Special city council meeting.

This time, I'd like to call the meeting to order.

I asked the clerk to please call a room.

Present.

State your name and address for the record, and you will be heard.

Anybody's in the in the uh chambers who would like to make public comment this evening?

Uh is there anyone online who would like to make public comment?

So at this time I'm going to close public comment.

Thank you, everybody, for showing up.

Today is Monday, March 30th.

It is 6 16 PM for the special finance committee meeting.

Clerk, please take a roll.

Councilman McGraziano.

Present.

Present.

Castraffic Canti.

Councilman Vizier.

Present.

Council Vice President Harwyan.

Present.

Well here.

We have a quorum.

Next up, we have public comment.

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

Please come up to the podium.

Seeing none.

Clerk, is there anyone online that would like to speak on docketed items only?

There is no online public comment.

This time I would like to close public comment.

Moving on to new matters before the committee, there is a resolution extending the deadline for the mayor to submit his proposed fiscal year 2027 operating and capital budgets to the city council.

Anyone in the administration would like to speak on this or Mr.

President, the floor is yours.

Thank you.

Given our extraordinary circumstance, it was asked of us by the mayor's office and the administration if we could extend the deadline.

But it seemed logical that given the situation, the finance director resigned, we have another finance director coming in, and he's in the interim position now, that we would work as as much as we can given the circumstance with the administration.

So we come up with a good budget that addresses a lot of our financial concerns.

Certainly, if I had the ability, um unfortunately that the clock is ticking.

And as we uh I believe in this resolution, we went about as far as we could as a council.

So no matter what we do this evening, what extension uh we give the mayor's office, the council only has to May the 15th.

So in essence, and I'm sure interim finance director Strom would say he would like to have more, and if I had it within my power to grant it, I would.

But two weeks is about as far as I could go and really do our due diligence as a city council um with the budget.

So I am going to recommend passage tonight.

Um because I think it's prudent it gives gives the uh the finance director and the administration the best possible chance um to come up with a very a good budget.

And knowing that, I just want to state that for the record, as we give that extension, know that that the extension we give to the administration takes away from the the time that the council itself, the finance committee and the city council has to deliberate.

So that two weeks, although it seems sh small, that takes away two weeks that we would have to deliberate because we still have a May 15th deadline to pass this budget.

Um I will, you know, uh be in favor of passing it and make a motion as as a sponsor to to approve of this resolution.

Would the administration like to say anything?

Thank you.

Just to pass along uh the gratitude uh to the council president for meeting with us and and understanding us the situation.

Uh but just try to give some perspective.

The city of Cranston is the uh first and only municipality in the state of Rhode Island that is supposed to have the uh the the uh chief executive submit their budget to the council by April 1st.

I think the next earliest is May 1st.

Um so I just want to always just kind of keep that in light where which we're cramming, if you will, always have um, as you know, we still don't have final school funding that which does it seems to always be modified.

So we we kind of run with uh the earlier it is, the you know, the less definite the uh numbers are, even though budget is an educated guess, really.

That's what a budget is, a forecast.

Um so with that, um, and what happened was as we all know or what came what came to light, um, that there's some financial challenges.

So we wanted to put extra due diligence into this process.

Um and particularly uh to note that um why things are even a little bit more up in the air as of uh uh April 1st is there are a workforce reductions uh that are taking place in the city of Cranston as we speak.

Um so we will not have the same workforce that we uh had in 2026 going into 2027.

So obviously we all take that extremely seriously, and that's kind of last resort.

So in the meantime, uh there's uh we're still analyzing the budget const vigilantly, uh analyzing the budget for the line item by line item, scrutinizing it.

Um uh even more so or uh many extra times.

I mean, even say that.

But um when there's these workforce reductions, you don't exactly know how things are going to be shaking out.

Uh obviously there's uh uh some some people are coming forward for voluntary terminations.

Uh people particularly have been with the city for you know quite a while, or that of the retirement eligibility age.

And some people are taking an incentive package uh to retire.

So it's favorable, it's favorable to them and the financially favorable to the city.

Certainly their efforts and historical knowledge is be tremendously missed.

But that is going on in this process.

The absolute last resort would be any layoff of positions.

And that's why we really want that extra time.

So if in the event that were to happen, I'm not saying it's going to happen, um, but we just want to make sure that making the let me say I'll say correct decision and not acting at all prematurely.

So it's with that level of prudence and care is why we we wish to have that extra couple of weeks to be able to maximize that opportunity to uh have the uh to mitigate the impact it could have on personnel in particular.

So that's that's kind of it in a nutshell.

And not to mention, obviously, we're the uh we're in the interim without a finance director.

Actually, Mr.

Igo is uh been formally acting because Mr.

Strom isn't uh he couldn't be named acting um uh under the charter.

But we hope that this body will approve Mr.

Strom soon.

Um but because of that, uh the nature of uh what's going on with workforce reductions.

I think we all need to take that extremely seriously.

I know you are, and I know we are.

Um, but that really has to do with I'll say trying to extend this deadline further.

We could have submitted it, but it would have been, I don't want to use the word haphazard, but um we want to take advantage of every opportunity we have in order to mitigate any of those circumstances.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Director.

As you know, we strongly oppose layoffs.

Uh, Mr.

President, we'd like to say something.

Um just to acknowledge uh what director Muretti uh had stated regarding Cranston's budget cycle, and we are uh obviously uh if not the earliest, uh among the earliest, and I'll take your word for it, we are the earliest.

I at that, I'll I'll be honest with you.

If we were to look at that cycle, we'd have to kind of look at not only would we extend the time when the budget is submitted to the council, but also the time in which the council has to deliberate.

Um that's that was my only thing.

If if I had it within my power, I would extend it the whole deadline.

But charter-wise, we we're unable to do that, unfortunately.

And um, I know how seriously we're all taking this at this time.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you.

So before I make a motion to um approve this, I just want to let the administration know to be on alert for the 17th and the 18th.

We will start our scheduled department head uh interviews.

Um with that, may entertain a motion to approve this resolution.

So moved.

Is there a second?

Second, any discussion.

Councilman Banano.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, I just want to applaud the administration and the council president and the I suppose acting uh finance director.

Um you know, this isn't gonna be uh a great budget season.

I think we all we all know that, right?

Um, but the fact of the matter is that the administration, the council working together to to make it as good as it can get, um, is uplifting.

And to be able to face adversity, um, you know, as one city as opposed to political nonsense that that that could happen uh is is uplifting.

And you know, if they're members of the public watching, um, you know, not everybody's going to be thrilled with this budget, I'm sure, but rest assured that you know, this council will work with the administration as best it can to do the best thing for the city first.

Um, I also would be remiss if I didn't say that um, you know, Bob Strom coming out of the bullpen here out of retirement.

Uh I think we're thankful for that as well.

Thank you.

Since I hired him many many years ago to work in City of Creston when he first started off, he was much younger than so was my traffic.

Much aware of his integrity and trustworthiness to provide this council with a potential solution to a very, very financial problem that we're facing at the present time.

Yes.

Yes.

Resolution passes.

At this time, I would like to wish Italy a good luck tomorrow for their qualifying of the World Cup for FIFA.

And uh, we'll be at Law Store tomorrow at three PM in Barlazzle's also doing something.

So with that, may I have to take a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

Is there a second?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

I have it.

We are adjourned.

And welcome to this second special city council meeting tonight, March the thirtieth.

At this time, I'm going to call the meeting to order.

Present.

Here.

First item of business tonight would be public hearing.

Once again, if anyone is in the chamber this evening who would like to make public comment on a document on our only documentative matter, rather, please step up to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and you will have four minutes to speak.

Is there anyone in chambers who would like to speak on documented matters?

I see none at this time.

The floor is yours.

We discussed various things, especially Italy going to the World Cup.

But with the most important thing, there was a resolution extending the deadline for the mayor to submit his proposed budget for twenty twenty-seven or no later than April 15th.

I urge passage.

Yes.

Consul Banano?

Yes.

Yes.

Motion passes.

There being no further business before this uh the council this evening.

I'm gonna look for a motion to adjourn.

Is there one?

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

All in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed, signify by saying nay.

The ayes have it.

The motion carries.

This meeting is adjourned.

Good night.