[2:01] For anyone watching online, the city

[2:04] council will be starting shortly. Um, if

[2:06] you're looking to speak in the public

[2:07] input period, please press the raise

[2:10] hand button online if you're joined

[2:12] through Zoom.

[2:14] >> Thank you.

[2:16] >> Yes, there's one person raising hand.

[2:19] Quinton.

[2:20] >> No, it's Quinton. Go ahead.

[16:07] Hey, good afternoon. Welcome to our

[16:11] temporary temporary chambers and uh

[16:14] Freight Street uh for today's city

[16:16] council meeting and board of wic

[16:18] commissioners meeting. First thing on

[16:20] our agenda today is public input. We

[16:23] have I'm told one individual signed up

[16:26] in person here and one individual

[16:28] online. We will take uh Mr. Douglas

[16:31] Buckley first.

[16:35] Mr. Buckley. Um

[16:38] I'll just mention I think we've all

[16:41] received your email today. So don't feel

[16:43] like you have to read from that email.

[16:45] If you'd like to expound upon that, that

[16:47] purpose is fine. for the floor to us.

[16:50] >> Thank you. Appreciate it. Uh, Chair

[16:52] Mercer and other council members. Uh, I

[16:54] come in here today bearing bad news,

[16:56] which is if you drove here from your

[16:58] homes, each of you was recorded and your

[17:00] whereabouts log in a government

[17:02] sponsored database. Some of you who live

[17:04] close by are luckily lucky to only have

[17:06] been recorded once. Um, but if

[17:09] Councilwoman Martin Sahoak was here, she

[17:12] would have been recorded five times on

[17:14] her five minute drive. Uh, Chair Mercer

[17:17] and and Councilman Marina were here

[17:19] would have been uh they would avoid

[17:22] flock on their short walks to the Clep

[17:24] Arts Fest next week. Um, but Councilman

[17:26] Moran uh would be logged four times on

[17:29] his short drive to Slater Park. I

[17:32] submitted a letter late last night

[17:33] expressing my views on why Flock and

[17:36] other ALPR systems should be removed

[17:38] from the city. If after reading my

[17:41] letter, any council members still do not

[17:43] support terminating the flop contract, I

[17:46] would refer you to the list of questions

[17:47] I attached to my letter, you should get

[17:50] answers to those questions from the

[17:52] police department.

[17:54] See if you then still believe that flock

[17:56] belongs in Kentucky.

[17:59] Sure.

[18:01] And uh by the way, I omitted one

[18:02] important question in my haste last

[18:05] night, which is what are the

[18:06] demographics of the registered owners of

[18:09] the cars who are had inquiries by the

[18:12] police department with Glock? If the

[18:14] police department can't answer that

[18:16] question, then know that your inaction

[18:19] here likely supports a Jim Crow Arab

[18:22] pole tax, except instead of

[18:24] disenfranchisement, the penalty for the

[18:27] people being targeted here are going to

[18:29] be criminal fines and possibly jail time

[18:32] if this system is not actually being

[18:34] enforced in a way that is fair to the

[18:37] citizens of Pucket. So that question

[18:39] should be added to my questions if any

[18:41] counselors think that this block system

[18:43] should remain. I won't go through my

[18:45] whole letter, but I want to rebut a few

[18:47] responses that folks may have when they

[18:49] read it. One response might be, well,

[18:52] we're being tracked anywhere ever

[18:53] everywhere anyway, right? We kind of

[18:56] know this. Unfortunately, that's true,

[18:58] but it's voluntary. If you download

[19:01] Facebook on your phone or if you sign up

[19:03] for a stop and shop card, you're

[19:05] voluntarily going to be tracked in some

[19:07] way. Walking out on the street or

[19:10] putting your tires to the pavement is

[19:12] not a voluntary action that should

[19:14] require you to be tracked by the police

[19:17] and by a corporate entity who we really

[19:19] know nothing about what they do to data.

[19:20] They can say all they want, but I don't

[19:22] trust it. And as the representatives of

[19:24] the city, you shouldn't either. This run

[19:27] a foul. This runs a foul of civil civil

[19:29] liberties in our society for freedom of

[19:31] speech, association, and protection from

[19:33] unlawful searches under the fourth

[19:35] amendment and relevant constitutional

[19:37] law in Rhode Island. Protect us. The

[19:39] council has failed to uphold these

[19:41] American core values by allowing flock

[19:44] to proceed. But it's not too late. You

[19:46] can terminate the flock contract and

[19:48] require the devices to be dismantled

[19:50] starting today.

[19:52] That's what you should do. And you

[19:55] should go back to the ACL's letter,

[19:58] ACLU's letter that you were sent in 2021

[20:00] for those of you who were on the board

[20:02] and refresh yourself on that and look at

[20:04] the recent events and see if those

[20:06] warnings actually have come true.

[20:09] The second and the final response I'll

[20:10] rebut is that block is used for violent

[20:13] crimes and these are things we all want

[20:15] to prevent and enforce in our society.

[20:18] That may be true, but it shouldn't get

[20:20] in the way of our civil liberties. As

[20:22] discussed in my letter this summer, a

[20:24] New Bedford police officer made flock

[20:26] inquiries of their ex-girlfriend more

[20:28] than 200 times. 200 inquiries on a

[20:32] private citizen who they had no basis be

[20:35] following. That was a personal matter.

[20:37] And so I'm sure there are many other

[20:39] matters. Potentially the police

[20:41] department doesn't like a politician and

[20:43] wants to track their whereabouts. There could be many others and we won't

[20:48] know about them because they haven't

[20:49] come to light. It only came to light

[20:51] there because the ex-girlfriend filed a

[20:53] restraining order. Shouldn't have to

[20:55] come to a domestic abuse restraining

[20:57] order to realize that this is a power

[21:00] that should not be wielded.

[21:02] Um I just want to conclude um by saying

[21:06] that as as you've probably seen,

[21:09] Governor McKe is stopping all new FLOP

[21:11] systems in the state for a period of 60

[21:13] days in order to develop policies and

[21:15] procedures that would be implemented

[21:17] statewide, at least for the state

[21:18] systems. Um, once those policies come

[21:21] out, this council will have ample

[21:23] opportunity with, I hope, appropriate

[21:25] and long periods of public input to

[21:28] reinstate the block cameras. If you so

[21:30] choose, you can look at the state

[21:32] policies, you can approve upon them, but

[21:34] you need to get public input, I would

[21:36] submit, before reinstating these

[21:38] systems. Um for now what is clear is

[21:42] that the AOPR and other simpl systems

[21:45] should not be operating in defective

[21:47] which means terminating the contract and

[21:49] importantly removing the equipment

[21:51] because if you terminated the equipment

[21:52] stays flock will continue to gather data

[21:55] on their own. So do both.

[21:58] The residents of Lincoln, Naragansen,

[22:02] North Kingtown, South Kingtown, Tton,

[22:06] and Gloucester based upon the decisions

[22:08] of their town councils recently or

[22:10] police departments themselves to revoke

[22:13] block contracts in their cities. If

[22:15] those citizens deserve this freedom from

[22:17] this invasive, continuous and

[22:19] indiscriminate surveillance, then the

[22:22] residents of Pucket deserve the same. I

[22:25] ask you to start taking action today.

[22:27] Thank you.

[22:31] » We have one additional sign up for that.

[22:35] Dr.

[22:35] >> Yes, that's correct. Second.

[22:42] » Hello. Can you hear me? Okay.

[22:44] >> You can now. Yes, sir. You just speak

[22:47] your name and your address for us,

[22:49] please.

[22:50] >> Sure. My name is Quentyn McMullen. My

[22:52] address is 40 Capwell Avenue.

[22:55] >> Thank you.

[22:57] >> Uh I would also uh speak to the same

[23:01] concerns as the prior gentleman, though

[23:03] not nearly as eloquently. Uh I'm also

[23:06] very concerned about the use of flock

[23:08] cameras in Pucket. I mean, this is

[23:11] obviously and truly uh mass government

[23:14] surveillance at a a scale we haven't

[23:16] seen before these ALPRs. Um, also happy

[23:20] to see Rhode Island towns uh cancelling

[23:23] their flock contracts and taking down uh

[23:27] their flock cameras in response to the

[23:29] concerns of their citizens. Um, for now

[23:32] I just actually had I've got four

[23:34] questions and maybe I should submit

[23:36] these in writing. I don't know if it's

[23:38] appropriate to ask or to be answered,

[23:40] but the four questions I have on my mind

[23:42] for you all as I'm learning more about

[23:44] the flock cameras and the process. The

[23:47] four questions are one,

[23:50] was there ever a city council vote to

[23:53] approve Flock cameras?

[23:57] Two, has the city council reviewed

[24:01] Pucket's contract with Flock?

[24:05] Three, do ICE or other federal

[24:08] authorities have access to data from

[24:10] Pucket's Fog cameras?

[24:13] And four, has the city, either the city

[24:16] council or the police, ever done an

[24:19] audit of Flock's data security and data

[24:23] access requests they've received and

[24:25] data access requests they have granted.

[24:29] So, I don't know if you could tell me if

[24:31] it's appropriate to look for an answer

[24:33] in this meeting or if I should submit

[24:34] those questions in writing. But then in

[24:37] my learning about how this works within

[24:38] Pucket and what the process was, those

[24:41] are the four main questions on my mind

[24:42] today.

[24:43] >> Okay. Thank you.

[24:45] >> No, you're right. It's it's not an

[24:46] appropriate forum for them to ask

[24:48] another question, but it looks to me

[24:49] like the clerk just wrote down all four

[24:51] questions. Was that correct?

[24:52] >> Well, three and a half

[24:53] >> three and a half question. Uh

[24:55] >> I don't have because this topic is not

[24:59] on our agenda. We're not able to address

[25:01] it or send letters or do anything of

[25:03] that nature.

[25:04] uh and we wouldn't be able to answer

[25:06] your questions either had you been

[25:07] there. However, the clerk does have

[25:10] three and a half questions written down.

[25:12] What's the what's the question we don't

[25:14] have?

[25:14] >> The last one.

[25:15] >> What was the last question, sir?

[25:17] >> Sure. Thank you. Has a city, meaning the

[25:20] city council or the police ever done an

[25:23] audit of Flock's data security and data

[25:27] access? So times like uh h how do we

[25:32] know that flock isn't providing access

[25:34] to of our

[25:36] surveillance photos to uh federal

[25:40] authorities?

[25:42] >> We we will look into that um between now

[25:46] and the next.

[25:48] >> Thank you.

[25:50] >> Is that it, sir?

[25:51] >> That's it from me. Like I said, not as

[25:53] eloquent as the previous gentleman, but

[25:55] I agree with all of his points.

[26:00] Thank you sir. Um with that we are on to

[26:04] the board of license commission.

[26:15] » President Mercer

[26:16] >> here.

[26:17] >> Dr. Roujo

[26:18] >> here.

[26:21] >> Dr. God

[26:22] >> here.

[26:23] >> Dr. Greger

[26:24] >> here.

[26:25] >> Dr. Moran. Dr. Moreno. here.

[26:28] >> Dr. Rubio

[26:28] >> here.

[26:30] >> Kovette, council

[26:31] >> here. Seven in attendance.

[26:33] >> Mr. President, I call for approval of

[26:34] the previous minutes from August 5th,

[26:36] 2026.

[26:38] >> Move by council second by councelor

[26:41] that approve given to the minute

[26:44] from the August 5th, 2020 meeting. Are

[26:47] there any relation? Hearing? None. All

[26:51] in favor? I motion carries. I I call for

[26:54] approval of item number two, the consent

[26:56] agenda and item number three, the

[26:57] petitions for licenses. Starting with

[27:00] entertainment from petition from

[27:02] Blackstone Valley Tourism Council for a

[27:04] license to conduct dragon boat festival

[27:06] at festival here uh all the way to the

[27:09] second page uh under waste callers

[27:11] renewal. The last one is ocean state

[27:14] disposal incorporated at 23 city view

[27:17] circle north island. Motion is to

[27:19] approve.

[27:20] >> Move by constant by approving given two

[27:23] and three to conser

[27:46] favor.

[27:48] >> I before is a petition for license

[27:49] entertainment and class F1 full

[27:51] privilege. A petition of Latinos United

[27:54] Rhode Island for a license to conduct a

[27:56] Guatemalan festival in 2026 and to sell

[28:00] alcohol beverages at 354 Pine Street in

[28:02] the parking lot on Saturday, September

[28:04] 12th, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00

[28:07] p.m. with a rain date of September 13th,

[28:10] 2026 from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.

[28:13] License number is-26-70.

[28:16] Motion to approve.

[28:22] » Council Rubio council Rubio

[28:25] license from entertainment class F1 full

[28:27] privilege of United

[28:30] in Rhode Island for license to conduct

[28:33] island festival 2026 and to sell

[28:35] alcoholic beverages at 25 P Street in

[28:38] the parking lot on Saturday, September

[28:40] 12th, 2026 from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.

[28:44] with the rain of the following day. from

[28:46] 10 a.m. to 900 p.m. Place of EVP-26-70.

[28:51] The motion is for approval. Um I will

[28:55] just say that uh both this item and the

[28:57] next item I spoke with the council the

[28:59] district council is on who I believe the

[29:01] one is here. They're both in favor of

[29:03] approval of each of these successive

[29:05] licenses. So with that um any other

[29:08] discussion on item four.

[29:11] >> All in favor? Motion carried.

[29:13] >> Okay. Item number five, petition for

[29:15] license entertainment and expansion of

[29:16] premise one day. a petition of zona 7

[29:19] for license to have a mntaka poorco pig

[29:23] festival uh indoors and outdoors and for

[29:26] a one-day expansion of the class BBOa

[29:29] license and to serve food and alcohol

[29:30] and beverages at 682 Roseville Avenue

[29:33] parking lot on Saturday August 29th 2026

[29:36] from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. That license

[29:38] number is EDT-26-74

[29:41] with the previous stipulation still in

[29:43] place of no glass used outside only

[29:46] plastic and outside cleaned up by 10:00

[29:49] a.m. the next day. My motion is to

[29:51] approve. I moved by councelor Rudo,

[29:53] second by councelor Moreno that a

[29:56] petition for license for entertainment

[29:58] expansion of premise for one day seven

[30:01] for the license

[30:03] pig festival indoors and outdoors within

[30:05] one day

[30:10] in the parking lot Saturday

[30:14] until 10 p.m. life-26-74.

[30:18] It would carry the same stipulations uh

[30:21] as the previous event as articulated by

[30:23] councelor Roujo. Any discussion? I have

[30:26] a motion to approve. All in favor? I

[30:29] motion carries.

[30:30] >> More business coming before the

[30:31] protective board of license

[30:32] commissioners. I make a motion that we

[30:33] adjourn and reconvene as the protective

[30:35] city council.

[30:36] >> Move by council by council that we

[30:39] adjourn as protective board of license

[30:40] commissioners and conven city council

[30:43] before I stand and join us in the pled

[30:45] of allegiance. Started by council

[30:50] to the flag United States of America and

[30:53] to the republic for which it stands. One

[30:55] nation under God, indivisible, with

[30:57] liberty and justice for all

[31:04] the city council come

[31:07] actually

[31:09] the rules. Um if there's anybody here

[31:11] for a licensing issue all been approved.

[31:14] So, we're done with that. You're free to

[31:17] go or you're free to stay. Okay.

[31:29] » President Mercer

[31:31] >> here.

[31:31] >> Councilor Roujo

[31:32] >> here. Kodair

[31:33] >> here.

[31:34] >> Council Gregor

[31:35] >> here.

[31:35] >> Moran. Councelor Moreno

[31:37] >> here.

[31:38] >> Rubio

[31:39] >> here.

[31:40] >> Scoiet. Council Wilder

[31:41] >> here.

[31:42] >> Seven and a 10. I call for approval of

[31:44] item number one which is the previous

[31:46] minutes of August 5th, 2026 of the

[31:48] committee on claims and pending suits

[31:50] and of the city council. Moved by

[31:53] councelor back approv given to the

[31:55] minutes of the August 5th 2026 meetings

[31:59] of the committee on claim independent

[32:01] suits and the city council. Any

[32:03] discussion, amendments, deletions,

[32:05] concerns hearing none. All in favor?

[32:08] Motion carried. I call for approval of

[32:10] item number two which is the consent

[32:11] agenda and correspondence.

[32:14] >> Moved by council second by councelor Kia

[32:16] approving given the item two the consent

[32:18] agenda and correspondence. Are there any

[32:20] items on the correspondence agenda that

[32:22] the members would like to take up

[32:25] separately? To my right, I see council

[32:28] rubio.

[32:28] >> B.

[32:32] Anybody else?

[32:34] Okay. In that case, with the exception

[32:36] of me, all in favor? Motion carries.

[32:39] Counc.

[32:41] Um item B is just a communication from

[32:44] myself to the administration

[32:46] um in regards to the Elijah project um

[32:49] down and the downtown gateway

[32:51] development. Um as we continue this

[32:55] development, I thought it was important

[32:56] to have those conversations if they

[32:58] haven't already been done. Um, so I sent

[33:01] the correspondence to the administration

[33:02] to see if there's any talks of where we

[33:05] could help support them in their

[33:08] relocating. Um, because they're so

[33:10] important to our community. I just want

[33:12] to make sure that they're supported that

[33:13] we find a space hopefully here in Pucket

[33:16] so that they continue their work. And

[33:18] that's that.

[33:18] >> Thank you, councelor.

[33:19] >> Tracy's working on a response.

[33:21] >> Thank you.

[33:23] >> That brings us to item three.

[33:27] Item number three is a communication

[33:28] from Andrew Mcnot, supervisor resolution

[33:32] design energy to the honorable members

[33:34] of the Puga City Council, submitting a

[33:37] petition for installation of a new pole

[33:39] at George Street to approve pending

[33:42] approval from the director of public

[33:46] works and make a motion to file the

[33:48] communication. Moved by council second

[33:50] by council council moreno that a

[33:52] communication from Andrew McNook with

[33:54] supervising distribution design for

[33:56] island energy. The honorable member of

[33:58] city council submitting a petition for

[34:00] installation of a new pole at George

[34:02] Street to be approved pending the

[34:04] approval of the director of public

[34:05] works. A motion of communication is any

[34:08] discussion on fire. All in favor? Motion

[34:11] >> carried.

[34:20] Four.

[34:23] » Which one do you guys mention? These are

[34:25] the very rare instances where there are

[34:28] appointments by charter to be made by

[34:30] the the council president. So, uh, item

[34:33] four is an appointment by council

[34:35] president Mer of Amber Ree McGee to the

[34:37] pension board to return a term that

[34:39] expired the first Monday in January of

[34:41] 2028.

[34:42] Not sure if it's required as a roll

[34:44] call. It's just an appointment or

[34:47] >> I mean for a roll call vote, but

[34:49] >> we normally have done a roll call vote

[34:51] >> and actually

[34:53] if you need somebody make a motion.

[34:55] >> It's an appointment by me. So, I think

[34:56] it's it's okay. So, it's it's it's as

[34:59] articulated an appointment. Is there any

[35:01] discussion on that appointment?

[35:05] And

[35:06] uh so it'll be it'll be moved with a

[35:08] question of roll call.

[35:13] » President Mercer.

[35:14] >> Yes.

[35:14] >> Councelor Roujo.

[35:15] >> Yes.

[35:16] >> Counc.

[35:17] >> Yes.

[35:17] >> Council Gregor.

[35:18] >> Yes.

[35:19] >> Council Moreno.

[35:21] >> Yes.

[35:21] >> Councor Rubio.

[35:22] >> Yes.

[35:22] >> Council Wen.

[35:23] >> Yes.

[35:24] >> Seven is zero.

[35:26] Item five is a reappointment by the

[35:28] council of president to of Agua Delorgo

[35:31] to the arts panel review committee for a

[35:34] term to expire of first uh June 1st of

[35:36] 2049 and Dr. But I will take you up on

[35:40] the offer to make a motion just so we're

[35:42] aware where

[35:43] >> so uh make a motion to uh as as you

[35:46] articulated to approve second move by

[35:49] council a second by council move that

[35:51] approved and given a roll call bullet

[35:54] there any discussion

[35:56] clerk clerk roll.

[35:58] >> President Mercer.

[35:59] >> Yes.

[36:00] >> Councelor Rujo.

[36:01] >> Yes.

[36:01] >> Council Kodair.

[36:02] >> Yes.

[36:02] >> Council Gregorus.

[36:04] >> Yes.

[36:04] >> Council Moreno.

[36:05] >> Yes.

[36:05] >> Council Rubio.

[36:06] >> Yes.

[36:06] >> Council Wenh.

[36:08] >> Yes. Seven to zero.

[36:09] >> Number six is a communication from

[36:11] Michael Troy, president of the Fraternal

[36:13] Order of Police Lodge number four to his

[36:15] honor mayor Donald Drevium appointing

[36:17] the BCI detective Mark Reos to serve as

[36:20] a retired member of the police

[36:22] department on the pension board for

[36:24] confirmation. I call for a roll call

[36:26] vote and moved by council second by

[36:30] council recordation

[36:32] showc

[36:47] any discussion.

[36:50] >> President Mers

[36:51] >> yes

[36:51] >> Dr. Roujo

[36:52] >> yes

[36:52] >> Dr. Kier

[36:53] >> yes

[36:54] >> Dr. Gregor,

[36:55] >> yes.

[36:55] >> Council Moreno,

[36:56] >> yes.

[36:56] >> Dr. Rubio,

[36:57] >> yes.

[36:57] >> Council Weren,

[36:59] >> yes.

[36:59] >> Seven to zero.

[37:01] >> No further business. Kentucky City

[37:03] Council. I'll make a motion to adjurnn.

[37:05] >> My second

[37:09] city council. All in favor? My nose.

Aug. 19, 2026 - City Council

Transcript