CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 1995
AT 7:00 P.M.
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 GOES ABSENT
COUNCILMAN PAQUETTE
COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU
COUNCILMAN CANAVAN
QUORUM PRESENT.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT ROBERT CANAVAN PRESIDED.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN LED THE ASSEMBLY IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
STELLA CARRERA; RE: CITIZENSHIP DAY MARCH 11, 1995.
TOWN OF NEWPORT; RE: RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF INTEGRATING WALK IN MEDICAL CENTERS.
ANTHONY HARRAKA; RE: REVALUATION SERVICES
MAYOR THOMAS LAZIEH; RE: INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON THE CURE PROGRAM.
MOTION TO ACCEPT COLLECTIVELY AND PLACE ON FILE WAS MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN PAQUETTE.
| COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS | YES |
| COUNCILMAN PAQUETTE | YES |
| COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU | YES |
| COUNCILMAN CANAVAN | YES |
MOTION CARRIED 4 YES 0 NO 1 ABSENT.
SEE LISTS
MOTION TO APPROVE COLLECTIVELY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS AZAR'S SERVICE STATION, LOUIS AZAR AND DONALD CAMPBELL WAS MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN PAQUETTE.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN ASKED THAT THESE BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY SO THAT HE COULD ABSTAIN.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS QUESTIONED THE TAX ASSESSOR ON ANY FURTHER APPEAL PROCESSES.
MR. HARRAKA EXPLAINED THAT THE APPEAL PROCESS HAS CONCLUDED AND THAT ANY DECISIONS MADE WHICH ARE STILL IN CONFLICT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPEALED TO SUPERIOR COURT.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS ASKED IF THIS WOULD REQUIRE THE PERSON APPEALING TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY.
MR. HARRAKA STATED THAT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE.
| COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS | YES |
| COUNCILMAN PAQUETTE | YES |
| COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU | YES |
| COUNCILMAN CANAVAN | YES |
MOTION CARRIED 4 YES 0 NO 1 ABSENT.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE ABATEMENTS FOR AZAR'S SERVICE STATION, LOUIS AZAR AND DONALD CAMPBELL COLLECTIVELY WAS MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN PAQUETTE.
| COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS | YES |
| COUNCILMAN PAQUETTE | YES |
| COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU | YES |
| COUNCILMAN CANAVAN | ABSTAIN |
MOTION CARRIED 3 YES 0 NO 1 ABSTAIN 1 ABSENT.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN RELATED TO THE COUNCIL THAT IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TAX ASSESSOR, THE COUNCIL MAY GRANT A TAX EXEMPT STATUS TO PROGRESSO LATINO. COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN RELATED THAT PROGRESSO LATINO WOULD ACCEPT A PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES LIKE THE PREVIOUS OWNER, COMMUNITY COUNSELING. THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY WAS A $5,000.00 PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES. COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN RELATED THAT PROGRESSO LATINO WOULD BE AGREEABLE TO A $7,500.00 PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES.
COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU ASKED FOR A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN RECESSED THE MEETING AT 7:10 P.M.
MEETING RECONVENED AT 7:24 P.M.
DISCUSSION WITH CITY SOLICITOR MUKSIAN ENSUED.
IT WAS REQUESTED THAT THE CITY CLERK, WITH THE INPUT FROM THE CITY SOLICITOR, PREPARE A RESOLUTION FOR PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES FOR THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN DISTRIBUTED A BILLING BREAKDOWN FROM AMI MUNICIPAL VEHICLES AND DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY SOLICITOR GEORGE MUKSIAN ENSUED.
GEORGE MUKSIAN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DISCUSSED THE BUDGET ALLOTMENT ALLOWED FOR THE PURCHASE OF THESE VEHICLES.
COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU RELATED THAT THE CARE PROGRAM FUNDS PROVIDED FOR THE LIGHTS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT FOR THE VEHICLES. SHE STATED THAT HAD THE MAYOR'S VEHICLE NOT BE OVEREXPANDED THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO NEED TO USE THESE FUNDS.
CITY SOLICITOR MUKSIAN STATED THAT THE CARE FUNDS ARE NOTE RESTRICTED.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN INSTRUCTED THE CLERK TO INVITE THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO ATTEND THE MAY MEETING TO RELATE THE EXPENDITURES FROM THE CARE PROGRAM RELATIVE TO THE PURCHASE OF THE POLICE VEHICLES.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN QUESTIONED THE SOLICITOR REGARDING THE BOBCAT.
GEORGE MUKSIAN RELATED THAT THIS WAS AN EMERGENCY EXPENDITURE.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS STATED THAT LIVING IN NEW ENGLAND, THE CITY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ALL TYPES OF WEATHER, ESPECIALLY WINTER WEATHER, WHICH INEVITABLY INCLUDES SNOW, THEREFORE IF THIS TYPE OF EQUIPMENT WAS NEEDED THE PURCHASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AND BID ON IN ANTICIPATION OF THE WINTER.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN RECESSED THE MEETING AT 7:50. P.M.
MEETING RECONVENED AT 8:00 P.M.
THE COUNCIL BEGAN THEIR DISCUSSION WITH CHAPTER 2 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE MAYOR.
3-200 THE SECOND SENTENCE TO READ: UPON THE ELECTION AND QUALIFICATION OF THE MAYOR, THE MAYOR SHALL APPOINT EVERY TWO YEARS, WITH THE APPROVAL OF A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL,......ALSO TO BE ADDED THE AMOUNT OF TIME (3 MONTHS) FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE PLACE AND THAT THE COUNCIL CAN EXTEND THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
SECTION 3-207 MAYOR TO BE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU COMMENTED IN LENGTH THIS SECTION OF THE CHARTER AND THE NEED TO REVISE IT IN SOME FASHION, SHE RELATED THAT THIS CAN BE PROHIBITIVE TO THE CHIEF OF THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE
THE HEADS OF THOSE DIVISIONS. SHE COMMENTED ON THE CONFLICTS THAT ARISE WHEN RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE SET BY THE CHIEFS AND COUNTERMANDED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR. SHE STATED THAT THE MAYOR SHOULD NOT BE IN HER OPINION THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND THAT ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL OR BOARD SHOULD HAVE THIS FUNCTION.
COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS COMMENTED THAT THERE IS A NEED TO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR AND ASKED HOW GREAT WAS THE PROBLEM IN THE PAST.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN COMMENTED AND RELATED THAT THE BEST PERSONS TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS WOULD BE THE DIVISION DIRECTORS.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN ASKED THE CLERK TO INVITE THE FOLLOWING PERSONS TO A CHARTER REVISION MEETING TO BE HELD APRIL 17, 1995 AT 7:00 P.M.
PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR, THOMAS LAZIEH
CHIEF OF POLICE, ROBERT SASSO
CHIEF OF FIRE, RENE COUTU
DIRECTOR OF CODE ENFORCEMENT, JAMES STEPHENS
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, JOHN RODRIGUES.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN ASKED THE CLERK TO PREPARE AN UPDATE OF THE REVISIONS MADE IN THE CHARTER TO DATE FOR THE NEXT CHARTER MEETING.
MOTION TO ADJOURN WAS MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN MOREAU AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MATTHEWS. ALL AGREED. SO VOTED. TIME: 9:15 P.M.
_________________________________________
ELIZABETH A. CROWLEY, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO TAPE RECORDED MINUTES FOR THIS MEETING.