The public works committee meeting.

Um, we will give you four minutes.

You can come up to the podium, please state your name and address.

Okay, seeing none, we are going to move on to public comments online.

Are there any there is no online public comment?

Okay.

So I am going to close public comment at 6.08 p.m.

Head to new matters before the committee.

Um this evening we have a petition from Narragansett Electric and Verizon, New England for installation of a stub pool on Hayward Street and Park Avenue.

We've received a um letter corresponding from Director Correo.

And that statement says that this proposed poll will be in conflict with Main Street enhancement along Park Avenue from Reservoir to Pontiac.

Therefore, he's recommending a denial.

So I am recommending that I get a motion.

Motion to deny.

Thank you.

Second.

Any discussion.

Seeing none, may I please get the role?

Caspany and Duhar.

Yes.

Pas McCapiano.

Yes.

Yes.

Pass the Vice President Haroyan.

Yes.

Caso McGraziano.

Yes.

Pastor President Wall.

Yes.

Thank you.

Petition on the docket is for Narragansett Electric in Verizon, New England for installation of a new poll on Park AV in Southern Street.

There's a correspondence that we've received from Director Correo stating that he recommends approval.

Can I get a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion.

Seeing none, Clerk, may I get the role?

Casmina Duhar.

Yes.

Cas McCamp Piano?

Yes.

Pas and Banano.

Yes.

President Haroyan?

Yes.

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

So now we're headed to Council Communications.

We're going to start with the chairs, which is mine.

The first item on the agenda is review of snow and ice operations for salt and sanding of streets.

I am the chair of the public works committee, so a lot of the correspondences from the council members from constituents come through me.

And I just I feel like there's a serious flaw in our current process.

So when a resident calls about an unplowed street or an unsafe sidewalk or missed missed pass of a street after a storm, time matters.

And these are not abstract complaints.

They affect public safety access, emergency vehicles, and whether people can safely leave their homes.

Yet under our current system, there is no way for that concern to reach department to reach the department responsible for addressing it.

And instead, a resident contacts one of us, one of one of the council members reaches out to the city.

Sent to administration and then forwarded to public works.

By the time this issue issue reaches the people who can effectively fix it, a number of minutes, times, hours have passed.

It's not a staff, this is not a staffing issue.

This is not for a lack of effort.

It's a structural problem.

We've built a process that prioritizes internal routing over rapid response.

Even in situations where delays can create real safety risks.

Snow removal is predictable.

There are these problems are predictable and delays should not be.

And again, I'm not placing blame on the administration or the DPW staff.

I'm placing blame on the system that we have set up, and I'm just calling for a better system.

Um so I am happy to meet with the administration and DPW and work on this matter to make it more efficient.

Um I work for municipality and and none of this goes through the select board.

It goes directly through the police, and I'm not suggesting that, but it's a smaller town, but dispatched through police and then directly to the people in the plows.

They know their snow routes, they know where the people are going, they know the the staff that's plowing that evening.

And I understand we're a city, but I think we can be more efficient on top of that.

Um, if a storm happens during working hours, none of I'm not available to stop my position um in a municipality that I work for where I'm getting paid and do work for the city.

So that would be really inefficient if it was coming through my office.

So I just wanted to put that out there.

And if anyone from administration or or director Correa wants to respond, I'm happy to listen.

This is first of all, this is the first we've heard of a problem.

In fact, uh, we work quite successfully with previous councils.

Apparently, this council is not working effective.

So be more than happy to see what this council would like.

Again, in the past, we've got uh uh actually compliments to how well the system worked, how efficient it was.

Um so be happy to improve it if you believe that there's reason to improve it.

But if you could please come up with the proposals to us, um you know, if you forward it to us for consideration, then sure we could get together.

That would be great.

Thank you.

I mean, I guess so it it came to my mind in the sense of like what happens if it's on a Monday and I'm at work eight to five.

So how would I I can't, it's illegal for me to not work.

So, like that's my point.

Like, how how would I then send out the emails?

I can't do that.

So then all my emails that I get from constituents go not responded to, you know.

Okay, first of all, constituents uh you know, they do receive phone calls directly at DPW.

Um so they don't have to go any through any channels, if you wish.

Um that would be maybe we could work together to develop something to put out there for social media and communications to to get something out there to let people know what the best um contact would be.

And if it if they can't get a hold of anybody, yes, they should call their council person.

Um, I gotta tell you this though, they'll get barraged there.

There, this is a city.

I think your town is about population of 13,000.

Creston is about 83,000.

So there is a difference of scale.

So you might have to employ different um uh mechanisms for organization, so it's not uh for confusion, disruption, and uh which could cause actually more problems than you think.

Um so that also should be considered that we're a larger city that uh we have to consider with 325 uh uh miles of roadway.

Uh we need to keep that in mind too.

Thank you.

No, I appreciate your openness to work with the council.

Um I'm gonna let um councilman Ritz take it for a minute, and then I'll I'll say something to finalize it.

Thank you.

I'm not on this committee, but I I just had one comment to make.

I think part of it is the expectation of the public.

And I think if there's policies or procedures around there that we could help share with the public, I think that would help a lot too when we get phone calls.

Or is I don't know if it's so many inches, we plow the street once, and then we'll come back in.

If there's anything you can give us to kind of help stop that barrage of calls there, too, um, that we could share on social media, or even when we get emails from constituents, we would know the answer to say, all right, you know, this street, you know, only gets ploughed once because it's a side street or whatever the rules are too.

Anything like that would be a big help to it's very difficult to tell you as a storm progresses what's going to be done.

Um it's very difficult to within two hours to know when to call DPW crews in.

Uh some storms will go an inch and a half, you end up with four or five inches.

It's a different storm versus treating roads with sand and salt versus plowing.

Um they're all different.

They truly are, including these last storms.

Um and uh you don't know to the it's it's happening.

The last storm, the last one last about 10 to 12 hours.

It was forecasted to last about five hours.

Two complete different operations at that point.

Um, so to communicate during those storms, uh, we'll try to do it, but come up with some concerns you have and suggestions for improving it.

We'll certainly be happy to consider it.

Councilman Bonano.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I think um I I do want to say that I've witnessed firsthand uh the operation, and the the men and women, frankly, that are that are you know in the middle of the storm, um, do a fantastic job in the moment.

I I don't I think this conversation uh needs to have that be said.

I think that um, you know, having you know operated a small snowpower business just for driveways and college and and stuff like that, it's it's complicated and you can't predict you cannot predict what's going to happen.

You know, we all know the weather in New England is is unpredictable at best.

Um, so it's extremely difficult, I think, uh, to pre-game and then have that game plan not be able to be altered uh in the future.

I think that the issue itself isn't the operation.

The issue itself um is not what actually happens.

I think we we do a good job.

It's a big city.

Um, and I think you know, the administration does well.

I think that all the council might be asking for is the ability to answer our constituents with real time information.

That's the the worst answer I can give a constituent is I don't know, because they we have they have an expectation of us that um that we know stuff, you know what I mean?

And I don't feel as though it's it's it's necessary or it's helpful for nine of us to be calling, for instance, the director of administration.

That's going to hinder the operation as well, because you guys, you know, you and and director Correo and the public and the uh you know the the highway director, they have stuff to worry about besides us calling and for trying to find out information during a snowstorm.

So I would just say, you know, the good work is is good, you know, continue the good work.

The only thing that I would say um I would like to have more of is a little bit of communication when possible uh during us during a storm, before a storm or after storm.

So we can help you communicate with the consultation.

If you can put together what information you're looking for, because right now I don't know what that is.

Absolutely.

I don't know what we can respond to if we don't ask us.

So once you ask us, we can respond.

But so far no one's asked us.

This would be the first time in this audience.

I do want to.

So it would be helpful if we did know.

So we could respond to the the last storm, just for an example.

Um, the last storm I got a call from a constituent about trash pickup.

The last storm was uh after Christmas.

So trash pickup was delayed that week because of Christmas.

Then we had a snowstorm on Saturday, which was this person's pickup day, which would normally be Friday.

So on a Saturday, um, you know, not a regular work day.

I reached out to the administration and they got back to me on Sunday to make sure that constituents put out their trash for Monday.

Um, I'm sure that wasn't the only person that had that question.

It was it was one person in the city that you had, yes.

There was one out of 83,000, there was one person.

Yeah.

Well, um that's the only one that asked me.

And as you know, uh, myself and the people in department worked overtime to remedy that situation um because it was not safe.

Waste management um uh was to pick up on the Friday, was not able to, because at the time they were out on that particular road, it was too dangerous.

They deemed it too dangerous for their employees to get you know to manage their trucks.

So there was one resident that didn't get their trash picked up that that's that day, and we made a point of communicating it to you immediately and the resident so that their trash was picked up on the Monday.

Exactly the very next day.

So I thought we did a phenomenal job.

Yeah, that's my one resident for that.

That's my point.

One incident.

That's my point bringing it up.

Yeah, you know what I mean.

That on a Sunday, you were emailing me, and you know, um it worked.

We did great.

It did.

We're all and my point bringing it up is that I think you know I I think that more people want to know about that that type of stuff in case they have questions.

That's all I'm saying.

I mean, in that in that instance, we did a lot of things.

What happens?

I think you're talking about exceptions.

There are the rules.

The if there is an there's a delay of trash pickup on a holiday.

There's we will announce if there's a snow delay, but waste manager, it's hardly ever the case.

Sometimes people put their trash out after they trash comes by and they say they didn't do it.

That happens too.

People are not as uh forthright sometimes.

Uh, but we have a tremendous, tremendous uh person in charge of maybe responsive for our waste management here.

Um happy to address everyone, and we do.

Everyone's gets addressed.

Every street, every complaint, there hasn't been one that's not addressed.

And I think everyone has to admit that that there's not one complaint or any concern that was called to our attention during any of the storms that we did not address.

Please name one exception in all these storms in any street in the city.

I don't think you can.

So okay.

So council president Wall.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Um I'm not sure how we got where we are at this moment.

I'll I'll be honest.

I was listening pretty good.

I believe that the chairwoman said there may be some contingencies that we could meet about if this should happen and be a good idea for perhaps some of the members of the council, specifically the chair of public works would meet with the administration and maybe look at some of those contingencies that have happened could possibly happen.

I don't, I haven't heard, and I believe snow has been done well in my area.

I can I I can see a solicitor also lives in my area, say the same thing.

So I don't think it was trying to throw shade or any any disparaging remarks at this time.

But I don't think it's a bad idea, and I would agree with the council council chair uh that we should maybe get together and think of some of these contingencies that could happen.

We have had the last couple of years.

We were light in snow.

And here we are in January.

You've had a little more snow than the most recent January's.

So I think it's a good idea to be pre proactive, and I appreciate you saying you're willing to meet, but I don't think anybody was trying to throw any any shade on you or the public works department.

At least that's not what I heard.

I didn't say that.

I just stated that it sounded as you're getting a little bit heated at that time, and I don't think that's where we're going.

But I stated the facts.

We respond to everything.

Appreciate the facts.

And we say we're very willing to sit down, but we do ask you this is the first time it's communicated that there's a problem.

Got it.

Please tell us what the problems are that we can address.

Happy to meet.

If we don't know the problem or the systematic concerns that you have, we can't fix it.

But if you let us know, we can work with you.

Happy to do so.

Fair enough.

That's I think we're saying the same thing.

We are.

Thank you.

So thank you, Director.

Thank you, um, Council President Wall.

Yeah, I mean, what the council president is saying is true.

I I think, and I'll I'll read it again.

This is not a staffing issue.

This is not a lack of effort, it's a structural problem.

So what I'm saying is I want to make sure that constituents aren't depending on me and any other member here when they're at work to communicate with the city that they have a plowing issue.

So that's what I'm saying.

And and luckily, some of these storms have come on days where we're not at work.

My concern is developing with the administration in DBW a system for ensuring that the constituents' requests and concerns are addressed directly to the appropriate staffing agency.

And I will give administration and obviously DPW great credit.

This was not taking away.

It's it, and if you didn't hear me, it is just a structural issue with the communications because council people are working individuals.

So that is my concern.

Sure.

Let us know what you see as you see as the problems and we'll address them.

Thank you.

Um okay.

Anyone else on council?

Madam Chair.

Yes.

Yeah.

I was mad for 14 years of the city.

And I I know what Mr.

Bertie's saying.

It is a very complex uh operation.

And for the most part, 90 90% of the time, the uh the crews do an excellent job of plowing this city.

Uh I see no reason why a councilman uh cannot be called.

You know, down well, they're gonna call you.

Your constituents are gonna call you.

There's no reason why you cannot contact the public works department uh with that particular uh complaint.

Uh like I said, it's it's it's unavoidable that the citizens are gonna call an elected official.

They certainly can call the public works department as well, but I can assure you uh when they're out plowing there, it's a very busy operation.

And it taking calls, individual calls is a very difficult job.

Thank you, councilman.

Anyone else?

Okay, we are going to move on.

So the next item on the agenda is to review daily ice rink operations and procedures.

Um, and under that, have a number of notes, which is um uh referring to game day preparation, um, ladies' locker rooms, parking and staffing.

Um, I would like to say that I have been actively working with the administration um to address some concerns um that have been voiced to me through some parents um and the public that attend the Cranston Ice Rank.

Um and I reached out immediately to the administration um and voiced some of my concerns, which I will a few of them this evening.

But I do want to let the public know and the other council members know that the administration has agreed to meet with a couple of the council members and staff to go over some of these questions about operations and procedures that I have.

And so we will be meeting on that.

So I'm gonna try to try to keep it short and touch briefly on why this was brought to my attention.

Part of the reason that I joined the council was my concern and love for our parks and recreation.

I am very concerned about the kids' sports in the city of Cranson and ensuring that they have the best of the best.

And I know that the administration feels the same way because the mayor does uh, you know, have love for our baseball and it was involved in it.

So I really would like to make sure that our other recreational facilities meet the same standards throughout the town of throughout the city of Cranston.

Um, there were just some concerning issues.

I did um visit the rink um and you know, review some of the the main issues.

Um one of my issues that I you know reviewed is just like lack of storage um for materials, um cleaning materials all over the rank, um, male and female equality for locker rooms and the arrangements, the female locker rooms um were not up to a standard that I think was at the time okay.

Um there was a number of materials stored in the locker room.

Um I also mentioned that um the front door to the rink has a handicapped space, um, but the front door is generally locked, so I'm just concerned with ADA compliance with parking spots.

Um there was another issue with like what I think is fire and emergency access around the building with parking issues and striping some of the um parking spaces.

Um, and then just how we um organize and manage um some of the materials in the ice rink.

Um and so those were some of the things that were concerning me at the time.

And I'm I am grateful that the administration is willing to meet with the council members and address these issues.

I know some of the other council members have um done a visit to the ice rink, because I mean I know I haven't been there since I was in high school.

So it it was really nice to go by and see it.

But there are some issues that I'd like to work with the administration, the council on updating and fixing.

Um, and these seem like pretty reasonable issues.

Uh I'm not getting into redesigning the rank and putting new new um, you know, a new rink in, but something simple like allowing um the child the kids during a game to play the Star Spangled Banner with a speaker system that works um and announce their names.

I think that gives them great pride and joy to be there.

Um, and so what I'm just looking for is organization and cleanliness.

And I'm happy to hear that I have a lot of support here and that we'll be working on this together.

And I think there's a few other council members that would like to speak as well.

Um President Wall.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Um I do have uh say a picture's worth a thousand words, and um let me just start off before I put them in ask um if you could put um the first slide up.

I visited at um at the request of a couple of uh parents who have you know children who play hockey there.

And I've talked to some of the people who now I wasn't a hockey player, those people who are my age or maybe a little older speak about hockey in the city with a great deal of pride.

And um they spoke with some some sadness at the condition uh of the rink.

And so I had to go see it myself.

And I waited till vacation.

The truth is I went New Year's morning.

All right.

And that morning, checking from the schedule, there was some practice going on that morning.

From what I can tell from the schedule, it hadn't been used since two o'clock on the 31st of December.

And I can't tell you if there were a lot of people there that that day before.

But the condition of the rink, and I don't mean it's an old place.

I get it.

It's been around.

We it director and I were speaking before.

I'm not even sure what year uh it was built.

But it's been around a while.

I'm not uh I know it's old and it's not gonna look brand new and shiny.

Um, but what I saw, and I'm probably gonna echo uh some of what the chairwoman said is um a lack of cleanliness.

It wasn't clean.

I went into the locker rooms, the locker room and the locker rooms probably hadn't been used at that point.

And I won't tell you what you know, you all know what a dirt dirty locker room looks like.

Um there was clutter, great deal of clutter.

Um, and when I say that, right near the rink, there's equipment, tools, buckets.

And of course, naturally, I I stuck my finger in the bucket to see how long if the water was cold because it hadn't been used.

The floor was dirty.

Um mops, a fire hose uh on unrolled out, um, and various around various snowment removal equipment.

Um that can be taken care of.

Doesn't it's it it's it's not a monumental thing.

We can put the snow removal equipment back in back there's an area for it.

We can put the mops and the brooms and whatever it is.

We can put the clutter out so people don't have to trip over it.

We can sweep the floor, we can wash the floor, we can clean out the locker room.

I'm gonna show you a couple of pictures, and I do appreciate the administration shining shine a light on this and taking a look at it.

I'm I'm looking forward to that because I think it's it could be you know, and the fact, and I'll say this if you could you put my slide uh the next slide sir.

I'm just gonna run through them quickly.

Those are some pictures I took in the locker room.

I didn't want to blow them up so you could see exactly what was in the drain, but you know what ends up in the drain.

All right, you can go to the next one.

That shows you that's on the right on the side of the rink.

I believe there's a it was a snack bar.

If you go around and right on the side, you've got equipment.

I guess something you clean the floor with.

It looks like snow removal equipment, and that's the bucket I stuck in my head.

That hadn't been used in a while.

Um next one, please.

The fire hose I spoke of.

That's on the exact other side.

I'm not sure that's the way we store our fire hose.

I did point out that speaker.

There are speakers around around the rink.

So at some point there was some sound that was usable.

All right.

Um, could you go to the next one?

There's a lot of wiring hanging around.

It's not, it doesn't look like speaker wire, it looks a lot like extension cords running to the rafters.

And some of the electrical could use probably a little little maintenance.

I looking at that there.

Um, the next one.

Another, another the sound system.

And and here's the thing about the sound system.

When I talk to some of the hockey parents, is this and uh council uh graziano pointed out this.

Unless the school department brings their own sound system in.

We can't play the national anthem, but even before the kids start.

We can't announce them.

And that's kind of pathetic.

I I mean, in my my view.

Um, but here it is, it's not unfixable.

I don't think these are big fix.

I think we'd gotta draw a little attention to it.

Um, I don't think I have to go through the budget, but I did look through the budget.

It would appear that we have staffing to do it.

Um, and I'm not, I I could go into the specifics, but I don't think it's necessary.

Um, I think we just gotta put our best foot forward.

And I'm certainly willing to leave this, and I'd like this left on after we have the meeting with the administration.

And you know, I I think we can just do a better job.

It doesn't cost a lot of money to make things clean, a little better maintained.

It's it's not a big ticket item.

Thank you, council.

Thank you, Councilman Ritz.

Uh, just just real quick.

Uh, you know, the ice skating rink, my my daughters learned to skate there.

They have fantastic programs there.

They enjoyed it.

I enjoyed it too.

I think um we're very fortunate to have an ice skating rink in in the city.

I I think it could be a gem of the city.

I know a lot of work's going on the outside of the building, but I think you know, there's not much here to get the gem polished up a little bit too.

So I appreciate you bringing it forward.

And the administration has been fantastic.

We're meeting soon to talk about it, so I appreciate everyone's effort.

Thank you.

Councilman Anderhair.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um, I had the pleasure of um visiting the site yesterday with uh councilwoman Vazeri, and it's a very old site, and I think it's on its last leg.

I do want to uh thank and commend um Mr.

Bucci who showed us around.

Um but they're really short staffed over there.

So I just want to say to his defense that we need a new place.

So hopefully the administration could work with us and we could figure out something to do with that place because it's on its last leg.

Thank you.

It looks like Director Moretti would like to say a few words as well.

Yeah, uh to echo Consulman Anderha, he's absolutely right.

The factually the ice rink is on its last leg as determined by the engineers.

Uh it probably has a very limited life ahead, and the mayor has uh directed the finance director to take a look at what is best possible alternatives uh as to what we can do.

It's it's uh the mayor traffic ante perhaps 1960s, I'm guessing is when the rink was built.

Yeah, and in the uh the there's many, many problems with the rink, including the uh the ice itself, the uh freeon or whatever the substance is that keeps it cold is is leaking.

Um to say the least, we're doing some temporary fixes structurally, uh putting the structural band-aids on it at this time.

So you're absolutely right concerning this, I'll say the structure um that something needs to be done in the in the median uh term.

Um I am sure your your observations I'm not gonna I'm I wasn't there.

Um I trust that they're accurate.

Um unfortunately the uh uh manager of the rink was not able to be here this evening.

He was he's been sick, and he was not able to attend to be able to respond to to you to provide that dialogue, but certainly he'll you know he'll be uh hopefully if he's feeling better on Friday when we do meet.

Um so uh is wide open.

I'm sure it's an imperfect place, and I'm sure there's uh the valid concerns or complaints.

At the same time, I think it's also important to say it's not hasn't been the worst place in the world, and some people do think differently.

Um I just want to like to share some uh input that I received from the public.

Um we have uh we we have someone that says overall, I think the risk manager the rink management does a very good job attending to maintenance issues and staying on top of overall cleanliness.

I see the bigger issue of lack of respect by the facilit for the facility by different groups that skate and attend the rink, having coach coaches in parents that don't teach their children responsibility for the condition they find and leave the locker rooms in an under underlying problem as the underlying problem.

Another person wrote in that they're the coach of the Cranston Girls Hockey Co-op, and say basically taking the upsurp and excerpt out of this email is that my girls are really happy this year and having fun.

There have been no concerns with the rink locker rooms or ice.

Um another person uh wrote in who is the uh says he uh operates the Cranston Senior Hocke Hockey League in a comment is the rink maybe getting old, but it's managed well in my opinion.

Um we have actually an Olympic gold medalist who's the director of the Rhode Island Sting uh girls' hockey, made some what I impactful comments on me, uh particularly by being the the female and and the credibility of her being a gold medalist, saying that uh the rink manager has done an outstanding job managing the facility and ensuring it remains a welcoming, well-run environment where you uh young female athletes can grow their passion for the game to evaluate this facility based solely on whether every locker room is spotless at every moment of the day, or whether a single staff interaction maybe have been imperfect would be a tragic loss for these young athletes for the larger community, and there's other emails.

Um, I do want to mention that these concerns uh have been addressed to the rink manager, and some of which in terms of I'll say the opportunities where there was clean lack of cleanliness or appeared to be that way.

His position, his response again, I'm not there, I'm the messenger.

Was that they were between I'll say uses of the rink, different groups coming and going.

It could have been at that time.

Certainly, I believe with this smoke, there could be fire, and very happy to meet with you folks uh on this to improve to improve the rink where we can and gain your input.

But I also did want to represent that there is a it's not the worst place in the world, apparently, given some of the feedback that we have.

Thank you.

So yes, Councilman Trafficante.

Already the ice rink is the enterprise fund.

Is that not correct?

Yes.

Uh do the enterprise people work for the city or work for the enterprise fund.

Well, they work for the city, but the it's funded through the enterprise fund.

Mayor, the uh the rink has one full-time manager, and the rest of the staff are all part-time workers.

I mean, I'm not making excuses for them, but even though the building is old, it doesn't mean it can't be clean.

I mean, we have a number of schools in our city that uh are 100 years old plus, and they're pretty clean institutions.

So uh I think as the council president indicated, having a meeting regarding the cleanliness of the building is wise.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

I'm old myself, but I think I'm pretty clean.

You don't look old, ma'am.

And I and I appreciate that, Councilman Trafficante, because um Yeah, I think what you know, um, President Wall, Councilman Ritz and I are saying is we're not asking the town for 20 million dollars or 30 million dollars or 300 million dollars to redo the rank, and we know it's old.

That that's not the argument here.

I think your argument is that there's um we have received feedback from um a number of parents who kids use this rank every day in and out, and they're just asking that we all get together and solve this problem, and and I will be nice and not go through it, but I have letters too that I'm happy to share with the public because they're public record.

But I I've received a number of emails from constituents.

Um, and I'm I I won't go through and read them all, but um, you know, mine's I I'm writing as a concerned parent and community member to formally bring attention to the ongoing and worsening conditions of the Cranston Ice Rink.

My son is a freshman at Cranston High School West and plays hockey for the school.

He has also been playing for Providence Capitals out of Cranston for the past four years.

Because of our involvement, our family spends a significant amount of time at this facility, and I have personally observed many of the issues outside outlined below.

There have been repeated observations and reports on significant mismanagement within the facility on multiple occasions.

Additionally, the sound system frequently does not have does not function properly, preventing high school player announcements and the playing of the national anthem at the games.

The this reflects poorly on the city and diminishes the experience for students, athletes, and families and visiting teams.

Sanitation isn't another major concern.

The bathrooms are constantly unclean and the locker room showers appear to be neglected with broken tiles, physical maintenance issues.

These conditions are unacceptable in a public facility, particularly one heavily used by children and teenagers.

So I'm not gonna read everything, but all I'm saying is there's there's issues, and we want to continue to work together.

Yeah, um and I don't wish to to go back and forth on this matter at all.

Um I like the idea that we're gonna try to address some of these issues, and I appreciate I don't think I led my statement off.

I don't think anyone led their statement off, but no one who has spoken to me said this is the worst place in the world.

Actually, they spoke to me because they thought this was an asset to the city, someplace they love to go when they were children, someplace they love to bring their children to skate and play hockey and things like that.

And I think I know it's never gonna be new again, and it may be in the twilight of its uh use here, but I think what we're saying is let's maintain it a little better.

I would refute the fact that uh almost 210,000 have been for staffing, has been budgeted in the last budget.

So I'd willing to sit down if they're telling me they don't have enough money to maintain it.

That's that's an issue we have to look at budgetarily.

No more money was asked for us at the budget meeting.

So I believe we have enough money in the budget.

I hadn't heard anyone say they didn't have enough.

And if when I did the math at the rate they were quoting me, it was 80 hundred 100 hours of part-time work in the rink.

That's 130,000 in part-time work.

So I'm gonna say I think we can get it cleaner.

We can clean the locker rooms, and we could perhaps do a little better job.

And it it is a nice place.

I still enjoyed going there, and I think the people who spend a lot of time still do.

They just I think sometimes it could just be a little bit better maintained and cleaner.

That's all.

Thank you.

If no one else has anything, we're gonna put this to bed.

Okay.

Next thing on the agenda is safe street recommendations.

I I've had some of my questions answered on this.

So I'm gonna work with the administration planning and DPW.

So um, I was gonna continue it, but looks like councilman Banana wants to say something.

I just had a question.

Is that supposed to be stripping the tops of the streets or striping striping?

Okay, it's a big difference.

Oh, just making sure.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We at laugh, but this will be continued if if necessary.

Yeah, I was I was just gonna mention the directors here if you need him or myself, if you need to.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

We we briefly spoke he answered a question of mine, and I'm I'm gonna go through the administration and we'll work together on and this.

I don't think it's that big of a deal.

Um with nothing else on the agenda.

Um with nothing else on the agenda, I'm can I get a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

All those in favor?

We are adjourned at six forty eight PM.

We will begin ordinance in about two minutes.

All right, let's get the show on the road.

Before we begin, is this anybody's first time being here?

Show of hands.

Okay, so what you're gonna witness is a lot of Robert's rules.

Um the meeting will be out of order.

I want to take care of the other two um situations on uh the other two ordinances on first.

Um just keep in mind we're all nine of us are here, but only seven of us are on this committee.

So the only two that are not on this committee that do not have the right to vote are mayor, councilman trafficante, and councilman Ritz.

So just in case you see that they're not voting, it's not it's because they're not on this committee.

So I just wanted everybody to know that.

So with that, Clerk, are we ready?

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

It is on Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 at 650 p.m.

Clerk, can you please take a roll?

Present, councilman Baziri, Casper Kirp Piano, Caspinano here, Councilman Graziano Present present.

Yeah, may entertain a motion to approve the minutes from the December 3rd 2025 meeting.

So moved, sir.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Yes, House of Banano, yes, Councilman Graziano, yes, has been do hard yes, Council President Wall.

Yes, may uh entertain a motion to approve the minutes from the December 22nd, 2025 special meeting.

So moved.

Second, clerk.

Any discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Council Vice President Haroyan.

Yes.

Cassipanano, yes, Graziano.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

There are no committee businesses, business matters carried over.

Now please play attention.

I am opening up public hearings.

Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak on ordinance 122501 ordinance and amendment of chapter 17 code of the code of city of Cranston as amended and titled zoning?

Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak on zoning?

Please come up to the podium.

State your name, Mr.

President, and congratulations again.

Oh thank you.

Uh Council.

Excuse me, Chairman and Hart.

And uh thank you, all members of the council.

My name is Steven Fryas 107 Garden Hills Drive.

And I am currently the chairman, president of the City Plan Commission.

And um, I just wanted to say that we put forward this amendment to reflect the state law changes that were adopted over the last few years.

They are not discretionary for the most part.

These are mandates basically from the state that we are adopting.

There's a few areas that are slightly discretionary, like about changing the mail and first certified mail to like first class mail and after David.

But I just wanted to be here in case you had any questions about any of the of the ordinance um available.

And I know director is available to you to speak at this point.

Thank you very much.

I want to take a reasoning and I know you guys have a lot of idea.

Thank you.

Is anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on zoning?

Clerk James, is anyone online that would like to speak on zoning.

None.

There is no online public.

Okay, I'm closing public comment for amendment 2012 2501 entitled zoning.

Moving on.

I am opening up public comment for ordinance 122503.

Ordinance authorizing the sale of city-owned property located on Cardinal Roll.

Is it Cardinal Road?

Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak on ordinance cardinal road road?

Seeing none.

Clerk James, is anyone online that would like to speak on Cardinal Road.

Seeing none.

Thank you.

At this time, I would like to entertain a motion.

I would like to entertain a motion to take the agenda out of order if there's no objection.

Seeing none.

At this time, I'm moving on to new matters before the committee.

Ordinance and amendment of chapter 17, code of chapter 17, the code of the city of Cranston as amended entitled zoning.

This is basically what our president said.

But um, Madam Clerk, if you could please remove me as a sponsor.

I would like to be a co-sponsor, I believe.

Um I I feel councilman Ritz, the spearheaded this situation, this ordinance, and he deserves to be the sponsor of this.

So with that, councilman Ritz, I the floor is yours.

Thank you for letting me come on as a co-sponsor.

Thank you.

You know, I I appreciate councilman Anduhar for making all these these much needed changes here, too.

And uh, you know, being very open, uh, you know, one thing I had talked to him about was increasing the uh radius of residents that get notified over new development projects.

Thanks uh from his help and the planning department, we've doubled that uh radius now of folks that'll get notified of new developments.

It's something that I consistently hear from constituents in my area too.

Um, so so I know they appreciate it.

I think it just shows uh more transparency and gives them more of a voice, and that we're willing to hear from them by expanding that so we can hear from them.

So, you know, thank you again for for listening to my my thoughts and giving me the opportunity to work on this with you.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Great, thanks.

Um so I thank you for bringing up that notification.

So Mr.

Fryas mentioned that you changed um notification from certified mail to standard mail.

Is that with regards to notification of a butters?

Yes, that's for notification of others.

Standard mail, standard first class mail with an affidavit, is that correct, Director?

Yes, yes.

Is that sorry?

I'm not familiar with I'm the only two I'm familiar with is certified mail return receipt and then um certificate of mailing.

Is that what you're referring to?

If you could just state your name director for the Beth Ashman, city planning director.

Uh, we're referring to first class mail, which is it is delivered and doesn't require people to go to the post office to pick things up and it costs saves thousands of dollars for our applicants.

Thank you.

Yeah, I I I would be more of an advocate of certified mail return receipt, and I that's that's my opinion.

Yeah, it's uh these aren't for violation notice it's though public.

Sorry, I do the same about our notification and it's certified mail return receipt, and then we have to make sure that everybody was notified within seven days.

I I like it because I don't know, I that way I know if they get it.

Yeah, I would just say that we had a discussion about this.

Um what approach to follow?

And the certified mail is like it's basically $10 more or less a mail piece.

And so if you're trying to send it to a 400 foot radius in the eastern side of the city, it is a significant amount of people and developers.

These sometimes are people who are just like putting a shack, you know, they want to move their shack in the backyard a little bit.

And so that's a it could be a significant cost for them.

And I know that we had some comments about that.

So this was a way of we want to make sure we provide notice.

Um, and still add you know, significant notice, wide radius, we're reducing some of the cost for those who just you know uh reduced costs for people who are trying to do most of the time some other effect.

That's why I'm wondering if certificate of mailing is cheaper because that's what we do in lieu of uh certified mail.

Like I said, I think what we do is first class mail, what we suggested.

I think it came down to a first class mail with some sort of affidavit attached.

The reason we put an affidavit, and this was again a discussion that came up.

The affidavit is usually signed by an attorney.

Okay, so the attorney is not going to lie under oath in an affidavit that needs to send it out by first class mail.

If they were to send out a false affidavit, that would they would get into like significant legal problems.

So we felt that there was a deterrent uh for anybody to falsely send out an affidavit because what would happen is if they sent out if they signed a false appetite and sent something out by mail.

One, it would uh undermine the approval in the first place, and then that person would have legal trauma.

And we thought that was a less expensive way in the deterrent from and also deter people from engaging in false behavior.

And no, I wasn't concerned about that.

We do affidavits too.

I I'm not concerned about the falsity of that.

I'm just wanted to ensure the receipt because first class is maybe a get it, maybe it do.

Yeah, um, you know, this is a decision for the council.

You know, um, we made that decision based on discussions with Bob Murray shows up at my meeting a lot.

He gives his opinion, of course, his view of like the cost of doing these mailings, and at the same time, like I said, we wanted to make sure there is an adequate notice for everybody.

So this was the balance.

We've also received many complaints from people about I got the green card, and I you know, had to go to the post office, and it was just nothing.

So it just felt overkill for the type of notices of public meetings we were sending out.

So I appreciate it.

Councilman Bonano.

Thank you.

Um as a former chair of the zoning board, um, before I was lucky enough to come to council, uh this was an issue that we discussed, especially the mail.

Um and I think that the first class mail is sufficient.

I have enough faith in uh the United States Postal Service that they're not going to miss a whole street.

And if you don't miss a whole street, one neighbor is going to talk to the other, it's going to talk to the other, is going to talk to the other.

So not only is it going to be mailed out and be a significantly less expensive uh proposition for the applicant.

Um, you know, organically, I think everybody is gonna be able to figure out what's going on.

Um I also, as former chair of the zoning board, um, got many complaints from folks on both sides receiving the mail and sending out the mail, sending out the mail, obviously, because it's very expensive.

Um, and and some people, you know, just the mail itself was an expense.

And if they're just moving their shed, you know, or or doing something that was a deterrent to following the law, frankly.

Uh, and we got it on the other side, like uh Director Ashman said.

I I went, you know, had to take time out of work and go get this piece of mail, and it was because my neighbor two streets over was moving a shed, and that was a pain in the neck.

So as far as the mail, I'm I'm good with that.

And I do want to applaud whether it's councilman Ritz or Councilman Andah or um and the planning department.

Um, there were a lot, and when I say a lot, that's an understatement of zoning and planning changes in the last five years that have come down from the state.

Most of these, like Mr.

Fry has mentioned, Chairman Fry has mentioned are sort of mandated.

Um, so don't get nervous when you see 23 pages.

A lot of this stuff comes from the state and uh is necessary uh for us to follow state law.

So kudos to you guys, and and I wouldn't be I wouldn't mind being added as a co-sponsor as well.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Well, I want to thank Director Ashman.

Thank you, President, for and thank you, spot the sponsor of this bill, Frank Ritz for uh putting this together.

So with that, Clerk, please take a roll.

We get to get a motion, motion motion.

Is there a motion?

So entertainment to Mr.

Chair.

So second.

Clerk, any discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Possible royan, yes.

Consulcamp?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay, motion passes.

Moving on to new matters before the committee.

Ordinance 122503 ordinance authorizing the sale of city owned property located on Cardinal Road.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion.

Councilman Graziano.

Um, thank you, Councilman Induhar.

Um, I I just want to note that at the last city council meeting, I asked for a number of items, and I'm still waiting on those items um from the administration.

So I'm hoping that we're going to receive those items before we vote on it before council, because that is going to change my decision.

Any further discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Excuse me.

Mr.

President.

Director, the the items.

Do you know the items that the councilwoman is asking for?

I had spoken to the uh finance director and he was to provide the information, just so you'll know.

Just a quick question.

What I can recall was the uh like a site map uh as to where the lot was particularly located.

Other than that, I don't recall what else there was.

I I would have my notes in the office, but that's what I remember.

Through the chair.

Um I read not only a site map showing the parcel location with um city adjacent owned parcels, but I needed a reason why you chose this parcel for sale and how you compared it against other parcels in the city of Cranston, and what viability it had or didn't have for the city, because to me it felt like it could be used for other opportunities, and especially if it abuts other city-owned land, I don't want to be selling prime property.

I want to be selling well thought out parcels that will achieve the goal that the city is trying to reach.

And it's concerning to me that we would sell something, and I'm not saying this, I'm just saying it it would be concerning if we sold something that had extreme value to the city as an abutting property, recreational fac recreational land, affordable housing, um, trails, open space, um, new recreational field opportunity.

So that's I don't want to let a parcel go that has value.

Director.

Well, it does have value.

Yes, it does.

And the tax assessor has it about 250,000.

Now, exactly the rationale for that, I guess we'll need the tax assessor, but it certainly has value to the city.

That's why I would be selling it.

So I apologize.

I didn't mean monetary value.

I meant value as an asset for opportunity for the city to have other recreational affordable housing opportunities, adjacent parcel, uh, emergency fire access to recreational fields.

Um so that is there another parcel you could sell that's an industrial facility that's the same amount of money.

I just want to know how you weighed it out.

So I'm not blindly taking a vote on selling a parcel.

I have no information of why this parcel was specifically chosen.

Okay, fair enough.

Well, again, I will re-request the finance director to provide that information.

So through the chair, if I may.

So I'm willing to push this over to council.

Um, but I I need that information in a timely manner.

Otherwise, I you know, I support what the action that this is being sold for.

I wanna be clear that I support the intent of this sale and what it will go towards.

It's just I don't want to sell a valuable parcel that could have other opportunities for the city of Cranston.

Mr.

President, so if I'm clear, we're we're gonna try to make if if we do vote on it this evening, because this has been delayed to some extent already.

So I would be in favor of voting for it this evening.

However, given that those materials are received in timely manner, so we can review them as a council prior to the final vote on the 20th.

Um and the director said he he would take care of that, make sure that those those informations will be coming towards us, director.

Just thumbs up is a good hit.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

I'm fine.

Again, I concur with you, Councilwoman Graziano.

Thank you for bringing that up.

Is there any further discussion?

Councilman Bonano.

I think um, you know, we we should all be privy to that.

Uh and perhaps uh it could be attached with our agenda when we get mailed uh or email the agenda for the full council meeting.

Is that okay?

That's that my intention is everybody was here.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Any further discussion, councilwoman Grozzi?

Okay, just I don't know how many days before we're gonna get it, but if it's only 48 hours, that's not enough.

Four days great.

Yeah, 48 business hours, which is four days because it doesn't include the weekend.

Yeah.

As soon as you can get it to us, we would love that.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Seeing none, clerk, please take a roll.

Caspe K Piano?

Yes.

Consum Panano?

Yes.

Councilman Graziano?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Motion passes.

Now we're going back to the beginning of the meeting.

I am opening up public hearings, public comment for.

Is there anyone in the ordinance that would like to speak on ordinance 122501S, ordinance and amendment of Title Eight, Chapter 20, Section 70 of the City of Cranston Code of Ordinances 2005 and total special activities.

This is the gun range, everybody.

So is there anyone in the ordinance that would like to speak on this matter?

Please come up, single file.

Please state your name, address, and you have three minutes.

Wow, three minutes.

Okay.

Uh, name and uh is Antonella Pascarello addresses two zero.

Antonella Pascarello.

I know it's tough to spell.

Um 2072 Cranston Street, Cranston, Rhode Island.

Um, I live nearby the um Machanicate Lake area, not too far from the school.

All of my children have gone to Cranston Public Schools, um, George J.

Peters, Western Hills, Cranston West.

I have one there now.

But in the community for a very long time in the neighbor and living in the neighborhood for about 25 years.

Um I was featured in the New York Times um editorial about the gun range and the impact to the community.

I'm a parent.

I hear the fires in my backyard, um, which abuts the bike path, depending on how the wind and and the sound waves are traveling.

I've walked through the schoolyard with my pet, listening to the gun range, bounce off the building as I walk through and kind of carefully keep my eyes open to see what might be out there.

It's happened many times.

Um it's it's given me alarm and fright, to say the least, knowing that my kids are in the school and I hear this in the background.

And then I listen for fire department like fire alarms or police cars and try to determine whether or not this is a real emergency situation, or if it's just the practice of the gunfire happening at the range.

Um it does have an impact on those of us that live in the community, and I believe that if parents who live who realize that this is happening and the sounds that actually takes place for the parents and the people that live outside of the area in which you could actually hear um the gunfires, you they probably would be here as well.

I just don't think unless you live nearby and have children that go to the school that you really think about the impact.

And then when we have shootings like the one at Brown, which is so tragic, and they happen all too often, you get these reminders that you have to be worried and concerned about the kids that are in the school, and then you wonder if they were to hear gunfire, could they decipher whether or not it was the practice happening at the range, or if it was a real emergency, and and the police departments here, you know, time is critical, right?

Seconds matter.

So if it takes extra seconds for the kids in the school to know that this is a real emergency versus traditional practice happening, which needs to happen.

I'm not arguing that it doesn't need to happen.

We need to train our police force, right?

Does it need to happen in the backyard of a school?

When it was built, we didn't have these tragedies in the US.

We're one of the highest nations in the world that have these types of tragedies.

It just doesn't make common sense anymore.

Um, both for those that live in the community and those that go to school there and work there.

Um, and it I just wanted to share my thoughts and feelings about you here today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the audience?

Please keep in mind that we cannot answer back, so we just have to, we only could listen.

Please state your name and address, sir.

Three minutes.

My name is Peter Sabinsky, 60 Meslin Drive, Cranston, Rhode Island.

I want to start off by saying that I've been here before, many years before.

I've spent maybe 200 hours and months detailing ranges, gun ranges across the country.

And I spoke to the council about that.

And all these ranges had the same problem that we're gonna hear tonight, and you already heard all these ranges, they did their research, and all they could come up with is that the only way to stop the noise is an indoor range.

Now, I know you've had and I wasn't uh physically able to attend.

You had people here testifying for the city saying indoor ranges, but not gonna stop it.

Well, they don't know what they're talking about, they don't have the credentials to say that to actually lying, in my opinion.

I want to just say at this point, I'm a life member of the Rhode Island Troopers Association, and I am pro-police, and I commend our police the bomb.

They are the best city police, in my opinion, in the country.

Do they need a gun range to practice?

Yes, they do, and it's up to us to provide that.

I met with the mayor in his office, and Mr.

Morriti was there, and the mayor at that time, a number of years ago, said after hearing what I told him and the other members that were there, he said, okay, I'm convinced the only way to stop this is to have an indoor range, and we'll find the funds.

Well, that's all well said and good.

But here we are, a number of years later, and how many hearings you've heard?

How many people you heard?

I'm telling you right now, the indoor range.

We have an indoor range in the city of Cranston right now.

It's not far from the senior center on a side street.

You go down there, the neighbors still tell you they can't hear it.

Why can't we have it here?

We can.

But the politics involved with it.

The money shuffling back and forth.

And don't put the onus on the police department.

They need a range.

And it's up to us as citizens to give them a range and just not have our children suffering from that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So no one else in the audience that would like to speak on this matter.

Please come upstate your name and address.

Harvey Flanders.

25 Clarion Street.

Yeah, I've lived at my house for 57 years.

I can hear the range.

I attended Western Hills.

I attended Machinica Park Elementary School.

We can hear the range.

Didn't affect me.

Both my kids went to both the schools.

No one ever had a problem with it.

I don't see why we're even discussed this.

And I appreciate the indoor range idea.

It's a good idea, but our offices also have rifles now.

Get an indoor range, try to fire a rifle in it.

It's just not going to work out well.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak?

Please set your name, address and you have three minutes.

Hello, my name is Naoko Shigasawa.

I live at 96.

N-A-O-K-O.

Last name S H I B U S A W A.

I live at 90 Softon.

90 Softon.

So I'm in Edgewood.

So I'm here as a good neighbor.

I think that what really matters right now, we're not, we're not we're in a different time right now.

I think that kids really need a sense of safety.

So I'm really here as a good neighbor.

Right.

Um, I'm also an instructor at Brown University.

Um, and two of my freshmen were in that class.

That was shot.

When am I one of my freshmen was shot?

And another one was in the room trying to recover California.

So right now at Brown, we're thinking about safety, security, and what's going to make us feel safe.

And I don't think that having to hear guns in your backyard or hearing it at school or just worrying as this woman is doing is fair.

We're in a different time right now.

It'd be great if we didn't have to worry about it at all, but we're in a completely different time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So anyone else in the audience, please come up, state your name address.

Three minutes.

Good evening.

My name is Dr.

Patricia Richie.

I live at 161 Albert Avenue.

Um, and I'm here principally.

I've already testified once to the city council, but I'm here again because I have a great deal of empathy for the long-suffering residents of this region in Michantecut.

Um, I got my MD, received my MD at Brown University, and I have a I've completed a four-year residency in psychiatry at Brown University as well.

Part of my training included uh working for two years in the post-traumatic stress disorders clinic at the Providence VA Hospital.

Um, I have been a psychiatrist for many years in private practice, and this included doing psychotherapy with patients with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and in addition to couple and family therapy.

In saying that I have I respect and honor the police greatly.

I realize they have a job to keep Cranston residents safe from harm.

However, I'm very concerned that a disturbing allegation has been perpetuated in our city, a false narrative that people who come and speak out against the damaging effects of this of the gun noise are against the police, and nothing could be further than the truth.

People are sickened by the barrage of gun noise, which is very damaging.

But what's even more damaging is that people in hearing that they're against the police, it's inciting fear in them.

And I believe that we would have a more thunderous outcry if people weren't silenced.

So I think you would have many more people here today.

That I'm even here today to have to stand before you and testify to the harmful effects of chronic gunshot noise on the human body.

This is something one would hope that responsible governing officials would plainly recognize and understand.

There are a vast number of scientific studies documenting the harmful effects of chronic environmental noise on humans.

I thought I had four minutes, but apparently I have three.

So I was going to say I have I'm limited to four minutes.

So you will only hear right now a fraction of the effects on the human body.

They are documented with studies, and they are the following.

And these are just for people without prior diagnosis, medical or psychiatric.

Please keep in mind that Cranston residents who have an existing diagnosis of depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, including childhood trauma, sexual trauma, domestic violence, physical violence, or combat trauma, are all that much higher at are at much higher risk to be adversely impacted.

I implore you, you represent your constituents who had who have suffered for far too long.

You have a responsibility to do the right thing and make the right choice.

Please allow your moral integrity and empathic connection to your fellow Cranston residents to guide you.

I thank you.

Please state your name, address, and you have three minutes.

A letter.

Second.

Any discussion?

All those in favor.

Any nays, eyes have it.

The Cranston Gun Range.

Oh.

Name and address.

Kimberly Bagoshin 45 Mount View Drive, Cranston.

The Cranston gun range is in the vicinity of a residential area and two schools that neighbor each other, each each other.

When in when school was in session, as I can attest, I would constantly hear gunshots.

As a student, I was trying not to pay attention to this harsh noise.

Playing tennis on the Cranston West varsity team, my teammates heard the loud-fired gunshots.

We are living in the year 2026.

For about two decades, there has been a continuous use of this gun range, other than Cranston's officers.

The last meeting, this ordinance was brought up on the docket, thanks to former mayor trafficante.

He said that he was quote being intimidated by the administration and the mayor.

He actually walked away from the chambers.

Going on.

I admit, as students and teachers worked tirelessly.

We became none numbed to these sounds.

Guns kill people.

Humans kill people.

We must try and work together.

An amendment of special activities.

Who is actually using this range?

And when it wasn't known when I was a student if they even used a sound suppressor.

Any sound at 75 decibels, including everyday traffic, can lead to hearing fatigue or damage.

Please don't adopt this ordinance as is.

Be a good neighbor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on the on this matter?

Please state your name address, and you have three minutes.

David Stirnik, I live at 2270 Cranston Street.

You can put the mic up if you want.

I live at 2270 Cranston Street.

And I want to ask a simple question for everybody.

Who here has been part of an active shooter incident?

Had their school be locked down and had to sit in fear under bleachers, wondering if they were gonna get shot.

That's one person who has spoken.

I moved here.

I am a newer resident.

I've lived here a year and a half.

I bought a house because I thought this town was safer.

And back in my hometown, when I was in middle school, we found bullet casings in my school, and we had to lock down our school during Hanukkah.

Now a few years later, we found a kid threatening to shoot up our school who lived across the street from our school, and he had to be expelled and removed from the community.

I moved from New Jersey to Rhode Island, and I looked Systics, I looked around, and I saw that Cranston was one of the safest towns in all Rhode Island with a good history, a good community, a place I want to raise my children.

And then on a long weekend, a few months after I moved in here, I heard a noise.

I live over half a mile from Cranston West walking.

And I heard gunshots at my house.

I've lived in the middle of nowhere, New Jersey, and I've lived in the city by Jersey City, I've lived around New York.

I've heard gunshots before.

Because being in that kind of situation, it's the story that your town tells for the next decade.

Everybody in my town knew the story of the bullets in the school and how it was so mismanaged.

Now, I say this as a warning to you all because if there is an incident at Cranston West, this town will never forget the fact that we let our students hear gunshots so much they were desensitized.

And it will be everything that this town talks about for the next two decades.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on this matter?

Please say your name address, and you have three minutes.

My name is Jeannie Thomason.

I live at 231 Wayland Avenue in Cranston.

I'm quite close to the high school and to the gun range.

I've lived there for over 60 years.

I attended school there as well.

Um, and throughout the years, we have tried to address this issue.

I've talked to other members of the city council who are no longer on the city council.

I was told things a number of years ago, I was told we've got a $50,000 soundproofing grant.

Well, I began to think, how does one soundproof an outdoor range?

And the city councilman who told me this didn't have an answer.

Um on another occasion, I was listening to the evening news, and one reporter said we want to congratulate um some of the um Cranston Police Force because we were told that they're very much aware of the fact that there's a group home on Phoenix Avenue, and they know that some of the residents there are um very agitated by extreme sounds.

So as a result of that, the police force is gonna be very, very conscientious about use of sirens when in that area.

And once again, it made no sense at all.

We hear constant gunfire, and the accommodate, you know, the news was talking about the use of the sirens and how that would have an effect.

And the police department was very, very um sensitive to the sound and the effect it would have on uh these residents.

Um everything people have said here, it's non-stop.

I mean, um we were told once it would never happen after dark, it does happen after dark in the summertime.

Um, you don't want to sit out in a yard because of it.

And when people visit and hear it, they're astounded.

They had no idea that this was going on.

So I once again implore the council to please take up this audience and give it the attention it needs to be given.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on this matter?

Please say your name address, and you have three minutes.

Uh my name is Laura Fusco, and I live at 13 Carpathia Road.

It was actually what the previous woman was talking about with the sirens and the gunshots all together.

And as a mom, it kind of makes you a little nervous.

But um I was just sitting out in my backyard one day, and this is what I was listening to.

I don't know if you can really hear it though.

So as a mom, that kind of makes you a little nervous when your kids are at school and you're hearing the guns and then the sirens and the combination of them.

It kind of makes you feel like you're in, you know, not a great place.

Um, but I also moved here about 15 years ago.

And uh I used to live in Providence for four years.

And honestly, if I knew that there was gonna be all this gunfire, you know, more way more than when I was even living in Providence.

Um, I probably wouldn't have bought my house here.

Um I'm not here tonight as like an activist or an expert.

I'm just as a parent.

Um I and don't get me wrong, I respect the police.

I want them to train, you know.

It's I obviously know it's super important.

Um, I have a lot of friends and family on the police force.

Um, and I definitely support and respect what they're doing.

It's just the location and the noise that concerns me.

Um, every day my kids, you know, where they're trying to learn at school, um, they're listening to gunshots.

I have a child in middle school and a child in the at the elementary school.

Um, and at first they notice and then they would ask questions, and now they don't even react at all.

And that is what terrifies me is that our children are being conditioned to tune out the sound of gunfire.

That's I mean, when you think about that, that's huge.

Um if there was a real emergency, if there was an actual threat, how would we know?

How would the teachers know?

How would first responders know?

When gunshots are part of the background noise of a school day, we erase the most basic early warning system we have.

We tell children to see something, say something, but when they're taught by repetition to ignore what they're hearing, you know, that's really scary.

Um, and this isn't about politics, it's about second amendment, it's about common sense and child safety.

Um, schools are meant to be places of focus, of growth, safety.

Um, they're not meant to be places where children flinch or worse, not flinch at all.

Um, we already ask our kids to practice lockdown drills.

We ask teachers to be vigilant, we ask our parents to trust when we drop our kids off in the morning that our kids are gonna come home.

Um, so why would we allow a situation that makes it harder, not easier, to protect them?

Um I'm not blaming anyone, I'm just asking for people to take responsibility.

And if you say you're gonna do something about it, please do something about it.

Um, you know, cities regulate noise near hospitals, they regulate traffic near schools, they regulate construction hours to protect communities.

So I'm sure we can find a solution here.

Um, you know, some sound mitigation restricted hours, zoning changes, something that acknowledges that children's safety and peace of mind matter because the cost of doing nothing is way too high.

The cost is children who know no longer react to gunfire, the cost is teachers second guessing whether to act, the cost is parents like me laying awake, wondering if one day the sound all learned to ignore will one be one day the one that actually matters.

So please don't wait for tragedy to justify action, be proactive, and I would just like to find a solution to all this.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Let's switch it up, uh Clerk James.

Is anyone online that would like to speak on this matter?

Yes, we do have public comment.

Okay, let's start with the first one.

Hi, Sherry.

If you could, Sherry Izzy, if you could please state your name and address, and you have three minutes.

Hi there, thank you very much.

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

All right, so my name is Sherry Izzy.

I'm at 12 Midland Drive, very close to the range, and I've lived here for close to 20 years.

I want to thank all of you for taking this under consideration.

And I would first like to state I'm a strong supporter of the Cranston Police Department.

I'm also a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights and a proud member of the NRA.

So I want to make sure that you know everyone understands this isn't a police issue.

Again, as others have said, it's not a gun issue whatsoever.

The police most definitely have to train.

My issue here, along with everyone else's, is the noise.

I've heard people say they haven't had an issue with it, and that's because they've become desensitized to the noise.

I think it's a common sense issue, unfortunately, in the year 2026, that people should not be desensitized to the sound of gunfire.

I'll make a quick note that we are all aware of what happened of the horror at Brown University.

And from what I've read, some of our brave officers of Cranston responded quickly.

And very thankful for that.

What I'd also like to note is that the very first gunfire, the gunshot that was heard, people ran for cover.

I would like to make a point that if people were to hear gunfire here, just one shot, everyone would just say it's the range.

And I honestly mean that.

And I can say I was out for a walk the other day, had my back turned and heard the gunfire begin and my knees buckled.

I'm I'm very hard to rattle.

And let me tell you, it was for one moment.

I stopped and said, is that a shooter or is it the gun range?

That shouldn't take place here.

And I think it's, you know, it's definitely it's not a an issue of the police practicing again.

They really, really have to.

It's a matter of sound suppression.

And others have said that it's really important.

And I know I only have a couple of seconds left here.

So I just want to play this.

And I don't know if that came through.

That's literally just uh a quick second of what is being heard um all the time.

So I just again I want to thank you all for taking this under consideration and saying that we're really close to schools.

If anyone's not aware, I think you all are aware and looking at doing something about this noise, very as they say, low-hanging fruit is using sound suppressors.

Um with that I'll I'll close.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr.

James.

Anyone else online that would like to speak on this matter?

Yes, there is.

And we have E.

You can state your name, address, and you have three minutes.

Hi, can everyone hear me?

Uh, my name is Erica Walker.

I live at 300 Front Street in Pogtuckett, Rhode Island.

I'm speaking today because I am an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health.

And um, I received my doctorate in environmental health from the Harvard T.H.

Chan School of Public Health, and I did my dissertation research on community noise exposure.

It's measurement of community noise exposure and its impact on human health.

In this capacity, I run a lab called Community Noise Lab, and we have actually studied the noise issue in Cranston.

And um, I just have a few comments.

I think everyone else before made better comments than I could make.

But before I go to my comments, I just wanted to say that I am not anti-police.

Very I have lots of um family members that are on the police department.

I am also originally from Mississippi, and I actively hunt.

As a matter of fact, I killed my first 12-point deer over Christmas over the Christmas holidays.

So I'm very much pro-gun as well.

But for our noise measurements, my concerns are as follows.

Like when we think about the sound, the actual physical characteristic coming from gunfiring activity, it's really loud.

So we've measured sound at its peak at over 100 decibels, and over 100 decibels is the same as a loud rock concert.

And so not only is it loud, um, these sound level, this the loudness of the sound levels has been associated with epidemiologically with the host of health issues that um that other people have commented on.

But I've also been heavily involved in the noise acoustical cameras.

And if this sound level was played in front of acoustical camera, you know, the person would get ticketed.

So it's loud.

And these sound levels, 100 decibels rivals large cities like New York City.

I was recently in Dubai.

It ranges those kinds of, it rivals those kind of sound levels.

But looking past sound, which is just this kind of physical characteristic and thinking about noise, which is defined as unwanted sound.

I think we really have to take into consideration the noise, the part that the community says is what they don't want to listen to.

So noise is a psychological construct, right?

It's individual.

So you have people that say it bothers me, people will say that it doesn't bother them.

But I'm concerned about the people who say that the noise bothers them because it is setting off a stress response that over time leads to those health impacts that we've heard previously.

And so it's triggering.

So I just want to reiterate that we need to think about the sound.

We need to think about the noise perception.

We know that the sound is loud from our studies.

Noise perception can be triggering, especially to young people, people who work from home, people who deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, people who are veterans.

So these are these are all important to consider.

So I am open to working with the city of Cranston in whatever way possible to make sure that all voices are heard, making sure that anything that is proposed, that we think about the pros and the cons.

So I'm just here tonight to offer my services.

We have measured sound levels in Cranston extensively.

We continue to measure sound levels in Cranston.

We have created a community noise survey.

We have analyzed that data, the data is publicly available, but we're also here to support in any way possible.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

James, anyone else online that would like to speak?

Yes, there is.

Let's see who's next.

We have Trish Glass.

Please state your name, address, and you have three minutes.

Hi, my name's Trisha Glass, and I'm at 240 Center Park South in New York.

Uh, good evening, and thanks for the opportunity to comment on the proposed amendments to this ordinance.

Uh, I'm executive director at Quiet Communities, a nationwide nonprofit that promotes quiet as a valuable natural resource and works to reduce harmful noise.

A number of us at quiet communities have followed developments in Cranston related to noise at the police academy training complex for years.

Our organization is contacted by residents across the country who are trying to address harmful noise issues.

I personally speak with members of affected communities almost daily.

And this case compelled me to attend the Brown Forum in 2023, where I heard from neighbors, students, and researchers, and I shared what I learned with my colleagues.

The gun range exposes neighbors, students, teachers, school staff, and police officers and the others training there to high intensity impulse noise from gunfire at hazardous levels.

And the noise has continued for years, close to Cranston High School West, as you've heard in Western Hills Middle School and surrounding residential neighborhoods.

Chronic noise is not simply an annoyance or a nuisance.

It damages hearing, it harms mental and physical health, as you've heard, it interferes with children's learning and adults' ability to work productively.

And it's not something people can simply get used to.

Even during sleep, research shows the body reacts to noise with stress responses that affect cardiovascular system, the cardiovascular system, and ultimately the heart.

The Brown Community Noise Lab, as you just heard, measured gunfire at high decibel levels.

And gunfire is not only loud, it's literally explosive, unpredictable, and in this case, persistent, which also exacerbates health impact.

Noise generated by gun training at the Cranston Complex also raises profound concerns, as you've heard about children's safety and learning.

A study by the late Dr.

Arlene Bronsaft, a pioneering pioneering researcher on noise and children's health and one of my colleagues showed a clear link between chronic noise exposure and reduced academic performance in children.

In a blog, Arlene co-authored titled The Sound of Gunfire Near School question mark, just another day in Cranston.

She wrote about the unsettling reality that students here have become accustomed to gunfire during the school day.

But this evening, I'm encouraged that the city council is moving forward to a vote on this amendment.

The proposed operational changes are a step in the right direction.

It's hopeful to see stakeholders coming together to find solutions that protect the health of residents, students, and the police officers who train at the facility, as well as the staff.

Cranston has the opportunity here to act to put science health and community well-being first.

I urge you to pass this amendment prioritizing solutions that protect children and residents in Cranston from this preventable harm.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Go back to public comment in the audience, the great representative of District 16, Brendan Potter.

Thank you for coming, representative.

State your name and address, and we have three minutes.

Thank you, Chairman.

Um, good evening, President Wall, honorable members of the council.

For the record, my name is Brandon Potter.

I live at 62 Pro Dav.

I'd also ask that the record reflect uh I represent the people of District 16 in the Rowland House of Representatives, which is comprised of Eden Park, Auburn Stadium, Garden City, and I formerly represented the people of Michanikett.

Um councilman Traficante, Councilwoman Graziano, Councilman Andah, thank you very much for sponsoring this ordinance and bringing it forward.

I want to begin by saying for what it's worth from the perspective of somebody who has worked on state laws related to gun violence and issues of public policy that are relevant to this.

I personally find it absolutely insane that at the same time we are subjecting children to run through active shooter drills.

There are people in this room who will make the argument and attempt to justify why it is okay that those same children are listening to gunfire go off right outside of their classroom window across the street while they are in the classroom.

But really, I wanted to come here today to respond to some of the arguments because over the last five years, having this debate ongoing, there has been a lot of misdirection and a lot of reframing of the argument that I don't think actually gets at the heart of the issue.

One of the arguments that we've heard quite a bit, and we've heard it brought up a little bit tonight, is that the police have to train.

You've heard other witnesses before you testify that no one is arguing that the police do not have to train.

Of course, we all want our police force to be well trained, safe, and capable of protecting us.

But I do want to point out for the council that the City of Providence has offered to allow the Cranston Police Department to go to their range, which is approximately nine miles up the road in situate and use that facility.

The response that I heard previously from the administration and from the police department was that quote, they can't just pack up and go.

Ammunition, firearms, I think that is in the wheel of what police typically do in their day-to-day activity.

But even if the police for some reason need to stay in this particular location for the purposes of qualifying, I want the council to be familiar with a little bit of math.

To the best of my knowledge, there are 153 officers in Cranston.

Officers need to fire 300 rounds per year to qualify.

That comes out to 45,900 rounds per year.

If you had only one officer qualifying at the same time at one time, and let's say it took an officer four hours to go through that qualification, that's 612 hours in a 40-hour work week, that could be done in three and a half months.

That could be done at a time when students were not in the classroom.

That could be done in a fashion where the community was updated and prepared for when the shooting would happen.

There could be a level of accommodation.

We've also heard the argument that this is actually a pro-safety measure, that this is a good thing, that the police being in that close of proximity to a school somehow promotes public safety.

I don't know that that's an argument that's even worth having to rebut, but I do want the council to be aware of one thing.

Coincidentally, right now, as we're here tonight, there is a trial going on that's made national news where an officer in Uvaldi, Texas, is on trial for something very similar to I think a concern that you've heard quite a bit about this issue.

Keep that in mind.

I have personally seen a petition with over 100 signatures on it.

I have personally spoke to dozens of neighbors in that area who have all complained about it.

And we've also heard an argument that no one at the school has ever complained.

That is also a lie.

I have personally spoken to teachers, substitute teachers, children, students who go there who have complained about it.

But to that point, what I find most alarming about all of this is the fact that so many students I have spoken to, and testimony that you've heard from other people has said the students tell us it doesn't even bother them.

The fact that we are here debating whether it is a good thing that students are desensitized to the sound of gun violence and gunfire.

I think that fact really just says a lot about where we are.

For what it's worth, members of the council, comes as no surprise that our city has had a number of embarrassing moments over the last few years.

We've been in the news quite a few times.

And I have many colleagues and I have many friends around the state that ask me quite often what is going on in Cranston.

And this is one of the things that they bring up.

I've introduced legislation at the State House and testified about this issue to prohibit the operation of an outdoor shooting range within one square mile of a school.

When my colleagues have heard about what happens here, they do more than scratch their head.

But moreover, I just want to say, as somebody who's worked on a number of public policy issues and had to debate many issues in state law, brought many stakeholders to the table over a variety of issues.

I have never experienced one other issue where people who have a very valid complaint, a very legitimate concern about a basic quality of life issue that have been met with such disrespect, have been so easily dismissed, have been ridiculed, have been laughed at.

Truly leaves a lot to be desired for people who care about good government.

This does not have to be a contentious issue.

There is a collaborative solution here in the spirit of good government.

And I very much hope that the council uh takes that into consideration.

The people who you will hear from tonight that you have heard from and many others have been very patient.

They've been reasonable, they've asked for a number of reasonable accommodations.

I cannot say that I've experienced the same on the other side of this issue.

I hope that you'll keep that in mind when you consider this.

And uh I thank you all very much for your time and for your commitment to public service and all the time that you put into this.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Representative.

Anyone else in the UNS that would like to speak on this matter?

Please come upstate your name.

I mean, Representative Potter spoke for everybody, but I am Roberta Judge, and I live at 18 Laconia Road, and I've lived there for 23 years, where I have raised three children from birth at that address, and they have gone to uh Peters, Western Hills, and Cranston West.

And I would just like to say that I am I have spoken before about this issue, and I'm very much um in support of this ordinance passing this um the committee tonight, and um so can I second everything you've already heard tonight about everything we I've heard for lived through for 23 years.

Um so thank you.

Thank you.

Is anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on this matter?

Please say your name and address.

My name is Patricia Schoeninger, and I am a longtime resident of this community, and I support this ordinance regarding the gun range.

I'm here because the continued operation of the police gun range without meaningful limits or mitigation has placed an unfair ongoing burden on nearby residents.

This is not a temporary inconvenience, it is a chronic quality of life issue that has been allowed to persist for years.

The noise from the range is excessive, frequent, disrupting, it is not compatible with residential area, it interferes with work, family life, outdoor activity, and peace inside of my home.

Residents should not have to plan their day around gunfire.

Renting this range to outside agencies is unacceptable.

That decision directly increases noise, frequency, duration, and it shifts the impact of regional training onto local residents.

Our neighborhood should not function as a regional shooting facility.

The use of firearm suppressors is a necessary mitigation, not an optional one.

Suppressors significantly reduce noise, protect officers' hearing, and are widely use in modern training environments.

If this range is going to continue operating where it is, suppressors should be required.

And that their use of the range is limited to pistol training.

I am requesting clarification on the following points.

One, where did these outside agencies conduct their rifle training and qualification?

Two, where are these outside a outside agencies using the range for all of their training, including rifles?

If rifles are being used, are these agencies required to use suppressors on their rifles?

How many police officers in total from these outside agencies use the range?

Clear answers to these questions are important for understanding the full scope of outside agency activity at the range and its impact on the surrounding community.

Right now, keeping things the same benefits only the police department, not the residents who live here.

The argument against change isn't that it can't be done, it's that it's inconvenient.

Operational convenience should not outweigh the health, well-being, and quality of the surrounding community, especially when reasonable measures exist that would reduce harm.

This ordinance does not shut down the range, it does not compromise public safety.

It simply establishes reasonable limits, responsible operation, and respect for the people who live there.

Thank you.

Is anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on this matter?

Please say your name and address.

Why was my councilman not allowed to use the do a presentation?

We can't answer you.

I'll note it though.

Oh it's it's a legal question, is it not?

During public comment, we're not allowed to go back and forth, but I'll note it.

Please note that.

I think that was a prejudice.

Okay, my official time.

We'll start now.

Nothing says 21st century living like gunfire up to 12 hours a day.

All the best neighborhoods have it.

Nothing creates wonderful spaces for children to grow and thrive more than having bullets fired in their backyard.

Nothing says 21st century education like gunfire outside of the classroom door.

All the best schools have mass shooting like gunfire for their students.

Our veterans for our veterans, nothing says, thank you for your service, like recreating the battlefield experience for them in their homes.

Do you agree on these things?

This isn't complicated.

You need to ask some questions.

You need to ask how did East Greenwich solve this problem?

You need to ask how did New Haven solve this problem?

You need to ask the colonel about the ARPA Apple of Funds application, where he signed his name to a document that stated gunfire noise pollution is a public health crisis, where he stated the police have received numerous complaints about the noise and the disruption that is causing.

Where he stated that gunfire affects students, and where he stated an indoor range would serve served the department's needs to properly train officers.

You need to ask the colonel why he reverse course, contradicting himself on these irrefutable facts.

Why Tom Zandellus misled the Planning Commission and why he was did did not correct his mistake after he received videos of the gunfire.

You need to ask why Zandellas sees no money on the books for rental income.

You need to ask where's the mayor's land deal.

Was that made up to sound good in the debates?

You need to ask why the dire warnings from a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a professor of epidemiology, a professor of pediatrics.

Why these people are being ignored?

You need to ask why a middle school principal is being sought after as a medical expert.

Finally, you need to ask a three-term mayor, your colleague, Mr.

Trafficanty, what is like to have the fortitude to do the right thing for his constituents in the face of opposition from every direction.

I am here tonight fighting for my home.

Vote yes on this ordinance.

I deserve no less than to have peace in my home.

And I want to leave you with this.

Quote, what's unusual was that there's four very distinct shots that go off and not a single person calls the police.

Vote yes on this ordinance so that never happens again.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on this matter?

Please come up and say your name and address.

My name is Alfred Schoninger.

I lived in Cranston on Scotland Road for over 50 years.

I also owned a family business in Cranston for 50 years, over 50 years.

I'm here tonight to support the gun ordinance.

I want to first say that it for uh the past 10 years plus that we've been going on this, it's been thrown in our face that the pistol the range has been there.

Believe me, it's been just the pistol range.

It's only been over the past 10 years, and I'm sure all these nice young gentlemen behind me will admit that the guns from the past 10 years that they're using now is a hundred times louder than they were when it was the pistol range.

They have to admit that.

I also like to say that on the past 10 years, we've been kind of lied to with false promises.

One of them was that um uh that they can never uh that we were against the training of the police.

We were never against the training of the police.

Every city has to have the police trained, they all don't come here, so there's many other places they can get and as um uh uh Senator uh Brandon said that they already offered by Smithfield that they can go there, so there are several other places they can go, so it's not about that.

The mayor also said that he's got the grant.

They I don't know why they put it in the core, but to enclose it.

They swore that he campaigned on that that went under the water.

Then he also said he found land, they got land, they're gonna move it.

Another false accusation to us.

So we really don't know what to do.

They also said they work with the schools, and I find it very hard to believe if they work with the schools why they're shooting all day, and why they're shooting when they're having their final exams.

If they're working with them, they're not doing a very good job at that, that's for sure.

One of the craziest things that I did find out in the past 10 years trying to um find a solution to this problem is the one thing that's in common that everybody says is if there was a neighbor, a next door neighbor that was shot.

None of us would call the police.

I mean, that's got to be a safety hazard.

Come on, think about that.

That's gotta be real.

I mean, that that's the only thing that everybody says.

A lot of people say they're with the gun, they're against the gun, but they all admit that they would not call, and that's very, very, very, very sad.

Obviously, the other thing they keep saying that there's only two ladies, and I like to thank them for running this organization for the past 10 years, and it's not because we have hundreds of names that we've been through this right from the beginning, the past 10 years or so.

The other thing they were finding real hard to do is finding out again where was all the money, where's all the money going?

If all these we had FBI there, we had ACI guides there, we had Massachusetts plates going up there shooting.

Where's the money?

We looked at all the the information records that were given to us, ain't in there, ain't in there, ain't in there, it's just too bad.

And lastly, how about all that lead?

All the thousands and thousands of bullets that have been shot up there.

When's the last time you cleaned it out?

Did you ever think of that?

Or you're breathing it while you're shooting you in your big five powerful guns.

Lastly, I'd like to say this.

I would like to ask each committee member before you cast your vote tonight.

Think ask yourself one thing.

If I had a child right now that went to one of those two schools, not 10 years ago when you went, not all these years ago.

I'm talking about right now, tomorrow, the next day, every day we have to put up with the guns.

If your child did that, or how about you your mother dad that lived over there for 50 years, finally retired?

But they gotta hear this every day.

What would your vote be?

Please consider voting this.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you.

Is anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on this matter?

Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on this matter?

One once, twice.

Mr.

James, anyone online that would like to speak on this matter?

We do have public comment online.

Okay, let's see.

How are you?

If you could state your name, address, and you have three minutes or speak your mind.

I've just uh notified her to unmute.

All right.

Is anyone else online that would like to speak?

We could come back to her.

Here we go.

How are you doing, Jamie Banks?

If you could please say your name and address.

Yes.

Hi, everybody, and thank you for for this hearing.

It's really been pretty remarkable to listen to.

So I'm the I'm the founder and um president of Quiet Communities.

You heard our executive director talk very eloquently.

You've heard Erica Walker, you've heard Dr.

Richie, and what I had prepared to say really um is redundant at this point.

What I did want to add is that some of the physiology that's involved when people hear high impulse noise like this.

This is something that causes stress.

It causes startle.

It's not just saying people that uh hear gunfire are more likely to have disease.

You can actually image what happens to the brain when people react to sound.

And what happens is that a portion of the brain called the amygdala is activated.

It sets off what's called the autonomic nervous system, which then is responsible for causing the release of stress hormones and neurotransmitters, and that sets off a cycle of inflammation and oxidative stress that end up increasing all risk factors that influence cardiovascular health, cardiometabolic health, mental health, anxiety and depression, and ends up damaging the lining of blood vessels.

Now, when this is happening over and over and over again, you become very prone to these diseases over time.

And this is what we're talking about here.

And then with hearing damage, you're getting the same thing.

You're hearing these sounds over and over again, and each time you hear it, it's affecting the structure in the inner ear until the point where you start to get hearing damage.

It's especially important for the police forces training, but also for people that are being exposed to this at relatively close range.

And as you heard, this also impairs children's learning.

And just as a last point, I want to say also that there's science to show that there's a sensitization effect.

So hearing noise for the first time is one thing, but that experience then sensitizes you to even more damage upon repetition.

So I'll just stop there and say there's a lot of uh science.

There's actually thousands of articles published on the effects of noise on health.

Um, I serve as chair of the noise and health committee of the American Public Health Association.

We put out a policy statement on noise, and it's something that's getting increasing attention, whether it comes from guns or a variety of other sources.

So thank you for listening.

Thank you.

Mr.

James, anyone else online that would like to speak on this matter?

We have one more.

Hi, can you hear us?

Hi, yeah, can you guys hear me now?

Yes, if you could just say your name and address and speak in mind.

Thank you.

Sorry about that.

Um, my name is Brittany Barber.

I live at 104 Auberry Street in Cranston, obviously.

Um I just want to start off by saying that I fully support our officers and all the hard work that they do to keep us safe.

I understand the importance of our officers being able to train.

Uh, with that being said, children and staff deserve the opportunity to work and learn in a healthy and safe environment.

Normalizing the sounds of gunfire is detrimental to our town.

It's going to impede individuals' ability to recognize a real danger.

I wish that we didn't live in a time where gun violence, especially in learning environments, is occurring so frequently in our country, but unfortunately, it's the current reality that we're living in.

Uh time is of the essence in an emergency, I'm sure if that's not an argument here.

Everyone needs to be able to recognize danger as soon as possible.

Uh every second counts.

Not only is it impacting our children and educators negatively and and you know, impacting learning.

It's also impacting residents of the area.

Um one should have to hear uh gunfire day after day and have it normalized.

I really wish that we do right by our community and uh stop impacting residents in a way that I feel is negative.

Um I do not have to hear the gun violence.

I you know violence.

I'm not near the area, uh, I'm on the other side, but I'm just here as a good neighbor, and I really uh urge you guys to please consider uh passing this ordinance.

We really need to find a resolution on this month.

Thank you.

Anyone else in the audience?

Last chance.

At this time, I'm closing public comment, and we are going to research for five minutes.

Everybody ready.

All right, let's go.

Call the meeting back to order.

It is according to the ordinance meeting back to order.

It is 8:33 p.m.

Clerk, I think you have to take a roll for attendance.

No?

Okay.

All right.

No road.

So at this time I'm gonna go into ordinance 12, 25, 01.

I mean dash 01S ordinance and amendment of Title A, Chapter 20, Section 70 of the City of Cranston Code of Ordinance and Title Special Activities.

At this moment, at this time I am opening up for discussion.

Councilman Trafficanti, the floor.

Oh man Trafficante, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I want everybody to sit back and relax.

This issue has been going on since 2021.

And a few more hours is certainly not going to kill us.

No one has to convince me and tell me about gunfire and the impact of gunfire.

I'm living proof of that.

My four years of military experience, I have a pension at the present time because of a loss of hearing due to gunfire.

And that's why I have compassion for the people who live next to a gun range.

So bear with me.

There seems to be some concern by the police membership that this ordinance before you this evening is an anti-police legislation.

I can appreciate the concern in light of the anti-police sentiment creeping into several of our major cities throughout the United States.

So for the record, let me assure this council, this administration, the police membership that I have no intent to do such a thing.

This legislation that's before us tonight is nothing more than a quality of life issue.

Nothing more, nothing less.

And most certainly our great police department deserves the same consideration and attention as well.

Members of the council, simply put, all I'm attempting to accomplish with this legislation is to find a happy medium where the Cranston Police Department can continue to provide comprehensive training at the range and simultaneously provide the neighbors with some small semblance of a quality life.

Nothing more, nothing less, as I said earlier.

That's it in a nutshell.

And if I am going to be ridiculed or condemned for doing so, so be it.

I'm a big boy, I've been wearing long pants for a very long time.

Council members, this gun rage issue has been debated before the administration and previous city councils for the past five years.

Since 2021, and it remains unsolved, unresolved.

In my estimation, that is ridiculous and more importantly, irresponsible.

No issue before the city should last four or five years and not be resolved diplomatically.

The fact is that two-thirds of this council were not present during the gun range debate for the last four years.

And I'm happy, and I'm sorry, I'm and I'm hopeful after I provide you with the following history that you will put this issue to rest successfully.

I assure you the information I provide you is not going to be bullmark, and I'm not going to shoot from the hip, and I'm not trying to embarrass any particular individual.

Everything I say can be documented either by recordings, by documents, by hearing testimony, or by newspaper articles.

In 2005, the city council passed an ordinance title 8 and titled Special Activities Prohibited.

And it speaks to the maximum allowable sound pressure levels.

Uh, and it identifies distinct premises.

For example, residential premises in the morning, 55 decibels in the evening, 50.

Commercial premises, 65, 65 decibels, 60 in the evening.

Industrial premises, 80 decibels, 75 in the evening.

Public premises, 75 decibels in the in the morning, 70 in the evening.

And it goes on further to identify other prohibited activities.

I won't go through all of them, but just name a few.

Vehicle motors, exhaust discharge, public nuisance, long loud consult uh loud conversation, fireworks, trash compacting, music amplification, construction equipment.

Doesn't it stand to reason that the gun range should be identified with a prohibitive noise level as well?

And the ordinance is here if anybody cares to look at it.

In November 2023, in the Cranston Herald, even Chief Winquist stated the gun range property is the gun drain property is zoned as special use open space and is designated as public as a public premise.

According to the city's noise ordinance, the maximum allowed decibels for the property is 75 DE DBA during day hours and 70 during the evening hours.

The next question is over the years, has our elected officials or appointed city officials expressed a concern about the gun range?

And the answer is unequivocally yes.

In 2024, during the mayoral debate, the mayor was asked, should the police range be relocated because of the number of complaints?

The mayor, yes, I am working on that as we speak.

The mayor showed compassion at that time, and he knew there was a problem.

October the 3rd, 2024, in the Cranston Herald, Director Moretti confirmed what the mayor had stated.

And he states, and I quote, in recent months, the mayor has been looking into the feasibility of relocating the range comprehensively in respect to overall public safety.

So he confirmed what the mayor's compassion was and concerned was.

I'm talking about councilman at the time, Council President Chris Plablakis, who's now, of course, a state representative.

And he states, I am sympathetic to the neighbors living directly next to a police range, which is why I support enclosing it.

Doing it will not only mitigate the noise, but also provide the police department with a state of the art facility where they can train more frequently.

In October 2024, council Councilman Capapiano, who sits here tonight, a fellow Republican agreed with Pleblockers.

And I quote, we have one of the finest police forces in the state.

We need to give them that, we need to give them the need to protect us.

And with that said, I look forward to being part of the effort of enclosing the gun range in order to keep our neighborhood quiet while also keeping it safe.

In November 2023, Providence Journal, Zachary DeLuca, the mayor's spokesperson, indicated, and I quote, the city is still exploring avenues for funding as well as hiring other potential solutions, including a new location to mitigate the issue.

So again, the mayor's office and the administration had concerns, and they were trying to resolve the issue.

And I have all the articles here if anybody cares to look them over.

Did the local residents express concern?

Unequivocally, yes.

In October of 2022, a petition was submitted to the administration.

The petition was signed by 95 residents surrounding the gun range from 14 different streets.

Laconia, Midland, Phoenix, West Hill, Scotland, Whalen, Glen Ridge, Situate, Preston, Lodge, Hope Hill Terrace, and Invenia, Angel, and Shorthill Drive.

That petition was submitted, like I said, to the administration, and they did not only just sign their name, they put next to it the reason why they were signing it.

And just to just name a few.

Of course, all the liability documents that were signed by those departments.

Have medical professionals address the dangers of more exposure to city, more dangerous to exposure to the city target range.

The Center for Delete, the Center for Disease Control, the CDC, stated in the Cranston Herald on March 16th, prolonged exposure to noise above 70 decibels can cause hearing damage to Cranston residents, especially those closest to the range.

The following doctors sent similar testimony either before the council or to the administration since 2021.

Dr.

Megan Ramney, an expert on gun violence, stated in the Gold Local Province Journal, noise pollution is real and has a real mental and physical consequence for all individuals.

Dr.

Melissa Jenkins, PhD in neuropsychologist, sent correspondence to the administration in September of 2022.

Exposure to noise is one of in one's home from any source leads to both psychological and physical adverse outcomes, including anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and tinnitus.

Dr.

Patricia Ritchie, who spoke to you tonight, testified before the city council expressing similar psychological and physical adverse outcomes, and she called for the immediate shutdown of the range.

Eric Walker, assistant professor of epidemology, the founder of the community noise lab at Brown University stated peak noise levels of 82 decibels were recorded by researchers from Brown University Noise Lab.

These far exceed the levels of safe hearing for our children.

Did the major, major Panelano and Chief Winsky acknowledge that noise pollution at the green was a problem?

Did they show compassion?

Yes, they did.

In November of 22 and September 22 to mitigate the noise pollution problem at the range, the city and police department submitted two pending grants to enclose the facility.

Both the major and the chief signed their names to that grant application, which reads the gunfire noise, number one, the gunfire noise is a public health crisis.

Number two, the Cranston Police Department has received numerous complaints from residents about the noise pollution and the disruption it is causing.

Number three, the noise pollution affects students.

Number four, an indoor range would serve the Cranston Police Department's need to properly train police officers maintaining the required law enforcement standards.

And lastly, on March 5th, the Planning Commission had before a request for $5 million to convert the police department's firing range from an open-air facility to an enclosed range.

At the meeting, and I'm glad Mr.

Freus is here tonight, move to remove the project from the FY25-26 capital budget.

Chairman Fre stated that and he spoke with both principals at France the West and Cranstonese, who, by the way, are certainly not medical experts.

And of course, they reported that they had no received no complaints from the students.

He then stated, which is disappointing.

I have you have to have a necessity, and I don't see the necessity.

After all that testimony, I don't understand why a person would even say that.

Coming from the mayor, coming from the director of administration, coming from the council president, coming from the council, a city councilman, coming from the general public, etc.

etc.

etc.

In the transcript, the chairman asked the following questions to make the and made the following statements.

After the meeting, Mr.

Frias told the press he will continue to veto any future funding requests to enclose the gun range because it is the homeowner's fault for buying in the neighborhood.

Then the questions came directly to Mr.

Zedellas, the finance director.

The noise level from the area is consistent with our zoning ordinances and noise ordinances.

Well, it was a case where it did exceed the noise ordinance.

It was studied by Brown University.

My understanding is the city is now getting a noise, getting noise suppressors.

That is correct statement.

Frias in the hope that those noise suppressors would reduce the amount of noise.

Mr.

Zidellis replied that that was the intent of perching the suppressors.

He then went on to say if it's gunfire is not breaking the noise ordinance, why does the city need to spend thousands of dollars on a noise suppressor?

Great question.

Number four.

Mr.

Freus, I read in the articles in the area of being used less by outside groups, and is used by the department, the local police department only.

Mr.

Zidales replied, it's my understanding based on rental rental revenue that we have that is correct.

That is the correct statement.

We know in the past it has been used by outside groups, and recently, of course, with the chief sub and the chief's direction has been reduced to three particular groups.

What's disappointing to me is that we had an opportunity in our hands to basically resolve this issue.

And I'm disappointed that the City Plan Commission did not confer with the mayor in terms of his compassion and his concern about the gun range.

He did not confer with Steve Poblacos, who expressed an interest to cover the gun range because of noise ordinance.

I'm disappointed that he had not confirmed with Councilman Campeano, who voice support for enclosing the grunge range because of the noise problems.

I'm disappointed he didn't confer with the police and the major who was seeking grants to enclose the gun range.

Apparently, the city plan commission did not read the petition from the 95 residents who have to had to endure this noise.

Nor did they read the testimony of several specialist doctors who voiced strong objections to the gun range.

You know, in my 42 years as an elected official, I've never witnessed incident like this.

I'm kind of embarrassed for the city of Cranston that our city plan commission did not take so much into consideration when they vetoed the opportunity to solve this problem immediately.

Council members, I've always believed that the greatness of our community is most accurately measured by the compassion and the passionate actions of our city officials.

And that takes fortitude, takes a lot of fortitude.

So I want you to remember in your deliberations what that symbol says while I watch I care.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mayor Councilmember Trevor Kanti.

At this time, I would ask the director of administration if he could allow the police chief to say a few words.

Yes.

Yes, please, but I'd like to have some comments.

Yeah.

Um, just something to note, because it did come up this evening.

It came up before.

Um there has been accusation that the mayor or myself uh was trying to intimidate uh the council, I believe, um, by the show of force, if you will, or the public showing of police department members uh at the prior meeting.

Um, but I just want you to know that um, yes, there are many, many police officers here this evening, but I believe they come out of their willingness to be here.

I'm not aware of any influence that we placed on these officers to be here, the mayor or myself, or anyone in the administration.

Um, so there is really uh, so I just want that to be you know clear that there's no that I I have not, or the mayor or anyone else administration has not influenced that group.

Something to realize too is that Cranston Police Department administration and uh others are pretty independent.

They are independent uh of the politics in the city.

And frankly, I don't think they're very intimidated nor uh influenced by the mayor or myself when it comes to their own convictions.

Um, I don't think their integrity uh should be questioned by their presence here this evening.

However, um, I believe that the major reason why they're here probably is because they believe strongly in their own beliefs.

So I just wanted that to be on the record.

Uh, and thank you for allowing me to say that.

Um, in recent years, uh Mayor Hopkins and Colonel Winquist have implemented several policies and physical accommodations to reduce and mitigate sound resulting from use of the police range.

So as not to be redundant, I defer to the colonel to enumerate the those measures.

In consideration of those here this evening, please be assured that we're reasonably possible and we're not asked to compromise the effectiveness of the range.

This administration will continue to pursue further sound mitigation that is practical and affordable to our taxpayers.

As recent as a month or so ago, the Colonel and Lieutenant Daigon, who operates or runs the runs the uh range, uh testified effectively to the city council as to how the police department has been a good neighbor in addressing concerns of the 15 residents who spoke in favor of this ordinance this evening.

The bottom line is that there needs to be a balance between considerate use of the range and mandatory police training.

Um the mayor believes that Colonel Winchrist and this Cranston Police Department are doing all they can to strike that balance.

Let us not forget, however, the tragic event that occurred a few weeks ago, just several miles from here.

We all witnessed the horror and devastation that a mass shooting could do to human life and society as a whole.

Our state was fortunate that our police personnel were some of those officers that responded to the Brown University incident.

It is imperative to note.

It was through the use of our police range, and I'll repeat, it is through the use of our police range that our officers were properly trained to be in the position to respond and be ready for engagement.

The mayor will ensure that our police forces equipped and trained with all that is necessary to best protect our residents.

God forbid of a potential incident across the street at Western Hills Middle School, Cranston West, or at any of our other schools.

Our police officers need to be prepared without inhibiting their ability to respond.

The mayor wants to be clear that this administration will continue to support the Cranston Police Department in their training efforts to serve and protect our residents, especially in these unsettling times.

He also will not lose sight of the concerns of the neighboring residents.

In listening to the residents here this evening, this ordinance falls short of their wishes to prevent sound emanating, gunfire sound emanating from the range, which is the core of their concerns.

This ordinance is not their solution.

Please be advised that any ordinances to diminish the effectiveness of our police department to protect our residents, we'll meet with the mayor of veto.

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity for the statement.

If you'd like to have the Colonel, uh he's certainly here for you this year.

Yes, director, please.

The Colonel could please come up.

Thank you, members of the council, members of the ordinance committee.

Um Chief of Staff Maretti's passing on some information that you can have.

I ask that it be included on the record.

So move, Mr.

Chair.

May I have a motion to include the chiefs?

Correspondence and also a letter from uh Robert Murray.

And so the record.

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any nays?

Ayes have it.

Continue, Chief.

Sorry.

Thank you.

So, in the perfect world, if I had five million dollars, I'd have an enclosed range tomorrow.

But we all know that we made attempts to do that and it didn't work out.

And I don't see a lot of extra money hanging around in the city or at the state house.

So we have to be realistic about that.

There's several officers here tonight.

They came on their own volition.

They count on that range to practice with their weapons to face a life and death situation.

So their life's depend on that range, and that's why they've sat here patiently tonight for the last several hours to listen to the testimony.

They know how important that range is.

I know how important that range is.

I also know that as chief of staff already mentioned, we had 22 officers that responded to the Brown University shooting.

We were there within minutes.

And I knew when they were responding there that I had no qualms that they were going to be safe.

They had the weapons that they needed, and they had the training that they needed.

So we need to make sure that that continues here in the city of Cranston.

We're one of the largest police departments in the state.

We're very fortunate to have our own range, and it's probably one of the best ranges in the entire state of Rhode Island.

I can tell you that there's other ranges in the state, including where I used to train when I was with the Rhode Island State Police in Foster, Rhode Island, where I qualified on a regular basis and trained.

That range is in close proximity to a neighborhood.

We use rifles there, shotguns, and also pistols.

Warwick Police Department, they do the same.

Their range is in close proximity to a neighborhood.

They're not facing scrutiny, they're not here facing mandated suppressors on their pistols.

And I'll tell you why that is.

So at the end of the day, whatever we train with at the range is what we have to carry.

You're not gonna train with a suppressor and then um go out with a weapon that's significantly shorter or lighter and go out in the field.

That creates liability, it creates officer safety issues, and it's just that's not how we train, and we should not be training in that way.

In addition to the fact that the suppressors uh cause accuracy issues as well, the trajectory of the shot is also affected by a suppressor, which is again why they're not carried in the field.

So I don't think anybody's intent, and I have great respect for uh Mayor Traffic Canny and the people that are here that voice their opinion, but I don't think anybody wants to put any Cranson police officer in harm's way because we're worried about a noise complaint.

And I say that respectfully.

At the end of the day, um you have information in front of you about suppressors to try to draw a weapon that's six to eight inches um longer from a holster increases a risk for officers.

We operate in close spaces.

We have to clear a room or a house, and we're in a closet space.

You're not gonna want an extra length uh on the barrel.

Uh weapons retention, it's all all except uh affected.

And it also increases the chance of a weapon malfunction, which is one of the worst case scenarios if an officer's in a live fire situation that they have a malfunction with the weapon.

So um we all know that um there's there's a lot of issues with it.

Heat and carbon blowback, it's actually um using a suppressor.

It's a health risk for the officers themselves.

Never mind the the aspect of a gas being pushed back in your face.

And all that's not the um the intent, but that that's what would happen here.

Um and also I noticed there was no fiscal note attached to this particular ordinance, and I broke down the cost of um if we had to implement suppressors.

And at the end of the day, it'd be about 1,025 to $1,550 per officer times 10350, 153 officers uh at a cost of 237,000 uh I'm sorry, 237,150.

So there is a cost to this.

We have to retrofit every single one of our weapons.

We'd have to take it to an armorer, we'd have to have it pinned and welded onto our weapons.

Um we'd have to purchase the um things, we have to purchase new holsters.

Um, and again, even if you offer me the money tomorrow, I'd be dead set against it because officer safety, there's no price on an officer's life.

And I'm not gonna put officers out there at risk to because we're worried about noise coming from the range.

It's an unfunded mandate, just this ordinances and has limited operational benefit.

Even if you equip a pistol with a suppressor, you're looking at a reduction of 20 to 40 decibels, which is minimal.

Okay, so it's not you're not gonna hear it.

It's not like the movies of Hollywood where you know you hear it's a silencer, if you will.

That's not the case.

So you could go spend the money, but at the end of the day, you're not gonna get the uh result that you're looking for.

Suppressors are for rifles, that's primarily where they're used, and we're currently using them as an accommodation for the neighbors.

We purchase uh rifle suppressors, and they're currently being used at the range.

So I just want to make that clear.

I also want to address uh Representative Potter, he's here.

I don't know who you spoke to uh at the Providence Police Department, but um after your meeting, I spoke to Colonel Perez directly, and he absolutely said he cannot accommodate the Cranston Police Department at their range and situate.

He has over 400 officers that qualify twice a year, okay, twice a year.

We qualify once a year.

He has outside agencies using that uh facility as well.

He can't even get some of his rifle teams in to use the range at situate.

So that's not an option.

I want to make that very clear.

I got that directly from Colonel Perez through my conversations, who I'm very friendly with, and um, he made that very clear.

He would accommodate us if he could, but he can't.

So um at the end of the day, you know, we're looking at um cost, number one, mandatory cost that liability, and we're also looking at safety.

Those are three things, and that's why this this ordinance cannot pass.

I don't think anybody wants to put an officer in that position.

So I I did give you a lot of the information.

I also want to point out all the steps that we have taken throughout the year since I've been the police chief up there.

And you can see there's almost 13 bullet points here.

I don't want to go through each and every one of them, but to say that we, you know, ignored the complaints of the neighbors couldn't be fathers for the truth.

And every year we're looking for new technology.

How could how can we reduce what we're doing there?

Uh by state law, officers have to fire a minimum of 100, not 300, 100 shots a year to qualify and train.

So we're we're currently doing that.

We're doing the minimum.

Honestly, we probably should be qualifying twice a year.

That's like most departments do.

But I respect for the neighbors, we have not done that.

So we there is a balance that has been struck.

Um, you know, we're we're continuing to look at that.

I welcome further discussions with the mayor.

He's obviously supportive of trying to resolve this issue.

But short of getting, you know, the money.

Um, we did look at uh I want to mention we did look at sound mitigation, and we got a quote of up close to 150,000 from New England soundproofing, and that would be hanging like um sound absorption panels from the from the rafters at the range.

And then, you know, with the caveat that we can't guarantee this is gonna have any effect.

It's an outdoor range, you know, that there's a there's a rock ledge wall that is in the backstop.

So at the end of the day, we're not gonna throw money away uh with the hopes that it's gonna it's gonna make a difference.

We've gone as far as we can, in my opinion.

If you look at everything we've done, um we've we advertised when we're using the range this particular year.

Yes, we use the range a lot more.

We transitioned to new weapons, new pistols, so we have new crystals, and we also um had to we had to train with the suppressors as well.

So at the end of the day, this year was a year that we used it more often than and not, but next year we'll be back to our regular usage, which is a lot less.

So um hopefully um, you know, I answered some of your questions.

If you have any questions, um thank you for the sign in the back.

Uh I see it.

Um, but uh anyway, uh if you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them.

Thank you, Chief.

We'll probably circle back around with you.

I want to start with uh councilman Bonona.

Thank you.

Um I have a couple questions for the chief.

But before I get into those, I uh I just want to say that um I have the utmost respect for the police department.

I have the utmost respect, especially for Councilman Traffic Cany, who uh I've known since I was born and has given me a lot of political lessons in my life.

And uh I'm glad to see that despite your age, you still got it, my friend.

So um I have just basically two questions for the for the chief.

Um, and they're they're along the same line.

You already answered one of my questions was does a suppressor uh create a detriment to training.

It sounds like that answer is yes.

Yes.

Okay.

Um that's a pretty simple one.

The other the other question I have, and this is you know something I'm thinking about for perhaps the future.

Um is the Cranston police chief, which would be you, uh, is the Cranston Police Department um in support of eventually perhaps maybe enclosing the range.

Would that be would that be a detriment to uh training and would that inhibit the police department's ability to properly train in it in any way?

No, but we would welcome that, but I want to point out, and I think a gentleman that spoke earlier, rifle fire would have to be some of that have to have to be outside still, because it because of the length of the range and what how we have to shoot, but the 90% of the training would be indoors.

But bear in mind we did tour um indoor facilities, and contrary to what somebody said earlier, um, one of the facilities was not even in a in a close proximity neighborhood, and it's an indoor range, and he said we still get complaints.

So it's not it's not 100%, you're not gonna hear anything.

And I can also tell you that um the maintenance cost, uh, this is a small range too.

It was about 120,000 a year because of the filtration system.

You'll get more the lead that's contained inside an indoor facility.

So you have to bear in mind it's not just enclosing what we have now.

There's there's a whole uh aspect to it, that construction aspect to it.

All right.

Um thank you, Chief.

I mean, we this issue is like a trifecta.

We're at the crossroads of quality of life, public safety, and of course, money.

And and uh that is a recipe for a real real tough issue.

And um, I thank everybody that came out here tonight on both sides of this issue to try to educate us uh to uh to allow us to make the best decision possible.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This time, um I'm not on this committee, but if I'm a few comments I wanted to share.

I I think with this issue, um we need balance.

Uh, you know, we need balance between uh the police department or also respecting the the neighbors in the neighborhood.

Um, you know, I'm a former school committee member.

I spent many events at the school.

I've heard from teachers, they do not feel it's an issue at both of the schools.

They appreciate more than anything having the police department that close to them.

Um, I also have family members that live in the neighborhood right there.

They rarely hear the gunfire.

When they do, I know it's a different sound, but they said it's no more disruptive than people cutting the lawn in the neighborhood.

That's how impactful it is to them.

Um, you know, based on on what we've heard tonight, I think the police department's going above and beyond what they can do to mitigate this without jeopardizing their their training.

Um, you know, based on what I've heard tonight, I think we found that balance the best we can right now.

If this moved to a full council vote, all due respect to the folks that are here and my colleagues.

I'm uh I'm a no voter on this.

I'm open to other ideas.

If you want to build a new ice skating rink and make that one the indoor range, maybe that's a discussion we have.

Um, but I think right now, this ordinance the way it is, it's too impactful to the training of our officers.

I'll also say a lot of folks tonight have talked about how they respect the police department, how we have one of the top uh police departments in the state, well-trained ones.

I couldn't agree more.

I think they should be more involved in this discussion, should be leading discussion.

Um again, with all due respect to everyone there, safety is the number one issue for me.

Um, and that's more important than what we're speaking about tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you, man, Councilman.

Complebiano.

Thank you, Chairman.

Uh thank you, Colonel Winchrist, for your duty and uh for your fabulous police department.

Uh first I want to say um uh thank you, uh Heltiman Traffic Hunty for uh bringing up my quote back uh I think it was three years ago.

And I stand by that quote.

And also I think the first thing that Colonel Winchurr said was uh if he had five million dollars, he would close that.

So would I uh I still stand by that.

Um I'm gonna tell you the problems I have with the ordinance, and it seems to be a recurring recurring noting that happens over and over again.

It was put together from my understanding without consulting with the police department.

I think we have a collaborative effort between the police department and the council with a way to resolve this, then we could come up with a more viable solution.

I mean, the colonel came up with five or six reasons why you can't do this.

And it was in a vast.

So let councilman Ritz says I can't support this until we have a solution that works both ways.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Vice President O'Reilly.

I appreciate everyone coming tonight.

I know people are very passionate about their failings tonight.

Um we did listen.

We do understand that.

Before I was on city council, I was on the school committee, and this was an issue brought to us on the school committee.

Um, I did sit with the principal at Cranston West at the time, who's now at Cranston Ace, and he said, absolutely not.

It was an issue with the students.

He actually went to the school.

So I understand the difference in the guns then, but he said no.

Since it reserviced, I spoke to the principal there at Cranston West and Weston Hills.

They both said it wasn't an issue.

I have a friend that's in between jobs and she's substitute teaching at Cranston West.

She said it is not a problem when she walks through the parking lot, she hears it.

It does not bother her.

And full disclosure, at the end of this year, I'm moving and I'm moving to this neighborhood.

So I've sat in the yard, I've listened.

The gravel pet making the noise is a lot louder.

Sometimes I'm in the yard and we can hear the football games, the bands, very loud.

Um we have to have balance here, but I'm not willing to be the safety of our police department.

Whether it's been any issues since being on juvenile hand board, school committee, or city council.

If I have a question, they've always been responsive to me.

I can text or call the union representative, and he gets back to me within two to three hours with my answers.

This should all be worked.

Everyone's sitting at a table with a discussion, not an angry face attacking anyone.

We should all work together.

And maybe down the road there will be some solution or an indoor gun range, but the rifles wouldn't be able to go in it.

Um when I have a whole page of concerns with this, but one thing I did notice was the time difference.

If we started at 9 a.m., that means we're also getting off duty at seven.

Now we're gonna have to hold over and we're gonna have to pay four hours of overtime, which is another fiscal note.

Wowick starts at 7 and 8 a.m.

to qualify.

I've talked to many police departments over the last four months, and I'm not quite sure, but I've been told Cranson only qualifies to offices once a year.

That's correct.

But our surrounding departments do twice a year.

Some do, yes.

Providence is one of them.

All right.

So and Woolwick does twice a year.

I was told today.

Yes.

Okay.

Um I will not be supporting this in any way it is tonight.

I'm sorry.

I just can't do it right now.

I'm not about to put safety of public servants at risk.

Sorry.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Thank you.

I want to just um extend my gratitude to everyone that came out tonight, residents, our city police department.

I really appreciate it because um I I don't remember who said it earlier.

Um, but somebody mentioned that two-thirds of us are new to council, and um we were not here initially, although um we have been aware of the situation.

We have not been thoroughly educated.

Um, you know, in this at this magnitude.

So I am grateful for everybody um this evening.

And I I did a little research when I was running for city council, and and this came up.

And um one of the questions that I asked the municipality, again, I know everyone says that it's a smaller one, but I asked about the suppressors.

That was one of my first questions that I asked about, and they said absolutely not, that they cannot train with the suppressors because it's not real life scenario.

So I I mean, I always knew that before I was educated here tonight.

Um so this I'm I'm actually surprised there's even a cost associated with it because you know, on my end, it was always just a no.

Um so that was that was I'm I'm happy that that was presented tonight because it was something that I was going to ask about and and have put on the record.

Um, one of my other questions um to the colonel is um the public posting of the range schedule.

How is that done?

And maybe that's not through the police department, so the administration, if somebody wants to answer like how that is done.

Uh Lieutenant Daigon, who's the uh in charge of the range facility, uh, has a range schedule, and then he provides that to City Hall, and then City Hall posts it on the uh website.

Okay.

Um I I would love, you know, after this is all done to have like a more um deep conversation with the administration and police department.

Maybe we can do a better job of that.

I don't know if it's a bad job.

I'm not saying that.

I'm just mentioning maybe there's something more we can do there that just came to mind during um these discussions.

And then the other item is um I I also read this um state law that you provided to the council.

So thank you.

I appreciate that.

Um, and I was gonna ask um uh the council's attorney if um he could give a little information on this.

So this is section 1147-62 rifle ranges, because I read this too.

Thank you, councilwoman.

Um, so this is a well on general laws 114762.

It's entitled Rifle Ranges immunity from prosecution, criminal or civil.

Um, it's with all due respect to the administration and to the police chief.

The way I read this ordinances is that it it would it prevents uh individuals, other people that try to or try to sue a owner of a gun range uh if they violate a noise ordinance uh or a local noise ordinance or whatever, it doesn't prohibit them having a noise ordinance or basically prohibits the person from suing to enjoy the use of it because of noises.

There's nothing in this nothing in the state law as I read it that would prohibit a municipality from imposing voluntarily if they want to to uh their own noise ordinances that they would enforce themselves.

But this this is this is third party.

This this prevents third parties from suing owners of gun rages, uh gun ranges from suing because of a violation of the noise ordinance.

Use them from that suit.

Thank you.

And through the chair, if you don't mind one more question.

Um go ahead.

Oh my god.

For the chief.

It's for Mr.

Must.

Um I was never mind.

I'm gonna have to I totally space now as you were walking away.

Sorry.

Um, no, no, no, it's not your fault.

Um, I'll I'll I'm good for now.

We could come back.

Uh Chief.

But I just have a question, then we'll go to the president.

Just to the chair.

Um I just briefly.

Just state your name so that's the one.

Yeah, sure.

Christopher Ross and deputy solicitor.

Uh all due respect.

There's been a lot of due respect today.

All due respect to the mic.

I I think if you look under section B under the state statute that he cited, it does state no standards and rules adopted by any state, city, or town for limiting levels of noise in terms of decibel may occur in the outdoor atmosphere, shall apply to the ranges exempted from liability.

I would argue though, I understand you're saying it's limited by liability civilly, but I would argue the nature of this is by putting an ordinance as to decibels to an outdoor range.

I would think would be a counter to state law, uh, not just on a civil third party, but just actually creating a regulation, any standard of rules.

So I would disagree with Mike on uh your solicitor on that.

I would argue that at least the fourth part of your ordinance would not be enforceable.

Thank you, Chief.

Uh I have a question for you.

Thank you for your service, and thank you to the men and women that serve this great city.

But my the first person that spoke today during public comment, that's my worry.

She couldn't differentiate a real shot versus training shot, but the alert.

So that's what really got me.

And are you willing to implement a push notification?

We already have that.

Okay.

We have code red, we can pick certain parts of the city, we can push out immediate notifications.

And in that comment about like, believe me, if somebody's firing a weapon inside this building, we're all gonna know the difference.

You're not gonna say, well, that's somebody in the background.

We all know like the noise coming from the range does not sound the same as somebody in this building firing a weapon.

You're gonna get multiple 911 calls, you're gonna get witnesses.

Look what happened at Brown University, they were flooded with phone calls.

So they use that logic.

I'm really um perplexed by it, to be honest with you.

And Chief, um I worry a lot.

And I I understand the range is only open to certain hours, but are your officers, are our officers, I should say, trained for nighttime situations?

They're required to under state law.

So they have to conduct low light um level shooting, and that's why we usually conduct it in the fall, because it gets darker earlier, and that way we can get out of there and we don't disturb the neighbors late at night.

Usually we're done by eight o'clock at the latest, and that's only once a year that each officer has to fire a certain number of rounds.

It's limited on um low light uh firing, if you will.

And if you were to train in the summer, let's say, because you know the summer during the fall, when you're saying you know it's 50, 40 degrees outside versus summer when it's 90 degrees on some hot days.

If you were to train past eight o'clock, would you send a push notification to the neighbors?

Well, we would we would posted it um on the website if we were gonna, but uh again, we if we were gonna do um low light um shooting in the summer, we'd we'd be waiting until nine o'clock, nine or thirty at night.

That's why we do it in the fall when they're getting away.

Thank you.

That was my main worry.

Um, I was really I really felt what the first uh speaker said.

So with that, anyone else before I go to the president?

Mayor Travis.

I can't say I'm not disappointed with the uh conversation that's been taking place right now.

You know, some of you mentioned that you want to put the police at risk, but absolutely no consideration is being given to the public at risk, the people who live around the gun range.

Uh the ordinance that I submitted, codifies this the 75%, 75 decibels, which is already on the books, doesn't change that at all.

It just gives the residents some semblance of peace and quiet on holidays and part of the weekend.

That's what it does.

And I think in all fairness, I think we could all agree that certainly should be acceptable.

It certainly doesn't impact the longest hours of training.

Because they have it was 10 months of training.

I eliminated 12 weeks out of the year in calculating the number of hours they could train.

So like I said, I'm disappointed.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mary.

And chief, going on with the mayor said, I don't see why we have to put that on an ordinance.

I mean, I think we could all sit down both sides of the table, and you don't need to open the Fourth of July.

Well, I mean to give you restrictions, it's like telling the doctor you can't you have to use this light versus that light.

And I just I I feel for you and I feel for the residents, but I mean, I just don't see why we have to give you restrictions if you could if you're willing to sit down at the table.

And nobody's firing on the Fourth of July.

That that's my fireworks if you're not gonna hear fire shots being fired at the range.

People are off.

Like there's the training facility is only open Monday through Friday.

That's not open on the weekends, it's not open on the holidays.

There has to be a range officer there for any officer to use the range.

So it's just not that's not accurate that it happens on the weekends of the holidays.

If I really thank you for saying that you're willing to sit down and dialogue with both sides.

Um that's it for me.

Anyone else on the council?

No.

I guess we're gonna finish with uh council brother.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, I'll keep it very brief.

I'm not gonna repeat anything.

First, I'm gonna start.

Oh, you know, uh councilwoman Zeri couldn't be with their us here tonight.

Um, so she said it's all right with the chair.

If I read her statement into the uh into the record.

Um councilman Bezari says I want to uh begin by apologizing for not being present this evening.

Unfortunately, I'm ill and unable to attend in person, but I did want my uh position to not to be gone uh I did not want my position to go unheard after reviewing this ordinance and the information presented.

Um I did not I could not support this uh measure as written.

I am and I will continue to be supportive of the Cranston Police Department and its critical role that they play in keeping our city safe.

I believe that our offices deserve the tools, training, and facilities necessary to do their jobs effectively, and my position reflects that commitment.

Thank that was from councilwoman Bazeri.

Sorry.

And I'll finish off and I won't repeat.

Listen, uh to say we didn't listen this evening, no matter how you fall on this issue.

Um you certainly heard a lot of a lot of testimony.

Um I appreciate everything that the chief has said, and he's always very thorough and very concise in what he says.

And I appreciate the work that you and your offices do in the city to keep us safe.

I certainly appreciate my good and great friend and mentor, uh Mike Trafford Kenny, he always looks out for the for the uh the citizens, even though sometimes it may not be a popular answer.

And I I do appreciate what he did, and I and how thorough he was and his willingness to come to the table.

I have compassion for the neighbors.

I know people who've lived in that area.

I've spent time in there myself.

Um I can also tell you, Mike, you know what?

I live not that far away.

And do I hear the sounds of guns at times?

Yes.

Do I hear the sounds of the football players and the band and all that?

Yes, I do.

Um, but I'll be honest with you, personally, I'll say I wasn't disturbed, and I can tell you from my own family, nor were my children who went to school at Western Hills, and it wasn't in the dark age, it's just a short time ago.

Western Hills, and they went to West and they graduated, and I I spoke to them and their friends, even as this issue re reemerged, as we began talking about again, and I'll tell you, it may not be popular.

I didn't find a single student who had a who said it concerned them.

I know some people who say that they're desensitized.

I can only go by what they told me.

I had been at games, soccer games, football games with my kids, uh, lacrosse, baseball games, tennis, and and it wasn't an issue.

It's not to discount what you're saying this evening, but I'm just telling you my experience here.

All right, in that matter, I do know a lot of teachers, a lot of experts came before us this evening.

I am somewhat of an expert in teaching, and I know a lot of teachers.

Socialize with each other, so I've talked to a lot of Cranston teachers.

I have yet to come across one teacher administrator who has complained to me about the range.

They may exist, but they haven't spoken to me.

And like many of my colleagues, I spent eight years on the school committee and four years as its chairman.

If there was going to be a complaint, trust me when I tell you, I would have heard it.

But I do.

Um to protect our citizens and to train our police to be as effective as possible.

So weighing those two things I have to I have to weigh in on the side of the police.

Uh and if the police tell me they are the experts, I may be an expert in in education, I may, and many people are expert in psychology and sounds and different types of guns, but I'm gonna say the chief and the police are the experts in policing, law enforcement, and law enforcement chant training.

And if they're telling me that the things that are contained in this ordinance will impair that, unfortunately, I can't support it.

So I will not be able to support it, and I have to support the police in this matter, Mr.

Chairman.

I thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any motions?

Seeing none, moving on, moving to adjourn.

May I entertain a motion to adjourn?

Yes, I asked for a motion, nobody spoke.

Moving to adjourn.

Yeah, are there any emotions?

Uh there's any motion.

So I I'm not on the committee.

Can I make a motion to approve?

Even though I'm not on the committee.

You're not on the committee.

I'm sorry, yes, you cannot.

The rules the rule rule rules only.

Third time, are there any emotions?

Sorry, the rules just let me say the flood records so there's no confusion.

The rules only allow committee members to make motions from the committee.

Are there any other motions?

Seeing none, may I entertain a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

Is there a second?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any nays?

Ayes have it.

We are adjourned.