Good evening and welcome to the claims committee meeting on Thursday, july ninth, twenty twenty six.

I would like to call this meeting to order.

Clerk, can you please call the role?

Conservice president.

Is there anyone in chambers who would like to make public comment on agenda matters only?

New matters continued from the June fourth, twenty twenty six meeting.

And I would like to make a motion to return to open session.

Any discussion?

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Councilman Andor.

Yes.

Councilwoman Missari.

Yes.

Council President O'Brien?

Yes.

Yes.

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

Any discussion?

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Yes.

Councilman Bazari.

Yes.

House First President Orion.

Yes.

Yes.

No.

Would you like a motion to adjourn, Madam Chair?

Yes, I would.

All those in favor?

Any knees?

Eyes have it.

This meeting will be adjourned.

Clerk, please take a roll call.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Councilman Anduhar.

Councilman Ritz.

Present.

Councilman Trafficancy.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Present.

Councilbase President Horrian.

Present.

Council President Wall.

Here.

Approval of minutes.

I do not have those right now.

Is there anyone here from the public that would like to speak tonight?

Is there anyone uh there is no public comment online?

Thank you very much.

The next item was a show cause for victory license for La Farentina Market.

They came in to see the clerk today.

So we're gonna take that off and everything is okay.

Committee matters carried over.

The first item we is class B V liquor license for you dumpling Cranston.

Ah RILC doing business is ugly dumpling, and we're gonna ask that to be continued.

Um they called and asked this to be continued one more time.

This is gonna be the last time we continue them.

Motion to continue to the August third meeting.

Second chair.

Any discussion.

Councilman Anduhar.

Councilman Retz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Yes.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Heroyan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Thank you.

Okay.

The next thing is the same business with their victory and license, same thing.

I would like a motion to carry this over.

Motion to continue into the August third meeting.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I please have a roll call?

Councilman Graziano.

Councilman Anduhar.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Traffic can't.

Yes.

Councilwoman Vazieri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Haroyan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay.

Next we're going to have new matters before the committee.

This is going to be a class B V liquor license.

It's a transfer.

Um, this is the gentleman's cigar lounge located at one hundred east Avenue.

Um there are hours all here.

Everything is met.

I'm gonna ask for a motion to approve this.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion.

Councilwoman Graziano.

Councilman Andujar.

Councilman Ritz.

Councilman Traffic can't say Councilman Vazier.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horrian.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Actually, solicitor.

I just made a mistake.

I should have asked for a motion to approve subject to the sale tomorrow morning.

The business is being sold tomorrow morning.

The attorney is here.

So I need the transfer to be um subject to the sale of the new owner.

Okay, that's fine.

You can do it that way, but um the the transfer would not take place any in any event if the uh closing didn't take place.

But if if you want to you can make it subject to that, that's fine.

All right, then someone who voted with the majority has the final motion for reconsideration.

I'll make a motion for reconsideration.

Second.

Okay.

We're gonna take a vote now.

Just a motion to reconsider.

Councilman Graziano.

Councilman Anduhar, Councilman Ritz.

Councilman Trap Cancy.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman's President Royan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Okay.

So now the point just a question.

So this is a gentleman lounge.

I just see the license on here.

So I see the transfer, but shouldn't there be who it's transferring to?

No.

It doesn't have to be no test.

No, that should all be taken care of in the application process because if they're and that's why there's also the notice requirements in case there's money owed to some distributors or something like that, they can object, but other than that, it doesn't have to be listed on the agenda.

No, thank you for the clarification.

Okay.

I'm gonna ask for a subject, a motion to approve this subject to the sale tomorrow morning closing.

So moved.

Second, councilman Graziano, Councilman Andrewhar, Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Councilman Trapacante.

Councilman Vazierin.

Yes.

Councilvice President Haryan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Thank you.

Okay, this is the transfer of the license.

Are you selling the business or change in ownership?

Could you say your name and your address first?

Yeah, I'm head part.

Translated.

Okay.

So is he the owner selling the business or buying the business?

Buying the business.

And when is the close the business?

Tomorrow.

Um morning also.

Renzuli, all has been met.

Do you know?

Yes, it's not nothing is listed.

Um as not there.

So it's okay.

I'm gonna do the same thing then.

Ask for a motion to approve subject to the closing of the new owners tomorrow morning.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion.

Clerk, could I have a roll call?

Councilman Graziano.

Councilman Andrew Har.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trapacante.

Yes.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Councilman President Haryan.

Yes, Council President Wall.

Yes.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Excuse it.

They have a bit filling in two spots now.

Yeah, it'll be soon.

Okay.

Septic license.

This is a new one.

License period.

Um current to 830 2027.

And it's 1620 sanitation located at P.O.

Box 6413.

Mass.

I'm going to ask for a motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Any discussion?

Could I have a roll call?

Councilman Graziano.

Councilman Anduhar.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trafficante.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Council Vice President.

Ask Council President Wall.

Yes.

Okay.

Next, we transferred you liquor license, but now we're doing the victoring license to serve food.

The same situation.

I'm going to ask for a motion to approve subject to the sale of the business to tomorrow morning in the closing.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

Clerk, could I have a roll call vote, please?

Councilman Graziano.

Councilman Anduhar.

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Trappicante.

Councilman Vazieri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Haroyan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Now you're all set and you can go home.

Sorry for the mistake.

Have a good night.

Good luck on the new business.

Okay.

Next for information only is mobile establishment, the lemming bar.

It's a that's all we know.

Okay.

Next one's license renewals before the committee tonight.

If nobody is opposed to it, I'd like to take this as a block.

Block of A through O.

All those.

Um lista, do I need a vote for taking it as a block, correct?

Yes.

Could I please have a motion to take this as a block A through O.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

These are all renewals and everything is in order.

So I'm going to ask now.

Wait, wait, we have to take a role call.

Take the vote.

This is a roll for the block to vote as a block.

Councilman Graziano.

Councilman Anduhar.

Councilman Retz.

Yes.

Councilman Traffic can't say.

Yes.

Councilman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Ryan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Now I'm gonna ask for a motion to approve the block.

Motion to approve the block.

Second.

Discussion.

Any discussion?

All those in favor?

I can do that, right?

No.

Do roll.

Can I have a more call call?

Um councilman Graziano, Councilman Andrew Har?

Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Councilman Traffic Cancy.

Councilman Vazier.

Yes.

Council Vice President Horrian.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Thank you.

Okay.

Next on my agenda is mobile food establishments renewals.

That's just informational only.

So everyone look at that quick.

Okay.

Next is Q waste haulers license renewals.

And I'd like to take this as a block if everyone's okay.

Please have a motion to take this as a block.

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion on taking this as a block.

Director Renzuli, can I have a call vote?

Councilman Graziano.

Councilman Andrewhar.

Councilman Ritz.

Councilman Trap Kanti?

Yes.

Councilman Vazeri.

Yes.

Council Vice President Royan?

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Now may I have uh to approve the block?

So moved.

Please have a roll call vote.

Councilman Graziano.

Councilman Andrew Har.

Councilman Ritz?

Yes.

Consumer Traffic Cante.

Councilwoman Vizier.

Yes.

Councilman President Horroyan.

Yes.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

Next on my agenda is the monthly schedules.

We have not received anything from roads in the Batox at Park Theater or Cranston Stadium.

I don't know why we're not receiving these anymore.

Maybe the clerk could reach out and ask them to give us the schedules just so we have it and can put it into the record going forward.

Yes, ma'am.

I'd be happy to do that.

Thank you.

Communication.

The scooters, the skateboards.

I'm gonna turn this over to Council President Wall.

He had somebody reach out to him with these concerns.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um, Tom, if you would.

This is uh one of several signs that's around the butt uh main track.

I mean, I guess they fill a legal obligation, but they're not very prominent, and they seem to be ignored on a regular basis.

The track is used by a lot of people, it's probably one of the busiest tracks in the city.

Um it's not in the great best of condition.

I've been in contact with um Councilman Andah, because this is in his his ward.

Um, but we need to do something to keep bicycles, skateboards, and even worse, right now, and is these motorized bicycles and scooters.

This is populated, especially in certain hours.

We have a great deal of seniors in that area.

Some of them go to the Y, some of them are very close to some of the senior living sections censors.

So you have a lot of seniors are there.

You've got these motorized bicycles, motorized vehicles.

Listen, I was a kid too.

I probably didn't pay as much attention, and people have been hit or almost hit on this thing.

So I think we gotta do a good job of perhaps monitoring it because it's becoming dangerous, danger for our seniors.

Listen, if you or I get hit by one of those motorized bikes, it will probably hurt.

We get up and you wouldn't be very happy.

Someone whose mobility is you know, somewhat compromised, is trying to get a little bit of exercise to increase their mobility, it could be tragic.

So uh I put this on because more than one person uh has had issues, and more than one person has reached out to me on it.

Um I don't know if the solution is to make newer signs, add the motorized vehicles, perhaps pull them off and confiscate them if necessary.

I'm not sure what the solution is.

I'm not in the uh enforcement business, but I know this is a recipe for disaster, and that's why I put it on.

Thank you, Council President.

Councilwoman Vazeri, did you have something to say?

Um could we ask the police department for some sort of I don't know, I don't want to call it a detail, but maybe like a check-in or someone to kind of monitor it here and there.

It's not something we can do.

The that would have to go through the administration, but um kind of Ali could come up and we could speak to him, see if he's received complaints.

Like, you know how they have the police officer on the bike path, maybe he could take a lap around the track.

Uh, I haven't received a lot of them, but you can see they're there all the time.

You see them, yeah.

Yeah, but I haven't personally received a lot of complaints about it.

All right, but it's it seems like it's constant.

Director Renzuli, director hat on.

Um, is that is it possible that the beat officer, you know, just kind of keep an eye on it as he's gone by.

I know we can't assign someone that location.

This isn't happening 24 hours a day.

That would be my guy.

I'll put that on the I'll put that on the order boards for each shift.

Okay.

Since some cruisers were cutting the budget, maybe you could use mountain bikes on the track.

Not on the track, read the sign.

Anyway, council president.

Um, you know, and I don't want to vilify.

Listen, I a million years ago I was a kid too.

And I'll tell you what, if I saw that sign, I'd ride right by it.

But if you pulled me over and said, hey, kid, don't ride bike on the track.

I would probably take that to heart and remember it again.

That I'm probably not.

And if you explain it to me or somebody explain it to me, I might think about it.

When you're a kid, you're just having fun.

So I don't think they're doing anything malicious.

But people, yeah, and some of the older people are a little afraid because these are motorized now, too.

So I think if someone did, it would be very harmful.

All right, thank you both.

Oh, Councilman Piano, would you like to speak?

Yes, thank you, Chair.

I don't know.

Is it possible to be there's something as simple as configure the entrance with a zigzag or a turnpile turret tile or something where you couldn't go through it with a bike or a motorized vehicle?

A person go easily through it, but you couldn't get that through.

There's a gate there, but it's always open.

Gates wide open.

But if it was like when you go through a get on a bus or you get into certain walking paths, if the if the entrance was jogged where you couldn't actually bring a vehicle through, but a person can easily walk through and out.

Right.

Councilman.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, the complaints I usually get from the Bane track are kids young or young adults using motorized or battery-packed bikes.

So I think we might need to create an ordinance where we find these people with these bikes or take them away or take their batteries.

And by doing that, I think once it happens once or twice, I think people will stop bringing bikes.

The dirt bikes usually come around October, August at night.

Um, it seems like there's a group of kids in the neighborhood that just have dirt bikes and they have nowhere to go, so they decide to go out there and start doing donuts.

So maybe that's something we could review when it gets a little bit colder.

But right now, the only complaints that I usually get are the motorized or battery-powered bikes on the track that you know the grandma's walking and the kid has a battery-powered bike and he's just going 30 miles an hour.

So maybe we might have to create some kind of fine or something for all local parks.

Um, that you can't drive those battery-powered or electric bikes on there.

I'd be willing to okay.

Next item on the councilman Ritz.

Um, councilman Ritz, thank you for opening my eyes to this.

Um, it's still very shocking.

The stories I'm hearing.

This is a discussion about residential being rented out.

Um strangers, them coming to your house.

There is a little app on your phone or wherever.

Swimmify.

I did look at it every day since our last meeting, and Cranson only has one listed in Garden City.

The reason we're discussing tonight is there's an address in um Alpine that has been doing this.

Um Captain Carnavalli's here tonight.

He will be speaking on this.

And some nights they have a hundred people at their house all hours of the night, loud music.

People are using other people's front yard to urinate, and it's a disgrace.

We need to do something about this.

Um Captain Carnavalli, would you come up and let us know about the times the police have been called there?

I apologize.

My colleague was supposed to be here.

He's on the way.

He he had all the information, but I was the last call under the bullpen.

Um but I don't have the list of calls.

Okay.

However, they've been people reaching out, not like they're afraid to call the station because fear of retribution against them.

So what they've been doing is they've been reaching out to individual officers and asking them, hey, listen, this is what's going on.

And like you said about the neighbors, like you have like a rutkus.

If it's a party and it's a birthday party of the people next door, that's one thing.

When they're renting it out, people coming as far as Massachusetts coming here and they're urinating on your lawn, leaving bear bottles on your lawn.

That that's a whole different game.

I did speak to your colleague today.

He did let me know there was four calls in the last year to one address.

And um, the homeowner identified the house as an Airbnb renting it out, but it wasn't listed legally.

I do know if the solicitor would like to come up also and speak.

I do know there are two letters being sent out.

Yes, unfortunately, the uh letters were gonna go to the wrong address.

So um what I would like to see happen, and and I've said this many, many times.

When whenever we have these type of complaints that involve enforcement issues, before I can take action, I need evidence.

Um I I can't do it based on conjecture, anecdotal evidence.

A neighbor said to an officer this and that.

I I don't certainly don't want to tell you anyone how to do their job, but what we need is some type of surveillance.

Um for someone to go there to document what's going on.

I don't know if they've taken an ad in this uh swim, swimmer fire, swim swimply, whatever it's called.

I did a quick search today on that.

One came up in Cranston, but it wasn't Alpine Estates.

No, it was the Guiden City one.

I went on it, I've been on it every day and I haven't seen that house.

It was all right.

Well, again, this all comes down to the same thing I've been saying for years, and not just with this issue, but any issue.

If we're going to take action, I need evidence.

So I need photographs, I need testimony, I need reports, I need observations.

Would that be a police report when the police are called to the house for a neighborhood disturbance?

It could be the police, it could be code enforcement.

I mean, I know code enforcement doesn't work late at night.

So I guess if if it were during the day, then code enforcement might be able to handle it.

But if it's strictly at night, yeah, but it would strictly be a police matter, I think.

There's no one else that could go down and document anything.

And if, as the captain says, uh there's other things going on like public urination or rowdyism or whatever, there's several other um ordinances and maybe maybe even criminal statutes they could be charged with, maybe disorderly conduct.

Um I'm sure they're violating uh some of our ordinances um with regard to disturbing the peace, things like that.

So they can be, I think they could be cited even without the uh you know, the pool issue being completely resolved right now.

But I again I'm not I want to tell anybody how to do their job.

That it's a police matter.

Council President Wall.

Councilman Ritz, most this is happening a lot in your your ward, right?

Have when people could when they call you, have they been calling the police?

So the uh with the history uh of this residence, they're reluctant to call the police.

Um so they've reached out.

I probably had seven or eight people reach out with this resident, some videos that they've shared uh a couple of times that we was a bachelor party they were having in the backyard.

So there was some nudity uh going on there.

Uh the level of cars, you know, sometimes the 50 cars on the street and you know, urinating of people's lawns and uh DJs with strobe lights.

It's it's pretty intense.

It looks like uh MTV spring break, some of these videos that they they shared over there.

That seems to be the main one.

I had a few other people reach out about Rutland Avenue, um, similar situation.

They had not called the police.

It was two folks that reached out about that one.

Um, but again, it didn't they're worried about the retaliation from from the neighbors in both situations, more so the alpine one um than this other one, but pretty pretty extreme situations here.

They're gonna like kind of like the solicitor said the police would need evidence or report, like you said, if the pictures, the pictures would be helpful.

Um something like that, because this is bad news.

We don't want this in France.

We definitely don't want this here.

Thank you.

Thank you, councilman.

Thank you.

Um I'd like to make note that my my colleague has arrived.

Arriva, major.

But um, councilman Ritz did put this on social media, and there was quite a few comments, pretty close to threatening him and myself, calling us names vulgar and other things.

So if that's what kind of clientele and residents are at this residence, it is something that needs to be addressed.

If they were renting their pool out to say 20 people closing it down at 1011, being great neighbors, this would have never come before this council.

But the way it came before the council and the way they're treating their neighborhood, we do need to do something.

Full faith in the police department.

I'm sure they'll be great to help us out here.

Yeah.

Um the problem is when they call you, they'll call you the next morning or something.

It's too late.

It's too late.

If they they call this that night, we go there and they'd be documented, even if it was just a call and the guy did a G20, which is just a security check, it would be logged in there.

Yeah, loud news like I told them to shut it down something.

But if they don't call us first, we can't do the report.

We will not give out your personal cell phone, but he will post that if there's more episodes to please call Cranston Police Department and have it on record.

Yeah, and they can do it anonymously.

Oh, okay.

Do it like the call anonymous.

Yeah.

If if if solicitor would like a written statement, then we'd have to get the written statement, but anonymously at least would get us there.

We show up if we see we can see what's going on.

But if they call you the next day, it's it's kind of like a little that is the challenge many times this next day, but the anonymous piece is uh very helpful, and I'll I'll share that out so people know that.

So and I I appreciate your attention to this.

It's uh it's a unique one, but it's it's quite a situation that we have with it.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Next on the agenda is councilman Ritz.

Um, Warren Ave dead end issue following up.

Sure.

So so this uh resident had reached out to me a while ago uh with this noise situation.

She has a kind of a unique, almost secluded dead end street in my ward.

Um, I had worked through the the mayor's office.

The police department had gone out a few times.

I thought it had resolved the issue, but she had come to our last meeting.

Um, and actually it's it seemed like it had gotten a little bit worse.

I've spoken to her a few times.

I actually went out there a few times um around nine o'clock, and she said this is happening.

Um, I didn't see anyone there, but it um it is secluded.

I could see it where it would be a problem for her.

Um she's really the only house over there, too.

So we reached out a few times.

It's still continuing to go and go on around there.

I did talk to some of the other neighbors that are also concerned about this too.

There's one car, and I know she sent in some photos with with flat tires that's been sitting there.

There's also a plow, so it's collected quite a quite a few items over there.

But some of the other residents have said other cars will pull up, go in this car with uh flat tires.

It feels like the drugs are something out of this car, get back in their car and leave.

And then at another point in time, someone else will come out to the car, get something out of the car and leave.

So it's a very suspicious, if not nuisance, besides this uh the music and everything else that's going on there, and then at certain points of the night, it does look like it's some type of like drop-off or something that's going on there.

Council President Wall.

Um, there is a letter from Miss, and I hope I'm saying it correctly.

Uh hold on a sec.

Or penthouse, or pentas perhaps.

I maybe take a motion uh to enter this into the record.

So make a motion.

Second, any discussion on it?

Clerk, could I please have a motion?

Councilman Graziano, Councilman Andovar?

Yes, Councilman Ritz.

Yes.

Council Traficante, Councilman Vazeri, yes.

Council Vice President Ryan.

Council President Wall.

Yes.

And just as I finish up, I can see the work you've done, and Mrs.

Orpantes, if I'm saying pronouncing, thank you for the work you do.

She's very complimentary with your efforts to bring this to light.

You know, I thank you as well.

Councilman Ritz.

It's on here.

I didn't know what else we could do with this situation.

Um, you know, she has a few ideas with with putting boulders or reducing um the length going back into that road.

I don't know if that's an option.

Um they were trying to determine if it's one of the other residents on the street that's parking here to do this.

It was hard to tell the cars that are coming in out definitely aren't residents that street.

It's uh it's a dead end short street, too.

So I didn't know if there was anything else we could do as far as you know, local traffic only to try and deter it or try and block off that that area over there.

Councilman, do you know if the car why are we leaving a car with flat tires parked on a city road?

Yeah, is the car registered?

Uh it had license plates on it.

I did look at that.

I don't know if it's registered or not, but as you can see by the picture, it has flat tires.

So she mentions in the letter, and I I would assume she's correct that it's not moving, and that is the car of the other neighbors that said that looks like it's a drop.

And what about a plow just on a city street left?

It's left there behind it.

She she thinks it's a city plow.

I I haven't verified that at all.

It doesn't look large enough for a city plow.

I don't know if that's councilwoman.

Can we have the car towed?

Because you can't just I was just gonna comment on that card there, right?

If you want um so yeah, Rhode Island law allows a municipality to tow a vehicle that's parked on public property.

Um it gets a little more complicated if we're talking private.

So the first question is I know you say this is sort of like a dead end street, but I'm assuming that it's still a city street.

Still in the city street, yes.

If it remains there for, and it sounds like it has, and again, this goes, I'm circling back to my early comments about the pool.

We need evidence.

So we need if that car has been left there for an extended period of time, then two things um can occur.

One, the car could be considered abandoned.

That's number one.

I think the registration should be run.

You need to see who the owner is, they need to be put on notice, they need to remove the car.

It could be, I mean, clearly it's a it's a public uh safety issue, especially the fact that it's got flat tires, it's a gathering point, so on and so forth.

If there's no response, there's a process.

I'm not gonna go through the whole process, but it involves putting them on notice, certified mail, they have a certain number of days to remove it.

If not, the city is by law can go in and can remove that.

As far as the plow goes, I think the city would need to make some reasonable efforts to determine who the owner is, and it would be a similar process.

But if these objects remain on public property, especially a public street for an extended period of time, the court would very well consider them to be abandoned and the city could seize them.

So again, not to be the dead horse or be overly repetitious, but we need documentation, we need evidence, but something could be done with with the right evidence.

We do have no overnight pocket in Cranston.

So could we ask for this to be ticketed every night?

Well, you could, but the most that is, and the major and the captain are here.

I think the most that's gonna be right now is a ticket.

But if it continues and it's can if it's continuous over a certain number of nights and days, then I think it's going to evolve into something more serious than just overnight parking, then it becomes again abandonment or a public safety issue.

Isn't it well?

Just a clarifying question.

Are the people in this thing?

They're not they're playing music, right?

Loud music.

So the music, my thought from talking to her is it's the people coming up to get stuff out of this car so that are lingering there with very loud music that that have it there.

And she said at other points it it's somewhat secluded.

So I think kids are parking down there and it's a gathering point, like you said.

I mean, the if it is in the major captain, correct me if it's unregistered, period.

If registration is running and it's unregistered and it's on public road, it can be towed, I believe, without any further, it gets posted, but it and then it's and then it's removed.

Yeah, you shouldn't.

Thank you, Councilman Ritz for bringing this to our attention.

So I guess what would the next step be in the process?

Should we work with the administration and the police department to have it checked?

I think it has to go uh be sent over to the police for further investigation.

They have the you know the tools to run the ownership chain, see whether or not it's registered.

I think you got you have to stop there because if it's unregistered, it it kind of makes the steps a little bit easier.

Thank you.

I know council's not supposed to ask, but I'm going to Captain Canavalli or Major Quark.

Um we can give you the address of this car that's abandoned, and could somebody look into it?

Thank you.

I appreciate you.

If it does get hooked and taken away, would you let me know in councilman?

Thank you.

I I think um approved subject to but not issued.

If every look at those, and then I'm gonna adjourn this meeting if there's no more business, all those in favor say asking.

Second any discussion, Clark, could I have a roll call vote?

Sure.

Councilman Garziano, Councilman Anduhar.

Yes, Councilman Rets.

Yes, Council Trapper Cante.

Councilman Viziering, yes.

Yes, meaning adjourned.

Thursday, July 9th at 7 PM for the Finance Committee.

Clerk, please take a roll.

Councilman Gaziano.

Councilman Anduhar?

Present.

Councilman Retz.

Present.

Councilman Traficante.

Councilwoman Vizier.

Present.

Council Vice President Horyan.

Present.

Council President Wall.

Here.

This time I would like to open for public comment.

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

Please step up to the mic.

Director, please just state your name and address or whatever.

Nick Lima, Registrar Director of Elections on behalf of the of the City of Cranston Canvasing Authority before you on the agenda this evening is one item related to the Board of Canvasers, which is our authorization to place on the ballot the bond questions for the November election.

So following passage by the council, uh, which we expect later this month, the Crans Board of Canvasers will meet on July thirtieth to certify those questions for ballot placement.

As of right now, on the certification, uh on the documentation before you, that is the order that they will be placed on the ballot, unless the council would like to or wishes to change that order for any reason.

Right now, they're just there in the order that they're introduced or passed by the House by Bill number.

So uh that's that's at the discretion of the council.

Um, but uh this is the final authorization essentially that the that the board of cameras needs to proceed with uh conducting the election for these bond questions.

Thank you, Director, and thank you again for your service.

Is anyone else in the ordinance that would like to speak on document items only?

Clerk, is anyone online?

There is no public comment online.

This time I'd like to close public comment, moving down to new new matters before the committee.

Um item C.

Oh no, let's go to resolutions.

Um mandate a motion to approve the resolution authorizing the placement of ballot questions to be presented to the voters at the general election to be held on November 3rd, 2026.

Motion to approve so moved.

Any discussion, Mr.

President.

I'm sorry, I was we were discussing just the number numbering on the resolution.

Uh the attorney and I um as I look, we we went through this stuff before, and you as you go through it, storm drainage improvements, public building improvements, playgrounds, streets and bridges, fire and public safety equipment, obviously our schools.

As we said before, when this item came up, these are these are general maintenance items that it I think it's necessary to put them on the ballot in case we need we're gonna these are things we're gonna need to run a city going forward.

Um, also, and uh director Strom certainly will uh back me up on this.

If the if the voters do approve of it, the council will have to vote to proceed with those bonds to to to go out to bond.

Um, and you can see as the discussions happen, this meeting, the meetings that prior, we're going to be very thrifty in the way we go forward.

We're not looking for bells and whistles anymore.

This is these are utilitarian things that we need to run a city, and so I'm certainly going to be in favor of it.

Uh Councilman Cambubiano.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, I'm not on this committee, but I do have a question for the director.

I'm sorry.

I apologize.

But do you make direct okay?

Um if this goes on the ballot and it is approved, yeah.

Even though we don't draw the funds or the funds of the does it affect our bond rating because we could, or it doesn't affect it at all.

I mean, if you have a credit card and you don't use the credit card, it still affects your this just gives you authority to bond.

It doesn't uh it doesn't affect your debt service or your your uh uh rating uh with the rating agencies at all.

So it doesn't affect it at all.

Until you draw to you till you go to bonds, right?

Then you usually have to meet with all three rating agencies, which is what we're doing next week with the uh school bond of uh 120 million dollars that we're doing for the school, 100 and bans that we're rolling over and 20 million in addition.

But that has nothing to do with this for the ballot.

Okay, okay, thank you.

Anyone else?

Seeing none, clerk please take a roll.

Councilman Graziano, councilman Andrew, yes, council and rhetoric, council traffic canteen.

Yes, councilman Vazier Council Vice President Rowan, yes, council president Wall.

Yes, right.

Moving on to the real estate tax abatements.

I'm pretty sure everybody saw it.

May it's gonna motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Second, any discussion.

Clerk, please take a roll.

Councilman Graziano, councilman Andor, councilman Rentz, Council cancel, councilman Viziery, Council Vice President Royan.

Yes, Council President Wall.

Yes.

Moving on to council member communications.

Um Mr.

President, the floor is yours.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, if I could ask uh Director Strom to step up to the podium.

I'm gonna be starting out and uh on page one of the financial report, which is always very uh telling.

Um if I if I point obviously, I'm gonna point probably the most thing.

Tom, you have it up there, right?

Um we're seeing approximately a 10.2 million dollar deficit as of the last monthly report.

Can you elaborate anything on what's going on giving us that 10.2 million dollar deficit, director?

Yes, uh as you know, it's been running well over 10 million dollars uh for the last few minutes.

Um we have the shortfall.

I have a number of items that affect it.

We have a shortfall in interest income, fire overtime, snow uh removal, severance in the finance department for these um uh individuals that left uh fire IOD, police overtime, police IOD.

Uh there's 250,000 for trees and debt service was not calculated correctly in the budget, and that shows a shortfall of 3.2 million.

If you just add those, which is one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine of those items, and there's other things that are plus and minus, but these add up the nine million eight fifty, which is the majority of the shortfall of ten point three.

Thank you.

Am I right to also assume director, if I'm reading it correctly, are we seeing a surplus in the school budget a little further down?

Is that a surplus of about uh as of through May?

Yes.

I I don't again, as you know, uh the month of June is a critical month.

We have uh on the city side, 60 day rule.

Uh we have uh invoices that are paid and accrued through the month of September, okay, because that's when our final trial balance is done through September 30th.

That's when the orders uh generate their financial statement for us.

So there's a lot that goes on between now and that point.

Uh I think, in my opinion, that uh we may it may be a somewhat of an improvement between now and when we close out the fiscal year, but it's not going to be a major change.

It may be I'll use a Joe Balducci statement.

As we close it out, are you saying it's gonna change to the good?

I would say to the good.

To the good.

Well, that's something but I don't want to give any indication that how much it might be or anything until all the all the uh invoices in in uh collection of the 60 day rule comes through.

Okay, and that will be and we'll be dealing with that next month.

Yeah, um if you would, and I'll just go to page number two if I can get my computer to go.

No, wait.

And I'm looking at this, and geez, I wish I brought my glasses, so I'm kind of at a little bit of a I'm looking at revenue, right?

The uh tax revenue is at what approximately what 99%?

Yeah, the tax revenue I can tell you uh uh through May is 99.18, and I can tell you as of through um the middle of June, uh excuse me, the end of June, uh 99.35.

So it's improved and all uh so which I would expect to be good because there's not going to be another quarterly tax uh um coming in before the end of the fiscal year.

So that's actually as municipalities go.

Our tax uh collection rate is pretty good.

Oh, I would say it's one of the better, one of the better, okay.

But I do notice all the other revenues.

Um I look at the state aid.

Um is that about on tax?

I see that we've collected about so we're down about six uh six hundred and eighty thousand dollars on our tax revenue.

That's the additional point nine percent, right?

That's what I see on my yeah, but keep in mind now we have what they call public service corporation tax, which is one million one nineteen.

That comes in either in July, the end of July or the beginning of August.

And we can we pick that up as revenue.

You picked that up as well.

No, yeah, in 26.

So even as we sit here next month and we analyze our financial report for for June, yeah, it's it's not gonna be totally finalized.

There's there's probably gonna be some more revenues coming in.

There could be some more revenues and there could be some more expenses too.

That's the part I was wondering.

That's the next question, and you anticipated.

Okay.

Because if there's some goods and services through June 30th, sometimes bills don't come in until July or August uh from the vendor.

So we have to accrue that.

Okay.

The um the revenue source that I'm uh I am kind of annoyed with is once again is the federal aid.

We're almost a million dollars down at 89 uh percent.

Does that have something to do with some of the the craziness that's going on in Washington?

Would you believe?

Uh which which are you referring to?

Oh, I see federal on revenues, right?

If I'm not federal aid, the third column.

Oh, okay.

I see.

I see we're at about 89%.

And you would think we should be higher than 89%, closer to the 90s, I would assume.

Yeah.

Well, some of that could be grant money, it could be other things that have not come in yet.

So okay.

All right.

So that's a that's only a million dollars there.

Yeah.

Um if you look at the revenue, not to interrupt you, but if you look at the revenue as a whole, uh overall, our revenue is uh over as a whole over budget.

By about how much, I'm sorry.

Well by about a half a million dollars.

Oh, yeah, I see it.

My I believe that's a big number.

The problem is our expenditures are well.

I was gonna get to that, um, our expenditures, and I'm seeing it.

So our expenditures are down about 10 million dollars, is that correct?

Yes.

All right.

Um to the bad, as we say.

So the spending problem, we're we're still uh having a problem there.

Even if we're taking a half a million, if we're spending more than you know, ten million dollars, it's not quite the wash.

So that was my next item, and it's you know, that's glowing.

Right.

As per a lot of times we'll see, we we don't necessarily have a revenue problem, we get a spending problem.

Yeah, but that's not a good thing.

But keep in mind you say it's a spending problem.

I believe it's uh the expenses uh somewhat in line.

We have a budget problem from last year that creates the spending as overages.

Let's see.

Thank and thank you for that clarification.

Um I'm gonna go to 11.

Give me a moment.

I believe I'm right, and I'll ask a question that I don't know the answer to, which is a lot.

I think it was 11.

So um that unassigned.

Um, and I'm not sure I quite understand what it means.

I see the explanation on the bottom.

Perhaps you could clarify.

That's two, that's approximately million dollars.

Yeah.

What is it?

The unassigned is the actual fund balance of the city that's uh people call it the rainy day fund.

That can be used for just about anything that the council administration feels deemed to be.

So that's our surplus at the end.

That's the that's the true surplus.

Yeah, there's other things that are part of the funding.

That's not that number.

I don't want to go back.

That didn't come out to 13 13 million.

No, the the 13 million.

The 13 million is cumulative from last year.

Okay.

Okay, so that's gonna be reduced based on a deficit.

Yeah, based on surplus.

Right, okay.

So that would be that 13 million as nice as it looks here, is unassigned.

It's like a it's a paper target tiger, because when we we we can deplet it a great deal with depending on our nine, 10 million dollar deficit.

That's that's where I all right.

So I wasn't if you recall last year, yes.

You had 19 million or cl or 21 million, I believe, and you had a deficit of six and a half that brought it down to 14 or high 13.

You went down for gotcha.

Um more, and we're gonna go far away, all the way to page number 70, Tom, if you don't mind.

It's gonna take me a while to get there.

This is another question I don't know, but so you're gonna teach me something again.

It's gonna take me a while.

It's probably easier to do this.

And it has to do is it the MTB 20 MTP?

The TP, yes, my handwriting is yes.

That's a that's a report that's uh we submit to the state of Rhode Island.

Can you elaborate on well that's something that the state of Rhode Island requires all municipalities to submit uh when they do their um analysis of uh various um uh revenues and expenses as a group type of thing for all communities, so all the yeah seven, all right.

And there's certain restrictions they require in the MTP to follow consistency throughout the state.

It may not be exactly how we uh generate our financial reports, but it's something that the state requires us to follow.

Similar to like if you recall when you're on the school side, the um uh chart of account, yeah.

Thank you.

So we're at about it, I'm seeing the total revenue in this and and mtb at about 250.

I see our expenditures uh about a little over one, all right.

So you're about what 98 98,000 dollars to the good in this report.

Yeah, but there's certain restrictions there.

You you really would focus on what we submit.

What we have, yeah.

As going through it, I didn't understand it.

I figure out so you so this is something you have to submit.

Yes.

But for the sake of the council and looking at our finances, you're saying it has little value to me.

Is that what you're saying?

Well, not that it doesn't have value, but I think you need to direct your focus on our financials because that's what our orders will come in to review.

Understood.

So that's yes, that's all I have for that that part of the my agenda.

Um so I I relent my time.

Anyone else?

Council Burritz.

Thank you.

I did have a few questions.

I was trying not to overlap.

Council president did have some of mine on that, so thank you.

Um just a few quick ones on page five.

Um, for the investment income, I'm assuming that was because we budgeted incorrectly, but it looks like we're 745,000 and some change off from where we have subjected debate.

It's it's even greater than that when you look at it uh as a whole.

Yeah, when I go to the other, it's like over a million.

Yeah, yeah.

That's right.

I and it's probably hard to answer, but is that are we underperforming where you think we would be too?

Or well, I think two things.

Um, well, I don't know how they derived that number initially, but uh interest rates have uh you know have uh gone down as far as investments, and uh because we've been spending quite a bit of money on uh other uh you know certain projects, we don't have as much money to invest as we had in prior years.

So it's a combination.

Thank you.

That makes a lot of sense.

Um my other question uh you might not know what this answer, council president mentioned it too I noticed there was a fifty thousand dollar surplus in the school department in the vocational tuition.

I just was wondering if the tuition if we increase the fee or if more people were applying, but I assuming you want to know.

I I really can't give you an answer.

That that information is given to us by the school department, and we basically take their numbers and plug it in, so to speak.

I I thought I'd ask if they had something that was very negative, then we would you know more, yeah.

On um page 16 under uh treasury and collections.

I saw that we're a little behind where we should have been with with collections.

I was just wondering if that was a timing situation, or we were having trouble collecting in the treasury department.

Yeah, Treasury Department Treasury and tax collection, it's only 78% of where it was projected to be.

I was just wondering if that was a timing thing or if we were behind the collecting.

No, I think it's a timing thing because well, I can tell you up to date the revenue is uh the total revenue for treasury and collections is at 110% right now.

Okay, perfect.

So June you see a lot of it is timing, and I believe some of it had to do with the tax sale and things of that nature.

So that's what created it to increase over from what you're seeing through May.

Sorry, just a couple more on page uh 18 under parks and racks, uh the park and recreation um receipts.

I saw that that's under performing where it was budgeted to again.

I didn't know if it was just budgeted too high, but I thought we had raised the fees on that.

I didn't know if we were having less rentals of the fields and substance.

We raised the fees.

Parks and rec uh through if you just hold on one second.

Oh, here it is.

Parks and rec, I believe was budgeted at 425,000.

And so far, through June 30th, he's collected 467.

So he's over budget.

Okay, so it probably again.

So that has to do with the signing of camps and so June is June generates you can't just focus on May.

You have to look at you know, through June and thereafter till we finalize the figures.

Yeah, because I was like, yeah, because it's when it was because a lot of a lot of the revenue five or ninety-two thousand under now it's over perfect, perfect.

Yeah, um page 24.

I noticed the board of canvases, we were 3900 over in the budget total for that line item.

have to look at you know through June and thereafter till we finalize the figures yeah because I was like yeah because this one it was because a lot of a lot of the revenue five or ninety two thousand other right that's good now it's over back up perfect perfect yeah um on page twenty four I noticed the board of canvases we were 3900 over in the budget total for that line item I was having trouble figuring out what a canvas's revenue yeah board's a board of canvases yeah is it the expenditures or revenue I'm on expenditures excuse me yeah it's expenditures yeah his depart in what line did you say a specific line of the whole um the whole department total for that department yeah it was over 3925 i i just was having trouble he right now he he is uh for this year through june he's at 1300 over so it's been reduced would you say 3900 yeah it's been reduced down but he is over through June a lot has to do with um pension contribution and hospitalization so I don't know if someone switched from maybe a single plan to a family plan I I during the course of the yeah I'm not quite sure actually I wish Nick was here you'd probably have an explanation wasn't it wasn't a huge amount but I was just yeah and then I on page 29 under public works I noted uh um lighting streets we're at 28000 over in that line item I I wasn't sure if it caught up with the way the billing was or run the lights too long which one is that uh street lighting street lighting streets we um this report was over 28 000 right now it's at 30,000 over yeah um what causes that i think it has to do with some of the uh programs that we like rise i believe uh uh that's something again public works director correa would have to elaborate on i guess um because this department is over i and i know you mentioned snow repo removal we had a blizzard i saw where we well over in that budget um do you know if we've paid out all those is that the end of it we're 452 000 on that right now you don't know if everything's been paid out of this right now it's at uh we budgeted just for snow 700 000 and it's the the uh expenditures are 1 million six yeah sorry it's over but everything 900 gonna grow you think are we excuse me have we hit the ceiling with that everything's been paid vendors and that i believe there's a purchase order that's still got to come through for another roughly hundred thousand i can't tell you why it hasn't been processed sooner but that's gonna bring it up to one seven so that's the million dollars that we're short yeah yeah no no reimbursement from there I know I'm hoping this year we have a mild winter and and then the last one I'll just ask on um the care of trees spraying of trees um I saw an outline I'm 26300 over yeah um we budgeted this was kind of new to me too we budgeted spraying and care of trees at 220 and we've spent about we spent all of that 220 but then there's another line item that says for uh care of trees that we spent almost 245 thousand and someone told me and I wasn't here at the time that it had to do with a bad windstorm and they had to remove trees and I believe that's what created the overage there.

Yeah it's all for a few days now you say that micro okay that makes sense yeah yeah right after the budget yeah that's gone okay um I think that's all I had thank you I appreciate it thank you anyone else seeing none moving on Mr.

President the floor is yours okay um director I probably need you again um this is the uh budget work program we spoke about um I think we we we spoke at it about some length in the uh may 18th meeting um and I'll just uh just remind it's if you like I'll just put it in in short terms that in the in the charter I can read it read it verbatim but in the charter it says there should be a a work program how we're gonna expend uh the monies that have been allotted the department or commission yeah you've got it I got it um divide it up into you know the financial quarters um before the should should it be made and set before the end of the fiscal year would you have that for the council's uh inspection yes um I have to give credit to uh Mike Igo he he um developed this it's four quarters uh for each department we're gonna be meeting with the department

Yeah, you've got it, I got it.

Um divide it up into you know the financial quarters um before the should should it be made and set before the end of the fiscal year.

Would you have that for the council's uh inspection?

Yes.

Um I have to give credit to uh Mike Igo.

He he um developed this.

It's four quarters uh for each department.

We're gonna be meeting with the departments with the directors of each department, and a lot has to do if you look at this.

Many of these are a quarter, a quarter, a quarter, a quarter.

However, there's a lot that has to do with season, like for instance, snow and stuff like that, uh materials.

That's that quarter would be for winter.

Right.

So that would be greater than say July, the end of the first quarter or the last quarter.

So things like that uh been um uh determined uh in their budget to review and to report back to us.

Okay.

My question is I have a uh this is the uh the data sheets that are going to be given to each department, and I would assume each department.

We haven't got into it yet, we'll be reporting to myself and Mr.

Igo and the administration, and then also to the council to show the activity in the now.

Is there is there an electronic version available we can send out to the council?

You'll have that okay.

All right.

Well, that's perfect.

I'm I'm glad I know it did come with some deliberation that evening, but I appreciate the efforts, and I know it it's not necessarily an easy thing to do because you had a lot to do, but I do appreciate it.

I think it'll help going forward.

Um so I hope it yeah, I'm I'm glad you guys did it.

I do appreciate it.

Um, and I look forward to reading it.

Um is there anything you want to?

I know you we don't have it.

Is there anything you'd like to point out?

Right.

Okay.

Oh, so would you like to wait to have until they meet with the departments to have the numbers or would you like to see the template first?

I wouldn't mind seeing the template, but I'd also like to see um see it when it's finished.

Um we're in the first week of the first quarter.

I'm assuming you know it's gonna be soon.

That'll be my assumption.

I'm not allowing any purchase orders for at least two months.

We do appreciate that's the spending problem.

All right, I have nothing further to add to that.

I'd love to see it and uh thank you.

Well, does anyone else have any questions?

I just can I just say one other thing, Mr.

Rector.

The chairman says so.

Yes.

Um if at any time, and I think you and I had this brief discussion.

I do run weekly bi-weekly reports showing the activity, both revenue and expenses for each department as well.

So if you wanted to see something sooner than these quarterly reports, I have it available.

I could just give you a call and you send them out.

Exactly.

Okay, thank you, Director.

Thank you.

And director, I want to thank you for working with our auditor.

Um things are running a lot smoother now.

So with that, uh just to let everybody everybody know that the audit committee uh will be meeting on July 20th, 2026 of this year at 6:30 p.m.

And with that may entertain a motion to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

Any discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any nays, ayes have it.

We are adjourned.