The Cranston City Council held a regular meeting on February 17, 2026, preceded by a Safety and License Committee meeting. The council approved numerous resolutions, including honoring retiring Athletic Director Michael Trafficante, supporting Black History Month and Dominican Republic independence, and passing a local traffic-only ordinance for Chiswick Road. A significant discussion centered on the City's FY2025 audit deficit of $6.5 million and the school district's $3.9 million deficit, with a special council meeting scheduled for February 23 to review the audit. Several appointments and committee reports were also approved.
Safety and license committee to order tonight Tuesday, February seventeenth. Clerk, could you please councilwoman Graziano? President Cosby Ritz. Cosmetraficante. Council Vice President Heroyan. Present. Here. Yeah, John's here somewhere. Um I'd like to call for a motion to approve the minutes from the last meeting on February second, two thousand twenty six. There are no minutes. Okay. Is there anyone here tonight for public comment on docket items only? There is no public comment online. I'd like to close public comment now. Under public hearings, we don't have anything. Under show cause tonight, we don't have any. Sorry, my God. Committee business matters carried. Um tonight's gonna be the class B V liquor license transfer. Um is there anyone here from Ginger Asian Bistro at seven thirty-six Park Avenue that would like to come up and speak to us? So when we get into discussion, I'm gonna try to defend them the most I can. Second. So usually when you go to file for your letter of good standing, they give you different boxes. And the main box is to see if you owe taxes to the division of taxation. So of course, I've done it in the past before you click tax status because that's what they want to see that you don't know taxes, so you could open. So I'm asking for a motion to continue. I've already made that motion. For the chair, councilman to second time. Yes, madam chair. Um, I would just like to ask the clerk if this is what was uploaded or nothing was uploaded. And then the second part of the question, you know that there's a language barrier here. So I just want to make that on the record that there is a language barrier and that we have probably nobody that could speak their language to make it clear. So just want to put that on the record. I don't know how you would have paperwork and the I would not as chairwoman or the oh so uh she would know it because this is what would have probably been uploaded that day when he said he was gonna upload it. Through the chair. So I think the confusion is we do have what's uploaded on the portal is what councilman Andrew Hart has, which is the tax status for the transferee. What we require is a tax certificate good standing from the transfer, which is Ginza, and we could explain that to the transfer and the transferee. So this that that tax status letter that you have that is uploaded on the portal is for the transferee. What we need is a certificate of good standing from the transfer showing that they owe no taxes, which is Genza. So Matt, through the chair, if I could well, I'll let the president. Well, just I want to make sure I'm clear as well. So the trans the the party that is transferring their license to the transferee hasn't the letter of good standard would indicate that they had paid their state taxes. Is that correct? And yeah, perhaps the the solicitor Videcki would be best to answer that. I don't want to put it all on the clerk at this time. Well, uh assuming that's the issue with the letter of good standing, if it's taxes owed, you're correct. Um letter of good standing would simply mean that they don't owe any state taxes. You're talking about the transferore. Yes, and the transferees. So we're getting a little confused.