Cranston City Council Regular Meeting and Finance Committee Special Meeting - October 27, 2025

On October 27, 2025, the Cranston City Council held a finance committee special meeting at 6:30 PM followed by its regular meeting at approximately 7:00 PM. The finance committee unanimously approved a letter of engagement for the new council attorney. The regular meeting featured recognition of three community groups and individuals, unanimous approval of several resolutions and ordinances, public comments on animal control and a long-standing fire hazard, and the reappointment of three members to the Juvenile Hearing Board. The council also voted to amend its meeting schedule and referred several traffic ordinances back to committee for clarification.

Consent Calendar

• Finance Committee Special Meeting (6:30 PM): Unanimous approval of letter of engagement between the City of Cranston and Michael Marcelo, Esq., of Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith LLP for council attorney services through January 4, 2027.
• Regular Meeting Minutes: Approved as a block.
• Citations: Recognitions for Cranston West Little League 12U girls softball team (state champions), Cranston East boys volleyball team (D1 state champions), and Library Director Ed Garsha (Page Turner Award).
• Resolutions: Italian American Heritage Month (October) and Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) – both approved unanimously with multiple co-sponsors added.
• Committee Reports – Finance Committee: Approved resolutions for real estate tax abatements, tangible tax abatements, and an ordinance amending the municipal budget for assistant fire chief salary. Also approved the letter of engagement (already passed in special meeting).
• Committee Reports – Ordinance Committee: Unanimously approved Ordinance 08-25-02 (duty of owner upon receipt of notice) and Ordinance 09-25-01 (2-hour parking on Saturdays and Sundays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.).
• Appointments: Reappointment of Raymond Coya, Ralph Bakari (as member six), and Catherine Crowley (as alternate) to the Juvenile Hearing Board for terms beginning December 1, 2025 – all approved unanimously.
• Council Rules Amendment: Changed regular meeting from the fourth Monday to the third Monday of each month – approved unanimously.
• Withdrawal of Ordinances: Ordinances 10-25-01 and 10-25-02 were withdrawn by the council president.
• Block of New Business: Remaining new business items (from 10-25-03 through claims) were taken as a block and referred to appropriate committees – approved unanimously.
• Acceptance of Informational Items: Communications declining reappointment from Judith Abate (Juvenile Hearing Board) and Leah Tov Massian Hill (Arts Commission) accepted into record unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Laura Almagno (289 Knowood Avenue): Initially attempted to speak on an unrelated matter during public comment on docketed items; was redirected to the next meeting. Later, during undocketed public comment, she advocated for funding for an after-hours animal control officer. She described an incident where she found an injured cat at night and had to transport it herself, and a previous incident with a stray lab. She noted that Rhode Island General Law § 4-13-1 requires municipalities to impound stray and dangerous animals, and that other municipalities (e.g., Bristol) have 24/7 on-call officers. She urged the council to consider either a full-time third-shift officer or an on-call service.
• Drake Patton (684 Natick Avenue): During public comment on docketed matters, he questioned the necessity of the proposed housing court ordinance, citing a lack of supporting data and a fiscal note without income. He advocated for strengthening existing code enforcement instead of creating a new tool. He also expressed confusion about the proposed erasure of Title VII chapters 849 and 850, and strongly opposed the ordinance to remove newspaper notice for special meetings, arguing it reduces public access and accountability. During undocketed public comment, he addressed the one-year anniversary of a fire at Long Beauty’s on Natick Avenue, stating that no action has been taken against the business owner, who is now filling the property with new piles (one four stories high). He noted that the matter was promised on the agenda for tonight but was not listed, and called for enforcement of zoning and state laws regarding the alleged illegal composting/farming operation.
• Online Commenter (Tracy): Offered to provide explanations on ordinance amendments but deferred to the ordinance committee per the council president's suggestion.

Discussion Items

• Housing Court Ordinance (Proposed): Drake Patton’s comments questioned the data and fiscal note; no council discussion followed as item was not on the agenda that evening (referred to committee previously).
• Traffic Ordinances (Ordinance 09-25-02 through 09-25-05): Councilman Bonano moved to refer these back to the Ordinance Committee to clarify language based on input from the traffic engineer. For Ordinance 09-25-02 (right turns at red lights), he explained that the restriction hours would be removed to avoid confusion and improve enforceability. All referrals were approved unanimously.
• Amendments to Parking Restrictions (Ordinances 09-25-03, 04, 05): Similarly referred back for language clarification per traffic engineer recommendation.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous Approval of Council Attorney: Engagement of Michael Marcelo, Esq., as council attorney through January 4, 2027.
• Unanimous Approval of Resolutions: Italian American Heritage Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month both recognized with broad council support.
• Referred Back to Committee: Four traffic-related ordinances (09-25-02, 03, 04, 05) were sent back to the Ordinance Committee for language adjustments.
• Council Rules Changed: Regular meetings will now be held on the third Monday of each month instead of the fourth.
• Appointments Approved: Three Juvenile Hearing Board members reappointed: Raymond Coya, Ralph Bakari, and Catherine Crowley.
• Public Comments on Animal Control and Fire Hazard Noted: No immediate action taken; items referred to appropriate committees or to be addressed in future meetings.
• Adjournment: Meeting adjourned after approximately two hours.