City Council, July 8, 2020

 

A regular session of the Pawtucket City Council is held Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at 7:04 p.m., via videoconference on ZOOM during the COVID-19 pandemic, per Governor’s order 20-25 and 20-46.

 

Present on ZOOM – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, Vitali and Wildenhain.

 

Absent – 0.

 

President Moran presides.

 

The reading of the records of the June 17, 2020 Committee on Claims and Pending Suits meeting; the June 24, 2020 Joint City Property/Public Works/Cemetery Committee meeting, Joint City Property/Finance Committee meeting and City Council meeting; and the June 29, 2020 City Council meeting is dispensed with and the records are APPROVED as prepared by the Clerk on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, Vitali and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Barry, the *Consent Agenda is APPROVED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, Vitali and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

*THE FOLLOWING COMMUNICATIONS ARE READ AND ORDERED FILED:

 

028      A.     Resolution from the Town of Burrillville declaring Burrillville a “First Amendment Sanctuary Town”

           

3          C.     Communication from Cheryl McWilliams, Superintendent of Schools, to Richard J. Goldstein, MMC, City Clerk.  (Response - Cost Cutting Measures - COVID)

           

616      D.     Communication from Michael E. Burns, Traffic Engineering Supervisor, to Richard J. Goldstein, MMC, City Clerk.  (Response – No Parking on Waltham Street)

           

616      E.      Communication from Michael E. Burns, Traffic Engineering Supervisor, to Richard J. Goldstein, MMC, City Clerk.  (Response – Stop Sign Violations – Slater & Comstock Streets)

           

592      F.      Communication from Jay Rosa, Assistant Director, Planning & Redevelopment, to the Pawtucket City Council. (Response - 1253 Newport Avenue Development)

           

**614  G.     Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Railroad Tracks)

           

**614  H.     Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Daggett Ave.)

           

614      J.      Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Tennis Courts)

           

**        K.     Communication from Carolina Garcia, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, requesting to purchase a small lot of land at 185 Mulberry Street. – TO BE REFERRED TO THE CITY PROPERTY COMMITTEE.

           

            L.      AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTERS 210 AND 104 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996, ENTITLED “FIRE PREVENTION” AND “ALARM SYSTEMS” (FALSE ALARMS) Substitute A – TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE AND REFERRED TO THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

            M.    THE FOLLOWING CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY IS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS AND PENDING SUITS:

Joseph Schondek - $500.00

           

**        TAKEN OFF CONSENT AGENDA FOR COMMENTS ONLY, NO OTHER ACTION TAKEN.

 

COUNCILOR VITALI LEAVES AT 7:10 P.M.

 

614      B.     Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Automated Trash Rollout) is READ AND ORDERED FILED.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR ARAUJO.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Araujo, seconded by Councilor Wildenhain, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, requesting what the plan is for dealing with trash bins being obscured by cars parked on the street when the trash trucks come by.  The Council wants to be sure that everyone’s trash is picked-up, to avoid rodent infestation.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WILDENHAIN.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Wildenhain, seconded by Councilor Barry, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to contact the Pawtucket delegation to the General Assembly to ask for their assistance with the larger than usual problems with fireworks this year.  The Council is requesting legislation authorizing the city to control or ban the sale of the legal fireworks in Pawtucket.  The Council is further requesting legislation to help deter the firing off of illegal fireworks, whether it’s through increasing the penalties for owning, selling and/or shooting off illegal fireworks or through other means that may be effective.

 

The Clerk is further requested to contact the RI City and Town Clerks to research what other cities and towns are doing about fireworks issues. 

 

 

614      I.       Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Max Read Field) is READ AND ORDERED FILED.

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR RUDD.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Rudd, seconded by Councilors Barry and Araujo, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, requesting a timeline on the track at Max Read Field.  Specifically, they want to know if the track will be ready for use by next spring.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR VASQUEZ. 

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Vasquez, seconded by Councilor Rudd, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Tina Goncalves, Chief of Police, asking that a patrol car monitor the speeding on Beecher Street near Lonsdale Avenue.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR RUDD.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Rudd, seconded by Councilor Araujo, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, requesting that the sewer division clean out the sewers on Beecher Street.  Councilor Rudd noted that there has been some flooding on the street during rainstorms and he hopes that cleaning out those sewers will alleviate the problem.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR RUDD.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Rudd, seconded by Councilor Mercer, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to the Ordinance Committee requesting that they look into a 4-way stop sign on Columbia and Fairview Avenue.   A copy of this communication is instructed to be sent to Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works.

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR RUDD.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Rudd, seconded by Councilor Barry, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, requesting that the fencing at Vets Park along the Smithfield Avenue sidewalk be spray painted to improve the condition of the fence and alleviate issues with rust. 

 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR RUDD.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Rudd, seconded by Councilors Araujo, Barry and Wildenhain is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Tina Goncalves, Chief of Police, requesting that the speed trailer be placed on Toledo Ave at the intersection with Buchannan Street to check the speed of vehicles coming from Providence into Pawtucket. 

 

 

 

Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting the following reappointment as a member of the Parks Commission, FOR CONFIRMATION:

 

PARKS COMMISSION

 

589      Charles Allen, 23 Atwood Avenue, Pawtucket, RI.  Term expires the 1^st Monday in August, 2023, is READ AND ORDERED FILED.

 

The following nomination submitted by His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, for confirmation is CONFIRMED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

PARKS COMMISSION

 

Charles Allen, 23 Atwood Avenue, Pawtucket, RI.  Term expires the 1^st Monday in August, 2023.

 

 

 

 

The following resolution is read and PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

588      RESOLUTION TO PLACE ON THE NOVEMBER 3, 2020 BALLOT A REFERENDUM TO AMEND THE PAWTUCKET HOME RULE CHARTER – AUDITOR CONTRACTS.

 

 

 

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, on behalf of Council President Moran, seconded by the Entire City Council, the meeting is adjourned at 7:38 p.m., in memory of Jane Ellen Cassidy.