I would like to call this meeting to order.

Make a motion to return to open session.

Any discussion?

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Yes.

Councilman Trout.

Yes.

For the record, I want to note that Councilman Ritz is present.

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

Any discussion?

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horrien?

Yes.

Yes.

I would like to make a motion to approve the minutes of the May Fourth Twenty Twenty Six regular meeting.

Any discussion?

Clerk, can you please take the role?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

I would like to make a motion to approve the minutes of the sealed minutes of the May fourth, twenty twenty-six executive session.

Any discussion?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

May I have a motion to adjourn this meeting?

Motion to adjourn.

All in favor.

Any knees.

This meeting is adjourned, and the next one will start in fifteen minutes.

Sorry for the delay.

Welcome to this June the first special city council meeting.

This time I'd like to call the meeting to order as the clerk to please call a roll.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Present.

Councilman Andrew High.

President.

Councilman Retz.

Present.

Councilman Traffic Anti.

Councilwoman Vizier.

Present.

Councilman Campo Piano.

Present.

Councilman Banano.

Present.

Council Vice President Heroyan.

Present.

Council President Wall.

Here.

Thank you.

Just before we get started, we'll have a little I'd like to do a what you call a programming note, how we're going to run the meeting this evening.

Um first we're going to take public comment on documentative matters and take public comment in the chambers, and we're going to take public comment online.

Then we're going to look at amendments.

At that time, we'll take the three three steps to look at various amendments.

Members of the council have prepared for the night.

And then we're going to tend to the rest of the agenda.

Okay, so the first item uh on the document we're going to consider now is public comment undocated matters.

If you would like to make public comment, if certain at least come right up.

Um step up to the microphone, state your name and your address to the record, and I'll give you four minutes.

Make sure it's on.

Hi, my name is Gary DeSilva.

I'm with 55 Mays Corn Road in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

I am the business agent for the Teamsters Union.

Um first of thank Councilman Anahow for asking me to come and speak on behalf of the Teamsters.

I couldn't make it the last meetings that we had here.

Um I had my daughter had a graduation and she gave commencements.

I was very busy at those times.

Um, I'd like to um get this misconception out that the Teamsters Union um hasn't helped during this budget crisis.

Um the whole term doing more with less, which I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of.

Um it's really an anti-union slogan, and I'm I'm not really something I support.

But having said that, Teamsters have been doing more with less now for the last four or five years with doing differentials, covering positions that have been closed or haven't haven't been filled.

Um, the members of as of right now, we have about 13 members doing differentials.

So they get a small stipend, but it is saving the city hundreds of thousands of dollars right there each fiscal year.

Um another uh another way we're saving money for the city is the voluntary buyouts that we just recently had.

The teams have nine members of the teams with voluntary uh uh took took those voluntary buyouts, saving the city money.

So even if they do rehire some of those uh positions back, they're starting at the beginning step at the same grade, so it's saving the city thousands of dollars there as well.

And uh finally, I do I do want to mention the pension.

Back in 2024, we negotiated the pension going from the legacy to the hybrid pension, and then the first five years alone, starting in 2025, we've saved the city by switching over over over half a million dollars in the first five years, and uh and the full ten years that as far as the pension does project out over 2.4 million dollars the city will save based on transitioning from the legacy pension to the hybrid pension.

So the teamsters have done their part um these last few years and helping the city save money.

They have they've been doing more with less for the last few years, and they'll continue to do more with less because we know there's more potential more cuts coming along.

So I just want to clear the misconception that the teamsters haven't done enough because I think the question is what haven't the teams have done to help the city um get through this budget crisis.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else in chambers who'd like to speak on agenda matters this evening?

Stephen Fryers 107 Garden Hills Drive.

A couple of weeks ago, you guys were talking about firefighter contract concessions and stuff of that nature.

I just wanted to c say basically there's a difference between concessions and deferrals.

Concessions um do cause savings for taxpayers.

2009 2010, the firefighters agreed to a concession that had 15 vacancies, and they went down from a three percent pay raise to one, and then the subsequent years always three.

The deferral is taking a cost, kicking it out to outer years.

Deferrals is basically pay me more now.

Excuse me, pay me more later instead of paying me now.

I'm not a fan of deferral of deferrals.

I think that's a bad policy.

Cause some issues in the 1990s.

All you're doing is basically hand taking costs.

And if you're going to defer costs to out years, I just don't see the you're going to be in a problem again in 2028, and it's an election year for mayor, and now you got to pay like double the salaries of some people.

So I just want to caution you against that.

Just want to tell you that right off the bat, and I wish you the best of luck at this evening.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Anyone else in chambers who would like to speak on agenda matter?

Debbie Flipman for that.

And uh wasn't planning to come here tonight.

Hold on one second.

She's just gonna fix your microphone.

I dug through my bag, and I said, Well, you know, I had something to say, and it was my notes from May 13th.

And I wanted to just to let everybody know how I feel about this thing going on.

The issue before us is very serious.

I feel like the issue before us is not democratic or a republican issue.

The issue before us is a moral, ethical, and budget accountability issue.

The conduct that we have witnessed demonstrates that our current mayor is neither ethical ethical nor guided by the moral values that many residents expect from public leadership, and certainly not mine.

Public office is a privilege, it's not an entitlement.

With that privilege comes accountability, especially when it comes to how taxpayer dollars and the city budgets are managed.

To date, this mayor has not sufficiently accepted responsibility for his actions, nor demonstrated the level of integrity necessary to restore public trust.

Leadership requires honesty, humility, fiscal responsibility, and respect for the people he serve.

With those standards, when those standards are repeatedly violated, there must be consequences for the good of the city and in the interest of restoring confidence and local government and the city's budget process.

I believe the mayor should step down in disgrace to be held fully accountable for his conduct.

And I know it's a very difficult seat that you all sit in, and sometimes it feels very thankless, but I do appreciate your effort.

However, I feel like I need to say shame on you, and shame on you for not looking closer for not asking the hard questions of this administration and its budget priorities over the last two years.

Tom, is anyone online who'd like to speak on agenda matters this evening?

There is no public comment online.

Okay, thank you, Tom.

This time we're gonna close public comment.

The next item of business is amendments to the revised 2026-2027 proposed budget.

This will be time for the consideration of amendments to the revised FY 2026-27 proposed budget, including but not limited to all expenditures and revenues and any and all department and light items, line items thereof.

At this time, the members of the council are going to take a brief recess so we can consider the various uh agenda um amendments, and then we'll reconvene.

So we're gonna take a brief recess for that matter, won't be too long.

All right, going back to item four amendments to the revised two thousand twenty six, two thousand twenty-seven proposed budget.

Are there any amendments for the council?

Council.

No, you you go first.

I believe I'm gonna call on Councilman Ritz.

Um I'll try to follow along with a second.

I have uh quite a few, so I I'll I'll go slowly over here.

So my first one is on page five.

Line can you get me now?

So page five, line four two one one zero certified copies currently budgeted at sixty five hundred.

I want to raise it a thousand to seventy five hundred by increasing the cost.

Uh from sixty five hundred, raising it a thousand dollars to seventy five hundred.

Mr.

Igo, you have that?

Okay.

Next amendment.

Should we vote it?

Would you like us to vote it as a is a block?

Are you proposing a block of amendments?

I think it probably makes sense to vote on them as a block.

You want to vote them as a blur list on this thing.

I know I can't you can hardly hold on one second.

Ordered the mail.

You're asking the finance department to increase the fee for the certified copies to get you an additional thousand dollars.

Example, if it's a dollar a copy higher, because it's a thousand copies, that's your thousand dollars.

So this isn't uh making an adjustment based on you think there's gonna be additional, it's increasing the cost of the copy to get you the extra thousand dollars, correct?

Correct.

Right.

Thank you.

So once again, we're gonna do it as a block.

All right.

Correct, yes, we could do it as a block.

My next one would be page nine, item four nine one three zero.

Harbormaster fee.

Currently it's at five thousand.

I'd like to raise it fifteen hundred to sixty-five hundred.

My thought behind that was I know we don't have a harbor master, but if we could do a sign with a QR code saying scan here to pay the fee, I think we could increase the volume there from that change.

So that one wouldn't be changing the fee.

It would just installing the sign increase the volume.

And the figure is gonna go from fifteen hundred here on this budget to sixty-five hundred.

So five thousand dollars increase.

If there is something that you see a concern, just come up and I'll recognize let's so this is a concern you have, Director Murray.

Yes, I do have a concern.

Uh, last year we didn't have a harbor master.

Obviously, next year with a budget, we don't have a hard master.

I we have to be careful in my opinion about trying to achieve the final goal, but we have to do it.

I don't want to run through the same situation where we just aren't outrealistic.

Uh Mr.

Igo, I believe we took in about last year without having a hobby master.

Uh I think less than five thousand dollars.

By raising it by putting up a sign, I don't think it's personally, I think on behalf of the administration, I don't think it's achievable.

I have no problem.

With a lot of these, uh, you know, I'm not the expert guess, so it's just my my thoughts, but I'm definitely open so I don't want to create a negative impact.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you.

Hold on.

So now you want to keep it in the budget, though.

So do you want to keep it at that figure, or you just kind of speaking with Director Schramm, uh, just for food for thought.

Last year's budget had six thousand dollars budget is worth four thousand in collections currently.

I think councilman Ritz's idea of trying to trying to find a different way to make make that revenue is a good idea.

Perhaps this year might be like a somewhat of a pilot on that idea, and then perhaps we'll looks like we didn't make our budgeted amount last year at all.

And that's for 11 months.

The 4,000 of collections is through May.

Perhaps hold on.

So before it might be prudent, maybe to I mean it's up to you.

We can I'm I'm fine with withdrawing about that.

I will withdraw that maybe even you try and use the sign this year.

So I think that's a good idea.

It's a I think it's a good idea because we weren't getting our revenue.

Um, I'm gonna you had a question.

Go ahead.

Did you have your hand up or you blocking the sun?

Okay, uh, councilman woman graziano.

Sorry, can you can you say that again?

So currently we have 1,500 budgeted for revenue.

No, five thousand or five thousand.

Okay, and currently now we have four thousand.

Okay, thank but last year's budget.

So the current fiscal year, which is June 30th, 26th, we had budgeted 6,000 through 11 months.

We collected 4,000.

Yeah.

So the administration based on that calculation has reduced the projected for 27 fiscal years being 5,000 of revenue.

Well, councilman Ritz has decided to withdraw that.

I think it's a good idea to assign.

We may see something out of the next year.

I think it's a good idea.

Sure.

Oh, yes, Councilman Banan.

Um I hate to be a pain, but I'm getting confused.

It doesn't take a lot these days.

Um I would like to do these individually if that's all right.

It might be a good idea.

Just because we can we can move on from one and debate the next one, and then we don't have to remember.

Yeah, so so many details all at once.

Point well noted.

Maybe I should visit the senior center.

I don't know.

That go.

Um, why don't we go back to your first one?

So if you could restate the first one, we'll take a vote on that.

We'll take we'll we'll take a motion, second discussion, and that.

So if you restate the first one just for my recollection, so first one was on page five.

Yep, line four to one one zero.

Yep, certified copies, currently budgeted 6500, raising it a thousand dollars to 7500.

Okay, we're gonna motion move.

So moved.

Second, sir.

Is and we're gonna change the fees, and that's what's gonna increase that.

All right, so motion main second.

What discussion do we have?

So thank you.

Sorry, the um copy fees are set all over state statutes.

So uh journalists 23 uh three stars 25 sets the certified copy fee for a number of records in the clerk's office, uh including our certificates, birth certificates, or whatnot.

So the to the extent that you want to increase the fee.

I don't think you can except you want to based upon an increase based upon a more volume, you could do that.

But I don't think there may not be a lot of room there.

Um certified copy fees.

Well, I mean, we're only going up a thousand, so I I I can rely on maybe the volume.

Yeah, we'll do volume.

Yeah, expect that the administration.

We also we also may want to consider this before I go on.

Um as you see, uh director and zuli is once again sitting in uh for the city clerk.

Our city clerk's office right now is as many people know, decimated.

We're down three positions, and we have someone out uh on uh sick leave.

The ability of our city clerks, unfortunately, I hate to say it, the ability of our city clerk's office to keep up with this uh this line item.

It's going to be a challenge to say the least.

So this may be not not to be a killjoy.

This also may be one that we want to be a little bit more discreet on.

There has been a motion, it there is a second, so yeah, we're still in discussion.

Councilman Andor.

Um, thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh, Councilman Ritz, I think it's a fantastic idea.

I'll support you 100%.

I believe that it's a temporary thing right now with our clerk's office, but I feel that people are having more babies and people are going to be visiting that office more.

So I'm with you 100,000 percent, sir.

Thank you, councilman.

Councilman Trafficani.

Oh, I thought you had any other discussion.

I see none.

All right.

Would clerk please take the rule on councilwoman Graziano?

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vizier.

Yes.

Councilman Campo Piano.

Yes.

Councilman Banano.

Yes.

Council Vice President Haroyan.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

All right.

Uh Councilman Ritz, your next amendment.

Um page six.

Code 42176 solar permits.

Increase that slightly uh by five thousand dollars to 105,000.

Almost.

Second.

Second.

All right.

Well, before I take discussion, I'm gonna ask Councilman.

I'm not councilman uh solicitive a deck.

Don't do that.

I'll do my best not to.

So um myself and attorney Marsell um have been doing on the fly.

We've been trying to uh research these these fees.

Most of these fees, as um he just noted, are controlled by state statute.

Now, solar, from what I understand, and you know, I haven't had uh inordinate amount of time to research it, but solar fees are permit fees are treated the way any other building permit fees are treated, it seems they're based on the value of the project or the value of the panel, so on and so forth.

That is set by state statute.

Unfortunately, we cannot exceed that.

I don't know what the formula is.

All I know is that it's value-driven, value-based.

So your I don't think that um, I think this may could violate state law, but I I just don't know.

Again, I don't know if this is volume driven or if this is um, you know, if you're looking to, you know, increase this on a on a strictly monetary basis as to what we charge, because that is controlled by the state building code and set by the state.

Interesting.

Any any discussion?

I see uh councilwoman uh graziano thank you.

Yeah, so we've been looking into this, and um, I think the city solicitor, he did let me know this um a few moments ago.

So the question I don't think we're asking, we understand that it's a percentage of the cost of the project, which is just like other building permit fees, um, which are set.

I think what councilman Ritz is saying is we're gonna this year we're projected at 100,000.

I think we're hoping that we could squeeze out 105 next year.

That was the point.

We're not gonna raise the fees.

That's very similar to to the previous.

Um, I just want to make it, we just want to make it clear when we say increase that we're not increasing the rates that is that are set by the state.

That's all.

Yeah, through the council president.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Um, yeah, so I mean, we went back and forth if we thought because if you look at the fees over the past five years, um, I mean, it toggles.

There was obviously a boom for a period of time where we were making 300,000 dollars, 2000.

Um, but it seems to be decreasing.

Um, so we talked about should we do 10?

Should we do 20?

What where do we think we're at, especially seemingly we're moving towards maybe more solar, more electric because we don't want to be dependent um on foreign oil.

Um, so I'm thinking the five thousand dollars is probably us playing it safe, um, because we don't want to be in catastrophe at 10 or 20.

Mr.

Boyer.

All right, uh Director Murray.

This one too.

We I think it was a stretch to be at 100,000.

Um, as we know, solar is on the decline for whatever reasons.

Um back in it was roughly around a thousand, 298,000 in 2022.

23, it dropped by about 50,000 to 248.

In 24, it dropped by about 90,000 down to about 155,000.

In 2025, it was 123,000.

And again, that dropping down.

We're expecting about 100,000 now.

So the trend is down.

I would probably expect the trend to be below 100,000.

I think 100,000 is pushing it to go higher.

I think it's possibly false false expectation.

Again, the administration has to disagree with this respectfully, just because of the the trends is if it can get this trend to be about 80,000 just by that trend alone.

I don't know what's going to turn around to improve it.

Thank you, Director.

For the comments.

Councilman Benoit.

Thank you.

I um would like to know everybody probably would like to know where we are this year and what the percentages.

I know you kind of said it in a broad stroke, but it's about 98,000.

Okay.

Yeah.

You would repeat what you just said because you went out.

We're about 90, 98.

Uh we're projected about 98,000 for the 11 months.

We're gonna have about probably about 103 for this year.

Given the trend down 20,000 from last year, 123, given those other numbers down 20 and 50,000.

I don't expect the curve up.

The finance department doesn't expect that.

So again, we we have admire what you're trying to do.

And we all want to show as much money as the schools and the senior center, but at the same time, we don't want to fall from the same situation we we just came out of.

We're gonna be short in this year's budget.

That's all I had, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other comments?

Seeing none.

So please call the roll on this amendment.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar?

Yes.

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Councilman Traficante?

Yes.

Councilwoman Vizieri.

Yes.

Councilman Campo Piano?

Yes.

Councilman Bonano?

Yes.

Council Vice President Heroyan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz, your next amendment.

Page 11.

5216, the grant writer.

Currently at 48,000.

I'd like to reduce that by 15,000.

Is there a motion?

So second.

Motion made in second discussion.

I'm sorry, you're to 33 would be the new allocation.

Yes.

Okay, thanks.

No discussion.

Do I see a hand?

See no hands.

I do see a hand.

Councilman Campabino.

Is this a uh reduction in salary?

Yes.

Is there a contract?

Grant writers appointed by the council.

And there's no contract.

No contract.

Okay.

Any other discussion?

Director Murray.

Just quick, I believe it's up to the council with the number, but I can't say enough good things about the grant writer.

Um, she saved us multi-millions of dollars over the years.

Um, she continues to do the same to the tune of one to two million dollars a year for that salary, whatever you determine that she should have.

My only word of caution would be could you lose this individual by decreasing her pay?

We'll leave that to your judgment.

But I do want to mention that she does a phenomenal job, and we don't have any grant writer on staff here.

And um I don't know if you want to take that risk.

Thank you.

Thank you, Director.

Um, council vice president Horan.

Um, I just do want to speak.

The grant writer does do fabulous work, and she did bring over in over 8 million, or the city did, but when every department was also interviewed, every department also worked on their own grants.

It was a combined effort.

And the city's in tough times right now.

Um, I think a lot of people are taking a little less.

Um, we hope to retain her, and in the future, hopefully we can go back up when the financial situation is better in the city.

Thank you, Council Vice President.

Uh, Councilwoman Graziano.

Thank you.

Um, I was I I'm a big fan of getting money for municipalities.

Um, especially when it's free, if it's free.

Um I I'm sort of of the mindset.

I'm gonna be honest, like I'm around eight, like reducing it from 48 to 40.

I'll just throw that out into the table.

And I know I can put forth an amendment, but that's kind of what I don't know.

I I sort of agree with Director Moretti.

I I don't know that I want to lose the person if she actually has been bringing in this fund.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Councilman uh thank you, Mr.

President.

I mean, I've I think I met her on the fly once, and I've been here two years, so I agree with council.

Um councilman Ritz, and I also agree with Councilwomanwoman Heroyan.

I feel that if this person wants to work, it should be more of a per diem and not a salary so or a contract.

So I I am in full support with you, councilman Ritz.

Thank you.

I'll weigh in on this matter.

Listen, I certainly think the grant writer does a great job.

And unfortunately, just about everyone that came before me, not to disagree with anyone.

Almost everyone I came before me that I we had to make cuts to.

I thought they were doing a great job as well.

Um, we're in a tough tough situation.

Here we're here on June 1st, the budget that should have been in week weeks ago.

Um, this is an extraordinary situation, so I'm gonna be in favor of this amendment.

And I say that with with no happiness, no happiness at all.

Um councilman Banana.

Thank you.

Um, maybe she can find a grant 15 grand, give herself some salary back with an idea.

That's all I had to say.

Thank you, councilman.

Is there any other comments in discussion?

Uh councilman trafficanti.

Uh I'm not trying to demean the worth of our grant writer, but um every single administrator on the city side of the budget is taking a hit in their salaries.

Uh we're in tough times right now.

We're in a crisis, therefore, everyone should participate.

So I'm in favor of this cut.

Okay, thank you, councilman.

Any other comments?

Discussion.

All right, there being none, clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, no, councilmanduhar.

Yes, councilman Ritz, yes, councilman traficante, yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes, councilman Campo Piano, yes, councilman Banano, yes, council vice president Heroyan, yes, council president Wall.

Yes, that motion carries.

Councilman Ritz, page 11 5204 department expenses.

It's currently at 24,200.

I wanted to reduce it by a thousand dollars to 23,200.

So moved.

Second, but could you just yeah, I just gotta find it.

Hold on before page 14.

All right, I'll just uh I'm sorry, I apologize page 11, 5204 department expense.

It's under the city council, yeah.

From 24,200 to 23,200, reducing it by a thousand dollars.

One reducing it by a thousand.

All right, there's a motion and there's a second.

Any discussion?

I see none.

No discussion.

You guys have something to say, or you're getting ready to say something here.

Okay, we're also I just didn't want okay.

Thank you so much.

All right, if there's no discussion, clerk please call the roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, councilmanduhar?

Yes, councilman Ritz, yes, councilman trafficante, yes, councilwoman Ziri, yes, councilman Campo Piano, yes, councilman Banano, yes, council vice president Heroyan, yes, council president wall, yes.

That motion carries councilman rit, floor is yours once again.

Page 14 52934 telephone from 150,000, reducing it by 2,000 to 148,000, which is what the sum was last year.

So just level funding.

Could you just restate it again for me?

I'm sorry.

Page 14.

Yeah, 52934 telephone.

You know, currently budgeted 150,000, reducing it by 2,000 to 148,000.

14, so 2,000.

So moved.

Second.

Okay, discussion.

See none.

No discussion there.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes.

Councilman Andor.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficanti.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Campo Piano.

Yes.

Councilman Bonano.

Yes.

Council Vice President Heroyan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

That motion carries.

Once again, Councilman Ritz, floor is yours.

Page 15.

15, 53110.

Computer maintenance.

Currently budgeted at 142,000.

Reducing it by 2,000 to 140,000.

Page 1553 110.

Computer maintenance.

Hold on one second before I take any move.

Councilman, when you read the expense categories prior to that, can you give us the department?

Because a lot of the expense categories on that page are the same.

So I know that the previous one was uh technology.

Which department is the current one you're asking us for?

Uh telephone, I'm sorry, but with the department was technology computer and technology.

So just restate the number.

We'll be able to find it.

15, yeah.

Five, three, one, one, zero.

Five, two, nine, three, four.

Yep.

That was in the that the five two nine three four was page fourteen, department one one six technology, computer and technology.

That was the previous one, correct?

That's telephone, yeah.

Telephone, but the department is technology.

Yeah, division.

Five three one one zero.

And I'm assuming that's in uh department one, two oh one fire alarm.

Five three one one zero.

Yeah.

Wait, so that's that can't be right.

It's not under fire alarm.

That shouldn't be it.

All right.

Well, we said five three one one zero, so that's why I'm confused.

That's what's on here.

Thank you.

I see it.

So that's in fire alarm, right?

Five, three, one, one, one computer maintenance and repairs.

You wanted to reduce it by two thousand dollars.

Correct.

Is that sounded about right?

So moved.

Second.

Discussion.

Uh councilwoman Graziana.

By three thousand dollars, two thousand dollars.

Um, is anyone from the fire department here?

I'm sorry, I can't see.

Um, I have a question.

So have many left to ask.

Someone wants to answer it, certainly.

So it looks like sorry, um, so they want to reduce it by three three thousand.

So let me just go over the two thousand two thousand.

Sorry, thank you.

Can I go over the past budgets?

So 25 2025, it was 125,000 and change 2026, it was 112, and now it's back up to 142.

Is it possible to go back to 125?

Um, before you answer, could you just state your name and your position for the record?

Uh I'm in the cap, deputy chief, rest of the fire department.

Thank you.

So that's the fire alarm division.

Yeah.

But I know that part of that is from for them replacing the computers for fire alarm, which are over 10 years old.

So I don't know how much you can even stretch that budget.

So you had 112 last year.

Do we not?

Can we get a number on that?

What what it yes, please.

Thank you.

Through the through the council president, sorry.

No, we'll have to wait.

That's a good question.

You know, it's like every computer, they have a shelf life.

So we're starting where we can't update stuff in fire alarm.

So we can't communicate with certain divisions because of that, and it's getting worse and worse as time goes on.

So that's part of the replacement of the computers and fire alarm, which are 10 years over a little over 10 years old.

Through the council president, do you have um like uh you replace them every three years and this is a bad year, or like do you have any of that information or no?

Oh okay.

Sorry.

Yeah.

And when we had our budget hearings, that was discussed about trying to reduce it, but based on our discussion, they felt it was imperative that we uh raise it because of the cost of uh of the maintenance and the repairs for this uh lineup.

Okay, so why we up there?

So cool.

Can we raise it?

Can we still reduce it by 10?

And that's still up 20,000.

That's uh like I said, I know they that part of that is because they have to replace all the computers and fire alarm.

So I think they have a tight budget, and Mr.

Strauma would know better than me because he was sitting around some of those talks.

Yeah, but uh I mean just know that the replacing those computers and keeping them up is you know, gonna be costly.

I mean, that was part of our discussion during budget hearings, you know, each department, and uh they didn't feel it made sense to be uh but not increase it.

All right, well, I'm throwing the information out there.

We you guys all have the numbers.

All right, so no, I mean right now the amendment is two thousand, not ten.

It's just two thousand, but I yeah, but you I know you're trying to stretch the on the but I get it.

Yeah, I do.

I'm gonna take uh councilman banano, councilman and hawk, then we come all the way around councilman Ritz.

Thank you, thank you.

I think I'm I'm okay with two thousand.

I mean, you know, we can replace perhaps nine computers instead of ten or whatever it is.

I mean, I'm okay with with two thousand being taken off.

Um because you know it's uh going less than that with all we'll all respect uh council got councilman graziano.

I know we're all in the same boat here, we're all trying to figure out what we can do to get it done.

Public safety is a big one as we know.

Um, and if they have three thousand left to uh excuse me, if they if they have nine thousand left, it sounds like um you use two thousand, get go right up to the end, you know, use use it if the if it's left this year, so next year, you know.

Um you won't be in uh uh a pickle.

I mean two thousand.

I'm okay with two thousand, a little less than that.

I would I would start to get nervous.

Um so that's just my opinion on it.

Thank you, councilman.

Councilman Andrew Hawk.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Councilman Ritz.

I'm always wary that you know with touching public safety, and you know, I I would hate that you know, a 911 call doesn't get answered because of this.

I'm fine with the 2000, but going forward, please caution on public safety issues.

Yeah, and this wouldn't happen if we didn't have our hands tied behind our back.

So thank you.

Thank you for those.

I'm gonna go right around.

I see council vice president.

As someone that had a house fire and had to call 911 and be transferred over to Cranston Fire in 2020.

I'll vote yes for this tonight for the 2000 because of the financial situation we are in, but um, I don't think we can go higher than the two thousand right now.

And hopefully in the future we can get back the money that we need to to them.

Um this could make a difference and the rescue, the fire truck getting to somebody's house.

If it ends up being that to that 2000 is causing a big dilemma in your department, please come to us and let us know.

Thank you, Council Vice President.

Councilman Ritz.

Yeah, I'll just I mean, this is a lot of small small cuts, but I was looking for small cuts here to get back to some things that with the like the stamps we cut the 5,000, they're already predicted over budget.

So I was looking for many small cuts to kind of fill that.

And then I know I heard indirectly with the playground cuts we made, some of the camps might have to be closed.

So I was looking for small amounts to get up to that.

So just so you know, but no, of course we never just by public.

We went over budget, it'd be understandable that we're just trying to be overly uh tight this year.

Thank you.

Thank you, councilman.

So I see uh no other comments.

Clerk please go roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes.

Councilman Andrew Har.

Yes, Councilman Ritz, yes, councilman traffic, yes, councilwoman Vazier, yes, councilman Campo Piano, yes, councilman Bonano, yes, council vice president oryan, yes, council president Wall.

Yes, motion carries councilman Ritz.

You the auditor has the next.

I I thought he might have something to say, sorry.

Oh that the next to the administration's uh thoughts on on the next two that I have, but uh page 19.

Well done.

Let go slow because we're getting lost on you.

Page 19 5504, maintenance 5504, pool maintenance budgeted at 10,000.

I wanted to reduce it by 2500 to 7500.

I didn't know if there was any opportunity shortening it an hour each day or any small changes there that could shorten that one.

The other one I had, I I can just mention that was pool supplies and administration night.

That was my thought there.

If that's gonna create a big problem, I'm open to that.

So I didn't know your thoughts.

So you want to want to get comments on the first one.

Uh director, you're gonna answer regarding the phone, the uh the pool maintenance.

So just so the director knows the the line is five five zero zero for pool maintenance currently budgeted at 10,000.

I didn't know if we could cut that down a little by 2500, making it 7500 or five zeros or trying to see it myself.

So it's at 10,000 you want to take it to uh 7500, reduce it by 2500.

2500.

Director, what's your thoughts on this?

I I know that Mr.

Piscafello is as tight as he could be.

I could say this, but Mr.

Uh Councilman uh Ritz offered if we could reduce pool hours as such to cover for that, we could probably reduce pool hours.

If we don't have the money to able to save, we could reduce pool hours.

We'll say uh uh we'll save some money there.

So we could cut back on that if if if uh if we need to.

Okay, you're saying we'll we're gonna go back anyway.

Do you want to ask a question before we the other one I was wondering if we could do a reduction in the line is pool supplies?

It's budgeted at 35,000.

I want to see if we could take that down five thousand uh to thirty thousand dollars, kind of the same mindset there.

Frankly, I don't recall all the items that made that up, but I know the scrutiny daddy went under that.

Frankly, I don't recall all the items that made that up, but I know the scrutiny that he went under that we didn't see any money extra, but if it means to reducing hours or reducing operations, you could do that to come into the number you want.

All right, and that's five thousand dollars, five thousand.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you for that feedback.

So let's go back to yep.

I can read through the read the first one was pool maintenance and repairs.

It was an amendment of it was equivalent to 2500.

Correct.

Yep, from 10,000 to 7500, reducing it by 2500.

Okay, all right.

Is there a motion to approve?

So move to second motion made and second, and I'm gonna take the uh council vice president first, and I'm gonna go around.

I have some questions for administration.

If he could come up on the pool on this on the pool.

Uh all right.

Um the pool budget.

Was that figured on the pool opening July?

And when is the actual opening date for the pool?

Yeah, it was based, I believe, on July.

However, the calendar goes, it was just after the fourth.

I don't know if it's the fifth, sixth, but that's I saw online the pool wasn't opening till the end of July.

I'm not sure that what is the opening date for the pool?

It's the uh the Monday or the Tuesday, the sixth.

Six is okay.

The fourth.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other comments on pool maintenance?

I mean, go all the way around.

I see Councilman Ander, I'll get to yep.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President.

Just please keep in mind, everyone, that during summer hours when the temperature is hits above 90, there are extended hours.

So I don't know how that's going to work with um going in the red because we have to stay open to uh due to the statewide um mandate.

Councilman Campaviana.

Thank you, Councilman.

Uh I'm just concerned of the that's 25% of that budget.

That's that's a lot of that budget.

I don't know if any we've open to even 2,000 or we don't have a history right now of what it's gonna cost.

I get you.

Um councilman Vizier.

What exactly entails the pool maintenance?

Anyone answer that question, director.

You that probably will be out of your skill set, right?

Am I director?

You're gonna check.

So we're not really sure what exactly entitled.

Okay, that's that's an honest answer.

It's an honest answer.

Um, and I don't think anybody's here from public work, so we're not gonna get an answer to that question today.

Um councilman and how you're the only one's good hand.

Well, as someone that used to work at a pool and it was Zucolo Recreation and Province, pool maintenance and pool supply go hand in hand.

So it's your ladders, the bolts, all that stuff, the chlorine, the tablets.

Um, councilman rits on the next one.

Wants to get rid of the red die if you pee in the pool.

So um that that all goes hand in hand.

So that's my opinion.

So um I hope I answered everybody's question.

Thank you for that insight.

We needed some of that.

Um, all right.

Any other discussion on this matter?

So we're looking at first the pool maintenance.

I see none.

There was a motion made and seconded.

Uh clerk, please follow.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes, councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficanti.

Yes.

Councilwoman Viziri, yes.

Councilman Campa Piano.

Yes.

Councilman Bonano.

Yes.

Council Vice President Heroyan.

No.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

All right.

The next one, you want to restate it.

Yep, pool supplies.

So page 19, 5505 pool supplies.

Currently budgeted at 35,000.

Reducing it by 5,000 to 30,000.

So moved.

Second.

Motion main, second discussion on this item.

Councilman and just think of red circles, people.

Red circles.

Thank you for that.

Um, any other discussion?

I see none.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Graziana.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficanti.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazier.

No.

Councilman Kevapiano.

No.

Councilman Bernano.

Yes.

Council Vice President Haroyan.

No.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Council President.

Yes, Councilman Traffic.

Okay.

Um, please, Director.

Anthony.

Yes, I'm okay.

I know the pool is a lot smaller than the original Olympic size pool we had in the past.

I realize the pool that's constructed is a lot smaller than the Olympic size pool we had in the past.

So what are these numbers based upon previous previous pool operation or the new operation?

The small, small pool.

Yeah, good question.

It's a new operation.

Mr.

Piscapello Fortune has experience with the pools in Providence.

So he very much knows very recently what the cost to operate a pools are, those sizes, that and uh he speaks with pool people, but no, it's specific to the size of this pool map.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

Um, Councilman Ritz, once again, the floor is yours.

Last one, page 43.

43.

Department.

Well, it's 1306.

2306.

Hold on.

Say again.

Clean city coordinator.

Salary at 47,062.

I'm asking to eliminate that position.

Just a line item, excuse me.

Can I make sure I know which line item?

We're on page 43.

43.

1306, clean city coordinator.

47,062.

Eliminate that line item.

47,006.

Okay.

Yes.

Councilman.

So along with that line item, uh, there's other expenditures to go along with it.

So if you're gonna eliminate the position, there's also four of the line items that have to be eliminated along with it.

Um I have them here.

So that would be department 1306 refute removal expense category 1530 payroll taxes, be reduced from $4,024 to zero.

Again, Parton 1306, line item 51301 pension be reduced from $4,772 to zero.

Again, department 1306 line item 51302 hospitalization be reduced from 5533 to zero.

And finally, group 1306 line item 51304, life insurance would be reduced from 192 to zero.

Uh to simplify it, uh, Director Eigel, the total expenditure reduction in that coordinate category would be $61,583.

Okay.

Is there a moment removed?

Is there a second?

Second discussion.

No, no, I'm gonna get you, Councilman Campbell.

Oh, you always go.

I always go around to you last.

Thank you, Council President.

Um I know this line item was uh eliminated in the original budget and then it was brought back.

Um I don't know if I'm in favor of completely removing it.

Maybe if we reduced it to 12,000, so if some duties are required, uh, so we can get a differential and uh and still perform some of those duties.

As far as some of the duties I understand, um it's repairing of the bear the the bins and the wheels, and I'm willing to do that.

Uh if there are wheels in stock in the city and I gotta go out and put a wheel or something on.

I I can do that to help out.

So we have to are we gonna pay you?

No, all right, perfect.

You're not paying me, I'll do it.

Um but uh I I think we should leave something in it so that if some of these some of these duties need to be in the liaison between the city and waste management to make calls or something, at least they'll be done.

It won't be completely decimated.

I don't know if anybody is willing to go that far, but that's what I have.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, you know, I I really want to thank Joe DiCarlo for his service to the city.

I believe he just retired, and now we have somebody in there new uh Mr.

Cardulo or something, but this is a really important position.

This is the liaison that you know basically takes our calls or the administration's call.

So um I really want you to think about this one.

This is gonna be a tough one for me, but if that's what you're aiming for, then you know I'll fully support it.

But I mean, this is a really important position.

Councilman Benano.

Um so I guess I just have a question.

I I am I'm in favor of the idea.

Um I just want to there's still a job function to coordinate trash cans to be repaired.

Um so my I guess I have a question.

Who's gonna who's gonna do that?

I guess that would be a question for uh the administration.

Right.

Sorry to put you on the spot.

Okay, to answer your your question, it would uh probably uh be director Correa would be doing that.

Um he stretched, uh realize we have eliminated a uh supervisor of building maintenance, so he's going to also be the supervisor of billing maintenance.

Um he's a chief engineer for the city.

Um in terms of staff, he probably has uh other than highway and fleet maintenance in terms of uh support, administrative support.

Um he has the traffic safety uh uh engineer called engineer.

Um then he has a sewer department uh folks, which is which is different.

So it would be uh director Correll if he stays on.

Um and uh do have to mention that you know there is a there's always been a rat problem in the city, not just city, but others.

Uh this is the elite person taking care of the trash cans and you know enforcement or no, I should say notification.

One of the plans and may I had was to uh help try to beef up compliance because we have a lot of non-compliance, which cost us a lot of money at the landfill uh for those folks that aren't properly disposing of recycling.

That would have been an initiative he had.

Um so it would be it would be a loss and it'd be a concern, particularly when it comes to trash in the city of Cranston.

Um if uh if you know, in terms of the proliferation of rats is possible.

And uh thinks it's a necessary position for the reasons I just mentioned.

Just I have one more follow-up and uh go ahead.

In my private conversation is about the budget.

I'll be very frank.

You know, it came down to keep the traffic engineer, keep the clean city coordinator.

Um, which would you rather keep because you're only you're only probably gonna get one.

If I can speak on behalf of Mr.

Correa, because he's the person that is directly impacted.

My uh feeling that his opinion, if it had to be one or the other, you know, Peter against Paul, it would be uh not having the clean city coordinator.

Um from a technical perspective, because the um given the technical ability of the uh it's a higher level position of the uh traffic engineer position.

I I mean, and I just want to thank you, Mr.

Reddy, uh Director Reddy.

This is not an easy vote, but we're trying to spread the pain out.

This pain, there's a lot of pain, and there's a lot of pain everywhere.

We're trying to spread the pain out so everybody feels it as opposed to just a couple of departments.

Um none of this stuff is ideal.

We don't want to cut any of it, but here we are.

Um, and we have to.

And I just want to again urge not only the public, but the public, the administration, even ourselves.

Uh, I've said it in public, and I've I'm gonna say it now again.

Nobody's gonna be happy with this.

If we can get to a point where we can sleep decent, I think that's that's the that's the best case scenario.

So um that's all I have to say.

I mean, I nobody's gonna be happy, definitely nobody's gonna be thrilled.

If we could just be okay for this year, and we can begin to the process of the healing next year.

This year's tough, and we're making the tough decisions um that we have to make.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

I'm gonna go right around again.

All right, yeah, I don't see yeah, okay.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I'm gonna have a grant that um Councilman Capapiano and Councilman Ritz were with me um at the resource recovery center, and there is a grant that we can apply for that we talked about, um, which is what Director Moretti was speaking about.

Um, and I do this where I work too, which is lid flipping and fining and trash um education, administration, enforcement.

Um, and that is something that we I'm not saying we're gonna get it, but it's something that I would want our grant writer if they stay on to apply for.

Um, but we talked about it.

It's a I think it's a hundred thousand dollars, and one of one of you can one of you council members can correct me.

Um it's something that I was looking to apply for, so I'm not saying we're gonna get it, but it's on my public works agenda to reach out and start working on that grant and get a resolution in.

So I don't know, if I guess even if we get 50,000, maybe we could hire a temporary person for one year.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

Council Vice President.

I'll be in full support of um voting this tonight, not to have it in the budget.

As we all saw, administration took this out of the budget and then put it back in the budget for some reason.

Um, everyone here on council is on social media, and Joe DeCallo did an amazing job.

His customer service was fabulous, but his hands were tied.

The idea of this job is a great idea.

But if waste management is unable to provide us with new lids with new wheels, new trash barrels.

We could have an intern sitting there answering the phone and filling out the paperwork.

Um, it's a tough time right now.

All of us are having to make cuts.

We ourselves cut the grant writers pay who's under city council, and I'm really in full support of this amendment tonight.

Um I'm sorry, maybe down the road.

I know that City of Wallach, I believe I saw advertised last year, was hiring summer workers to just go around and flip the lid for minimum page.

Pay that might be something a retired person would want to do.

I myself drove around my neighborhood at 4 30 a.m.

three weeks ago on garbage day.

There was 27 trash cans missing the lid.

I go walking, I try to, you know, knock on the door and say, can you request one?

Can I request it for you?

If the constituent is not home, they can't just go on their property.

Waste management has to do better with their contract for us.

I'm sorry, I'll say it.

We should not have an employee doing waste management's job.

Thank you, Council Vice President.

Any other comments?

Council, Councilman Traffic Canton.

I don't want to see anybody lose a livelihood.

Uh but if we look through our budgetary process, we saw the Teamsters and the laborers' union take tremendous hits in our recreation department and our public works department.

You know, like like I said, everyone is sacrificing.

So therefore I am going to support this resolution tonight uh to eliminate this position.

Not that I want to see anyone lose a job, but we all have to sacrifice.

Thank you, Councilman.

Councilman Campabiano.

Thank you, Council President.

Um, I just want to circle back to my idea about the um differential and keeping 12,000 in there.

Um can the administration is it possible that maybe someone in constituent affairs can, if there was a differential, to help out in this area.

Yes, well, that's a good suggestion.

We'll we'll have we'll have to reorganize and divvy things up.

So to say constituent affairs can absorb some of that, possibly, yeah.

Um, but would appreciate some differential money in there where to be a for someone to you know to cover.

Um it's gonna be a stretch.

The reason why it was not in the budget in the first place.

We we went far and the director Crayle fought for that position back.

And that's that was a reason for it because the pressure that he was feeling.

Just want to explain.

That's why it was put back respectfully, understand whatever your decision is.

But it would be appreciated if some differential money could be available to cover for it because it because people are gonna be people are gonna be uh stepping up.

And and again, we don't have a building maintenance supervisor.

Um so it's just a just a question, if you don't mind, uh councilman.

What figure you're looking for?

Yeah.

No, I'm gonna ask if you don't mind, I'm gonna ask the seeing the head.

The councilman mentioned 12 15,000 would be a little bit more uh helpful in terms of being able if we don't have to spend the money, we're not gonna spend the money.

Uh, but to maybe divvy it up, maybe a couple of different people, a couple of responsibilities.

I'm not sure if one person could take it all on, but I would say that's reasonable.

Yeah, I completely decimating the position.

It worries me.

I mean, we made the trip to waste management.

Uh we we all hear the complaints about the the waste and the rats and everything to completely eliminate it.

It makes me a little bit nervous.

But if we could just put a little bit back into it, so at least we have the room to have some of this stuff done.

I would feel more comfortable.

Councilman Andrew.

Can I get a clarification on this position and the repository?

Because I got a feeling that's two different positions, two different people.

The rat is the rat, the rodent control officer is different, correct?

He's in the field constantly baiting, rebating, rebating.

And it has nothing to do with this position, correct?

Correct.

It's independent.

It relates in a way, but indirectly.

So with that, I'm with you, Councilman Ritz.

Um I mean, I I do want to say what you originally said before, it is connected because the holes in the gut, you know, the lids that are on the garbage cans, they you know, it's a feeding source.

That's a lot of times what we're seeing.

I get that there, and it was hard because Joe DeCal did repair all those and not to use someone's name.

I apologize, attorney.

Um, so it was a you did see you will see a difference in it.

Like I think you said before, it's a hard, it's it's it's a hard hard thing to take out because we're trying to go in some direction, but I worry about in the road and area that we're we're opening up in a smaller smoggish board for these kids uh these rats to eat again.

Um, Mr.

President, since we're in a debate, if the work's not getting done now, what's gonna change?

So that's what that's where I'm getting at.

So that's why I support Councilman Ritz fully on this now with the clarification.

Councilman Banon.

I also want to say that the immediate past clean city coordinator.

I'm I'm reasonably sure that he was not supposed to go out there and change the wheels.

That's just something that he did.

He wasn't supposed to go out there and change the lids.

That's what he did to cover for waste management, as as council vice president Heroyan said.

Um, and I will go with the council campion and put some of these on.

But the fact of the matter remains that I almost had a heart attack over there.

My my head, the my bold spot turned red when we were talking about garbage, because it's the contract with waste management infuriates me.

It infuriates me.

I wish I could have gone to the dump on that day.

I had to work, I was teaching my class on a Saturday.

Um, but the the contract with waste management and the and the the racket that they run infuriates me.

Um, and and to say that oh, the lids aren't gonna get repaired or the wheels aren't gonna get repaired.

That's a valid point, but it's got nothing to do with the clean city coordinator, it's got to do with the contract with waste management.

So while we're talking about the clean city coordinator, um I think that that you know that's a good conversation to have, but it waste management is a different conversation that needs to happen when that their contract comes up.

And and they might be very good with carding, but they need to get better with their barrel and whatever you want to call them repairs.

Um, and and for the money that the city pays, uh that's a demand, and that's not a that's not a nice to have, that's a need to have.

So that's what I have to say about garbage again.

My ball spots getting red again.

Thank you, councilman.

Um, let me just I'm gonna go right around.

Uh, councilman Ritz.

Just uh uh I agree with Council Vice President Ferrarian and uh and the fellow councilman's I'd like to see you know get them to come into the next public works meeting and talk to them about this problem and see if they have an intermediate solution.

Maybe there's a way the council people can submit these things to them or some way to organize, but I think we gotta push a little bit back on waste management.

These these are not easy cuts to make a lot of small cuts and people lose jobs.

I mean, look at the schools and senior center, and I mean we're making me to cut the foil laborers union over here.

I mean, these are cuts.

We're trying to get to a number to save what we can over these pieces, but it's a lot of hardship all the way around.

But I think it's just a we're in the downturn of what the economy here and next year we'll work to build this stuff back up.

I think it's just tough cuts at events.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Traffican.

I just want to make a comment.

You know, every time we eliminate a position, somebody else has to pick up the responsibility.

That's what's going to have to happen in local government.

You know, as a teacher for many years, and we eliminated teachers, my class size increased.

I had to do the job.

So other people have to pick up the slacks.

I'm sure there are other people in various departments because they do that very same job.

By the way, waste management is making millions on throughout the state of Rhode Island and not only in the city of Grandson.

Perhaps we should think about going every other week and save some money for the city of Grandson as well.

Many communities are doing exactly that.

Thank you, Councilman.

I think we've just about covered that topic.

Um, I'm gonna ask the clerk to please spell it all.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes.

Councilman Andrew Hart, yes, councilman Ritz.

Yes, councilman Trafficante, yes, councilwoman Vizieri, yes, councilman Campo Piano.

No, councilman Bernano, yes, council vice president royan, yes, council president wall.

Yes.

So that concludes your amendments, councilman Ritz.

Some also thank you.

Thank you for the work you put in on it.

Um, do you have a tally for those?

Is that what you get?

Currently, that is 88,083 that you can allocate to whatever you see fit, councilman.

I wanted to allocate that.

I don't have the number, but the stamps I know has been an issue.

The five thousand dollars are reducing the stamps that I know we created an issue of removing the 75,000 from the uh approximate for the playground program.

You know, that would have jeopardized the whole program.

So that's 80,000, right?

If I uh heard the councilman correctly, um, he would like to increase group 1400 pox and rec counselors by 75,000.

That's uh 51201 playground attendance.

And he'd also like to increase department 111 account number 52941 postage by $5,000.

That would leave you $8,083 to allocate accordingly.

$8,083 left to balance that amendment.

Where do you want to put it, Councilman?

Enough room for that one.

I care across the way, Councilman had a thought.

Councilman, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I would like to uh make some amendments and uh if order the mayo could please read those.

Well, we we're not finished with this one just yet.

You say again the how much is left?

$8,000.

$83.

Where would you like that to go?

Councilman.

Councilman, you want so I I'll make a motion, Mr.

President, to split that between hold on the council.

That's his amendment.

Yeah, councilman.

Okay, so we'll split those that eight thousand dollars in half between the school system, school department and the senior center.

Okay, excuse me, I apologize.

$4,042 to the school's maintenance of effort and $4,041 to the senior center.

Currently, the senior center has one line item, which has roughly been adjusted to about $1,020,000.

So we'll increase that line item.

And it's the same contingency that we made the amendment on for the schools.

So that line item about $1,020,000 will be reduced by be increased by the $4,041.

Mr.

Igo, you have that all recorded.

Um before before I take any discussion on it, I think we should take a motion on this matter because you're we're gonna take a motion on on the allocation of those funds as outlined by director the mail.

Is there a motion?

So moved.

I didn't hear a second.

Second, uh councilman traffic can't.

What's the 70,000 for 75 is going back to uh Pox and Rep group number 51201 playground attendance?

That had been reduced, so they had a limit their hours.

Yeah, somebody clarify the need for that.

That'll be clarifying the need for the 75.

From what I understand, um, they reduced the programs, the summer programs um by that amount, and it would have limited the amount of kids who could go to the programs.

So the director requested to have it put back so they can increase the attendance.

How much is left in that budget for councils?

If you eliminate the 75, what's left?

Hold on.

It's currently so it's currently this year.

It's over budget.

This year it's currently over budget by 73,000.

Fiscal year is 630 um 26.

Why?

Why is it over budget?

The the from what I understand, the current budget number was reduced.

Um, it wasn't was 200,000 for fiscal year 2026, and there was greater attendance.

How many councils were assigned to each playground area?

How many councils are needed at each playground area?

I'm sorry, I don't have I don't have that number.

Uh Mr.

Piscapello through if I knew this would come up, we'd have Mr.

Piscapello provide the answers.

I could get it, but I don't have I don't have that data.

I believe this is tied to the revenues too.

So it's not just an expense that's more people that participate that the that the red ones are not sure exactly the proportions, but I know there's an offset unless I can get a definitive answer.

I'm not going to support this resolution.

Thank you, councilman.

Council camp beyond.

Thank you, council president.

Um I'm gonna go back to the differential.

I would have loved to make this 60 and give them the 15 for the differential.

I really think that's important to the city.

Getting that the coordinator, someone to uh coordinate the the trash in the city.

Um that's all I got.

Thank you.

I I mean we're still on the yeah, the fox is the box and rec.

Yeah.

I'm gonna be in full support of that.

Um, from my notes from the um meeting we had with the director, those 75,000 is going to keep the cost down for the campers, the inscription fees, it's gonna also keep the amount of campers that each um supervisor is gonna have.

So imagine for realistic reasons.

Imagine a camper watching over 25 kids versus 10.

So that's why I'm in full support of this.

This is gonna be very um good for my neighborhood, especially Ward 3, because that's where a lot of these campers go to, and they can't really afford paying 250 dollars to go to summer camp.

Let me uh my opinion on the price.

And just so everybody knows that I believe uh uh Mr.

Piscopello is actually on online.

He's gonna be online one second.

He can answer this.

He could probably answer it with some detail for us.

Just give him a second.

Say again.

He hasn't joined yet.

Let me take a couple of comments until he joins, just let me know when he does.

If there are any other comments on this matter, uh councilman traffic in councilman and holler.

Yes, sir.

Prior to me, prior to me becoming a councilman in Cranston, way before you were born.

Uh I was in charge of the playground programs under Miss Mayor Taft.

And I I just want to know I approve or disapprove of this, I want to know how many councils are gonna be assigned to how many kids?

And I don't know in the past how many councils were assigned.

I mean, I going from 10 to 20 25 kids per council, it doesn't seem reasonable to me.

Mayor replay Mayor Trappercante, uh I I totally agree with you.

Um, but I am voting on this because I trust Stephen Pescapello.

It's just like if you tell me you're a two handicapped, I'll believe you're a two handicap.

So I just want to let you know that I totally have faith in what the these numbers are and what our director needs.

But I and as a recipient from camps, especially in Providence, I know the importance of kids having something to do during the summer.

All right, hold on one second before I believe director Piscopello is on now.

Director, can you hear me?

I think you might be muted.

Director D, I think he's unmuted now.

Director, can you hear me?

Yes, I can.

All right, director, I'm gonna ask um councilman Traffic Kenny just to ask his questions because we were unable to get the answers before, but I think this is in your purview.

Um, councilman, councilman Trafficani, you want to ask the directors a couple of questions.

Uh director, yeah you're asking for an additional 75.

Is it thousand?

75,000.

You how do you explain to me why the need for that amount of money to be added to your budget?

Certainly.

Um first you gotta go back to um 2019 when the funding level for that particular line was uh exactly 200,000, which was six years ago when minimum wage was 11.

Um, also uh take into consideration that the camp has grown over the years, and there's more kids that are attending in the camp.

Um, there's four locations, there should be five because we have well over 425, 450 kids.

And in order to uh provide a safe um haven and environment for the the kids that are attending the camp, um you've got to have at least a one to nine, one to ten ratio of uh of a child um to the uh the counselor.

That's a safe one.

We can go a little bit higher if we had to, but um I wouldn't be comfortable going much higher than one to eleven, one to twelve at the very most.

Um I put in uh last year, last year's buzzer, I put in um at this particular funding level 275, and it was cut to 200.

And as uh auditor de mail uh said, um it's it's pretty uh cut and dry that we ran a 72,000 dollar deficit because of that.

So in realistic terms, what I'm asking for is basically to cover the cost of the the camp and also take into consideration the that we've raised fees from the camp from 133 to 175, um, which is more um it's a more comfortable number.

Uh uh obviously it should be even higher.

Um, we're probably at the low end of what fees are for a summer camp.

And um when you factor in, we're probably gonna have 50 to 80 more kids attending the camp.

The revenue side is definitely gonna be higher.

So for all those reasons that I stated, um, that's the reason why that number was what it's representing.

Thank Council Drapagini, do you have another question?

No, I'm just I'm just not convinced that they need the whole 75,000.

If we have to cut down some of the councilors just do so, we have a senior center that's 700,000 short of reaching a goal.

We have a school department we gave zero to, basically.

They have a 4.6 million dollar contractual obligation, and the city gave them zero.

So let's be realistic here today.

Everybody has to bear a burden, every single group from teenagers right to senior senate, senior centers.

Thank you, councilman.

Councilman Beno through the through the chair to the director.

Obviously, the director is advocating for the full amount, which is I believe the want, right?

So what is the need?

My question is what what what's the absolute floor of what of what we can what we can play with?

Well, I think the numbers speak for themselves.

I mean, we have a we had a $72,000 deficit.

Um we have a waiting list of probably 25 families right now that we cannot um we cannot uh put into camps.

Um honestly the want would be a lot higher if I could, but I I'm realistic as well and understand I'm not gonna get more, and nor do I envision even asking for more.

So the 75 would would definitely help.

Um, but again, we would just have to cut back on the numbers and and that um waiting list would not be realized.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Any other questions?

Director, thank you for uh zooming in on this matter.

Sure.

Oh, I did hold on one second.

I did not see councilwoman grazi on the sorry, um go ahead, councilwoman I'm trying to do like a million things at once, so it makes sure we have all the facts.

Um I thank the director for coming in.

Um I just have one other question here's still on.

So last year, how many counselors to campers were there?

It was a little bit lower.

It was probably in the one to seven, one to eight ratio.

And um if if you remember back to the budget deliberations, um it was my first year.

I wanted to see what was going on and how it operated, and then I would make changes to it.

So I think um realistically we can go higher with that number.

Um one to ten, one to twelve.

I think last year was uh, you know, we were a little bit heavy on the counselor side.

Okay.

Um this is this is a hard one for me.

I like I hear councilman Trafficante, I understand that.

I also like I'm a big advocate of supporting our youth.

Um, it's my thing.

Like I volunteer a lot, and I know that these kids need a place to go.

And um, I know how important youth sports is, um, any type of recreational activities and what happens in the summer, and that parents need the support because they have to go to work.

Um, and I think that this is a very affordable camp.

I think Cranson does a great job.

My kids both attended this camp.

I'm grateful for the city for running it.

Um and I just I I'm gonna advocate for our youth um and our families who are struggling because I think I think they need this.

Thank you, councilwoman.

Before I ask you, I just before I I forget this question because I might have missed it the first time.

You you said last year your ratio was uh eight campers to to one council.

Is that what I heard you, Director?

Yeah, it was around one to eight, and we're obviously gonna raise that between one to ten and one to twelve this year.

So you're increasing by 20% approximately.

Exactly around that.

All right, I just wanted to know.

So you are are actually increasing it.

Um we're increasing the number of campuses, and we're also generating uh a ton more revenue because you know we have 400 and something kids uh from 133 to 175, that difference, and then you add 80 campus.

Um you know, the revenue side is definitely gonna generate um some more additional revenue.

Thank you, Director.

Um, no, you're all sorry, Councilman.

Councilman Campion.

Thank you, Council President.

Uh I'm also struggling with this, uh as I made it known earlier, but you only got one shot at being a kid.

So um I never got I was never fortunate enough to go to camp, but uh the stories I hear from the kids who do go, it's uh quite the life memory for them.

So uh I'll be in support of it.

Thank you, Councilman.

All right.

I don't believe I see anything else, so I'm gonna ask Dr.

Please call it all on this.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, Councilman Anduhar.

Yes, Councilman Ritz.

Yes, Councilman Traficante.

No.

Councilwoman Vazieri, yes.

Councilman Campbell Piano.

Yes.

Councilman Bonano.

Yes.

Council Vice President Royan, yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you, Councilman Ritz.

So that you've got the allocations and the figures.

Correct.

One block.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh other amendments, please.

There is no other amendments at this time.

Director, you had something to say.

I believe.

Director, floor is your thank you, council president.

I guess this two two significant issues.

I guess there's good news and bad news.

So I asked the council president, what do you want first?

He said the good news.

So that's what we'll we'll talk about.

The um uh the council did ask, and and we did uh have negotiations uh further negotiations with the with the fire uh fire union.

And the long and the short of it was um that there's there have been changes modifying the contracts.

In fact, um uh an MOA has been signed an MOE right in MOAs between now the the union in the in the executive branch.

Uh it's not a final document that uh um uh to show the changes that uh to this existing contract.

Um the uh union membership has ratified uh what I'm about to say, and soon uh that uh MOA in the uh amended contract will be presented to the city council.

So depending on the uh what the council, but if given the council approval, um there have been uh modifications uh for the first year of the contract, I'll say favorable financially to the city, and then there's some offsets in the in the um in the out years of the contract.

Um that go the other way, uh if you will, in terms of pluses and minuses, but the net result on the savings um is um a little bit better than expected, actually, given our first blush.

But we're uh we should be seeing in Mr.

Igo and Mr.

Strom have confirmed these numbers that um there's there's a I'll say a pick up uh in the various line items of the fire contract between salaries related related benefits uh involving uh payroll taxes and pension um along with uh uh clothing allowances and deferred holidays totaling 664, 64, 400 uh to be able to be favorably uh uh can be favorably offset elsewhere in the budget.

Uh that's 664,400.

Yep, yes, sir.

Director, thank you.

As we discussed that, and just subject to the the council's approval when it comes before us.

I know you outlined that.

Yes, and that um the spirit of what we've been doing the last several nights in our budget hearings was taking half the money that we found putting towards the senior center, half the money putting it towards the school department.

Um council, unfortunately, this in this situation, we will not be able to do it that way.

Um, and I'll let legal expense explain it to me.

But basically, if we put that if it happened, is this council did not approve of this, and we put that in in the school department budget because of the way the law is written, that would be going toward their maintenance of effort.

We can't put one dime towards the school department in this matter.

That's what we're talking about, which is which is sad because as councilman traffic handy said, we have two very needy areas, and it's just the law.

Um so they would have to go into a fund that would go strictly to the senior center.

Um for that reason, we would have no choice unless I'm mistaken.

Or the mayor, would you follow me?

Just as a clarification.

So as director Murray said, we have 664,400 hours currently allocated that could be used for other expenditures in the fiscal year and budget of 630 27.

If we were to do this currently tonight, so we could approve the budget, there would be put two contingency line items.

So what that means is in a separate line item, it would be a contingency fire, it would be a negative reduction of expenses.

There'd be a contingency lineup in senior services, which would be funding for additional lines in senior services.

My suggestion would be if you do make this amendment to make a contingent on the council approving this amendment honorable for June 30th.

If you do not approve it, the line items will net out and it'll just revert back to what the original budget is currently.

So there'd be no net effect, it would just be a reallocation of what's there.

So again, the idea would be to have this.

If you make the amendment tonight, the budget would be in balance, they'd be contingent line items.

So again, a contingent line that reduced fire expenditures and all those categories, a contingent line item to increase funding of the senior center.

If it's approved, then it gets dispersed accordingly.

If it's not approved, it just nets out to zero and reverts back to the budget as it stands.

And thank you for the explanation.

Uh I appreciate that.

Um, director, now you wanted to go to the bad news.

Yeah, are you giving thank you?

Ms.

President, I I would prefer before anything happens just to let him explain this part, and then we'll we'll go back in because we're gonna have to discuss both these items.

Director.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I'm gonna pass out is it okay with permission to uh yes, absolutely.

Um director has thank you, Councilman Bonano.

I got one.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council.

Okay.

Thank you.

Since the uh since the last uh budget meeting, there was a a couple of line items that administr we we reviewed in administration and just wanted to just as a as a double check just to make sure we don't believe we're gonna be uh you know running a deficit next year.

And um we'd like to share with you uh an analysis that was put together today uh with uh Mr.

Strawn, Mr.

RIGO and myself, um in and had some discussions uh about fees having to do it with the colonel uh and uh the the the uh IBPO um about administrative fees and uh car fees for for details.

Um we uh is our recommendation that or our belief that the um revenues that were added in the budget uh in the existing budget were too aggressive.

So we respectfully request the council to review these numbers.

I'm sure you want to give serious thought to it.

Mr.

Strah and Mr.

I go's here to back that up, but um just to explain the schedule I just presented currently, just as a uh little background, the uh for all the details, the uh uh there's a $20 per hour fee charged uh to the vendors, um, typically your utilities and uh in others, uh, you know, for the use of of police cars per hour of $20, and then there's an administrative fee of five dollars.

The theory in the administrative fee was covering the cost of the uh of a person designated for to uh to uh uh uh assign the details.

Um something to note, this is uh an item that's in the in the IBPO contract that requires their authorization.

There's there's personnel reasons attached to this, but want to point that out that um this is any any changes to that would require IBPO uh approval and we and we're in contract negotiations now, but just running a couple of scenarios.

Um right now the budget for admin fees in the f if you want to look to the first column in the center um for 2026, the year that's closing out in uh 30 days from now is 185,000.

The fees for the use of the vehicles is seven uh seven hundred thousand for a total of eight hundred and eighty-five thousand.

For simplicity, I'll just re I'll just um review the total numbers rather than three numbers, which would be more confusing.

So we're saying that the budget was eight hundred and eighty-five thousand dollars.

Um year to date, the uh the uh through 11 months, uh we've collected uh 411,000.

And if we annualize that number by putting in this uh another month, the annualized number is 450,000.

So that's our projection as to what the car with the uh with these fees will be in terms of revenues for the city.

So basically we're thinking this year, 2026, we're gonna be short 400,000.

Frankly, this is a line item I believe that formally uh the former finance director w was aggressive on.

Um and I think that's a lot of the reason for that.

Um we don't want that mistake to happen again.

So um right now the council the the budget that as as it exists right now with an amendment that was made, there's eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars uh in that budget.

So it appears just based on that with the if we're using the the um the results that we're expecting this year, saying that's gonna be for next year, and we're saying we're gonna be 400,000 short.

Um, which is a concern.

Now you could say, well, perhaps there's it could be two variables.

Well, maybe we're gonna have more details and more cars.

I don't I don't and more, you know, and and and more activity.

I could tell you by speaking with the folks in the the brass at the police department and the and the uh members that they're kind of maxed out with details now.

Now maybe we could pick up some, but we wouldn't want to go to the bank with that because we've all heard that we're calling in for other communities and construction is probably you know pretty much at peak.

So we're not expecting a uh a sharp increase, maybe there could be, we're not expecting much of an increase um uh count counting on that.

So director, just so and I'm gonna go around and and just one second.

So the more you're saying the more realistic figure would be the six hundred and four thousand dollars, which would leave us with the shortfall in the budget that we passed on the on um the twenty-eighth, if I'm not mistaken, by two hundred and forty-six thousand dollars.

That's using that's assuming that there would be the increase in the in the fees.

Not volume, but the increase just didn't increase the fees because our volume seems to be down according to your the your narrative that you just did.

Or yeah.

So but again, that's it with with the fees and the real the if the people here have the schedule, you could see it's doing the math where the council president looking for 246,000.

It's it's uh basically taking the um uh it would be you would be inflating the the the numbers of pro forma the numbers for 2026, would which are estimated to be 450, estimating that to be six oh four, same same given the number of hours.

I get you.

All right.

Before uh you know what we're gonna take just a brief recess because I have to come for a one minute.

We're gonna take a brief recess, five minutes.

Oh, yeah, you know what?

Before we do that, uh entertain a motion to accept uh director's Maretti's calculations regarding the police detail into the without objection.

Thank you.

All right, we're gonna take a brief recession.

I do like the role.

I do like it a little bit.

Um we're gonna let Director Strom speak, and then I'm gonna call on you.

All right.

But the important issue is the collection of it.

So even if it's been billed, the only time it gets into the revenue line item is when it's collected.

And I had a discussion with the police administration this afternoon, and they're looking into that um situation as we speak, so that tomorrow I'll have a better idea if there is some collections that need to be made uh from billings, or if there's some billings that have to be done and then pursued for collection.

Thank you, Director.

I do appreciate that.

Um I'm gonna ask um auditor the mayor to come up and we're gonna have to take uh a vote on how we're gonna accept the this this both good and bad news into several contingency funds subject to the council's vote.

Um the the auditor, please.

So um what I'm gonna recite or explain will have to be put into a motion uh once everybody um has an understanding.

So as the administration and direct more ready stated, the fires um adjustments uh equate to four, excuse me, six hundred excuse, six hundred and sixty-four thousand four hundred dollars.

So the the initial would be to put that 600 and 64,400 in a fire contingency fund as a reduction to various expenditures, whatever they may be payroll, payroll taxes, uh pension.

Um, and then to put 464,400 in a contingency fund for the senior center.

So again, once that is put in the contingency fund, they can do the allocation with the other million two to figure out what areas will be reenacted and used.

After the information that was provided by the administration with reference to the adjusted to the um fees and the detail car rental, uh the suggestion was made that we allocate 200,000 into a police contingency fund to offset the aggressiveness that was put in place for those two revenue centers.

So, in essence, if we go over and there's additional collections that are made with detailed cars accordingly, then we'll just have additional revenue.

But they felt that we wanted to adjust to compensate for that because the budget is just so tight.

So, in essence, it's an offset.

So basically there'll be three contingency funds, one to fire for reduction in expenditures, one to senior services for additional money being allocated for their departments, and the other one to offset the overstatement of the police potential overstatement of the police revenue on details and administrative fees.

Are there any questions?

And then we're gonna have to put this in three three separate motions.

So I'm gonna go to councilman and thank you, Mr.

President.

I just want to ask the administration when did they know about this?

Because it's like the 11th hour again, we're again thrown this in.

Uh yeah, Director Murray, you want to tell us.

I mean, please tell me.

Yeah, about about four o'clock, 4:30 today.

Thank you, Director.

Thank you, Director.

Again, it's evaluating.

It was last review of the city council adjustments.

I don't want to go there, but we did the right thing.

Um, Councilman Benano.

Thank you.

Um, it seems as though that we we've paid a lot of attention to this particular issue, um, as we should.

First of all, the fact that it was brought to us, I think it's positive.

Um, because we don't want to make the same mistakes of overestimating our revenue to the detriment next year.

So I'm happy about that.

I wish there was more time, but you know, you can wish in one hand and do something else in the other and see which gets filled up first.

But anyhow, um I I also want to say that when I when I looked at this, and I I did confer with Directory and um Order DeMayo in a corner for a moment.

We we took what was given to us as a 2027 as submitted by the mayor, um, which for those two line items did amount to 650,000.

And we made adjustments that we would hope require and would get the IBPO approval and made them 850.

So that's where the 200,000 sort of discrepancy came from, because the difference between the 450 and the 650 in the actualized budget for this year, the annualized budget for this year is where the 200,000 came out.

I don't think it was from our math.

I think it was from their projections, which were done before they did this annualization, and we found out that we were 200,000 behind.

I think that's a fair statement.

Um, so while the news isn't good, I think for once everybody working together, finding out what the situation is is better than going forward with bad information, which is what got us here in the first place.

So you know, I not that nobody was attacking anybody, but I also I also want to elucidate that we did what we could based on the numbers we were given at the time, and now we gotta do what we have to do based on the numbers given at this time before we finalize the budget.

So um hopefully, as director Strom said, this 450 isn't is it reality?

It's only reality is what we've collected.

Hopefully, there's more money out there that needs to be collected to get us closer to what we're supposed to be.

But I'm comfortable with what order de mayo suggested.

Um, and putting that 200,000 aside to make sure that we can use it.

I did have a question um regarding the fire situation.

Um that would have to go to the director.

I it it might be it might be a legal question.

Okay, um, yep, but whoever can answer it can answer it.

Mr.

President, you had stated that we can't split that down the middle.

I just don't understand why.

So could somebody explain the legalities of of why that is why it can't go to the schools and the seniors in the contingency.

I I'll answer it or initially, then Mr.

Mayor may have you don't know what the agreement is yet, right?

We we haven't seen the final agreement, and if you were to put that in there now, this council may not like the agreement.

They may say that you know we got the savings this year, but in the out years we can't afford it.

So that's why it's contingent upon your approval.

So that's one issue.

The other second issue is you don't really have that money until it's ratified, so you can't put it to the schools now because you don't actually have that money.

So this is a unique way of doing this.

I'm not suggesting that it isn't, but you can't go to the schools because you go you'll you know you might increase their maintenance of effort, and that's what we're trying to avoid.

You can't spend money that you don't have.

So even though the savings is projected, um, for this year, you don't know what the out years look like, and it may be and I have no idea because we the council has not seen it, and I'm not suggesting that it is or a good deal or a bad deal.

I have no idea of knowing, but the reason why we're doing a contingency because you need to protect your right to protect the taxpayers at the time when this agreement's brought before you in a full at a full agreement.

Just with a quick follow-up, there's no mechanism to um do that once if with the council passes it, there's no mechanism to split it in half.

Yeah, you got one shot at the budget.

This is it.

Okay, just from an economic standpoint.

If you did an allocation of those funds to the school department, once it's in the budget, it's in the budget maintenance.

If that's voted down, you create a structural deficit.

So it's there's no guarantee.

So I get that part.

So tonight's the last night we can give money to the school department, is what you're saying.

We can't we can't uh put that in the contingency, and if it passes, then we can send it over there and keep some for the seniors.

The last night that you can give money to the school department that you have money in hand, right?

Literally in your hand that you can allocate potential savings from a collective bargaining agreement potential or potential, they're not they're not final until such time as they are ratified by presented to you by the union, to you by the administration, ratified by the union, and then approved by the council.

So yeah, I guess what I'm having trouble understanding is if we can put it in a contingency for the senior center and use it.

What why can't we do that for the school department?

Because you're you're I'm sorry, because you're I think you're you're creating a structural deficit because you're you're getting that all right.

I all right.

You're getting that money from potential savings from this fire firefighter line, whatever that line might be.

That money's not there.

You can't this, but it's not there to give.

So we can't give it at the time the let's say with the contingency would have passed two weeks from now.

We can't give it then.

No, and that's what I don't understand.

That's what I don't understand.

One shot at the budget.

I still don't exactly get it, but I'm gonna trust that you know, I I know you're right.

There's a lot I don't get, believe me.

I think you're right too.

And for you know, because I certainly wanted to divide it right down the middle.

Um, I'm with you.

Um, so going back to we're gonna have three different contingency funds.

The first one in order to mayo, make sure I say I'm looking for a motion to create a reduction contingency fund from the fire department line of six hundred and sixty-four thousand four hundred dollars.

All right, or is there a motion?

So moved.

Is there a second?

Second motion made in second.

Is there any discussion?

I see kind of a hand.

I see kind of a hand.

Go ahead.

Ask the question.

Um to the 200k if we don't need it in the police contingency fund.

We haven't got to that one.

Well, we so this is just to creating that reduction uh contingency account.

Anything on yes, councilman uh camper beyond.

Thank you, Councilman President.

Um, I don't know.

Is now the time to ask what the repercussions are if we go forward with this uh deal with the fire.

I mean how they would how it will affect 2027 and 2028.

You don't know.

There will be a time when it that's one of the reasons it doesn't belong to us yet.

This council has not approved of it.

The fire department has taken a vote.

In good faith, they've taken a vote.

We have to actually ratify it.

We haven't ratified it.

So kind of could like uh attorney Marcelo said, it doesn't really exist in our budget right now.

So that's why you put in the contingency fund.

It's not going to affect us.

Is that about right?

It protects your right to say it may not be a big deal from your perspective, and therefore, if it doesn't pass, then we'll go back to where we are and looking at the budget is still balanced because it's based upon the 664 that was put where we put in that line item.

So right now we're we're voting on a placeholder if it passes.

All right, I see councilman Ritz.

I know you put it right up there.

Yeah, yeah.

I don't even know if the thing could the school department make a contingency in their budget based off our contingency and our budget.

Let me try to answer this.

Once we give and tell me if I'm correct, once we give that money, and this is the way I'm understanding it to the school department today.

We give it to them, it's part of the maintenance of effort.

So if it doesn't materialize, we've created, as you said before, a structural deficit.

The senior center is different because they don't have that type of thing in there, their uh the law.

To offer just maybe an example, like I think director Renzulli was on the council at the time.

Uh, there was a proposed number the state of Rhode Island was going to give the school department, and it was 4.3 million dollars higher than they actually had published.

So at the time, I had asked for a legal opinion.

If the council left that money in the budget, even though it was not coming from the city council, would we be obligated to it?

And the legal opinion came back that we would be.

So at that time, what we did is we reduced what we were going to be funding the city, excuse me, the school department by 4.3 million dollars.

It balanced in our budget, it didn't affect them, it just protected the city because if we would have said that we were gonna give them that, it basically would have been a 4.3 million dollar structural deficit in that one period.

What it happened after, because the state of Rhode Island's budget is always approved later, the number was correct, and they just received the additional funds.

Um, there was a case, I think it was in West Warwick.

Uh they got together with the school committee and the city council because the school committee had a surplus, they wanted to give money back to the city.

Somebody appealed it, and the city couldn't take it.

They had a fund back the school department because of the maintenance of effort.

So it's kind of a locked-in obligation, and the only reason for not splitting it is not that they don't want to give the money.

You just don't know how everybody's gonna perceive the information we're gonna receive from the fire department.

So you have to protect the city's budget and not allocate something you might not be able to afford.

Thank you.

Thank you, ordinary.

Everybody's pretty much I don't see any hands, not even low hands.

All right, with that, I'll ask this call roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, councilmanduhar.

Yes, councilman Ritz, yes, councilman Trappicanti.

Yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes, councilman campa piano, yes, councilman Bonano, yes, Vice President Heroyan, yes, council president wall.

Yes, that motion carries.

So next I'll be looking to add 464,400 to a contingency fund to go into the senior center's uh budget.

So move to increase second motion made, motion second discussion.

See none, clerk, please call it all councilwoman Graziano, yes, Councilman Anduhar.

Yes, Councilman Ritz, yes, councilman traffic, yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes, councilman campiano, yes, councilman Bonano, yes, conservative president Heroyan, yes, council president wall.

Yes, that motion carries and the wording for the last one.

I just want to make sure I get it correct and lastly to put 200,000 in a police revenue contingency fund.

Is there a motion?

So moved, second, second.

Any discussion?

Just clarify for Mr.

President.

Why is that why is that necessary?

That's because we're not sure of the revenue the amount those revenues will materialize.

We have to check that out first and order the mayor will probably.

Based on the schedule that the administration provided based on current year numbers, their annualization is projecting there'll be a shortfall with the um car rental, detail car rentals and the administration fee.

So they brought it to light today, and considering the um economic environment we and what we're trying to accomplish.

We don't want to put it all to an area that we might be creating a structural deficit because we don't know if that revenue is gonna come in.

So it's just another little layer of protection if the council agrees um with the fires adjustments that would help out in the end, and just for ratification, if we do not use the 200 because the revenue is high, it will fall down to the um rainy day fund per se or the restricted fund, which would be a benefit because obviously moving forward, we need to build that.

Thank you, Councilwoman Graziano.

Um okay, so same question that I asked before mistakenly under the wrong item.

Um what happens to the 200k if it is not required and how do we get it to a place it needs to go?

So it's it what it would create.

So if everything is status quo and we have a balanced budget based on what's submitted, we'd have a 200,000 surplus.

That surplus would go into the reserve fund or the reining date fund.

Okay.

Any other questions?

That hand up again.

No, I thought you had it up again.

No, all right.

If that with that, clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, councilman Anduhar, yes, councilman Ritz, yes, councilman Traficanti, yes, councilwoman Vizieri, yes, councilman campa piano, yes, councilman banano, yes, council vice president Heroyan, yes, council president Wall, yes, that motion carries.

All right, are there any other amendments from any members of the council?

Believe we've exhausted it, but I'm just checking with that in mind.

Um everything's amended.

Um, let's see.

All right, so move all right.

So moving right along, we're gonna go to the budget adoption, the adoption of the revised budget for fiscal year July 1st, 2026 to June 30th, 2027, as amended by the city council on May 14th, May 15th, and also this evening, June 1st.

Is there a motion to approve?

Moved.

Second, there's second, any discussion there being none, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, councilman Anduhar, yes, councilman Ritz, yes, councilman trafficante, yes, councilwoman Viziri, yes, councilman campiano, no, councilman banano, yes, council vice president, yes, council president wall, yes.

Moving right along to a resolution of the city council adopting the revised operating budget and the revised salary schedule for the general fund, the sewer fund, the ice rink, the claims committee, insurance fund, and the revised capital budget for fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, ending June 30th, 2027, and adopting the revised capital improvement program for the four succeeding years.

Is there a motion to approve?

So moved, second, and discussion.

Please call the role.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Um capital budget.

I assume they were projects in the works in the council budget.

We had anything saying quiet for them if you include if I recall when we brought it up, they should every one of those projects should come before us, if I'm not mistaken, as they are and director Stronger, everybody's nodding.

But great question.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

Yeah, I got you.

All right.

Um Clerk, please call a roll.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, Councilman Anduhar, yes, Councilman Ritz, yes, councilman Trappicanti.

Yes, Councilwoman Vazier, yes, councilman Campa Piano, no, Councilman Banano, yes, council vice president Heroyan, yes, Council President Wall, yes, that motion carries next.

The revive uh mounts entertain a motion on the revised ordinance making annual appropriations for the Cranston City Council for the fiscal year commencing July 1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2027, as amended as amended.

So moved second.

Any discussion?

There being none, clerk, please call the roll.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Traficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Capapiano.

No.

Councilman Banano.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horrian.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next resolution authorizing the assessment and valuations and levy of taxes in rateable real estate and tangible property taxes in the city of Cranston.

This was tabled on May the fifteenth until June the first.

So moved.

Any discussion.

Yes.

Councilman Retz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vizieri.

Yes.

Councilman Campa Piano.

No.

Councilman Banana.

Yes.

Council Vice President O'Ryan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Resolution passes.

Next, we're looking at an ordinance fixing the date when taxes are assessed as of December thirty first, two thousand twenty five, will be due and payable, and the date when unpaid taxes will carry a penalty.

This was tabled on the uh May the fifteenth until June first.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

There'd be a none for please call roll.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andujar.

Yes.

Councilman Retz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman Campa Piano?

Yes.

Councilman Banano.

Yes.

Councilman Vice President O'Ryan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

That ordinance passes.

If I'm not mistaken, I see there is no further business before the council this evening.

May I just make a quick statement?

Absolutely.

On behalf of the council, I want to thank the flight department for coming to the table.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

All right.

With that, I'll ask for a motion to adjourn.

Is there a second?

All in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Opposed, signify by saying nay.

The eyes have it.

The motion carries this meeting is adjourned.

The next one will start.

You want to start right now or you want to let them go to the bathroom perhaps.

I have five minutes.

Five minutes.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Present.

Councilman Anduhar.

Present.

Councilman Ritz.

Present.

Councilman Trafficante.

Councilwoman Vazier.

Present.

Council Vice President Haroyan.

Present.

Councilman Wall.

Present.

Council President Wall.

My apologies.

That's okay.

Next on the agenda is approval of the minutes.

I'm asking for approval of the minutes for May 4th, 2026.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk could have a roll call vote.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Council and Ritz.

Council Trafficanti.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Conservice President Haroyan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next on the agenda, minutes from the May 20th special safety service meeting.

Could I please?

I'm asking for approval.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I please have a roll call?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andor.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Council Trafficante.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilwoman Heroyan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next on the agenda is public on agenda items only.

Is there anyone from the public that would like to comment on agenda items only?

Mr.

Murray, just please state your name and your address.

Good evening, uh Robert Murray, 21 Garden City Drive in Cranston.

Uh, just two quick items.

Uh first, I want to thank the chairwoman at my request.

She put an item under uh show cause regarding the victim license for Alexis Peaks and Pasta.

I've spoken to Mr.

Vedecki about this since I initiated that.

Um that entity is now in receivership.

And um he'll advise you, but I think at this point you probably should not proceed while that's in receivership.

So I just wanted to thank you for uh putting that on the agenda.

Um the second item is just um just a generic comment.

Um tonight you have a lot of renewals for order repair licenses and auto body.

Um, I represent at least one of them.

And a lot of these say subject to approval by tax.

Um far as I know, my client has paid his taxes.

I think what happened was the tax collector's office could not certify that any of these entities have paid their tangible tax.

So uh I'll leave it to you.

Uh, but I would hope that these licenses would be renewed subject to confirmation.

Uh, because uh I don't think it was to any uh fault.

There may be a couple that oh, tangible tax, but at least my client doesn't.

But uh anyway.

So I just wanted to mention that.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

We're a step ahead of you with those.

Tom, is there anyone online for public comment?

There is no public comment online.

Okay, I'll be closing out public comment now then.

Okay, next uh on the show course the victory and license for Lexus Pizza Impasta LLC doing business as campanellas.

I'm gonna ask for a motion to hold this matter over for two months.

So moved any discussion.

Yes, council and rits, yes, council traffic, yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes, council vice president Heroyan, yes, council president Wall, yes.

Okay, next on the agenda under show cause is intimate entertainment license for Nelson Mack located at Seven Haven Avenue.

This was brought to me by the fire department actually.

Um if the fire marshal would like to come up and speak, and if there's anyone from the business would like to speak afterwards, state your name and your address and come up to speak, and the solicitor would also like to speak on this matter.

Before um the fire inspector uh testifies, uh heather could mind swearing them in, please.

I do fire marshal, city of France.

So for the last probably month or so.

Um the captain of my division is Captain Scott Weller, he's been working uh pretty closely with them to get in some of their violations taken care of that have accumulated over the last last year.

The last one that they're working on now is uh their electrical panel.

They had a leak, I don't know, maybe a year or so ago, could even be more where there was water leaking into the electrical panel, so it's got some rust in it, which could cause arking.

So we just don't feel safe opening it to people coming in there right now and giving them the their license until that's done.

They have electrician that came in, looked at it, he gave them a price, and he should be pulling a permit by the end of this week and uh getting all that done, and they should be up the pump once that's done.

Thank you.

Welcome any questions on Sylvia.

Thank you.

So did you want to speak?

Well, uh the the applicants they're here.

Do you guys want to come up to the microphone?

Heather, would you mind swearing swearing them in, please?

Gary Crumb C R U M.

James Burnham, B U R N H A M.

So uh gentlemen, which which one of you wants to uh speak uh first in regard to my questions, Mr.

Crum?

Yep.

Okay, sir.

Um so as you know, you received the cease and desist letter.

I myself personally sent that out, but more importantly, uh right now our clerk's office is in a bit of disarray, but I know for a fact that for the past several months that many efforts have been made um by our clerk's office to notify you that you needed to um renew or I I don't even recall if this is renewal or or a brand new uh entertainment license, but all of those efforts were ignored.

Okay, so now we find ourselves in a position where it comes to the attention of the committee that you're offering entertainment and you don't have an entertainment license.

That's a big problem.

Okay.

Um that's the same thing as a not having a liquor license and serving liquor, not having a victualing license and serving food.

It's a question of health and safety.

And as the fire marshal just testified, there is a health and safety concern at your place of business until and unless okay, you resolve this issue.

You come into the clerk's office, you pay and file what you're supposed to.

You come back in front of this committee and they approve it, you cannot offer entertainment at your location.

Are you clear?

Are we clear about that?

No, we're good.

Correct.

Okay, I just want to, and I don't want to come across as you know, a bad guy or anything like that, but you need to understand that this is this is a serious issue.

And I threw the chair be asking the police department to just do spot checks to make sure that um you know you are complying with that representation.

You no one wants to prevent you from you know doing this, but it has to be done the right way.

Okay, there are reasons why we have these these licensing schemes, and they're mostly well, they're not mostly, they are for one reason and one reason only to protect the public.

So we can't have you offering entertainment when you've got some serious um shortcomings that need to be addressed.

So I just want to make that clear because if, and this is not a threat, please don't take it that way.

It's just a reminder or an admonition, whatever you want to call it.

If you're caught offering entertainment without the license, that's gonna trigger some um pretty severe consequences, fines, revocation, it won't only affect your entertainment license, it could affect your other licenses as well because they're all intertwined.

If you violate conditions of one, that's a separate ground to take action on your other licenses.

So we just want to be clear.

Understand.

Okay.

So the sooner you take care of that, sooner you come back here.

Um this committee is uh is reasonable as it gets.

Um, I'm I'm confident that if you take care of these these these issues and resolve them, that they're gonna grant you your entertainment license.

So it's the ball is entirely in your court.

All right, thank you.

Okay, any questions?

Uh no, I just want to clarify something.

This um means them holding entertainment or anyone that rents their hall also cannot have a DJ or entertainment.

Yeah, see that that's this is where it gets a little uh convoluted.

Now the courts have defined entertainment and there are definitions.

When we say entertainment, we don't mean people watching television, um even like a jukebox, things like that is is not considered entertainment.

But if you bring people in from the outside, if you have a DJ, if you've got things like that, that's considered entertainment.

Okay, okay.

So it doesn't mean you have to have the lights out and then you know everybody just sits in the in the dark and you know barely acknowledges one another.

It doesn't mean that, but it means if there is going to be some type of an event, okay, whether it be a uh a private party or something like that, with this going to be entertainment, that that you can't do.

Okay, understandable.

Yep, okay.

So did you want to ask?

So I just want to clarify that.

So I just want to clarify us as the um the establishment.

We cannot knowingly bring a DJ in.

But if we rent our hall to somebody, and we don't know about it, is that still considered?

Yes, it is, and uh and because think about it.

That would be the same thing as saying we don't have a liquor license, but when we have somebody come in and um they just set up a bar and they start serving liquidity, it's your place, it's your place of establishment.

So the establishment needs to have the license for all so it would be think of how easy it would be for people to skirt that requirement if you think about it.

Um, all they would have to do is say, Well, it's not me, it's uh the third party that's doing it now.

So you're you're responsible for whatever takes place inside that building.

Okay, okay.

Thank you.

Can I ask a question?

Are you renting out the apartments upstairs yet?

Uh one of them.

Um we want you to succeed, we want to see this a great establishment.

We've worked hard with you.

I'm sure once you pass your safety inspection, we'll probably hear it that day.

We have a great relationship with our fire department, and then you're also going to the clerk's office.

The clerk's office is understaffed right now, but we'll all work together.

I do have another meeting the end of next week or the week after.

Like, we're not gonna have to wait a full month if you get this done.

I believe my next meeting is the 11th, but with that being said, it has to be posted for 48 hours ahead of time.

So it's not something I can just say, oh, you called me today, let's meet tonight.

We have state laws and regulations, okay?

All right, thank you.

Thank you for coming tonight.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Okay, next on my agenda is the class B vic liquor license new for you, Dumplin.

Cranston, they have asked to postpone this to the July 6th meeting.

Could I please have a motion to postpone this?

Motion to continue to July.

Any discussion?

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

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, councilman Anduhar.

Yes, Consman Rets, Councilman Trafficante, yes, Councilwoman Vizieri, yes, council vice president Heroyan, yes, council president Wall.

Yes.

Okay, next MI is the Class C liquor license.

This is a new liquor license for KJ Amor venue LLC located at 1016 Park Avenue.

Is anyone here from that business tonight?

Okay, I'm gonna ask for a motion to hold that till the next meeting.

So moved second.

Any discussion?

Clerk may have a roll call vote.

Councilwoman Graziano, yes, councilmanuhar.

Yes, councilman Rets.

Yes, councilman trafficante, yes, councilwoman Vazieri, yes.

Council Vice President Royan, yes, council president Wall.

Yes.

Next up is the victory and license, a new one for the U Dumplin, uh LLC doing business as ugly dumpling.

They have asked to postpone that until Monday, July 6th.

Can I please have a motion?

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, could I please have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Vazier.

Yes.

Councilman Andrew Har.

Yes.

Councilman Rets.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficantic.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazierri.

Wait, there we say her.

Yes.

Um, did I call you first?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Council Vice President Heroyan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay.

Under new matters before the committee.

If everyone can just take a moment to look at those, we don't need to vote on anything.

Just want to make everyone aware.

Is the vic this is a new one.

Bailey Thai Cassine located at 741 Oakland Avenue.

Looks like everything is in order.

Could I please have a motion to approve?

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk could have a roll call vote.

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andrew Har.

Yes.

Council Ritz.

Yes.

Council Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilman Vizier.

Council Vice President Royan?

Yes.

House President Wall.

Yes.

Next on the agenda convenience located at 1015 Narragansett Boulevard.

Could I please have a motion to approve?

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk may have a roll call vote, please.

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Council Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Council Vice President O'Ryan.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next on the gentleman.

Uh cigar lounge located at 100 East Street.

Could I please have a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk could have a roll call vote.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andor.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Viziery.

Yes.

Council Vice President Royan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next on the agenda, Green Life Nutrition located at 1267 Cranston Street.

Could I please have a motion to approve?

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk may have a roll call vote.

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andrew.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Councilwoman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President O'Ryan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay.

As we go into the license renewal tonight.

Oh, normally we no longer approve subject to.

We're making the exception tonight because we believe the businesses have come in with good faith.

Um, the ones that have not will not get their license issue.

Okay, so we're gonna start with Delta Auto body located at 1398 Park Avenue.

It says uh I would like a motion to approve this subject to all taxes being paid.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk or Clerk Roll call vote.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Yep.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Councilman Traffic Anti.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vizieri.

Yes.

Council Vice President O'Ryan.

Yes.

Councilman Wall.

Yes.

Madam Chair, may I make a suggestion?

Just uh in the interest of saving some time here.

I think what you could do is if you if you're so inclined, is take um the remaining uh two through seven as a block.

Okay, that would be the first thing, and then the the motion would be to grant all of the renewals.

Um with the provisal that the ones who indicate they owe taxes are subject to paying those taxes, you know.

So it would be kind of a two-part motion, but then because I'm looking at B, and there are many, many uh renewals there.

We'll be here all night.

So I'm thinking that might be the quicker way to do it.

Instead of doing a roll call vote, could I say all those in favor?

Well, we're gonna do it first.

You're gonna take the as the block, okay, and then someone's gonna make the motion in the second to approve the block in two phases.

The uh, you know, the the businesses that don't vote any taxes are automatically renewed.

The ones that do owe taxes are renewed subject to payment of those taxes.

That's all.

And then you take one vote and you'll you do the whole block.

Is that three through seven?

I think it's two through seven through seven.

So we'll start with nine a two through seven.

So can I say uh you want to say yeah, that's fine.

Make the move.

So a motion motion to take two through seven as a block, approving those uh who owe taxes subject to and approving the others with no exception.

Correct.

So moved.

Any discussion?

All those in this is for the block now.

Just to take it as a block.

Okay.

Hold on.

We cannot take it with either.

Okay, Clerk.

Can I have a roll call vote?

This is to take the motion as a block.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Traficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazeri.

Council Vice President Ryan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Motion to approve that block.

So move.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk could have a roll call vote.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Councilman Traficante.

Yes.

Councilman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Royan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

So now we can do the uh same thing.

Take uh a motion and a second to take all the items under category.

Category B one through 27.

It looks like well, okay.

Yeah, and then we could do because I believe uh councilwoman uh zeri wants to recuse from those two.

Okay, that's fine.

Nine and eighteen.

With the exception of eighteen.

Okay, under B auto repair licenses.

I would like to take them as a block all except for 18.

I'm asking for a motion to approve the block.

So moved.

Motion to take is a block, not approved.

Take the block.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I have a roll call vote?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Ryan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next, I'm asking for a motion to approve all that have everything in the one subject to tax.

Approval.

To be approved when they pay the taxes and get that approved.

So move, madam chair.

Second.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I please have a roll call?

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vizieri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Ryan.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

And number 20, Patucket.

No.

Number 18.

18.

Councilwoman Vizeri.

Do you have something to say?

Uh the councilwoman is just going to recuse just for this one renewal.

Okay.

No problem at all.

Yes.

I'm asking for a motion to approve.

So move.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk may have a roll call vote.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Council Vice President Royan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazeri refuses.

Yes.

Correct.

Thank you.

All right.

Now C use Cardela license renewals.

I'm asking to take as a block one through 13.

Motion to take them as a block.

One through 13.

Use card license renewal.

Second.

Oh one through 13 as block with the exception of number nine.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk could have a roll call vote.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President.

All right.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay.

I'm going to ask for a motion to approve one through 13 with the exception of nine.

And the ones that are still subject to approval of tax.

Once we receive that, they can have approval.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk could have roll call vote.

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andor.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Council Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Ryan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Number nine, Park Avenue or take 19.

I gotta take nine, right?

Number nine.

Oh, sorry.

Okay.

Number nine, Park Avenue, auto sales and services.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I please have a roll call vote?

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduar.

Yes.

Councilman Rets.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazeri.

She recuses.

Yes.

Council Vice President Ryan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Employment Agency Renewals.

Um, this is more just notifying us.

Carworks, staffing.

Uh located at 105 Sacanasset Crossroads Suite 114.

It does say vote may be taken.

So I may have a approval.

Second.

Any discussion?

Bert could have a roll call vote.

Councilwong Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Council Trafficante.

Councilman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Royan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Hey.

The next one's the firework vendors.

Um, I'm a little confused though.

It's E123.

Yeah, it looks like a script in his error.

So could I please have a motion to take one, two, three, and one that should be four as a block.

So moved.

Second.

Could I please have a motion to approve the block?

So move.

Or if we're done discussion.

Let's any discussion.

Could I have a roll call vote on the block?

Take as a block.

To take as a block.

Yes.

All right.

Two separate motions.

Yes.

Take us a block is first.

Councilman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trap Cante.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President O'Ryan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Motion to approve the block.

Second.

Any second traffic?

Yes.

Okay.

No discussion.

Clerk could have a roll call vote.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Anduhar.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Councilman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Royan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next one's F Mobile Food Establishment.

Renewals.

This is information only.

Hope everyone got a chance to look at it.

Doesn't look like anyone provided us the monthly schedules.

Hopefully, next month we will have them.

Next communication.

There is none listed.

Next would be licenses approved, subject to not yet issued.

Um, I hope everyone got to click on that.

Next month I will ask for the printout to be attached to the safety service agenda.

And if there's no more business, I'm asking for an adjournment.

Motion to adjourn.

All those in favor say aye.

All those not, say nay.

All right.

Aye.

You ready to go?

At this time, I'd like to call the finance committee meeting to order.

Today is Monday, June 1st.

It is 9 34 p.m.

Clerk, please take a roll.

Councilwall and Graziano.

Yes.

Councilman Andor.

Yes.

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante?

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Royan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

At this time, I'm going to move down to public comment.

If there's anyone in the audience that would like to make public comment on document items only, please step up to the mic.

Anyone in the orders that would like to speak on document items only.

Seeing none.

Clerk, is anyone online that would like to speak on documented items only.

There is no public comment online.

At this time, I'd like to close public comment.

Moving down to tax assessment border review.

There's nothing there as well.

Moving on to advice and consent of Mayor Hopkins nomination of Richard J.

Green as assistant fire chief.

Um take a motion to approve.

Second discussion, uh Mr.

Director, if you could please speak on behalf of this.

Oh, Director Strawberry.

He's been a long-standing uh fireman, he's met all the requirements, and it's the recommendation to uh his uh thank you, Director.

Councilwoman Horway.

I'd say Cranson is very lucky to have Rick Green in this position.

Um, he came from another department many years ago.

He's a great firefighter, great asset.

He's a great person for us to talk to, of course, not without Director Moretti's approval.

Um, he's a great family man.

We're just very lucky to have somebody like him, his position.

Mr.

President, would you like to say anything?

Yeah, listen, I don't want to belabor the point.

Um, I agree with everything that the council vice president said.

He's an asset to our fire department, and he's very dedicated to Cranston's citizen.

Pardon me, tongue type right now.

Councilman Trafficante.

Councilman Ritz, did it graziano?

I'd like to thank um the new fire assistant, Mr.

Green is uh been always an asset to the community.

So uh congratulations.

With that, Clerk, please take a roll.

Councilman Graziano, yes, councilman Andrew, yes, councilman Rets.

Yes, Councilman Traficante, yes, Councilman Vazeri, yes, council vice president Ryan, yes, council president Wall.

Yes, fast.

Congratulations.

Moving on to council member communications, President Wall, you have the floor.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Uh Director Strom, if you would.

Um, I know we've talked an awful lot about the budget.

Um, this evening, we have two items on on the docket this evening.

So I think um probably not gonna go into a lot of questions because we had a lot of budget questions.

The there is a concern that right now we're still trending towards a nine nine point one uh million dollar deficit.

Um this is just things I observed.

I did write some notes, but somewhere it's gone in all this time, so be be happy about that.

I am pleased to say though, I mean I go down.

I I gotta say the school department looks like they have a small trip with right now on there, so that's a good sign for the whole city.

Um that is good.

Um, but can you elaborate on uh on anything?

I know last time you you had told us we would you were approving all purchase orders yourself, and yeah, it's it's not shade on and what you're doing, but knowing that the tax revenue is in this border, I did expect the change to be different.

It's only about one point what 1.4 million, 1.3 million dollars from the last the last monthly report.

But I certainly be willing to hear anything you have to say.

Well, I believe last month uh it was over 10 million dollars surplus it's dropped to 9.1.

It's trending down.

We still I don't believe for a fact that April 30th of this report doesn't include the tax sale, which generated some revenue.

Also, it didn't include uh motor vehicle revenue uh that we get in from the state.

So I ran a report today just to see our expenses.

This is not your final report to last Friday.

We had um 316 million in collections uh revenue.

Um tax collections excellent.

Right now it's 99.33 for the whole month ago, so we should need to figure out if not exceed it.

Our expenses are 325.

So it's over budget uh from our revenues by approximately uh nine million, but there's also encumbrances too that I have to include over million that I'm working on to reduce or eliminate.

So uh it'll be my goal to end the fiscal year as best we can.

Um I would say it's gonna range as in just going into it.

I if I recall approximately our revenues were mistaken, down about two million dollars, approximately two million and our expenditures were about 7.1 in the whole time.

That's a rough estimate.

And I did write them down my notes, and I'm not gonna ask you.

That seems to be about where the deficit is coming from.

Correct.

It's two million in uh revenue at this point.

Well, that's through April, and it's seven million in expenditures over here.

The other question I would have is I know Councilman Traffic is gonna have questions on any of the debt service that may be represented.

Um the other question I might have two of them.

One are the figures regarding listen.

This is one I've been stuck on the the very buyouts that we have.

Are those figures represented in this monthly report?

Uh figure they would be, but I can't think of one.

Not in April's, but definitely in they'll be in the month.

Okay, because it all can tell you right now.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, in uh May on the mic budget, which is where severance hits, and that's where these buyouts are.

Right.

Uh currently, and there may be some more.

Um budget figure was 200,000.

It's up to 390 right now.

So I'm 190 over in that lineup.

So the buyout.

Yeah, is that all the buyouts?

Yeah, that's just the bulk of them.

Yeah, okay.

I don't I don't know if there's any more.

I would say that's the it's pretty good to be exhausted.

Yep.

Okay.

Uminquish my time so we've been in a lot long tonight.

Um, but thank you for that.

Actually, the chairman, he will he'll call you.

Councilwoman Horizon.

It's just a quick request.

I know we all look at this when we get it in the email, but if this is going to be on every month's agenda, could we please have it on the screen here too?

So it's enlarged so we can all be looking at it because we don't get the attachment with our packages, and it would be good to have it here on the screen each month.

And I'll take that because I didn't send it.

No, I could send it to Tom.

That would be you.

Oh, Tom.

Oh, he does have it.

Oh, that's right, because it's on the agenda, yeah.

Okay.

I mean, thank you.

Anyone else?

Councilman Trevor.

Yes.

Uh Mr.

Chairman, um early in the budget session.

I mentioned the fact about the capital budget.

We're finally gonna have an opportunity to review all capital projects before they're approved.

And I'm not guessing dispersion upon the city council, but many times we don't give enough attention to our bonding, the impact upon our budget upon our bonded indebtedness and the impact it has upon our operating budget.

We just don't give enough attention to it.

And I asked I spoke to the expirance to write the prior to the meeting.

I asked to basically give us a quick rendition of our bonding, of course, and our bonding indebtedness.

And I'd like to have them also explain uh what the bonded indebtedness was, let's say two years in 2324 is compared to the current year.

I mean, they substantially increase that it has been and the critical nature of retirement debt in terms of before we incur new debt.

So with that, to the with that Mr.

Mayor, if uh the director would like to explain that, please do.

Uh we have a uh uh spreadsheet that shows the actual bonded debt service requirements in every fiscal year, and this goes from 2026, uh 27 all the way through to 2049.

And what we try to do is we try to um eliminate some of the bonding uh when they mature before we add additional bonding.

So it's usually about a two to three year period.

And when it comes to bonding, what we do is uh we uh we generate a uh document, it goes to the state house, it gets approved, and it goes on the ballot.

Now that's only for bonded authorization, that does not necessarily mean you have to bond for that before we bond for actual dollars.

The city council would have to approve the project and the amount of the bonding that we're gonna be going for, but we need the authorization to be able to do that to come before the council to bond.

Now we could have bonds up to 10 million dollars.

Let's uh I think this year it came to a total of 51 million dollars.

Does not mean we're gonna bond all 51 million.

We may bond two million in highway this year, some money like 20 million for the school.

So before we do, as I stated, it will come before the council for their approval.

Uh can you give us a quick explanation as to what the increase of bonding debt is was from previous year from yeah, yeah.

Last year, the bonded uh debt service was 8 million 341 in principal, 5.5 million in interest this year and this year's budget.

Uh you would play with page seconds 17 on page 21, right at the bottom.

You'll be able to see that six million nine thirty-five in principal.

Excuse me, yeah, and um in five million five fifty-six in interest.

So between the two, you're looking at approximately twelve million five hundred as opposed to last year, 13 million million, and the figures that were in the budget for last year not correspond to what's on this debt service schedule, and that's why there's a sh.

If you look, there will be a shortfall when you see the report.

Okay, anyone else seeing none moving on to debt service discussion, Mr.

President.

The floor is yours.

There was no fourth quarter transfers as of yet.

And I I didn't have my light my line on, so I asked if they were fourth quarter transfers, and he just asked.

Yep.

Perfect.

Thank you.

I'm all that I yield.

All right, moving on, Director Strom.

I don't know if you know anything about the pilot money for the Howard complex.

Um, my understanding is it hasn't been assessed in quite a few years.

So I don't know if you are the person we could talk to about that, or do we just move it on to next month?

Um, I saw that on the agenda, and I spoke to our uh tax assessor today, and he basically said we're cap that 27% of what value uh would have been for that particular uh location and facility for hospitals, prisons, and higher education.

And he did say to me that there's been a proposal by the governor for a new hospital up in the Howard Complex.

So he said he would have a better idea, and when he gets the the figures from the state by mid-July, they provide a report for him showing which uh entities are uh part of the pilot folder.

In addition, there's uh wanted to let the council know that uh I believe there was 12 parcels because we've been doing some um negotiating and checking with uh Jay Wales on what they have.

There was 12 parcels, there's only five remaining that's eligible for pilot.

So we're having further discussions with them to generate uh hopefully more revenue for the city that's not generated any revenue for a number of years now.

Thank you, Director.

So we'll circle back with you in August.

With that, um anybody else have anything?

No, with that.

I may 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.