City Council, October 21, 2020

 

 

A regular session of the Pawtucket City Council is held Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at 7:35 p.m., via videoconference on ZOOM during the COVID-19 pandemic, per Governor’s Executive Orders up to and including 20-84.

 

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 October 7, 2020 City Council meeting, Committee on Claims and Pending Suits meeting, Finance Committee meeting and Ordinance 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, Kallman, Mercer, Rudd, Vasquez, Vitali and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Vitali, 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:

 

**590  A.     Communication from Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council. (Establishment of the Mayor’s Community Board)

           

590      B.     Communication from Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council. (Apex Ownership Group – Eminent Domain)

           

15        C.     Communication from Susan L. Reed, Library Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council. (Library 1st Quarter Report)

           

028      D.     Resolutions from the Town of Tiverton Expressing Support for an Emergency Exemption for all RI Municipalities in the Computation of Maintenance of Effort and Supporting the Use of CARES Funding as a Means of State Assistance During the COVID-19 Emergency.

           

1          E.      Communication from Tina Goncalves, Chief of Police and Acting Public Safety Director, to Council President David P. Moran. (Response - Cottage Street and Grand Avenue)

           

1          G.     Pawtucket Police Department 2019 Annual Report

           

            H.     THE FOLLOWING CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY TO BE REFERRED TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND RI INTERLOCAL TRUST:

Evelyn Soto by Chris Lindberg, Esq.

           

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

           

1          F.      Communication from Tina Goncalves, Chief of Police and Acting Public Safety Director, to Council President David P. Moran. (Response – Police Department 2019 Annual Report) is READ AND ORDERED FILED.

           

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR KALLMAN.

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

The clerk is instructed to send a communication to Police Chief Goncalves, requesting that she attend a pre-council session at one of the next few city council meetings to provide whatever recommendations she may deem advisable, as required in the ordinance § 3-12 Annual report of Chief.

 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR KALLMAN.

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

The clerk is instructed to send a communication to Eric Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, and Frank J. Milos, Esq., City Solicitor, regarding the Varieur School playground.  Councilor Kallman noted that this playground is the city’s responsibility because it is on city property not school property; that it is being closed after hours to prevent close contact by people during the COVID pandemic; and notwithstanding this fact, people have been spotted using the playground after it is closed.  The council is requesting that they look into ways to enforce the closure of the playground after hours.  

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

588      RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MOVEMENT OF FUNDS WITHIN THE POLICE AND FIRE PENSION PLAN OF $2 MILLION OUT OF GRANITE INVESTMENT ADVISORS AND INTO ALKEON, $2 MILLION OUT OF CONGRESS ASSET MANAGEMENT AND INTO LOCUS WOOD, AND $1 MILLION OUT OF HARDING LOEVNER AND INTO CENTRAL PARK GROUP.

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

330      AN ORDINANCE REPEALING AND REPLACING THE SCHEDULE OF PAY RATES FOR LOCAL 1012 IN §88-12 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996, (Police Signal Operator)

 

 

 

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, Vitali and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The clerk is instructed to send a communication to Michael Burns, Traffic Engineering Supervisor and William Vieira, Acting Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement, regarding traffic issues on Smithfield Avenue, at the intersection with Colfax Street, especially with the new Dunkin Donuts opening there soon.

 

The council would like to know if Mr. Burns looked into putting in a crosswalk and traffic signal at the intersection of Smithfield Ave and Colfax Street, where the new Dunkin Donuts is being built.  The council wants to know his thoughts about putting in those two items.  Because Smithfield Avenue is a state road, the council is OK with putting the crosswalk on Colfax Street.   They also request that the clerk contact the RI Department of Transportation about the traffic signal

 

The council would like to know from Mr. Vieira who from the city checks when a new Dunkin is being built to ensure there is enough land to allow the drive-thru to flow properly, so it does not become a traffic hazard.

 

 

 

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, Vitali and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The clerk is instructed to send a communication to William Vieira, Acting Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement, requesting that the clerk forward him pictures showing dumpsters with material in them on Concord Street and asks for an update on the inspections at that location Councilor Rudd has spoken about with Mr. Vieira.   

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

330      AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 347 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET OF PAWTUCKET, 1996, ENTITLED “SOLID WASTE” (Dumpsters)

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

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

 

 

 

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Wildenhain, the meeting is adjourned at 8:00 p.m., in memory of Charlene McDuff.