City Council, April 21, 2021

 

 

A regular session of the Pawtucket City Council is held Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at 8:29 p.m., via videoconference on ZOOM during the COVID-19 pandemic, per Governor’s Executive Orders up to and including 21-30.

 

Present on ZOOM – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, DaRosa, Mercer, Rudd, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

Absent – 0.

 

President Moran presides.

 

The reading of the records of the April 7, 2021 Committee on Claims and Pending Suits meeting and 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, DaRosa, Mercer, Rudd, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR MERCER.

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Wildenhain, the agenda is amended to include the following:

 

028   Communication from Theodore Orson, Esq., to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council. (Update on Pending Litigation – Apex Companies)

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by Councilor Wildenhain, the following communication is READ AND ORDERED FILED on a roll call vote, as follows:

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, DaRosa, Mercer, Rudd, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

Communication from Theodore Orson, Esq., to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council. (Update on Pending Litigation – Apex Companies)

 

 

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

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, DaRosa, Mercer, Rudd, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

*THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE READ AND ORDERED FILED:

 

028      A.     RESOLUTION FROM THE TOWN OF WESTERLY IN OPPOSITION TO RHODE ISLAND 2021 GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION; AND IN OPPOSITION TO S-0259 AND H-6067, ENTITLED AN ACT RELATING TO AERONAUTICS.

           

**126  B.     Communication from John N. Blais, Recreation Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response - Recreational Programing)

           

634      C.     Communication from Richard J. Goldstein, MMC, City Clerk to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – MBTA South Attleboro Project)

           

028      D.     Communication from Angelo Calcagni, Operations Manager, Waste Connections, to Richard J. Goldstein, MMC, City Clerk.  (Response – Clean-up of Transfer Station)

           

            F.      RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES AND PENALTIES FOR LIQUOR LICENSE HOLDERS FOR OPERATING AFTER HOURS – IS REFERRED TO THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY.

           

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

           

622      Communication from William Vieira, Director, Zoning & Code Enforcement, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council.  (Response – Graffiti) is READ AND ORDERED FILED.

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR DAROSA.

 

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

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, DaRosa, Mercer, Rudd, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to William Vieira, Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement to ask if there is a policy about those temporary memorials that people have been putting up around the city.  The Council believes that there should be a policy, especially regarding the removal of those memorials that can cause problems because they include candles or glass bottles or because they block the sidewalks.  But the council doesn’t want to just remove the memorials without trying to provide an alternative outlet for people to express their feelings.  They are asking that Zoning work with the city’s constituent liaison, the Planning Department and maybe, some of the city’s arts groups, to see if there is an alternative the city can come up with for people to express their feelings when a tragedy happens.

 

 

 

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES COUNCILOR WILDENHAIN.

 

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

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, DaRosa, Mercer, Rudd, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to William Vieira, Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement, requesting that whenever Zoning cites someone for graffiti on their property, they also provide them with product to help remove the graffiti.  The city uses Watch Dog from Home Depot.

 

 

 

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, DaRosa, Mercer, Rudd, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Michael Burns, Traffic Engineer, regarding parking in front of and around 120 Mineral Spring Avenue.  The council requested that if parking is allowed there that he does a study to determine if the prohibition of parking is feasible on that area of Mineral Spring Avenue.

 

 

 

Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting the following reappointment to the Public Library Board of Trustees, FOR CONFIRMATION

 

PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 

589      Heidi Gilkenson, 26 Knowles Street, Pawtucket, RI. Term Expires the first Monday in January, 2024, is READ AND ORDERED FILED.

 

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

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, DaRosa, Mercer, Rudd, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 

Heidi Gilkenson, 26 Knowles Street, Pawtucket, RI. Term Expires the first Monday in January, 2024

 

 

 

COUNCILOR RUDD LEAVES THE ZOOM MEETING AT 8:57 P.M.

 

 

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, DaRosa, Mercer, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

 

The Clerk is instructed to send a communication to Robert Burns, Tax Assessor, requesting that he contact the owners of Freight Realty LLC, regarding their property for which a tax treaty was approved in September 2019.  They want an update on the timeline for the project, specifically wanting to know when they expect the first shovels to be in the ground.

 

 

 

 

Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting the following reappointment to the Public Library Board of Trustees, FOR CONFIRMATION

 

PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 

589      Soraya S. Gomes, 63 Bloodgood Street, Pawtucket, RI. Term Expires the first Monday in January, 2024, is READ AND ORDERED FILED.

 

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

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, DaRosa, Mercer, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 

Soraya S. Gomes, 63 Bloodgood Street, Pawtucket, RI.

Term Expires the first Monday in January, 2024.

 

 

 

 

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

 

AYES – President Moran, Councilors Araujo, DaRosa, Mercer, Schuette, Vasquez and Wildenhain.

 

NOES – 0.

 

Drew Anderson - $287.98

Charlene Gagnon - $300.00

Florence Nachbar - $251.81

 

 

 

Upon motion made by Councilor Mercer, seconded by the Entire City Council, the meeting is adjourned at 9:03 p.m., in memory of Paul Palange