D.C. this week. The Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson will recognize New Bedford along with two other cities nationwide for its leadership in advancing clean energy economy and for its accomplishments through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). The other two cities are San Antonio, Texas and Savannah, Georgia.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- The City of New Bedford has announced it will request “expressions of interest proposals” from qualified developers for the rehabilitation, operation and management of the vacant historic building located in Hazelwood Park in the City’s South End.

Budget Holds Line on Spending; Puts Money Into Rainy Day Reserve Proposes Major Reorganization of City Government New Bedford, Massachusetts—Mayor Jon Mitchell presented a $263 million fiscal year 2014 City Budget on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Mitchell signaled he would continue his no-frills spending approach in this year’s proposal, his second since taking office in January 2012.

New Bedford, Massachusetts-City officials announced today they will take down a neon sign of Paul Revere on horseback that is visible from I-195 in New Bedford to prevent irreparable damage to the structure and for safety reasons.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- The Alliance for Community Media has selected New Bedford Cable Network (NBCN) to receive a national award for the daily educational program, “Homework Helpers.” The live show is produced and filmed by NBCN staff and is hosted by New Bedford Public Schools teachers who provide real-time guidance to students.

The City and Refuse District are helping you make the most of your spring cleaning tasks with four upcoming events. Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day will take place on April 27th from 9 a.m. to noon at the Crapo Hill Landfill. Call for directions or visit www.gnbrrmdistrict.org.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- Mayor Jon Mitchell today announced the availability of a new online feature on the City’s website that enables neighborhood residents to submit photos and complaints regarding problem properties directly to the Mayor’s Neighborhood Task Force. The Task Force is a multi-departmental team that has been working for more than a year to crack down on nuisance properties owned largely by absentee landlords, to improve the quality of life in New Bedford neighborhoods.

The City of New Bedford will celebrate the kickoff of National Community Development Week on April 2, 2013 at 9:30am at the New Bedford Art Museum, 608 Pleasant Street, New Bedford, MA 02740.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- Applications are now available for parents to register their children to participate in the Kennedy Summer Day Program operated by New Bedford Parks Recreation & Beaches.  This summer program is an opportunity for children to engage in a variety of sports, games, crafts, environmental education, and outdoor fun while making new friends.  Activities include beach and swim time, special visitor programs from the National Park Service, Buzzards Bay Coalition, and many more.

The City of New Bedford, the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District and Doc Shredding Corp. are partnering for a paper shredding day in downtown New Bedford.  The event will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon).

New Bedford, Massachusetts- Today, Wednesday, March 13 at 5:00pm, the City of New Bedford, through the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), will launch CitiWorks, a neighborhood improvement min-grant program for eligible neighborhoods citywide.  The program will be introduced at an informational session at the Office of Housing and Community Development, 608 Pleasant Street, New Bedford.

I find it tragic and extremely disappointing that your newspaper, the regions only daily, thinks that “news” of every kind should be reported on with extreme bias. The people who subscribe to the Standard Times deserve better.

New Bedford, Massachusetts-The New Bedford Health Department will conduct an emergency preparedness drill on the morning of February 21, 2013 at Normandin Middle School during the week the school is closed for winter vacation.  A previous drill was conducted in March 2012 at the Roosevelt Middle School.  The Massachusetts Department of Public Health requires communities to conduct periodic exercises in accordance with Homeland Security emergency preparedness guidelines. 

Ward 3 is a diverse area of the city. It contains a wide range of properties. Industrial, commercial, residential; areas span the spectrum from Rockwell-ian suburban splendor to inner city two and three family housing, abandoned tenements, vacant mill space, and also encompasses the majority of the city’s public housing developments.

Sunday - 02/17/2013 - The city of New Bedford announced a city wide snow emergency parking ban that was to take effect as of midnight last night.

The parking ban will be in effect for 48-hours unless lifted or further extended by officials.

The City continues to address the after-effects of the storm.  Public safety agencies continue to respond to storm-related incidents.  The Police Department and Emergency Medical Services have now responded to close to 1,300 requests for assistance since this past Friday afternoon.  The New Bedford Fire Department has now responded to more than 250 calls for downed lines, fires, and other emergencies. 

New Bedford, Massachusetts- Mayor Jon Mitchell released the following statement addressing the City’s efforts to recover from the 2013 Blizzard--

The City’s Emergency Response

A State of Emergency in the City of New Bedford remains in effect.  The after-effects of the winter storm continue to threaten the health and safety of City residents.  The New Bedford Fire and Police Departments continue to receive calls for assistance with a variety of storm-related emergencies.  Police and Fire units have also begun recovery efforts, including traffic management and hydrant clearing.  The Police Department continues to enforce the city-wide parking ban which will remain in effect until noon on Tuesday, February 12.  Residents are asked to comply with the ban so that plowing can be completed as soon as possible.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- Mayor Jon Mitchell joined mayors from across the state in Boston today to discuss ways to mobilize constituents and communities behind common sense gun reforms.  Led by Boston Mayor Tom Menino, the group of mayors are members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG).  MAIG is a coalition of more than 800 mayors nationwide and has more than a million supporters.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell took additional steps to address the deteriorating weather conditions and anticipated impact of the blizzard. As of 12:00 Noon today, February 8, 2013, Mayor Mitchell declared a state of emergency in the City of New Bedford because of the threat to New Bedford residents posed by the blizzard. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick issued a similar statewide declaration of emergency and has banned cars from roadways beginning at 4:00 p.m. today.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- Mayor Jon Mitchell today announced the appointment of David Waxler, Esq. as Special Counsel to lead the City’s efforts to inform and influence the decision-making of the Environmental Protection Agency on matters related to the historic $366 million AVX settlement agreement.  As Special Counsel, Attorney Waxler will help develop policy, review regulations, and evaluate legal documents related to the remediation effort.  Attorney Waxler will also assist in coordinating input amongst various city departments and agencies as well as with state, and federal partners and the public.

Attorney Scott W. Lang, the former Mayor of the City of New Bedford, will be speaking at the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee meeting on Friday, January 11. Lang’s discussion will focus on the South Coast Rail project and other Massachusetts infrastructure projects. 

**New Bedford Parking Ban Lifted** Sunday 12/30/12

The City of New Bedford has announced a snow emergency parking ban to take effect in residential areas as of 7:00 p.m. and as of 11:00 p.m. in the business districts on Saturday December 29, 2012. The parking ban will remain in effect for 48-hours thereafter, unless lifted or further extended by City officials. The parking ban is designed to allow City workers to efficiently remove snow from New Bedford roadways to allow public safety vehicles and residents to travel safely.

As you open your new holiday treasures, consider recycling your cardboard. Cardboard is important to recycle because it is valuable and banned from the landfill. During this season there are often large cardboard boxes at the curb.

The holidays can be stressful and they also stress the environment. Buying gifts means lots of packaging. It also means there are used items that are no longer needed. The Greater New Bedford Refuse District offers suggestions to conserve resources for the holidays and make celebrations greener.

New Bedford Parks, Recreation and Beaches will host a Winter Wonderland Holiday Open House on Saturday, December 8th from 3pm-5pm at the Andrea McCoy Recreation Center located at 181 Hillman St. The event will include winter craft activities, holiday card making, winter-themed sports activities, holiday music, hot chocolate, and tree lighting at 4:30pm. All activities are open to the public and are offered free of charge.

At a press conference in Yarmouth, Massachusetts today, Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Richard K. Sullivan Jr., awarded a Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grant to the City of New Bedford for the Harborwalk Project—a project to develop a recreational pathway atop the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier that will offer scenic views of Buzzards Bay.

At a press conference today, AHA! and the City of New Bedford announced plans to present City Celebrates! New Year's Eve 2012, an evening of exciting and engaging programming area families can enjoy on December 31st in the downtown New Bedford historic district. New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell announced that Bristol County Savings Bank and Southcoast Health System will sponsor New Bedford’s City Celebrates New Year’s Eve 2012.

In an effort to encourage everyone to do their holiday shopping in New Bedford, the City is offering a special Holiday Parking Program. Effective Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2012 through Tuesday, January 1, 2013, the City of New Bedford will offer FREE 2-hour parking at metered spaces in both the Downtown and on Acushnet Avenue and 2-hour FREE parking at the Elm Street Garage, the Zeiterion Garage and Custom House Square!

There is a new face at the helm of ORCTV, the cable access station serving Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester. Mattapoisett resident Don Cuddy has been chosen from a list of candidates as the station’s new executive director. Cuddy,59, is leaving his position as an award-winning staff writer for the New Bedford Standard-Times to take at over the station. He replaces former director Kim Miot.