City Council, September 9, 2020

 

 

A regular session of the Pawtucket City Council is held Wednesday, September 9, 2020, at 7:35 p.m., via videoconference on ZOOM during the COVID-19 pandemic, per Governor’s order 20-25, 20-46, 20-53 and 20-63.

 

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 August 19, 2020 and August 27, 2020, City Council meetings 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 Councilors Vitali and 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 Coventry Town Council and School Committee in support of State Funding for COVID related expenses.

           

1          B.     Communication from Detective Lieutenant Timothy Graham, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (2020 Justice Assistance Grant)

           

590      C.     Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Memorial Hospital Charitable Funds Trust)

           

028      D.     Communication from Preston W. Halperin, Esq., to the Honorable Mark A. Furcolo, Director, RI Department of Revenue.  (Memorial Hospital – PILOT Act)

           

7          E.      Communication from James DeCelles, PE, Chief Engineer, Pawtucket Water Supply Board, to Council President David P. Moran.  (Response – PWSB Tax Sale Process)

           

614      G.     Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – 4-Way Stop Sign at Welden and Rice Streets.

           

616      H.     Communication from Robert W. Burns, Tax Assessor, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Tax Abatements for January, February, and March 2020)

           

            I.       RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ABATEMENT OF TAXES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, REAL ESTATE AND TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY FOR JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 2020 IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $55,505.17 – IS REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

616      J.      Communication from Robert W. Burns, Tax Assessor, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Tax Abatements for April, May and June, 2020)

           

            K.     RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ABATEMENT OF TAXES FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, REAL ESTATE AND TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY FOR APRIL, MAY AND JUNE, 2020 IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $75,440.36 – IS REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

           

623      L.      Communication from Sara Miranda, Human Resources Coordinator, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Police Signal Operator Arbitration Award)

           

            M.    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) IS REFERRED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE

           

            N.     THE FOLLOWING CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY IS REFERRED TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND RI INTERLOCAL TRUST:

John & Diane Gannon, by John T. Gannon, Esq. - $3,367.78

Raquel Paniagua, by Christopher E. Fay, Esq. – No Amount Specified

Deusa Goncalves - $2,500.00+

           

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

Jose Moran - $88.87

Silvestre S. Mendes - $250.00

Lynn O’Connor-Altonian - $215.12

Kenneth McGill - $157.46

 

614      F.      Communication from Eric J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Disposal of Old Trash Cans)

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR BARRY.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Barry, 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 J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, requesting information on the plan to replace trees which fell during the recent storms on Pawtucket Avenue, East Avenue, Walcott Street and Armistice Boulevard.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR BARRY.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Barry, 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 William Vieira, Acting Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement, requesting that the Zoning Department check for rodents at and around Varieur School prior to school beginning on September 14.  Councilor Barry noted that he has received calls from residents about a large number of rodents in that area.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR BARRY.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Barry, 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 J. Earls, PE, Director of Public Works, requesting that DPW prepare a better plan to pick-up residents’ old trash cans.  Councilor Barry is looking for a plan in which DPW can go around to different neighborhoods and pick up old cans without the residents having to call in.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR BARRY.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Barry, 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 Dylan Zelazo, Director of Administration, requesting that the city treat the hiring of one to four firms to fight the rodent problem as an emergency purchase to get the firms working for the city as soon as possible.

 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WILDENHAIN.

 

With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Wildenhain, seconded by Councilors Mercer and 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 Mike Burns, Traffic Engineer, requesting Information on when the street sign for Ballston Avenue at the intersection with Eddington Street will be put up. Also, now that the work on Daggett Avenue is complete, the council wants to know when the cross walks at Daggett Avenue and Vine Street and Daggett Avenue and Eddington Street will be done.   

 

 

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 388 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996, ENTITLED “VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC” (4-Way Stop Sign at the Intersection of Columbia Avenue and Fairview Avenue)

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

NOES – 0.

 

Jared Pedro - $500.00

 

Paul McGovern by Equian/Metlife - $2,500.00

 

 

 

 

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Wildenhain, the meeting is adjourned at 7:56 p.m., in memory of Louise Dalton.