Twenty six.

I would like to call this meeting to order.

Clerk, can you please call the role?

Present.

Councilman Trapaconji.

Councilwoman Vazier present.

At this time, I would like to close public comments.

Do I have a motion?

Motion.

Yes.

Yes.

Turn to open session.

So moved.

Yeah.

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

That would be Council Vice President Horyan.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

I can't focus.

Councilwoman Vizier.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

I want to state for the record that motions were made in executive session.

I would like to make a motion to seal the executive session minutes.

Motion to seal the executive session minutes.

Any discussion?

Clerk, can you please call the role?

Council Vice President Horyan.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Councilwoman Vizieri.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

I would like to make a motion to approve the minutes of the April 6th, 2026 regular meeting.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Council Vice President Horayan.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

I would like to make a motion to approve the minutes of the sealed minutes from the April 6th, 2026 executive session.

Motion to approve.

Any discussion?

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Council Vice President Harayan.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

May I have a motion to adjourn this meeting?

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Okay.

All in favor.

Aye.

Any nays?

This meeting has been adjourned.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Vizier.

Councilman Anduhar.

Council Vice President Horyan.

Council President Wall.

Okay.

Um looking for an approval of the minutes from April 6, 2026.

Motion to approve April 6th, 2026 meetings as drafted.

Second.

Any discuss.

Could I have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horion?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Is there anyone here from the public tonight that would like to comment on docketed items only?

Is there anyone online that would like to comment on docketed items only?

There is no one online for public comment.

I'd like to close public comment at this time.

The public hearings, we have none listed tonight.

Under Show Core's licenses, we have the leasing of the motor vehicle license, enterprise rent a car at 275 at Wood Avenue.

And I believe they did pay their fine.

So I don't think we need to.

This is just a review.

So I don't think we need a vote, correct?

Solicitor.

You'd like me to call for a vote.

I don't think you need a vote.

Okay, I would like this removed from the next calendar, Clerk.

The next item is a class V liquor license and Victorian license for zone allowance located at 195 Niantic Av, and it was a review of the safety plan, which they actually gave us at the last meeting.

So I would also solicit.

Do you have anything say?

Yeah, no, I I was in touch with uh their attorney uh Patrocker, and I told him it was on for status.

I they haven't appeared, so but but I don't think it was necessary.

Um the safety plan was presented.

I haven't heard any objections, so this matter can also pass.

I did have contact today with the police department.

They have no concerns, so I'm asking for this to be removed from our agenda.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

I don't think I needed a vote, but without objection.

Without objection.

Okay.

Committee Mattis over the liquor license new.

And this is you, Dumpling Cranston, Rhode Island, LLC doing business as ugly dumpling, located at 2000 Chapel View Boulevard, suite 200.

Um, is anyone here tonight from that business?

I'm gonna ask for this to be continued over since they do not have all of their work in.

Could I please motion to continue to the next meeting?

Second.

Any discussion?

Okay.

Could I please have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Graziano, yes.

Councilman Ritz, yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes, Council Vice President Horayan.

Yes, Council President Wall.

Yes.

The next item on my agenda is expansion of our licenses review.

And this is Lars Homies, LLC doing business as L Eskima.

Look at that 411 Laurel Hill Ave.

If I remember correctly, we were just having this on the agenda to see if there was any concerns.

I did today discuss this with Cranston Police, the state representative, and Councilman Anderhour.

Do you have any concerns with this business?

No, I drive there constantly.

Um, everything's good, they're keeping everything up to par, but we have to see what happens in the summertime because that's when the issue was.

Would you like me to leave it on the agenda and have them back have it back listed in June or July?

I would say July.

I think we we could we could recess it for at least 60 days.

Okay, Clerk, if I could please have this taken off the agenda but added back on in July.

Any discussion, uh could I please have a motion for that?

So moved.

Second.

Second.

Any discussion?

Okay, Clark, could I have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes, Councilman Ritz.

Yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes.

Councilman Anduhar, yes, councilvice president Horayan.

Yes, Council President Wall.

Yes.

It looks like during license.

Um, for you, Dumpling Cranston, doing business as ugly ugly dumpling, they've requested to continue.

Um, I'm gonna ask for a motion to continue since they still have outstanding paperwork.

Motion to continue.

Second.

Discussion.

I have a roll call.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, councilman Ritz.

Yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes, councilmanduhar, yes, councilvice president Horayan, yes, council president Wall.

Yes, and just a point of uh information.

Would this this would be continued to next meeting?

Under new matters before the committee tonight.

I have a new victory license.

Diner on Elmwood located at 1617 Elmwood Avenue.

Is anyone here from that business tonight?

Please come up to the podium, state your name and your address.

And the Department of Health did give you a date, correct?

Yeah, Chris Christopher Trembley, 54 D Nav, Johnston, Rhode Island.

Now, do you own the business now?

Uh no, we're hoping to close on the 18th.

Right.

So you're gonna be the bit new business owners.

Okay.

I don't think I can pass any licenses until you're the owner.

Is that correct, attorney?

I can't do it subject to as long as they have an ownership interest, they can apply, and clearly he has an ownership interest.

You but that's not the issue.

Missing Department of Health inspections.

That's really the issue.

But normally, as long as someone has a legitimate interest going forward, they can apply for a license.

That's not a barrier, but Department of Health is.

What is the date for your Department of Health inspection?

The Department of Health was telling me I had to get my license from the Cranston before they would schedule the inspection.

Businesses can usually request the Department of Health inspection.

Once you once you get that, then I pass the um I can't.

I'm not supposed to pass a victory license until you've been inspected.

Um Councilman Anderhour.

Is this a transfer, sir?

Uh yes, I'm uh buying the uh present business from the uh owner and taking over the business exactly the way it is.

So the department of health, because I own a restaurant.

So the Department of Health hasn't has an active license right now, so that's why they're not letting him apply for a license because there's one in motion already.

So once he gets the license or something from us saying that he's approved, they'll cancel that license and then give him a reinspection, charge them some more money and give him a license.

So that's what's going on.

So right now for 16, 17, and would have there is a current victory license.

Yes, it's still the operation of the original owner.

You can't transfer a victualing license.

You can transfer a B V license.

You can't transfer a victor a victory lesson.

No, what I'm saying is uh since it's a transfer, that's why they can't, they're telling him he needs a license or something from us.

But I think if you go there with the minutes from today, they should be able to help you out.

I mean, the councilwoman would give you her card.

Um, and would have that's ward two or what one or what one?

So just um the councilwoman will give you her card.

She was here as a witness, get the meet, get the meeting minutes, they'll call her and then they'll uh schedule a inspection, and then we'll probably have to have a special meeting if the chairwoman would like, so that way you get your own license.

In your name.

Yeah.

For the chair, if I could um, sir, if if I could ask a question.

So have you presented the department of health with an application that you filled out here?

The copy of the application for Cranston.

Um, I'm not sure.

I did give them an application.

Yeah.

And then when I put in my application, I also did the uh surf uh surf savor course, and then I put in the certificate for approval for that.

So they would do the inspection, but they're saying that I needed a license, I a license to put on that certificate to certify it in order to get the uh the inspection.

Well, we we can't give legal advice, but um I would I guess I'm gonna give legal advice.

I'm gonna suggest that uh perhaps you show them a copy of the application that was received by the clerk's office so that they know that it's contingent upon their inspection, because how else would they know that you really applied?

Try that, that might help.

Thank you.

I'm also gonna give you my business card.

If you could call me tomorrow morning, I'm gonna help you walk through the Department of Health and get it going over there.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Absolutely.

So at this time, I'm gonna ask for continuance.

Motion to continue.

Second.

Um, when were you hoping to close on the business or to have your grand opening?

We're hoping to close on the the 18th, so we could uh just do like a three-day shutdown for training and switch over so that too much of the staff wouldn't be um late laid off or off of work because of the the lag between the council meetings and the actual ownership, but we'll look for a way to try to work through that.

I think I actually have a full council meeting on the 18th that night.

So if we can get everything situated, I believe I could probably do a safety service meeting quick before our full council if the council president approves it.

I don't see why not.

All right, so if we can get everything taken care of, I'll schedule a special meeting just for you to approve it.

Thank you.

I appreciate it very much.

Okay, reach out to me tomorrow, please.

Thank you.

Discussion.

Any discussion?

Could I please have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes, Councilman Ritz.

Yes, Councilwoman Vizieri.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horayan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay.

Next is the mobile food establishment.

This is for everyone's information only.

So I hope you got to review it.

After that is the license renewals before the committee amusement machine license.

And this is Patuka Athletic Club located at 12 Aborne Street.

Could I please have a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, could I have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilvice President Horayan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next on the agenda is Snack Pack vending located at 2190 Broad Street.

Could I please have a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Clerk, could I have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horayan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next is B.

Um solicitor.

Yes, through the chair, if I may.

I I know we have plenty of time, but if you wanted to take B and C as a block, um, you could do that.

If you just want to take D singly, you could do that too.

Truthfully, you I think you could take them all as a block since they are renewals.

I think you could take B, C, D and E as a block, unless someone has an objection.

Just give everyone a minute to scroll down the list.

Unless there's an objection and a significant one, these as a matter of law should be granted anyway.

So I'm just a suggestion.

We have plenty of I've read over them all, and I'm comfortable.

Does everyone want a minute to read over them all?

Make sure you're comfortable.

Solicitor, can I do them as one block or all separate?

I think you could do it as one block.

All right.

Could I have a motion to take item B, C, D.

Any as a block.

So thinking you can state if there are no objections, I'd like to take those as a block.

We don't all right.

And we'll vote them at all.

Well, take take take take a vote for the block.

Okay.

Just take take the vote.

Take them as we are taking quite a few in a block.

Let's do a vote.

Motion to take B, C, D, and E as a block.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I please have a roll call?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Yanduhar.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horayan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next on my agenda is I think in motion now to approve the block.

Motion to approve the block.

So vote.

Second.

And please have a roll call vote.

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Andouhar.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horayan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next on the agenda F is food establishment renewals.

It's informational only.

We need no votes on them.

If you just want to got them all.

Item X is monthly schedules.

Um I noticed that PAC Theater we don't have and also Cranston Stadium, which we usually never have.

So motion to enter roads and the Pathsit into the schedule.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clark, could I have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Yanduhar.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horayan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

The next is under communications.

And would it be appropriate if I said something now?

Am I allowed to without it being on the agenda?

Probably.

Probably really shouldn't, unless it's uh procedural or something like that.

But if it's substantive, I would caution you not to do that because it should be on the agenda.

If it's substantive, I I don't know what you want to discuss, but procedural, sure, but substantive.

It would it would councilman campo piano reached out and asked me to say he wouldn't hear but he wanted to attend he wanted to attend the school committee meeting on the budget.

Yeah, but he wanted to attend he wanted to attend the school committee meeting on the budget.

That's fine.

Yeah, that's fair enough.

Sure.

Um, a license approved subject to not that's for information only.

I hope you all looked at it.

We have an extremely small list.

Could I please have a motion to adjourn?

Well, those are famous.

If there is no objection, I'd like to take the meeting out of order.

Seeing none, let's start with uh Councilman Capombiano, ARPA grant money.

Councilman, the floor is yours.

Okay, uh, can we have a an update for the finance directors?

What did you what did you want?

An update of the opera funds?

Yeah, right here.

Okay.

Well, I can tell you that the opera funds are pretty much all consumed.

They've been used for police and fire.

They've been used for public buildings, use for uh recreation bonds, uh use for highway, storm drain.

And I believe that's practically all of it.

Um I really need if you needed specifics, I would have to go and do a research.

But I know it was used for all those different classifications.

Do we know how much is left?

There's nothing left right now.

So um all those uh those projects are ongoing, but they have to be done by a certain time.

Yeah, December of 26.

So, David, December, you're referring to the white the 200,000 dollars that were set aside and grant money that was going to the anybody who's infringed on business during the construction work.

Mr.

Order, if you could just state your name for the for the record, sorry about that.

David DeMayo.

Um, you're referring to the 200,000 dollars that are appropriated for the uh construction work in Knightsville and Tyrrell Cranston.

That was given out a thousand at a at a um uh per person.

Correct.

Uh but I I do appreciate uh the director going into a little more detail on some of the other ones.

Uh yes, so I I believe there's about last time I talked to the um uh Franklin that they were uh about 10,000 left.

Yeah, he actually had come around, he stopped by my office, and he I think everybody received uh a list from Director Anzuli of where it was, and I think it's about that.

It might be even a little bit less, a little bit more, but it's around that 10 to 15 left, and he actually has been going.

Um, he did he actually was in Knightsville going into businesses that didn't apply, and then he said that he was going to business with a notary public, so he could actually fill the application out there with the client and submit it at the same time to help them out.

Yeah, I you uh I walked around one of a few of those uh locations, and I guess we're dwindling down.

So as far as we know, there's about 10 left.

Yes, that's my understanding, and I think that's what was brought up at the budget sessions.

You wanted to know, or somebody wanted to know.

I think at that time was about 40,000 left.

Yeah, I think it was about that.

So that's definitely is going to be consumed by the end of this fiscal year of June 30.

So we're trending in the right direction, so that's good.

Yeah, I thought you wanted uh a whole picture of all opera funds.

Just that one.

Thank you.

Any other council people?

Councilwoman Horan.

Could we go a little bit more into date?

That concerns me.

When we had our Saturday meeting, there was about 40,000 left in it.

I'd like to know exactly how many have applied, have they been approved, and what exactly is left in that account?

Because if it's not spent to my understanding, we would have to pay back the 200,000 dollars.

That's what Councilman Campo Piano was concerned with.

So we'd like to know how many applicants have been submitted, have they been processed?

Have they been approved?

I will provide that for you by the council meeting this month.

Okay, and since it's written very broadly, just opera grant money.

Okay.

Um has all the money that was requested and allocated for projects.

Has it been spent or is it still waiting to be spent?

Like Budlong Pool has all the APA money that was supposed to go to Budlung Pool, has it been spent?

It's it's been spent, but it has not been received as a reimbursement right now.

Okay.

And how about Knightsville?

Um I see lots of and I did send a detailed email to administration last week asking for the finances, whether they were city opera, everything for Nightsville.

I'm waiting to receive that.

Do you know what OPA money was spent for Knightsville renovations?

Off the top of my uh head, I don't.

I'd have to check on it.

I don't know.

Okay.

And I didn't get that information.

You didn't personally, no.

Okay.

Thank you.

Any other council people.

Seeing none, moving on.

What councilman Bonano.

I think um it would be a prudent.

And I realize that Director Strom hasn't been here very long.

Uh and most of the opera money was probably expended after he uh retired the the first time.

Um but I think it might be prudent, if not for this council meeting, the next one to to get a detailed report on where every every opera fund went just to see what what's up from when you know when it was offered through when it was exhausted.

So I don't expect everybody to know that off the top of their head, but I would like to see um something like that either for uh April, excuse me, May's council meeting or um or June's council meeting.

Director Renzul.

Hi, thank you.

My apologies.

I'm across the way at the um school committee meeting, trying to be in two places at once.

So I think I walked in to kind of just have a brief of what councilman councilwoman Heroyan asked for.

I know that I received a a request, an like an app or request basically.

Um it's not really an appro request, not asking for documents, but asking for information.

And I I think I responded pretty clearly and in detail that I would get that information.

But what I want everyone to realize is the information is not already put together in the way that it's being asked for.

So I do need to sit with Director Strom and mainly um Mr.

Igo, who just got back from vacation today, um, because he has the historical knowledge on that information.

And I would like to put it in a document that clearly identifies everything that was spent in Knightsville as requested.

If the new request is also on every every way that ARPA money was spent, I'm happy to do that.

This is going to take me a little bit of time.

Um, so if you want to give a deadline, I'm I'm happy to do that.

Or I can send the information as I gather it rather than in one large report.

So Director Strom doesn't have that yet because we haven't had the discussion.

He's trying to create the new budget.

Councilman Kimball Piano.

Oh, good.

Councilman Campbell piano had just put opera funds on.

What he was looking for is the 200,000 that was for small businesses through economic development.

There was a concern that that would not be distributed.

So we would just like to know.

Um, we've been told there's about 10,000 left.

We would like to know it the applicants if they've been processed and if the business has received them.

Yep.

So um there is 10,000 left.

The economic development director conveyed in a meeting today that he thinks that he'll be have them all out by by next week.

Um I can I did send a list of people who are getting them.

I can update that list for you.

He doesn't send it to me every time he he adds someone and he hasn't given me the spreadsheet of you know where they're at in the process.

If that's what you're requesting, please send an email so he knows that's what I'm asking for.

Um, I will go through any avenue you guys need to get you your information, but it's just there's different layers of who has the information in order to get it and put it in a way that's you know can be can be read how you want it.

I'll I will have to do that work for you, and I'm happy to do that.

I just need to know what it is.

Councilman Ritz.

Are you all set?

Councilman?

All right councilman.

Just one comment, Director.

I mean, I mean put your price down yet.

Um with with sending this off, I'm I'm okay with waiting till June if that's a reasonable time.

I'm pushing it for me.

Um, rather than you know, you you sending one at a time.

Um I'm okay with waiting if you need June or or even longer at it.

Okay, yeah.

No, I now that it's on my plate, I'll probably try and get it off my plate into you guys as soon as possible.

Just realize that uh as we're doing other things simultaneously, we need to take priorities.

I think everyone wants the budget sooner than later, but I'll be doing all this on on the side.

And if I missed anything before I got here that you guys requested, if someone could just let me know, I'm happy to take care of that.

I'm I'm okay with waiting if you need June or or even longer okay yeah no I yeah now that it's on my plate I'll probably try and get it off my plate into you guys as soon as possible just realize that uh as we're doing other things simultaneously we need to take priorities I think everyone wants the budget sooner than later but I'll be doing all of this on on the side and if I missed anything before I got here that you guys requested if someone could just let me know I'm happy to take care of that well sorry you don't have 15 other questions okay councilman banano director and before you before you got here I think no everybody kind of said but it's impossible to get this this week I think so especially with what's going on so um I just want to say we appreciate that and I think just to see uh where stuff went um and how it was spent um is prudent at this time whether it's May or June I'm fine with it as much time as you need to um and I know you'll work together to get it right so nobody expects it this minute hopefully soon thank you councilman compovino thank you chair um I see that I don't know if you can answer this but I see that there's an additional work being done through nightfill some sidewalks so there's probably going to be uh businesses that are affected by construction it's my understanding that uh um this grant program would work as it's written up as any business affected by some sidewalk work or utility work is that correct that's correct so if they're affected within geographical area they can apply one time for a thousand dollars yes so these new what my point was is these are in affected now not in the past so those who be able to to uh collect that going forward right i'm confused about your question they have a couple of times opened up the geographic area of people who could apply so there's 10 000 there's 10 of them left and and anyone who within that area can apply you just can't apply twice no no my point being is um the sidewalks that are being done now and I've affected in the past now so they uh opened up to applying for this grant now i i would have to confirm that with the uh economic development director but i believe it's any kind of construction that's affecting a business yes yeah so my point being is if they exhausted all the ones before we have new ones that'll be infected so maybe we can uh they should approach that they should focus on that area i understand what you're saying yes so they should go there and they could probably get 10 like that right away because they weren't affected in the past we probably exhausted the people in the past yeah now these new people being affected maybe they can I'm happy to pass along that suggestion that will make it easier for the economic development director to get this money out but I I do I did go out with him for a couple of hours one day and he he is making a sincere effort to get this money out so I I do believe it could be done by next week.

Thank you director one other thing I'd like to mention is um before the money's distributed we the tax collection department checks to make sure they're up to date uh all um certificates are up to date licenses etc so before any money is gonna be given to a prospective uh proprietor it's gonna be uh all his fees and everything need to be up to date which they are before it is thank you mr auditor i just want to take the time to clarify something the city of cranston roughly got 42 to 43 million in opera funds a portion of the calculation was of the abundance of the money I don't have the numbers handy was put into the operating funds so that's technically been accounted for been appropriated been accounted for because those reports if you qualify I think it was it was like the 10 percent rule so that's all taken care of the main concern is anything else that was outlined in for capital improvements that may take some time they need to be obviously it was supposed to be assigned by 1231 24 and expended by 1231 26.

So the concern is with that money so uh wherever it pool fire wherever those uh money was allocated to that's the concern about making sure that that is taken care of by 1231 26 seeing none moving on number three approval of minutes if there is no objection I would like to take as a block the minutes of the April 6 2026 regular meeting the minutes of the April 16 2026 special meeting minutes of the April 18th 2026 special meeting take as a block April 6 2026 April 16 2026 April 18 2026 do I have a second second any discussion any objection seeing none clerk please take a roll councilman ritz yes councilwoman Vaziri yes council vice president haryan yes councilmanduhar yes council president yes may detain a motion to approve motion to approve is there a second second any discussion clerk please take a roll councilman ritz yes councilwoman vazier yes council vice president haryan yes councilman anduhar yes council president wall yes moving on to committee businesses matter matters carried over i would i'd like to entertain a motion to

Council Vice President Heroyan.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar?

Yes.

Council President Hall.

Yes.

May take a motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, please take a roll.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazier.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horoyan.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Moving on to committee businesses matter matters carried over.

I would I'd like to entertain a motion to table the ordinance and amendment of Title III, Revenue and Finance of the City of Cranston, Code of Audiences, 2025, entitled Chapter 3.12.6, the adjustment of exemption of veterans and compliance of Title 44, Chapter 3, Title 24 of the General Laws of the State of Rhode Island.

Mr.

Chairman, this matter has already been tabled indefinitely.

So this should never appear on the agenda again unless removed from the table.

So this I don't I didn't catch this, but this was tabled indefinitely on 4.6.

So that just remains off the calendar.

So there's a motion to table withdraw it.

Yes, because it's already been done in the case.

I would like to withdraw that motion because this is indefinitely.

Okay, moving on to correspondence.

There's none at this time.

I would like to open public comment.

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

Seeing none.

Clerk, is there anyone online that would like to speak on documented 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 are none.

Um moving on to resolutions.

Uh moving on to the resolution in support of the state of Rhode Island General Assembly amending Cranston tax exemptions.

Pretty sure everybody has it in their packet.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Second.

Any discussion.

Seeing none, clerk, please take a roll.

So just as you know, as as we when we went through this uh earlier this year, this is really just a housekeeping resolution.

Um, to make sure that our the current exemptions are matching what the current exemptions that we give now are authorized by enabling legislation.

So it's it is housekeeping.

Uh I do I haven't I haven't had a chance to talk to uh Ms.

Visually today, but there I so the bill that's in is a good bill, it needs a little tweaking on a couple things, but this is resolution to make sure that the exemptions that we're currently giving, there's no increase in any exemption match what the enabling legislation gives us.

So it is purely just housekeeping.

Thank you, Council.

That is Director Renzuli.

That is correct.

Thank you, Chairman.

Um, also an addition that you'll see in the bill itself is um it gives the option of to be adjusted every three years immediately following revaluation of property with any such increase not to exceed the consumer price index.

Um, so that is something that is something new that is been brought forward by councilman Anduhar, Councilman Banano, I believe Councilman Ritz about raising tax exemptions.

Um this seems like a way to do it with the with a method, you know, staying in line with the consumer price index.

So if if that changes at the state house, that's kind of up to you guys.

Um but this was meant to be a housekeeping bill, so that moving forward, we have a handle on these exemptions if we want to raise them.

We have to, you know, be in line already with what we're doing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any any further discussion?

Seeing none, clerk, please take a roll.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes, councilwoman Vizier.

She stepped out.

Council Vice President Heroyan, yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes, Council President Wall.

Yes.

Moving on, real estate tax abatements.

I'm pretty sure everybody's seen them.

Mandatin a motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, please take a roll.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman.

Council Vice President Horoyan.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

See moving on to item D, Motor Vehicle Tax Abatements.

There are none.

Moving on to item E, tangible tax abatements.

There are none.

Moving on to item F, tax interest waiver approvals.

There are none.

Moving on to G, tax interest waiver denials.

There are none.

Moving on to H tax assessment board of review assessed December 31st, 2023.

Has everybody seen it?

Everybody's seen it.

We are moving on to advise and consent of the mayor's appointee of Richard Mancini as fire chief.

And to take a motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

I think we're very lucky to have Director Mancini.

And he'll be a great chief for us here in the city of Cranston.

Councilman Banano.

I agree.

Councilman Ritz.

Councilwoman Vizier.

I agree.

Councilman Wall.

All right.

Minority Leader Campbell Bionum.

Good.

All right.

With that, Clerk, please take a roll.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vizieri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horyan.

Yes.

Councilman Andrew Hart.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Sorry, I can read it.

Yes.

Sorry, we cut off the director.

I had something, you know, we usually present the for the invice and consent, but I can read it at the full council.

Give me one last thing to write.

Thank you.

Thank you, Director.

Okay, moving on to page one.

Council President Wall, monthly finance report period ended March of 2026.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, I probably would request Director Strom to step up to the microphone.

And those of you who have it online, we're gonna be focusing on page one, Director Director.

I just want to refer um you ready to to page one because that's that's generally uh you know the big item there that we're trending towards a 10.4 million dollar deficit.

Um I see that we're we're lowering some of our um our revenues are down by 1.2 million dollars, and our expenditures are up by 9.2 million dollars.

Um we're trending in a bad way in January.

Uh it looked as we were had about a 220,000 dollar deficit, which wasn't alarming at the time.

In February, we saw a 9.9 million dollar deficit, and now another half a million dollars were uh a 10.4 million dollar deficit.

Um it is concerning.

Uh I expressed this concern, and I know the administration expressed concern in the press about this matter.

Um, but I think one of the big questions is, and I know you've just come on, so I don't look to dig into you, but what are we doing?

What are we doing to rectify the situation?

Because this trend 10.4 million dollars can't continue.

It's unsustainable.

As we argue about the budget and how we're gonna solve the current budget, we look like we have a disaster coming you know forward again.

Please tell me if the if and I as I say, I'm not looking, I know you we brought you on just a short time ago.

I'm not looking to dig into you, but I think we we could use some answers on this matter.

Well, one of the items is that uh all purchase orders.

I uh have to approve them before I will release them going forward.

I think you would find that for the month of April, those numbers would change significantly.

However, I wouldn't say that that figure of 10 million or 10.4 is not gonna actually occur by June 30 of this year, but I don't see it increasing because we put in for the last three months.

Well, uh, April, May, and June.

Uh, we put in a um only spending on essential or emergency items.

So I'm watching it very carefully.

We did receive some revenues in the month of April that's not reflected here that will offset some, but I don't want to disclose or say anything right now because there could be changes again, and uh, I don't want to say that we're gonna be under that number or over that number till I get a better feel of how it's gonna end.

Uh say by the end of April, mid-May, because we haven't received all our revenues in from the state.

Uh, and we haven't had the tax sale yet, so there's a lot of factors that affect it, and the key is to keep our expenditures under control, which is what I'm attempting to do in just the last three months.

Certainly, and thank you.

Um, I'm gonna refer to page, I'm gonna say two and five.

And I also, you know, I already referred to the revenues.

Uh, if you it's both on page two and five, it probably is better uh represented on page five.

Um, the revenues down um 1.2 million, and I think a lot of times we do focus on our expenditures, but this is something that's gonna contributing to our deficit as well.

And the area I see on page five that I see concerns, um two of them.

I see a revenue revenues are down.

If I'm not mistaken on page five, hold on, let me make sure I'm on the right page too.

That fines and forfeitures uh down 1.6 million dollars.

With am I reading that accurately?

I don't have that page with me for some reason, but um again, I believe that those figures are generated from the city clerk's office, I believe.

David, is that from the city clerk?

I think that's inspections.

Is that inspections?

I think it's investment income.

The one wait a minute, one point two is investment income.

Yeah, fines and forfeitures are the other one.

Well, investment income that was put into the budget was last year overstated considerably.

Okay, there was predicated on prior years, but also uh monies that uh was accumulated that are no longer there, specifically opera funds that they invested to generate interest, and also as you know, the interest rates were as uh favorable as they were in prior years.

So that's what that's has affected the interest income.

The in okay, so uh it was overstated.

Let me see if I understood it.

It was overstated, yes, and now we're correcting it in this budget, and that's what I'm seeing.

Well, now it's the actual that's the actual, which is down by 1.2 million dollars, which that's a significant number.

I'd like to have that one, but that's you know, that's a seven seventy-five percent of a point percentage point.

Yeah, um, but how about this fine and the fines and forfeitures?

What is that?

Someone explain that to me.

It's the item that's right before with a P 1.6 million dollars.

You might am I seeing something incorrect?

1.6 million.

No, no.

Oh, what am I saying?

Oh, well, oh, hold on.

Let me take take this.

Point of information.

Good response.

Oh, you know what?

I'm looking at departmental.

My bad.

My eyes, these glasses don't work because I thank you for yeah, I was gonna thank you.

Yeah, never mind.

Thank you.

Your younger eyes and your glasses are much better.

So I I saw I looked at all right.

So the issue is yeah, I was one off, yes.

So departmental is is looking at 1.2 million investment income, as you stated was 1.6 million dollars.

So what's departmental?

What where am I what does that departmental is all departments that generate any type of revenue?

Okay, specifically city clerk's office, right?

Economic development, inspections, you know, fire, police, they all have revenue uh line items that generate revenue.

So we're not generating the inspections that we want.

I thought I thought it right away.

So we're not generating revenues at at the right rate, up to up to the budgeted number.

Up to the budget number.

Correct.

So again, yeah.

Um president uh wall, it could be that some of this is seasonal too.

So in other words, it's usually more activity in the spring for inspections, uh, even uh some of the uh uh items in city clerk.

Could be, yes, I see.

I'm not saying that's gonna resolve the difference, but it certainly will have a definite factor.

Um looking and if we go down the same page, uh page five, the expenditures.

Um, you know, I'm looking at aside from if you look at the whole grouping, um aside from municipal salaries, other, I don't know what that means, and education every item in the expenditures is running a deficit, um, totaling nine point two million dollars.

I think one of the biggest is uh from what I see on page two, one of the biggest items is interest on debt.

Yep.

That's another very item that was not budgeted in my opinion, correctly.

So yeah, so that that's that's an item that's concerned.

There's several items that are concerning, yeah.

Uh adding up to a very big number.

Correct.

So, how do we reconcile the interest on debt situation?

Because that's come up a few times when we discussed it.

Is this just something we're gonna eat?

Well, uh interest on debt.

I mean, obviously, we have to pay what the correct debt figure is, both principal and interest.

So if it's uh underreported, then you gotta pay what it is because it's bond money, and you have to pay your debt.

You gotta pay.

No, no, certainly not.

Um, so I think I've covered enough of that one.

If I go to page 13 um under adjustments, let me see if I can get my pages correctly.

Thank you.

Okay.

So this is a page we looked at before um under adjustments, and it would appear we've made adjustments that between our our um our revenues and expenditures to approximately 1.6 million dollars.

Is that correct?

Yes, I don't have that shoe.

Page page 13.

Yeah, I don't have it with me.

I didn't bring the whole file with me.

All right, so adjustments.

Yeah, explain the what you where and where does that money to make adjustments come from?

Would be explained.

From other line items from different areas of the budget.

So in other words, what we do is in the fourth quarter, we do what they call fourth quarter transfers.

All right, so this is if you're over, say in finance, right?

But you're under in public works, you can do what they call a fourth quarter transfer.

No, I balance things.

Just for my edification, if I recall, I referred to the adjustments last the uh last month as well, but we weren't in the fourth quarter then we're just all right.

So this is the beginning of our fourth quarter.

Correct, but there were adjustments made to certain other lines, or some of the lines that I see here.

Yeah, the two overtime lines were were addressed.

Okay at that time, you weren't making adjustment or fourth quarter adjustment.

Where was that money coming from?

Well it should have come from within that particular department's budget.

Okay, within the the department's budget.

I don't have it in front of me, so I no no I have it, yeah.

No, I got you.

So when you did make an adjustment prior to the fourth quarter, it came out, it had to come out of that department.

Yes, okay.

All right, like all it could be out of any item in finance, like if finance is broken down, yeah, between treasury and collection process uh blah blah blah, you can move money around, but to take it from finance and put it in at the say public works, that's a fourth quarter, I guess.

All right.

Now I see where it went.

It would be helpful to find out where it came from.

Could is there a way that the next when we have this on the report next year?

If you don't mind, could you send me an email?

Absolutely, and I will do some investigation and I'll have answers for you.

Okay.

Just because as we're moving Rob and Peter to pay ball, I'd like to know if we're doing it right.

And all right.

And I'm sure you know, you are well.

I think we're doing it right, it's just that the resources to do it with limited because I uh I get it.

Don't feel the budget was proper.

Right.

And you I think nobody's gonna argue with it all in this room.

Um, all right, I'm gonna move on to economic development.

And it's funny we were talking about this evening.

Um on page 15.

And I don't know if you have all your pages, but it says economic development, federal grants.

I got a bunch of zeros.

Director, if you could just speak into the mic.

Oh, he hasn't started.

So are you looking at revenue side?

I'm looking, yeah, I'm looking at the revenues.

So no grants come in for page 15, right in the middle.

It's a tiny, it's um let's see, which one is it?

Economic development is one one one zero.

Department of Economic Development, Federal State Grants, Department of Economic Development.

And it's easy to see, it's the only one with all zeros.

I'm trying to find them.

Because I just ran a report today, and uh I'm trying to get it's right under uh planning commission.

Would you like uh Tracy has one?

Would you like to see hers?

Yes, please.

Do we have to accept that into the record, counselor?

It's on the agenda, I believe.

So one one one zero.

Should be all zeros across.

There's been no activity this year at all.

Okay, so in last year's budget, we had no economic development grants.

As far as I know, because there's nothing that's listed currently, right?

Nor is there anything.

It was the year before.

So now listen, I'm not gonna talk about that.

That that fact, but the fact that we're working on the year before his grant, still it's it's that's another issue entirely.

But I guess we I don't know, we we never assumed that he would be doing any work in this.

If he if he was able to, we we assumed he wouldn't give any grants away.

So I assume so, but it's not you who didn't.

Yeah, I'm just pointing out kind of it's kind of funny that it's not there was nothing nothing there that year, and thank God he would have you know work to do this year.

Anyway, okay, let me move on to that one.

So under inspections, which is right on the same page, um, one one one.

Um I'm seeing a deficit in revenues in that department.

127,000, 776 dollars.

Okay, well, my latest report as of today.

Yeah, inspections.

The figure that was in it and in uh inspections is two million eight fifteen.

We've brought in over two point about two point three million, and it's at about eighty percent through today.

So in my opinion, they're pretty much on track to hit the budgeted figure by year end.

Okay.

So they had they had a good couple of weeks.

They must have because compared to what I'm seeing, yeah.

They had a very good couple of weeks.

That's why you seasonal, yes.

That's why councilman, you can't always base it on a month end report because things can change.

Oh no, I'm I agree with you on that one.

A hundred percent considerably depending on the time of year, too.

So you bring up, and I'm glad you brought up that um that report, because you had told us before before the council that you run the weekly reports.

That's what I ran today.

You ran how I usually run it on a Monday because activity for the week comes forward over the weekend.

Would you say that that report that you received that you ran today is as accurate as the one that we received?

Is there any March 31st?

Your report.

That's my report.

What I have is dated May 4th.

Your May, yours is the week.

Yeah, so you went up.

So every week you can run one.

That's good.

So it takes a few minutes to run it?

Yeah.

And is it as accurate as the one we receive for uh it's all it's all the uh data that's in our system, so it is accurate.

When all right, so I ask you a question.

When you run that report, yeah, and you see issues, yeah.

What do you do?

I bring it to the uh attention of uh my finance department, yeah.

But more importantly, I bring it to the attention of the department heads.

Okay, do you ever bring it to the administration?

I haven't since I've been back, but I have in the past.

I mean, if you saw something glaring, oh yeah, you would bring it to the administration.

10.4 million dollar deficit, that would be something that we bring, right?

But that point, as rightfully said, we've already spent the money, which is which I I keep referring to that because that bothers me.

I don't I you know I'm searching through this thing, I'm trying to find a way to get ahead of the money.

So we don't spend it, but I haven't found that way just yet.

The only one of the ways is that if there's any um uh purchase orders or expenditures that come through, if they're over budget, unless they can find the line item to do a transfer, I won't process the the uh the PO.

Right.

So that puts that puts some clamp on it.

Some so you're a little ahead of the game.

You're still we're still behind, they've already seen it.

Well, yeah, but a lot of it's salary related items too.

Those things you can't, yeah.

So I got another question because a lot of time, I think a lot of it's been brought up about how long the report takes to get to us.

Usually three to five weeks to get to it.

Yours came out today, and you got it right out.

Why can't we have ours as soon as the month's over?

That you know, it has to do with all the calculation for the whole month.

This is a weekly report that just shows revenue and expenditures.

Your report's much more detailed.

Is there any way you think we could light a fire under and get a little faster?

Well, I mean, what we could do is uh at any time I can provide these reports that I run to the council.

But and that would tell you me just the transactions.

I mean, how many pages of that one?

I mean, I think we'd like to see it.

I I think I'd like to see it.

It's 16, roughly 16 pages in expenditures and about six in revenue.

You know, weekly, I would love that if you could, and I'm sure administration, I don't know, you don't send it to the administration, dude.

You don't receive it, do you director?

Would you like to?

Yeah.

I mean, I'd like to see it.

I don't know if any council member would if you could.

I I I think I speak for all the council members.

We'd like to see it because as updated as we can be, and I appreciate it.

Um, because that was concerning because I looked at over the last two years, especially the last we had one that almost came in five months late.

Five months late.

That can't happen, especially if we're gonna be called on the copper for not knowing what's in it.

So that's a concern.

Um, thank you.

Hold on.

I'm I only have a couple more, couple more questions, I promise you.

Okay.

Gee, if you could look on 22, and this this concerns the city council, page 22.

That order that the order.

Uh page number 22, yes, the for the audit.

Okay, what that represents is our auditing fees that the city pays in total, and then we get reimbursed from the school department for their share of the audit.

And that's something that's gonna be done in the fourth quarter.

So I think based on what I recall, the school owes the city about sixty thousand dollars in that general area.

Yeah, orders, yeah, for their uh portion of the order.

I'm gonna be honest with you, and maybe it's my own ego as the head of the city council.

I hate to see that I'm over budget, especially then I say you're not gonna I didn't approve of that.

You're not gonna be once we get the money from you promised me that there we go.

Because that bothered me when I looked over the report because it wasn't like that, and I know I didn't overspend my budget.

I looked at all the people I I signed, you know, I only signed checks for a few people, but I made sure I was up below budget.

So thank you for clearing that.

I thought I do appreciate that part.

Um finance 25 on the expenditure side.

Well, um, on the expenditures, yes.

Uh page 25 finance, and I'll tell you what I'm zeroing in on severance forty-three thousand dollars.

Yep.

Severance I know you can't tell me who, but well, I could get you a report that shows who it is, but the severance represents severance for some reason the way it's set up, severance is charged to finance for all departments except police and fire.

Okay.

So any severance.

So, like if highway someone leaves and gets 20,000, it hits my account.

Yeah, because I know you have a small account, a small uh small department.

And when I saw 43,000 coming out of the finance department, red flag went up in my head.

So thank you for explaining that.

That's why I'm here.

I appreciate you coming and telling me the truth.

Is there any place I'd find the bonuses?

Because I'm very concerned about the bonuses, the bonuses that were paid out for those people who wanted to um retire, and they were like 10 to 15,000 dollars.

And you know, at the time, I I expressed some concern that the parameters were unclear.

There was no cap in that.

Where do I find it in this room?

In there, is there that'll be part of uh that'll be part of their salary line items, but I don't think that's uh has happened to this point because most everyone left on Friday.

And I'm seeing director Anzulli say you believe it's gonna come up May one.

May one is why most of the people that's when they left.

Yeah, probably won't be for another.

So maybe in the May report, we'll by the end of May.

Well, yeah, I mean, by the way, we'll we'll get that the end of May.

If if if history is any teacher, it should be in the getting a month after that.

We'll be just about the end of the fiscal yeah.

Director, if you could come to the mic, please.

Oh, yeah, yeah, because I can hear well.

Yeah, that's true.

So thank you.

I see you now.

Thank you.

Um, people have different dates also that they're leaving.

A majority of the people elected to leave May 1st.

Some people are leaving at different times based on you know, time that they have to take off, or if they're going to hit a mild milestone as far as age, um, or when they can get Medicare, etc.

etc.

So it's not all gonna be in one false hoop.

You're not gonna see it all in one month, I don't believe.

Um and where it will go, whether in severance or in their actual pay, I'm not I'm not sure.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I can try and find out, but I'm just no, you you you I know it's gonna be sometime in May, it's so it's definitely not gonna be in this report, so we'll get it probably in May.

But the lines that actually I would like to know exactly what was spent.

Where and where it's hitting, I imagine.

Because that I'll I'll be honest with you.

When it happened, I was concerned.

Um, that we wouldn't realize savings, and we were spending money.

I didn't write the heck it was coming from.

And at that time, you you can watch the video, I didn't get an answer.

I I think um, council president, I think the you'll really realize the savings in in the next year.

So we take the hit for that amount of money this year, and then next year we don't have those positions have been eliminated.

So that's where you're going to realize the savings, not in this fiscal year.

That's just not enough time, I believe.

Thank you.

Hopefully.

Knock on wood, right?

I have one more question, and uh I'll done.

I'll be done.

So I'm just this one's probably a simple one, but as I was going through, it would be on page 30, and it's just gonna be um the highway department.

All right.

So I'm seeing we're over a significant amount there, but oh, I know.

And we all remember that pretty well, right?

Yeah, you of all people, right?

Um so I'm looking at that significant when something like this happened, and and we had two substantial blizzards, and we really haven't seen much snow in the last couple of years.

So it had been, I assume budgeted lower.

Um, but I'm seeing you know, substantial, you know, over 900,000, uh, you know, a deficit there, and vendors got a great deal, like 400 and uh, you know, 52,000 plus.

So where's that money gonna come from?

It couldn't be helped, it's not pointing fingers.

I'm just wondering where is that going to come from?

It just comes from the general funds.

So the surplus, yeah.

Well, which creates a deficit.

Yeah, I get it.

Yeah, I I believe we budgeted approximately consistently 750,000 for all snow related items, and I believe it came in at about 1.5 million total.

Yeah, so that's significant.

I mean, that's significant.

But if you look in prior years, you could say, well, well, maybe we should have budgeted more for this next year.

Right.

But if you look at prior years, we didn't even we didn't we had enough that we didn't even hit our budget of so this was the anomaly.

This is the uniform.

I'm hoping.

I hope it doesn't.

I'm hoping so too.

Um, I'm gonna yield my time.

I appreciate your your answers.

They were informative, and uh hopefully I didn't no dig into you too much.

That was not my intention.

Thank you so much.

Uh councilman.

Thank you.

I um I only have two questions.

Um, one's more of a statement.

First of all, you know, thank you, Director Strom.

I don't think anybody here, uh I don't think anybody, you know, has had to clean up more than you have.

And um, well, yes, it's true, we're in a tough situation.

We appreciate you coming here and answering these questions because we we realize that it wasn't you that caused the situation.

You just happen to sit in the same seat.

That being said, um, I just have one question.

We're now in the fourth quarter.

So um have we begun fourth quarter transfers?

And you know, what is the most problematic area that we're seeing that we have to transfer into?

And I have one follow-up after that.

Councilman, I I haven't really looked at that yet because we just started the fourth quarter, but uh, I can get back to you.

I mean, I mean, obviously, there's a number of areas that we have to adjust or transfer.

So and I have to look to see where this money's available to transfer.

That's the other.

Yeah, I mean, I think I don't want to speak for everybody, but I I could assume that most of us would probably be curious about that.

Um, so once you get the budget, it's gonna come to us pretty soon.

Once that's done, I might want to see a spreadsheet with something like that on it.

I I believe in the past, uh, I don't know what my predecessor did, but I know in the past, I believe we always provided you with four quarter transfer report.

Yeah, I um I don't recall that it may have happened, but I've only been here uh with your predecessor and successor.

Um my other question has to do with snow.

Like this year, obviously, you know, we doubled our budget when we have our budget in a in a mild winter, we don't save that money to go to next year, do we?

We use it to plug holes, it just flows down into your tumble of circles.

Do you do you think that's the wisest thing to do year over year?

Uh well, we usually need that money to balance out other things that are over.

So you if you want to have a balanced budget, some things that you've had uh positive results and need to offset some of the negative results.

I would love to say, well, uh we could take uh X amount of dollars and put it into like a reserve, yeah, but I don't think we have the luxury to do that.

Not this year, clearly.

Right.

Um I don't think next year either.

Next year, you you're you're right.

I know you're right.

We all know you're right.

I just think that perhaps once this trajectory that we're in switches, and I hope it does more quickly than more slowly.

Um there might be something to think about, so we don't get ourselves in a hole in in the future.

Um you know the weathermen don't even know what the weather's gonna be.

I don't expect the finance director in Cranston to know what the winter's gonna be when they're making the budget in uh April or March.

So um that's something that we that we should think about for the future once the trajectory changes.

So thank you.

Councilman Ritz.

Just a couple of them.

I most of my questions were re answered already.

I am happy to hear that uh the purchase orders, you know, we're using emergency and essential ones.

So is there any big ticket items that you have seen or that you foresee that we should be aware of that are coming up?

Not that I can recall at this point.

I did meet with the public works director and today, and he put through at least three or four transfers to balance out some POs that were relatively small numbers, you know, nothing major.

Um, and my other was uh council president spoke about a little bit.

I saw our 132% of debt services.

I just I struggle with how that was so under budget.

How is that so far off?

Is it the time that the projects are being launched?

Uh no, that debt service is predicated on a schedule that's been generated by the bond uh uh company and our fiscal advisor.

So why it wasn't adhered to the chart that I use for 27, I have no idea.

Because my other question with that too is there any capital project approaches we should hold to kind of stop that number from being 200% over budget?

Is there anything we should wait on?

No, because the the capital projects are all that are in debt service or already been bonded for and expensed and completed.

And then my last thing is just a comment.

The council president mentions you know, waiting five months for reports.

I know that was not you, but that is an extremely uh long time to wait.

And uh I know the finance chair has asked for those repeatedly uh to get those, and he can be a real pain in the ass.

So I mean, uh not to say anything negative about the council, but I did offer my services for anyone that wanted to call me or come to my office and meet with me on the current budget that we're working on, and I've only gotten one response from uh councilwoman Graziano.

So in other words, there's gotta be communication both ways, is what I'm saying.

And I'd be more than happy to provide the information if someone's looking for it, because there's nothing that I intend to hide.

There's it's all public record.

Absolutely, and then also the council president.

I do agree with the weekly reports.

I think that's a little easy quicker for us to digest, and we can come a little quicker with our questions too.

So if that's possible, definitely a big help for us.

Thank you.

Councilman Calvo Biano.

Uh thank you, Chair.

First, uh, I do have an appointment to come and see you tomorrow, so I'll be there.

Um, under back to the director, I'm under um page 32, I believe, under refuge refuse removal and disposal.

Uh under refuse hauling and tipping fees, that we've heard to be way over on that.

Um are we in danger of going way over our budget on that area?

No, it's uh 19 line uh 1306, 56, 546, and 54602.

Okay, based on my report that I ran today, councilman on the hauling fees were based on the schedule with waste management.

So that's right on schedule.

So we're not gonna go over budget on the hauling fees.

On the tipping fees, we're actually a little under budget, so we're not over.

So unless we have whether that we get rejections or something, wetness of loads or whatever the case may be.

Right now, we're gonna be under budget for tipping fees.

Um is that affect the seasonal seasonally because the spring is coming and we got cleanups and stuff like that.

Is that would that affect it?

Not really, because I think that's under uh refuge removal other for uh yard waste and stuff like that.

The line underneath the tipping fees, I believe.

So I think uh refuse removal, even though the contract is very expensive with waste management.

Um I think we're in good shape based on what was budgeted.

Okay, thank you.

Any other questions?

Director, I have a few questions.

So, Director, um this monthly financial report ending in March, that's helping you shape the next budget that the mayor's gonna present us, correct?

Could you just repeat that one more time, please?

This month, I always speak in so I can get my question.

I don't have to go around.

So this monthly financial report is helping you shape the next budget that you're gonna present us, correct?

Um yes and no.

Actually, uh the reports that I run by department that I express to you uh that is available.

I use that as my basis more than just the monthly year uh month end report.

Okay, so since that report helps you, as you know, today is May 4, tomorrow's May 5th, the end of the week.

Next Monday will be May 10th.

Do you have an idea when you guys will present us a new budget?

Because you said nobody's contacted you, but we really can't contact you because we don't have nothing from you yet.

Well, I I thought we were gonna meet to discuss formulating like an uh a new budget based on some of the the council's ideas as well, not just the administration.

Okay, that's fair enough.

So a new budget.

Uh I don't know if we have a time line right now, but it's gonna be in a short period of time.

Okay, and it's gotta be because I believe you need it, it has to be adopted by May 10th, which is a week 15th.

I'm sorry, by a week from this Friday.

So I would just urge the administration to look at this monthly report to generate a new budget to submit to us so that way we can I've already started okay.

Gotcha.

All right, council council president Heroin.

I would just like to comment on something.

You said you hadn't heard from us.

Um, I know I personally spoke to auditor DeMayo several times and gave him my wishes for the budget, and he was meeting with you and working with you, so he said it wasn't necessary to reach out to you.

Okay, but I'm just telling you the last meeting we had, the council meeting, I did offer to meet with the council and on an individual basis, or as a you know, a couple of people together.

So I didn't realize that.

He and I talk all the time, so sometimes he assured me of that because I was very concerned.

Yeah, clerk, please note for the record, Mayor Trafficante is present.

I apologize on the Mayor Traffic Anti, the floor is yours.

I was next door at the uh school committee meeting.

Do you have any questions for Director Strom on the monthly reports?

No, the superintendent paid it a pretty pretty deep picture of what's happening on the uh school side.

She indicated several cuts in a variety of areas, serious cuts, especially in the personnel area.

Uh they're in trouble.

And she knows it.

And that's going to reflect the monthly reports because we're gonna stay on topic.

Mr.

Seeing any other council people.

I'll end with you, Mr.

President.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, listen, I can I can I come clean.

I haven't reached out to uh Director Strom.

I haven't.

I was working, I'm sorry.

I do intend to, and uh forgive me, but he did offer and he's offered on occasion, and I do appreciate the expertise he brings because his answers they're straight to the numbers, answers.

And if there's something he doesn't know, he says he'll find out.

Um that I appreciate.

We don't all know each other.

I appreciate him coming in and answering these questions very deliberately, trying to give us accurate answers and also giving us some ideas.

I like the idea of bringing the the weekly report.

That question, because much as I do enjoy going over this report, it is as it was stated before in the in the press.

This the horse is already left the bond at this point.

So the closer we can get to that place where we're finding out how we're doing the things wrong, the better we're gonna be.

So a little closer by the week is is better.

It's a it's a smaller document for us to digest because we all we are part-time legislators, we all only have so much time.

So I thank you.

Um, and I yield my time.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Moving on to correspondence and communications.

There are none.

Oh director, you have something to say.

Yes, before we ended with the president.

I just wanted to let the president know that as far as the snow, we also did apply to FEMA to get reimbursement on some of that.

That can take it take a year, it can take 18 months.

So we don't know how much we're gonna get or when it's gonna come, but some some of that should come back to us.

And also for Councilman Banano, I believe that the fourth quarter transfers might come across as miscellaneous finance reports.

They do send those sometimes.

So that's what I think that is.

Thank you.

And that's all on the monthly.

Oh Mr.

Roger.

In response to uh uh vice president Heroyan's statement.

I've spoken with Bob Schramm about many council reductions, but didn't get specific on what council member it was from.

I just felt that it was in the interest of this was what was brought to me and the reductions that were suggested instead of singling any one council person out.

I thought that was the right way to go.

Thank you, Director.

Any other council people.

Okay, moving on to number five correspondence and communications.

There are none.

Moving on to number eight, council member communications.

There are none.

Moving on to number nine, may I entertain a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

Is there a second?

Any discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any nays?

Aye sevy.

We are adjourned at 804.