Good evening.

I'm gonna call the public works committee meeting to order on Wednesday, December third, twenty twenty-five at six oh five PM.

Clerk, can you take the roll, please?

Present.

Councilman Vaziri.

Present.

Present.

Councilman Graziano present.

Council President Wall.

Here.

May I please get a motion to approve the minutes as submitted.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, can you take the roll?

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Camp Piano?

Yes.

Council Banano.

Yes.

Councilman McGraziano?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay.

Committee business matters carried over.

There are none this evening.

So we are going to move to public comment section of this meeting.

Anyone in chambers who wishes to speak on docketed matters only may approach the podium, state your name and address, and you'll have four minutes.

You may come forward.

Okay, seeing no one, could we check online if there's any public that would like to speak online?

There is no public comment online.

Thank you.

So I am going to head and gonna close public comment for this evening.

If there's any objections, please state them now.

Seeing none, we're going to head out of order and we are gonna take Councilman Capapiano's um communications on the school buildings.

And I think we have um the superintendent here this evening to answer any questions.

Thank you, uh Chim.

Uh well, this is an exciting time in the city of Cranston for after decades we're building new schools and making some major improvements.

Uh it's a very exciting time to be here and to be a student to go in these new schools.

The one in Garden City is absolutely fantastic.

And I can see the the Gladstone rising above the horizon as I leave Home Depot.

It's it's a magnificent.

So uh that being said, also uh one of the things that I hate most about being a councilman is spending other people's money.

So uh I know these are huge projects are going on, so uh I've asked the we're the to have the people involved to come in and let us all know where we stand, uh how we're doing, some of the deadlines, if we're on deadline, if we're on schedule, if we're on uh budget and um I see uh um in no particular order.

I see uh Mr.

Jensen here, I see uh the superintendent Nona Massey here and um uh Joe Baldino uh in no particular order if you can come up and maybe just give us an insight on where we stand on all the different projects uh that are going on with the schools today, and uh look forward to hearing uh your comments and if anybody has any questions later on, if you could answer them, that would be wonderful.

Uh Madam Chair.

Uh Richard, I'm sorry, Councilman Cappiano.

Also here tonight is um the uh exactly the director of the genre academy, the AES Academy.

Oh, I apologize, didn't see thank you.

Mrs.

Lindsay Tavares.

Also, thank you for coming.

Okay, hold on, Councilman Anduhar.

Just want to recognize Chairman Marcus here as well.

And school committee member Dominic Fusco and uh Anthony Melillo that are here today.

Thank you for coming.

Okay, so just uh I'm Chris Jetson for those that don't know me.

Um the chief facilities and capital projects for the school department.

So just to answer the question, there's uh three major projects uh undergoing at the moment.

Uh the first is Gladstone.

Gladstone will be substantially complete in uh April of 26, and uh we will be in the academic school year operation for September of 26.

Uh second project is uh Eden Park.

Uh Eden Park is underway, it's the last phase.

Uh that substantial completion will be uh estimated as July of 26.

Uh also uh will be occupied for the academic 26-27 school year.

And the third project is the uh AES Charter School, uh, which at this point we are uh underway with the projects.

Uh the project stands at uh estimating for the 60 CD drawings at the present time.

So those are the three major projects that are uh undergoing at the site.

With the Gladstone, everything's on schedule, everything's on budget.

How do we stand?

Uh everything is on schedule and on budget, yes.

Beautiful.

I I'd like to get a tour.

I don't know if anybody else would like to get a tour at this point.

Um it's definitely a magnificent building sitting there.

Um maybe we can just schedule something like that.

Sure.

Any time.

Anybody else have any questions?

Um anyone else on the council have okay, Councilman Ritz?

I might be jumping ahead.

Well, you're gonna talk about the other projects too, after those three.

Uh there are no other ongoing projects this morning.

So I'm the councilman ward for.

So the one I keep question I get a lot is the uh parking lot, Cranston West.

Is there an update on that one?

Uh there is none.

At this point in time, uh, those three projects will exhaust uh the bonds that are outstanding at this point.

Councilman Capapiano.

Um I was fortunate enough to get a tour of all the schools when uh during I think it was in the spring, you gave me a took some time out of your data.

Give me a uh tour.

One of the things that shocked me the most was the boilers in Cranston East.

Um, how how were they addressed?

Uh um are they functional?

Are they been repaired?

Uh is there any point of replacing them at some point?

So at this point, um that project uh was on hold, but what we did is we retubed two of the three existing boilers um to extend this service life to get us through the heating season at this point.

I I know it's a load of question, but you don't know how far beyond this heating season they'll last.

Is it something that's imperative that gets done?

Uh sure, it needs to be done.

Well, that's all I got for now.

Okay.

Any other member?

Oh uh Councilman Bonano.

First of all, um, thank you, madam chair.

I like the way you answer questions.

Short, direct to the point.

There's not a lot of ambiguity about the answer, and I we appreciate that.

Um, yes, it needs to be replaced.

Perfect answer.

Um first of all, I want to say that uh this is a great topic to talk about because it's one that's generally positive.

Um I attended Gladstone, my children attend Garden City, and um what a phenomenal job that Cranston Public Schools and our city as a whole has done with these projects.

Uh and it reflects positively on the administration um of the school department, uh, as well as um you know the city as a whole.

Uh and I know that you kind of have been thrown into, I don't want to say thrown, but you've taken on a lot of this uh responsibility midway through.

And um I know that I can go out on a limb and speak on behalf of the whole council and say, you know, kudos because it seems as though from the outside looking in, it's been relatively seamless and and you deserve uh credit for that.

Um I have a question um about the um the uh AES Academy.

Uh basically, can you update us on that as well?

Uh, we didn't talk about that yet.

So can you update that as well?

Um, how the takeover of the building has been and how the renovations are going there.

Well, AES is a phased project.

There's uh four phases.

The first phase uh we have started the students did the uh the graduates graduated students did part of the demolition, started in the summer.

Uh right now the demo phase is complete, the abatement stage is complete.

Um the roof will be started uh say within the next two weeks.

And at this point, we're working through uh the phased um you know potential of the project, along with estimating um the uh construction documents, which is sixty percent construction documents.

Thanks so you you get a lot of stuff going on um for sure.

Just a little.

Yeah.

Um, you know, so like I said, I just want to reiterate, you know, thank you.

Um and I also want to thank uh you know all the public officials on the school buildings committee, uh, school committee and and the folks over at the uh administration of Cranson Public Schools.

You make our city look good each and every day, and I thank you for that.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Well anyone else on council?

That's all I have.

I want to just thank you and and the rest of the team for coming out tonight and pulling us in.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

To echo those same statements.

Thank you guys.

It's really nice of all of you guys to come on full uh full court press here for an update.

Very nice of you.

Um, Councilman Andor.

I have a question for the Chairman Stevenson, if he could just step up to the podium real quick.

Mr.

Chairman, I want to thank you for your service.

Um, I've been to many meetings and it's acting in a very professional manner.

Great communication, but I just wanted to make it for the record and ask you the question is the public or any of us on this side of the aisle invited or have permission to attend your meetings.

Yes, any anybody from the public can attend, and I strongly urge people to come to the meetings.

You will have at least four minutes to speak.

We do it every meeting, and you can get any of the information you want.

So I I encourage you to come, anybody who wants to come from the public.

Thank you, thank you.

Madam Churz.

Excuse me.

Can we have the name and address for the record, please?

Oh yeah, Marcus Stevenson, 87 Garden Hills Drive.

You were saying something.

So I just wanted to know if I could call up um our school committee man, Anthony Melillo, that's also on the board.

Sure, let's have everyone come up.

They're here, so Anthony Malillo, 33 Harvard Street, Cranston, Rhode Island.

Mr.

Committee Man, I just wanted to get your feedback on how everything's going on the committee.

If you see any progress, if you see anything that could be changed on the committee, um since you're here, so I just wanted to get your input.

No, I mean I think everything's going very smoothly on the committee.

I mean, you see that, Andy, you're at every meeting, uh, as well as Mr.

Trafficante.

So um again, um, the only thing maybe I would advise is um at the school committee level, when uh members of the school committee sit on other committees, such as parks and recreation or legislation or myself on the buildings committee, we bring updates back to the committee.

So maybe on a on a monthly basis, you can add that to your committee meeting.

So this way uh any council members who feel like they're not getting the information they need, they can get it from yourself or Mr.

Trafficanti.

Thank you.

So uh councilman Trafficanti, you have that job.

Okay, it looks like you're yielding.

Um else on the council.

Okay, we thank everyone for coming out this evening and the support, and we look forward to all of the projects being finished.

Um I will say that um councilwoman vice president Heroyan, she um is not here this evening.

Um, but I also um for the budlong pool and splash pad update.

I'm gonna say that um director Correo um is unavailable this evening.

He had a city emergency he's dealing with.

Um, but I'm in agreement that over the winter we might take a break on um this agenda item if council um councilwoman Harayan agrees to that um because they are buttoned up for the winter.

So we got a winter update at our last um public works committee meeting.

So I think we might revisit this in February.

So we are going to pass over um update on Budlung Pool and Splash Pad.

And so we are gonna head over to President Wall for 45 Poplar Drive on the rodent rat update.

Thank you, uh Madam Chair.

Believe it or not, it's uh this holiday season.

I've heard no complaints from Popular Drive regarding the rat rodent issue.

In fact, I actually did get a couple of nice emails uh regarding the work that's been done.

So I think we can remove this from public works.

I think the rat rodent season is coming to uh perhaps they're they're buckling down with the winter months coming.

Um so perhaps maybe we'll revisit this once again in the spring, but for now I think we can remove that if that's all right, Madam Clerk.

Um the next meeting.

I have no questions right now, and I'm I'm pleasantly pleased with what's happening.

Okay, it sounds looks like Councilman Banana would like to speak.

Yeah, um, very briefly.

Uh, I've got the same emails, um, probably from the same people, to be honest with you.

And in the emails, they've they've thanked these people have thanked the president, myself, uh, and um the uh the administration uh in the mayor's office because once we uh sort of um I can't think of the word, but once we accelerated uh our efforts, it got dealt with very quickly.

So um, you know, these people are satisfied uh, at least for now, and that's how government's supposed to work.

So um, it's nice to get one right.

And uh, I think we did all the way around on this one, and hopefully, we can continue to do that once uh spring comes and the and the friends come out and play again.

Okay.

Okay, we are going to pass over that.

I do not see any other matters before this committee.

Um, may I get a motion to adjourn?

So motion to adjourn.

Second.

All those in favor?

I we are adjourned.

Six twenty one.

Good job.

I'd like to call the ordinance committee meeting to order.

Clerk, please take a roll.

Council Vice President Heroyan.

Councilwoman Vaziri.

Councilman Campiano.

Council Banano.

Here.

Councilwoman McGraziano.

Present.

Consuhar.

Present.

Great.

Uh may I entertain them entertain a motion to approve the minutes from the November sixth, twenty twenty-five meeting.

Motion to approve the minutes after drafted.

Any discussion.

Clerk, please take a rule.

Cosmic Campiano.

Yes.

Council Banana?

Yes.

Councilman McGrazian?

Yes.

Councilman Andrew Hart?

Yes.

Yes.

Is there any objection to take the meeting out of order?

For what purpose?

Um Clerk, please take uh may entertain a motion to take the meeting out of order.

So moved.

Is there a second?

Second, sir.

Clerk, please take a roll.

Conspiano?

No.

Graziano?

Yes.

Casminando har?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

At this time I would end I would go into public hearing.

Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak on documented items only in the audience?

Please come up to the podium.

I'm here tonight as a citizen.

Not on behalf of anybody but myself.

A bad idea in October is still a bad idea in December.

Some will say this resolution is just to give us a chance to pass an ordinance.

If the legislature gives Cranston the authority, that the details can be worked out later.

Yes, a focus could be on supplementing the inspection's department with additional support, but in these times of affordability and financial challenges faced by taxpayers, we should not be growing local government.

Taxes were raised this year, and I'm certainly I'm concerned that you'll be re uh be faced with having to raise them again next year.

We should be expanding, we should be reducing the size of government, not expanding it.

The cost of this housing court idea and its formation have evolved over the past few months.

I guess we've gone from six new judges to fewer ones.

We were adding staff to the court system and part-time inspectors.

It was a pilot program, and then maybe not.

I'm not sure where we are today.

I did see the chair now says that we will have judges who will work for stipend and that we will generate the and they will generate the funds to pay themselves with fines on defendants or property owners.

What kind of system of justice is that where judges have to sing for their supper?

Pity the first few defendants who get fined in the mandatory quota system so the judge can make sure he or she gets paid.

If you're going to make have a new court system, the position should be properly funded, and judges should not have to find people to get paid.

However, it is the scope of the powers that are proposed here that gives that should give every property owner concern.

This legislation will cost taxpayers, it's anti-property owner, and the only people who will benefit are real estate speculators who look to swoop in by properties forced into receivership.

Property owners will face losing their properties, paying receivers substantial fees and expenses as opposed to trying to work with the city to correct a possible code violation.

Rhode Island cities and towns with or without municipal courts today have the ability under Title 34, Chapter 44 of the general laws relating to abandoned property to have the ability to file a verified petition, superior court to see conjunctive relief or possibly a receiver to deal with abandoned property that may pose a public nuisance or deal with dangerous or deficient conditions.

We don't need to create a housing court to do that.

This whole concept is a prescription for a disease that doesn't exist.

People might believe it.

The existing court system is functioning.

The inspection staff is doing the best they can with available resources.

This is not the time to be creating a court to generate patronage positions, employed draconian measures to take people's properties that will struggle to cover its cost and collectible fines.

You have one amendment, Mr.

Murray.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on docketed items only?

Thank you.

This may be the only time you and I ever agree.

But um I uh feel similar to Mr.

Murray.

I'm not a lawyer, so I can't uh quote law.

Well, I guess I could, but it would be inappropriate.

But I've spoken to um this body in various forms many times.

I I have said, please let us be data-driven.

Um, that is the training I come from.

I think if we're going to look at changing government, it needs to come from data.

I haven't seen that presented.

I've also heard on and off it is going to be um uh a trial, a sort of um we'll see how it goes.

But if you're going for legislation at the state level, it's difficult for me to imagine that we will get that permission and then this we'll just see how it goes.

So I um have asked before that you pump the brakes and think about what questions might be asked.

What might we learn about the housing stock in our city that we might address in thoughtful ways?

This is a very difficult time to create more hassle for people owning homes.

We are in a financial mess all over the place, and housing is a huge part of that.

So I have said it before.

I'm tired of hearing myself, I'm sure you are, but um, I really ask that we have a little more information, data, data, data.

Thank you.

Um, one other uh quick issue.

I want to thank the president for the thoughtful piece in the newspaper.

Um, I appreciated that you discussed um the newspaper notification and talked about coming up with a better version.

I would highly recommend that whenever possible it goes into a newspaper of record.

I'm sure there will be times when that can't happen, but I'm sure there are also times when it can.

And this is also a governor on how often we use special meetings.

They really should only be happening when necessary.

So I'm repeating myself again, but I just want to say it one more time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on docketed items only?

Good evening, um, Stephen Morisella.

I've um uh been the solicitor in the uh city of Cranston for the uh the zoning and planning board for the last 18 years, and I've also been the prosecutor um for the housing court um for the last 18 years, um, through essentially three uh chief judge with Judge Jocelyn, uh Judge Smith and now Judge Koya.

Um the reason for my attendance tonight is um like Mr.

Murray when I did see that first initial um draft of of the ordinance, um uh my my first thought was uh it the scope was not needed.

Um and obviously with the new resolution, um I'm just here to encourage uh the subcommittee andor um the full uh city council when it does come to that to know that um I'm here to answer any questions.

Um I encourage any of the city council people to actually, if they can attend a court session.

Um I will say that unlike a provenance, um while there are housing housing violations, um the docket is manageable as it is.

Um right now we meet two times a month.

Um the court um dockets take about an hour, maybe an hour and a half.

Um while again, uh I believe that we probably do need some additional inspectors as far as expanding the court system.

Um right now there's there's just not the volume to do that.

Um the only time the court system has ever been even close to being overloaded was 2009, 2010 during the housing crisis when the banks were taking um properties and no one knew who owned them, and we had to come in and and basically find them.

But uh since that time period, um I have some months where we might have one or two matters on the docket.

Sometimes um we might uh have a little bit more.

Um and then additionally, regarding um money that's generated from the court system, uh you have really three types of violators.

The first are um people either elderly or disabled who are hoarders.

And what we try to do there is we act more as as CCAP and really try to assist those people to become in violation because finding them really wouldn't do any good because they don't have the money to pay.

Um so we try to get um through uh through social services to help them out.

Um the second type are investors and um you know, those people we do try to go after um aggressively to find them if they do work without permits.

And then the third is we have about three of them or what I would call the chronic violators.

Um I don't want to mention the names, but the council people know who they are, um, and they are constantly in court through Mr.

Millet and and myself and um Mr.

Vedechia, we've taken them to district court, to Superior Court, fine them.

You know, we we've gotten tens of thousands of dollars of fines for those specific people, but um again, they're not so much a burden on the day-to-day court system um as they are to the city and and the uh the law department through Chris and myself um and outside council try to uh try to address those chronic violators.

But um, I know this is just here for a resolution, but again, in the next few months, should anyone have any questions regarding uh fines, how court works, um, you know, uh kind of the docket, uh, please reach out to me.

I know Councilman Bonanno did, and I spoke to Councilman Campapano, but um this is probably my first time here in eight or nine years.

So um please uh feel free to reach out to me or to um you know Judge Fort, who handles the calendar, or to Miranda Botello, who's the court clerk.

Thank you.

Uh Attorney Massello, will you be available at discussion when we ask about the resolution to answer questions?

Yeah, oh absolutely.

Thank you.

Anyone else in the chambers that would like to speak on docketed items only.

Good evening, Joey Fox, uh 411 Fair Street.

Um I'm just here tonight to talk about the special advertising, uh, the advertising for special city council meetings.

Um just want to express my appreciation for the time that was taken to put this together here tonight, and for all of you thinking it through uh and um and how much we appreciate that.

Um, just want to express my appreciation for the time that was taken to put this together here tonight, and for all of you thinking it through uh and um and how much we appreciate that again from the from the Cranson Harold's point of view, we still have questions about how and why this came up at all.

So we'll keep looking into that.

Um, but again, um just to again be full trans fully transparent here.

Uh, we do charge for these ads, it's nominal.

But um, whether or not you advertise with us or the Providence Journal or any other publication, um, for us, the root of this issue and the larger point here is about accessibility and transparency, both in print and online.

So as we enter this new phase of online advertising, we look forward to being a partner with all of you and with the clerk's office and getting this right and making sure we're getting the word out in a timely fashion to your constituents.

Um, and we will continue to be an advocate for for transparency.

So, again, thank you very much for your attention with this.

It's great to be with you all again.

So, thank you.

Is there anyone else in the chambers that would like to speak on docketed items only?

Uh, good evening, members of the council.

My name is Stanley Peichel.

I'm a um acting director, building and zoning official for the city.

Um, I'd also like to reiterate what was said prior to me coming up about the um resolution as proposed.

I think we need more resources to help people to comply.

Ultimately, compliance is what we're looking for.

We're not looking for fines or penalties or things um in excess of what's um really required.

Um, I I actually have a couple of handouts.

I recently went to a uh a seminar um from the ICC, which is the governing code which we act under, adopted by the state of Rhode Island, which has all the rules and regulations, finds penalties, everything pretty much spelled out into it.

And uh, if I may, I'd like to just pass this uh these little handouts that are a motion to accept this and to public record motion to accept uh Mr.

Peichel's paperwork into the record.

Again, any discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Yes, Console McGraziano, yes, but yes, yes.

So again, there's as um Mr.

Marcello stated before, there's different ways of compliance.

Um different enforcement decisions we have to make.

And they're based on you know, different people, uh, the first categories of people that are willing and able to comply.

And you can see all the things that we look for for them.

You know, we try to make it easier for them to comply.

Um and then there's the people that are willing but unable to comply.

So we try to work with them, and again, ultimately compliance is is our goal.

Um, however, then you get down to the people that are unwilling and unable and the people that are unwilling and able.

Um, so that requires a little more attention from our department to put stricter uh guidance in place to try to get them to comply.

Um so basically, I think all of these will be in place and to bring in another municipal court, I think would cause confusion because if they're operating at different times or not within our departments realm, it would cause confusion with our inspectors that are out there doing the same job, and they might be redundant on what they're looking at.

Um, and I just think we could use more resources to help us get through this.

Um yeah, I I don't know if foreclosing on a property is gonna solve anything.

It seems to me that it would just be beneficial to those seeking ulterior motives, somebody that may be looking at things to acquire a property, and that kind of seems uh like an unre unreasonable lawful taking of a property.

So that's about all I have to say.

The only way for questions we have to do.

You will stay for after if we have any questions for you.

Thank you.

Anyone else in the chambers that would like to speak on docketed items only?

Technical clerk, anyone online?

There is no public comment online.

Okay, at this point, I'd like to close public comment.

Enter into new matters before the council, starting off with the resolution requesting the honorable general assembly of the state of Rhode Island to enact enabling legislation authorizing the city of Criston to establish a full jurisdiction housing court division within its municipal court.

Sponsored by myself and a few other people.

Um motion to approve.

It may entertain a motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion.

Councilman Campo Biano.

Thank you, Chairman.

Um at this point, I just need to learn a little bit more about what's going on here.

Um this has been morphed from the beginning where it was special meetings, and we're gonna do this right away.

To now we need an enabling legislation.

I I listen to the people who do this every day, and I'm not even sure at this point that it's needed.

Um I and I said earlier today, you're probably like I said, under the schools.

Uh, the thing I we're tasked with is spending other people's money, and I take that very seriously.

It's one of the things that it's I don't like doing it.

And uh, so uh I need to know what this would cost the city if this was put through.

Uh, I I don't think from what I'm hearing, fines uh gonna are gonna pay for this.

Uh I I don't know the judges and if uh if we uh gonna be reimbursed by fines if that's even ethical, uh which was stated earlier.

Um in order and even in order to like we've seen the I've seen the physical note, and I don't even know if that's all complete.

Uh, if we're gonna set this up, we need IT people to uh to set up you know the ticketing system, how this is going to be advertised, it's gonna be gonna do stuff on the website.

Uh there's a bunch of stuff that needs to be involved.

This is not gonna just happen overnight.

We need a bunch of things.

I mean, how is this going to be enforced?

What's that gonna cost us?

Um, I like to see a some type of study show that you know I talked to Judge Fort this morning.

I says, Are you overwhelmed?

He says, his exact words were I'm underwhelmed.

Now, I don't know what type of how many abandoned homes there are in the city of Cranston, how many houses that are in disrepair?

Uh, what's the reason for the disrepair?

I mean, are we gonna start finding little old ladies that can't roof their house $500 a day until they lose their property?

That's something that um I I don't want to see happen.

I mean, this there's definitely this is this is trying times, and uh I know how hard it is to keep up a house.

So uh um I'm on a side note.

I mean, I talked to uh to um and I think it was mentioned earlier.

I talked to the pastor at the church, the Hope Church on Situate Avenue.

I told him, you know, uh if there is problems with people need to mow their lawn, they need to clean it up, they need to paint the house.

Do you have resources?

And he said they will be on it in a minute.

There's something that they would definitely want to take care of and do.

I I think that's more of a way to take care of these problems that we see throughout the city.

Um let me see.

I get some other notes here.

I want to see.

Uh I don't want to see this turn into um neighbors going against neighbors and just reporting neighbors just out of spite.

I mean, is that something that could happen?

Um I'd like to hear the comments of the rest of the council, and then maybe have some questions for um for the people who came tonight.

So uh I got that's what I have for now.

Councilman Bernano.

Thank you, Councilman Andah.

I want to respond um uh to a few things that I've heard so far.

Number one, first of all, I want to start out by saying that I think Stan is the utmost professional.

I uh I have nothing but good things to say about Stan.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Stan.

And Stan has been while he's been in the building office uh for a long time.

He's only newly the acting director, and in no way I want to say this at the beginning, and no, in no way are my comments uh meant to impugn Stan and the job that he's been put into doing.

I served alongside him on the zoning board for years, and you won't find a better professional.

Uh, same for attorney Marsala and and and uh attorney Murray.

Um Stan mentioned that compliance is the goal, compliance is my goal as well.

Um, I can't speak for any other council member, but uh you know that's my goal.

I also agree with um I think Stan and Attorney Murray and Attorney Marcella all said it, but I know uh Mr.

Peikel said it.

We need more resources, 100%.

Couldn't agree more.

Um, we need more resources, we need more inspectors on the ground, we need more uh inspectors um working with people to get compliance, and we need more inspectors and the system to get people uh to court when compliance isn't able to be worked out.

The system that is in place 100% needs to change.

And the reason that it needs to change is because, and this is where I'm I don't think it's it's anybody that is currently in the inspector's uh office and zoning compliance office.

I don't think it's anybody upstairs now's fault.

And I want to be very clear about saying that.

But for the past few years, it wasn't working, just wasn't working.

Um, and it it needs to improve.

Um, I hear a lot of things about little old ladies and people that can't afford stuff, simply a scare tactic.

Simply a scare tactic.

Nobody here is gonna go and take a little old lady's house away.

Okay, but it's the people that thumb their nose at the city and say, yeah, I know I can I can do this.

I'm and and uh like attorney Marcella mentioned, chronic people who are in or who are out of compliance, chronic people who are out of compliance.

That's what this is meant to um target, and each judge and each inspector has discretion within the law, and they have discretion as to what to do in certain cases, and another part a very integral part of what we want to do is ensure that there is a continuity of a judge with the housing cases.

Right now, Judge Fort is uh is handling that, and we know that, okay.

But I don't know who reads the paper, but it's a possibility that Judge Fort is no longer going to be a municipal judge.

Okay, he's been rumored, and I wish him luck, um, to get a better judgeship.

In that case, part of the issue and how we got to where these issues are now so prevalent is because there was a constant uh roving sort of um coverage situation with the judges where you have one judge one month, another judge one month, and another judge the third month.

And what happens is each judge wants to be lenient the first time they see a case, but it's the third time the case has been before the court.

So the the problems continue to go down and down and down, and we need some consistency in the judges.

I think that ultimately, if this is passed, that the goal is for the the housing division of the municipal court to work in tandem with Stan's office at zoning in in compliance and get Cranston to look even better than it does.

People have had many, many, many, many opinions on this.

And my opinion is if it's good enough for Providence, Johnston, Warwick, Warren, Lincoln, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, and Forster.

It's like what 25% of the state, just right there.

And that's that's only examples.

I didn't have time to continue to research what other cities and towns have this court.

It can be good enough for Cranston.

And I want to leave you with one thing and one thing only.

This council and members of it specifically have been criticized for trying to put forth an idea.

And um, and I've been accused of not being a good Republican sometimes, but I'm gonna quote one right now, and that person is Teddy Roosevelt, and there's a speech, the man in the arena, and I'm gonna read it.

Is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strongman stumbles or when the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is active actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming.

But who does actually strive to do the deeds?

Who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who need a new victory nor defeat.

People who come to these meetings and talk, that's not who I'm referring to.

Okay.

But there are people out there who don't have the gumption to come here and give their opinion and they want to criticize.

Thank you very much.

Mr.

President.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um I'm not, I've never been to a municipal court meeting.

I'm not a housing speculator.

Um I came to like the idea because I think uh we have to do something here.

And there, if I look at the bottom two corners, the owner who is unwilling, unwilling and unable or unwilling and unwilling to comply, those things.

I go through neighborhoods.

There's not a neighborhood in this city where we don't have minute minimum housing violations that have been there year after year after year.

So I'm not throwing shade or criticism, but right now, for when I walk through the neighborhoods, my my evidence, my data is what I see and what I experience.

The neighbors I talk to, sometimes they are those little old ladies that we speak of.

They say, I wish my neighbor would take care of, I wish they would you know, trim their trees, mow their lawn, take all this rubbish off their lawn.

I wish they would fix this.

It's dangerous.

And nothing's happening.

I'm not I am certainly not, and and perhaps I've seem a little emotional, but to think that I'm looking to take someone's home away.

I know it wasn't intended to be an insult, but it does kind of get at me a little bit because that's not who I am.

That's not how I became a public servant.

This is a chance to do something that I believe is needed.

Now, some people may not think it's needed, and certainly I can hear there are questions.

Why is as what will this look like when it if and when it does hit the ground and go go live?

And that at that point, I guess we're gonna have to hammer that out.

We're gonna have to make that sausage at that time, and I'm sure it's gonna be messy.

But tonight, what we're acting upon is a resolution for enabling legislation of the Rhode Island General Assembly just to see if we could have the possibility to do this.

Because all the other times we were speaking, we didn't have the authority, much to Mr.

Maury's point.

Right now, this will give us the authority to have that conversation.

So, right now we're not going to have data.

But perhaps going forward, if this does happen, if it does pass in the General Assembly, and we do get that enabling legislation, then I think that's time to bring those questions, bring that data and have that discussion very thoroughly before we pass anything.

But I will support it because right now, and as long as I've been walking the streets as a public servant and talking to people, I see this as a need.

Some of my colleagues may disagree, but I see it, and my evidence is this.

I talk to people, I ring their doorbell, I knock on them, they tell me what their problems are.

I do my best to help them.

Sometimes I go back year after year and I see the same violations and no improvement.

If you see the same thing again and again, something is wrong.

And I'm not going to make a smart remark about it, because you probably know where I'm going to go.

I'm going to support it tonight.

I like the idea of having that discussion.

And I welcome the debate back and forth.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I'd like to call attorney Marcelo up to the podium if he can, please.

Um, yeah he made a few comments that I just want clarification on.

You said that the housing court generated tens and thousands of dollars.

What year was that?

Probably 2010, 2011.

So back.

So okay, that okay, I understand you don't have to quote you, but the other question is wait, wait, wait.

So uh just to so the the reason for that was during the foreclosure crisis, what was happening was we termed ghost foreclosures, meaning no one could figure out who owned the properties.

So these properties would stay vacant until either you know the the pass-through collateral so they could figure out who was foreclosing.

So when um liens were put on the property, they ran for years and years and years.

Sometimes the banks would come in and fight it, sometimes the city would settle, and sometimes I mean it was I don't know, it was crazy back then.

Bank would just we we had one bank write a check for $50,000, but that is 15 years ago, you know, that that whole craziness um ended at that point.

Um, but there were some times where banks just took hits and they just sold the property for whatever they could get, get it for and since you're the prosecutor for the housing court, and you've been in Cranston for 18 years in the municipal division.

So I've been the zoning and planning solicitor for 18 years along with the prosecutor in the housing court for the entire time from 2008 to the present, both through Mayor Fung's administration and through Mayor Hopkins.

So you haven't seen any houses that are abandoned or anything come through housing court the last two years.

Well, so ironically, you say that um about three days ago.

I also represent the Cranston Housing Authority.

Um we were in the process of buying a house from Rhode Island housing.

This out of state quote unquote nonprofit came in, filed a lawsuit um for about sixty houses in seven or eight towns.

Um and set up a forced receivership, and now Rhode Island Housing cannot sell the property to the Cranston Housing Authority because we now have to go through a court hearing to prove that Rhode Island Housing did not abandon a property that was not abandoned.

Taxes were paid, no violations, no um water and sewer was current.

There was insurance on the property, but some out of state nonprofit, which wasn't really a nonprofit, has come in and put this property in receivership.

We're trying to um redevelop this property for deed restricted housing through the housing authority.

Um now it's tied up in superior court.

So um there are and in that lawsuit, there were three Cranston houses.

Um, to my knowledge, one of them was owned by Rhode Island Housing.

I don't know who the owners were of the other two houses, whether they were in fact abandoned or um they're not, but those have to go through the process too.

Okay, thank you.

Um just say my comments.

Um, Mr.

Michael, if you could come up, please.

Mr.

Peiko, thank you so much.

I know you guys are so understaffed over there, and you guys are doing a tremendous job.

And thank you for taking that that um acting directorship.

Um, but my question is you say you need resources.

There was a first version that had some um part-time help.

Were you for or against the part-time help?

I believe that would be against the union contract.

So you're you're still in the union, correct?

I am, yes.

Okay.

So basically the union turned down help resources.

We don't endorse part-time help if we can hire a full-time position.

And how much is the full-time position?

Um, I don't have the recent okay um numbers.

Well, I don't want to get off topic, but um, how many code enforcement people do you have right now?

We have three.

Had or have.

You have three.

Correct.

And who handles your abandonment list?

Um, we have an unofficial abandonment list.

Um, Anne Maria Marchetti is holding that in her folder.

Is that something public or is that something internal?

At this point, it's not.

It's unofficial because we don't have confirmation on all of those properties to publish anything.

So I'm just I'm just curious because as Mr.

Marcelo or Marcella spoke, um there were three properties on an abandonment list that you have, which is 739 Broad Street, 162 Bracken, and 1746 Cranston Street.

Um, just confused that your office gave this helping hands receivership company or organization, whatever they are, a list and 1746, that's in planning, correct?

I believe they're gonna develop something over there.

So why would that list leave your office for a receivership company?

I didn't know that it left my office.

Not to my knowledge.

Right.

I mean, I uh thank you again for for your help.

Um, I understand you guys are short staffed over there, but uh thank you so much for your service.

I I think part of the confusion is like like Steve Marcelo said, um, the titles aren't clear a lot of times.

So we have to do research.

That that's a full-time position to have somebody determine whether or not that property's been abandoned.

Um our inspectors are busy doing their daily duties, so for them to be totally focused on trying to find title searches and things like that, that creates a whole different uh position.

Councilwoman Councilwoman Graziano.

Sorry, so there when uh a property has an unknown it you like an unknown title.

Um it doesn't go to a title attorney.

Like why why would why would zoning code staff be doing that work?

Mr.

Chairman, I think we're going off.

I think we're going off topic, yeah.

Sorry about that.

Councilmember Nono.

So, like my colleague said, um, there was some there were some additional uh employees, whether I think there were part-time um in the original proposition.

I understand collecting bar collective bargaining, you know, I'm I'm in a union myself, uh, and I always have been, so is my wife.

Um but that that leads me to another question.

Um how many how many people do you think um as far as inspectors are concerned would be needed to make um a court like this or the court that we have now work properly?

How how many how many inspectors do you need?

Really can't answer how many inspectors, it's a coordination thing.

So we we would kind of need a chief housing inspector to to look after that.

Currently, I'm doing building, I'm doing zoning, I'm doing inspections.

Um I'm pretty straight out in my daily routine.

So we would need somebody totally focused on handling the housing aspect of it all to make this work.

So I I can't answer the numbers.

Um, but I think who we have now, they're on top of what they're being given.

They're now looking for properties, looking for problems, but when it comes to them, they act on it.

And it and it takes time to get compliance.

I'm sorry to interrupt.

So I just want to kind of refocus this council.

This is enabling legislation to set the jurisdictional or expand the jurisdiction of the municipal court.

If this passes the general assembly, then we will have the proper jurisdiction to maybe expand the court as the council wanted.

All these other questions about uh what the court will look like, well, how many staff we might need will be addressed in the actual ordinance that will be drafted if we get that far.

But the really only issue before you today is whether or not this resolution, which will expand the jurisdiction or actually clarify the jurisdiction of the municipal court, uh, whether this resolution should be going forward uh to the general assembly for their action.

This council would not be able to take any action on um or creating a municipal court uh for housing until this legislation was passed.

So I these are all very good questions.

I just don't want to get too far because we're kind of delving into some personnel matters, budgetary matters, we're a little off the off the uh the resolution that's before you.

Okay, so let me just rephrase the uh you know.

I just want to I just want to say um well, Mr.

Peikel's there, and this might be off topic too, but I'm gonna say anyway.

Um you got a tough job, and I know how hard you work personally, and um I think that if there was a person that can help straighten out the situation that I believe that we've gotten to, uh it's you and and um I I respect you at your profession, and I think everybody on this council does as well.

So I want you to go away thinking that we're attacking you, it's not you.

It's been a it's been a problem for years and years and years, and um, but just trying trying to address it with you, not at you.

And I I have utmost respect for you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, yeah, I have the utmost respect as well.

I say it outside too.

I said I've said it for years.

So well, I guess I'll ask you the last question.

So you wouldn't support this resolution um going forward, which are three inspectors, even though the fines for last year were $78, and we have three inspectors.

I I don't see any of the fines.

We we're trying to gain compliance, so I don't know how you know the fines get dispersed or what happens when that happens.

Okay.

Um because if the budget had a lot of time to research this resolution, it's just seemed it's coming at me like all the other housing things that the state instituted into us uh with zoning and things, and that just creates confusion until it's ironed out and it's finalized, and I would be willing to work with anybody here to try to you know make sure that it's gonna be successful.

I don't know that it's gonna go forward um easily.

I well, not I shouldn't say go forward easily, but for us to institute it if it's gonna work very easily.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Councilman Compobiano.

Thank you, Chairman.

Um it wasn't my intent to any scare tactics or anything.

Um we were told by attorney Marcella that um we have three chronic offenders.

Um we have stuff in place to levy these fines.

I mean, do we need to make a court because of three chronic violators?

Do we need to make a court?

I mean, we were told by the the director in inspections that he needs resources.

I think our efforts would be better directed if we fortified what we have now instead of establishing a court.

We have everything we needed position from the research I've done from the people I've talked to.

Uh, we have everything that we can get this done without establishing a court and potentially costing the taxpayers more money.

So I won't be in favor of it for that reason.

Councilman Bonono.

I just with all due respect to the chair, Council Campabiano.

I think attorney Marcel and he's here and he can verify it.

I think he said there were three different types of violators, not three chronic violators.

That's what I that's what I heard.

I could be mistaken.

But he said there was three chronic violators that come back to court.

There are four types of violators, which are in the thing uh handout that Stan gave.

Um, and there are three chronic violators.

One of them was literally had files open when I showed up here in 2008.

And it's still going on.

Um different properties.

Yeah, puts them in compliance, buys properties.

Um, and um so there are and there are multiple properties.

We've taken him to district court, superior court.

He's appealed to the supreme court.

Um, you know, so there are but um stan's uh matrix is a lot um accurate as far as four different types of filings.

I'm sorry then Richard, I apologize.

I misheard.

I'm sorry.

I just want to say if you believe that we put this court in place, and then miraculously all these problems are gonna go away, it's not gonna happen.

It's gonna be the same thing we're seeing now.

We have to go through the same process.

It may have a little bit more teeth, but we're still gonna see the chronic violators in it's gonna go down the same road.

I just wanna say again, I think we can fortify what we have now, and it'll cost the taxpayers less money and concentrate on fixing the problem that way.

Council president, councilwoman Graziano.

Council President, the floor's yours.

Okay, uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I don't know if it's three, what 30 chronic violators?

Um I'm sorry, move on.

I'm not sure.

I'll say it again.

I'm not sure how many chronic violators there are, but I'll tell you, I I've been walking the streets of my ward a lot over the last God, how long has it been?

10 years.

And I see the same houses that have violations again and again.

Now, would is that considered a chronic violation?

One of the big three.

I don't believe so.

However, if we're saying that there's and I see them, that's my data that I see that and when I go out in the spring, I'll see them again.

And the same people I talked to last year and the year before will talk to me about.

There's nothing gets done.

There's something wrong.

There is a disconnect into what we're doing, what we believe we're doing, what's actually happening.

I'm not pointing fingers or finding fault, and I'm not saying that this is going to be a panacea to fix everything.

However, what I think is unacceptable after 10 years of saying it is what it is, to it's unacceptable not to try something different.

I'm not sure if this is correct.

I'll be honest with you, but I'd willing to give it a try.

And I think I'm voting tonight for that manner for the enabling legislation to give it a try to hammer out, see if we can hammer out something better.

Because in my view, I don't, I'm not throwing shade on anyone, but I don't think it's working as well as maybe some other people in the room.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Thank you.

Um, so I just would like a chance to let the public know my perspective.

Um I'm I'm coming at this from a different perspective.

So in my real life, I am uh town official, so I am part of enforcement, and so this is something that I do every day, all day.

And I'm constantly looking for tools in my toolkit.

How can I get somebody to gain compliance?

And I want it to be the easiest and fastest way, and that isn't always the avenue, but I'll tell you that seeking injunctive relief is not something that I go to as my number one my number one path.

That's one of the most difficult time-consuming avenues because I have to bring town council with me.

If I'm going to a district court, I go to rent them court all the time.

I can just go with my materials and myself.

Um, so I I sort of think that that is where we're at with this municipal court.

It gives you an avenue before you have to go seek injunctive relief if you do go that far.

That being said, I'm there's a lot of discretion here.

I mean, I I was hired at my position because I'm a professional.

I would expect that same action to be here in Cranston.

So our zoning enforcement officers are professionals, they know what they're doing.

They're not going to go to someone's house who um is underemployed or um is an elderly person and start finding them and sending them to municipal court.

I don't I don't do that.

I would I would never do that in my position.

It takes a long time to get someone to even get to the district or municipal court.

I think there's a ton of other avenues that code enforcement does before they even get that far.

But I do believe that there's an ultimate goal and it's compliance.

And there are a lot of people, residents, commercial, industrial, that just say they know the system, they know how long it's going to take, they know the avenues, and and this gives our staff the ability to have a new avenue.

And whether we're understaffed here in the city of Cranston, sure.

I mean, I'll tell you off the top of my head when you just said three code enforcement.

I have two code enforcement offers.

I have 14,000 people in my town.

So I can tell you right now, this is not enough.

I'll stay on topic.

Um so I the goal is definitely not to impact or hurt our residents.

The goal is to create a community where everyone feels like their neighbor isn't going to um abandon their house and have it catch on fire, Woodbury Road Ward 1, which happened to us.

So I know from experience that that is happening, whether that is part of the enforcement list, I don't know.

Uh we can find out later.

But um I'm looking at it as a town official, and I support it for that reason because I think we need tools in our toolkit.

And if we need additional inspectors, that's a different conversation at a different time.

Um, but I'm looking, I think injunctive relief is is costly for the town, and I think this will in fact reduce the cost if we don't have to go to superior court.

Um so I I'm we're going to look at the cost overall, but I I believe that this this won't cost the city a ton of money.

And in fact, we're going to bring in you know, fines, but it's not fines so we can pay our bills, it's fines so we can get compliance, and it's for the work that our staff is doing.

When I'm before the clerk magistrate, and she's asking me if we can reduce fines, and then I produce a list of the amount of hours that my staff has worked on going after the person that's um in violation.

She says, Okay, you've worked on this for a year, great, full fine, $1,600.

Bam, stamp out, and they have to pay us $1,600.

So, you know, I I think it I think I think it's a good idea.

And I think there are residents that are just possibly a non-compliance, like I said, commercial industrial.

So I'm I support this as an enforcing party.

Console Bim Bonano.

I just want to I talk a lot, I know that, but I just want to uh say that I don't concede that this is gonna cost the taxpayers money, which is why I'm supporting this.

Um I think that right now the system is that the taxpayer, like every every taxpayer that takes care of their property and the taxpayers that don't are paying for the inspectors and whatnot to go out to the property owners that don't take care of their property, and the lion's share of that is paid by the people who do take care of their property, and like councilwoman Graziano just alluded to the fines there um will now be paid more by the people that are not in compliance.

Okay, and if they don't want to pay the fine, they comply.

I don't think that the judge should be singing for their supper to quote Mr.

Murray.

I don't think that's ethical, but I think that if somebody was not in compliance and it costs the city a ton of money to get that person into compliance, that person should be responsible for paying it, not everyone else.

Thank you.

Sir, any further discussion?

Well, I just want to say that there were many versions of this housing court, and after listening and do and having different versions of this for the past four months, um, councilman uh beyond a we only are strengthening the division of the municipal court.

We are not creating a court.

Um heard from the public loud and clear, they don't want a lot of judges, so fine.

We're just gonna add two more.

But guess what?

They're gonna be stipend.

So that way it's not a burning on our taxpayers.

So with that.

Clerk, please take a rule.

Conspected Piano?

No.

Conspanano?

Yes, Consul Graziano?

Yes.

Consumer Wall.

Yes.

Thank you.

Moving on to Councilman, where are we?

Uh ordinance 112502, ordinance and amendment of Title 10, Chapter 32, Section 40 of the City of Princeton Code of Ordinances entitled No Parking on Certain Streets Generally.

Motion to approve.

Any discussion?

Clerk please take a rule.

Conspect Piano?

Yes.

Considerano.

Yes.

Councilman Graziano?

Yes.

Councilman Doha?

Yes.

Yes.

Okay.

Stone with new matters.

Moving on to committee matters, committee business matters carried over.

Um, we're gonna start with Amendment 102503, ordinance and amendment of title two, chapter four, section sixty of the city of Criston Court of Order since 2005 entitled Advertising Special Meetings of the City Council, sponsored by council council vice president Heroyan.

Is there anybody that would like to speak on it?

President Wall.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, I sent you something.

Is there a chance you can put it on the screen?

It's on the screen now.

Beautiful.

Okay.

So certainly we've had a lot of discussion and a lot of deliberation over the past couple of weeks regarding um this amendment of ordinance 2.04.06, which has to do with the advertising of special meetings.

If you look up there, the current ordinance, that section, I can't see it well, but I see Tom's screen.

That current ordinance is on the top.

All right, and the problem with that that top ordinance, that current version is let me just start with this.

The idea is changing this ordinance.

We wanted to get it right.

All right.

Um we were not complying with our own ordinances.

All right, when with the posting of special with the advertising of special meetings, all right.

Special meetings are called when we have items or or things to be acted upon when we have a short time parameter.

All right, and those special time parameters don't always give us a lot of time, they don't always give us seven, eight days uh necessary to have them posted in the print version of uh the paper of general circulation.

All right.

Um actually, before I go on, Rose, I did we have a couple of copies of of the ordinance as as the proposed change.

Is there a chance we could pass it?

That's thank you so much.

They have uh oh, you have some as well?

All right, very good.

Okay, and but I think do all the members of the council have them.

I just want to make sure everybody's got a copy before I go on.

So for the sake of time, I'll speak as you you get a hold of it.

Those special time parameters don't allow us to post with a seven or eight-day notice, as I said before.

Now, here's where we have the problem.

The charter, when they speak of special meetings, says that we could have a special meeting with 24 hours notice.

That's in our charter.

However, our state law, as I've reiterated before, says that we can post a meeting in 48 hours, special or regular.

And just just to also reiterate this point, the last time we were together.

I think it was brought up, I don't know who brought it up, that we don't have that many special meetings.

And whether we should or shouldn't, we have a lot of special meetings over the last five years.

Myself and two previous uh council presidents, we've had 188 special council meetings or city council committee meetings.

Sync that in.

So we're talking about a lot of meetings, and the truth is this has been an issue going back, numerous council presidents advertise.

So when I speak about this, the bottom line is I I think when we made this change, how it came about, we want our ordinances to comply with the way we do business.

I think if you're truly transparent, you don't just put an ordinance because it looks nice, you put an ordinances because that that's what we're gonna follow.

And that's that's really what the motivation wasn't to sacrifice transparency, it was to make sure we're we're doing what we say we're gonna do.

Um, so if you look at the change here, and if I look at my cheat note, in the red, basically everything in the second, uh, and you have the I guess the ordinance version, but the one on the screen, that's just that that's just a version so you could kind of see it.

The one in the red is the change.

It keeps all the language, right?

It keeps the original language, and then it adds the words with exception of special meetings called with viewer eight days, right?

Special meetings, meeting notice shall be published in the online version of the newspaper of general circulation within the city.

All published or online notices shall contain the all the information contained and said written notice, such and such shall be posted on the city's official website.

Everything remains the same until you hit that eight day.

We needed a concrete time.

So we we had to make sure that we wouldn't paint ourselves, we make an ordinance, we would paint ourselves into violating it again.

So all of our meetings, regular meetings, regular committee meetings, and special meetings that can be posted eight days or more will be put will be posted and advertised in the newspaper of general circulation, which generally is the Herald.

Um if we have less than eight days, we'll post it on the online version of the newspaper of general circulation.

And I think with this, I don't know if it makes everybody everybody happy.

I don't know if it's perfect.

I do realize there are some people who do not like to use the internet who don't.

I did a little study of the data to tell you the truth, and and it's consistent that the number of people use the email use online uh newspaper and online news is increasing all the time.

The number of people who have internet in the United States and in Rhode Island is about 93 to 94 percent.

That data I checked.

Um, so there is a certain people who don't use the internet, but this is the only way we can write an ordinance, I think, where we would be complying actually complying with what we're saying we're gonna comply.

So it does it does a couple of things.

It maintains the advertising in the print version of the paper of general circulations for regular meetings and regular committee meetings.

It provides advertising in the print version of general circulation for special meetings with eight days or more notice, and it provides for special meetings with less than eight days to be advertised in the online version of general circulation.

And and to me, importantly, it makes this possible for us to conform to our ordinance.

Well, what I would say, and I don't mean to be sarcastic, preserving what I would believe is more legitimate transparency than what we were doing before.

I don't I don't like to sign off on something we're not doing.

Um that's all I have to say.

I know I've taken a little bit of time.

Councilman Campo Biano.

Thank you, Chairman.

I want to thank the council president for bringing this back to committee and having respect for the people who were uh worried about this.

Um, the only thing I don't have anything to I like what you did.

Thank you.

Uh the only thing that it's not a change, it's not an ordinance.

I would like to see something maybe as a header when it goes to when the the um it goes to print, anything goes to print, something like due to time constraints on not all special meetings may be published, refer to our website or the city's website.

So maybe there'll be a header at at the um so if someone's reading the paper and they just don't realize that there could be a special meeting, it's something in there just so just to alert them that they can if they are curious, they could go to the website and check it out, and it would be there.

And I uh in fact, if you'd like to speak on that, uh attorney Marcel, he just actually I believe make sure I say it correctly.

Attorney Marcelo, you have the floor.

Would you like to?

I really don't want the floor, but uh I I think you can take care of that as a matter of policy when the thing is posted and whatnot.

So that's a that's a clerk issue that we could make as a matter of policy of the conversation.

I thought that it would just be it's like I said, it's not an ordinance, it's not it's just a policy.

If we could just add that as a header or at the bottom, it won't take up any more room.

It's just something that uh where people that I no one will be surprised.

Councilman Bonano.

I just procedurally, is there a motion yet?

No, okay.

So I would like to make a motion to amend um ordinance.

What's the number on here?

1025-03 to read the following.

The city of Cranson ordinance of the city council is an amendment of Title II, Chapter 4, Section 60 of the Cranston City Code of Ordinances 2005 and titled Advertising Special Meetings of the City Council.

Section 1, Chapter 2.04.060 is hereby amended as follows.

Notice of all special meetings of the city council called in accordance with section 3.07 of the city charter, accepting special meetings declared an emergency meeting by the mayor or majority of the city council shall, in addition to the written notice requirements contained therein be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the city, with the exception of special meetings called within fewer at this word on the on the um no, sorry, called with fewer than eight days notice.

Such special meeting notice shall be published in an online version of a newspaper of general circulation within the city.

All published or online notices shall contain all the information contained in the said written notice, and such notice shall be posted on the city's official website.

This ordinance shall take effect upon its final adoption.

Second, that's my motion.

There's a second any discussion.

It was just brought to my attention that the online posted ordinance doesn't match what we were given tonight.

It's an amendment to the original proposal.

So you're amending the original proposal.

Okay.

No, that doesn't have to be we can amend it.

Procedurally, we amend it here, and then it goes as amended online and everywhere.

I'd like to council.

I believe I let the attorney clarify that instead of uh yeah, I'm sorry.

So I believe that's the proper procedure.

Excuse me.

The there was a there was something that was posted, obviously.

As a legislative body, they have the right to amend it as they see if it added as meeting as a result of public comment, what not or whatnot.

So that's basically what they're doing.

So they have amended the thing that was posted by the language that we just heard.

So it does not not every amendment gets posted before it happens because that would kind of no, I mean that would that would kind of slow the process.

That would be the that wouldn't be the purpose of the public hearing.

The public hearing is to get public comment on them as posted, and then as a result of those comments, things were amended.

So that's where we are today.

So I did there's nothing improper with the procedure that we're following.

Thank you for clarifying.

Any further discussion?

Well, I want to thank Vice President Heroin and President Wolf for bringing this matter up.

And thank you, Councilman Bonano for amendment.

Amending this, um, clerk.

Can you please add me as a sponsor to this?

And with that, whenever you're ready, clerk, you could call the rule.

Conspiano?

Yes.

Council Banano?

Yes.

Councilman Graziano?

Yes.

Consuha?

Yes.

Yes.

Motion carries now moving on to wait.

Do we need a motion to approve it as amended to the council?

Is there a motion to approve it?

Amended as motion to approve as amended on the chamber's floor.

Second.

Second.

Any discussion.

Seeing none, clerk, please take a rule.

Conspect piano.

Yes.

Yes.

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay, moving on.

Committee business matters carried over.

92504, ordinance and amendment of Title 10, Chapter 32, Section 180 of the City of Cranston Code of Ordinance of 2005 entitled No Parking on Weekdays, sponsored by Councilman Bonano and Council President Wall.

Councilman Bonano, I believe you would want to speak.

Yes, thank you.

This has been uh for a no parking.

This has been probably the most difficult one this council's ever seen.

And it's exact it's been that way because of the configuration of the streets.

Um, and the uh the the limitation that we've proposed, and I hope that the council wants to put in place.

So I apologize for this coming back and changing all the time, but um the version that I'm gonna propose sort of right now uh has got the blessing of the traffic engineer, and hopefully in five minutes it'll have the blessing of the council, and we can put this behind us.

Um it started out as two ordinances.

I got advice to put it into one, and uh wasn't good.

So now we have advice to put it back into two.

The thrust of and this is what we discussed last meeting.

It's not changing what we're trying to do, it's just changing how we're gonna list it in the code book.

So it's not a meaningful change that needs to be reintroduced and all that stuff.

We sort of got that opinion the last time from the um council attorney and from the solicitor's office.

So I have two things to propose that is going to hopefully limit the parking on hybrid and holly hawk to only one hour on Saturday and Sunday.

Every other time will be no parking.

I'd like to start with the following.

I would like to make a motion uh to um amend nine.

I lost my train of uh excuse me.

I'm not I'm still on the special meetings page.

Nine-25-04 to say the following.

Umrdance of the city council and an amendment of Title 10, Chapter 32, Section 90 of the Cranston City Code of Ordinances 2005 entitled No Parking on Certain Streets Monday through Friday.

Um it is ordained by the city council to amend as follows.

We're gonna add hybrid drive, easterly side from Garden City Drive Northerly to utility poll number three on hybrid drive, and then hybrid drive on the westerly side from Guardian City Drive Northerly to Utility Pole One on Hollyhawk Drive.

I'd like to make a motion to um the first amendment on this proposal.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Conservative piano, yes, Casa Banano.

Yes, Conservative.

Yes, Casman Duhar.

Yes, Consident Wall.

Yes.

Now is there a motion?

I would like to make a motion to um put that to the full council.

So moved.

As amended motion to approve as amended as amended on council floor.

Second there.

Any discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Conservative piano?

Yes.

Conservative?

Yes.

Consul Braziano?

Yes.

Consuhar?

Yes.

Yes.

Okay.

I would like to make a motion to amend the proposal to also include umendments to Title 10 Vehicles and Traffic.

Okay.

Cranc Code of Ordinance 2005 to add chapter 32.700 entitled one hour parking Saturday and Sunday only.

Um vehicles and traffic, excuse me, 10-32-700, one hour parking Saturday and Sunday.

No vehicle shall remain standing for any period of time within or upon any of the following streets or highways or parts thereof at any time except on Saturday and Sunday, but no vehicle shall remain standing for any one consecutive period of time longer than one hour.

That's gonna also be hybrid drive, easterly side from Garden City Drive Northern to utility pool number three on hybrid drive, hybrid drive again on the westerly side from Garden City Drive Northern to the utility pool number one on Hollyhawk Drive.

Second.

Any discussion?

Councilmember Campbell Band.

Thank you, Chairman.

What is how's the sign going to read?

There's a sign, there will be two signs.

So it'll be a sign that reads um no parking Monday through Friday in red with the big P with the no smoking lines through it.

And then there will be another sign underneath in green that says one hour parking Saturday and Sunday only.

There will be no uh there's no need because of the configuration of the phone polls on these streets to add any uh metal and in the email.

I call them thinkamajigs.

I don't know what the official title of them is, but those corrugated metal angle lines, we don't need those uh in anywhere because there's enough phone polls around.

So there'll be two signs, probably two or three sets.

Um as I described.

Any further discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Conspect piano?

Yes, Caspinano?

Yes, Consul McGraziano, yes, maybe now may I entertain a motion to move this to the full council as amended.

Motion to move to the full council as amended.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, council president wall.

Listen, I just want to say this, and I said it before.

I can remember, God, when do we first start talking about this?

Uh talking the two of us or July?

In July.

And those of you don't know me very well, is uh I tend to like if you tell me to do something, I'll do it, I'll put my head down and do it.

But that day, I didn't say that.

And council really quickly, Councilman said, I can handle it.

And this is a day, months later.

I am so glad I listened to Councilman Bernano.

He did so much work doing this.

It was so many hoops to jump through.

I appreciate you.

I know the people in the neighborhood appreciate your efforts.

And I just want to say publicly, thank you for your efforts, Councilman.

Yeah, I mean, it was this one was was difficult for many reasons.

Um, I don't think anybody was trying to be difficult, it just wound up being difficult, and you dodged a bullet.

Any further discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Consul Campiano?

Yes.

Consul Bonano?

Yes.

Consulate Braziano?

Yes.

Consider?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

And I think uh moving on to council communications, there are none.

May I entertain a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any nays?

Ayes have it.

We are adjourned.