evening call the meeting of October 3D
to order Madam clerk would you please
call the role of the
council councilman foger yeah Council
vice president R go yeah councilwoman
Susa yeah council president Rodricks
here and councilman Lawson is is home
ill today he um kind of fought through
the meeting last night with the with the
bad cold but um called today to say that
going to stay home and try to get strong
for next week's meetings this hopefully
looks like a brief
agenda let the record show there are
four members present councilman Lawson
is is home
ill you please rise for the
pledge and uh Miss kakas would you lead
us in the pledge
[Music]
thank you know I didn't wanted to put
you right on the spot like
that that's my pen
what that's all right it's a rough
group thank
you so without um objection I would move
at this time move up on the agenda this
time a special
Proclamation
and sure there is no no objection and so
those of you which is all of us who know
uh East Providence know East Providence
high school and our student Athletic
program I'm good to see principal of the
high school Willam black is here tonight
uh thank you for for coming you know
that um on top of the academics of
course that goes number one but uh
Athletics is Big County Athletics is Big
nothing is bigger than our unified arts
program and unified students and the
other Associated programs the partners
club uh we have some dedicated students
who work together to make sure that
everybody is included and it takes more
than just the kids being active and and
suppor is it it takes a leader it takes
a coach takes a teacher and when
Statewide they recognize you as the
coach of the year no matter what sport
it is whether it's
the big four baseball football
basketball soccer whatever it is they're
all equal and we have one of the best
here tonight and when you are the coach
of the year of a special student program
that is probably a little bit above
everything else so we want to issue a
special Proclamation and while I do that
however I would like to ask coach
Kristen kudak if you would please come
up to the podium on my left as I and if
you want to be accompanied by principal
Bill black I would appreciate that too
because I want people to know the
support of our high school principal is
second to
none and this is a city council
recognition Award presented to the Rhode
Island Coach of the Year coach Kristen
kakis and teams have won championships
that that's the last thing I know that
you are looking for but everybody wants
to win right everybody still wants to
win and you guys are winners before we
um make the presentation I'd ask all
council members if you want to say
anything um councilman Rigo helped me
toh sponsor this and uh it's been
haunting the principal about it and said
you better be at the meeting we were
going to do it last week but there was a
game at the high school so we we waited
councilman do you want to add anything
thing uh yes thank you Mr President uh I
just like to congratulate your
accomplishments what you've done with
your teams through the years is
outstanding uh you bring a lot of Joy to
the kids you make them feel part of that
Community uh and I'd like to also thank
my good friend the principal Bill black
for everything that you're doing over at
the high school with this program and
everything else but congratulations
coach and an outstanding job that you've
done with all your
teams and councilman oh absolutely um
the dedication and the work you do is uh
unfall because being a referee for over
20 years of the Special Olympics and the
teams to see you guys put the work ethic
in that you do is such a a a joy for me
and the City of East Providence and to
be a part of it so thank you for all you
do and not least uh
councilwoman
season we have the opportunity to attend
the celebration with all the athletes
here at City Hall and it was great to
see the rest of the coaching team also
present who also do a phenomenal job day
in day out including the athlet so thank
you very much for your dedication love
and support to our and two other things
Ben why don't you join up H the uh
platform please because you're a main
part of this whole
program and I I want to say a spot apart
from the Athletics I have seen many
times uh coach kakis uh affectionately
called by colleagues and some students
cudy not the way when I was a kid we
would say that to other
kids but walking the C is of the high
school uh coach kakis I think you know
just about every student all 16,700 of
them pretty close and they all high-five
her when she walks by and she has a good
word to say about about most of them
that goes for principal black we've got
a great team at the high school so with
that if we would like to congratulate
you I would bring this proclamation to
you and how about a round of
applause
I'd like to first thank the uh city of
East Providence and of course um my
friend Mr Rodrick thank you so much for
acknowledging and um reminding me to
show
up I even got a text message today so it
was during school
hours I'll I'll admit you didn't answer
it till after two
o'clock with that um it's just an honor
to coach and to be with um our students
every single day and being at the high
school um it's a great environment and
the staff and the students really
believe in our school and our community
and I thank you very much for your
continued
support and positive energy you send our
way thank
you and Mr Black never a Man Without
Words would you like to offer
anything all right I have a long speech
here C man that's all right we were here
late last night and no uh thank you for
this recognition to the council um coach
does an amazing job and her staff does
an amazing job with our student athletes
uh it's great that Ben's here with us
tonight but um it's just uh it's such a
community that they've created within
our high school community that makes it
special you see a lot of our teachers
show up a lot of our students uh all
show up to support our students in these
games and um it's just really exciting
that not only the success that they've
had but just the feeling I think we all
get in the gym um when we're at these
events so we encourage the city to
attend these events um between
volleyball and basketball we got some
pretty special players so thank you
tonight for recognizing us we appreciate
that thank you we've come this far Ben
do you want to add anything no come on
Ben come on Ben she's the best coach
yeah
and we we all like pictures so if you
would come and stand in the front here
and maybe Mary you could take a picture
of the group anyone is welcome
to look at Big Ben in front of me I love
it Ben's gonna be
powering
long
time thank you
awesome
would you guys come back for the budget
hearing next week we need we need some
Applause
smile thank you for coming obviously we
will not feel bad if you leave we know
you all have busy weeks and busy days so
don't feel like you got to stay another
minute thank you for coming
thank
you I was kidding you could have stayed
a couple
minutes at this time uh rver back on the
dock and pursuant to uh Island general
LS 42-
46-5 a and two uh we will meet
hopefully briefly in in
executive session we will be discussing
considerations related to the
acquisition of real property for public
purposes wherein Advanced public
information would be detrimental to the
interest of the public and as always no
votes will take place and any anything
that
is taking place in there will be
reported out when we get to that point
in the doet so is there a motion to uh
move to Executive session Mr President I
move to Executive session under the laws
of the State of Rhode Island thank you
motion made by councilman Rego seconded
by councilman Lawson all in favor say I
I fog I'm sorry get along though yeah
all in favor it's unanimous y we will go
to Executive session thank
you
what motion is in order return to public
session and to seal the minutes of the
executive session make a motion to
return to public SE uh return to public
session and to seal the minutes of the
executive session of the East Province
City Council on October 3rd 2023 second
motion by Council vice president rioo
seconded by councilman fogy all in favor
I any opposed the eyes have it four is
zero Madam clerk can please resume the
agenda under consent calendar we have
the council journal's regular meeting
September 12th
2023 Council Mee September 19th 2023 and
September 26
2023 we also have um tax abatements in
the amount of
$1,893
184 motion on the consent
calendar motion to approve the consent
calendar is
R second second motion by councilwoman
soua seconded by councilwoman Rigo to
approve the consent calendar all in
favor I I any opposed guys have it for
to zero thank you next
item you have um a consideration for
motion to bonsel licenses C1 to
C3 um we have a one- day entertainment
license license for Ocean State
ballet um an application for a bingo
license for Sacred Heart Church and a
business license Sundays and holidays
for Prime commoms LLC on Newport
Avenue motion to accept bundo item
license numbers excuse me C1 to
C3 motion by councilman Rigo seconded by
councilwoman Souza to bundle licenses C1
to C3 all in favor I I any opposed the
eyes have it motion approve the
bundle second motion by Council ran soua
second by councilman fogy to approve the
bundle as read all in favor I I any
oppos the eyes have that 4
Zero have a public hearing application
for additional hours to open 24
hours applicant for Cumberland Farms at
125 Newport
Avenue thank you the applicant name is
Laura Sal vuci is applicant president or
representative it come up to the podium
to my left thank
you and just identify yourself for the
record
please thank you Mr
President Miss hean for Cumberland
Farms
Al set you can Pro proceed uh with your
requests so members of the council uh
this Cumberland Farms location is
located on Newport Avenue they have
another location on Pucket Avenue in the
city of East Providence that location
does hold the license that we're
applying for today this is the newer of
their two locations it it's been open
for about a year um almost to the day uh
fall of last year this opened there was
some confusion on Cumberland Farm's part
back when this uh business originally
opened where they applied for this
license but failed to appear for the
hearing uh at that time the solicitor
and I I wasn't involved I got brought
into it um rather than file a motion for
reconsideration or anything along those
lines they decided that they would just
wait um and O operate the business so
that you could get a sense of how the
current operation was running and what
impact it had if any on the surrounding
area so they currently operate from 6:00
AM to 1: am and they're seeking the
ability to operate um at a 24-hour
location they have 48 locations in Rhode
Island 27 of those locations possess the
extended hours license that allows them
to operate from that time uh I'm not
here today certainly it wouldn't turn it
down if you were inclined to approve
their request um they want to be a good
neighbor obviously kumel and Farms is a
long-standing business not just in Rhode
Island but throughout our region they're
not going anywhere um and they're happy
to do this sort of incrementally or even
on a probationary basis I think your
ordinance makes it probationary anyways
um but wanted to get a sense of the
concerns uh wanted to listen if there
are neighbors here today to speak out
against it um see if we can address
those concerns uh I know that um traffic
was a concern previously I do have a
traffic study that was prepared back
when this was originally um permitted
that I could submit to you for the
record that demonstrates there's no
change to the level of service and I
know there are um concerns with any late
night business there's always concerns
about
loitering um you know Cumberland Farms
in general the new model Cumberland
Farms that get built are very bright um
places they try they certainly don't
tolerate any loitering it's not good for
their business um it's not what they
want to um certainly not what they put
up with not what they attract they make
sure that their clerks are charged with
monit I mean first of all there's video
surveillance right it's not a small
operation but their clerks that work
there are charged with making sure
people are moving uh not lingering get
their gas get their products uh and that
they move along on their
business often when I've worked on um
stores and gas stations why do you want
to open those late hours so I'll go off
on a little tangent here even though
he's gone but uh you're so lucky to have
Bill black as the principal of your high
school I'm not saying that because he's
my
cousin I'm saying that because you stole
him in another life I was the chairman
of the school board in Providence and Mr
Black was teacher and he was uh we made
him vice principal and then his first
position as principal's job we were
Furious when he left to come to East
Providence but he made a comment he
asked me what do you hear from for and I
said I was here for this and he's like
good I won't have to wait for my coffee
in the morning because I guess he gets
there just before they open at 6 so we
target our demographic for those late
hours are people that work a late shift
when they get off um I'm sure we've all
been in a place in our lives where we've
been out later than exp we didn't have
time to get the bread didn't have time
to get what we needed for lunch the next
day for the kids it's for people who
need that it's for the First Responders
the hospital workers the nursing home
workers people that get off late it is
not for vagrants and loyers I know there
are concerns and I've talked with my
client about that um that there have
been some changes different
establishments they're not going to
tolerate that to this point it's not
been an issue um I checked in with them
but certainly we've not um required any
sort of police presence for any sort of
loitering or having to move people along
our clerks are trained to notify law
enforcement um they're trained to
monitor for nuisance we're sensitive to
that we know that's what your
constituents um are sensitive to um but
we'd like this to be an asset we're
hopeful to work with you and start that
conversation tonight um if there's
anything that we can do to make sure
that um anything that we don't address
or haven't addressed uh through the
current operation is dealt with we're
happy to do that um but we are hopeful
that we could have the same license that
we possess at our other East Providence
location and the majority of the
locations that we have throughout the
state
some of those locations that don't
possess the license um many towns don't
just don't provide for it they don't
have it in ordinance um others don't
have the level of uh vehicular traffic
for gas and and those needs that we have
in in this location um but I'm happy to
answer any questions you might have I'm
happy to listen to folks who came out
here today and a hope is that we could
work together to um you know work
towards this 24-hour liis we're happy to
do it incrementally
um if that is something that's more um
palatable um but hoping that it's
something that we can progress
towards thank you for for that opening
this is a public hearing which I will
open up to the council first and uh
defer to the ward one uh council member
at at at this time uh councilman rioo do
you want to uh startop when
comments uh yes thank you Mr President
since being on this console since
January of this
year this is the most phone calls I've
received on any issue that has faced the
community my ward in the city in
general and as a prior note my first
house was right behind there on Vermont
Avenue 20 something years ago when we
moved
the
community what the original zoning was
and what it was changed
for wasn't what the people in that
neighborhood in that surrounded
area in this map signed up
for the 70 phone
calls the 25 plus
emails don't want it those people live
there every day yeah hardworking
people and I am going on the record as
the councilman in that Ward that I will
be voting no for any extended
hours thank you councilman anyone else
on the
council this time uh there it's an
extended public hearing so you can come
back later and comment after we hear
from anyone else um I I would make a
couple of General comments uh I would uh
um I appreciate the fact that you you're
willing to possibly do this on an
incremental basis I think that that
helps um my observations and I've been
there several times I have a family
member in the area and I I go there
often and I've been inside the store it
is everything you said it is new it is
big it is bright it is it is clean
there's plenty of parking a heck of a
lot better than what we had there
before and I live near the other one
that you mentioned in the Kent Heights
area and that has been wildly popular uh
with with everyone and they had a little
struggle at first with with zoning and
then eventually they prevailed and were
able to expand it to the uh very nice
spot that it that it is now at the
corner of wo Trail in Pucket Avenue so I
I as far as the business goes I I think
it's it's a great business uh Newport
Avenue is a busy street to say the least
I I don't know that this would make it
any busier I don't think it can get much
busier but I understand what councilman
Rigo is saying uh I'm not adverse
to you open now at six I don't have a
big problem if you opened at five I
think most people especially working
people are up at that time uh I don't
see that as a as a major problem in in
my life I have worked different shifts I
remember working a night shift once
and it opened up my eyes that there is a
a different world out there not
everybody is 9 to5 not everybody works
in an office not everybody works in a
school uh there are all kinds of jobs
out there so there there is a need uh
for for some people I have off off
hours so I could I could see that how
would an hour hurt if they if you
started at 5:00 a.m. um just drive go to
the high school early some mornings I'm
going to the high school around that
time and traffic is out and about you I
look down to the highway as I go over a
lot of times there's a traffic backup so
the world is up and and about at at 5:00
a.m. um if they need gas or a cup of
coffee or whatever it is up to people so
I'm not adverse uh to that I they're
open at 6 what's what's another hour at
5: and we we see how it goes but with
that um I would open up the public
hearing if there if anyone is here today
unless did you want to add before the
public speaks yes thank you Mr President
one thing that I didn't address that
maybe the other the the 24 hour hour
store in the other section of East
Providence and maybe the other locations
that might be 24 hours and our police
Chiefs here tonight he can attest that
we have a problem a half a mile down the
road they might not be standing at the
Cumberland Farms but
unfortunately those unfortunately and
unfortunately for the people who are
staying at the
hotel they have mental issues drug
issues I get constant complaints from
people living in the neighborhoods at at
all sorts of hours people going through
we have a lot of C breaks we've had
numerous C breaks in the area it it's
tied there the chief can attest that
that's probably one of the top areas
that he has to send his Patrol offices
there to the point where they go in
there and they have to Lysol themselves
off afterwards the issue yeah maybe C
and Farms do a good job job of you know
saying get off our property but when
they leave the property now we have
issues in the neighborhood at 2: 3 in
the morning of people who are
intoxicated walking or people who are on
drugs and unfortunately they have issues
that Society isn't taking care of but
the people in no streets shouldn't have
to suffer because of a corporation
wanting to stay open 24 hours I will
move to deny the
license okay well before entertaining
motions I want to have the public
hearing and we'll we'll hear from people
I my my only reply would be that I I
don't know that these people that you
speak of from 5 to six are going to all
run to cuming farms and cause a a
problem the neighborhood problems is
something else you know that we need to
address the police but is there anyone
here that would like to uh speak on this
issue please come forward and just give
your name and address for the record
please
Susan Darin 84 coil
Avenue I came last year to the hearing
for 24 hours was very much opposed for
all the reasons that were
mentioned um but this year I want to
tell you what I've noticed over the past
year with Cumberland Farms being
opened uh past 10 pm at night and open
in the morning
and there are more cars speeding down
coil Avenue they're coming out of
there's a cut through now in the parking
lot and they are speeding up and down
coil and this is a risk for our children
that are out on the street uh Quil
Avenue is the neighborhood that is
directly parallel
to it's not power got to come down uh to
the Calin
Farms um there are many trucks and SUVs
with backup beepers that I hear they're
backing up like at midnight I hear
trucks backing up um so there are noise
there is noise there car alarms are
going off over there um and including
people yelling which could be the
Rumford Motor Lodge because I know that
now they have a place to go to get their
snacks um at 5:00 a.m. or after 10 p.m.
uh we had a situation on coil um where
we had a woman laying naked in in one of
our neighbors front Lawns um until the
EMTs came
together um there's been the biggest
thing for me is there's been an increase
in trash not only on the street but on
lawns there there's even been trash bags
in my driveway
and I know it's not a result of trash
day because it doesn't only happen on
Monday and I'm literally picking up
wrappers like the tops of cigarette
boxes or gum
or little bags of Fritos individual bags
or brown trash bags that are full
of and I I wish I had saved it all and
brought it to show you so you can see
that you know it's it is as a result of
C
now I think that if it's open 24 hours
all of the above is going to increase
exponentially and I think that we are
going to have more of the Motor Lodge
people walking up and down our streets
because we have it now and because they
have a 24-hour place to go I don't even
like the 5 am because I believe that the
5 AM is a way to sneak through to
eventually being 24 hours so I think
that 6:00 a.m. to 10: p.m. is
enough hour in the day to conduct
business excuse me um and I the only
thing that I I haven't addressed but Mr
rgo did is we've had a lot of carburs so
you know
I
changed when I moved to runford over 20
years ago it was a nice quiet M did
understand that Newport Avenue could be
developed but I didn't realize it would
be
expense of my neighbors my quality of
life been woking up I don't know if you
can wake up at
midnight and then easily go back to
sleep or you hear a door slam or you
hear a hole or you hear someone yelling
um for me it could take hours and I I
have to be up at 6: am because I go to
work every
day um and again I don't like having to
come home from work at six o'clock at
night I Pi I'm trashed on my
y
don't want it I talked to my neighbors
we don't want it and I don't think a
Year's made a difference and I don't
think another Year's going to make a
difference thank you appreciate you
coming out anyone else would like to uh
speak on this from the area or from
anywhere
uh back to the council uh councilman R
go before we um take a motion did you
want to add anything or no I'm I'm good
so just for the for the sake a navo
would be denying the license so the
request is for 24 hours so a n vote a n
vote is to deny the license deny the
when we're voting it's it's not
um well what's right here
Mike
right right now on the what the vote
block says your motion would be to deny
so you have to vote nay on
that we going off the vote block Mike
right so if we vote nay the Nays would
deny the
license no so we're not going off the
vote blocks all right so all right I
just wanted to be clear on that because
we've had confusion in the past so uh I
make a motion to deny Cumberland Farms
the 24hour
license motion yeah I thought I did the
public hearing is closed there was no
one
yes oh
sure we will admit the uh traffic study
as part of the council record which was
done when when the
initial so the motion is to deny the
24-hour request motion by councilman
weo second by
councilman fogy and I I will um support
the the motion for the 24 hours if they
come back and they want to look at one
hour earlier you know I'm certainly open
to that but tonight what's before us is
the
24hour uh request and I I think that and
this is just part of discussion on the
motion I think some of the concerns that
that you made ma'am are are very valid I
see more of them being
towards the alleged problems with the
motel and the and the police in the
neighborhood can work on that I don't
want to be in a position where we're
blaming and farms for those problems
because I I do think they've been a very
good business in our city but I
understand what you're saying and those
are areas that we have to look at but
anyway the motion is made and seconded
uh Madam clerk want to I'm sorry comment
by you um so I uh agree both ways so I I
understand where councilman vice
president's coming from and just
concerns and I
thinkig in listening and hearing to you
know the people who live in of the dayto
day um would it be nice for others in
the city to have access to somewhere
that's 24 hours that may be closer than
going all the way up to Avenue um
absolutely um but that's you know you
don't live in that area so it's hard for
you to judge how people feel when it's
not in your backyard I do appreciate the
conversation um and bringing to the
cable the ability to um be flexible and
wanting to hear the um work with the
resid always a good sign of business um
in the city and I would encourage that
that still take place you know and I
know that that's probably something that
you and your client will do so I
appreciate those continued efforts um
but for the reasons that have been
stated from the public and our
councilman and again I thank anybody who
comes up to the council and speaks
publicly on behalf of what really
concerns them and um things that they
expect their Council to listen to is um
really important I thank you for coming
out tonight that that takes a lot of
Courage for a lot of people to stand up
here before us and before live audience
or um screaming they say how they feel
without having any backlash or maybe
being Rital because that's something
that's easily done in the community um
by naysayer so thank you for being
strong in doing that um but I do um I do
Echo the sentiments for this what's
before us today
um thank you councilwoman anybody else
on the council if not Madam clerk would
you call a ro remember an iote supports
the motion
to
deny Council f i Council vice president
rgo Hi councilwoman Susa hi council
president rodri I motion to deny the 24
hours uh passes 4 to zero thank you
thank you for you uh councilman Rigo
regardless of this outcome if we can
help with some of these fash issues and
work together we can get in touch with
you because we don't like what's
happening down the road either it's not
who you know it's not what we're trying
to have Ur you know the lawyer and me
it's always tough because you want to
talk about evidence and stuff and it's a
political process and it's a constituent
process so I don't like to rebut what
people say but rather try to help be
part of that solution and I know they
would too so we'll reach out and see if
there's something we can do to help with
going this thank you thank you thank you
Micha thank you for clarifying that way
you
know
thank you madam clerk next
item under Communications Nancy hail
speaking on budget
questions thank you just uh give your
name and address for the record please
Nancy
hail
can you hear me yes
okay 889 Bullocks Point Avenue Nancy
hail thank you you can proceed all right
I'm getting better at some of my visual
aids they're simpler it's going to be
Swift all right this one's for City
safety issues and it's going on the back
burner as I'm pleased to report things
continue to improve at my intersection
and it's spreading
up to the
Honeydew area where Now cars are
stopping and being polite letting people
walk oh please go before me so like
something's happened that's really good
and I don't think it's just because of
me so um the one of the other issues is
my green folder now this is actually two
it has two meanings one is fiscal
responsibility so since this is budget
time I have a question probably for the
Treasurer but I don't expect an answer
tonight so the question is it has to do
with that interest being paid to the
state of Rhode Island because of timing
issues so you anyone can tell just have
to address your questions to the council
please and not not to be okay well I
don't care who answers really or when
well maybe next week would be good for
an answer if it fits in because I don't
even know what a budget hearing is and
and basically you can just ask my sister
Kim if it has to do with the budget I
should stay far away from
it um so but um as far as losing money
on a yearly
basis like to 100,000 or 400,000 in
somewhere in there just because we're
not in a same fiscal calendar as the
state of Rhode Island seems like a
terrible loss of money and we need maybe
that money to be put
towards uh the swimming pool and the
aquatics uh part of the uh Community
Center I don't know if that would would
solve the problem
entirely um and again I'll just say you
don't want me organizing your money but
I will I do want to know why is it so
difficult to get in sync with the state
of Rhode Island how can we do that and
if that requires a
bond maybe that's a good thing to put a
bond out for and end the loss of
thousands of dollars so that's it for me
tonight the and and we can get more more
I know this Council will will be looking
to discuss synchronization more in the
future the the short answer which is not
an easy answer you're talking if you
wanted to do something like that cold
turkey to the same year as the state
whether it's cold turkey or five years
from now or whenever you're talking
multi-millions of dollars why why I
don't get that that's why so it's more
it's a complicated formula um with the
state uh yes Council someone someone ask
you go ahead chair maybe the solicitor
can expl sure if he if if he has a quick
answer on that there is no quick answer
on this well I mean I'm you know things
can be complicated but I can understand
a lot of complicated things we would
never be able to have another bond issue
of the sort that would be needed well I
don't even you know I know that wealthy
people like bonds because they make
money from them so that that's you know
but especially they like it if it barely
fixes a problem like this Mike can you
put it in a in a nut show oh I'm going
to um so lawyers are also bad with money
but
um not charging
though I'm I'm not bad with money I'm
bad with budget well that's why I don't
same principle right yeah and check
books I mean the sideways math forget
about it if memory serves me right the
synchronization issue is costly um I
think it's was $50 million $50 million
to synchronize our fiscal year with the
state's fiscal year
because there will be a lag time the
city city government still has to run
right on a 12-month basis so if we try
to synchronize it we we we would be
moving everything up six months or three
months six months eight months so during
that eight-month period we've got to
have a bridge of money coming
in to allow the taxpayers to pay but
they wouldn't be paying because we're
synchronizing it but there would be an
eight-month Gap and that eight-month Gap
is about $50 million and so that's
that's the most simplest way I can
explain it yeah as the best as a lawyer
I could well I don't know I'd get theone
Mike well then then that's how many I I
don't think many people would like to
pay their taxes in advance well but if
they got a swimming pool well you know
that's an expensive complicated to make
that con I mean you can't make that
direct connection but getting out of
debt is important and there may be
people in the city who would want to do
that that's a simple answer that very
simplistic but that's 50 $50 million got
an eight month flag where's the what's
the eight month flag because our do it
start that it's the difference in that's
yeah November 1st to June to June
1st
thank you Mr s ask ask your sister
Kim thank you um Nancy uh next item
please public comment the first public
comment uh is Frank
Rego thank you Madame clerk fellow
council
members at last night's council meeting
a motion was made to be discussed on
October 10th to eliminate the planed two
position which members of the council
thought was the vacant position I found
out today that the vacant position is
planner one I needed to ask legal and
finance if it's possible to switch this
oversight and at what point we can do
that so you'll be able to make that
change um at the next public hearing
which would be octob next um oober 10th
10th I'm sorry yeah I've got so many
dates October
10th thank you Mr
solicitor thank you
councilman next on the
list um Renee shakon on the
archaeological
survey
thank you just name and address for the
record Rene choin 48 Kettle Point
Avenue good evening council president
Council vice president and council
members and thank you for the
opportunity to speak tonight I emailed
you all in support of the Rhode Island
historical preservation and Heritage
commission's recommendation actually
made twice once in 2020 and again in
2023 that an archaeological survey be
conducted at metacomet to determine if a
significant archaeological site which
may include burials as present I come
before you today to make my plea in
person about a month ago I had the
opportunity to visit the national museum
of the American Indian in Washington DC
it was one of the most moving
experiences that I have encountered at a
museum it changed me the level of
atrocities inflicted upon the American
Indian is overwhelming and to see that
even in the more Modern Age the actions
that some of our own presidents of the
United States took to move the Indians
from their land is shocking and
scandalous at best I quote a philosopher
here Jose Ortega why gas it the past
will not tell us what we ought to do but
what we ought to avoid this could not be
more applicable to this situation most
of us merely have only the opportunity
to verbally acknowledge knowled the
passed via a land acknowledgement which
is a statement that recognizes and
respects the IND indigenous peoples but
you as a governing body have the unique
privilege of being able to put action to
those words let's not perpetuate the
mistakes of past governing bodies Monday
is indigenous people's day and November
is Native American Heritage Month in
these Providence could this be more
timely I have heard some arguments
against requiring the survey the first
one is that it's now private land this
does not preclude you from strongly
recommending that the developer
undertake this survey in fact I have
recently learned that a land
archaeological survey was conducted
prior to the development of kettle point
that was also private land let's
encourage the same behavior from
Marshall and let's not forget that
Marshall will or perhaps already has
deed nine ACR over to the city what
about a survey on that land the second
argument I've heard is that This Land Is
Now under the purview of the Waterfront
commission as a city council you have
the authority to strongly recommend that
the Waterfront commission follow the
historical preservation commission's
recommendations why turn a blind eye to
what is the right thing to do if they
are enforcing the recommendation city
council can certainly step in to ensure
that right actions are taken in closing
I encourage you all to pass a resolution
to call upon the East Providence
Department of planning and econom IC
development in conjunction with the East
Providence Waterfront District
commission to advise Marshall properties
to conduct an archaeological survey
performed by a qualified archaeologist
at Marshall's expense please show with
your actions that you respect and honor
those that came before us thank you for
your time thank you coming
out Jason rafy speaking on the
recreation center
Jason Rafferty 85 Bluff Street in
Riverside um I'm speaking in the
recreation center but particularly the
um the pool which has been a topic of
much of much debate um speaking in favor
of it I go back to a New York Times
editorial that was actually written
earlier this year and it starts off as a
young child in New Orleans forelle Ross
fell into one of the city's many canals
and nearly drowned years later as
Hurricane Katrina bore down on the city
Miss Ross fled the rising waters on a
bus with two tiny babies in 2016 one of
the babies Bethesda ground in a backyard
pool when Miss Ross was asked to comment
on it she says I don't play in water
I've always been afraid of it because
we're
upbringing Bethesda is one of the
estimated 4,000 people a year who die by
drowning in the United States that's 11
people per day
the United States for its majority of
citizens has is basically a swimming
desert where according to the Red Cross
more than half the population lacks
basic swimming abilities and million go
without access to Safe places to enter
the
water we uh we don't have in in terms of
pools in the United States we've seen
some really uh significant shifts the uh
we it's estimated that currently there's
about 10 million private swimming pools
where there's only about 300,000 public
ones and the vast majority of those are
parts of condo complexes hotels and
schools which are actually private for
those in terms of using it not for the
greater uh Community the United States
really hasn't made a significant
investment in pool since the Great
Depression um the
uh yeah really since the Great
Depression and um what was I going to
say the uh a lot of the pools
unfortunately in the
1960s most of the pools were actually
cemented in particularly those in public
neighborhoods that were underserved
especially with racial minorities in the
Reagan Era the glorified po
privatization and smaller government
only cemented the mindset that the need
to be lack of of an investment in public
pools and other public resources that
left America today to see swimming more
as a luxury is not and not as a private
good uh private good the um in all
reality today it's interesting because
if you look at the the sort of
dispersity of the country what you
notice is is that most of our P most of
our pools are owned by uh well-off
communities or by well-off families when
it really is the communities of color
and low socioeconomic status that have
really been sort of uh struggling in
this environment the um just looking at
some of the data black and brown kids
drown at about 7 times the rate of white
kids when you look at their parents
about 25% have never learned how to swim
whereas with white parents 96% of white
parents have at some point in their life
learned how to swim or taken swimming
lessons only about 50% of parents um
black and brown parents or families
enroll their kids in swimming lessons
whereas it's about 72% for white
families and I'm not you know a lot of
this has to do with past politics and
and racial divides and things like that
which we can't you know it's hard to
take responsibility for that today but
we can do something to fix it and when
you ask a lot of these families why it
is that we have this sort of fear of the
water or why this sort of culture exists
that prevents them from from um learning
how to swim the big issues were access
comfort in the water and competency or
learning how to swim the skills that you
would actually need so in terms of why
we I believe we need a pool there's a
few reasons that come to mind the first
is fostering the sense of community and
the sense of community that extends
Beyond racial and socioeconomic
boundaries it also promotes Fitness
across
intergenerationally I will say I'm not
one that I'm not going to go to a
community center and pump iron I'm not
going to go into you know a pickup game
probably I blew out my knee a few years
ago and needed surgery but I would jump
in a pool and I would do laps and I
think a lot of people whether you're an
adult or an older you know individual of
our community it brings people together
in a way that other sports don't
necessarily do it provides career and
volunteer opportunities in really sort
of pro-social activities especially
lifeguarding the pool maintenance things
like that accessibility is huge as I've
talked about in terms of racial
disparities I think if you look at sort
of our current access to pools if you
look at pods and health tracks it's
pretty clear the population that's able
to afford to go there and the population
that essentially we could expand to if
we had a public pool in our community
and finally safety in Rhode Island in
East Providence we have 14 miles of
Coastline um it's one of the most of any
actually Town municipality in Rhode
Island um which is often surprising to
know because a lot of our roads are not
located on our Coast um so you don't
wouldn't know it necessarily driving
around most of our city um we've had uh
last last this past summer in July July
23rd there was an article you probably
saw it about a lifeless body that was
found on Dunes Park beach in Westerly it
was a 15-year-old old boy who was found
by his best friend that was on a Sunday
on a Thursday that him and his friend
were out on the jetty playing in the uh
sort of splashing in the water and up on
the jetty when when he
disappeared most people don't know his
name but they know that he was the third
death this year in Rhode Island from
drowning last year there were 20 deaths
in Rhode Island most of them were young
people Children and adolescents and the
year before there were 19 we don't have
the statistics yet since it's only
October some people are still swimming
for this year um but it may be
comparable I know living in Riverside
that there are future plans around you
know Crescent Beach there are
opportunities to expand that and make it
more swimmable but I think unless we
provide access the skills the competency
and the familiarity to be um you know
comfortable in the water and know how to
sort of protect yourself and those
environments it's a wasted project we
need to be really improve our
community's relationship with water we
need to improve our safety so that we
can then utilize our Coast I think it's
a step that's uh much needed in this in
this sort of in this sort of process and
I think it really speaks to our
investments in all of this the other
thing and I I you know speaking a little
bit on the public comment this is a
little unrelated but related I did hear
about you know last night with the
planning department I will also say I do
a lot of work with um Riverside
Renaissance and Riverside Square and I
would promote I think our planning
department is incredible I think each
individual there I've worked with a
number of them that have brought in you
know thousands if not hundreds of
thousands of dollars when you look at
the scope of the city and grants and
funds and um I'm glad to hear that
potentially it would be a vacant
position that would be eliminated
because when I heard it was a level two
I got I was very worried I know last
week um it was actually a level two
planner who came to speak on the on the
community center um and I think that his
sort of familiarity with the project his
advocacy just speaks to the level of
dedication um that we that we're lucky
enough in the city to have in our
planning department so I also just
wanted to throw that out too as a plug
for our planning department thank you
very much thank you very much thank
you chrisy
Rossi thank you this not that you need
to but name and address for the record
Chrissy Rossy 87 Shore Road in the
Riverside so I'm here tonight to
strongly encourage
you to not go forward with the
Redevelopment
agency and I have made many notes as to
um why I don't I don't think it's going
to be in the community's best interest
and I and I will let you continue of
course but to let you know we are not
taking that up tonight it will be tabled
because number one councilman Lawson
worked with me and with assistant
solicitor on that and we we need to do
some fine-tuning and we've also heard
from you and others so there'll be no
discussion at least unless there are
three votes to vote on it tonight I
don't believe that there will be because
everyone realizes we have to do some
more work so you're welcome to come back
at a later time when we will actually
discuss it for a vote but please you
know feel free to proceed now also okay
thank you um while it's fresh on my mind
and I have all these question I didn't
think you would leave that quickly no
Bob you know better
so one of one of I was hoping
yeah one of the the more concerning um
pieces of this that I'm I'm sure you're
going to work on is that every member is
appointed by the mayor I'm sure that's a
concern to all of you um also that there
are five-year
terms so we know what kind of damage can
be done in four years so I'm I'm not
feeling the extra year on top of that um
it also gives the our citizens no
protection um as it's
written they can pick up a property
somebody can deem it um unsuitable it's
not really clear who's making that
determination either what on what is
unsuitable who makes that decision but
they can just take it and build whatever
they want whenever they feel like it so
I was struggling with that as well and
then all I could think of was that
crossroads property that's happening and
they're struggling with their funding
and according to this in the way it's
written right now they can just take the
city or this this commission can take
over a piece of blighted
property and they can spend whatever
money they have on it and just hand it
over to a developer or a nonprofit to
build whatever they see fit you guys
never get one say on it and I'm thinking
you ran for office why would you give
away all your power like that and the
power to protect the citizens so that
was another big um big red flag for me
and then I'm also curious where the seed
money is going to come from for this so
it in uh what is it 20-4 C to select and
appoint officers agents councils and
employees permanent and temporary as it
may require in determine their
qualifications duties and compensation
who's paying them they are their own
individual situation so where they got
to get the seed money to hire these
employees um no approval Ever Needed by
our elected
Council then over here it says to
undertake technical assistance to
property owners and other private
persons encourage Implement and
facilitate voluntary Improvement of real
property so to me it just sounded like
they're going to pick on poor people old
people people who can't afford to live
in their house say gez you know your
house is falling apart let us help you
with that let us relocate you and and
that kind of bummed me out too and then
there's this little piece that keeps
showing up tax increment District Master
Plan what is
that
anybody are we going to make a master
plan are we going to make a tax
increment District I mean right now
and I I am going to tell you just
driving out of my street Every Morning
has become increasingly difficult I'm
halfway into bulock Point Avenue because
I can't see because of all the cars and
stuff that are parked with the boohemoth
that was now built at the former vam
Coast site 16 Apartments 17 parking
spaces behind it when it's done where is
company going to park in the street you
don't think these people are going to
have company you're sorely mistaken the
company shows up it just does I'll tell
you you go down to Sabin Point you'll
see all sorts of company you've got
company no matter where you are
so and I will come back again just in
case anybody enjoys my uh the reasons
you listed and and others um you know we
we've got to do a lot of refining I will
tell you this and I'm not um as I've
been made to say many times not an
apologist for the
administration this was not born from an
idea of the administration councilman
Lawson and I were talking about this
looking at bladed properties
and for for that reason I mean empty
lots the the old Diner you know get
calls almost every week on on that
property what's what's going on there
why is the grass 8 feet tall and chain
link fence around it and are they
selling are they not selling now we know
we can't force someone to sell they
evidently are trying to sell but does
that mean they can't cut the grass clean
it up a little bit that that's a a
stretch of a of a reason but it's one of
the reasons that we were talking about
so we met with the assistant solicitor
and looked at other cities that have
this kind of a agency and as um was told
to us this would be
another tool in the Arsenal the city any
City could have to try to clean up
places not you know give someone a
chance uh the tax increment thing was
kind of a reference to there have been
places in businesses that hav paid taxes
in many many years so this would maybe
force the issue a little more it isn't
and it wasn't intended to go after some
elderly couple having trouble with their
keeping up their property um but you're
you're right it needs a lot of tweaking
before you came here tonight before we
heard from some people councilman Lawson
and myself said we got to take this off
the agenda and and work on this some
more a lot of it was copy and pasting
language from other cities and towns and
it it may never come to fruition it's
it's it's a thought and it will end up
with
Council ual approval this is not going
to be if I have anything to say about it
it's not going to be an
independent agency that can take your
property because you're not living up to
what we think it would eventually come
to a city council but um we're not we
can't go out and knock on doors and I
thought of going to the owner of that
old l or dinina corner and other places
there's
uh I don't want to mention the names a
place in Riverside Square as you're
entering Riverside to the right been
like that for 50 years it's not going to
change till that man passes you know
that and to me that you can call the
square what you want to call it that's
the gateway to Riverside for me and when
you go and you see that old rusting
tractors with again 8 foot grass growing
through it things like that so this was
a tool to maybe try to push along some
of these things so it will be Revisited
nothing will happen without Council
involvement and um please come back and
we'll we'll show you the recommendation
anyways which can be tweet again I
appreciate that's what that's all about
I appreciate you listening to me I
appreciate your time tonight and I will
just remind you you do have the power of
ordinance and you have but one gentleman
who goes around inspecting properties to
keep them on board it's it's a big issue
I know councilman Rigo and I there's a
property we've been visiting almost
weekly it's it's an abandoned house
there's no one living in it it's it's
boarded up now is it bank owned is it
what is it bank owned I don't I don't
know it's some kind of receivership
there were weeds thick weeds growing out
of the front yard into the
road and not not to sound like um um
altruistic or anything but we went by
one day I had Clippers in my car and I
said I'm going to cut these things get
them out of the street
and we did that the city has acted there
are signs posted all over the building
that are declaring you know what has to
happen legally it's the lawyer's fault
so it's a legal not our lawyers it's a
I'm being funny it's a legal world you
can't just job you can't just do it you
know you've you've got a a house fire in
Riverside recently neighbors called me
and said that's an abandoned house what
are you guys doing about
it so so I'll just bring you back to
when Tommy Rose sat on the council he
uttered the same exact sentiment it's
it's a disgrace that we let these
properties bank owned properties we just
let them sit there we have the authority
as a city to make them and we have Crews
you have a rotating crew of of
contractors and they can go out and they
can clean up the property once a week
whatever you guys deem necess Neary make
it happen like not I'm not upset with
you obviously this is a management issue
but follow up make it happen clean up
the I've lived next door to a haunted
house for three years finally I've got
some progress finally three years weeds
growing stuff living in there I can't
even recognize some of those animals
that's how bad it was three years and
and Jean would get on them and somebody
would cut the grass but it was a bamboo
forest had knotweed like I could not
even see my neighbors that's how bad it
was so you guys have your
ordinances make somebody enforce them
because that's really all it takes you
don't need a whole commission for this
make them figure it out it is a little
more than that when you mentioned the
name Jean when we talked to our minimum
housing person and he said you know I
don't have a lot of power of enforcement
give the man set of teeth comes to the
courts and you know how long that can
take sure absolutely but it's it's there
and it's that's why this Redevelopment
agency or whatever we end up calling it
was trying to get the teeth and that
you're talking about you know some of
the initial wording isn't isn't going to
work so why don't we just send the crew
out the rotating crew we do they go out
and do some work but we're talking about
in this case of this boarded up house
the crew can't do anything about that
they cut the grass they can clean it up
they can clean can't even find the
owners I think they're out ofate owners
so we're not going to go in and knock
the house down no but what has happened
in the past what has happened in the
past we send out the crew we send them a
bill they don't pay the bill we take the
property it's it just isn't done
overnight taking property not overnight
I agree with you 100% sometimes it can
take we're on the same page we're going
to get a process to to get this done
again thank you for your time thank you
thank you anybody else uh on this topic
well uh thank you Mr President so
listening to your words that you just
said and well thank you uh Mrs Rossy for
those words that I agree with on a lot
of the issues uh what you said and along
with our fellow colleague who's not here
tonight if you're saying there's going
to be changes to that so basically this
is second motion so we really need
to we got to start over so we got to
deny this motion tonight well we can
just table it I would like to make a
motion to deny
I
just yeah okay yeah it's
later all right let's do that first then
so without objection we'll we'll um move
the the
ordinance forward yeah it's all the same
thing we we can deny it it's going to
come back you know in a new in a new Pro
new format a motion by councilman fog to
uh deny correct second second by
councilwoman soua all in favor let's
open public okay anyone else on the
council that wants to uh speak we can
open it up to so my my concerns and I've
talked to um our colleague who isn't
here today who initially sponsored uh
this um after first passage so I'll
always get something first pass those
people know usually um and having disc
disc I had a lot of concerns um with
this I was able to speak with him and
and then explain some of the concerns
and some of the issues your I know some
off offici have had um but reading
through all of these pages in my mind
this does not this does not solve those
issues IT addresses even greater issues
just within the legislation itself it's
actually something that's causing more
harm to our community and not beneficial
in my opinion I think that St in fresh
is um in addressing specifically the
issues that we're looking to do so
similar to what Miss Rossy spoke about
we do have um enforcement issues we do
have um Manning issues so one person for
an entire city to be scouting out all
these things amongst other tasks that
that individual may have under that
minimum housing is a lot uh we also have
um a process with courts right so that's
also something so people are looking at
a piece of property and I know it could
be distressing in a neighborhood to see
that as a neighbor day in and day out
but we ask that we have some patience
because there is a process so it's not
that it's going um unnoticed or that
people don't care about it or don't you
know not in our backyard that we're not
addressing it there a process that needs
to be taken and I know receivership is
something that has um gone into multiple
properties and that's a method of able
to take that property and get it redone
and back functioning and presentable
into its neighborhood but that's a legal
process that happens down in Superior
Court and obviously in our municipal
court so there's multiple courts
multiple judges multiple attorneys
involved so it is a a genuine process
and this
monitoring um we know that during coid
which was door finishing that big
um pandemic that we were all HED for
that you had a couple of years that
there were no tax sales so that also
affected again these maybe potential
blighted properties that tax issue where
people weren't paying because there was
AE ticket to pay your taxes because um
we weren't doing tax sales so there was
some accountability that wasn't being
placed on uh businesses or Property
Owners uh or residents so I think all
that to say is are moving in the right
direction we need to strengthen the Ty
of ordinances that we have maybe
Implement additional things but not to
the extent of what um was presented
before us and certainly what works in
other communities doesn't mean that it's
right for our community and I think we
have to be of of that it's nice to
create some ideas and thoughts but we
really do have to find to them so that
they apply to our community and our
residents in the most beneficial way um
so those are my reasons for not
supporting this and
starting and and you make a good point
councilwoman when you say you know we
voted and you voted for first passage
that's the point of having two passages
I I will say that often times that I I
may not have decided yet on an issue but
I generally will always vote for first
passage unless it's something that is
really detrimental to my my
opinions uh but you get it out for a
conversation
and my last comment andless there's
anyone the public that wants to speak
and I know councilman Rigo wants to add
something when Mrs Rossy mentioned a
former councilman
and but recall that it didn't get done
then either you know and there was a
councilman it was a different form of
government then you had three votes as
the saying we used to go and you had
city managers and it didn't get done so
even with Council support at that time
it never got done so it we're going to
give it our shot and hopefully Hope from
you and others um will will make a dent
in this problem councilman well F first
well thank you Mr President again first
I want to thank you and councilman
Lawson was not here to taking the
initiative as we all have issues in our
Wards and throughout the city for you
that you need to address uh piggy back
in on what councilwoman Susa said more
enforcement is definitely the key
strength in what we have uh figuring out
there my biggest concern was looking
through this piece of you know what what
we would have passed tonight uh we sat
here for almost four hours last night
going through a budget looking to cut
money out of the budget and we we in
this legislation that we would have
passed tonight was creating a quasi City
a agency where it'd be hiring people so
it would be almost against what we did
last night looking and cutting and you
know saving the taxpayers of the
city money on their tax rate and all we
would be doing was creating a
bureaucracy that we didn't need at this
time I again I commend you and
councilman Lawson because we all have
you know we all have properties in our
wards that people are calling about all
the time and I think by us all working
together with the administration that we
can come to a place where we can satisfy
the concerns that we have with these
properties no I appreciate that and in
our early discussions there was never
intention of hiring people who somehow
again the language got to infer that but
that's probably not going to happen uh
councilman fog did you want to add
something anyone here that would like to
uh speak on on this
policy anyone want to speak on this
Redevelopment agency
policy
which we have a motion to deny please
come
forward Nancy hail 889 bck Point Avenue
it's just a quick question like there
are things even in my neighborhood I've
noticed abandoned car that goes nowhere
with the grass growing all over it like
parked partly on the road and partly on
the grassy area so what are we supposed
to do if we notice stuff like that plus
a couple of houses that are like really
like do you ever mow the lawn or
whatever like like we I'm all about the
environment and I understand whatever
messy yards are a very good environment
uh they can be good for the environment
but I mean there's got to be a balance
right so what do we do what's the first
step that's
been a week no month all summer months
um and that you know it doesn't belong
to any of your neighbors um I suggest
you call the police
department look into that because it
could be a stolen car it could be
multiple things um so they would
investigate that the city also has
portal where um all residents can
inquire about a number of issues and
concerns one so if it's a vehicle call
the police what if it's just like a
property that's a mess just a mess go to
the portal and in the portal you can um
fill out the complaints about it so it's
a written document it's essentially
emailing the department to take action
on it what department minimal
housing thank you
Nancy thank you there anyone else um
just for the record I filled those
things out like handy at Halloween so um
because it's a written record right so
you know that those things are being
going to be looked at and The Bu action
or you can hold your your city
accountable as a resident for making
sure that things get done just re recall
that there is a legal process on street
that councilman fogy lives on which I'm
familiar with uh there was a yeah we I
live there too there was a car parked
for me maybe three months at the end of
the street was tough turning in through
the street and the police happened to be
around for something else I asked them
to look into it and they said a legally
registered
vehicle can park anywhere as long as
it's in in the legal parking area didn't
say no parking or
anything excuse me they don't have to
live there so and at one point it looked
like it wasn't even inspect Ed but it
was registered it was legal so we're
we're going to try to chip away on some
of this stuff I'll close the public
hearing at this time um motion was made
and seconded uh all in favor I denial I
any oppos the eyes have it thank you
thank you to those who spoke next item
please detailed arpa allocation spending
and existing purchase orders from
inception to date broken down by program
and item receive report and discussion
Council vice president weo
councilman thank you uh Mr President at
this time I see uh Mr Mo has come to the
uh Podium I will turn the microphone
over to Mr
Mo council president council members um
earlier today I put your a breakdown on
your in front of you and the front page
is a summary broken down really between
two sections it says we received
27.8
million of that the council has
appropriated 12.2
recently of that there's been a few
projects done at bullo Park Granite
curbing there's also a purchase order
out there for some street
lights and besides that the the city
is
spent um in salaries and benefits 759
th000 uh expenses through 926 of 9.1
million there's open purchase orders of
5.3 uh subtotal of
15.3 million is spent which leaves a
balance of
255,000 which is
unencumbered now if you look at the
second page it just list all of the open
purchase
orders and on the third page
it subtotals the 5.3 million you can see
that as it tracks through on the front
page and there are the two open POS for
the uh Council approval or Council
POS and those two I believe councilwoman
has allocated
$450,000 for popo Park and the
Waterfront parks and so these
were projects that have been started for
bullo so we just moved them under under
that category
and then the page after that really
lists all of
the expenses that have been incurred to
date it uh gives you the vendor the
description the amount and then how we
try to categorize them into some major
categories whether it's a storr
storefront facade cyber security new
dispatch you can see over to the right
where it it groups them by
category uh
there's yes
um so the council when we were taking
the votes um by ordinance appropriate
the council did not approve
the that was
450,000 that was not approved by the
council for Opera funds so in actuality
on your fund
appropriated wasn't
over was approved by the council if you
look at page four I I do believe I have
that you'll see where um proposed was
12.65 million and approved was 12.2 the
450,000 for toy Park Pride toy Pride
Park
was uh not
approved so I'm just saying that your
unappropriated is
255 What happened to
the
well know the um what was approved was
12.2 million it was originally 12.6 I
think to 12.6 would have put them
over would have put you overs spent or
overdrawn on that account now again the
the projects were up to two and a half
million or up to so there could be some
Surplus in
there and so that's always the the
question is uh if I think you had two
and a half million for the police
station so we don't know what that I
mean if that comes in at two million
then we'll have another half a million
that we that could go somewhere else but
right now that's the the council had
said we we want to
appropriate tentatively up to 12.2
million for those
projects thank you so and again on the
last page it it shows you the
expenses uh subtotal for the this cities
and then for the councils for the
granite Kirby I mentioned
earlier and so this is every single
expenditure and every single P that's
currently either expended or outstanding
as of
926 thank you Malcolm for this report uh
having just received this not too long
ago and not having a lot of time to
digest this or really no time
um a couple of things that and I had it
here
um seems there's a lot there's a couple
of things I shouldn't say a lot but
there there's a couple
of items with same vendors and almost
same programs that would put it over the
$50,000 limit that would have to go in
front of the counil um for what you know
there's a couple of issues that I see
and let me get back to it uh one you
know so that is uh that's a concern and
and I know there was couple in regards
to the uh new telecommunication Center
up at station
three uh and I mean one that I see
that's still on an
open what you would call open was
the
uh cyber removal service and pots for
reinstallation so that means your
removal of removal and service and pots
for reinstallation it's 498 and if you
same company it's
23998 just guide me through that as to
uh
[Music]
how that would happen it seems like it's
the same job
um I just got questions
on yeah I got questions on a lot of
these items that look like they're
connected and they're going over the 50
they're going over the
$50,000 threshold uh same for instance
on the carousel industries of North arpa
replacement of City Hall cor and Network
firewall and there's also the firewall
at the police
department I would think from a
situation of the city standpoint that
those would be
two that's
$62,000 it's almost like it's the same
it's the same thing obviously one's at
City Hall one's you know one's at the
police station so there's no so you
could say that there's separation and
everything but I just have a little
concern about a lot of the this stuff
adding up to over the 50,000 as we go
through you know go through this uh
again a lot of it you know is over
$50,000 like the north North Broadway
sewer replacement and
Rehab we got a lot of twelves T and
without even a quick calculator we're
over
$50,000 I I have that's my
concern as to why and how this is
happening
uh councilman I'd have to look into that
just looking at the list I don't
know for Carousel Industries I listed
them by vendor I don't have the dates in
here so I couldn't tell you if this was
combined over 50 that came to you or if
it was something that was done two years
ago and something done today okay well I
mean I thank you but you know again I'm
I'm looking at this report and you know
I'm just looking at the report and I'm
seeing like two similar jobs so in my
mind without dates and you could be very
very right that if one date happened in
December of 2021 or or say uh when you
know say March of 22 and the next one
happened in December of 22 it's two
separate jobs but I'm looking at this
right now and without
dates without the dates telling us when
the POS will put in I'm thinking that
it's two you know some some of these are
a one job and I could probably get you
more information I was trying to get
this all on one page I thank you for
your time and short notice I know you
you know I know you mentioned last week
that you had to sit down or two weeks
whenever we have seem we have meetings
every day now but uh it uh I know you
said you had to sit down with the mayor
so uh I you know I appreciate again um I
appreciate your attention to details and
everything that you provided for uh this
Council since we took over in Jan
January uh I just you know if we could
see like a PO date then
obviously that's that's that's the uh
that's the that solves solves my
question but looking at it as you could
see as I look at it and being a number
person 49 and 20 49 and 20 for instance
is 69 so I'm think you know I'm just
throwing out numbers so I know it's over
the $50,000 threshold that's my only
thing thank you for time I have a
question Malcolm so the under the
salaries and benefits um the 759 now we
saw that in a previous budget last year
um are these are we currently using
Opera funds in our 24 budget for
Staffing
positions I don't think so we've taken I
know that we in 20 the 23 budget we had
a lot of positions that were going to be
filled by arpa and we've taken all of
those out all the full-time positions or
anything that we had budgeted for arpa
for salaries has been
removed um mainly when you go and read
all the specifics the way they wanted
you to use the arpa like we were
bringing arpa money in to pay for those
salaries but what they're trying to say
is well if that money runs out then
you've got a a deficit you because
you've got to plug that hole so what
they want you to do
is you've got to put the revenue in
automatically for those
positions and then you can have the
expenses and and use those
expenses and have ARA cover those it's a
little confusing but what they want is
when those when the when the money runs
out you've got the revenue so you don't
have the hold so we had to pull those
out as far as the revenue if you look at
all of the revenue items for 23 that
said arpa for these salaries those are
all now
zero and so now the city is funding
through the general fund those positions
yes and I think that a lot of those were
like the summer program of that 700 I
know that we were paying $30,000 a month
I think for the summer
program thank
you thank you Council thank you
councilman rioo for bringing that up
thank you director Moore thank you next
item Madam Clark upate um Police
Department roofing project discussion
only councilwoman Susan before
councilwoman starts I just want to thank
police chief for sitting here we meant
to call you up earlier but seemed like
you were enjoying yourself so I
absolutely no worries let let him stay
councilwoman thank you uh thank you
chief for being here tonight to answer
some of these questions so um I know the
council had allocated we had gone out
for RFP back in I gu April thereabouts
and um it was awarded the council
approved the contract and um how long
have they been working on that it's been
a little longer than anticipated there's
been some weather delays heat first off
early on in the process and then rain um
I we were told they would have been done
by now um so I was expecting it to be
completed also the latest update we
received from the company was um they
have to lay down the rubber membrane um
walking mats that protect the roof from
uh when workers have to go up there to
repair things and um the icicles from
our radio tower which had done some
damage over the years that is supposed
to pres uh prevent that uh we're being
told that's a two-day Max uh process
when those two days are going to be I
don't have that answer um and also they
do all have to get the crane back in
there at some point to get some of their
heavy machinery that they used uh for
the project off the
roof because they are utilizing space on
the property corre have equipment on
site they currently just have a dumpster
um they really don't have
anything on our ground or in our parking
lot I should say we do have area kind of
roped off for them for for their
vehicles and if they do have to bring
something in at some point um we we made
some room for them now how many um and
I'm sure that you've seen this when
they're there how many how large is the
work
through I'm not really sure I mean I've
seen them up on the roof but um it's
just I mean because in this contract I
just you know reviewed it a little bit
um before the meeting um so
it's a flat roof correct that's had a
lot of issues um and the urgency was to
get the roof DED to avoid the water
damage that keeps coming in um and so my
concern is we've awarded a substantial
amount of money through a vendor a
contractor through the roof and in my
mind it hasn't it should have been done
within a certain amount of time right or
wrong expected certain amount of time
all summer is probably nobody if I had a
person come do the roof on my house and
it took them all summer to do the roof
on my house it'd be an issue with that
um and in the contract it's clearly
states that if they're not working
consistently then the contract was cled
for not being there working to get the
job done because they don't get it done
in a timely manner we've G get into
August which is then rainy season which
then causes more issues work now we have
more damage in the police station that
we trying to avoid and why we had the
urgency of getting this so I guess my
question is where is is there
accountability to this get this one done
the lack of not getting it done I'm not
familiar with the clause in the contract
um but I can say the we were advised the
workers do have a clause that they don't
work if it hits a certain temperature
and that came into effect um when
we had that streak of very very hot
weather in August and then the rain
[Music]
um what I was told initially was 10 to
12 Days right that's reasonable right um
and obviously we're we're well beyond
the 10 to 12 Days
um recourse I don't have an answer for
you when it comes to that um but I mean
we can absolutely look into the into the
contract yeah we could B and it's not
it's it's really just accountability
right because now we're get to get into
colder weather and it's it's a it's a
flat room so that's liquid Ash have all
this other stuff to do so now we
potentially getting into an area where
well now the weather's bad and we can't
finish this project and that's not the
type of contract or business that the
city should be entering
into like any private vendor or private
business you wouldn't want that for your
own so I think it doesn't a public
building that has workers in it all day
I mean your office you you want these
things yeah we did have some damage um
we did from from rain there was one
night where uh the tarps they had laid
down blew off um I got damage in my
office um there was some damage in the
oic's office um and there was also some
damage in the patrol Commander um office
um they uh you know we asked them to pay
to repair the damage most of it was
cosmetic um um I I was told they did um
pay for the new new tiles and whatnot
there there was some some water issues
no the consistent rains that street were
flooded I'm sure your station wased it
wasn't I thought it was I thought it was
going to be much worse than it actually
was it was it was uh relatively minor uh
compared to some of the uh water we got
in the building prior to them starting
the roof sure because they had started
so um and luckily they had the tarpon to
try to minimize um but I think that
still doesn't negate the fact that in my
mind they haven't held up their end the
bargain and getting that police station
to where it needs to be and this is
really coming from a place where this
Council and the previous Council has
always cought for the the police station
and making that somewhere that is you
know a suitable place to work and health
you know health concerns that may arise
from that so I'm just wanting to be on
top of that making sure that we're
holding our vendors avable and I know
it's not something that's part of your
day-to-day because there are bigger fish
in your FEA to fry but it's something
that's important I think General and
certainly it is to me so we appreciate
that no I I want to make sure
that that and also that we have a a good
works space for the for the the officers
and the uh civilian employees absolutely
yeah exactly and and knowing that we
have other projects that are coming down
the line that the Poli station needs to
be done we need to know that they're
going to be done in a timely manner
people help for that timeline you know
whoever that project manager is for this
clearly wasn't managing that that site
properly in my opinion so Mike if we
could follow up on that and Report out
um what the outcome is because it does
say you know on here some of that
language not following through
thank you chief for coming by I
appreciate that I just want you know the
council to be aware of that and anybody
in the public who might see the the
guards still up yet um the protection Up
on the Roof that you know it's been
there for a while it is still being
worked on and hopefully wrapping up um
in the next couple of weeks thank you I
hope also C Rigo I want to thank the
chief for coming here tonight obviously
the issue that concerns me is U you know
first of all happy that the roof is
getting done at the police station along
overdue and we do that uh following up
on what councilwoman Souza said I'd like
to have them I'd like to have Madame
clerk put it on the agenda for the 17th
of October I would like the solicitor
report back hopefully there is some
performance uh in every contract that
hopefully the city does it here there
should be performance con you know
performance bonds that have to be
okay thank you
uh oh yeah no no I just wanted you to
take the notes down because oh yeah no I
just I usually you're you're right most
contracts have a performance bond so
they don't complete the job when they
don't complete they don't complete the
job but do we have any do we put the
timelines in scenarios like that when
you don't complete the job what is the I
mean I'll have at the contract I could
it could be six you know as a contractor
you got something that could take six
months they completed the job but for
the men and women that protect those all
day long I want this thing done as soon
as possible I think there were I'll look
into it and I'll get back to you I think
there were legitimate concerns with
weather yeah well I get that I
understand that and everything like that
I wouldn't want to be up there during
that week in August when it was almost
100 plus I I get that but if now in some
contractors take you know bite too much
you know and now now jobs are behind
because of that and rain and everything
but we shouldn't be the one suffering
and if there's something in the contract
that we can find them 20,000 I'm just
throwing out a number we we should do
that so I ask you in the solicitors
office to do that and report back on the
17th and I give you some homework
already for one of my docket items or I
should say the entire Council would
probably want that so you can put in on
the entire
Council on the 17 thank you who the
chair councilman fogy please thanks for
coming out tonight Chief appreciate
apprciate your time and efforts it's
unacceptable that the roof isn't done
yet yeah absolutely would like to get to
the bottom of it um I and I know they
also started after they uh said they
would start because of the rain and
finishing other jobs and then getting to
us it set them back also um because we
were anticipating
them uh I can't remember the exact date
but it was like a week week and a half
after the anticipated start
date know how it works Chief I
appreciate your time okay thank
you thank you chief for coming out
and answering the questions appreciate
it I think we're getting there Madam
clerk uh what do you have next uh I
motion to
adjourn second at motion
say motion by
soua seconded by everybody else all in
favor I I any opposed the eyes have it
thank you meeting is
adjourned