[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.