City Council, March 25, 2020

 

A regular session of the Pawtucket City Council is held Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at 7:02 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 137 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI. 

 

Present – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, Barry, Mercer, and Wildenhain.

 

Absent – Councilors Kallman, Rudd, Vasquez and Vitali.

 

President Moran presides.

 

THE COUNCIL RECESSES IMMEDIATELY TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FOLLOWING:

 

AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTERS 1810, 1845, 1853, 1899, 1933, 2007, 2037, 2114, 2262, 2496, 2511, 2547, 2864 AND 3714 OF THE ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, APPROVING AMENDMENT NO. 16 TO THE PAWTUCKET REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, ENTITLED THE “REDEVELOPMENT AREA EXPANSION”

 

THE COUNCIL RECONVENES AT 7:17 P.M.

 

 

The reading of the records of the March 11, 2020 Committee on Claims and Pending Suits meeting, City Property Committee meeting, Joint Finance/Ordinance Committee meeting, Finance Committee meeting and City Council meeting, are dispensed with and the records are APPROVED as prepared by the Clerk.

 

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilors Barry and Wildenhain, the *Consent Agenda is APPROVED on a unanimous voice vote.

 

*THE FOLLOWING COMMUNICATIONS ARE READ AND ORDERED FILED:

 

            A.     Communication from Joanna L’Heureux, Finance Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council. (Statement of Estimated Realized and Unrealized Revenues for the Fiscal Period July 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020)

           

**        B.     Communication from William J. Sisson, Fire Chief, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Recognition of Firefighter’s Heroic Deeds)

           

            C.     Communication from Frank J. Milos, Jr., Esq., City Solicitor, to Councilor Timothy P. Rudd, Jr. (Response – Review of South Kingstown’s Ordinance Concerning Dumpsters)

           

            D.     AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 410 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET 1996, ENTITLED “ZONING” (Use of Dumpsters) – TO BE REFERRED TO THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

            E.      Communication from John Lefrancois, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, requesting to utilize a portion of Festival Pier for KOTA – which would be Civic Hospitality & Gateway Hub - TO BE REFERRED TO THE CITY PROPERTY COMMITTEE.

           

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

Roddy Road LLC, Adam Crown LLC, and Howard Crown Trust, by Michael A. Kelly, Esq. - $3,000,000.

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

RESOLUTION CHANGING THE DATE OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS MEETINGS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2020 TO MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

 

 

UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY PROPERTY COMMITTEE, THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION IS PASSED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A LETTER OF INTENT WITH FORTUITOUS PARTNERS FOR THE LEASE AND REDEVELOPMENT OF PROPERTIES AT 45 DIVISION STREET AND TIDEWATER

 

 

The following ordinance is read for the SECOND time and PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 410 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET 1996, ENTITLED “ZONING” (Amendment to Zoning Ordinance to regulate maximum fence height for corner lots)

 

 

The following ordinance is read for the SECOND time and PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

AN ORDINANCE REPEALING AND REPLACING THE SCHEDULE OF PAY RATES FOR UNIFORM MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN §88-12 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996.  (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2019)

 

 

 

The following ordinance is read for the SECOND time and PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

AN ORDINANCE REPEALING AND REPLACING THE SCHEDULE OF PAY RATES FOR UNIFORM MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN §88-12 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996.  (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020)

 

 

 

The following ordinance is read for the SECOND time and PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

AN ORDINANCE REPEALING AND REPLACING THE SCHEDULE OF PAY RATES FOR UNIFORM MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN §88-12 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996.  (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2023)

 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR MERCER.

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Barry, the agenda is amended to include the following communications on a unanimous voice vote:

 

Communication from Christopher Montalto, Supervisor, Distribution Design, National Grid, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting a petition for a Joint Pole to Connect Solar Service at 525 Narragansett Park Drive

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Araujo, the following communication is READ AND ORDERED FILED.

 

Communication from Christopher Montalto, Supervisor, Distribution Design, National Grid, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting a petition for a Joint Pole to Connect Solar Service at 525 Narragansett Park Drive

 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR MERCER.

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by the entire city council, the communication added to the agenda from Christopher Montalto is considered of an emergency nature in that it is vital to the manufacturing of medical equipment in the industrial park for COVID-19 response, on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR MERCER.

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Barry, the petition from National Grid for a joint pole to connect solar service at 525 Narragansett Park Drive I APPROVED PENDING APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

 

UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE IS READ FOR THE FIRST TIME AND PASSED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTERS 1810, 1845, 1853, 1899, 1933, 2007, 2037, 2114, 2262, 2496, 2511, 2547, 2864 AND 3714 OF THE ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, APPROVING AMENDMENT NO. 16 TO THE PAWTUCKET REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, ENTITLED THE “REDEVELOPMENT AREA EXPANSION”

 

 

 

UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS AND PENDING SUITS, THE FOLLOWING CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY IS APPROVED FOR PAYMENT ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

Amicle Oriol - $500

 

 

 

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by the Entire City Council, the meeting is adjourned at 7:38 p.m., in memory of Joseph Rabbitt and also in memory of everyone who has passed away from the COVID-19 virus.  The Council expresses its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of all those who have passed away.