Bring the safety services and license committee to order tonight.

Clerk, may I please have a roll call?

Councilwoman Graziano?

Present.

Cosmo Ritz?

Present.

Consultante?

Present.

Councilwoman Vazieri?

Present.

Conspehar?

Present.

Present.

Here.

Okay, the next thing on the agenda is the approval of the minutes from the last meeting, but they are not provided to you, and they are not done yet.

So we're going to skip over that, correct?

Yes.

May I is there anyone here from the public that would like to comment tonight on agenda items only?

Anyone online that would like to comment?

So there is no public comment online.

All right, I'm going to close public comment then.

If nobody opposes, we're going to under A take one and two together.

Does anyone close?

Nope.

I'm going to ask for a motion to approve A, one and two.

Any discussion.

Clerk, may I have a roll call vote?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay, and do the show's cause hearing tonight continued from November third, two thousand five twenty-five to December first, two thousand twenty-five.

And then to tonight, we're going to have Andy's East Coast Speed.

Is anyone here from Andy's East Coast Speed?

I do not believe so.

And all is in compliance.

So I believe we're going to take him off of the show cause.

Next is R auto, and they are in compliance with everything.

I do see them here tonight.

If they'd like to come out.

If not, we're going to pass, and we're going to take it right off.

So motion to table for compliance.

I'd like a motion to table for compliance.

Second.

Does anyone have anything they'd like to say or any discussion on this?

No discussion on motion of the table.

Thank you.

All right, committee matters carried over.

So we need to vote on the motion.

I'd like a vote.

Clerk, could you call a roll call vote, please?

Consumer McGraziano?

Yes.

Cosmo Ritz?

Yes.

Consult trafficante.

What are we voting on?

Did the table?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay.

Committee matters carried over.

On the agenda, we have class B V liquor renewal.

And then we also have the victoring license renewal.

Um, would does anyone oppose to us taking them together?

Okay.

I believe they kephalogy.

If you'd like to come up to the stand, state your name and your address, so we have it.

I do see that you're just waiting for your letter of good standings.

And I'm aware that you went to the department of revenue and tried to get it.

Yes.

I went today as well.

I went yesterday as well.

But they're just waiting on.

They said by tomorrow morning it'll be cleared through.

Okay.

Yeah, that's what they said.

So I know that my meeting is tonight, though.

I tried to get like a letter from them or something.

They said they couldn't do that.

The only thing they could do is just give me the paper stating that I was there today and that everything's filed up to date.

Yeah.

If you want to see it.

We run into this a lot.

You were kind enough to call the clerk and update her on everything.

Usually that we know that they are behind.

So thank you for paying your city taxes and making the effort to get your letter of good standing.

Thank you so much.

I'm gonna ask for a motion to pass both of these licenses subject to us receiving the letter of good standing from the state of Rhode Island.

So move second second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, may I have a roll call vote?

I'll leave it up to the chair, the solicitor, but I believe it's the motion to approve.

Approve, yes.

Councilman Graziano, yes.

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Council Trafficanti?

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazeri?

Yes.

Councilmanjuhar?

Yes.

Council Vice President Heroyan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

So once you do receive it, you can go right into the business portal, upload it, and then you can print your certificates right yourself.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Thank you for coming tonight and trying to get that.

Thank you so much.

All right.

New matters before the committee tonight.

It's victoring license.

And it's third 1031 Kitchen Corp doing business as Boulevard Pizza, located at 1031 Narragansett Boulevard.

It looks like all is in order.

So I'm going to ask for a motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, can I have a roll call vote?

Consulwan Graziano.

Yes.

Cosmo Ritz?

Yes.

Consult Trafficanti.

Yes.

Consulman Baziri.

Yes.

Casmanduhar?

Yes.

Pass by President Haroyan.

Yes.

Yes.

Next is the um licenses renewal before the committee.

And license um entertainment that number one is 39 West Phoenix Plaza, LLC, uh located at 39 Phoenix Ave.

They're asking for an indoor and an outdoor entertainment license.

Um Wednesday through Thursday, 6 to 9, but then Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.

to 1.

I did receive a letter from Director Moretti, and I believe he emailed everybody on the committee.

Director Moretti is asking, and the police department is asking that we limit during the St.

Mary's feast outdoor entertainment to 11:30.

So solicitor.

Okay.

Um, how would I phase this for the entertainment license?

Well, it would just be a motion to uh approve subject to that limitation as it pertains to the St.

Mary feast.

That's all.

And then just put the limitation, include limitation in the motion.

Thank you very much.

Madam Chair, it's uh 11 p.m.

entertainment, 11:30.

Stop alcohol.

So could I please ask for a motion to approve this with the exception of Saint Mary's feast, entertainment license only be to 11 p.m.

And they have not asked for anything on Sundays.

Motion to approve.

And then second.

Second.

Into the liquor.

Okay, is there any discussion on this?

Clerk, may I please have a roll call vote?

Consul Magraziano?

Yes.

Cosmo Ritz.

Yes.

Consult Trafficante?

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

All right.

If you could just look at two through four.

And if nobody opposes, I'd like to take them all together.

It looks like everything is in order.

And ask for a motion to approve under A.

Two through four.

Motion approved.

Two through four under it.

Any discussion.

I second it.

Clerk, may I have a roll call vote, please?

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Conserver Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Next is the firearm license.

Precision polishing and ordinance incorporated.

And I'm going to ask for a motion to approve that.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discuss.

Clerk may have a roll call vote, please.

Consulwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay, next under victory and licenses.

License period, December first, two thousand twenty-five through December first, two thousand twenty-six.

I'm going to take number one, thirty-nine West Phoenix Plaza, LLC, located at thirty-nine Phoenix Ave.

They are asking through Wednesday through Saturday, four PM to eleven.

I'm going to ask for the victory and license during the St.

Mary's feast to only be uh four PM to eleven thirty p.m.

during the St.

Mary's feast, but the other time can be till one AM.

Motion.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I please have a roll call vote?

Consul Mobraziano?

Conserver Ritz?

Yes.

Yes.

Consular.

Yes.

Consulman Vazeri.

Yes.

Consulate Vice President Haroyan?

Yes.

President Wolf.

Yes.

Okay.

If everyone could just take a second and look at two through seventeen.

Nobody opposes.

It looks like everyone has everything in order and is in compliance.

I'm going to ask for a motion to approve two through seventeen.

Motion to approve two through seventeen.

Section C.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I please have a roll call vote?

Consul McGraziano?

Yes.

Cosmo Ritz.

Consperate Traficante?

Yes.

Consulwoman Vazeri.

Yes.

Consumer.

Yes.

Consulate Vice President Heroyan.

Yes.

Yes.

If everyone just wanted to look, um, I don't.

We did have it in our package.

The licenses is approved, but subject to, but not yet issued because they are not in compliance.

And just take a mental note of those businesses, please.

We will be working closely with the solid solicitor to come up with new solutions as of January first for these businesses.

Okay, I'd like to adjourn this meeting.

All in favor to adjourn.

Second.

All in favor, say aye.

Evening.

Good evening and welcome to this December fifteenth regular city council meeting.

At this time, I'd like to call the meeting to order, and I ask the clerk to please call roll.

Present.

Thank you.

The first item of business this evening would be the approval of minutes.

This time I'm going to entertain a motion for the approval of the minutes from the November 17th regular city council meeting.

Is there a motion?

So moved.

Is it second?

Second.

Any discussion.

There being none, I ask the clerk to please call that rule.

Councilwoman Braziano?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Council Traficante?

Yes.

Councilman Vazeri?

Yes.

Consider Capiano?

Yes.

Considering Heroyan?

Yes.

Council President Walks.

Yes.

Next item business is public hearing.

Is there anyone here in the chambers this evening who would like to make public comment on docketed matters only?

If there is someone here this evening, please step up to the microphone.

State your name and address for the record.

You will have four minutes to speak.

Good evening, Joy Fox 411 Fair Street, Warwick, Rhode Island.

I'm just here to say I will miss you all.

Next ordinance in City Council meet now.

I'm kidding.

I'm just here to say that it's been a long couple of months.

We started this discussion in October on the ordinance before you tonight being amended for special advertising and newspapers.

And hope going forward that we only find more ways to become more transparent to the public to have this chamber full for every meeting.

So I look forward to working with all of you in the coming days.

I'm looking at Rosalba to figure this out together.

And we'll go from there.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in chambers who'd like to make public comment on docketed matters only?

Good evening, uh Robert Murray, 75 Debbie Drive Cranston.

Um I'm just here tonight to reiterate uh some of my comments from the ordinance committee meeting on December 3rd on the resolution to the General Assembly to create a housing court.

Um remarks are somewhere between the copy machine and my office and my car, so I apologize.

So I'll just summarize my thoughts.

First, um I did speak extensively at the ordinance committee meeting, so I'm not going to repeat that.

I think most members were there.

Um there were a few issues that came up at the audits committee meeting.

Um that I wanted to uh comment on.

Uh, first, the one member uh suggested that there are many other uh cities and towns, several cities and towns that have similar uh uh legislation like Cranson is seeking.

Um those included the town of Johnston, Warren, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, Lincoln, and Foster.

Uh I did some investigation after the meeting.

Uh Johnston, Warren, and Portsmouth uh have a municipal court.

They do not have a separate housing court.

The town of South Kingstown does have a uh housing court, but they have one judge uh who is also the municipal court judge, and he handles both calendars.

Um the town of Lincoln has a municipal court, no separate housing court, and the town of Foster was mentioned, and they have neither a municipal court nor a housing court.

So I know the I think the approach was uh what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

In this case, I'm not sure uh uh that's our propos here.

Um the other comment that I would make is that we have a court system that I think works.

Um it's handling housing violations now.

I just don't believe we can afford it, nor uh it's uh a necessary part.

Um you have the tools in the toolbox now to address housing violations and code enforcement.

The real focus needs to be on uh staffing levels in the minimum housing office uh in the inspections department.

Um creating more judges uh is not gonna solve the problem if we do not have the personnel to generate violations or alleged violations of for property owners.

The um the last thing I would just say is that there are other things that I think this council could be memorializing the general assembly for uh increased state aid, uh additional pilot money.

Those things are meaningful for the taxpayers.

I'm just not convinced a new housing court.

Um financially makes sense or uh is needed from a uh operations point of view.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in chambers who would like to make public comment on docketed matters only?

Seeing none, Tom, is there anyone online who would like to make public comment on documented matters only?

There is no public comment online.

Um thank you.

At this time, I'm gonna close public comment.

Now I'm gonna move on to resolutions at this time.

I'll entertain a motion to approve of the resolution in support of the application to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Manage for an outdoor recreational grant to support phase three of the Bud Long Pool project.

I do see before I take the motion.

Director Moretti, would you like to speak on this matter?

I don't know if you'd want to discuss it as well.

But would you prefer it to I can take both if you like the mayor's office and the clerk's office reached out to us?

Uh Grant Writer was able to find a grant that would help us with the Bud Long Pool.

Um City owns and operates the Budlong water park, cherished community resource.

The city's currently undertaking the project to replace a historic 22,000 foot pool with new smaller accessible swimming pool.

This is a grant, and I'm asking for approval so that we can put in for it.

Thank you, Council Vice President Heroyan.

Um, nothing further to add director.

You've pretty much covered it.

The formality involved was that the city council is actually the uh monetary or budgetary approving body, and that's a key reason why it's in front of this body tonight.

Okay, thank you very much.

All right, so I'll be looking for a motion to approve.

Motion to motion to approve, second, and there is a second.

Any other discussion?

I'll add my I will definitely be in support.

Sounds like a very worthy cause.

And uh with that, I'll ask the clerk to please call the roll.

Consulwan McGraziano, yes, Consmandujar, yes, Cosmore Ritz, yes, Consul Trafficante, yes, Consulwoman Vazieri, yes, Conspiano, yes, Cons Banano, yes, Consul Vice President Heroyan, yes, Council President Wall.

Yes, thank you.

Moving right along to reports of committees.

First up this evening will be the chair of the claims committee, councilwoman Vazeri.

Councilwoman Vazeri, the floor is yours.

Thank you, President Wall.

Um, Councilman Traff chaired the meeting on November 3rd for the claims paid.

Um in our report, there's a packet, and there's no further um discussion or nothing further to report thank you.

Thank you, madam chair.

Moving right along from claims to the safety services and license committee.

Council vice president Heroyan.

The floor is yours.

The minutes from that meeting are not available to us yet.

So I did discuss this with the clerk earlier, and we're going to move that to the next meeting.

Okay.

Thank you very much, Councilwoman.

I'm council vice president.

Moving on to the finance committee.

Reporting out will be councilman Anduhar.

The floor is yours, Councilman Ander.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The finance committee did meet on on November 3rd.

Um, first, there was a resolution authorizing the real estate tax abatements as requested by the tax assessor.

Pretty sure everybody saw it in their package.

I urge passage.

Is there a motion to approve?

So moved.

Second second.

Is there any discussion?

There being none.

I asked the clerk to please call a roll.

Consul McGraziano.

Yes.

House meant to traffic anti?

Yes.

Consulman Vazieri.

Yes.

Conspected Camp Piano?

Yes.

Pas Banano.

Yes.

President Heroyan?

Yes.

House President Wall.

Yes.

Moving on.

Um, number two, there was a resolution authorizing motor motor vehicle tax abatements as requested by the tax assessor.

It's all in your package.

I urge passage.

So moved.

Second.

Okay.

Motion has been made and seconded.

Is there any discussion?

I see none.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andrew Har.

Yes.

Yes.

House Trafficanti.

Yes.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Council Camp Piano?

Yes.

Yes.

Council West President Heroyan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Moving on.

Number three.

Consideration of tax interest waiver approvals.

Everything's in your package.

I urge passage.

So mouse.

Second.

Okay.

Motion has been made and seconded.

Is there discussion?

I see none.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilman McGraziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andrewhar.

Yes.

Consmer Ritz.

Yes.

Council Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Conspected Cappiano.

Yes.

Councilman Banano.

Yes.

Consul West President Heroyan?

Yes.

Consider President Wall.

Yes.

Thank you, Councilman Andar.

Moving right on to the public works committee.

We'll be hearing from Councilwoman the chair.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Thank you, President.

Thank you, President Wall.

Um, the public works committee did in fact meet on November 6, 2025, and no action was taken.

So we have nothing to report at this time.

Okay, thank you, Councilwoman.

Moving back to Council, uh, Councilman Anduhar with the ordinance committee report.

Councilman Anduhar, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The ordinance committee did meet on November 6th.

We discussed a bunch of ordinances.

The first one was uh held over from the Chris Banano show and um it's the ordinance 92504 ordinance and amendment of title 10 chapter 32, section 180 of the city of Cranston Code of Ordinances 2005 entitled No Parking Weekdays.

I urge passage.

Still moved.

Is there a second?

Second second.

Okay, is there any discussion?

Councilman Banano, I see your hand.

This is quite an epic, and I'm not gonna say too much, but um for the benefit of uh council members in the in the packet of meeting materials.

You see um the way it officially has to be done, uh, and then there's sort of plain English what will be uh reported to Muni code um for our ordinances uh the last two pages of that packet.

So if you're having trouble understanding the all the cross outs and edits that we made, um there's another version there for everyone to look at.

And if any member of the public wishes to see it, um I'll be certain to get that to you if you need it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Banano, and once again, thank you for the work you did on this ordinance.

Is there any other discussion?

I see none.

Clerk, please call roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, councilman, yes, council, yes, council traffic, yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes, councilman campiano, yes, council banano, yes, council vice president, yes, council present law, yes.

Moving on to ordinance 102503 and amendment of title two, chapter four, section sixty of the city of Cranston Code of Ordinances 2005 entitled advertising special meetings of the city council.

I urge passage.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve, second any discussion.

I do see councilman Campa Piano's hand.

Thank you, Council President.

I just want to thank you for sending this back to the ordinance committee to be tweaked.

Uh uh very respectful and uh I urge passage today.

Thank you, Councilman Campiano.

Is there any other discussion?

I see way over there, Councilman Ritz in the cheap seats.

Um, I just want to say this uh you know had a lot of strong opinions and and some passionate debate, but um I really appreciate everyone both sides that the public two coming together to find some language that I think worked for everybody.

I I think it's very transparent, it's very fluid, and it shows open government.

I think you know this was a good example that I hope we can take forward as we work through other things together with different debating.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Ritz.

Any other discussion?

I see, Councilman Anduhar.

I just want to thank uh Vice President Horoyan for bringing this forward and yourself for uh bringing this.

We really needed it and we got it done, so let's just keep on moving forward as a group.

Any other discussion?

I'll add my own two cents.

I concur with all my colleagues, although at the time at moments it seemed a little testy and a little messy.

I think we did come out with the right ordinance, and I'm pleased to to recommend passage.

And with that, I'm gonna ask the clerk to please call the roll.

Councilman Graziano, yes, Consmanuhar, yes, Consmer Ritz, yes, Consicante, yes, Consulwan Vazieri, yes, Conspect Piano, yes, Councilman Banano, yes, Consul Vice President Horoyan, yes, Council President Wall, yes moving on to ordinance 112502 and amendment of title 10 chapter 32, section 40 of the city of Cranston Court of Ordinance since 2005, entitled No Parking on Certain Streets Generally, sponsored by Councilman Trafficante.

I urge passage.

So mocket.

All right, is there any discussion?

I see once again, Councilman Banano.

How come this one was so much easier than the one we tried to do, Mr.

President?

Yeah, I don't I couldn't answer that question.

You have to ask Traff that one.

There was a person who basically sponsored it.

That's very easy.

All right, that makes sense now.

Makes sense now.

Is there any further comment?

Councilman Trafficanti, would you like to no?

This was uh requested by the neighbors and it was approved by the traffic engineer to the council.

Okay, thank you, Councilman Trafficanti.

Any further comment?

I'm seeing none.

Clerk, could you please call roll?

Councilman Graciano?

Yes.

Councilman Duhar?

Yes.

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Council Trafficanti.

Yes.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Camp Piano?

Yes.

Councilman Banano.

Yes.

President Peloyan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

And last but not least, the resolution requesting the honorable general assembly of the state of Rhode Island to enact and neighbourhood legislation authorized authorizing the city of Cranston to establish a full jurisdiction housing court division within its municipal court.

Second.

There's a motion made.

And second, is there any discussion?

I see Councilman Ritz.

I just want to say today I had the opportunity to visit the court with uh councilman campo Piano.

And it was it was interesting to see process and and and see how they do everything there.

So I do see some opportunity for changes there.

So I respect my colleague for for his position, uh trying to make some change here.

But you know, also we've heard from several subject matter experts, Mr.

Murray, Mr.

Peikel.

Um, you know, and if this goes forward, I just hope we consider their recommendations we have uh that they brought forward too.

Okay.

Thank you, Councilman Ritz.

Any other discussion?

Councilwoman Heroyan, Council Vice President Heroyan.

I want to thank Councilman Anderhauer.

Um he campaigned with this, he never gave up on it.

His intentions are to make the city better.

Um, I know I've received several complaints about houses being run down.

Councilwoman Graziano and I have had a complaint in her ward for several several months.

Um, a lot of the times it just seems like things are not being done or addressed.

This is not to hurt the homeowner that just didn't get to cut their grass because they were busy with their kids last week.

This is for abandoned properties and houses that are unsafe to the neighborhood.

Thank you, Council Vice President.

Any other comment?

Yeah, councilman Campivano.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I think everybody knows where I stand on this uh matter.

And um, after visiting the court today, uh it only strengthened my opinion.

Uh there um well, first I want to read something that a little food for thought.

Cranston has 34,000 households.

Um we have seven municipal uh judges, court judges, uh proposed um we six additional judges, which is a lot of judges.

Providence has sixty-eight thousand households, they have three housing court judges and three municipal court judges.

Warwick, 39,000 households, has one municipal court judge and no housing court judge.

Uh, and they have more houses than we do.

Petucket, 34,000 households have two municipal court judges and no housing court judges.

Uh East Providence, 22,000 households, uh, two municipal court judges and zero housing court judges.

So um that's a little food for thought.

Um also uh there are vehicles in the ways that we can get these things done.

Uh I learned today that we can uh put a house into receivership if um if the mayor says this house goes into receivership, it can go into receivership, cost the city nothing.

Uh I think this is gonna cost the city money.

I talked to the clerks.

I went down on Friday and visited the court when it wasn't in session and talked to another court judge there, got their opinion.

Uh I got the the clerks there, and I got their opinion.

I did all my homework when I made this decision in this stance, and I just feel that it's gonna cost the city money unnecessarily.

Maybe we can bolster the what we have inspections and get that done, but to say we're gonna put court, it sounds to me like throwing money at a problem in order to solve it.

So I I cannot solve it.

I cannot support it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

Any other discussion?

Uh Councilman Anduha.

No, councilman.

I'll get councilman traffic.

Um, thank you, members.

Uh the council, colleagues.

Um, this was created and this legislation is going up there just to give our court system tools.

This is not a separate court.

This is just adding more firepower to the division.

But um, thanks for my colleague giving me the you know that uh that information.

So in the future, when we're gonna trim down judges, I know I'm gonna reach out to them for a co-sponsorship.

So thank you, everybody.

Councilman Traffic Candy.

Yes, uh, members of the council.

It wasn't too long ago that councilman and uh uh council president and uh yours truly had a chance to basically roam the city of Cranston and basically discover a number of abandoned houses and houses that were in disrepair.

This did not happen overnight.

This has happened for the past several years.

It's quite obvious the city has failed in that respect through our building inspection office to recognize this.

So I'm in full support of this court.

Thank you, Councilman.

Any other discussion?

Did I get uh councilman?

No, no.

I think um, you know, I've I've said quite a few words on this as well, and uh I'm not gonna rehash everything I've said, but I agree uh wholeheartedly with Councilman Traffic Canny and Councilman Horrien.

Um there's a lot of problem children.

And one of our colleagues came up with an idea, pitched it to several of us to co-sponsor, and um, you know, tweaked it, edited it, went back forth.

We've looked at it.

And yes, I mean that it's okay to disagree with the idea, by the way, this specific idea.

But as council people, if we disagree with it, and and it's different for a member of the public.

A member of the public's job is to come and say, I don't like this, you guys figure it out.

Okay, but as a council person, we can't we can't say that.

As council people, if we don't like something, we have to come up with a concrete plan to uh try to improve something.

And I appreciate that my colleague councilman camper Piano doesn't agree with this.

But if if somebody doesn't agree with something, it's uh it's incumbent upon us as elected officials and council people to come up with an alternative, and yet to see that.

Um, so be you know, I think that this is a step in the right direction.

Do I think it's perfect?

No, but um ultimately I think that this is gonna make our city a better place to live.

It's gonna make our city even better than East Providence and Pawtucket and some of the the places that um you mentioned that don't have housing courts, and it's gonna make us and continue to keep us in the the top uh uh one of the top cities in in our country.

So um, you know, I'm in full support of this.

I think this is again going to make our city better.

And you know, it's not to go out there and you know I said it and it was quoted in the Cranston Herald.

It's not to go out there and and and scare little old ladies.

Okay, this is to go out there and find abandoned homes, dangerous properties that could catch on fire, which we all heard about in previous meetings.

It's there to um to put some more teeth into the fine structure that was put in place, you know, well before inflation, probably before I was born.

It's there to uh modernize and make our city the best it can be, and that's why I'm supporting it.

Thank you.

Thank you, councilman.

Um, before I maybe make sure everybody has a chance to speak before I go around twice.

That's just the way it's gonna be.

So I make sure everybody else has a chance to say something.

And if not, I'm gonna weigh in and I'll go around one more time.

So I'm gonna weigh in, and you all know from the deliberations what I've said in the past.

I believe you know what I couldn't tell you if this is the right or the wrong thing, but it is something, and it is attempt.

This asking the General Assembly for enabling legislation is to coin uh councilman Bernano's phrase, opportunity maybe figure it out.

Um, I can tell you, and I said this before, and I've seen the same houses again and again.

Councilman Traffic Canyon, myself, and councilman Anderhardt did absolutely see homes that had been not in disrepair or dangerous for uh for a couple of months.

This these are years.

So, what we're doing, independent of what they do in other cities isn't working.

And doing nothing, it just doesn't sit right with me.

So, for that reason, I will be supporting it.

So, I'm gonna go around Councilman Traffic Candy.

I saw his hand up again, time one more time, and I think I saw Councilman Campagnano's hand up again.

So, Councilman Traffic Candy, you have the floor, and then I'm gonna go to Councilman Campagliano.

Council President, I failed to mention the fact that uh during our research, so to speak, uh, there were two particular houses, one was abandoned for seven years.

In fact, I just gotta call scale at night again from one of the neighbors saying, What are we doing about it?

And I explained about the court that we're proposing.

The seven years of band and the houses in total disrepair.

Councilman Ann and Howe and I and the council president walked into that particular house, and it was disgusting the condition that was in.

There was another house up in Western Cranston abandoned for 15 years.

That's not fair to the taxpayers of that particular area.

They're paying good taxes for their property to have a house abandoned for 15 years with nobody living in it.

So like I said, you know, it only strengths my my strength, my my opinion about this particular court.

Thank you, Councilman Trafficanti, Councilman Campi Piano.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I just want to quote unquote warn that if this ever gets implemented, it was always said that it was gonna be a pilot program.

I haven't seen anything in writing yet that said pilot program, but once it's in, even if it fails or if it's good, it's in there permanently because the next council is not gonna know that we put this in and see if it works.

So it's adding something to the budget for in perpetuate.

Number two is yes, 15 years.

I mean, are these houses uh are the taxes being paid?

I mean, that can they go up for tax sale?

Uh and like I said earlier, the mayor could say this house is going to go into receivership and take it over.

So that my point is there are ways that we can do this now without adding any money to the budget.

And also, um I lost my train of thought.

But um, I I just don't want to add any money to the budget.

I would love to have a workshop where we get in.

The people that are in the trenches, the people that to do this and and identify what is is wrong before we try to what I quote unquote throw money at it and to see if we solve it.

I I would love to see a workshop.

I like to call the judges in, the inspectors, and get their opinion.

In my business, when we build a piece of equipment, we call people in and we get everybody, every aspect of what's going on before we make a decision that's this of this magnitude.

This is probably the biggest decision or the biggest thing that I've had a vote on since I become a councilman.

This is going to add money, it's going to be there forever.

And I don't believe for one minute that fiscal note that was put out there.

I talked to the I mean, we have IT stuff that goes, we have tickets that have to do.

There's a lot of things.

It's not gonna just happen.

So I just I can't iterate.

I mean, if we had a workshop and we came out of there and it says this is the way to go, I'd be all for it.

But through my research and the people I've talked to, my my opinion stays there.

Thank you, Councilman Campiano.

Before I call on uh Councilman And I just want to reiterate that what we're voting on tonight is sending this to General Assembly to get enabling legislation so we can maybe begin that discussion and see what it looks like.

We're not spending any money today.

We haven't written the ordinance, what it looks like, if it's a pilot, if it's sunsetted, any of that.

How many none of that is there?

This is just enabling legislation.

Your concerns are definitely valid, but that this is just a beginning discussion.

In my view, not to go back and forth.

But just to be clear, Councilman Ander.

No, I just want to reiterate everything you just said, and at the same time, just um let my colleague know that the first two versions, yes, it was uh creating a new court, but the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth version was just basically giving it more strength and trying to give support to our inspectors that highly needed.

So it's not gonna be a big cost thing, but right now we need to go up to the state house.

From the state house, it comes back, then we could have all the workshops we want.

But first, we have to get it out of here to go to the state house and then it comes back, and then we could deal with it.

So that's why I urge passage.

Thank you, Councilman High.

Is there any discussion?

Council Vice President Heroyan.

I just want to be on the record saying that just because another city or town doesn't do it, we don't need to be followers.

We can be leaders, we can do this, it can be successful.

Um, I know it's being the safety chair, it's very, very frustrating.

The 12th month in, and I still had businesses operating with no licenses, no victoring for a yeah, some of them a year and a half.

And to say the next council wouldn't know about it, I disagree with strongly.

As a chairperson, I called the last chairperson of safety services, and then I called the former councilwoman when I had questions.

I think as a council person, you use all resources to find out the best solutions, and I think we're all trying to do that to move this forward.

As you know, as a council, we cannot call in inspection and standards.

We can't call in the judges.

We don't have that authority to even ask a police officer to be here present to answer questions for constituents.

We have to ask administration.

Then somebody decides if it's worthy.

Like it's very, very frustrating.

And inspection and standards is not easy to deal with.

So this is what we have to do to move forward to get our city working properly and to get it cleaned up and for the safety of everyone, having abandoned houses is very unsafe and not fair to neighborhoods.

Thank you, council vice president.

I see no other hand, so I'm gonna ask the clerk to please call a roll.

Councilman Braziano, yes.

Yes, Casmaretz?

Yes.

Yes, councilman Vazeri, yes, Conspiano?

No.

Council Banana?

Yes.

Yes.

Council President War.

Yes.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you for that report, Councilman Anna.

Moving right along, we're gonna move on to public comment on undocketed items.

If there's anyone in the chamber who would like to speak on undocketed matters, please step up to the podium.

You'll have four minutes, state your name and address for the record, please.

Yes, hi.

My name is Sue Kelly.

My address is, and that's K-E-L-L-E-Y.

My address is 199 Jordan Avenue in Cranston.

I join Rhode Islanders and the nation and being heartbroken over the brown mass shooting.

If Rhode Island had stringent gun laws, perhaps this would not have happened.

Unnecessary death is our responsibility because we have not taken the action that would prevent it, makes me angry.

For this same reason, I am angry about Cranston right now.

Many working people of Cranston are only one or two paychecks away from facing homelessness.

This is a problem that will not simply vanish, at least not until we pay all workers living wages and make rent easily affordable.

Not having transparent and easily accessible information about and for the homeless allows our government to pretend there is no problem in our city and to be complicit in any deaths that occur when it is freezing outside and when there are not enough beds.

Good clear information and good hearts will help us know what has to be done.

The cold is here and it will get worse.

People will die.

We can prevent that by adopting a caring attitude toward the homeless.

How do we know though?

I haven't found a dashboard on the City of Cranston webpage that provides information about the number of homeless, where they go, or how they are helped.

Intentional ignorance cannot solve a problem.

Without knowing the parameters of homelessness in Cranston, it will be difficult to move forward effectively.

We need transparency and we need information.

We need to do better.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in chambers who'd like to make public comment on undocuted items?

Good evening.

My name's Harrison Tuttle.

Uh, my address is 131 Belmont Road, Cranston.

Uh, before I start, I just want to give a shout out to Ron Ronzio, who 10 years ago uh made a recommendation out of his own goodness of his heart to help uh myself uh be able to go to Bishop Hendrick and High School.

Um I'm here today because for a couple of years now, I've seen a lot of conversation around affordable housing.

I've seen a lot of conversation around how we best treat our homeless population.

Been in contact with my uh city councilwoman as well as um councilman uh Capabianco about the issue that we have around um our unhoused neighbors.

Now I run two warming centers.

In fact, one of them are open tonight, and we open when the temperatures reach 22 degrees real field and below, below freezing, well below freezing.

And the work that we're doing is housing 17 people at Matthewson Street, 17 people at community church of Providence, providing them with the hot meal and then providing them with transportation to the site as well as to a warm meal at Amos House or wherever they choose to be downtown.

When I look at a municipality of Cranston, which has a population of 82,000 people, and I can't find on the city website where people can go, and of course, the traditional place in which people think about our available shelter is Harrington Hall, which conditions are maybe worse than the ACI.

I don't know.

Um we must consider what it is we are doing in terms of an actionable plan.

We must come together as a community to be able to decide what is our plan and who is a part of that plan.

Because I think if we if we continue to say on city property, we're not allowing people to be on city property.

We're not allowing folks that are homeless to be on our property, then that city better have a responsibility to sell those residents where to go.

So I'm I'm opening my um my capacity.

I know I'm here with Sue Kelly, our Cranston resident, and many other Cranston and residents who I've talked to over the last couple of weeks.

We're very interested in this solution.

I think what we're looking for is either a municipal uh meeting in which um can coordinate with the community or uh or action from the city council itself.

Um very quickly, because what we're recognizing are these temperatures that are outside tonight, people die.

And if people die in this city as a result of the lack of infrastructure and the lack of planning, I'm gonna be back here, but I'm gonna be back here with 75 people.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in chambers who'd like to make public comment on undocuted matters anyone?

Tom, is there anyone online who'd like to make public comment on undocumented matters?

Captain Dutra.

Can you hear me, Captain Dutra?

Yes, I can.

Can you hear me?

Yeah, just state your name and address for the record, and you have four minutes, my friend.

Yes, I'm Captain Justin Dutra of the Cranston Police Department, uh, Five Garfield Avenue, Cranston, Rhode Island.

Uh I just like to comment quickly on uh the homeless situation uh in Cranston.

Uh, as part of my duties uh at the Cranston Police Department is to respond to the homeless encampments and uh uh various complaints that come from businesses, uh city hall residents, etc.

Uh the policy that we have at the police department uh responding to these camps is uh is is a gentle approach.

Uh we don't go out there, it's not uh a heavy enforcement type of approach.

We respond out to these camps with uh clinicians who are embedded in the police department from uh Gateway, uh actually Brown Mental Health now and uh CCAP.

And when we do respond out there with these clinicians, we offer a host of services from uh you know, uh different contact information for housing, uh food, uh medical assistance, insurance assistance, and things like that.

Uh I've been dealing with these encampments, uh, approximately six of them right now.

Uh they fluctuate between six and ten in the city, uh, between 15 to maybe 20 on the high side uh residents in these encampments.

I've dealing with them for about three years uh at this point, and not one time in the three years have we trespassed, uh charged any uh homeless person with uh trespassing or any other crimes related to their homelessness.

Uh obviously there's sometimes there's other crimes involved, but nothing uh we've never uh made an arrest uh based on that.

So our approach is to respond out, offer services.

Uh, if they're on private property or state property, uh we leave them be.

If they choose to stay, they stay.

Uh as we don't have jurisdiction over that.

Uh, like you all know, the city does have uh some policy on city property.

Uh, but even at that, we we do not uh we do not kick them out.

Uh we we give them uh chance to respond to some services and to relocate uh you know in a timely manner.

Uh so we are responding out there.

I can't comment to uh links on the city website.

That's not that's not what I do.

That's not my uh that's not my wheelhouse, but we are offering services, we are offering a host of services, uh, and we're doing that through uh uh licensed social workers and clinicians uh through some recognized agencies here in the state.

Um and to my uh my experience, uh vast number of our uh outreaches, uh the the occupants of these camps uh either refuse the services or they uh they move on, relocate on their own, and they become difficult to track down uh from the clinicians.

Uh either their phone numbers change, uh, they move locations, they don't respond back and things of that nature.

So we are offering the services, we can't force them to take it.

Uh, but that's that's what the Cranston police are doing.

uh either refuse the services or they uh they move on relocate on their own and they become difficult to track down uh from the clinicians uh either their phone numbers change uh they move locations they don't respond back uh and things of that nature so we are offering the services we can't force them to take it uh but that's that's what the grants the police are doing uh and i know uh friends over at the fire department who travel out to these sites a lot with us uh are operating under the same under the same policies and means thank you captain doja thank you is there anyone else online who'd like to make public comment there is no all the public comment online okay so at this time I'm gonna close public comment and we are gonna move on to the election and appointment of city officials this time I'm gonna entertain a motion for the reappointment of Christopher Lowens by Mayor Hopkins as the tree warden for uh the year 2026 do I have a motion so moved second any discussion okay there being I oh I'm so sorry councilman Ritz that's just real quick um I just want to say although I haven't had the opportunity to meet the tree warden um I just want to thank him for a service I've heard uh a lot of positive feedback from the residents he's also been very quick to respond to issues and went for a while without a tree warden so uh very thankful to have him yeah thank you you know what uh the council attorney pointed out I did not realize I always thought we had a vote there is no vote on this so this is just more informational but if there's any other comment I'll certainly I will still keep my comments I certainly yeah I was just gonna echo what councilman Ritz says I I do know uh Mr.

Lowens um I know other members of the council do as well and uh great guy um he's doing his job I've heard great things about the tree warden from residents when we've passed on the uh uh concerns um and uh I don't want to talk a negatively about anybody but there's been a vast improvement um in the tree warden services in our city since uh he has he's assumed that position so um doing a good job yeah not to belabor the point but I concur with both my colleagues' opinions because I've heard similar similar things thank you all right moving on to reappointment the next reappointment would be the reappointment of Joseph Morocco to the juvenile hearing board for the term of December 1st 2025 through December 1st 2028 this was requested by myself entertained a motion to approve so moved is there a second second okay is there any discussion I see your hand vice president harai I served on the juvenile hand board for many years with Joe Morocco and he's a big asset to it he's fabulous thank you council vice president any further comment there being none I'm gonna ask the clerk to please call the roll councilman graziano yes councilman injuar yes yes council traffic yes councilman Vazeri yes councilman Piano yes yes president hawyan yes council president wall yes thank you okay moving along to executive communications in your packet was included the legal expense analysis for the period of July 1st 2025 to December 4th 2025 I did see the solicitor leave um solicitor Vedecchia is here um I guess he could entertain any discussion if anybody has anything the floor is open if anybody has questions on the legal expense report councilman and see your hand yes I the question I have is I saw the reports are they supposed to be detailed or they just plain and simple the way they are uh solicitor publicly plain and simple the way they are because any more detail could potentially uh reveal uh litigation strategy things like that so these are totals if you wanted to see more detail we should that should do that in executive session okay thank you thank you uh yes councilwoman graziano I I mean I guess I'll just say out loud that these this is wild amount of money and I guess I'll just I have a pause for concern about how much money we're spending on outside council um so if other council members would like to see more detail on this I am absolutely happy to request an executive session to have that done thank you councilwoman Graziano um did I see your hand councilwoman Horyan no I would be willing to request an executive session the amount of outside legal counsel is 92000.

Okay.

All right listen I we could uh schedule it during the next um I don't know the next next council meeting the full council meeting we'll have not the special one a special meeting regular council meeting give them time to prepare and we'll um have an executive session fair enough all right any other discussion I see councilman bernano uh just a quick question um that's what Mr.

Uh just a quick question.

Um Mr.

Brady come up the podium, but I was gonna ask Mr.

DeMeo a question about how we're doing as far as uh what we budgeted and where we're at on this particular matter.

Uh ordered the mail would that be well hold on, we're gonna we're gonna have to hold on that one now.

Council president, uh with all to respect, councilman.

I think we might be getting a little afar of uh open meetings in terms of how this is advertised.

We're not advertised to go into budgetary analysis and things like that.

Okay, all right.

Fairly I'll I'll hold that then for the for the meeting we have, but just uh be prepared.

I'm gonna ask that question later.

Fair enough.

Thank you.

Fair enough.

Any other discussion?

Director Maretti, I did see you step up.

Is there something you wanted to add to this?

Fair enough.

Fair enough.

Okay, moving right along.

Okay, the next item is going to be council member communications.

I councilman Anderhar.

I see that you have Marcus Stevenson, who is the chair of the school's buildings committee here tonight, and he's gonna give a report regarding the uh school buildings.

Mr.

Stevenson, please step up.

Councilman Anderho, the floor is yours.

Um our last meeting uh, you know, chairman came and I served with him on the school buildings committee.

So I just wanted everybody to get a report.

So thank you very much for coming here.

Thank you for your service to this country and also thank you for your service to the buildings committee board.

The floor is yours now.

Thank you.

Marcus Stevenson, S T E P H E N S O N 87 Garden Hills Drive.

Good evening, and thank you, everyone, for asking me to come up and bringing you this update.

We currently have three major projects going on.

Gladstone, it's in its final stage of completion.

Estimated to be completed April 2026, and the school will be occupied by the 2026 academic school year.

Eden Park is in its final stage of completion as well.

Estimated completion is July 2026 and will be occupied for the 2026 academic school year.

AES Charter School, that has four phases.

They're in the first phase.

Demo and abatement has been completed, and the roof is about to start in two weeks.

Building committee minutes are publicly available with regular scheduled meetings.

Meetings are open to the public.

Updates and documents that illustrate the diligence and financial focus to ensure active projects are completed within budgetary constraints and shared during building committee meetings, which are open to the public.

Thank you.

Uh go right ahead, Councilman before.

Well, if there are any questions from the members, um, but thank you so much for your service and thank you for coming here.

Hopefully, you could do this periodically.

And I think uh councilman Ritz has a question.

Well, let me before I take questions.

I'll take the chairman.

All right, I want to thank um, yeah, you're not sharing me.

Um before I take questions, I want to thank uh Mr.

Stevenson for coming in.

I expect I really like how you got right to the point.

This is what we're looking for.

It was brief to the point.

Um, and thank you for your willingness.

I know uh councilman and I both spoke to um Chairman Stevenson before, and he's always willing to come and offer any opinions, any any questions we may have.

So I appreciate that willingness, forthright to come out and give us whatever information we may need.

So thank you.

Um whose hand was up for us?

Was it councilman Ritz?

Councilman, going to you.

You saw a little bit of what I was gonna say, thanking you for coming and for putting this on the agenda.

Um, I was just wondering, you know, it's a it's a consistent thing besides speed bumps in my area is uh these type of projects I get asked about.

So I was just wondering how they were performing to budget.

Do we look at Grand Budget with all three on time on budget?

Good news.

And you covered a lot of things, well, that's all right.

Well, that's all right.

Thank you, Councilman Ritz.

Councilman Traffic Canning.

Uh Mr.

Chairman, if I may take my hat off as a councilman and speak about speaking as the the uh chairman of the AES Academy, the charter school in the city of Creston.

There's been some speculation about a three million dollars being floated around.

And Mr.

Richard Capabiano asks Councilman Capriano asked me about that particular issue.

So I want to clarify it tonight.

Uh as you know, the charter school, the AES Academy, was granted approximately 12.5 million dollars of the 40 million dollar bond that was floated by the city of Cranston.

Uh we have not asked the city of Cranston for any additional monies above that 12.5 million.

We received an additional million dollars from Ride uh for that reconstruction project.

And that was a grant given to us recently.

However, the the three million dollars that's been floating around, the three million dollars is coming from the laborers' union, not from the city of Cranston.

So I want to clarify that point.

Thank you, Councilman Traffic Canning.

Is there any other questions for Mr.

Stevenson?

I see Councilman Campubiano.

Thank you, Council President.

Um thank you, Mr.

Stevenson's for your work, and uh it doesn't go unnoticed.

You do a great job.

Uh my question is on the reimbursement rate.

I uh I went back and checked the referendum, and the that number 74, 75% keeps getting thrown around.

And um on the referendum it says 50%, not lower than 50%.

First of all, what drives that's a big range when you're talking about 147 million and then another 40 million to go from 75% down to 50%, it's a huge number.

So what drives the reimbursement rate is um is it the way the how long it takes to get done?

Is it the cost per square footage?

Uh is it projects that didn't get complete?

Do they affect it?

What affects that reimbursement?

Because that could cost the city an enormous amount of money.

Do I get the answer?

Or does the councilman get the talk?

No, he asked you a question.

I just want to make sure I don't want to.

Yeah, no, you have to be doing fine.

Thank you for the question.

I do have the answer to that, but you know what?

I'd rather refer to Count.

Anthony Melillo, citywide school committee.

Vice Chairman, who can probably answer that better for you.

So, Mr.

Vice Chairman, would you state your name and Lillo 33 Harvard Street, Cranston, Rhode Island?

Thank you.

Uh Richard, now Councilman Capapiano, sorry about that.

Um the 74% reimbursement rate is a is a uh the thing that they're agreement with this um state of Rhode Island Rhodes Department of Education for projects that were done, uh Gladstone School, Eden Park School, AES, and the completion of that, the reimbursement rate will be 74%, based on all or criteria that was done by the other schools.

So that's why we're coupled under Gladstone and Eden Park.

So AES is coupled under that, so it would all be uh reimbursed at 74% uh for a program that the state of Rhode Island was doing that we really should have taken more advantage of.

That's like other districts uh building million dollars in um I think I think Providence is building two million building two million dollars worth of schools based on the 74% reimbursement.

So we have our schools under that same ride agreement for 74% reimbursement.

Um I had a conversation with the head of the uh Johnston School Committee, he's been that for 18 years or 15 years, and they're building schools in in uh in Johnston, and he says that it's not 75% if there's different levels for different different reasons, and it says on the referendum, not lower than 50%.

So I'm I'm trying to wrap my right around what drives it up.

I'm not sure if you understood.

We are coupling the Gladstone School has all the criteria it meets to get the 74%, as does Eden Park.

If we couple all the other projects under that same reimbursement, we'll get 74% reimbursement on all of them.

And I can get you point point point by point.

It's um uh maybe it's the uh student population, it might be uh the uh ESL, it might be everything that falls underneath it.

So if Gladstone falls under or checks all the boxes for 74% reimbursement, and then we couple the under other projects under that, we'll get 74% reimbursement out of all of them once they're all completed.

So that's when we'll get reimbursement of 74% out of all of them.

So um it once they the totals completed, so um we're still waiting.

Well, the ones that are completed are what?

Garden City's completed.

But Garden City already came to reimbursed, that's a different bond.

Do we get?

I mean, so have we received the whole the 75% of the 147 already?

That you'd have to ask the finance director.

I believe that came in at 74%, 74, never more than 74.

Yeah, right.

So I'll I'll have to address that to the finance director.

But I believe we've got that one.

Because that had again that fell under all the criteria because we were merging another school, which was um Waterman School, which ESL and all the other stuff fell under the same criteria because of that merging neighborhood schools, they fell and they got us all back to the 74% reimbursement.

Right.

Well, I also was told that any a lot of things like reduction of of parking, the the uh just the slightest change changes the reimbursement, and that's it hasn't.

It hasn't.

So you know, one of the things I see, Marcus had all the facts, and that's something I say often is what it gets in the way of the truth is usually the facts.

And I'm giving you the facts.

We are getting 74% reimbursement on the projects we're mentioned.

If we would cut go out to bond for new projects, now that's a different that's a different subject.

Johnston may not hitting all the criteria, they might not be getting the 74%, but we are so the question was are we getting 74%?

The answer is yes.

We could easily say Gladstone's done in September, let's put in for reimbursement.

Then the other projects might not fall under that same umbrella.

So we're putting them under one umbrella, put them submit them all, get the 74% reimbursement.

So the answer is yes.

Now what Johnston's doing.

How would Cranston?

This is what Cranston's doing.

74% reimbursement.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Councilman Andy High.

I just want to stay on topic because I always get yelled at for going off topic, but this is about the school buildings, not about formulas.

So thank you, Chairman Manillow.

Thank you, Mr.

Stevenson.

Um I'll reserve back to the president.

You're all but uh the floor was still yours, Councilman High.

If you okay.

All right, council uh council vice president.

I want to thank you both here tonight.

Being a former school committee member, I thank you for answering all these questions.

But if I remember correctly, the school committees are open, meetings are open to the public, and all this is discussed in detail for the school committee to vote on and should be available online in the minutes in the notes, correct?

Correct.

We brought you here, yep.

Actually had minutes from the previous meeting.

And they're all here, and actually at one point we spoke about the 74% reimbursement and reimbursements in projects on the general updates in an attendance at these meetings, was the superintendent, Ed Collins, myself, Richard Campo Piano, Justin Matus, Dominic Fusco, Keith Catone, and John Donnegan.

The point I'm trying to make is you you're you as a council have two representatives each meeting.

Those minutes can come back here so you can get updated on a regular basis.

Well, I'll gladly come to a city council meeting to update you.

But I think you can get more questions answered because we pinpoint every single bid item, every single item, so you have a better understanding of what's going on.

They're open to the public, like Marcus said, but you do have two members on the um committee.

So thank you.

Thank you, Vice President uh and thank you also, Chairman uh Stevenson.

You one more question we have.

I see Councilman Traffic Cany.

Is it for council?

Is it for Chairman Malilo?

It's for Mr.

Mill, Mr.

Melillo.

Okay, Vice Chairman Mill, rather.

I'm sorry.

Vice Chairman Millen, excuse me.

Anthony, is it not a fact that you just received a memo from trying to think of his name from Ride that guaranteed the 74%?

Mario Carino, yes.

Mario, right?

Yeah, we did based on because we we we meet on a regular basis with Ride to make sure we we constantly meet that criteria.

So to make sure we get that reimbursement.

We're not out of the lines.

We don't and Mario is also a school committee member in Lincoln, so he gets how the whole system works.

So he works with us very closely to make sure that we don't step off where we wouldn't get reimbursement for all the projects.

So just to reiterate, because I don't think I heard it all that just for you.

Maybe I wasn't listening very well, uh, Vice Chairman Malul.

The the guy from Ride, he his name is Mario Carino.

Carino, he's guaranteed the 74%.

Yes, in writing.

I'll tell you, that sounds sounds like you're getting 74.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good job.

Thank you so much, guys.

All right.

Any further questions?

All right, we appreciate your time.

Okay.

Moving on to council business carried over.

See a resolution adopting the Cranston safe uh Cranston Safe Action Plan.

Um, this was sponsored by Mayor Hopkins.

It was recommended for approval in the ordinance committee.

All right, it was continued until 117 17, 2025.

We actually, if we you recall we didn't have the plan, the plan was given to us.

Um I would make a motion to approve the move.

Yes, I welcome that.

Second is that a second.

Is there any discussion on it?

I do see the director here.

I don't know if she was planning to speak to us tonight.

You want to speak?

Yeah, I just wanted to mention that.

If there were questions, uh someone very knowledgeable about it, it's planning director, Beth Ashman.

She is here for that reason.

Should you wish to ask any questions?

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Yeah.

So is there any questions?

I see none.

We can just take a vote on it.

But thank you for coming.

I appreciate I do appreciate it.

Um do you have a question?

Okay.

Councilwoman Graziana, I think she wanted to so I know everybody wants to move along, but I think just for transparency in the public, if um Beth wouldn't mind just giving like a I mean, she came all this way.

Um, you stayed late.

So just like a brief explanation because this plan is honestly something that a lot of other communities in Rhode Island are doing.

Um, and I give kudos to the planning department.

Um, they've been embarking on a lot of new things that and taking the opportunities where they can get them.

So I think the public should know um what a good job they've been doing and how hard they've been working.

Um, and that they are introducing Crance into a lot of new initiatives, and I'm grateful for that.

So I I I'm open to hearing a few lines if it's okay with the president.

That's quite all right, and thank you for asking.

Um Beth, do you could um state your name and address for the record and please uh give us a chat?

Planning director, 51 South Main Street, Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Uh we've been working on this plan for over a year, and I think it's a really a tremendous resource.

We did a deep dive with our consultants into the data on crashes, injuries, and fatalities.

I also did analysis of the road designs in Cranston where they correlate with with the kinds of roads where we see accidents, injuries, and fatalities elsewhere.

So the the actual crashes, the designs that are um tend to have crashes, and then there was also a lot of engagement with key informants and stakeholders.

We had participation certainly from um the Department of Public Works and the police in in informing this strategy.

So it's a huge resource showing us 14 projects where we can get the biggest bang for our buck in terms of increasing safety in our streets.

And so for each of these projects, each of these 14 project areas.

Um, you know, we have maps of where the problem there is, are we have a list of strategies?

So this is really a game plan for us in order to increase safety on our streets and help us become more um strategic in how we use our resource.

And some of the things that come right, I mean, one of the things that to me really some there are some low-cost things in here as well as some things that might take a lot longer to get into our capital budget.

But for example, just in the high crash in the places where you have injuries and fatalities, painting a line on the intersection to show people where they can't park in front.

That's just state law.

We're not changing state law, but we have a major compliance issue in Cranston where people aren't aware of how many feedback they need to park uh to maintain visibility at the intersection.

So that's just a you know, using tools to communicate to people what those safe practices are would be very effective.

Um there are three goals that the this plan you'd be adopting with this plan.

One is to focus our investments on improving safety in the high injury network to maximize reductions of fatalities and serious injuries.

Um, two, to reduce fatal and serious injuries on City of Cranston and RhyDot roadways by 50% by 2040, and to try to achieve zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries on City of Cranston and RhyDot roadways by 2050.

Okay, thank you so much.

I see Councilman Anderheim.

I just want to thank uh the director for this plan.

Um, it's gonna help Ward 3 a lot.

So um include making more visible lines, and I think I saw some ADA compliance stuff in there too.

So next, I need you to help me to make cars not park on their lawns.

So we'll we'll talk about that another day, but thank you so much.

Councilwoman Graziana.

I had a question about so once this plan, if approved, would this make us more favorable to if we apply for a grant that we have this plan in place?

Absolutely.

So this is having a safety action plan is a prerequisite for applying for a lot of federal transportation funds.

Any other discussion?

Any other questions?

I see some hands, but they're not up yet.

All right.

Listen, I think you've done a great job explaining it to us.

Appreciate it.

There's already been a motion made, there's already been a second.

There's no further discussion.

I'm gonna ask the clerk to please call a roll.

Console McGraziano, yes.

Considering to Harris?

Yes.

Cosmo Ritz.

Yes.

Consul Trafficante.

Yes.

Consulman Vazeri.

Yes.

Yes.

Consulman Banana.

Yes.

Consul Vice President Horrian.

Yes.

Yes.

Thank you.

Okay, moving right along to introduction new business.

If there are no objections, I'd like to take the entire um new business as a block with the except of 12-25 and move them to have have a motion to have them.

Yep, with the exception of 122503, have them go to their proper subcommittees.

So moved.

I'm sorry, Mr.

President.

So there's no objections taking that as a block.

Can you just repeat what you said?

I if there are no objections, I'd like to take the entire new business as a block with the exception of 122503, because we have to have a discussion about that before we go.

No objections, sorry.

All right, and we'll move motion to move them to their uh respective subcommittees.

So moved.

There's a second, second discussion.

There'd be a none, clerk, please call the roll.

Consul McGraziano.

Yes.

Yes.

Cosmo Ritz?

Yes.

Council Trafficante?

Yes.

Password Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Camp Piano?

Yes.

Yes.

President Heroyan?

Yes.

Council President Walk.

Yes.

Now I'm going to uh attend to 12-2503, which is an ordinance authorizing the sale of a city-owned property located at Cardinal Ridge.

I'm going to ask um attorney Marcella, are you going to speak on this matter?

I will turn the floor over to you just so we understand why it pulled it for a second.

So the reason why they were we pulled this is that there was a um first of all there's a scriptus error in the assessment's plat number.

It should be plat 24 lot.

I think it's 24 rows.

It's 204.

So sorry, so the assessment plat 24 lot should read 204.

Um, and then if you look in your packet, the ordinance that was actually the proposed ordinance is actually has the right uh title, but the body of that ordinance is is different than what it should be.

The the body was establishes a resolving fund.

So I think there was just a little error uh through the solicitor's office uh when they sent this to us.

So what I'm asking is I believe the clerk passed out uh a substitute the the title is correct on the agenda.

We're just gonna be substituting the ordinance that's now before you and refer that to committee.

So it's really no substantive changes other than we're gonna substitute the ordinance in that should be with this with this title to the to the committee, if that makes sense.

I hope it does.

So everybody received the body of the ordinance before all right.

I know Rose passed them out.

Um very good explanation, uh, attorney Marcella.

Um so with those changes, I'm gonna look for a motion to refer ordinance uh 122503 to the ordinance committee as substituted as substituted.

Second president.

You'd like to make some clarification.

So um that ordinance is what we'll refer to as a companion ordinance to the 20 to the next one, uh 2524, whatever.

Can you refer that to the or the ordinance committee meeting for December 22nd rather than January?

Rose is saying no.

Hold on a second.

Yes, we can do that.

Yeah, it can go to the ordinance, yeah.

Go to the ordinance committee, but they public, but the public hearing has to be seven days.

The public hearing has not been advertised for that.

Yeah, okay, because the the concern would be passage of the other one.

We'd recommend from the administration that's a package of the two.

Uh, because one without the other, uh, but there wouldn't be funding in order to facilitate the other ordinance.

We'd have to probably wait till January because the advertisement departments for the chart.

Or you could pass half of it.

Yeah, and it would be not fun.

Okay, okay.

Just want to uh I just want to make for the council's in for well informed.

So I think that what will happen at the subcommittee meeting, they don't have to pass it that I think just hold it deferred to the next meeting in January when both that's a necessity.

Yeah, but correctly, we want to make sure we meet all the advertising requirements.

Because if you don't, then you don't have a ballot.

Understood, but again, the reason why I'm saying this is only because I want the council informed of the package, if you will, and not to be myopic in terms of trying to just get one passed.

So for the record, just for clarity, we're gonna send ordinance two uh 122503 to the spectrance committee, which we are going to have on December the 22nd.

All right, not it's actually going on January 7th.

That's what it's advertised for.

So that is going to the special meeting, the committee meeting on January 7th.

The regular meeting, council meeting, sorry.

Okay, regular meeting.

Correct.

December 22nd, that is going to the special meeting.

We can probably hold that ordinance.

Well, at that meeting, and then pass it at the same time.

Same time.

Sounds good.

Thank you.

Very good.

All right, thank you.

So I have a motion.

I have a second.

I believe I have some clarity, and I do have a hand.

I see Councilwoman Graziano.

Thank you, President Wall.

Um, I would just like to state some items that I'll be requesting in order to take a vote on this.

Um I'm like not I'm well versed in looking up maps and plots, and I do this all the time.

I had trouble like locating it, and I use near map and all the maps and ArcJIS.

So if we could get a copy of its location and the reason it was selected, um that would be great for the next meeting.

So, Director Murray, we can we have a map show basically.

You need it to know where it is, this property is that what I'm understanding.

Yeah, I mean, I had trouble finding it on the town's GIS because I couldn't locate 204 um on Cardinals Road.

Um I I want to know how this particular parcel was selected comparatively to other parcels in the city of Cranston.

Um, I think we owe our constituents and the public that to know why we're selecting this parcel.

So, director will have that for the next when we hear it.

Thank you very much.

Any other discussion?

Hold on me, hold up, hold on.

Motion has been made in second, no further discussion.

I just all right with the substitute.

We're moving this to the ordinance committee on December the 7th, correct?

No, January 7th.

January 7th.

All right.

All right, let's take a vote then.

Yes, pass traffic anti.

Consulwoman Vazeri, yes.

Conspect Piano, yes, pass for banana, yes.

President Horyan.

Pass President Wall.

Yes.

Okay, moving right along for informational items.

There is no action required.

Um pardon me.

The 2026 meeting, uh City Council meeting committee schedule is included in your packet.

It's uh not a voting item, but you all should have it in your packet.

In addition, there's also the 2026 municipal court quarterly calendars.

Those are also included in your packet for your information as well.

And before I ask um for a motion to adjourn, um, this being our last regular council meeting.

Um, I know we'll see some of us will see again on the 22nd, but for me, I'm gonna wish everybody merry Christmas and thank you for the help during the season.

And I'm looking happy holidays as well, and uh very good.

Um, and ask for a motion to adjourn.

So moved to second, all right.

All in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye, opposed, signify by saying nay.

The ayes have it.

Motion carries, thank you very much.