City Council, November 10, 2020

 

A regular session of the Pawtucket City Council is held Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at 7:35 p.m., via videoconference on ZOOM during the COVID-19 pandemic, per Governor’s Executive Orders up to and including 20-93.

 

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

 

Absent – Councilor Kallman.

 

President Moran presides.

 

The reading of the records of the October 21, 2020 City Council meeting, Committee of the Whole meeting and City Property Committee 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, 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, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, Vitali and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

*THE FOLLOWING COMMUNICATIONS ARE READ AND ORDERED FILED:

 

592      A.     Communication from Anthony Hebert, Senior Planner, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Update - Festival Pier Project)

           

611      B.     Communication from Jeannine S. Bourski, Deputy Finance Director, to Joanna L’Heureux, Finance Director.  (FY20 Medical Fund Report)

           

616      C.     Communication from Michael E. Burns, Traffic Engineering, to Richard J. Goldstein, MMC, City Clerk.  (Response – Speeding on Lyman Street)

           

614      D.     Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Closing of Playgrounds during COVID pandemic)

           

622      F.      Communication from William Vieira, Director, Zoning & Code Enforcement, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Dunkin Donuts at Colfax Street and Smithfield Avenue)

           

**        H.     Communication from Aurora Leigh, Project Manager, Bond St LLC, to David P. Moran, Council President, requesting a 10-year Tax Stabilization Agreement for 173 Weeden Street) – IS REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

            I.       Communication from Susan Mara, Director of Planning and Redevelopment, to David P. Moran, President, Pawtucket City Council.  (Ten-Year Tax Stabilization – Bond St LLC) – IS REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

            J.      Communication from Robert W. Burns, Tax Assessor, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Ten-Year Tax Stabilization – Bond St LLC) – IS REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

592      K.     Communication from Jeanne Boyle, Commerce Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Amendment No. 17 to the Pawtucket Redevelopment Plan “Downtown Gateway Project” and Resolution No. 3119 of the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency)

           

            L.      AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTERS 1810, 1845, 1853, 1899, 1933, 1971, 1995, 2007, 2037, 2114, 2262, 2496, 2511, 2547, 2864, 3169 AND 3221 OF THE ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, APPROVING AMENDMENT NO. 17 TO THE PAWTUCKET REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, AS AMENDED, ENTITLED “DOWNTOWN GATEWAY PROJECT.”  - IS LAID ON THE TABLE AND REFERRED TO THE FINANCE AND ORDINANCE COMMITTEES

           

611      M.    Communication from Joanna L’Heureux, Finance Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Apex Acquisition and Financing Bond Resolution)

           

            N.     RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PAWTUCKET REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY TO ACQUIRE THE “APEX SITE” FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND PROVIDING FOR THE FINANCING OF SUCH ACQUISITION AND REDEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS, NOTES, OR OTHER EVIDENCES OF INDEBTEDNESS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS ($20,000,000). – IS REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

            O.     Communication from Jeanne Boyle, Commerce Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Dexter Street Commons Project – Tax Increment Financing) – IS REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

            P.      Communication from Wm. Eric Breitkreutz, Superintendent, United States Department of Interior, National Park Service, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Easement and Agreement for the Old Slater Mill Property and the Blackstone River Bikeway) – IS REFERRED TO THE CITY PROPERTY COMMITTEE.

           

            Q.     AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 388 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996, ENTITLED “TRAFFIC” (Overnight and Sunday and Holiday Parking Prohibited) – IS LAID ON THE TABLE AND REFERRED TO THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

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

Jared Fitzgerald - $475.00 + ($200-$700)

Elena and Taylor Teell - $247.19/$272.73

           

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

 

614      E.      Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Traffic Issues regarding Dunkin Donuts at Colfax Street and Smithfield Avenue) 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 Wildenhain, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, requesting that DPW paint the crosswalk on Colfax St., near the new Dunkin, prior to the shop opening.

 

 

 

622      G.     Communication from William Vieira, Director, Zoning & Code Enforcement, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Dumpsters on Concord Street) 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 Councilor Barry, is PASSED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to William Vieira, Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement, requesting that he do monthly unannounced inspections at the Concord St. property with the dumpsters, which he discussed in his November 3, 2020 letter to the council.  The council requests that he provide reports on those inspections in time for the 2^nd council meeting of each month. 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WILDENHAIN.

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to William Vieira, Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement, requesting that when his compliance officers are on the road that they keep an eye out for boats on trailers on the street in front of people’s properties.  The council asks that the officers address that with the boat owners to have them removed from the streets.  If it is police jurisdiction, the council asks that the zoning officers notify the police department so that they may address the issue.  

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

588      RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE OF PLAT 52, LOT 23, LOCATED ON MERRICK STREET TO NICHOLAS AND ERICA BARROS.

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

588   RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND INSTRUCTING THE FINANCE DIRECTOR TO REDUCE THE SALARIES OF THE PAWTUCKET CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS BY 10% FOR THE MONTHS OF OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 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, Rudd, Vasquez, Vitali and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

330   AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 26 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996, ENTITLED “POLICE MUNICIPAL COURT”

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

Erika Forster - $1,700.00

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

Nickolas Larsen - $550.00

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WILDENHAIN.

 

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

 

Communication from Dylan Zelazo, Director of Administration, to Dr. Cheryl McWilliams, Superintendent, Pawtucket School Department, requesting information about school department budget adjustments due to COVID.

 

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

 

Communication from Dylan Zelazo, Director of Administration, to Dr. Cheryl McWilliams, Superintendent, Pawtucket School Department, requesting information about school department budget adjustments due to COVID.

 

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by the entire City Council, the meeting is adjourned at 7:51p.m.