March 17, 1997 - Special City Council Meeting

CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS

SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING

CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS

MARCH 17, 1997

A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING WAS HELD ON THE ABOVE DATE IN THE CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 6:35 P.M.

ROLL CALL

COUNCILMAN NOURY

COUNCILMAN FERRI

COUNCILMAN CANAVAN

COUNCILMAN WEBER

COUNCILMAN AUNCHMAN

QUORUM PRESENT.

CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ROBERT CANAVAN PRESIDED AND LED THE ASSEMBLY IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN ADDRESSED THE COUNCIL AND GAVE THE REASON FOR THIS SPECIAL MEETING. HE STATED THAT HE IS DISAPPOINTED AND EMBARRASSED ABOUT THE EVENTS OF THE LAST SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING. HE COMMENTED ON THE ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN GAVE A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE SCHOOL BONDS FOR THE VETERANS SCHOOL AND HOW THEY BARELY PASSED. HE ALSO COMMENTED ON THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE. HE STATED THAT SINCE THERE IS NO

SCHOOL COMMITTEE THE MAYOR IS IN FULL CHARGE AND THAT THE BOARD WILL TAKE NO VOTES BUT GIVE A CONSENSUS OF THEIR VIEWS. HE SPOKE OF THE $9.9 MILLION BOND FOR VETERANS SCHOOL, THE COST OF FLOATING BONDS AT THAT TIME AND THE HIGH INTEREST RATE.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN STATED THAT THE MAYOR AND THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT ARE DETERMINING WHAT A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT IS AND THAT THE STATE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS TO BUILDINGS. HE SPOKE OF THE REVIEW COMMISSION'S VIEWS ON THE AMOUNT BUDGETED FOR SCHOOL BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS. HE RELATED THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION STATED THAT THE CITY OF CENTRAL FALLS IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THESE BUILDINGS AND THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THIS COUNCIL HAS SET ASIDE $125,000.00 FOR THIS PURPOSE. HE COMMENTED ON THE BOARD OF REGENTS, SCHOOL DEPARTMENT SIZE AND EDUCATION.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN COMMENTED ON THE RESOLUTION AND STATED THAT THE MAYOR IS THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE AND SIGNS THE CHECKS. HE STATED THAT THE BOARD'S FUNCTION IS TO ADVISE THE MAYOR. HE STATED THAT THE BUILDINGS ARE OWNED BY THE CITY AND HE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT THE COUNCIL IS IN VIOLATION OF ANY LAWS AS LONG AS THEY ARE ADVISORY.

MAYOR MATTHEWS ADDRESSED THE COUNCIL AND STATED THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE SERVES AS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE MAYOR. HE SAID HE HAS THE RIGHT TO HAVE ADVISORS AND HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE BONDS WOULD HAVE PASSED THE NOVEMBER BALLOT IF THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL HAD NOT BEEN WORKING TOGETHER. HE STATED THAT THE CITY IS NOT A KINGDOM AND HE WILL NOT RUN IT LIKE A KINGDOM. THE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTS THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY AND ALTHOUGH THE BOARD MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE, THEY SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND DIFFERENCES TO MAKE THE PROJECT. HE SPOKE OF THE NEED FOR MORE CLASSROOM SPACE AND A 1998 TARGET DATE. HE STATED THAT THE BOARD MUST STAY FOCUSED ON THIS NEED.

COUNCILMAN WEBER AS CHAIRMAN OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE COMMITTEE IS LARGE IT IS FUNCTIONAL AND THAT THERE ARE NO HIDDEN AGENDA, NO HIDDEN DECISIONS, NO ONE IS HIDING ANYTHING. HE COMMENTED ON THE HAIG PLAN AND STATED THAT THIS IS ONLY A TOOL USED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT TO FORMULATE A PLAN. THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD IS TO ADVISE THE MAYOR.

COUNCILMAN FERRI COMMENTED ON THE BOND ISSUE, THE COUNCIL AND THE UNITY BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR WITH REGARD TO THIS PROJECT. HE STATED THAT THE KIDS COME FIRST. HE STATED THAT COUNCILMAN WEBER IS DOING A GOOD JOB CHAIRING THE COMMITTEE AND KEEPING IT FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES. HE STATED THAT THE BUILDING COMMITTEE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN STATED THAT THE CENTRAL FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT IS AN INDEPENDENT DISTRICT NOT TIED INTO THE CITY.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN OPENED THE MEETING TO THE PUBLIC.

JOSEPHINE MCLAUGHLIN STATED THAT IF THE BOARD HAS NOT VOTE WHY IS IT VOTING TO OPEN MEETINGS, CLOSE MEETINGS AND ACCEPT MINUTES.

COUNCILMAN WEBER DID STATE THAT THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR WOULD VOTED TO OPEN THE MEETINGS BUT SINCE THE SOLICITOR'S OPINION THE ENTIRE BOARD WILL VOTE.

THE MAYOR HAS THE BOTTOM LINE.

MICHAEL LAMONTAGNE COMMENTED AND STATED THAT HE THINKS THAT OUT OF SOMETHING BAD SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS.

COUNCILMAN NOURY ASKED WHAT IS A QUORUM. COMMENTED ON FEB. 5, 1997 MEETING AND LACK OF QUORUM.

DISCUSSION CONTINUED.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT CANAVAN COMMENTED.

SENATOR ISSA STATED THAT HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW AND THAT THE BOARD SHOULD CHECK WITH BOND COUNSEL. HE COMMENTED THAT HE SERVED ON 2 SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEES.

MAYOR MATTHEWS STATED HE WILL CHECK WITH BOND COUNSEL TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE NOT VIOLATING ANY RULES. THE BOARD IS ONLY AN ADVISOR TO THE MAYOR.

COUNCILMAN NOURY COMMENTED.

THE COUNCIL ACCEPTED A CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.

MOTION TO ACCEPT AND PLACE ON FILE WAS MADE BY COUNCILMAN WEBER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN FERRI.

MOTION CARRIED 5 YES 0 NO O ABSENT.

MOTION TO ADJOURN WAS MADE BY COUNCILMAN WEBER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN FERRI. ALL AGREED. SO VOTED. TIME 7:25 P.M.

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ELIZABETH A. CROWLEY, CMC

ACTING CITY CLERK