CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1993
A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CENTRAL FALLS CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD ON THE ABOVE DATE IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL
CHAMBERS AT 7:05 P.M.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS
COUNCILMAN PAQUETTE
COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU
COUNCILMAN CANAVAN
QUORUM PRESENT.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT ROBERT CANAVAN PRESIDED.
DISCUSSION ON CALL FIRE FORCE.
DR. CORNWALL ADVISED THAT COUNCIL ELIMINATE SECTION REFERRING TO CALL FORCE. SUGGESTED THAT THE COUNCIL
COULD PROVIDE BY ORDINANCE ...2 SENTENCES IN 4-502 "THE CALL MEN......COUNCIL MEMBERS AGREED TO THIS CHANGE.
4-503 CIVIL DEFENSE
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN ASKED IF THIS LANGUAGE WAS MANDATED BY STATE LAW?
DR. CORNWALL EXPLAINED CHARTER COMMISSION'S VIEWS AND STATE LAWS REGARDING FUNDING.
4-600 PERSONNEL DEPT.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS QUESTIONED THE POWER OF THE BOARD VERSUS THE AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT HEAD.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS STATED THAT THERE IS A NEED TO DEFINE PERSONNEL DIRECTOR'S JOB AND DUTIES OF
PERSONNEL BOARD. PROCEDURES FOR PERSONNEL SHOULD NOT BE DEFINED BY BOARD BUT BY DIRECTOR.
DR. CORNWELL SUGGESTED THAT THE FOLLOWING COULD BE ELIMINATED. "UNDER GENERAL SUPERVISION OF PERSONNEL BOARD"...PRESENT PRACTICE IS THAT THE BOARD IS NOW ACTING UPON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PERSONNEL DIRECTOR....DR. CORNWALL SUGGESTED THAT THIS COUNCIL BE DONE BY SECTION 4-602 UNDER POWERS AND DUTIES.
COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU COMMENTED ON PERSONNEL BOARD'S DUTIES RELATIVE TO FIRE AND POLICE.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS STATED THAT THE BOARD SHOULD REMAIN WITH 5 MEMBERS REPRESENTED BY EACH WARD.
SECTION 4-601 RENUMBER 602 TO BECOME 601..603 TO BECOME POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD.
ADVISORY, APPEALS AND TESTING ARE SOME DUTIES OF THE BOARD....AND SUCH OTHER DUTIES AS SHALL BE SET BY ORDINANCE.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN COMMENTED ON LAST SENTENCE OF SECTION 4-600.
DR. CORNWELL STATED THAT THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD BE WITH THE PERSONNEL DIRECTOR.
CHAPTER 7 BOARD OF APPEALS AND REVIEW
DISCUSSION ENSURED ON ZONING BOARD OF REVIEW AND APPEALS BOARD.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS COMMENTED.
DR. CORNWELL COMMENTED ON 4-701 RELATIVE TO STATE LAW.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN QUESTIONED TERM OF AUXILIARY MEMBERS. SHOULD ALSO STATE BY WARD FOR EACH MEMBER.
TAX APPEALS AND ZONING APPEALS WOULD BE THE SAME BOARD.
DISCUSSION CENTERED AROUND ABSENCES AT BOARD MEETINGS.
CHAPTER 8
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES
5 BOARD MEMBERS EACH PER WARD
CHAPTER 9
BOARD OF RECREATION
5 BOARD MEMBERS EACH PER WARD
CHAPTER 10
5 BOARD MEMBERS EACH PER WARD
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN ASKED THAT THE REFERENDUM QUESTION REGARDING THE CHARTER BE PRESENTED TO THE VOTERS IN TWO WAY ONE WITH THE QUESTION OF TWO YEAR TERM OF OFFICE AND THE OTHER WITH FOUR YEAR TERM OF OFFICE. THE REMAINING CHARTER REVISIONS COULD BE PRESENTED AS A PACKAGE.
THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT ASKED DR. CORNWELL THE TIME RESTRAINTS FOR THE BALLOT QUESTIONS AND WHETHER HE WOULD
BE PREPARED BY MONDAY WITH ALL THE CHANGES TO MEET THE DEADLINE.
DR. CORNWELL STATED THAT HE WOULD BE READY AND THAT HE WOULD CHECK WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE AS TO THE
FORMAT.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN SET MEETING OF COUNCIL FOR MONDAY, SEPT. 20, 1993 AT 7:30 P.M.
ARTICLE VI MUNICIPAL ELECTION
NON PARTISAN ....REMAIN IN TACK
COUNCIL'S PROPOSALS LEAVE THE SAME.
4 YEAR TERMS OR 2 YEAR TERMS NON STAGGERED.
KEEP IT ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
4 YEAR TERM WOULD ALIGN WITH STATE.
IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A NON PARTISAN ELECTION ON AN EVEN NUMBERED YEAR.
DISCUSSION CONTINUED ON ELECTION TERMS.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS 2 CHOICES TO BE PLACED BEFORE THE VOTERS.
PLACE BOTH QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT.
COUNCIL MEMBERS STRESSED THE ISSUE OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE QUESTION OF 2 YEAR TERMS AND 4 YEAR TERMS BEFORE THE PEOPLE.
ARTICLE VII PERSONNEL SYSTEM
7-100 STRIKE UNDER SUPERVISION OF PERSONNEL BOARD
7-101 PROMOTIONS QUESTIONS POLICE & FIRE
7-102 SCHOOL COMMITTEE.....
7-105 APPEALS BY EMPLOYEES......
DR. CORNWELL DISCUSSED PROVISIONS.
COUNCIL DISCUSSED.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS COMMENTED SECTION 103
CLASSIFICATION PLAN...
8-100 DUAL OFFICE HOLDING
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS COMMENTED.
COMMISSION AND BOARDS.........ETC.......
MAYOR APPOINTING AND COUNCIL APPROVING THIS IS AN APPOINTED MEMBER.
COUNCILMAN CANAVAN QUESTIONED EX OFFICIO MEMBERS OF BOARD RELATIVE TO OTHER BOARDS.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS QUESTIONED DUAL OFFICE HOLDING RELATIVE TO THIS CHARTER.
COUNCILMAN CANAVAN COMMENTED ON PUBLIC RECORDS ACCESS.
ARTICLE 10
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
NO GRANDFATHER CLAUSE.
DISCUSSION ON EXTENT OF ORDINANCES REGARDING INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE.
DISCUSSION OF RESOLUTION'S POWERS.
COUNCIL DISCUSSION PURCHASING BOARD, AGENT, MAYOR AND FINANCE DIRECTOR EX OFFICIO NON VOTING MEMBERS.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN COMMENTED ON THE CHARTER COMMITTEE.
ROLAND BOUVIER COMMENTED ON THE ELECTIONS OF THE CHARTER.
PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR
COUNCIL RECOMMENDING TO ABOLISH WHAT PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE DOES A MAYOR HAVE REGARDING THE ISSUE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND WHAT IS THE NEED FOR THE POSITION.
COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU SUGGESTED A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION.
UNION MEMBERS AS DEPARTMENT HEADS DISCUSSED, ALL AGREED THAT DEPARTMENT HEADS SHOULD NOT BE UNION MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY OR ADMINISTRATIVE.
CHARTER WILL BE SUBMITTED AS COUNCIL HAS CHANGED IT AND THE OTHER 2 ITEMS RELATIVE TO 2 YEAR OR 4 YEAR TERMS.
NO OTHER SECTIONS DISCUSS SEPARATELY.
DISCUSSION ENSUED RELATIVE TO PUBLIC SESSIONS ON CHARTER REVISIONS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS.
COUNCIL DISCUSSED SECTION 2-301 BUDGET.
WHENEVER SOMETHING IS CLEAR ITS BETTER.
COUNCIL ADJOURNED AT 9:07
ELIZABETH A. CROWLEY
DEPUTY CITY CLERK