The Fall River City Council voted Oct. 28 to accept and adopt a supplemental Community Preservation Act (CPA) appropriation totaling $148,000 for fiscal 2026, including $130,000 earmarked for a full roof replacement at the Little Theatre and $18,000 for the Corky Club.

Supporters told the council the Little Theatre has an aging slate roof that has leaked for years and was worsened by storms this summer. "You have a roof that's leaking right now," Michael Farrios, a Community Preservation Committee (CPC) member, said to the council, arguing that deferred maintenance and repeated patchwork repairs now require a full replacement.

The council heard detailed explanations from CPC members about the emergency request. John Brandt, CPC chairman, explained the theater missed the regular September 2 application deadline and filed as an emergency; the committee found that a recent storm and resulting interior damage met the hardship criteria. Alexander Silva, a council-appointed CPC member, described efforts underway to formalize emergency criteria and create a rubric for future applications.

Several councilors raised concerns about fairness and precedent, noting the CPC receives dozens of applications and limited funding. One councilor said the project’s history—estimated maintenance costs and prior repairs—made the emergency designation unclear; another councilor pressed whether insurance proceeds or the theater’s fundraising would offset the award.

CPC members said applicants must provide multiple contractor quotes and that projects receiving CPA funding still require appropriate historic-commission review. Michael Farrios said the Little Theatre has spent thousands on temporary repairs and that the request is for a full replacement to preserve a historic structure and protect technical equipment used in productions.

After discussion, the council adopted the order to place the CPC communication on file and to appropriate the requested funds. The motion carried on voice vote and subsequent roll call in favor; the CPC reported the recommendation to the council was the product of a committee vote.

The CPC chair and city staff said the committee will continue work to clarify emergency guidelines so future applicants and the public have a transparent standard for emergency funding.

Notes: The appropriation is for FY2026 and covers two historic resource preservation projects: $130,000 for Little Theatre and $18,000 for Corky Club. The council and CPC said funds will be administered with usual project oversight, including verification of bids, contractor selection procedures (CPC requests three bids and typically favors lowest responsible bidder), and historic-commission approvals where applicable.