CITY OF EAST PROVIDENCE
RHODE ISLAND
JOURNAL OF REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY,
8:00 P.M.
The City Council meets in the Council Chamber on Tuesday, February 4, 1997, and is called to order at 8:00 P.M. by Mayor Rolland R. Grant.
Present: Rolland R. Grant ) Mayor
Joseph S. Larisa, Jr. ) Council Members
Gerald R. Lynch )
Peter F. Midgley )
Norman J. Miranda )
Paul E. Lemont ) City Manager
William J. Conley, Jr. ) City Solicitor
Valerie A. Perry ) City Clerk
Invocation is given by Councilman Joseph S. Larisa, Jr.
Salute to the Flag is led by Councilman Norman J. Miranda.
TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR
On motion of Mr. Lynch, seconded by Mr. Miranda and on a unanimous roll-call vote with all Council members present and voting, it is voted to approve the Consent Calendar.
APPROVAL OF COUNCIL JOURNALS
Regular Meeting - January 21, 1997
Approved.
Town of North Smithfield - Resolution
By Joan M. Mowry, Town Clerk
Resolution for EDUCATIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT
City of Woonsocket - Resolution
By Suzanne J. Vadenais
Resolution in support of AMENDING RHODE ISLAND GENERAL LAW 16-21-8
Antique Show
Applicant - Southeastern New England Antique Dealers Association - March 22, 23, 1997
Location - 2117 Pawtucket Avenue
Subject to approval from: Chief of Police
All CC items are voted and passed on one vote.
Presentations to:
Lt. Theodore Hopkins III
East Providence Fire Department - Group "B"
Fire Chief Gerald Bessette and Mayor Rolland R. Grant present Certificates of Award for Bravery for their action during a recent house fire.
Sunday/Holiday Sales
Applicant - Furniture City, Inc.
Location - 80 Newport Avenue
Subject to approvals from: Chief of Police
Larry Lefkowitz, 40 Colonial Way, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, is present and sworn.
On motion of Mr. Larisa, seconded by Mr. Lynch it is unanimously voted to grant the license.
Sunday/Holiday Sales
Applicant - Julyclay Chaves
dba - Viva Brasil
Location - 2111/2 Warren Avenue
Subject to approval from: Chief of Police
Antonio Chaves, 505 Newport Green, Newport, Rhode Island is present and sworn.
On motion of Mr. Miranda, seconded by Mr. Larisa, it is unanimously voted to grant the license.
Sunday/Holiday Sales – Transfer
From - Kenyon Oil Company, Inc.
To - Pierre Saba
dba - Warren Avenue Citgo Auto Service
Location - 517 Warren Avenue
Subject to approval from: Chief of Police
Pierre Saba, 60 Hooper Road, Dedham, Massachusetts is present and sworn.
Unanimously granted, on motion of Mr. Miranda, seconded by Mr. Larisa.
Sunday/Holiday Sales – Transfer
From - Ishtiaq H. Naqvi
dba - Dairy Farm
To - Tauqeer Anjum
dba - Dairy Farm
Location - 2775 Pawtucket Avenue
Subject to approval from: Chief of Police
Tauqeer Anjum, 100 Park Place, Apt #305, Pawtucket, Rhode Island is present and sworn.
License unanimously granted on motion of Mr. Miranda, seconded by Mr. Larisa.
Victualling – Transfer
From - Ishtiaq H. Naqvi
dba - Dairy Farm
To - Tauqeer Anjum
dba - Dairy Farm
Location - 2775 Pawtucket Avenue
Subject to approvals from: Chief of Police, Building Inspector, Health Inspector
Tauqeer Anjum, 100 Park Place, Apt #305, Pawtucket, Rhode Island is present and sworn.
License unanimously granted on motion of Mr. Larisa, seconded by Mr. Miranda.
LICENSING COMMISSIONERS RESUME SITTING AS CITY COUNCIL
Senior Center Site Update
Mr. Lemont addresses the Council and says his presentation will be in two parts – an update on the Senior Center and a proposal for the property.
Planning Director Jeanne Boyle gives the Council an update on the status of the Senior Center. She says Mancino Associates was chosen as the architectural firm and they began their work in late October/early November. They have had a number of meetings with the Senior Advisory Commission and talked to several members of the City staff in trying to finalize the interior design of the building. The plans are to go out to bid in March with construction beginning in May and completion in October 1997.
Al Mancino, Architect for the project, explains the layout of Memorial Hall and answers questions from the Council.
Mr. Lemont speaks on the second portion of his report - a proposal for a Recreation Center at the site. He says that the City will have to go to the Bond Market in the next few years and suggests that the Recreation Building be included.
Wilfrid Gates, Landscape Architect, addresses the Council. He answers questions about the soccer field and says even without the proposed Recreation Center, there is not enough room for a full soccer field.
Further discussion is held on the soccer field, and it is determined that the field would be able to be used for youth soccer, both for practice and for games.
Joseph Crook, Recreation Director, addresses the Council and states that the Recreation facility in Riverside is not large enough for all the services that are being provided and encourages the Council to look at the plan. Questioned by Mr. Larisa as to why the building could not be built at Pierce Field, Mr. Crook responds that having the Recreation Center near the Senior Center would give the Seniors better access to it. Mr. Larisa says he has no objection to looking at the possibility of the plan, but wants a complete cost analysis on the project. He says the PCD project had a safety valve in the available land to the right of the proposed Senior Center and soccer fields, which could be sold to help fund the project, but this proposed development eliminates the safety view.
After further discussion, Mr. Lemont asks the Council if they want him to proceed with gathering information for the proposal, and says if it goes to the bond market, the people of East Providence will determine if they want it or not.
Mr. Lynch says he doesn't think it will hurt to get figures for the proposal. He says the City has not had a capital improvement plan for many years and the reality is that we will have to go to the bond market eventually.
Mr. Midgley expresses his concerns for the funding of the project.
After further discussion, a motion is made by Mr. Larisa and seconded by Mr. Lynch to approve the City Manager's proposal to go out to bid on the Senior Center in accordance with the plans for construction, and in addition, instruct the City Manager to look at a comprehensive site plan for the entire PCD parcel, including potential short-term and long-term usage of both Breed Hall and Sweetland House along with a possible Recreation and Activity Center and to come back to the Council with some cost estimates for the comprehensive plan, as well as possible revenue payment schemes to pay for them (including any possibility of private donations). A roll-call vote is held on the motion:
Mr. Larisa Aye
Mr. Lynch Aye
Mr. Midgley Nay
Mr. Miranda Aye
Mayor Grant Nay
Motion passes 3-2.
The meeting recesses at 9:50 P.M. and reconvenes at 10:00 P.M. with all Council members present.
CLAIMS COMMITTEE
The Claims Committee report is unanimously accepted on motion of Mr. Lynch, seconded by Mr. Miranda.
(By Mayor Rolland R. Grant)
1) A Possible Relief For Taxes
Mayor Grant suggests the State take over the funding of the schools and says that the average taxpayer would pay approximately $12 per thousand if the schools were not funded by their City tax dollars.
2) Firefighters Contract
Mayor Grant speaks on a newspaper article in the Providence Journal which said Mr. Larisa attended the arbitration meetings, which in fact he hadn't. Mr. Larisa responds that his words were overstated.
Mr. Midgley receives Unanimous Consent to speak on two issues. He says that he has received many calls from constituents who are concerned about not being able to get in touch with people from the revaluation company, and the Tax Assessor's office has assured him that if anyone has missed the deadline, they will still have the ability to have their questions answered by the Tax Assessor's office.
Mr. Midgley says he has received calls from retirees who have asked if the dental rates will go down. Mr. Lemont responds that they may come down if the utilization comes down, but that is doubtful.
Approval of a Resolution authorizing the submission of a proposal to Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation Home Program for $50,000 to continue the City's Rental Rehabilitation Program.
RESOLVE NO. 10
The above-entitled resolution is introduced and on a motion by Mr. Lynch, seconded by Mr. Midgley and on a unanimous roll-call vote with all Council members present and voting, is adopted.
(By Mayor Rolland R. Grant)
Planning Board
(R) Octavio Cunha Alternate 154 Walnut Street 02914 (G)
On motion of Mr. Miranda, seconded by Mr. Lynch, it is unanimously voted to reappoint Octavio Cunha as an Alternate to the Planning Board.
Mr. Larisa asks for unanimous consent to discuss the potential appointment of the Harbormaster.
Mr. Lynch says he has a problem because there are times when the Council is chastised for not putting a mane for appointment on the docket in advance, and there are times when it is okay. He says he will not give the Unanimous Consent, and does not think it will hurt for waiting another two weeks. Mr. Larisa says he insisted on having the names of appointees on the docket prior to the meetings, but there have been two other circumstances when the rule was waived, but without unanimous consent, it can't be done.
Motion is made by Mr. Miranda, seconded by Mr. Larisa, and unanimously voted on a roll-call vote to go into Closed Session to discuss Council Appointees Job Performance.
The meeting goes into Closed Session at 10:35 P.M.
The Open Meeting reconvenes and is adjourned at 10:50 P.M.
Attest:
Valerie A. Perry, CMC
City Clerk
Approved:_______________________