[0:04] evening call the meeting of October 3D

[0:07] to order Madam clerk would you please

[0:09] call the role of the

[0:12] council councilman foger yeah Council

[0:15] vice president R go yeah councilwoman

[0:17] Susa yeah council president Rodricks

[0:21] here and councilman Lawson is is home

[0:24] ill today he um kind of fought through

[0:27] the meeting last night with the with the

[0:30] bad cold but um called today to say that

[0:34] going to stay home and try to get strong

[0:36] for next week's meetings this hopefully

[0:39] looks like a brief

[0:41] agenda let the record show there are

[0:44] four members present councilman Lawson

[0:48] is is home

[0:50] ill you please rise for the

[0:56] pledge and uh Miss kakas would you lead

[0:59] us in the pledge

[1:16] [Music]

[1:23] thank you know I didn't wanted to put

[1:25] you right on the spot like

[1:28] that that's my pen

[1:31] what that's all right it's a rough

[1:36] group thank

[1:38] you so without um objection I would move

[1:44] at this time move up on the agenda this

[1:46] time a special

[1:48] Proclamation

[1:50] and sure there is no no objection and so

[1:55] those of you which is all of us who know

[1:57] uh East Providence know East Providence

[1:59] high school and our student Athletic

[2:04] program I'm good to see principal of the

[2:06] high school Willam black is here tonight

[2:09] uh thank you for for coming you know

[2:12] that um on top of the academics of

[2:15] course that goes number one but uh

[2:17] Athletics is Big County Athletics is Big

[2:21] nothing is bigger than our unified arts

[2:26] program and unified students and the

[2:29] other Associated programs the partners

[2:32] club uh we have some dedicated students

[2:36] who work together to make sure that

[2:39] everybody is included and it takes more

[2:42] than just the kids being active and and

[2:45] suppor is it it takes a leader it takes

[2:48] a coach takes a teacher and when

[2:51] Statewide they recognize you as the

[2:54] coach of the year no matter what sport

[2:58] it is whether it's

[3:00] the big four baseball football

[3:02] basketball soccer whatever it is they're

[3:05] all equal and we have one of the best

[3:08] here tonight and when you are the coach

[3:11] of the year of a special student program

[3:15] that is probably a little bit above

[3:17] everything else so we want to issue a

[3:22] special Proclamation and while I do that

[3:26] however I would like to ask coach

[3:28] Kristen kudak if you would please come

[3:30] up to the podium on my left as I and if

[3:35] you want to be accompanied by principal

[3:37] Bill black I would appreciate that too

[3:40] because I want people to know the

[3:41] support of our high school principal is

[3:45] second to

[3:47] none and this is a city council

[3:49] recognition Award presented to the Rhode

[3:52] Island Coach of the Year coach Kristen

[3:56] kakis and teams have won championships

[3:59] that that's the last thing I know that

[4:01] you are looking for but everybody wants

[4:03] to win right everybody still wants to

[4:06] win and you guys are winners before we

[4:10] um make the presentation I'd ask all

[4:12] council members if you want to say

[4:14] anything um councilman Rigo helped me

[4:16] toh sponsor this and uh it's been

[4:19] haunting the principal about it and said

[4:21] you better be at the meeting we were

[4:23] going to do it last week but there was a

[4:25] game at the high school so we we waited

[4:28] councilman do you want to add anything

[4:29] thing uh yes thank you Mr President uh I

[4:32] just like to congratulate your

[4:34] accomplishments what you've done with

[4:35] your teams through the years is

[4:37] outstanding uh you bring a lot of Joy to

[4:39] the kids you make them feel part of that

[4:42] Community uh and I'd like to also thank

[4:45] my good friend the principal Bill black

[4:48] for everything that you're doing over at

[4:50] the high school with this program and

[4:52] everything else but congratulations

[4:54] coach and an outstanding job that you've

[4:56] done with all your

[4:57] teams and councilman oh absolutely um

[5:01] the dedication and the work you do is uh

[5:04] unfall because being a referee for over

[5:06] 20 years of the Special Olympics and the

[5:08] teams to see you guys put the work ethic

[5:11] in that you do is such a a a joy for me

[5:15] and the City of East Providence and to

[5:16] be a part of it so thank you for all you

[5:18] do and not least uh

[5:28] councilwoman

[5:30] season we have the opportunity to attend

[5:33] the celebration with all the athletes

[5:35] here at City Hall and it was great to

[5:37] see the rest of the coaching team also

[5:39] present who also do a phenomenal job day

[5:42] in day out including the athlet so thank

[5:44] you very much for your dedication love

[5:46] and support to our and two other things

[5:51] Ben why don't you join up H the uh

[5:53] platform please because you're a main

[5:55] part of this whole

[5:57] program and I I want to say a spot apart

[6:02] from the Athletics I have seen many

[6:06] times uh coach kakis uh affectionately

[6:10] called by colleagues and some students

[6:15] cudy not the way when I was a kid we

[6:17] would say that to other

[6:21] kids but walking the C is of the high

[6:25] school uh coach kakis I think you know

[6:29] just about every student all 16,700 of

[6:33] them pretty close and they all high-five

[6:36] her when she walks by and she has a good

[6:39] word to say about about most of them

[6:41] that goes for principal black we've got

[6:43] a great team at the high school so with

[6:46] that if we would like to congratulate

[6:48] you I would bring this proclamation to

[6:50] you and how about a round of

[6:58] applause

[7:20] I'd like to first thank the uh city of

[7:23] East Providence and of course um my

[7:28] friend Mr Rodrick thank you so much for

[7:30] acknowledging and um reminding me to

[7:33] show

[7:34] up I even got a text message today so it

[7:39] was during school

[7:43] hours I'll I'll admit you didn't answer

[7:45] it till after two

[7:47] o'clock with that um it's just an honor

[7:51] to coach and to be with um our students

[7:55] every single day and being at the high

[7:57] school um it's a great environment and

[8:00] the staff and the students really

[8:02] believe in our school and our community

[8:06] and I thank you very much for your

[8:08] continued

[8:09] support and positive energy you send our

[8:12] way thank

[8:19] you and Mr Black never a Man Without

[8:22] Words would you like to offer

[8:26] anything all right I have a long speech

[8:28] here C man that's all right we were here

[8:31] late last night and no uh thank you for

[8:34] this recognition to the council um coach

[8:38] does an amazing job and her staff does

[8:40] an amazing job with our student athletes

[8:43] uh it's great that Ben's here with us

[8:44] tonight but um it's just uh it's such a

[8:47] community that they've created within

[8:49] our high school community that makes it

[8:51] special you see a lot of our teachers

[8:53] show up a lot of our students uh all

[8:56] show up to support our students in these

[8:58] games and um it's just really exciting

[9:01] that not only the success that they've

[9:03] had but just the feeling I think we all

[9:05] get in the gym um when we're at these

[9:07] events so we encourage the city to

[9:09] attend these events um between

[9:11] volleyball and basketball we got some

[9:13] pretty special players so thank you

[9:14] tonight for recognizing us we appreciate

[9:17] that thank you we've come this far Ben

[9:19] do you want to add anything no come on

[9:22] Ben come on Ben she's the best coach

[9:28] yeah

[9:32] and we we all like pictures so if you

[9:34] would come and stand in the front here

[9:36] and maybe Mary you could take a picture

[9:38] of the group anyone is welcome

[9:49] to look at Big Ben in front of me I love

[9:52] it Ben's gonna be

[9:58] powering

[10:07] long

[10:15] time thank you

[10:28] awesome

[10:42] would you guys come back for the budget

[10:44] hearing next week we need we need some

[10:46] Applause

[10:47] smile thank you for coming obviously we

[10:50] will not feel bad if you leave we know

[10:53] you all have busy weeks and busy days so

[10:55] don't feel like you got to stay another

[10:57] minute thank you for coming

[10:59] thank

[11:09] you I was kidding you could have stayed

[11:11] a couple

[11:15] minutes at this time uh rver back on the

[11:19] dock and pursuant to uh Island general

[11:22] LS 42-

[11:24] 46-5 a and two uh we will meet

[11:30] hopefully briefly in in

[11:32] executive session we will be discussing

[11:35] considerations related to the

[11:37] acquisition of real property for public

[11:40] purposes wherein Advanced public

[11:43] information would be detrimental to the

[11:46] interest of the public and as always no

[11:48] votes will take place and any anything

[11:52] that

[11:54] is taking place in there will be

[11:57] reported out when we get to that point

[11:59] in the doet so is there a motion to uh

[12:03] move to Executive session Mr President I

[12:06] move to Executive session under the laws

[12:08] of the State of Rhode Island thank you

[12:11] motion made by councilman Rego seconded

[12:13] by councilman Lawson all in favor say I

[12:17] I fog I'm sorry get along though yeah

[12:22] all in favor it's unanimous y we will go

[12:25] to Executive session thank

[12:27] you

[22:27] what motion is in order return to public

[22:32] session and to seal the minutes of the

[22:34] executive session make a motion to

[22:37] return to public SE uh return to public

[22:41] session and to seal the minutes of the

[22:45] executive session of the East Province

[22:47] City Council on October 3rd 2023 second

[22:52] motion by Council vice president rioo

[22:55] seconded by councilman fogy all in favor

[22:59] I any opposed the eyes have it four is

[23:02] zero Madam clerk can please resume the

[23:05] agenda under consent calendar we have

[23:07] the council journal's regular meeting

[23:10] September 12th

[23:11] 2023 Council Mee September 19th 2023 and

[23:15] September 26

[23:17] 2023 we also have um tax abatements in

[23:21] the amount of

[23:23] $1,893

[23:26] 184 motion on the consent

[23:30] calendar motion to approve the consent

[23:32] calendar is

[23:34] R second second motion by councilwoman

[23:37] soua seconded by councilwoman Rigo to

[23:39] approve the consent calendar all in

[23:41] favor I I any opposed guys have it for

[23:45] to zero thank you next

[23:47] item you have um a consideration for

[23:51] motion to bonsel licenses C1 to

[23:55] C3 um we have a one- day entertainment

[23:58] license license for Ocean State

[24:01] ballet um an application for a bingo

[24:05] license for Sacred Heart Church and a

[24:09] business license Sundays and holidays

[24:11] for Prime commoms LLC on Newport

[24:15] Avenue motion to accept bundo item

[24:19] license numbers excuse me C1 to

[24:21] C3 motion by councilman Rigo seconded by

[24:25] councilwoman Souza to bundle licenses C1

[24:28] to C3 all in favor I I any opposed the

[24:32] eyes have it motion approve the

[24:36] bundle second motion by Council ran soua

[24:39] second by councilman fogy to approve the

[24:41] bundle as read all in favor I I any

[24:45] oppos the eyes have that 4

[24:48] Zero have a public hearing application

[24:51] for additional hours to open 24

[24:54] hours applicant for Cumberland Farms at

[24:58] 125 Newport

[25:01] Avenue thank you the applicant name is

[25:04] Laura Sal vuci is applicant president or

[25:07] representative it come up to the podium

[25:10] to my left thank

[25:15] you and just identify yourself for the

[25:19] record

[25:20] please thank you Mr

[25:22] President Miss hean for Cumberland

[25:26] Farms

[25:33] Al set you can Pro proceed uh with your

[25:35] requests so members of the council uh

[25:38] this Cumberland Farms location is

[25:39] located on Newport Avenue they have

[25:41] another location on Pucket Avenue in the

[25:44] city of East Providence that location

[25:46] does hold the license that we're

[25:47] applying for today this is the newer of

[25:50] their two locations it it's been open

[25:52] for about a year um almost to the day uh

[25:56] fall of last year this opened there was

[25:59] some confusion on Cumberland Farm's part

[26:01] back when this uh business originally

[26:04] opened where they applied for this

[26:07] license but failed to appear for the

[26:09] hearing uh at that time the solicitor

[26:11] and I I wasn't involved I got brought

[26:13] into it um rather than file a motion for

[26:16] reconsideration or anything along those

[26:18] lines they decided that they would just

[26:20] wait um and O operate the business so

[26:23] that you could get a sense of how the

[26:25] current operation was running and what

[26:28] impact it had if any on the surrounding

[26:30] area so they currently operate from 6:00

[26:33] AM to 1: am and they're seeking the

[26:36] ability to operate um at a 24-hour

[26:40] location they have 48 locations in Rhode

[26:43] Island 27 of those locations possess the

[26:46] extended hours license that allows them

[26:48] to operate from that time uh I'm not

[26:52] here today certainly it wouldn't turn it

[26:54] down if you were inclined to approve

[26:56] their request um they want to be a good

[26:58] neighbor obviously kumel and Farms is a

[27:00] long-standing business not just in Rhode

[27:03] Island but throughout our region they're

[27:05] not going anywhere um and they're happy

[27:07] to do this sort of incrementally or even

[27:09] on a probationary basis I think your

[27:11] ordinance makes it probationary anyways

[27:14] um but wanted to get a sense of the

[27:17] concerns uh wanted to listen if there

[27:19] are neighbors here today to speak out

[27:20] against it um see if we can address

[27:23] those concerns uh I know that um traffic

[27:27] was a concern previously I do have a

[27:30] traffic study that was prepared back

[27:31] when this was originally um permitted

[27:35] that I could submit to you for the

[27:36] record that demonstrates there's no

[27:38] change to the level of service and I

[27:40] know there are um concerns with any late

[27:44] night business there's always concerns

[27:45] about

[27:46] loitering um you know Cumberland Farms

[27:49] in general the new model Cumberland

[27:50] Farms that get built are very bright um

[27:53] places they try they certainly don't

[27:56] tolerate any loitering it's not good for

[27:57] their business um it's not what they

[28:00] want to um certainly not what they put

[28:02] up with not what they attract they make

[28:04] sure that their clerks are charged with

[28:07] monit I mean first of all there's video

[28:08] surveillance right it's not a small

[28:10] operation but their clerks that work

[28:12] there are charged with making sure

[28:13] people are moving uh not lingering get

[28:16] their gas get their products uh and that

[28:18] they move along on their

[28:21] business often when I've worked on um

[28:24] stores and gas stations why do you want

[28:27] to open those late hours so I'll go off

[28:30] on a little tangent here even though

[28:31] he's gone but uh you're so lucky to have

[28:34] Bill black as the principal of your high

[28:36] school I'm not saying that because he's

[28:38] my

[28:39] cousin I'm saying that because you stole

[28:41] him in another life I was the chairman

[28:43] of the school board in Providence and Mr

[28:46] Black was teacher and he was uh we made

[28:48] him vice principal and then his first

[28:50] position as principal's job we were

[28:52] Furious when he left to come to East

[28:54] Providence but he made a comment he

[28:56] asked me what do you hear from for and I

[28:57] said I was here for this and he's like

[28:59] good I won't have to wait for my coffee

[29:01] in the morning because I guess he gets

[29:02] there just before they open at 6 so we

[29:05] target our demographic for those late

[29:07] hours are people that work a late shift

[29:09] when they get off um I'm sure we've all

[29:12] been in a place in our lives where we've

[29:13] been out later than exp we didn't have

[29:15] time to get the bread didn't have time

[29:17] to get what we needed for lunch the next

[29:19] day for the kids it's for people who

[29:21] need that it's for the First Responders

[29:23] the hospital workers the nursing home

[29:24] workers people that get off late it is

[29:27] not for vagrants and loyers I know there

[29:30] are concerns and I've talked with my

[29:32] client about that um that there have

[29:35] been some changes different

[29:37] establishments they're not going to

[29:39] tolerate that to this point it's not

[29:40] been an issue um I checked in with them

[29:43] but certainly we've not um required any

[29:46] sort of police presence for any sort of

[29:48] loitering or having to move people along

[29:51] our clerks are trained to notify law

[29:53] enforcement um they're trained to

[29:55] monitor for nuisance we're sensitive to

[29:58] that we know that's what your

[29:59] constituents um are sensitive to um but

[30:02] we'd like this to be an asset we're

[30:04] hopeful to work with you and start that

[30:06] conversation tonight um if there's

[30:09] anything that we can do to make sure

[30:10] that um anything that we don't address

[30:12] or haven't addressed uh through the

[30:14] current operation is dealt with we're

[30:16] happy to do that um but we are hopeful

[30:19] that we could have the same license that

[30:21] we possess at our other East Providence

[30:23] location and the majority of the

[30:25] locations that we have throughout the

[30:26] state

[30:27] some of those locations that don't

[30:29] possess the license um many towns don't

[30:32] just don't provide for it they don't

[30:33] have it in ordinance um others don't

[30:36] have the level of uh vehicular traffic

[30:39] for gas and and those needs that we have

[30:41] in in this location um but I'm happy to

[30:45] answer any questions you might have I'm

[30:46] happy to listen to folks who came out

[30:48] here today and a hope is that we could

[30:50] work together to um you know work

[30:53] towards this 24-hour liis we're happy to

[30:56] do it incrementally

[30:57] um if that is something that's more um

[31:00] palatable um but hoping that it's

[31:03] something that we can progress

[31:04] towards thank you for for that opening

[31:07] this is a public hearing which I will

[31:10] open up to the council first and uh

[31:14] defer to the ward one uh council member

[31:18] at at at this time uh councilman rioo do

[31:21] you want to uh startop when

[31:24] comments uh yes thank you Mr President

[31:29] since being on this console since

[31:31] January of this

[31:32] year this is the most phone calls I've

[31:35] received on any issue that has faced the

[31:40] community my ward in the city in

[31:46] general and as a prior note my first

[31:49] house was right behind there on Vermont

[31:52] Avenue 20 something years ago when we

[31:56] moved

[31:57] the

[31:58] community what the original zoning was

[32:01] and what it was changed

[32:03] for wasn't what the people in that

[32:06] neighborhood in that surrounded

[32:09] area in this map signed up

[32:14] for the 70 phone

[32:18] calls the 25 plus

[32:21] emails don't want it those people live

[32:25] there every day yeah hardworking

[32:28] people and I am going on the record as

[32:32] the councilman in that Ward that I will

[32:35] be voting no for any extended

[32:39] hours thank you councilman anyone else

[32:43] on the

[32:44] council this time uh there it's an

[32:46] extended public hearing so you can come

[32:48] back later and comment after we hear

[32:50] from anyone else um I I would make a

[32:53] couple of General comments uh I would uh

[32:57] um I appreciate the fact that you you're

[33:00] willing to possibly do this on an

[33:03] incremental basis I think that that

[33:06] helps um my observations and I've been

[33:09] there several times I have a family

[33:12] member in the area and I I go there

[33:15] often and I've been inside the store it

[33:17] is everything you said it is new it is

[33:21] big it is bright it is it is clean

[33:23] there's plenty of parking a heck of a

[33:26] lot better than what we had there

[33:28] before and I live near the other one

[33:31] that you mentioned in the Kent Heights

[33:33] area and that has been wildly popular uh

[33:37] with with everyone and they had a little

[33:39] struggle at first with with zoning and

[33:42] then eventually they prevailed and were

[33:44] able to expand it to the uh very nice

[33:48] spot that it that it is now at the

[33:50] corner of wo Trail in Pucket Avenue so I

[33:54] I as far as the business goes I I think

[33:57] it's it's a great business uh Newport

[34:00] Avenue is a busy street to say the least

[34:04] I I don't know that this would make it

[34:06] any busier I don't think it can get much

[34:09] busier but I understand what councilman

[34:11] Rigo is saying uh I'm not adverse

[34:15] to you open now at six I don't have a

[34:17] big problem if you opened at five I

[34:20] think most people especially working

[34:22] people are up at that time uh I don't

[34:26] see that as a as a major problem in in

[34:30] my life I have worked different shifts I

[34:34] remember working a night shift once

[34:37] and it opened up my eyes that there is a

[34:42] a different world out there not

[34:43] everybody is 9 to5 not everybody works

[34:46] in an office not everybody works in a

[34:48] school uh there are all kinds of jobs

[34:52] out there so there there is a need uh

[34:54] for for some people I have off off

[34:59] hours so I could I could see that how

[35:02] would an hour hurt if they if you

[35:04] started at 5:00 a.m. um just drive go to

[35:08] the high school early some mornings I'm

[35:10] going to the high school around that

[35:12] time and traffic is out and about you I

[35:16] look down to the highway as I go over a

[35:18] lot of times there's a traffic backup so

[35:21] the world is up and and about at at 5:00

[35:25] a.m. um if they need gas or a cup of

[35:29] coffee or whatever it is up to people so

[35:32] I'm not adverse uh to that I they're

[35:35] open at 6 what's what's another hour at

[35:38] 5: and we we see how it goes but with

[35:41] that um I would open up the public

[35:44] hearing if there if anyone is here today

[35:46] unless did you want to add before the

[35:48] public speaks yes thank you Mr President

[35:51] one thing that I didn't address that

[35:54] maybe the other the the 24 hour hour

[35:57] store in the other section of East

[35:59] Providence and maybe the other locations

[36:01] that might be 24 hours and our police

[36:04] Chiefs here tonight he can attest that

[36:07] we have a problem a half a mile down the

[36:10] road they might not be standing at the

[36:13] Cumberland Farms but

[36:16] unfortunately those unfortunately and

[36:18] unfortunately for the people who are

[36:20] staying at the

[36:21] hotel they have mental issues drug

[36:26] issues I get constant complaints from

[36:30] people living in the neighborhoods at at

[36:32] all sorts of hours people going through

[36:34] we have a lot of C breaks we've had

[36:37] numerous C breaks in the area it it's

[36:40] tied there the chief can attest that

[36:43] that's probably one of the top areas

[36:44] that he has to send his Patrol offices

[36:47] there to the point where they go in

[36:49] there and they have to Lysol themselves

[36:51] off afterwards the issue yeah maybe C

[36:55] and Farms do a good job job of you know

[36:57] saying get off our property but when

[36:59] they leave the property now we have

[37:01] issues in the neighborhood at 2: 3 in

[37:04] the morning of people who are

[37:06] intoxicated walking or people who are on

[37:08] drugs and unfortunately they have issues

[37:10] that Society isn't taking care of but

[37:13] the people in no streets shouldn't have

[37:16] to suffer because of a corporation

[37:19] wanting to stay open 24 hours I will

[37:21] move to deny the

[37:24] license okay well before entertaining

[37:27] motions I want to have the public

[37:28] hearing and we'll we'll hear from people

[37:31] I my my only reply would be that I I

[37:33] don't know that these people that you

[37:35] speak of from 5 to six are going to all

[37:38] run to cuming farms and cause a a

[37:41] problem the neighborhood problems is

[37:43] something else you know that we need to

[37:45] address the police but is there anyone

[37:48] here that would like to uh speak on this

[37:50] issue please come forward and just give

[37:54] your name and address for the record

[37:56] please

[38:07] Susan Darin 84 coil

[38:11] Avenue I came last year to the hearing

[38:15] for 24 hours was very much opposed for

[38:18] all the reasons that were

[38:20] mentioned um but this year I want to

[38:23] tell you what I've noticed over the past

[38:26] year with Cumberland Farms being

[38:28] opened uh past 10 pm at night and open

[38:33] in the morning

[38:35] and there are more cars speeding down

[38:38] coil Avenue they're coming out of

[38:40] there's a cut through now in the parking

[38:43] lot and they are speeding up and down

[38:45] coil and this is a risk for our children

[38:48] that are out on the street uh Quil

[38:50] Avenue is the neighborhood that is

[38:53] directly parallel

[38:55] to it's not power got to come down uh to

[38:59] the Calin

[39:01] Farms um there are many trucks and SUVs

[39:05] with backup beepers that I hear they're

[39:08] backing up like at midnight I hear

[39:10] trucks backing up um so there are noise

[39:13] there is noise there car alarms are

[39:15] going off over there um and including

[39:20] people yelling which could be the

[39:22] Rumford Motor Lodge because I know that

[39:25] now they have a place to go to get their

[39:27] snacks um at 5:00 a.m. or after 10 p.m.

[39:33] uh we had a situation on coil um where

[39:36] we had a woman laying naked in in one of

[39:39] our neighbors front Lawns um until the

[39:41] EMTs came

[39:44] together um there's been the biggest

[39:48] thing for me is there's been an increase

[39:50] in trash not only on the street but on

[39:53] lawns there there's even been trash bags

[39:55] in my driveway

[39:56] and I know it's not a result of trash

[39:59] day because it doesn't only happen on

[40:00] Monday and I'm literally picking up

[40:04] wrappers like the tops of cigarette

[40:06] boxes or gum

[40:09] or little bags of Fritos individual bags

[40:13] or brown trash bags that are full

[40:18] of and I I wish I had saved it all and

[40:20] brought it to show you so you can see

[40:22] that you know it's it is as a result of

[40:25] C

[40:27] now I think that if it's open 24 hours

[40:29] all of the above is going to increase

[40:31] exponentially and I think that we are

[40:33] going to have more of the Motor Lodge

[40:36] people walking up and down our streets

[40:38] because we have it now and because they

[40:41] have a 24-hour place to go I don't even

[40:43] like the 5 am because I believe that the

[40:46] 5 AM is a way to sneak through to

[40:49] eventually being 24 hours so I think

[40:52] that 6:00 a.m. to 10: p.m. is

[40:55] enough hour in the day to conduct

[41:01] business excuse me um and I the only

[41:06] thing that I I haven't addressed but Mr

[41:07] rgo did is we've had a lot of carburs so

[41:10] you know

[41:11] I

[41:15] changed when I moved to runford over 20

[41:18] years ago it was a nice quiet M did

[41:22] understand that Newport Avenue could be

[41:23] developed but I didn't realize it would

[41:25] be

[41:26] expense of my neighbors my quality of

[41:29] life been woking up I don't know if you

[41:32] can wake up at

[41:33] midnight and then easily go back to

[41:35] sleep or you hear a door slam or you

[41:38] hear a hole or you hear someone yelling

[41:41] um for me it could take hours and I I

[41:44] have to be up at 6: am because I go to

[41:46] work every

[41:47] day um and again I don't like having to

[41:50] come home from work at six o'clock at

[41:51] night I Pi I'm trashed on my

[41:55] y

[42:02] don't want it I talked to my neighbors

[42:04] we don't want it and I don't think a

[42:06] Year's made a difference and I don't

[42:07] think another Year's going to make a

[42:13] difference thank you appreciate you

[42:15] coming out anyone else would like to uh

[42:20] speak on this from the area or from

[42:25] anywhere

[42:27] uh back to the council uh councilman R

[42:31] go before we um take a motion did you

[42:33] want to add anything or no I'm I'm good

[42:35] so just for the for the sake a navo

[42:39] would be denying the license so the

[42:41] request is for 24 hours so a n vote a n

[42:45] vote is to deny the license deny the

[42:49] when we're voting it's it's not

[42:52] um well what's right here

[42:55] Mike

[42:58] right right now on the what the vote

[43:00] block says your motion would be to deny

[43:04] so you have to vote nay on

[43:06] that we going off the vote block Mike

[43:09] right so if we vote nay the Nays would

[43:13] deny the

[43:14] license no so we're not going off the

[43:17] vote blocks all right so all right I

[43:21] just wanted to be clear on that because

[43:22] we've had confusion in the past so uh I

[43:25] make a motion to deny Cumberland Farms

[43:28] the 24hour

[43:31] license motion yeah I thought I did the

[43:34] public hearing is closed there was no

[43:36] one

[43:38] yes oh

[43:40] sure we will admit the uh traffic study

[43:43] as part of the council record which was

[43:46] done when when the

[43:49] initial so the motion is to deny the

[43:52] 24-hour request motion by councilman

[43:57] weo second by

[44:00] councilman fogy and I I will um support

[44:05] the the motion for the 24 hours if they

[44:09] come back and they want to look at one

[44:12] hour earlier you know I'm certainly open

[44:14] to that but tonight what's before us is

[44:16] the

[44:18] 24hour uh request and I I think that and

[44:22] this is just part of discussion on the

[44:24] motion I think some of the concerns that

[44:26] that you made ma'am are are very valid I

[44:29] see more of them being

[44:31] towards the alleged problems with the

[44:34] motel and the and the police in the

[44:37] neighborhood can work on that I don't

[44:39] want to be in a position where we're

[44:41] blaming and farms for those problems

[44:44] because I I do think they've been a very

[44:46] good business in our city but I

[44:50] understand what you're saying and those

[44:51] are areas that we have to look at but

[44:53] anyway the motion is made and seconded

[44:56] uh Madam clerk want to I'm sorry comment

[44:59] by you um so I uh agree both ways so I I

[45:05] understand where councilman vice

[45:07] president's coming from and just

[45:10] concerns and I

[45:11] thinkig in listening and hearing to you

[45:15] know the people who live in of the dayto

[45:18] day um would it be nice for others in

[45:21] the city to have access to somewhere

[45:23] that's 24 hours that may be closer than

[45:25] going all the way up to Avenue um

[45:27] absolutely um but that's you know you

[45:29] don't live in that area so it's hard for

[45:31] you to judge how people feel when it's

[45:33] not in your backyard I do appreciate the

[45:36] conversation um and bringing to the

[45:37] cable the ability to um be flexible and

[45:41] wanting to hear the um work with the

[45:43] resid always a good sign of business um

[45:47] in the city and I would encourage that

[45:50] that still take place you know and I

[45:52] know that that's probably something that

[45:53] you and your client will do so I

[45:55] appreciate those continued efforts um

[45:58] but for the reasons that have been

[45:59] stated from the public and our

[46:02] councilman and again I thank anybody who

[46:04] comes up to the council and speaks

[46:07] publicly on behalf of what really

[46:10] concerns them and um things that they

[46:12] expect their Council to listen to is um

[46:15] really important I thank you for coming

[46:17] out tonight that that takes a lot of

[46:20] Courage for a lot of people to stand up

[46:21] here before us and before live audience

[46:24] or um screaming they say how they feel

[46:28] without having any backlash or maybe

[46:30] being Rital because that's something

[46:32] that's easily done in the community um

[46:34] by naysayer so thank you for being

[46:36] strong in doing that um but I do um I do

[46:40] Echo the sentiments for this what's

[46:43] before us today

[46:46] um thank you councilwoman anybody else

[46:50] on the council if not Madam clerk would

[46:52] you call a ro remember an iote supports

[46:55] the motion

[46:56] to

[46:57] deny Council f i Council vice president

[47:02] rgo Hi councilwoman Susa hi council

[47:06] president rodri I motion to deny the 24

[47:10] hours uh passes 4 to zero thank you

[47:13] thank you for you uh councilman Rigo

[47:17] regardless of this outcome if we can

[47:19] help with some of these fash issues and

[47:21] work together we can get in touch with

[47:23] you because we don't like what's

[47:25] happening down the road either it's not

[47:26] who you know it's not what we're trying

[47:28] to have Ur you know the lawyer and me

[47:31] it's always tough because you want to

[47:33] talk about evidence and stuff and it's a

[47:35] political process and it's a constituent

[47:37] process so I don't like to rebut what

[47:39] people say but rather try to help be

[47:41] part of that solution and I know they

[47:42] would too so we'll reach out and see if

[47:44] there's something we can do to help with

[47:47] going this thank you thank you thank you

[47:50] Micha thank you for clarifying that way

[47:52] you

[47:54] know

[47:56] thank you madam clerk next

[47:58] item under Communications Nancy hail

[48:01] speaking on budget

[48:18] questions thank you just uh give your

[48:20] name and address for the record please

[48:22] Nancy

[48:24] hail

[48:27] can you hear me yes

[48:30] okay 889 Bullocks Point Avenue Nancy

[48:34] hail thank you you can proceed all right

[48:38] I'm getting better at some of my visual

[48:39] aids they're simpler it's going to be

[48:42] Swift all right this one's for City

[48:45] safety issues and it's going on the back

[48:49] burner as I'm pleased to report things

[48:52] continue to improve at my intersection

[48:54] and it's spreading

[48:56] up to the

[48:59] Honeydew area where Now cars are

[49:01] stopping and being polite letting people

[49:04] walk oh please go before me so like

[49:06] something's happened that's really good

[49:09] and I don't think it's just because of

[49:11] me so um the one of the other issues is

[49:15] my green folder now this is actually two

[49:17] it has two meanings one is fiscal

[49:20] responsibility so since this is budget

[49:23] time I have a question probably for the

[49:25] Treasurer but I don't expect an answer

[49:29] tonight so the question is it has to do

[49:32] with that interest being paid to the

[49:34] state of Rhode Island because of timing

[49:36] issues so you anyone can tell just have

[49:39] to address your questions to the council

[49:41] please and not not to be okay well I

[49:44] don't care who answers really or when

[49:47] well maybe next week would be good for

[49:49] an answer if it fits in because I don't

[49:50] even know what a budget hearing is and

[49:52] and basically you can just ask my sister

[49:55] Kim if it has to do with the budget I

[49:57] should stay far away from

[49:59] it um so but um as far as losing money

[50:05] on a yearly

[50:08] basis like to 100,000 or 400,000 in

[50:13] somewhere in there just because we're

[50:16] not in a same fiscal calendar as the

[50:20] state of Rhode Island seems like a

[50:21] terrible loss of money and we need maybe

[50:27] that money to be put

[50:29] towards uh the swimming pool and the

[50:31] aquatics uh part of the uh Community

[50:35] Center I don't know if that would would

[50:38] solve the problem

[50:39] entirely um and again I'll just say you

[50:41] don't want me organizing your money but

[50:44] I will I do want to know why is it so

[50:47] difficult to get in sync with the state

[50:49] of Rhode Island how can we do that and

[50:52] if that requires a

[50:54] bond maybe that's a good thing to put a

[50:56] bond out for and end the loss of

[51:00] thousands of dollars so that's it for me

[51:02] tonight the and and we can get more more

[51:05] I know this Council will will be looking

[51:07] to discuss synchronization more in the

[51:10] future the the short answer which is not

[51:13] an easy answer you're talking if you

[51:16] wanted to do something like that cold

[51:19] turkey to the same year as the state

[51:22] whether it's cold turkey or five years

[51:24] from now or whenever you're talking

[51:26] multi-millions of dollars why why I

[51:28] don't get that that's why so it's more

[51:31] it's a complicated formula um with the

[51:35] state uh yes Council someone someone ask

[51:38] you go ahead chair maybe the solicitor

[51:41] can expl sure if he if if he has a quick

[51:44] answer on that there is no quick answer

[51:46] on this well I mean I'm you know things

[51:49] can be complicated but I can understand

[51:51] a lot of complicated things we would

[51:53] never be able to have another bond issue

[51:55] of the sort that would be needed well I

[51:57] don't even you know I know that wealthy

[51:59] people like bonds because they make

[52:01] money from them so that that's you know

[52:03] but especially they like it if it barely

[52:06] fixes a problem like this Mike can you

[52:10] put it in a in a nut show oh I'm going

[52:11] to um so lawyers are also bad with money

[52:14] but

[52:16] um not charging

[52:19] though I'm I'm not bad with money I'm

[52:21] bad with budget well that's why I don't

[52:23] same principle right yeah and check

[52:25] books I mean the sideways math forget

[52:27] about it if memory serves me right the

[52:29] synchronization issue is costly um I

[52:31] think it's was $50 million $50 million

[52:33] to synchronize our fiscal year with the

[52:36] state's fiscal year

[52:38] because there will be a lag time the

[52:40] city city government still has to run

[52:42] right on a 12-month basis so if we try

[52:45] to synchronize it we we we would be

[52:46] moving everything up six months or three

[52:49] months six months eight months so during

[52:52] that eight-month period we've got to

[52:55] have a bridge of money coming

[52:59] in to allow the taxpayers to pay but

[53:01] they wouldn't be paying because we're

[53:02] synchronizing it but there would be an

[53:04] eight-month Gap and that eight-month Gap

[53:06] is about $50 million and so that's

[53:10] that's the most simplest way I can

[53:11] explain it yeah as the best as a lawyer

[53:13] I could well I don't know I'd get theone

[53:15] Mike well then then that's how many I I

[53:19] don't think many people would like to

[53:20] pay their taxes in advance well but if

[53:23] they got a swimming pool well you know

[53:27] that's an expensive complicated to make

[53:29] that con I mean you can't make that

[53:30] direct connection but getting out of

[53:32] debt is important and there may be

[53:35] people in the city who would want to do

[53:37] that that's a simple answer that very

[53:40] simplistic but that's 50 $50 million got

[53:43] an eight month flag where's the what's

[53:44] the eight month flag because our do it

[53:46] start that it's the difference in that's

[53:49] yeah November 1st to June to June

[53:54] 1st

[53:57] thank you Mr s ask ask your sister

[54:04] Kim thank you um Nancy uh next item

[54:08] please public comment the first public

[54:10] comment uh is Frank

[54:17] Rego thank you Madame clerk fellow

[54:20] council

[54:21] members at last night's council meeting

[54:24] a motion was made to be discussed on

[54:26] October 10th to eliminate the planed two

[54:29] position which members of the council

[54:32] thought was the vacant position I found

[54:35] out today that the vacant position is

[54:37] planner one I needed to ask legal and

[54:40] finance if it's possible to switch this

[54:42] oversight and at what point we can do

[54:47] that so you'll be able to make that

[54:50] change um at the next public hearing

[54:53] which would be octob next um oober 10th

[54:55] 10th I'm sorry yeah I've got so many

[54:56] dates October

[54:58] 10th thank you Mr

[55:01] solicitor thank you

[55:10] councilman next on the

[55:13] list um Renee shakon on the

[55:18] archaeological

[55:24] survey

[55:30] thank you just name and address for the

[55:33] record Rene choin 48 Kettle Point

[55:37] Avenue good evening council president

[55:39] Council vice president and council

[55:41] members and thank you for the

[55:43] opportunity to speak tonight I emailed

[55:46] you all in support of the Rhode Island

[55:48] historical preservation and Heritage

[55:50] commission's recommendation actually

[55:52] made twice once in 2020 and again in

[55:55] 2023 that an archaeological survey be

[55:58] conducted at metacomet to determine if a

[56:01] significant archaeological site which

[56:03] may include burials as present I come

[56:06] before you today to make my plea in

[56:08] person about a month ago I had the

[56:11] opportunity to visit the national museum

[56:13] of the American Indian in Washington DC

[56:16] it was one of the most moving

[56:18] experiences that I have encountered at a

[56:20] museum it changed me the level of

[56:22] atrocities inflicted upon the American

[56:25] Indian is overwhelming and to see that

[56:27] even in the more Modern Age the actions

[56:29] that some of our own presidents of the

[56:31] United States took to move the Indians

[56:34] from their land is shocking and

[56:35] scandalous at best I quote a philosopher

[56:39] here Jose Ortega why gas it the past

[56:43] will not tell us what we ought to do but

[56:46] what we ought to avoid this could not be

[56:48] more applicable to this situation most

[56:51] of us merely have only the opportunity

[56:53] to verbally acknowledge knowled the

[56:55] passed via a land acknowledgement which

[56:57] is a statement that recognizes and

[56:59] respects the IND indigenous peoples but

[57:02] you as a governing body have the unique

[57:05] privilege of being able to put action to

[57:07] those words let's not perpetuate the

[57:10] mistakes of past governing bodies Monday

[57:13] is indigenous people's day and November

[57:16] is Native American Heritage Month in

[57:18] these Providence could this be more

[57:20] timely I have heard some arguments

[57:22] against requiring the survey the first

[57:24] one is that it's now private land this

[57:27] does not preclude you from strongly

[57:29] recommending that the developer

[57:31] undertake this survey in fact I have

[57:33] recently learned that a land

[57:35] archaeological survey was conducted

[57:37] prior to the development of kettle point

[57:39] that was also private land let's

[57:41] encourage the same behavior from

[57:43] Marshall and let's not forget that

[57:45] Marshall will or perhaps already has

[57:47] deed nine ACR over to the city what

[57:50] about a survey on that land the second

[57:53] argument I've heard is that This Land Is

[57:55] Now under the purview of the Waterfront

[57:57] commission as a city council you have

[58:00] the authority to strongly recommend that

[58:02] the Waterfront commission follow the

[58:04] historical preservation commission's

[58:06] recommendations why turn a blind eye to

[58:09] what is the right thing to do if they

[58:11] are enforcing the recommendation city

[58:13] council can certainly step in to ensure

[58:16] that right actions are taken in closing

[58:18] I encourage you all to pass a resolution

[58:21] to call upon the East Providence

[58:23] Department of planning and econom IC

[58:25] development in conjunction with the East

[58:27] Providence Waterfront District

[58:28] commission to advise Marshall properties

[58:31] to conduct an archaeological survey

[58:34] performed by a qualified archaeologist

[58:36] at Marshall's expense please show with

[58:39] your actions that you respect and honor

[58:41] those that came before us thank you for

[58:43] your time thank you coming

[58:50] out Jason rafy speaking on the

[58:53] recreation center

[59:04] Jason Rafferty 85 Bluff Street in

[59:07] Riverside um I'm speaking in the

[59:09] recreation center but particularly the

[59:11] um the pool which has been a topic of

[59:13] much of much debate um speaking in favor

[59:17] of it I go back to a New York Times

[59:19] editorial that was actually written

[59:20] earlier this year and it starts off as a

[59:23] young child in New Orleans forelle Ross

[59:25] fell into one of the city's many canals

[59:27] and nearly drowned years later as

[59:29] Hurricane Katrina bore down on the city

[59:31] Miss Ross fled the rising waters on a

[59:33] bus with two tiny babies in 2016 one of

[59:36] the babies Bethesda ground in a backyard

[59:39] pool when Miss Ross was asked to comment

[59:42] on it she says I don't play in water

[59:44] I've always been afraid of it because

[59:45] we're

[59:46] upbringing Bethesda is one of the

[59:48] estimated 4,000 people a year who die by

[59:51] drowning in the United States that's 11

[59:53] people per day

[59:55] the United States for its majority of

[59:57] citizens has is basically a swimming

[59:59] desert where according to the Red Cross

[1:00:01] more than half the population lacks

[1:00:03] basic swimming abilities and million go

[1:00:05] without access to Safe places to enter

[1:00:07] the

[1:00:08] water we uh we don't have in in terms of

[1:00:11] pools in the United States we've seen

[1:00:12] some really uh significant shifts the uh

[1:00:16] we it's estimated that currently there's

[1:00:17] about 10 million private swimming pools

[1:00:19] where there's only about 300,000 public

[1:00:21] ones and the vast majority of those are

[1:00:24] parts of condo complexes hotels and

[1:00:26] schools which are actually private for

[1:00:27] those in terms of using it not for the

[1:00:29] greater uh Community the United States

[1:00:32] really hasn't made a significant

[1:00:33] investment in pool since the Great

[1:00:35] Depression um the

[1:00:39] uh yeah really since the Great

[1:00:41] Depression and um what was I going to

[1:00:45] say the uh a lot of the pools

[1:00:47] unfortunately in the

[1:00:48] 1960s most of the pools were actually

[1:00:50] cemented in particularly those in public

[1:00:53] neighborhoods that were underserved

[1:00:54] especially with racial minorities in the

[1:00:56] Reagan Era the glorified po

[1:00:59] privatization and smaller government

[1:01:00] only cemented the mindset that the need

[1:01:02] to be lack of of an investment in public

[1:01:05] pools and other public resources that

[1:01:07] left America today to see swimming more

[1:01:09] as a luxury is not and not as a private

[1:01:11] good uh private good the um in all

[1:01:15] reality today it's interesting because

[1:01:17] if you look at the the sort of

[1:01:18] dispersity of the country what you

[1:01:19] notice is is that most of our P most of

[1:01:22] our pools are owned by uh well-off

[1:01:25] communities or by well-off families when

[1:01:27] it really is the communities of color

[1:01:29] and low socioeconomic status that have

[1:01:31] really been sort of uh struggling in

[1:01:33] this environment the um just looking at

[1:01:36] some of the data black and brown kids

[1:01:39] drown at about 7 times the rate of white

[1:01:42] kids when you look at their parents

[1:01:44] about 25% have never learned how to swim

[1:01:47] whereas with white parents 96% of white

[1:01:49] parents have at some point in their life

[1:01:51] learned how to swim or taken swimming

[1:01:52] lessons only about 50% of parents um

[1:01:56] black and brown parents or families

[1:01:58] enroll their kids in swimming lessons

[1:02:00] whereas it's about 72% for white

[1:02:02] families and I'm not you know a lot of

[1:02:04] this has to do with past politics and

[1:02:06] and racial divides and things like that

[1:02:08] which we can't you know it's hard to

[1:02:09] take responsibility for that today but

[1:02:11] we can do something to fix it and when

[1:02:13] you ask a lot of these families why it

[1:02:14] is that we have this sort of fear of the

[1:02:17] water or why this sort of culture exists

[1:02:19] that prevents them from from um learning

[1:02:21] how to swim the big issues were access

[1:02:24] comfort in the water and competency or

[1:02:25] learning how to swim the skills that you

[1:02:27] would actually need so in terms of why

[1:02:30] we I believe we need a pool there's a

[1:02:32] few reasons that come to mind the first

[1:02:34] is fostering the sense of community and

[1:02:36] the sense of community that extends

[1:02:37] Beyond racial and socioeconomic

[1:02:38] boundaries it also promotes Fitness

[1:02:41] across

[1:02:42] intergenerationally I will say I'm not

[1:02:44] one that I'm not going to go to a

[1:02:45] community center and pump iron I'm not

[1:02:46] going to go into you know a pickup game

[1:02:48] probably I blew out my knee a few years

[1:02:50] ago and needed surgery but I would jump

[1:02:52] in a pool and I would do laps and I

[1:02:54] think a lot of people whether you're an

[1:02:55] adult or an older you know individual of

[1:02:57] our community it brings people together

[1:02:59] in a way that other sports don't

[1:03:01] necessarily do it provides career and

[1:03:03] volunteer opportunities in really sort

[1:03:05] of pro-social activities especially

[1:03:07] lifeguarding the pool maintenance things

[1:03:09] like that accessibility is huge as I've

[1:03:12] talked about in terms of racial

[1:03:13] disparities I think if you look at sort

[1:03:15] of our current access to pools if you

[1:03:17] look at pods and health tracks it's

[1:03:19] pretty clear the population that's able

[1:03:20] to afford to go there and the population

[1:03:22] that essentially we could expand to if

[1:03:24] we had a public pool in our community

[1:03:27] and finally safety in Rhode Island in

[1:03:29] East Providence we have 14 miles of

[1:03:31] Coastline um it's one of the most of any

[1:03:33] actually Town municipality in Rhode

[1:03:35] Island um which is often surprising to

[1:03:37] know because a lot of our roads are not

[1:03:38] located on our Coast um so you don't

[1:03:40] wouldn't know it necessarily driving

[1:03:41] around most of our city um we've had uh

[1:03:45] last last this past summer in July July

[1:03:47] 23rd there was an article you probably

[1:03:49] saw it about a lifeless body that was

[1:03:51] found on Dunes Park beach in Westerly it

[1:03:53] was a 15-year-old old boy who was found

[1:03:54] by his best friend that was on a Sunday

[1:03:57] on a Thursday that him and his friend

[1:03:59] were out on the jetty playing in the uh

[1:04:01] sort of splashing in the water and up on

[1:04:03] the jetty when when he

[1:04:04] disappeared most people don't know his

[1:04:06] name but they know that he was the third

[1:04:07] death this year in Rhode Island from

[1:04:09] drowning last year there were 20 deaths

[1:04:12] in Rhode Island most of them were young

[1:04:13] people Children and adolescents and the

[1:04:15] year before there were 19 we don't have

[1:04:17] the statistics yet since it's only

[1:04:19] October some people are still swimming

[1:04:20] for this year um but it may be

[1:04:22] comparable I know living in Riverside

[1:04:25] that there are future plans around you

[1:04:27] know Crescent Beach there are

[1:04:29] opportunities to expand that and make it

[1:04:31] more swimmable but I think unless we

[1:04:32] provide access the skills the competency

[1:04:35] and the familiarity to be um you know

[1:04:37] comfortable in the water and know how to

[1:04:39] sort of protect yourself and those

[1:04:40] environments it's a wasted project we

[1:04:43] need to be really improve our

[1:04:44] community's relationship with water we

[1:04:47] need to improve our safety so that we

[1:04:48] can then utilize our Coast I think it's

[1:04:50] a step that's uh much needed in this in

[1:04:53] this sort of in this sort of process and

[1:04:55] I think it really speaks to our

[1:04:56] investments in all of this the other

[1:04:58] thing and I I you know speaking a little

[1:05:00] bit on the public comment this is a

[1:05:01] little unrelated but related I did hear

[1:05:03] about you know last night with the

[1:05:04] planning department I will also say I do

[1:05:06] a lot of work with um Riverside

[1:05:08] Renaissance and Riverside Square and I

[1:05:10] would promote I think our planning

[1:05:12] department is incredible I think each

[1:05:13] individual there I've worked with a

[1:05:15] number of them that have brought in you

[1:05:17] know thousands if not hundreds of

[1:05:18] thousands of dollars when you look at

[1:05:19] the scope of the city and grants and

[1:05:21] funds and um I'm glad to hear that

[1:05:23] potentially it would be a vacant

[1:05:24] position that would be eliminated

[1:05:25] because when I heard it was a level two

[1:05:27] I got I was very worried I know last

[1:05:29] week um it was actually a level two

[1:05:31] planner who came to speak on the on the

[1:05:33] community center um and I think that his

[1:05:36] sort of familiarity with the project his

[1:05:38] advocacy just speaks to the level of

[1:05:40] dedication um that we that we're lucky

[1:05:42] enough in the city to have in our

[1:05:43] planning department so I also just

[1:05:45] wanted to throw that out too as a plug

[1:05:47] for our planning department thank you

[1:05:48] very much thank you very much thank

[1:05:52] you chrisy

[1:05:59] Rossi thank you this not that you need

[1:06:02] to but name and address for the record

[1:06:04] Chrissy Rossy 87 Shore Road in the

[1:06:09] Riverside so I'm here tonight to

[1:06:12] strongly encourage

[1:06:14] you to not go forward with the

[1:06:17] Redevelopment

[1:06:19] agency and I have made many notes as to

[1:06:23] um why I don't I don't think it's going

[1:06:26] to be in the community's best interest

[1:06:28] and I and I will let you continue of

[1:06:30] course but to let you know we are not

[1:06:32] taking that up tonight it will be tabled

[1:06:35] because number one councilman Lawson

[1:06:37] worked with me and with assistant

[1:06:40] solicitor on that and we we need to do

[1:06:42] some fine-tuning and we've also heard

[1:06:44] from you and others so there'll be no

[1:06:47] discussion at least unless there are

[1:06:50] three votes to vote on it tonight I

[1:06:52] don't believe that there will be because

[1:06:54] everyone realizes we have to do some

[1:06:55] more work so you're welcome to come back

[1:06:58] at a later time when we will actually

[1:07:02] discuss it for a vote but please you

[1:07:03] know feel free to proceed now also okay

[1:07:06] thank you um while it's fresh on my mind

[1:07:09] and I have all these question I didn't

[1:07:10] think you would leave that quickly no

[1:07:13] Bob you know better

[1:07:16] so one of one of I was hoping

[1:07:20] yeah one of the the more concerning um

[1:07:24] pieces of this that I'm I'm sure you're

[1:07:25] going to work on is that every member is

[1:07:29] appointed by the mayor I'm sure that's a

[1:07:31] concern to all of you um also that there

[1:07:34] are five-year

[1:07:35] terms so we know what kind of damage can

[1:07:38] be done in four years so I'm I'm not

[1:07:41] feeling the extra year on top of that um

[1:07:46] it also gives the our citizens no

[1:07:49] protection um as it's

[1:07:52] written they can pick up a property

[1:07:55] somebody can deem it um unsuitable it's

[1:07:58] not really clear who's making that

[1:08:00] determination either what on what is

[1:08:02] unsuitable who makes that decision but

[1:08:05] they can just take it and build whatever

[1:08:07] they want whenever they feel like it so

[1:08:09] I was struggling with that as well and

[1:08:12] then all I could think of was that

[1:08:13] crossroads property that's happening and

[1:08:15] they're struggling with their funding

[1:08:18] and according to this in the way it's

[1:08:20] written right now they can just take the

[1:08:24] city or this this commission can take

[1:08:27] over a piece of blighted

[1:08:30] property and they can spend whatever

[1:08:32] money they have on it and just hand it

[1:08:35] over to a developer or a nonprofit to

[1:08:38] build whatever they see fit you guys

[1:08:40] never get one say on it and I'm thinking

[1:08:43] you ran for office why would you give

[1:08:45] away all your power like that and the

[1:08:47] power to protect the citizens so that

[1:08:50] was another big um big red flag for me

[1:08:54] and then I'm also curious where the seed

[1:08:58] money is going to come from for this so

[1:09:01] it in uh what is it 20-4 C to select and

[1:09:05] appoint officers agents councils and

[1:09:08] employees permanent and temporary as it

[1:09:11] may require in determine their

[1:09:14] qualifications duties and compensation

[1:09:17] who's paying them they are their own

[1:09:20] individual situation so where they got

[1:09:23] to get the seed money to hire these

[1:09:26] employees um no approval Ever Needed by

[1:09:30] our elected

[1:09:34] Council then over here it says to

[1:09:36] undertake technical assistance to

[1:09:38] property owners and other private

[1:09:40] persons encourage Implement and

[1:09:44] facilitate voluntary Improvement of real

[1:09:47] property so to me it just sounded like

[1:09:50] they're going to pick on poor people old

[1:09:53] people people who can't afford to live

[1:09:55] in their house say gez you know your

[1:09:57] house is falling apart let us help you

[1:09:59] with that let us relocate you and and

[1:10:02] that kind of bummed me out too and then

[1:10:04] there's this little piece that keeps

[1:10:06] showing up tax increment District Master

[1:10:10] Plan what is

[1:10:12] that

[1:10:15] anybody are we going to make a master

[1:10:18] plan are we going to make a tax

[1:10:20] increment District I mean right now

[1:10:24] and I I am going to tell you just

[1:10:26] driving out of my street Every Morning

[1:10:29] has become increasingly difficult I'm

[1:10:31] halfway into bulock Point Avenue because

[1:10:33] I can't see because of all the cars and

[1:10:37] stuff that are parked with the boohemoth

[1:10:39] that was now built at the former vam

[1:10:41] Coast site 16 Apartments 17 parking

[1:10:44] spaces behind it when it's done where is

[1:10:46] company going to park in the street you

[1:10:49] don't think these people are going to

[1:10:50] have company you're sorely mistaken the

[1:10:53] company shows up it just does I'll tell

[1:10:56] you you go down to Sabin Point you'll

[1:10:58] see all sorts of company you've got

[1:11:00] company no matter where you are

[1:11:03] so and I will come back again just in

[1:11:05] case anybody enjoys my uh the reasons

[1:11:08] you listed and and others um you know we

[1:11:12] we've got to do a lot of refining I will

[1:11:14] tell you this and I'm not um as I've

[1:11:19] been made to say many times not an

[1:11:22] apologist for the

[1:11:24] administration this was not born from an

[1:11:28] idea of the administration councilman

[1:11:30] Lawson and I were talking about this

[1:11:33] looking at bladed properties

[1:11:37] and for for that reason I mean empty

[1:11:40] lots the the old Diner you know get

[1:11:43] calls almost every week on on that

[1:11:46] property what's what's going on there

[1:11:47] why is the grass 8 feet tall and chain

[1:11:51] link fence around it and are they

[1:11:53] selling are they not selling now we know

[1:11:55] we can't force someone to sell they

[1:11:58] evidently are trying to sell but does

[1:12:00] that mean they can't cut the grass clean

[1:12:02] it up a little bit that that's a a

[1:12:05] stretch of a of a reason but it's one of

[1:12:09] the reasons that we were talking about

[1:12:11] so we met with the assistant solicitor

[1:12:15] and looked at other cities that have

[1:12:18] this kind of a agency and as um was told

[1:12:22] to us this would be

[1:12:24] another tool in the Arsenal the city any

[1:12:28] City could have to try to clean up

[1:12:30] places not you know give someone a

[1:12:33] chance uh the tax increment thing was

[1:12:35] kind of a reference to there have been

[1:12:38] places in businesses that hav paid taxes

[1:12:41] in many many years so this would maybe

[1:12:44] force the issue a little more it isn't

[1:12:48] and it wasn't intended to go after some

[1:12:52] elderly couple having trouble with their

[1:12:55] keeping up their property um but you're

[1:12:58] you're right it needs a lot of tweaking

[1:13:00] before you came here tonight before we

[1:13:03] heard from some people councilman Lawson

[1:13:05] and myself said we got to take this off

[1:13:08] the agenda and and work on this some

[1:13:10] more a lot of it was copy and pasting

[1:13:13] language from other cities and towns and

[1:13:16] it it may never come to fruition it's

[1:13:18] it's it's a thought and it will end up

[1:13:21] with

[1:13:22] Council ual approval this is not going

[1:13:25] to be if I have anything to say about it

[1:13:27] it's not going to be an

[1:13:29] independent agency that can take your

[1:13:32] property because you're not living up to

[1:13:36] what we think it would eventually come

[1:13:38] to a city council but um we're not we

[1:13:41] can't go out and knock on doors and I

[1:13:44] thought of going to the owner of that

[1:13:47] old l or dinina corner and other places

[1:13:50] there's

[1:13:51] uh I don't want to mention the names a

[1:13:53] place in Riverside Square as you're

[1:13:54] entering Riverside to the right been

[1:13:57] like that for 50 years it's not going to

[1:13:59] change till that man passes you know

[1:14:01] that and to me that you can call the

[1:14:03] square what you want to call it that's

[1:14:04] the gateway to Riverside for me and when

[1:14:07] you go and you see that old rusting

[1:14:09] tractors with again 8 foot grass growing

[1:14:12] through it things like that so this was

[1:14:15] a tool to maybe try to push along some

[1:14:18] of these things so it will be Revisited

[1:14:21] nothing will happen without Council

[1:14:23] involvement and um please come back and

[1:14:26] we'll we'll show you the recommendation

[1:14:30] anyways which can be tweet again I

[1:14:32] appreciate that's what that's all about

[1:14:35] I appreciate you listening to me I

[1:14:36] appreciate your time tonight and I will

[1:14:38] just remind you you do have the power of

[1:14:41] ordinance and you have but one gentleman

[1:14:43] who goes around inspecting properties to

[1:14:46] keep them on board it's it's a big issue

[1:14:48] I know councilman Rigo and I there's a

[1:14:50] property we've been visiting almost

[1:14:53] weekly it's it's an abandoned house

[1:14:56] there's no one living in it it's it's

[1:14:57] boarded up now is it bank owned is it

[1:15:01] what is it bank owned I don't I don't

[1:15:04] know it's some kind of receivership

[1:15:06] there were weeds thick weeds growing out

[1:15:10] of the front yard into the

[1:15:12] road and not not to sound like um um

[1:15:17] altruistic or anything but we went by

[1:15:19] one day I had Clippers in my car and I

[1:15:21] said I'm going to cut these things get

[1:15:22] them out of the street

[1:15:23] and we did that the city has acted there

[1:15:26] are signs posted all over the building

[1:15:29] that are declaring you know what has to

[1:15:32] happen legally it's the lawyer's fault

[1:15:35] so it's a legal not our lawyers it's a

[1:15:38] I'm being funny it's a legal world you

[1:15:40] can't just job you can't just do it you

[1:15:43] know you've you've got a a house fire in

[1:15:46] Riverside recently neighbors called me

[1:15:49] and said that's an abandoned house what

[1:15:50] are you guys doing about

[1:15:52] it so so I'll just bring you back to

[1:15:54] when Tommy Rose sat on the council he

[1:15:57] uttered the same exact sentiment it's

[1:16:00] it's a disgrace that we let these

[1:16:02] properties bank owned properties we just

[1:16:05] let them sit there we have the authority

[1:16:09] as a city to make them and we have Crews

[1:16:13] you have a rotating crew of of

[1:16:16] contractors and they can go out and they

[1:16:19] can clean up the property once a week

[1:16:21] whatever you guys deem necess Neary make

[1:16:24] it happen like not I'm not upset with

[1:16:27] you obviously this is a management issue

[1:16:29] but follow up make it happen clean up

[1:16:32] the I've lived next door to a haunted

[1:16:34] house for three years finally I've got

[1:16:37] some progress finally three years weeds

[1:16:42] growing stuff living in there I can't

[1:16:44] even recognize some of those animals

[1:16:46] that's how bad it was three years and

[1:16:49] and Jean would get on them and somebody

[1:16:51] would cut the grass but it was a bamboo

[1:16:53] forest had knotweed like I could not

[1:16:55] even see my neighbors that's how bad it

[1:16:57] was so you guys have your

[1:17:01] ordinances make somebody enforce them

[1:17:03] because that's really all it takes you

[1:17:05] don't need a whole commission for this

[1:17:07] make them figure it out it is a little

[1:17:09] more than that when you mentioned the

[1:17:10] name Jean when we talked to our minimum

[1:17:12] housing person and he said you know I

[1:17:15] don't have a lot of power of enforcement

[1:17:18] give the man set of teeth comes to the

[1:17:20] courts and you know how long that can

[1:17:22] take sure absolutely but it's it's there

[1:17:25] and it's that's why this Redevelopment

[1:17:27] agency or whatever we end up calling it

[1:17:29] was trying to get the teeth and that

[1:17:32] you're talking about you know some of

[1:17:34] the initial wording isn't isn't going to

[1:17:36] work so why don't we just send the crew

[1:17:39] out the rotating crew we do they go out

[1:17:42] and do some work but we're talking about

[1:17:44] in this case of this boarded up house

[1:17:46] the crew can't do anything about that

[1:17:48] they cut the grass they can clean it up

[1:17:50] they can clean can't even find the

[1:17:51] owners I think they're out ofate owners

[1:17:53] so we're not going to go in and knock

[1:17:54] the house down no but what has happened

[1:17:56] in the past what has happened in the

[1:17:58] past we send out the crew we send them a

[1:18:00] bill they don't pay the bill we take the

[1:18:03] property it's it just isn't done

[1:18:05] overnight taking property not overnight

[1:18:07] I agree with you 100% sometimes it can

[1:18:10] take we're on the same page we're going

[1:18:12] to get a process to to get this done

[1:18:14] again thank you for your time thank you

[1:18:16] thank you anybody else uh on this topic

[1:18:20] well uh thank you Mr President so

[1:18:23] listening to your words that you just

[1:18:25] said and well thank you uh Mrs Rossy for

[1:18:28] those words that I agree with on a lot

[1:18:32] of the issues uh what you said and along

[1:18:35] with our fellow colleague who's not here

[1:18:37] tonight if you're saying there's going

[1:18:39] to be changes to that so basically this

[1:18:42] is second motion so we really need

[1:18:45] to we got to start over so we got to

[1:18:48] deny this motion tonight well we can

[1:18:50] just table it I would like to make a

[1:18:52] motion to deny

[1:18:55] I

[1:18:58] just yeah okay yeah it's

[1:19:02] later all right let's do that first then

[1:19:05] so without objection we'll we'll um move

[1:19:08] the the

[1:19:10] ordinance forward yeah it's all the same

[1:19:13] thing we we can deny it it's going to

[1:19:15] come back you know in a new in a new Pro

[1:19:19] new format a motion by councilman fog to

[1:19:23] uh deny correct second second by

[1:19:27] councilwoman soua all in favor let's

[1:19:29] open public okay anyone else on the

[1:19:32] council that wants to uh speak we can

[1:19:36] open it up to so my my concerns and I've

[1:19:39] talked to um our colleague who isn't

[1:19:43] here today who initially sponsored uh

[1:19:45] this um after first passage so I'll

[1:19:47] always get something first pass those

[1:19:49] people know usually um and having disc

[1:19:52] disc I had a lot of concerns um with

[1:19:55] this I was able to speak with him and

[1:19:56] and then explain some of the concerns

[1:20:00] and some of the issues your I know some

[1:20:02] off offici have had um but reading

[1:20:05] through all of these pages in my mind

[1:20:08] this does not this does not solve those

[1:20:11] issues IT addresses even greater issues

[1:20:13] just within the legislation itself it's

[1:20:16] actually something that's causing more

[1:20:17] harm to our community and not beneficial

[1:20:20] in my opinion I think that St in fresh

[1:20:23] is um in addressing specifically the

[1:20:26] issues that we're looking to do so

[1:20:28] similar to what Miss Rossy spoke about

[1:20:30] we do have um enforcement issues we do

[1:20:34] have um Manning issues so one person for

[1:20:37] an entire city to be scouting out all

[1:20:39] these things amongst other tasks that

[1:20:42] that individual may have under that

[1:20:44] minimum housing is a lot uh we also have

[1:20:48] um a process with courts right so that's

[1:20:51] also something so people are looking at

[1:20:54] a piece of property and I know it could

[1:20:55] be distressing in a neighborhood to see

[1:20:58] that as a neighbor day in and day out

[1:21:00] but we ask that we have some patience

[1:21:03] because there is a process so it's not

[1:21:05] that it's going um unnoticed or that

[1:21:08] people don't care about it or don't you

[1:21:10] know not in our backyard that we're not

[1:21:12] addressing it there a process that needs

[1:21:15] to be taken and I know receivership is

[1:21:17] something that has um gone into multiple

[1:21:20] properties and that's a method of able

[1:21:23] to take that property and get it redone

[1:21:26] and back functioning and presentable

[1:21:29] into its neighborhood but that's a legal

[1:21:30] process that happens down in Superior

[1:21:35] Court and obviously in our municipal

[1:21:37] court so there's multiple courts

[1:21:39] multiple judges multiple attorneys

[1:21:41] involved so it is a a genuine process

[1:21:43] and this

[1:21:44] monitoring um we know that during coid

[1:21:48] which was door finishing that big

[1:21:53] um pandemic that we were all HED for

[1:21:57] that you had a couple of years that

[1:21:59] there were no tax sales so that also

[1:22:02] affected again these maybe potential

[1:22:04] blighted properties that tax issue where

[1:22:07] people weren't paying because there was

[1:22:08] AE ticket to pay your taxes because um

[1:22:11] we weren't doing tax sales so there was

[1:22:13] some accountability that wasn't being

[1:22:15] placed on uh businesses or Property

[1:22:18] Owners uh or residents so I think all

[1:22:21] that to say is are moving in the right

[1:22:23] direction we need to strengthen the Ty

[1:22:26] of ordinances that we have maybe

[1:22:28] Implement additional things but not to

[1:22:30] the extent of what um was presented

[1:22:33] before us and certainly what works in

[1:22:36] other communities doesn't mean that it's

[1:22:38] right for our community and I think we

[1:22:39] have to be of of that it's nice to

[1:22:42] create some ideas and thoughts but we

[1:22:43] really do have to find to them so that

[1:22:46] they apply to our community and our

[1:22:48] residents in the most beneficial way um

[1:22:51] so those are my reasons for not

[1:22:55] supporting this and

[1:22:59] starting and and you make a good point

[1:23:02] councilwoman when you say you know we

[1:23:04] voted and you voted for first passage

[1:23:06] that's the point of having two passages

[1:23:09] I I will say that often times that I I

[1:23:11] may not have decided yet on an issue but

[1:23:15] I generally will always vote for first

[1:23:17] passage unless it's something that is

[1:23:20] really detrimental to my my

[1:23:23] opinions uh but you get it out for a

[1:23:25] conversation

[1:23:27] and my last comment andless there's

[1:23:30] anyone the public that wants to speak

[1:23:31] and I know councilman Rigo wants to add

[1:23:33] something when Mrs Rossy mentioned a

[1:23:35] former councilman

[1:23:37] and but recall that it didn't get done

[1:23:40] then either you know and there was a

[1:23:42] councilman it was a different form of

[1:23:44] government then you had three votes as

[1:23:46] the saying we used to go and you had

[1:23:48] city managers and it didn't get done so

[1:23:51] even with Council support at that time

[1:23:54] it never got done so it we're going to

[1:23:57] give it our shot and hopefully Hope from

[1:24:00] you and others um will will make a dent

[1:24:03] in this problem councilman well F first

[1:24:07] well thank you Mr President again first

[1:24:08] I want to thank you and councilman

[1:24:10] Lawson was not here to taking the

[1:24:12] initiative as we all have issues in our

[1:24:15] Wards and throughout the city for you

[1:24:17] that you need to address uh piggy back

[1:24:21] in on what councilwoman Susa said more

[1:24:24] enforcement is definitely the key

[1:24:27] strength in what we have uh figuring out

[1:24:31] there my biggest concern was looking

[1:24:34] through this piece of you know what what

[1:24:36] we would have passed tonight uh we sat

[1:24:39] here for almost four hours last night

[1:24:41] going through a budget looking to cut

[1:24:43] money out of the budget and we we in

[1:24:47] this legislation that we would have

[1:24:49] passed tonight was creating a quasi City

[1:24:52] a agency where it'd be hiring people so

[1:24:54] it would be almost against what we did

[1:24:57] last night looking and cutting and you

[1:25:00] know saving the taxpayers of the

[1:25:03] city money on their tax rate and all we

[1:25:07] would be doing was creating a

[1:25:09] bureaucracy that we didn't need at this

[1:25:11] time I again I commend you and

[1:25:14] councilman Lawson because we all have

[1:25:16] you know we all have properties in our

[1:25:17] wards that people are calling about all

[1:25:19] the time and I think by us all working

[1:25:23] together with the administration that we

[1:25:26] can come to a place where we can satisfy

[1:25:30] the concerns that we have with these

[1:25:32] properties no I appreciate that and in

[1:25:35] our early discussions there was never

[1:25:37] intention of hiring people who somehow

[1:25:40] again the language got to infer that but

[1:25:45] that's probably not going to happen uh

[1:25:47] councilman fog did you want to add

[1:25:49] something anyone here that would like to

[1:25:51] uh speak on on this

[1:25:54] policy anyone want to speak on this

[1:25:57] Redevelopment agency

[1:25:59] policy

[1:26:01] which we have a motion to deny please

[1:26:04] come

[1:26:16] forward Nancy hail 889 bck Point Avenue

[1:26:19] it's just a quick question like there

[1:26:21] are things even in my neighborhood I've

[1:26:23] noticed abandoned car that goes nowhere

[1:26:26] with the grass growing all over it like

[1:26:28] parked partly on the road and partly on

[1:26:30] the grassy area so what are we supposed

[1:26:33] to do if we notice stuff like that plus

[1:26:35] a couple of houses that are like really

[1:26:38] like do you ever mow the lawn or

[1:26:39] whatever like like we I'm all about the

[1:26:41] environment and I understand whatever

[1:26:44] messy yards are a very good environment

[1:26:48] uh they can be good for the environment

[1:26:50] but I mean there's got to be a balance

[1:26:53] right so what do we do what's the first

[1:26:59] step that's

[1:27:04] been a week no month all summer months

[1:27:08] um and that you know it doesn't belong

[1:27:09] to any of your neighbors um I suggest

[1:27:12] you call the police

[1:27:14] department look into that because it

[1:27:16] could be a stolen car it could be

[1:27:18] multiple things um so they would

[1:27:19] investigate that the city also has

[1:27:22] portal where um all residents can

[1:27:25] inquire about a number of issues and

[1:27:27] concerns one so if it's a vehicle call

[1:27:30] the police what if it's just like a

[1:27:31] property that's a mess just a mess go to

[1:27:34] the portal and in the portal you can um

[1:27:36] fill out the complaints about it so it's

[1:27:37] a written document it's essentially

[1:27:39] emailing the department to take action

[1:27:41] on it what department minimal

[1:27:46] housing thank you

[1:27:48] Nancy thank you there anyone else um

[1:27:51] just for the record I filled those

[1:27:53] things out like handy at Halloween so um

[1:27:56] because it's a written record right so

[1:27:58] you know that those things are being

[1:27:59] going to be looked at and The Bu action

[1:28:01] or you can hold your your city

[1:28:04] accountable as a resident for making

[1:28:06] sure that things get done just re recall

[1:28:09] that there is a legal process on street

[1:28:13] that councilman fogy lives on which I'm

[1:28:15] familiar with uh there was a yeah we I

[1:28:19] live there too there was a car parked

[1:28:21] for me maybe three months at the end of

[1:28:25] the street was tough turning in through

[1:28:27] the street and the police happened to be

[1:28:30] around for something else I asked them

[1:28:31] to look into it and they said a legally

[1:28:35] registered

[1:28:37] vehicle can park anywhere as long as

[1:28:39] it's in in the legal parking area didn't

[1:28:43] say no parking or

[1:28:44] anything excuse me they don't have to

[1:28:46] live there so and at one point it looked

[1:28:50] like it wasn't even inspect Ed but it

[1:28:52] was registered it was legal so we're

[1:28:55] we're going to try to chip away on some

[1:28:57] of this stuff I'll close the public

[1:29:00] hearing at this time um motion was made

[1:29:03] and seconded uh all in favor I denial I

[1:29:07] any oppos the eyes have it thank you

[1:29:10] thank you to those who spoke next item

[1:29:13] please detailed arpa allocation spending

[1:29:16] and existing purchase orders from

[1:29:18] inception to date broken down by program

[1:29:21] and item receive report and discussion

[1:29:24] Council vice president weo

[1:29:27] councilman thank you uh Mr President at

[1:29:30] this time I see uh Mr Mo has come to the

[1:29:36] uh Podium I will turn the microphone

[1:29:39] over to Mr

[1:29:41] Mo council president council members um

[1:29:45] earlier today I put your a breakdown on

[1:29:49] your in front of you and the front page

[1:29:51] is a summary broken down really between

[1:29:54] two sections it says we received

[1:29:57] 27.8

[1:29:59] million of that the council has

[1:30:01] appropriated 12.2

[1:30:03] recently of that there's been a few

[1:30:06] projects done at bullo Park Granite

[1:30:09] curbing there's also a purchase order

[1:30:11] out there for some street

[1:30:13] lights and besides that the the city

[1:30:17] is

[1:30:19] spent um in salaries and benefits 759

[1:30:25] th000 uh expenses through 926 of 9.1

[1:30:29] million there's open purchase orders of

[1:30:32] 5.3 uh subtotal of

[1:30:35] 15.3 million is spent which leaves a

[1:30:38] balance of

[1:30:40] 255,000 which is

[1:30:42] unencumbered now if you look at the

[1:30:44] second page it just list all of the open

[1:30:47] purchase

[1:30:48] orders and on the third page

[1:30:53] it subtotals the 5.3 million you can see

[1:30:56] that as it tracks through on the front

[1:30:58] page and there are the two open POS for

[1:31:00] the uh Council approval or Council

[1:31:04] POS and those two I believe councilwoman

[1:31:07] has allocated

[1:31:09] $450,000 for popo Park and the

[1:31:12] Waterfront parks and so these

[1:31:15] were projects that have been started for

[1:31:18] bullo so we just moved them under under

[1:31:20] that category

[1:31:22] and then the page after that really

[1:31:23] lists all of

[1:31:25] the expenses that have been incurred to

[1:31:28] date it uh gives you the vendor the

[1:31:32] description the amount and then how we

[1:31:35] try to categorize them into some major

[1:31:37] categories whether it's a storr

[1:31:39] storefront facade cyber security new

[1:31:42] dispatch you can see over to the right

[1:31:44] where it it groups them by

[1:31:48] category uh

[1:31:50] there's yes

[1:31:53] um so the council when we were taking

[1:31:55] the votes um by ordinance appropriate

[1:31:58] the council did not approve

[1:32:03] the that was

[1:32:06] 450,000 that was not approved by the

[1:32:08] council for Opera funds so in actuality

[1:32:13] on your fund

[1:32:16] appropriated wasn't

[1:32:18] over was approved by the council if you

[1:32:22] look at page four I I do believe I have

[1:32:24] that you'll see where um proposed was

[1:32:29] 12.65 million and approved was 12.2 the

[1:32:33] 450,000 for toy Park Pride toy Pride

[1:32:37] Park

[1:32:38] was uh not

[1:32:41] approved so I'm just saying that your

[1:32:44] unappropriated is

[1:32:46] 255 What happened to

[1:32:50] the

[1:32:52] well know the um what was approved was

[1:32:56] 12.2 million it was originally 12.6 I

[1:33:00] think to 12.6 would have put them

[1:33:02] over would have put you overs spent or

[1:33:05] overdrawn on that account now again the

[1:33:08] the projects were up to two and a half

[1:33:11] million or up to so there could be some

[1:33:15] Surplus in

[1:33:18] there and so that's always the the

[1:33:20] question is uh if I think you had two

[1:33:22] and a half million for the police

[1:33:24] station so we don't know what that I

[1:33:26] mean if that comes in at two million

[1:33:27] then we'll have another half a million

[1:33:29] that we that could go somewhere else but

[1:33:30] right now that's the the council had

[1:33:33] said we we want to

[1:33:34] appropriate tentatively up to 12.2

[1:33:37] million for those

[1:33:42] projects thank you so and again on the

[1:33:45] last page it it shows you the

[1:33:47] expenses uh subtotal for the this cities

[1:33:51] and then for the councils for the

[1:33:52] granite Kirby I mentioned

[1:33:55] earlier and so this is every single

[1:33:57] expenditure and every single P that's

[1:34:00] currently either expended or outstanding

[1:34:02] as of

[1:34:05] 926 thank you Malcolm for this report uh

[1:34:09] having just received this not too long

[1:34:11] ago and not having a lot of time to

[1:34:15] digest this or really no time

[1:34:19] um a couple of things that and I had it

[1:34:22] here

[1:34:25] um seems there's a lot there's a couple

[1:34:28] of things I shouldn't say a lot but

[1:34:30] there there's a couple

[1:34:31] of items with same vendors and almost

[1:34:36] same programs that would put it over the

[1:34:41] $50,000 limit that would have to go in

[1:34:44] front of the counil um for what you know

[1:34:48] there's a couple of issues that I see

[1:34:50] and let me get back to it uh one you

[1:34:54] know so that is uh that's a concern and

[1:35:00] and I know there was couple in regards

[1:35:02] to the uh new telecommunication Center

[1:35:07] up at station

[1:35:08] three uh and I mean one that I see

[1:35:13] that's still on an

[1:35:15] open what you would call open was

[1:35:18] the

[1:35:20] uh cyber removal service and pots for

[1:35:25] reinstallation so that means your

[1:35:27] removal of removal and service and pots

[1:35:31] for reinstallation it's 498 and if you

[1:35:35] same company it's

[1:35:39] 23998 just guide me through that as to

[1:35:44] uh

[1:35:45] [Music]

[1:35:47] how that would happen it seems like it's

[1:35:50] the same job

[1:35:52] um I just got questions

[1:35:55] on yeah I got questions on a lot of

[1:35:58] these items that look like they're

[1:36:01] connected and they're going over the 50

[1:36:05] they're going over the

[1:36:07] $50,000 threshold uh same for instance

[1:36:12] on the carousel industries of North arpa

[1:36:18] replacement of City Hall cor and Network

[1:36:21] firewall and there's also the firewall

[1:36:24] at the police

[1:36:25] department I would think from a

[1:36:28] situation of the city standpoint that

[1:36:31] those would be

[1:36:32] two that's

[1:36:34] $62,000 it's almost like it's the same

[1:36:38] it's the same thing obviously one's at

[1:36:39] City Hall one's you know one's at the

[1:36:42] police station so there's no so you

[1:36:45] could say that there's separation and

[1:36:47] everything but I just have a little

[1:36:49] concern about a lot of the this stuff

[1:36:51] adding up to over the 50,000 as we go

[1:36:54] through you know go through this uh

[1:36:58] again a lot of it you know is over

[1:37:01] $50,000 like the north North Broadway

[1:37:04] sewer replacement and

[1:37:06] Rehab we got a lot of twelves T and

[1:37:09] without even a quick calculator we're

[1:37:11] over

[1:37:12] $50,000 I I have that's my

[1:37:16] concern as to why and how this is

[1:37:20] happening

[1:37:23] uh councilman I'd have to look into that

[1:37:25] just looking at the list I don't

[1:37:27] know for Carousel Industries I listed

[1:37:31] them by vendor I don't have the dates in

[1:37:33] here so I couldn't tell you if this was

[1:37:35] combined over 50 that came to you or if

[1:37:38] it was something that was done two years

[1:37:40] ago and something done today okay well I

[1:37:42] mean I thank you but you know again I'm

[1:37:45] I'm looking at this report and you know

[1:37:47] I'm just looking at the report and I'm

[1:37:48] seeing like two similar jobs so in my

[1:37:50] mind without dates and you could be very

[1:37:53] very right that if one date happened in

[1:37:56] December of 2021 or or say uh when you

[1:38:01] know say March of 22 and the next one

[1:38:03] happened in December of 22 it's two

[1:38:06] separate jobs but I'm looking at this

[1:38:09] right now and without

[1:38:12] dates without the dates telling us when

[1:38:15] the POS will put in I'm thinking that

[1:38:17] it's two you know some some of these are

[1:38:20] a one job and I could probably get you

[1:38:23] more information I was trying to get

[1:38:24] this all on one page I thank you for

[1:38:26] your time and short notice I know you

[1:38:28] you know I know you mentioned last week

[1:38:30] that you had to sit down or two weeks

[1:38:32] whenever we have seem we have meetings

[1:38:34] every day now but uh it uh I know you

[1:38:38] said you had to sit down with the mayor

[1:38:40] so uh I you know I appreciate again um I

[1:38:44] appreciate your attention to details and

[1:38:46] everything that you provided for uh this

[1:38:49] Council since we took over in Jan

[1:38:51] January uh I just you know if we could

[1:38:54] see like a PO date then

[1:38:56] obviously that's that's that's the uh

[1:38:59] that's the that solves solves my

[1:39:02] question but looking at it as you could

[1:39:04] see as I look at it and being a number

[1:39:07] person 49 and 20 49 and 20 for instance

[1:39:11] is 69 so I'm think you know I'm just

[1:39:13] throwing out numbers so I know it's over

[1:39:15] the $50,000 threshold that's my only

[1:39:19] thing thank you for time I have a

[1:39:22] question Malcolm so the under the

[1:39:25] salaries and benefits um the 759 now we

[1:39:29] saw that in a previous budget last year

[1:39:34] um are these are we currently using

[1:39:37] Opera funds in our 24 budget for

[1:39:40] Staffing

[1:39:42] positions I don't think so we've taken I

[1:39:46] know that we in 20 the 23 budget we had

[1:39:50] a lot of positions that were going to be

[1:39:51] filled by arpa and we've taken all of

[1:39:54] those out all the full-time positions or

[1:39:58] anything that we had budgeted for arpa

[1:39:59] for salaries has been

[1:40:01] removed um mainly when you go and read

[1:40:04] all the specifics the way they wanted

[1:40:07] you to use the arpa like we were

[1:40:10] bringing arpa money in to pay for those

[1:40:13] salaries but what they're trying to say

[1:40:15] is well if that money runs out then

[1:40:19] you've got a a deficit you because

[1:40:21] you've got to plug that hole so what

[1:40:22] they want you to do

[1:40:24] is you've got to put the revenue in

[1:40:27] automatically for those

[1:40:29] positions and then you can have the

[1:40:32] expenses and and use those

[1:40:35] expenses and have ARA cover those it's a

[1:40:38] little confusing but what they want is

[1:40:40] when those when the when the money runs

[1:40:41] out you've got the revenue so you don't

[1:40:43] have the hold so we had to pull those

[1:40:45] out as far as the revenue if you look at

[1:40:47] all of the revenue items for 23 that

[1:40:50] said arpa for these salaries those are

[1:40:52] all now

[1:40:53] zero and so now the city is funding

[1:40:57] through the general fund those positions

[1:41:01] yes and I think that a lot of those were

[1:41:04] like the summer program of that 700 I

[1:41:07] know that we were paying $30,000 a month

[1:41:10] I think for the summer

[1:41:16] program thank

[1:41:19] you thank you Council thank you

[1:41:21] councilman rioo for bringing that up

[1:41:23] thank you director Moore thank you next

[1:41:26] item Madam Clark upate um Police

[1:41:29] Department roofing project discussion

[1:41:31] only councilwoman Susan before

[1:41:34] councilwoman starts I just want to thank

[1:41:36] police chief for sitting here we meant

[1:41:38] to call you up earlier but seemed like

[1:41:41] you were enjoying yourself so I

[1:41:43] absolutely no worries let let him stay

[1:41:46] councilwoman thank you uh thank you

[1:41:47] chief for being here tonight to answer

[1:41:50] some of these questions so um I know the

[1:41:52] council had allocated we had gone out

[1:41:53] for RFP back in I gu April thereabouts

[1:41:57] and um it was awarded the council

[1:42:00] approved the contract and um how long

[1:42:04] have they been working on that it's been

[1:42:07] a little longer than anticipated there's

[1:42:09] been some weather delays heat first off

[1:42:12] early on in the process and then rain um

[1:42:17] I we were told they would have been done

[1:42:19] by now um so I was expecting it to be

[1:42:23] completed also the latest update we

[1:42:25] received from the company was um they

[1:42:28] have to lay down the rubber membrane um

[1:42:33] walking mats that protect the roof from

[1:42:35] uh when workers have to go up there to

[1:42:37] repair things and um the icicles from

[1:42:40] our radio tower which had done some

[1:42:42] damage over the years that is supposed

[1:42:44] to pres uh prevent that uh we're being

[1:42:47] told that's a two-day Max uh process

[1:42:51] when those two days are going to be I

[1:42:52] don't have that answer um and also they

[1:42:55] do all have to get the crane back in

[1:42:57] there at some point to get some of their

[1:43:00] heavy machinery that they used uh for

[1:43:02] the project off the

[1:43:04] roof because they are utilizing space on

[1:43:07] the property corre have equipment on

[1:43:09] site they currently just have a dumpster

[1:43:13] um they really don't have

[1:43:15] anything on our ground or in our parking

[1:43:19] lot I should say we do have area kind of

[1:43:21] roped off for them for for their

[1:43:23] vehicles and if they do have to bring

[1:43:25] something in at some point um we we made

[1:43:27] some room for them now how many um and

[1:43:30] I'm sure that you've seen this when

[1:43:31] they're there how many how large is the

[1:43:33] work

[1:43:36] through I'm not really sure I mean I've

[1:43:39] seen them up on the roof but um it's

[1:43:42] just I mean because in this contract I

[1:43:44] just you know reviewed it a little bit

[1:43:47] um before the meeting um so

[1:43:52] it's a flat roof correct that's had a

[1:43:54] lot of issues um and the urgency was to

[1:43:57] get the roof DED to avoid the water

[1:43:59] damage that keeps coming in um and so my

[1:44:03] concern is we've awarded a substantial

[1:44:06] amount of money through a vendor a

[1:44:09] contractor through the roof and in my

[1:44:11] mind it hasn't it should have been done

[1:44:14] within a certain amount of time right or

[1:44:17] wrong expected certain amount of time

[1:44:19] all summer is probably nobody if I had a

[1:44:21] person come do the roof on my house and

[1:44:23] it took them all summer to do the roof

[1:44:25] on my house it'd be an issue with that

[1:44:29] um and in the contract it's clearly

[1:44:32] states that if they're not working

[1:44:34] consistently then the contract was cled

[1:44:36] for not being there working to get the

[1:44:39] job done because they don't get it done

[1:44:41] in a timely manner we've G get into

[1:44:43] August which is then rainy season which

[1:44:45] then causes more issues work now we have

[1:44:49] more damage in the police station that

[1:44:51] we trying to avoid and why we had the

[1:44:54] urgency of getting this so I guess my

[1:44:57] question is where is is there

[1:44:59] accountability to this get this one done

[1:45:03] the lack of not getting it done I'm not

[1:45:06] familiar with the clause in the contract

[1:45:08] um but I can say the we were advised the

[1:45:13] workers do have a clause that they don't

[1:45:16] work if it hits a certain temperature

[1:45:18] and that came into effect um when

[1:45:21] we had that streak of very very hot

[1:45:23] weather in August and then the rain

[1:45:26] [Music]

[1:45:27] um what I was told initially was 10 to

[1:45:30] 12 Days right that's reasonable right um

[1:45:33] and obviously we're we're well beyond

[1:45:36] the 10 to 12 Days

[1:45:39] um recourse I don't have an answer for

[1:45:42] you when it comes to that um but I mean

[1:45:46] we can absolutely look into the into the

[1:45:47] contract yeah we could B and it's not

[1:45:51] it's it's really just accountability

[1:45:53] right because now we're get to get into

[1:45:54] colder weather and it's it's a it's a

[1:45:58] flat room so that's liquid Ash have all

[1:46:00] this other stuff to do so now we

[1:46:05] potentially getting into an area where

[1:46:08] well now the weather's bad and we can't

[1:46:10] finish this project and that's not the

[1:46:12] type of contract or business that the

[1:46:15] city should be entering

[1:46:17] into like any private vendor or private

[1:46:20] business you wouldn't want that for your

[1:46:22] own so I think it doesn't a public

[1:46:25] building that has workers in it all day

[1:46:27] I mean your office you you want these

[1:46:29] things yeah we did have some damage um

[1:46:32] we did from from rain there was one

[1:46:34] night where uh the tarps they had laid

[1:46:36] down blew off um I got damage in my

[1:46:39] office um there was some damage in the

[1:46:41] oic's office um and there was also some

[1:46:45] damage in the patrol Commander um office

[1:46:49] um they uh you know we asked them to pay

[1:46:52] to repair the damage most of it was

[1:46:55] cosmetic um um I I was told they did um

[1:47:00] pay for the new new tiles and whatnot

[1:47:03] there there was some some water issues

[1:47:07] no the consistent rains that street were

[1:47:10] flooded I'm sure your station wased it

[1:47:13] wasn't I thought it was I thought it was

[1:47:15] going to be much worse than it actually

[1:47:17] was it was it was uh relatively minor uh

[1:47:20] compared to some of the uh water we got

[1:47:23] in the building prior to them starting

[1:47:25] the roof sure because they had started

[1:47:27] so um and luckily they had the tarpon to

[1:47:29] try to minimize um but I think that

[1:47:31] still doesn't negate the fact that in my

[1:47:33] mind they haven't held up their end the

[1:47:36] bargain and getting that police station

[1:47:38] to where it needs to be and this is

[1:47:40] really coming from a place where this

[1:47:42] Council and the previous Council has

[1:47:44] always cought for the the police station

[1:47:47] and making that somewhere that is you

[1:47:49] know a suitable place to work and health

[1:47:52] you know health concerns that may arise

[1:47:53] from that so I'm just wanting to be on

[1:47:56] top of that making sure that we're

[1:47:57] holding our vendors avable and I know

[1:47:59] it's not something that's part of your

[1:48:00] day-to-day because there are bigger fish

[1:48:02] in your FEA to fry but it's something

[1:48:05] that's important I think General and

[1:48:06] certainly it is to me so we appreciate

[1:48:09] that no I I want to make sure

[1:48:12] that that and also that we have a a good

[1:48:16] works space for the for the the officers

[1:48:18] and the uh civilian employees absolutely

[1:48:20] yeah exactly and and knowing that we

[1:48:22] have other projects that are coming down

[1:48:23] the line that the Poli station needs to

[1:48:25] be done we need to know that they're

[1:48:26] going to be done in a timely manner

[1:48:28] people help for that timeline you know

[1:48:30] whoever that project manager is for this

[1:48:33] clearly wasn't managing that that site

[1:48:36] properly in my opinion so Mike if we

[1:48:38] could follow up on that and Report out

[1:48:41] um what the outcome is because it does

[1:48:44] say you know on here some of that

[1:48:48] language not following through

[1:48:55] thank you chief for coming by I

[1:48:56] appreciate that I just want you know the

[1:48:58] council to be aware of that and anybody

[1:48:59] in the public who might see the the

[1:49:01] guards still up yet um the protection Up

[1:49:04] on the Roof that you know it's been

[1:49:06] there for a while it is still being

[1:49:09] worked on and hopefully wrapping up um

[1:49:12] in the next couple of weeks thank you I

[1:49:14] hope also C Rigo I want to thank the

[1:49:16] chief for coming here tonight obviously

[1:49:18] the issue that concerns me is U you know

[1:49:21] first of all happy that the roof is

[1:49:23] getting done at the police station along

[1:49:25] overdue and we do that uh following up

[1:49:28] on what councilwoman Souza said I'd like

[1:49:31] to have them I'd like to have Madame

[1:49:33] clerk put it on the agenda for the 17th

[1:49:36] of October I would like the solicitor

[1:49:38] report back hopefully there is some

[1:49:40] performance uh in every contract that

[1:49:43] hopefully the city does it here there

[1:49:45] should be performance con you know

[1:49:47] performance bonds that have to be

[1:49:55] okay thank you

[1:49:58] uh oh yeah no no I just wanted you to

[1:50:00] take the notes down because oh yeah no I

[1:50:03] just I usually you're you're right most

[1:50:05] contracts have a performance bond so

[1:50:08] they don't complete the job when they

[1:50:09] don't complete they don't complete the

[1:50:10] job but do we have any do we put the

[1:50:13] timelines in scenarios like that when

[1:50:15] you don't complete the job what is the I

[1:50:17] mean I'll have at the contract I could

[1:50:19] it could be six you know as a contractor

[1:50:21] you got something that could take six

[1:50:22] months they completed the job but for

[1:50:24] the men and women that protect those all

[1:50:26] day long I want this thing done as soon

[1:50:28] as possible I think there were I'll look

[1:50:30] into it and I'll get back to you I think

[1:50:31] there were legitimate concerns with

[1:50:32] weather yeah well I get that I

[1:50:35] understand that and everything like that

[1:50:36] I wouldn't want to be up there during

[1:50:37] that week in August when it was almost

[1:50:39] 100 plus I I get that but if now in some

[1:50:44] contractors take you know bite too much

[1:50:46] you know and now now jobs are behind

[1:50:49] because of that and rain and everything

[1:50:50] but we shouldn't be the one suffering

[1:50:52] and if there's something in the contract

[1:50:54] that we can find them 20,000 I'm just

[1:50:57] throwing out a number we we should do

[1:50:59] that so I ask you in the solicitors

[1:51:01] office to do that and report back on the

[1:51:03] 17th and I give you some homework

[1:51:06] already for one of my docket items or I

[1:51:08] should say the entire Council would

[1:51:10] probably want that so you can put in on

[1:51:11] the entire

[1:51:13] Council on the 17 thank you who the

[1:51:15] chair councilman fogy please thanks for

[1:51:18] coming out tonight Chief appreciate

[1:51:20] apprciate your time and efforts it's

[1:51:21] unacceptable that the roof isn't done

[1:51:25] yet yeah absolutely would like to get to

[1:51:27] the bottom of it um I and I know they

[1:51:31] also started after they uh said they

[1:51:35] would start because of the rain and

[1:51:37] finishing other jobs and then getting to

[1:51:38] us it set them back also um because we

[1:51:41] were anticipating

[1:51:43] them uh I can't remember the exact date

[1:51:46] but it was like a week week and a half

[1:51:50] after the anticipated start

[1:51:53] date know how it works Chief I

[1:51:55] appreciate your time okay thank

[1:51:57] you thank you chief for coming out

[1:52:02] and answering the questions appreciate

[1:52:05] it I think we're getting there Madam

[1:52:07] clerk uh what do you have next uh I

[1:52:11] motion to

[1:52:13] adjourn second at motion

[1:52:17] say motion by

[1:52:20] soua seconded by everybody else all in

[1:52:24] favor I I any opposed the eyes have it

[1:52:28] thank you meeting is

[1:52:31] adjourned

Oct. 3, 2023 - Council Meeting

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