Good evening.

We'll call the meeting of March seventeenth, twenty twenty six to order for the East Providence uh City Council.

Um Madam Clerk, could you please call the role of the council?

Councilman Fogerty.

Councilman Lawson?

Here.

Council Vice President Regal.

Yeah.

Councilwoman Sousa.

Yeah.

Council President Rodericks.

Here, the records show that um attendance is all five members present.

And please rise for the pledge.

Thank you.

Happy St.

Patrick Stato, everyone.

Madam Clerk, could you please begin the reading of the agenda?

Number two, executive session.

The City Council of East Providence may meet in executive session pursuant to the Wood Island General Laws.

Yes.

No, we're not.

We are we're staying here.

I just want to have the solicitor explain it.

Um as you know, uh back on January twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-six the this council approved all the tentative agreements that were subject uh to the bargaining and changes within the contract over the last uh since January twenty-seventh, uh the HR department, myself, and the union and the coun and the uh president excuse me, and the chief of police have been working diligently to incorporate those changes and HR decided that the contract was so poorly organized that he basically wanted to uh reorganize it and um and and re um and put headings where they weren't headings before.

So um no substantive changes are in this document other than that.

It's a much easier to administer, and hopefully it's a much easier to execute.

So and we actually cut down by about a third of the pages by changing the fund.

So it's a smaller, it's a smaller contract, and hopefully it's a more readable and more understandable contract, but there are no substantive changes to it um other than what you have already approved on that date on January twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-six.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And the the tentative agreement has been approved by both the union, the council previously.

Yes, I make a motion to accept the contract.

Motion by Council Vice President Rigo to accept the contract and seconded by Councilman Lawson.

All in favor?

Aye.

Are there any opposed?

The ayes have it.

Five zero.

Number four, proclamation and presentation.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

At this time, I'm going to defer to Councilman Lawson to introduce some special guests that we have with us this evening.

All right, how's everybody doing?

Could I please ask Paul Morse, Donnie Senna, and Scotty Santos to come forward, please.

So we're honoring these gentlemen because recently the Rhode Island Hip Hop Hall of Fame had its inaugural class.

And two of these gentlemen were among the inductees.

And one was the um creator behind making it a reality.

Um years ago, I was asked to start Knott's council, and I got this firm belief that the city of East Providence can utilize the arts as an economic driver, has a way to brand this city to make it an amazing place to live.

It already is, but there's so much more.

So when I saw this was happening, I thought it would be a good idea to bring them forward, honor them for what they did, and also bring some awareness that you know we do very well in the city with the rocking blues, you know.

But there's many other forms of music that are amazing and awesome.

And I've been talking with Elmer and the city about more music events to celebrate that type of diversity and stuff.

So we are gonna honor these three.

So I'm gonna read off the citations, hand them to them, we'll do some pictures, and then I'm gonna offer them the mic to come up and say some words.

So we're gonna start off with my buddy Paul.

I'm for I I went to school with Scotty and Paul, and I work with Donnie.

So this is in my heart.

It means a lot.

So whereas Paul P.

Funk Moss, a lifelong towney, is a graffiti artist whose art focuses on hip-hop themes.

And whereas P Funk has created numerous pieces of public art, whereas P Funk has been inducted into the graffiti hall of fame, whereas P Funk's support of the hip hop scene has won him praise and accolades throughout the country.

Therefore, the city of the East Providence City Council recognizes this townie for his contributions to the hip hop scene and his induction into the hip hop hall of fame.

You make EP proud.

And let me see.

Next we have Scotty.

Scotty's also known by Mason, but those who known him for a long time, he's always been Scotty.

So whereas Scotty, DJ Finesse Santos, a lifelong towny has been uh working DJ throughout New England, and whereas DJ Finesse has performed countless of shows performing in front of thousands with many high profile gigs.

PC uh folks over here may recognize Oh Friars.

Yeah, yeah, not this year.

Whereas DJ Finesse is a regular on the Juice 93.7, the first black-owned radio station here in Rhode Island.

Whereas DJ Finesse was inducted into the Rhode Island Hip Hop Hall of Fame for his many contributions to the hip hop scene.

Therefore, the East Providence City Council recognizes this town for his contributions to the hip hop scene and inducted into the hip hop hall of fame.

You make EP proud, buddy.

All right.

So Donnie wasn't expecting something, but if you know Donnie and what he's done, there's no way we can not put him here.

So Donnie Senna, a lifelong towney is considered one of the top breakdancers in the region.

Donnie was instrumental in creating the Rhode Island Hip Hop Hall of Fame.

He is a strong advocate for the B-boy scene by organizing and performing in many breakdancing events.

And Donnie's also one of the top DJs around.

Ask anybody who to go to is when we need local stuff.

And he's always playing Stevie Wonder for me, so I love him.

So the East Providence City Council recognizes this county for his contributions to the hip hop scene and his role in forming the hip hop hall of fame.

Donnie, you make EP proud, buddy.

And I want to give these gentlemen the opportunity to come up, say a fair words, and uh.

Thanks, everybody.

I want to thank Rick Lawson, my buddy Scott, my boy Donnie.

First, I want to thank my mother for not killing me when I used to draw on every little thing in the house.

If it wasn't, if it wasn't taped or done, it wasn't chained down, I was drawing on it.

Uh I don't know how many times East Province police came to the house with a bill to pay for the sandblasting.

I don't know how they knew it was me, but for some way they figured it out.

The autograph.

So my thing is uh back when I was a kid, I always looking for a place to paint.

So it was a way of expressing myself.

I didn't really know what I was doing at first.

So, like the stuff you see on the side of the roads that look like trash.

That's how I was.

That's how I started.

But eventually, the more you do it, the better you get.

And uh, my art's taking me places I never thought of, like with different countries, Puerto Rico, everywhere.

I've been all over the place painting it.

Uh I would like to add Rick or anybody in the council if we could set up like a public space where kids could paint a legal wall where they could come.

They police themselves, you know, as long as there's no like rated R or no profanity or anything, and everything's clean, they clean up their own messes, and it'll keep all the art, and it'll keep the kids from painting all over the place, and it'll put it in one certain spot where they can clean it and they'll be responsible for it.

And if they lose it, they lose it.

So that's my uh I I'll be I would definitely like to sparehead something like that as well.

So good idea.

I'm one of them more than willing.

And uh, Paul, uh, I've seen so much of your work, and you you are much more than what you were doing in your mom's house.

You are truly an artist.

And um very professional.

And thank you for all of that.

And thank you.

Appreciate it.

Uh, good evening again.

Thank you, Councilman Lawson, for this award and the council.

Um I like Paul, same thing.

Uh, I probably scratched every record my parents had.

Um, so this was an art form that we and a culture that we embraced uh long ago.

And I remember at Silver Spring, it was sixth grade, and I heard Sugar Hill Gang Rapper's Delight, and a friend of mine said that's never gonna last, it's gonna be a fad.

And then uh 30 years later, he's uh sending me a text on Facebook saying my my kids and and my grandkids love this this thing called hip hop that I told you would never last.

Um, like Paul, I've been all over the country, all over the world.

I'm actually awarded the uh Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden.

And what I would say, you know, by working in the school, he's probably as a behavior specialist.

Um we have a brand, we have a um amazing, amazing school.

I don't think that we pay enough attention to the art like this.

I think that like Paul having a uh wall where people could could create their art, um, music production, DJing, because it literally is global.

And I would just simply ask, what would the world be without hip hop?

Because nothing has bridged more gaps than hip hop, more cultures, more people.

You can go anywhere.

If you go into Japan, I can't speak Japanese, but I can speak hip hop.

And you can't do that with rock and roll, we can do it with the blues, but you can do it with hip-hop.

So I would love for there to be some sort of programming that really uh infuse this culture into the school and diversified it in that way.

Good evening.

Thank you to the council, Rick Lawson, Paul Scott.

Uh first I gotta thank my mom and dad because they're the ones that put up with this little kid on Angel Drive, spinning on his head in the middle of the street on cardboard, and they're like, oh my god, my son is about to kill himself.

So they but they supported me every step of the way.

And the reason why I did the Rhode Island Hip Hop Hall of Fame was because I wanted my daughter who's sitting in the audience.

I want her kids and her kids' kids to be able to come back and see what we sacrifice for and the things that we were doing that it all made sense and was for a reason.

I just want people to be rewarded and get their flowers, so to speak, for everything they did, they did for this culture.

And I have to thank the city of East Providence because running the streets with this big one over here.

First off, whenever Mrs.

Moss, it wasn't all my fault.

Okay.

Paul was good for blaming it on me.

So every first weekend of March, we're gonna throw the hip-hop hall of fame and we celebrate all the different aspects.

We have DJing, rapping, breakdancing, graffiti, and we have honorary inductees also.

So we have a 10-year project that we want to do.

I would like to get a brick and mortar building to be able to go in and see artifacts from when the early 80s, late 70s, so people can go in and actually see pictures in so the next time that we do it in March, what I want to do is I want to have the award ceremony.

I'm gonna bring it back to my hometown because you guys helped me get to where I am.

So I want to take each and every one of you.

Also, uh Donny, uh we've seen you in in action, and you are very good.

There's a lot of room in front here.

If you would like to put on a quick demonstration, you can take the hat off and if you gentlemen will come forward, we'll take a group photo.

There's a lot of room.

Congratulations.

That's accurate.

I don't want to move it down that way.

Oh, I see.

Bob really dog PC like that.

Wow.

I was just mentioning they're out of it.

Just remember who won on December 5th.

URA women are the 11th seed.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Thank you, Councilman.

Uh Madam Clerk, could you continue the agenda, please?

Number five, consent calendar for discussion and possible vote.

Council journals, regular meetings March 3rd, 2026, and March 6, 2026.

Um asking if before you vote to um table March 3rd, because it's actually not included in the packet.

Okay, is there a motion uh short of the March 3rd journal?

I make a motion to accept the consent calendar A and B with the exception of um regular meeting minutes for March 3rd, 2026.

Councilwoman Susa makes that motion, seconded by Councilman Fogerty.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed, the ayes have.

Next item.

Tax abatements, cancellation and abatements.

2021, 686.

2022, 18,663.

In total of 19,349 and 59 cents.

Motion to approve.

Motion by councilwoman Susan to approve the abatements.

So second.

Second.

Second by Council Vice President Rego.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The ayes have it.

See letters, new addresses.

Number one, 69 Locust Street, Riverside, Rhode Island, 02915.

Matt 312, block 56, Postal 005.00.

Number two, 73 Locust Street, Riverside, Rhode Island, 02915, Matt 312, block 56, Possel 004.

Motion, approve the new addresses.

Make a motion.

Motion, Councilman Lawson.

Seconded by Councilman Fogerty.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

Yeah, it's happy.

Next item.

Number six, licenses for discussion and possible vote.

Non-public hearing.

There's a one-hand.

Make a motion to bundle B one through six.

Motion made by Councilman Lawson.

Bundle seconded by Councilman Fogerty.

All in favor of bundling.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Yeah, it's motion until approve B1 through six.

Motion to approve by Councilman Lawson.

Motion to second, and if the clerk can read it.

Yes, second by Councilwoman Susa.

And if the clerk could just read through the title so everyone will know who they are in the event.

Anna Sousa event, Hennessy Colouron, May 15th, 2026, 1 p.m.

through 2:30 p.m.

One day entertainment license, Rebecca Chase, summer concert series at um Crescent Park through June 2026 until September 2026 with rain dates August 27th, September 9th, September 10th, and September 13th.

Excuse me, point of order.

Yes.

Well, she needs to be she's gonna stop here and recuse herself because she's um I'm it's gonna you can't be voted on something that you're there for.

So you you gotta recuse yourself at this point.

I mean, it's you know so um I so thank you for for noticing that.

Um so two things.

One, I did ask the solicitor, so this isn't my event.

I filled out the application for the Hennessey PTA as a favor because I you know I help my schools, but it's not my event.

I hope no, I helped.

I I hey I just didn't want I didn't want to have somebody come after the council or you I just wanted to make sure we were in guidance and everything.

So no, I appreciate it.

She okay to vote on this?

All right, okay.

I I just wanted the point of order to make sure we weren't gonna get you know come after us and yeah.

Yeah, I looked into that.

Yeah, thank you though.

You're welcome.

Continue.

Special event, one-day alcohol license, Father Perry, Sacred Hot Church.

Um one eighteen Taunton Avenue, East Providence, March 21st, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

to 11 p.m.

special event one day alcohol license, Jody Hall, Liberty Production LLC, May 17th, 2026, 6 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

New business, Alicia Thomas, Tattoo Paula, 660 Bullocks Point Avenue, East Providence.

New business, victiculing, Broderick Centilly, Ice Cream Paula, 240 Bullocks Point Avenue, East Providence.

Thank you.

We had the motion and and the second.

I know uh there's at least one applicant present.

Uh good good luck.

I don't know if other applicants and anyone needs to say anything.

I don't see anything.

So the motion has been made and seconded.

All in favor?

Aye, aye.

Any opposed?

The ayes have it unanimously.

Good luck in the business.

Yes.

Next item, please.

Communications, Nancy Hale.

I'm sorry.

This isn't on the dust.

Communications, none public comment, Nancy Hale.

Nancy Hale, welcome.

889 889 Bullocks Point Avenue, Nancy Hale.

Um I want to get my questions first, and then I have some um gifts that have been actually waiting from from Christmas.

But my questions are about historic Oldham property.

That would be the on Bullocks Point Avenue.

It gets confusing if you talk about Meadowbrook and Oldham and which one is where.

So that the last I knew was from the uh presentation at Fuller.

And that was um pretty much the people who did the feasibility study and the feasibility study.

Um we had been told was for a business incubator.

Then when I attended the event to hear about the results of the feasibility study, was the first time that I had seen housing planned for that uh property, and at that time in that presentation, which may have changed at this point, but no but I don't really know.

I don't know anybody who does know.

There were 96 units of housing and and 90 parking spots.

So you know, it just doesn't seem feasible because people have visitors.

But anyone I have listened to, anyone I've talked with in Riverside, we want to keep every blade of grass we've got and and really um you know, be green, so to speak.

And um you know, this is city property, which is different than private property.

The city owns Oldham School.

This is a little bit different than the Metacomet golf club situation, even though uh I wish that was still a golf course or at least green.

So um to interject, uh Nancy is nothing being uh formally discussed or voted on tonight.

What the status is uh we're we're waiting for the final plan proposal, and then we'll be able to do that.

When when will that be available to the public to the people who live in Riverside?

Uh when will the people of Rivers Shortly, the administration's working on it, and um there's been a consultant one word, Nancy.

Right on this.

I will tell you this.

I will fight any house in there.

I was like, I don't know why we we have to fight City Hall.

The city hall should be.

City Hall and this council should be trying to put forward what the people who live in East Providence would like.

Well what I c what I can guarantee you is there will be plenty of notice, there will be a full public hearing, you'll know about it, everyone will know about it, and anyone can say anything they want at that time.

But when you wait We can't do it tonight, there's nothing to uh vote on.

I think I'd like to ask my questions and suggestions because there's a lot of ways to develop that property responsibly, possibly somewhat sustainably.

I've written information, but I only have three minutes.

Also, when we were talking about the recenter, um, which is now being built, there was a lot of discussion of of a pool and a lot of people came forward to this podium.

Couldn't afford it.

That's why at that time.

I'm just letting you know what is.

I know, I remember, but Oldham school is a whole new thing.

We're not using um ARPA money.

I also had a question about how much of the ARPA money was allotted for Oldham and how much was spent.

Has anybody got an answer to that?

We allocated one million.

They only spent six hundred thousand and used the the words.

Well, you only said the other four hundred thousand dollars.

But oldem school needs a lot of of work.

I'm not I'm not uh preaching only to you.

I I I feel and I th I'm trying to realize that I haven't been selected or elected, and I'm not paid to represent everyone who lives there, but I know that a lot of people have similar questions and concerns that I do.

You're right, is right because I talk to a lot of people, not only in my neighborhood.

I'm I'm just saying I'm sure the councilman will agree there will be uh plenty of time to get all of this decided.

And your sentiment is what I think.

Yes, but the ARPA money needs to be spent by a certain time.

So we don't want to lose that four hundred thousand dollars that was allocated for Oldham.

They put it in other projects.

Yeah, but it was for Oldham.

There, but they used the phrase and it only said up.

Okay, that okay, I understand that, you know, little loophole or whatever you want to call it, but we need that money for Oldham school.

We don't want the same thing to happen uh to any other property in East Providence that East Providence owns.

We don't want uh we don't want it to go the same way as the Metacometh.

So Nan Nancy, I'm gonna be scheduling a a meeting like we do normally, and we'll get all this out.

And I you mean uh a a town hall.

Another town hall for the riverside folks that'll be scheduling.

But there's three projects, so we need like three meetings.

We'll do it.

A lot happening.

We'll do what we need.

I'm gonna be there for all of you, so we'll do whatever it takes.

All right, and then the meeting it's already in the middle of of March, so the meeting needs to be scheduled and then advertised so enough people know about it and can attend it.

I understand.

In the past there's been some problems with the post with We had the snow last time, so that's that's I understand that's over.

That was two weeks ago, it's melted.

Yep.

So when will the meeting be?

As soon as I schedule it.

Right.

And where will it be advertised?

Uh the post and on social media.

Okay, great.

Um the reporter.

Do I have two minutes for some fun gifts?

You you do quickly.

You you do quickly.

I didn't spend a penny because I don't have a penny.

But these are meaningful sustainable gifts.

Thank you, Nancy.

And tell me where I found it.

Thank you.

Well, why is why is mine ticking?

Oh, that was friends.

Thank you.

Oh, thank you.

Very nice.

She gave me the goose.

It's pretty.

The swan.

All right.

State bird.

Where did I find that?

City bird?

What is it, first of all?

It looks like a swan to me.

No, that's a goose.

You got the biggest goose.

All right, now very nice.

Got an ornament ornament.

What did you get?

I got three geese flying out of a marsh.

So why are geese a symbol of East Providence?

Because they shit all over our parks.

All right.

Okay, next.

Ogerty.

Representative Fogarty.

What did you get?

Alpha.

And I'm wondering if you could return that to the Metacomet.

Where did I find it?

Where did I find it?

I thought you said Riverside, right?

Well, yeah, but that's a big place.

No, I found it down on the beach at the jetty.

So you probably hit it there, right?

There's no way it's getting that close.

Anna Sousa, what'd you get?

I got um poop bags.

Yes.

And the geese droppings around the city.

Merry Christmas.

Thank you, Nancy.

Thank you.

Sure, it's not April Fool's.

This is one time.

I'm glad I didn't get a gift.

Solicitor didn't get anything.

Next item, please.

Candy seal.

Andy, as you're approaching um one of the conversations we've had recently, I thought I'd mention tonight to bring it to light, and just to let any of your organization or any of us know.

Um looking through the comprehensive plan, and I know that's a document that you go through very thoroughly.

Uh there was an error that will be corrected.

Um it did list that it in the Metacomet property in that district that a hotel in hotel is allowed.

And I did confirm everyone is in agreement in the planning department, the mayor's office, that that that was an error, that there was another page in that same document that says it's not listed.

So this just happened to be one page that had the word hotel in with all the other approved things.

So just so it's clear for anybody who, if the question gets asked, um uh the hotel is not approved in in the metacomet district, the the other things are.

And this state is still going through the whole document, so they if they find other language issues, we'll certainly let you know.

And I'm I know as you'll let us know as well.

But I didn't mean to take up your time, but I wanted to um clarify that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Council President.

Candy Seal, 125 South Rowest Street.

I appreciate you looking into that so quickly for resolving it.

Um, as you and I discussed um by email, my message.

Um, anybody can pick up something like that and uh say, okay, let's run with it.

Yep, appreciate that very much.

And uh Nancy, I just wanted to say that um six years ago, June 2020.

The um or 21, I think, maybe five years ago, the metacomet uh proposal is before the planning board, and now five or six years later, Medicama is still green.

I don't know if we'll keep it that way, but I just wanted to point that out.

Thank you.

Uh but what I came to talk about, actually, and I'll make it quick.

Um, when I signed up for comments tonight, I thought I was going to be asking some questions, and thanks to Solicitor Marcello, I actually have some answers.

And I just want to share that with you and with the public.

Um as you know, counts uh council president um Rodericks and certainly councilwoman SUSA, there were several conditions that the Medacomet developer needed to meet um to satisfy the um the approval of the rezone and the amending of the comprehensive plan in 2021.

Um and I emailed Solicitor Marcello with a couple of questions.

I said the council's condition number two for rezone requires that the 9.6 acres to be given to the city, quote, shall be subdivided and conveyed as a condition to approval of any development plans for the property, end quote.

The waterfront commission approved the developer's plans with its own set of conditions on December 19, 2024.

And I asked, has this conveyance happened yet?

And what are your thoughts on the timing?

My second question had to do with condition six, which requires that the lower portion of the golf course area, quote, shall be used for the public golf course or for public green space.

The foregoing perpetual restriction shall be evidenced by an instrument recorded in the East Providence land evidence records and quote.

The revamped nine-hole course opened in June 2024.

Again, has this happened yet?

And if not, what are your thoughts on the timing?

Uh thank you, I said.

And I was very pleased to find when I sat down just a few minutes ago, an answer from Solicitor Marcello.

As promised, I looked into your issues related to the Medicomet development.

I spoke with their counsel today.

The deed for the land has not been recorded to the city as of yet, nor the instrument related to the golf course.

He assured me that he would be meeting with his clients this week and that the conditions would be met.

I reminded him that the zone change was contingent on them meeting all of the conditions.

I will keep you posted as to the progress.

I just want to share that with you, as I said, and with the public, so that we won't lose track of um housekeeping issues such as this.

Appreciate your time.

Thank you very much.

I thank you for that.

I have a question for the solicitor.

I'm a little perplexed and a little upset with the developer of that property right now.

In good faith, this should have been done.

Is this only a good faith issue, or is there something that we can do to make sure this happens?

Because we've lived up to our end of the bargain.

This council, minus me, because I couldn't vote on the liquor license, granted them a liquor license at the time.

That is you you agreed with me and the law, they didn't have a they didn't have a full, they didn't have the building upright.

It was a tent, and conditionally it was passed.

So the city has done everything that they did.

They ended up getting the building, and then they they meet the requirement for that liquor license.

But I don't like developers or anybody taking advantage of the city and the citizens of the city.

Is there anything that they can be done immediately to get them to do that deed that they were obligated to do?

So I don't the past, not this council, but obviously the past council in good faith did things.

You can agree with them or disagree with them, but when you're in business and you were and you make a compact or a contract, which is what happened here between the city and that developer, and one side didn't lean up to it.

I have a big problem with that.

So I don't think it's there's anything um nefarious of what they did.

No, no, I know you're not.

And I just want to make it clear that um they've been paying taxes on that land as well, as long as they own it.

So the city's not out of any money.

In fact, we actually got more money because they're paying taxes on the whole parcel that they current currently own as in as the assessed.

Um I I believe Ms.

Seal was correct, and I I don't know what exact timing, but it was contingent upon them getting a full development plan um approved by the um waterfront commission.

And I and I just thought that the full plan was done maybe last year, but I'm not I could be wrong on that.

But they assured me they would get the deed in the 19, 2024.

I don't know if that was the full plan or the full plan conditioned on their own conditions that they get state approval for the parkway alterations that they're proposing and a number of other things.

So I did talk to their lawyer today, and he he said he would be what will you would have to accept the deed.

So it'll be back before the council.

But I don't think there's anything that varies about it, and I think that they will come they will comply.

The uh golf course restriction, uh I did have a uh re conversation with again their attorney today.

Uh he told me that the actually he he believed that the ordinance itself has been recorded in the land evidence records that had that restriction in it.

And I said that I I the city wanted um uh basically uh a restriction within the deed itself.

So that's what they're a separate document in the land evidence record.

So I think there was just a little misunderstanding on on that part, but again, it's it's a it's clearly a condition of the um of the approval, and to the extent that they have a pull-up building permit, we would hold up the building permit until all those conditions were met.

So that's that's how we would enforce it.

But I don't think it's anything other than the golf course, there's been no other major activity at that site, as you know.

So they haven't had the they haven't come before us for any type of building permit.

But if they did, we would hold it up until such such time as those conditions were met.

Because that was a condition of the zone change.

And we can give the north part, correct?

Was it again?

How many the north part?

9.6 acres, it's it's like a corner.

I think it's like uh long forward street, correct?

Yes, exactly.

Yes, okay.

It's where the um the big um power lines are.

Yep.

Maybe we can put up some trees to put a buffer there.

So that's that is that is the she read exactly what I wrote her today.

So thank you again for your time.

Thank you.

Candy had the Android.

Can I gotta run to the bathroom?

I'm sorry, Heather.

That's it.

Okay, I don't want to be rude.

Oh, we need these welcome.

Thank you.

Hat the Android, um, keep Medicomic Green.

Um, so if you don't mind, can this I'd like to enter this into the public record, if you don't mind?

Um tonight I am also going to be talking about the 9.6 acres donated.

Um before the city accepts this property, I'd like to ask a few straightforward questions.

Will environmental testing, including arsenic?

Sorry.

Uh let's see, including arsenic soil sampling be completed before acceptance, not after.

And will acceptance be contingent on those results.

Has the city consulted with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management regarding known arsenic levels in this area?

Given the archaeological sensitivity of Metacomet, will there be review or a survey coordinated with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission before any ground disturbance?

And finally, what is the intended use of this parcel?

Now keep in mind that Rhode Island Energy has an easement with the whole thing of it for the towers.

So what are we going to be using that for?

And are we really going to accept contaminated land?

And also, I mean, it because it doesn't stop just because nobody did any soil samples or no samples are recorded for that land, doesn't mean that it's not there.

So you know, keep that in mind.

And thanks for your time.

Thank you, Hannah.

I'm sure all of those uh check marks will be will be checked.

They they pretty much have to be.

It's out of our hand, check that it's out of our hands, unfortunately, waterfront commission.

I think uh some other obligation by the operation yeah, before before any land is accepted by the city, we would clear all of that stuff.

This has come up with other parcels, the silver spring course, which never uh never happened, any changes there.

So um yes, before anything's deeded to us, clearly um we we would check all those both of those areas.

Not us, so not this.

I want to make overpromises.

So it was this was uh this was a deed.

This is part of the rest uh as you said, part of the approval.

Um there is an archaeological study that's ongoing.

We did talk about that today with their lawyer.

Um I I because of the snow was delayed a bit, they expect expected to get that close.

So it's not, but it's not that parcel.

So I mean, this the agreement that we had was that we would accept the parcel, that it'd be designated as open space.

It's not gonna be can be that that was my last answer that you asked about the use.

My understanding is it's just for open space, which is what people wanted.

We we're not going to put anything there that has an activity or I won't vote for a zone change to develop that.

We need to put a buffer there.

There was never any talk of developing that.

Right, it's open space.

Open space.

But we're good for anything.

Let's plant trees, create a nice buffer for the Fort Street folks.

The zone change is my right or wrong.

No, I mean not for the zone change.

That's only can only the council can change the zone, not the waterfront.

Well, again, that that land is going to be needed to the town city, not to the waterfront.

That portion.

That's what I'm saying.

But the rest of that's us.

Yeah, that's us.

That's all we can we have jurisdiction over.

Correct.

I just wanted to be clear.

Okay.

Next item.

Renee Ignacio.

This is quick tonight.

Um Renee Ignatio 15 Madeline Jive.

Um I wanted to hand you guys now that I know that this is a city contract.

I wanted to hand you the school bus stop on camera uh contract so that you guys can read what's going on.

Um what's in the contract, when it was supposed to be started, and everything.

And just so you all know, we're 122 days into the school year.

I took out all the snow days.

Um snow days and holidays and school vacation.

So the kids have been in school 122 days.

So you can see the contract.

It's definitely doesn't belong to the school.

That's it.

I don't know if anybody had any no, it's 18 pages.

I'm not gonna read it now, but I will go through it.

Sure.

Thank you.

Yep, no problem.

Any questions from anyone?

No.

Okay.

No, thank you, Renee.

Thank you, Renee.

Thank you for the information.

Appreciate it.

Just a simple question.

Yep.

And I'll f I'll follow up to make sure it does happen.

Thanks.

Next item.

Council members, number one update on consultant report and plans to address ongoing pedestrian crossing signal devices issues.

Councilwoman Souza.

Councilwoman.

Thank you.

Um I see Andrea's up at the podium, so thank you.

Good evening, members of the city council.

Uh Councilwoman Susa, thank you for bringing this up.

Um so the latest I have is that uh I spoke to our DPW director and superintendent of highway.

And we've received one price for the intersection of Warren at seventh.

Um we're waiting on two other pricings to come in to satisfy the procurement policy.

And once we have the low bid, we'll move forward with the install.

And uh I'll be seeing you Saturday at the community meeting.

So uh happy to take any questions that come out of that as well.

So for feel free to you know let me know.

Thank you.

So just um again, were we able to provide the council with that consultant's report?

Because I still haven't seen the results of the report.

So that information I from the last I checked with them, that information is still being finalized because we're waiting on some federal grants to come in.

I think it was the SMART grant program to be completed and then the updated scope.

Uh the scope had to be updated before we can share that.

So um, but I'll double check with our DPW director um to get the latest.

So just to be clear, the the can there was a consultant that was hired, correct?

So some of this predates me, so I'm sure I need to check with the DPW director to get some more specifics on the timeline, but um I will check with him and you know.

Okay.

It seems all right, and it has nothing to do with you, so I I just want to first say that to you because I know it can be frustrating trying to get things that predate you, but this these discussions had been had for months prior to you, starting with the city.

Um, and this topic has been going on for years um with this council and other councils, and when the city uh procures consultants for any variety of projects, uh I think it's really important, especially for council members who are actively trying to improve issues in the city and have to answer to the residents for these ongoing um concerns, not having those reports and having just a slideshow of what their recommendations are, though nice and helpful, doesn't give the same um meat that a report does.

And I'd like to, you know, have reports so that I can myself read it just similarly to the department heads that have access to it.

Um even so much so as to say, well, what was the scope that the city put out for that consultant?

What were we asking them?

Did they meet those markers that that the council or whomever has been discussing them at community meetings was looking for?

Um that type of information is important to me.

Um and I'm sure to others.

So if you know I'm still I'm still waiting on that report, and I it should it's out there, so I don't know who's holding on to it and why they're not sharing it, but it should be public record.

I will check on that, councilwoman, and feel free to email me those additional questions.

Sure.

Be happy to get that information to you.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Next item.

Number two, request for update on Crescent Park projects, bathroom, storage building, and event tent, Councilman Lawson.

Councilman.

So December 4th, I believe we passed the resolution and asking again, is the contract signed?

Are we moving forward and bathrooms on the water side?

Is there an actual plan that the public can view?

Hi, Councilman.

Thank you for asking the question.

Uh last council meeting, I shared that we were waiting on the mechanical drawings to be finalized for the building in the event tent.

Uh, those are now done, and New England construction is moving forward uh and finalizing the pricing.

Uh so the material should start to be purchased by the spring, and uh we're still on track for that spring start weather dependent.

So contract still not signed.

That specifically, I would defer to our DPW director and I'll ask him and get back to you.

Um, I would assume if she's still finalizing the price, no contract was signed yet, correct?

I don't want to misspeak.

Uh I'll double check with our DPW director.

And this is the fourth meeting.

I've asked, and the fourth time you said it's not.

I mean, I've been giving you updates.

No, you have absolutely, but this should have been done.

So thank you for the update.

I'll let the people know it's still not done yet.

Thank you.

Number three, Home Town Hero being an update, Councilman Lawson.

So three and four, if the council don't mind if I could combine, they kind of go together.

So um, you guys put me on the conservation commission and I do the veterans advisory.

Um there is a need for a static place for information.

So I reached out to the administration about we got a city website.

Um as you know, post an info on Facebook, it's not static.

It with if you don't see it that day, you may never see it.

Having specific places on the city website for info, specific what I'm asking is conservation commission and uh the veterans advisory commission.

Conservation, um we would love to host you know info for people to know where to go for a nice hike here in East Providence, where trailheads begin, where um Boydon Heights conservation area, stuff like that, just for public awareness that currently I can't even remember what they're using, but it's not a city resource to show.

Um and we do between Hunts Mills, Turner Reservoir, Boydon Heights and stuff.

We got we do have enough info to put and with the veterans.

Um the hometown harrow ban is ready, but the URL for the form is very clunky.

So I asked that can we put it on the website because it's easier to say, can you go to you know EPI uh East Province RI.gov.

Um and if there's any need for any other groups and stuff, it it makes sense to me being an IT to have that static place because social media, like I said, it it doesn't sit.

You know, if you don't see it one day, you may never see it.

So I did ask Andre, and I believe he does have a response to actually both questions.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

Appreciate you bringing this up.

Um, yeah, like I we spoke earlier.

Uh we are working on it, getting that uh website link in to East Province RI.gov under the community tab section.

Um raised a valid point.

If anyone that you know from the Veterans Advisory Council or the Commission want to send us any updates or content, because you know, absolutely.

I don't expect you guys to fill content.

Any content if you want to send it over uh to me or Andrea in the office, uh feel free to do so.

And so if you could let me know when the link for the hometown hero banner form is up, we could really start pushing it.

And I would love to work with you and Matt on a nice um PR campaign to get it out there.

Um and I think it'd be good for the city, but I think we do need it on the city website.

So I appreciate your help and thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

I can just uh ask a question.

Andrea, who would be working on the would it just be somebody in IT?

Is there somebody that's designated that maintains the city website and all of the information that goes on it?

So we have a website provider called Catalyst, and they are actually in the process of doing a website uh refresh.

Um so we submitted those pages to be added.

Um, and if you have any recommendations for the website, feel free to reach out to me and um we could try to get that done.

Um, and I know Carlos from IT um websites can be a process to add and information to um can be you know difficult to update uh on a website and the coding.

So we just want to give our website provider ample time to make any of those updates.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Number five, discussion of speeding and racing in ward one.

Council Vice President Rigo Thank you.

Um Madam Clerk, Mr.

President, uh this has been an ongoing issue.

First, it was you probably remember a couple of months ago where uh Mr.

Bob Good came in front of us and talked about Massasoit Avenue.

And now that the end of hopefully the horrendous winter we had is over.

It was I've been getting a lot of calls first about motorcycles, and it's just the newness again of it as far as race and uh you know they're not you know, they might not be racing, but the car issue is becoming uh extensive speeding on Packet Newport and Roger Williams Avenue this time is become an issue, and as we come in spring and people are out walking or kids are playing, it's a concern.

Um I reached out to Chief Reposer and the Chief, if you want to come forward and talk about the uh aspects of what the fine men and women of East Province Police are doing.

And I know he's got some good news too.

Something that I talked about three a couple, I mean, in January, excuse me, June of 2023, having our police cars have uh radar in them.

We were probably we're the only we were at the time, and we still are probably the only municipality, large municipality in the state that has uh that doesn't have the mounted radar.

So just as a warning to everybody, the police new cars coming, they're gonna have mounted radar.

So all you Facebook warriors start saying when the police are gonna be turning you uh gonna you know start pulling people over for radar.

I don't want to say it's a trap or anything like that.

It's about public safety.

And then speaking to the mayor the other day about them or today, he told me that you're getting your the radar systems in these cars are gonna be similar to the state police that can get you coming forward, backwards, sideways, every which way.

So you're getting the top of the line radar system in these cars.

Don't you want to turn that up?

So I don't want I don't want to share too many uh treats.

No, but just the one just a warning.

I I'm just letting it know that now all of a sudden our police cars are gonna the police are gonna be able to uh really enforce the speed and uh people have asked for it.

So sometimes some people regret what they asked for.

So just be prepared when you see those new police cars that they that there'll be numbers, there'll be the numbers will be in the cars and it will make for a safety safer city, and it's not it's not a money grab, it's a safety grab.

Sure.

I think you uh council voice president.

If I could just kind of uh touch touch on this because this is a common occurrence.

This is a complaint that's not uh uh new to uh my time as being chief.

It's been for uh the last several chiefs, probably the last dozen chiefs.

Uh the citizen see vehicle speeding, which they always everybody's always going double the speed limit.

Um because they they pers the way that they perceive speed is is much different than we do.

Uh so it's always one of the things that we try to go out there and take care of as part of our individual duties uh throughout the uh patrol officer shift.

Uh just uh for perspective, our officers responded to uh just over 37,000 phone uh calls for service last year.

So if you can imagine nine nine patrol officers, three shifts a day, 37,000 plus uh calls for service.

Um it's it's quite a bit.

Uh yes, we do have our traffic division.

Traffic division does get tied up with traffic accidents, which did come down uh over the last year, which is uh almost a 10% decrease, which is very helpful to the community uh as a whole for a various uh various reasons.

But um I I want to uh also explain that you know the the amount of of tickets that excuse me summons is that that go out um through our city is uh it's it's pretty astonishing.

If I told you 79,000 tickets were issued last year um for different motor vehicle offenses, I don't know if you'd believe me, but it's over 79,000 tickets.

Now that includes uh the camera tickets, uh the speed cams, uh red light cams, um, but it also a big portion of those are handwritten tickets that are officers are out there uh stopping vehicles for for uh you know various moving violations.

Uh yes, it is true we are we are getting a new uh fleet of uh vehicles that are well overdue.

Uh we do have some moving radar units in those.

Our traffic division does have moving radar in them.

Um usually our patrol officers, uh uh patrol vehicles did not, because of the amount of uh calls for service that we had, it wasn't really uh uh a fiscally sound uh endeavor that maybe uh the department wanted to go go after uh previously.

I wanted to kind of mix it up a little bit and see uh how this fleet of cars would respond.

So it um it's just not speed enforcement.

It's uh it's it's a lot of uh it could be used for investigator investigate investigatory uh reasons as well.

So um yes, we we will be out there.

We also uh receive some additional funding for uh some traffic safety grants uh for for through the state.

So you'll see more officers uh now that the weather is is uh broken uh out there enforcing more uh moving violations.

So uh it is one of the biggest concerns that I that we that we receive from from constituents and uh the folks in the city.

So we are we do take it seriously, um, and we will be out there, obviously.

Um people complain about the the speed, and you know, if we're not there right then and there when when the vehicle goes by at a high rate of speed, um, you know, we have to be in that general vicinity uh for obvious reasons, right?

So um I just hope that the the public understands that.

And we do have we do have places all throughout the city that we do take uh throughout the the the year where we say uh these are hot spots where we're getting constant um calls for service.

And I think we I've spoken to all uh the entire council on various revives regarding speeding and uh motor vehicle complaints, and we've addressed those throughout the uh throughout the last eight or nine months or so.

I want to thank you again and right away the patrol car as I know that you can't be everywhere at one time, and then when you get that call in somebody you got a call into dispatch saying somebody's going 60 miles an hour down Roger Williams Avenue.

Well, unless the patrol car's close by, they can't see to make a model of a car.

But your presence is more important than as people understand the knowing that the cars there and knowing that there's radar will help reduce it.

And and it's and I can see it already in my ward, as I said in the past, and now springtime people are out more and about and with the good weather, maybe their windows are open.

But uh you are in the neighborhood, and this was more I wanted you to get up here to talk about obviously the concerns in my ward, but everybody I could I can't speak for everybody here, but I think they'll agree that you're you know they have issues in their ward, and you just gave the outlay as to what your department's doing now and forever to try to control speed and in the city.

Thank you.

If I could just ask one question, um I happened to have uh a meeting um regarding again public safety and the streets and sidewalks, and so uh a question came up that I thought was very interesting that I didn't have an answer for, but I think perhaps you would chief, or maybe the DPW director.

When when the council or when the administration or when the public puts in these complaints or inquiries about different things um or concerns in the area, whether it's speeding or crosswalks or sidewalks or traffic lights, how does it how is it prioritized?

You know, say you get 10 in a day.

Um, how do you and then you know, 50 in a week?

How does the how does the chief of police or your traffic department prioritize what things need to be addressed?

Um and in what order?

So fortunately, uh most of them don't always come in in one uh post.

So we have nine posts throughout the city.

So ideally not all ten would come in like for you for your your area post seven.

So post seven wouldn't get 10 that day.

Hopefully we're we're they're spreading throughout the city.

Uh so those are distributed at our roll calls by at each beginning of each shift.

So those officers are responsible for at some point during their shift to go and uh conduct some type of traffic enforcement.

Does it happen every shift?

Yes, uh no, because officers do get tied up with other uh uh calls for service, but there is as far as uh prioritizing the um the the locations.

We do look at that statistics that involve uh motor vehicle crashes, uh uh constant parking complaints, issues with uh narrowed roads.

Um so we we do we do take a look at that.

That's distributed down to the traffic division, and they kind of uh disperse it amongst themselves.

Uh once we get that information back, sometimes we do traffic studies, we do speed studies.

I uh I think I've we've done a couple since since I've been chief, uh, which are very uh very detailed.

Um we get back to the to the constituents, make sure that they know like, hey, listen, we're yes, we are doing this, and this is all the data we received during this two-week period.

Uh so yeah, there's there are different different ways that we go about identifying uh what is the more important.

Now, I know everybody thinks that their street is the most important, um, but I I mean we have to look at at other things besides just a uh the verbal complaint uh from somebody.

We do look at at other other factors.

Other factors.

Okay, wonderful.

Thank you.

Appreciate that.

Any other questions for the chief on this?

Thank you, Chief.

Thank you, sir.

Appreciate it.

Thank you for being here.

Number six, ward two community meeting, March 21st, 2026 at 12 p.m.

located at City Hall.

Councilwoman Souza.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

So uh just a reminder to all of the ward two residents and uh certainly any resident in the city um is welcome to attend along with my uh fellow council members.

It is going to be held here at City Hall at 12 o'clock, um about an hour or two, um, depending on how the conversation goes um with the public.

Um we will be meeting um here in the council chambers um to discuss really a wide variety of things that are happening within the ward um within the city and anything that anybody wants to bring forward.

I'm looking for very productive civil conversation with good ideas and interactions from the residents in the community.

Good news, thank you.

Next item.

Number 11, public hearings ordinance for second or final passage for discussion and possible vote.

One in ordinance and amendment of chapter 19 of the revised ordinances of the city of East Providence, Rhode Island 1998 as amended entitled zoning.

The council of the city of East Providence amend section 19 485 in adding a new Article 11, Section 499 related to a portable inclusionary housing.

Thank you.

You want me to go first?

Um do you want to get a little summary first from Director Burns?

Uh just let us if you could do a brief summary on how we got to this point.

Sure, thank you to the members of the council here.

Um what this is about is consideration of the citywide inclusionary zoning zoning ordinance for the city.

What this would do is um it would require that any residential development of 10 units or more set aside 15 percent of their dwelling units as affordable units.

Uh with the what affordable means is basically per the definition of state law.

Um there'd be a density bonus where they'd have uh 1.5 units of mar extra market rate housing for every affordable unit that they have to provide.

And that's a condition of state law.

And state law basically says if a city um has an inclusionary zoning ordinance, it sets forth the parameters of what you can and can't do.

Um for example, the 15% is the minimum percentage you can do per state law.

Um currently the city only has a requirement like this in the waterfront district, um, which is 25%.

It was 10%.

State law changed to make it 25 for a while.

State law keeps changing, um, which is why it's 15 now.

So it's also one of the reasons we've been talking about this for years and haven't come forward with it yet is because every year the state law keeps changing on it, so we have to keep reacting to that.

Um what this would do is the waterfront would um abide by this new citywide standard.

Um there is an exception for um development in the waterfront district that are using TIFF financing through the city tax increment financing would have to have at least 20% affordable housing instead of just 15, since they are getting that benefit from the city.

Um the general benefits of inclusionary zoning is with every significant market rate development you have, some affordable units are in there.

So it's a way for the private sector to basically um have the burden uh I guess or the responsibility of having the affordable units in there instead of just the public sector.

Um like any land use policy, it's not without risk because um with any inclusionary zoning policy, there's a risk that um that it could dissentivize residential development in general at a time where we need it.

But one of the main reasons we're doing it now is because state law changed last year to say that even cities like us who have 10% of their housing unit citywide as affordable, um, are now subject to comprehensive permit applications unless they have an inclusionary zoning ordinance.

What a comprehensive permit application is it's an application where a developer has a certain amount of affordable housing, 25% of their units as affordable, and they don't have to comply with the community's basic land use regulations.

They don't have to comply with comprehensive plan zoning, so it's less control.

Um a lot of communities in the state are subject to that, especially the more uh wealthy or suburban ones.

Um East Providence has always been exempt from those types of applications, but the law changed last year to say that East Providence is no longer exempt unless we adopt inclusionary zoning.

Um the state doesn't say you must have inclusionary zoning, but it says if you don't, then you're subject to these comprehensive permits, which is something the city has never been uh has never been subject to.

Um this draft was originally come up with by uh our consultant Libra Libra planning, who we had for a while with a grant from Rhode Island Housing.

Um it was updated a few times by staff here.

This was referred to the um to the planning board uh on two occasions.

So the planning board on um let's see December 8th and January 12th.

Um voted in the affirmative to um say that the ordinance complies with the comprehensive plan and uh they recommended approval to the city council.

Uh same with the waterfront commission, because this changed their regulations.

This was referred to them, and they recommended twice that uh that the council adopt this.

Another change I should mention is that um currently the waterfront commission in their ordinance, they allow for a fee in lieu of the affordable units, and they allow off-site construction.

The fee in lieu is what Kettle, the developer of Kettle Point did.

Instead of providing the affordable units there, they paid roughly a million dollars to the city's uh affordable housing fund, and that was used to help finance the IV place development across the street here.

And so the current current ordinance before you does not include that.

It eliminates the option for the fee in lieu and off-site construction.

And one of the main reasons is that state law um it curtails the amount that you can charge a developer, and the amount is just way below what it would really cost for the city to uh to develop affordable housing.

And those numbers are actually spelled out by by Rhode Island Housing.

Um also just to have a level playing field with this where certain areas like the waterfront district don't become an area where developers pay out of the system or construct the affordable housing elsewhere.

The idea being to not segregate the affordable unit, so to speak, in certain areas of town versus other ones.

All right.

Thank you.

That's a good synopsis.

Uh Councilman Lawson.

So I strongly recommend we vote against this.

This is feel-good legislation that the unintended consequences outweigh the value.

So let me give you some of those consequences.

You tell a developer, you want to build this many, you got to have this many affordable, they're jacking up the market rate.

So you're not reducing overall rents.

They're just passing the buck on.

In turn, the more that they have to deal with red tape, developers are going to be like, I'm going someplace.

I don't have to.

How many of you have dealing with uh red tape dealing with boards and commission?

Um, lower land bids.

If somebody's trying to sell land, they're gonna say, I'd buy it, but I'm not giving you what you want because I got to deal with the affordable uh inclusionary zoning.

Um it stalls projects.

And then who determines who gets these affordable things?

Do we want this city administration?

You saw what happened with Julia.

Do you really want the city or a government entity controlling who gets two of the units in a 10-unit building?

To me, we need to build housing, but let's get rid of the affordable stuff.

Let's find the ways that entice developers to build, but in a smart way.

We got the Christine apartments.

The plan and folks just push through a commercial development that the attorney for them said um what it's zoned for is not economically feasible as options, and it can create an undue hardship.

And we overturned that.

It's telling us you need housing.

You have a housing development right there.

Why are you pushing commercial development at that place instead of housing?

This inclusionary zoning.

We're about to develop the waterfront and everything like that.

You really think they're gonna say, oh, yeah, um, we're not gonna jack up the market rate.

And then they get a bonus that if you don't, we'll let you build more housing.

You're hearing people saying, listen, can we talk about all this development in the city?

You got schools in riverside busting at the seams, and we're talking about closing one of them.

It just is nothing but feel-good legislation.

The state is pushing legislation that is taking away the power of local communities to control the charm and character.

Listen, we're growing.

We've added probably close to a couple thousand units since 2020.

The census had us at 48,000.

We're probably closer to 50 now.

I've asked the question: how big of a city do we want to get?

The affordable part.

You got to talk about wage stagnation.

It's just not demanding a developer has to build housing that's considered affordable.

And here's the other thing.

You're building million-dollar homes in Rumford, that's raising the uh average median income, which in turn is raising what's considered affordable.

So if 1500 is affordable now, we build more million dollar homes, 15 becomes 16 and up and up.

I just think the whole thing is we need a better view of how to deal with housing.

We need more workforce-style housing like Bullock's Point Village, like we had at Village Green.

We need single-family homes that parents can start out with their new families.

This does not do it.

All this does is create more red tape on top of red tape for developers.

And after a while, they get to the point, say, why do I want to deal with this?

So if we're serious about housing, we need to sit down, say what parts of the city are appropriate to add housing.

I've mentioned near shores.

I've mentioned other places.

But it seems that we just fly by night, whatever developer wants.

Yep, sure, go ahead and do it.

I just strongly encourage that this not happen because the effects uh there are reports, cities like Portland and stuff that there's numerous studies and reports that show that this does more to hinder new construction than it does to push more affordability housing.

So I I strongly recommend that by not passing this, we're not blocking any housing.

We're not.

We're still gonna push to have housing development.

And this isn't me being a NIMBY.

I was on the waterfront commission when we used the payment in lieu to finance Ivy Place when we did Sutton have apartments.

So this isn't about being a NIMBY.

This is about being able to control as a city our growth.

We do want housing, but it all doesn't have to be built in East Providence.

Where are the other communities?

We've always been at the top of affordable housing in the state of Rhode Island.

We've always been at or above 10%, maybe nine, nine five.

So we got Metacomet coming up.

That's gonna be what, 900 units.

We still got the copy and autos.

We still got the waterfront and stuff.

This is nothing but an extra burning on developers, and we want to work with developers.

We don't want to keep throwing red tape on top of them.

And the administration afterwards, who determines who's getting into these units?

Lotteries, you know, and then what happens if people let's let the uh there's a question.

That's a fair question.

These are private developers.

We don't this these buildings are uh would be controlled by the private developers.

I get that, but it's still an administrative burden on them.

The city would have no role whatsoever in indicating who gets the apartment.

But you add in more administrative burden on the development.

So now they gotta do social service, determine a person's income.

And what if that person gets a pay raise?

I'm just asking you that it's their responsibility to meet those requirements.

That's what I'm saying.

This is an undue burden that is I get your point, Mike.

Yes, the city's not gonna be determined.

But I just think this is too many unintended concept.

It's with a big heart.

We all want a place that somebody can afford to live, but we're not building that in these problems.

We're building subsidized housing with wrap-around social services.

We're building million dollar homes.

We're building Christine apartments, they're like 2200 a month, if not more.

We need to have a very, very intelligent plan on development in this.

You're talking about putting eight apartment buildings on the old hand property.

And you know, it's this is again the unintended consequence.

I get it.

We want to make sure people can afford this doesn't do it because all you're doing is passing the burden on to developers who are gonna pass it on to the people looking for housing, just like a tariff.

Yeah.

So just that those are my points.

Yep, just to um counterpoint a couple of things, because as of now, I I think there are benefits to this.

Um I'm not as worried about developers as I am about people finding affordable housing.

Now that's the magic term.

What is affordable housing?

There are terms out there, there are limits.

And this isn't forcing developments specifically in any location.

Um, I I think that there are things you're saying that I are good, but don't apply to this.

You mentioned like that that land near shores in Riverside.

Yeah, that that could be something where it could put up a few homes or maybe uh um over 55 community that that can still happen.

Right, but what if we tell the developer you have to have so many units affordable in this, and they say, right, I don't want to deal with that, and they walk away.

Well, then if the developer, I'm like I said earlier, I'm not worried about the developer as much as I am about people finding.

I mean, the but if we're not building because we're making it so onerous for developers gonna be no place for people.

The number one issue nationally, statewide, and I think it filters locally is housing.

Yeah.

I mean, I hear from everybody.

The calls I get, they can't afford rents, they can't afford the mortgage, can't afford to buy a house.

Great.

Um, if I were to lose my house and I have to try to find an apartment, all the rents I know are more than my mortgage.

I don't know where I would go.

Um, so there's an obligation, I think, to try to.

I like to call this this is a measured approach, it's a balance.

Um, we're requiring uh some of the developers, it's true, they don't like this because they want to get market rate for everything.

Well, you need a balance, market rate, affordable housing.

This does limit uh some of that.

So I I and we're not over a couple of things that that you mentioned, like I say, I agree with some and I don't with others.

We're not talking about closing a school in Riverside.

That the old the Meadowcrest building on Bot Drive had a preschool program.

That's just being moved to the new Martin edition.

Right.

That's not like a whole school being closed.

Now the school department's going to have a hearing to determine what to do with that building.

So that's fine.

You know, they may shift some of the kids over.

As long as there's a school, I'm fine with that.

Right, right.

But I don't want people to think that there's a proposal out there to close a school.

That's with students in it.

Well, if they're, you know, people have a lot of uh opinions on things.

So I like to stick to the fact from people that it's not just opinion.

Well, uh I don't, I don't know.

All I know is that there's one school, Waddington.

You've got the Metal Crest building, which has a preschool program, which is being moved to a better facility, a brand new facility at the new Martin.

So there's a whole building there that'll be empty that can be used.

And it stays used.

And hopefully I agree with you.

He doesn't want to pay to upgrade it.

I I agree with you that that should stay for school purposes, at least for the foreseeable future.

Um, the housing thing at the Crescent Park old them, you know, that's going to be determined.

That's another conversation.

Right.

It's another conversation.

So all along the way, our professional staff, the planners, others are recommending this based on a study financed by the state of Rhode Island.

Right.

You got people making these laws.

Their day job is as a lawyer for developers.

But I see us, this is causing developers to contribute back.

Some they some may not like it, but the detrimental of what I just said.

Do we really want to start putting up more red tape for people?

We need to build house.

Take away the word affordable.

The only thing that makes it affordable is how much is charged.

If if you say the developers, we have a parcel of land somewhere, X parcel of land, and we just want houses there, and please make them affordable.

What do you think they're gonna do?

They're gonna get as much as they can get for those houses, and they're selling.

Yeah, they're gonna get five, six, seven, eight hundred thousand dollars.

We can't control that.

And then if this is a form of trying to control and have a balance a little bit, they're gonna still get their expensive housing, and people are gonna buy them.

You know, the there's house on my street gone in two days.

I agree.

I mean, they they will buy the houses.

We're trying, I think with this to achieve a balance.

But if you take away the restrictions and let people build, we keep hearing it's a market-driven.

When supply outweighs demand, prices come down.

So why are we putting this on it?

Let's just work with developers, get rid of the red tape, and let them build, and then let the market determine.

This, you're doing it the argument, government influence.

You you want the government controlling what they do.

Uh as the as the council president noted, I agree with some of the things you say that you said, excuse me.

And there's some issues that I don't agree with.

And one note that Keith brought up that if we don't act on anything like this, we lose control.

You talk about the state by us not having something like this in place, we lose total control.

It's totally up to the state.

So is it the best?

No, but you're preaching about state, state.

We're just we're just gonna hand it over to them.

Now, I have friends that are developers down in South County who are thinking about moving up here, and like you talked about supply and demand, and and in my and and I talked to them in my business and every business, you talk about your target audience.

These two separate developers separately said what we what East Providence needs are the East Bay per se, but especially East Providence, and we've talked about this.

Is the smaller if you want to call you know, for people to downsize and move up, starter houses or downsizes.

What this does, it helps them because now with the help of obviously the city of zoning, he can put he showed me a piece of property in he showed me a piece of property in a map and just said, hey, I can put 15 houses here of that of 700, 800 square feet.

I can make them two and three bedrooms, and he has to build one at the sell one at this rate.

This encourages that type of development versus what you talked about to Christine and uh building, you know, the ones behind up in ward one behind Cumberland Farms and Capianado.

This will actually spur that type of development that we're talking about, you know, single family or the townhouses, like you saw where the old B was or where the Knights of Columbus.

I'm just referring to things in my ward, but you see them the townhouses up where the old Knights of Columbus is.

This is what these smart developers are doing, and they're looking and they're saying your city, Barrington, everywhere like that.

We've exhausted the one in two bedroom apartments like that, because your target audience, there's only X amount of people.

So the new is you know, new the new what they're targeting, the target audience would be the downsizes when there's no more kids living in a house, or the starter, the starter upper when you got you know, family just got married, has one kid, maybe two kids to two or three bedrooms.

So this is a valuable piece of legislation or an ordinance that will hopefully help that.

And again, it's not perfect.

So that is why I'm putting my support for this, because I think this will help us get to where we need to be on that type of housing.

So can I just ask a question through the chair?

Yeah, let's have someone else.

Um, so in the previous ordinance, it spoke to single family dwellings and then multifamily.

In the new language, it just speaks to um development of 10 or more dwelling units.

Now, when I read that, I'm thinking of a structure that has 10 or more dwelling units within that structure.

Is this saying that it could be 10 individual homes or 10 units within a building that are also either or so the the language and Keith can correct me if I'm wrong, but the language of unit is a housing unit.

So uh a housing unit could be one home or it could be uh an apartment building with 10 individual housing units.

So if you have a development of parcel of land in your building, 11 houses, you'd have to comply with this because it's 10 and 10 dwellings.

So the regular houses, their price will go up to accommodate the loss of revenue for the two affordable that that may be yeah.

I mean that's that's the unintended consequence.

Well, I mean, that that I mean, listen.

So I just want to, and I think Councilman Rigo, I just want to understand, and Keith can correct me if I'm wrong because I'm dealing with this in another community.

The um you called comprehensive permit, the comprehensive um rental permit.

Yeah, the comprehensive permit has undergone a tremendous amount of change in in Rhode Island law in the last three years, and as it stands now, and again, East Province has always been exempt from those type of developments because we were at the 10%.

But now they changed the law, and they said, unless you have Keith said, unless you have this type of inclusionary zoning, a developer can come in and have a comprehensive permit uh development.

What that means is that developer gets to ignore the underlying zone.

What's so you can put houses in an industrial zone, you can put houses in different zones throughout the city.

Councilman not arguing with you.

I'm just telling you what the law is.

But and then you also get a density bonus for those comprehensive community, which is you know more dense.

So again, you you are not required to adopt this, but there are consequences as the planning department and as Keith Keith, if you don't, and and again, there's risk with everything.

I I would caution the council that these zoning ordinances are not written in stone.

If three or five years from now we find out the developers are fleeing East Province because of these this requirement, then maybe you you you you tweak it.

But right now, um the I think the un I think the goal of this from the planning department, and uh and I hope you all read the planning department report is to uh to make sure that affordable housing, which is defined by state law, and I just want to give you the definition of that.

So you you said it um 30% of AM.

Yeah, so an affordable in the case of a dwelling unit for sale, housing that is affordable means housing in which principal interest taxes, which may be adjusted by state and local programs for property tax relief and insurance constitute no more than 30% of the gross household income for a household with less than 120% of area median income adjusted for family size.

So that's in the law, and that's that's a definition of affordable.

So it's not something that we make up.

We have to comply with law.

Um I think I lost my train of thought, but uh my point being that if three five years from now we find out that developers don't come to this East Province because of this requirement, you can always change change it.

And it may be we don't want a lost opportunity to have that this is just bad.

Yeah, not yes, ma'am, it is a public year.

So yes, comfort and what are the metrics to determine if it's working?

Keith, what are the metrics to determine if this is working?

There are not specific metrics, but it's you know, just monitoring the housing market in the city.

Just guessing it may work.

So that was my other question too.

So if and when uh developer comes in and this is implemented, who's overseeing that they're actually following the requirements that uh within the 15 that were built units that there are documented and we have.

I mean, I know the state is requiring landlords to submit um information regarding tenants, but is that all being brought given to the city so that we can go against our char our our legislator to make sure that they're in compliance?

Who's following up?

Because I know the follow-up is really something that's you know, not happening in a lot of areas.

So it is it is not the city in those cases.

There are um firms or organizations out there who are tasked with monitoring these, but developers are required to have a monitor.

I'm not sure if that's the proper term they use, but a monitor who compliance monitor who uh who checks up on this information.

Okay, so there's a third party that does that, right?

And then as the director of planning do and this is a city ordinance, so this is our regulations.

Would it not be your department that would be titled with somebody so we would uh again get that information from that third party to make sure that they're in compliance?

I'll let Keith ask ask that, but there would be deed restrictions on these properties for the affordability part part of it that would run run with the land so that anyone would be on would be on notice that so many of these buildings have to be affordable and whatnot.

So there would be restrictions that the city would require.

Um, and then obviously because we had those deed restrictions and other type of restrictions, there would be a a pro at least a process to monitoring it from either from the developer side or by a third party.

But obviously, because uh you know, we want to make sure that we're getting the tax revenue from these buildings as well, based upon the affordability, right?

So some of them are market rate, some of them are not.

And if you're rate renting out to all market rate, then you're you're violating the the covenant, the approval process, and that would fall to planning.

Um, because who's monitoring it?

So when when a house is purchased and the deed is recorded at the city clerks, is that gonna trigger are we expecting the city clerk's office to be red flagging that this was supposed to be a deed restricted and is like much like like across the street.

Yeah, we like we we we have to like there's a there's a 99.

That's a good it's a fair it's a fair question.

I think uh I think it's probably a little bit of the city that's one of the things that I think is lacking in government is somebody being accountable for all of the things that are being implemented, you know, who's the watchdog?

Because that's why there's a lot of you know, room, you know, there's a lot of conversation in the community and distrust is because who we're doing all these things in good faith, and then who's monitoring who's the watchdog to make sure that these things are actually being taken care of and held the right way, not just for today, tomorrow, but 10 years from now.

So when a family moves in and then they move out because they've outgrown their space, is that new buyer who's right?

It would be based upon the sale price, that's how we monitor it as well.

That gets recorded, that's you get taxed on that.

So there is a there is a process.

I'm not totally familiar with the process of monitoring, but there is a process to monitoring because there are incentives.

The developer got incentives to build these for a once that developers sells that house for the first time, he no longer is titled to that's why it's it's a deed restricted property.

So it would say that you know we we obviously when you sell a house, we would know what the sale price is, and we'd be able to compare as what the what the affordable level was at this point, uh, is compared to when the house was sold.

So obviously that number you know increases as people's wages increase, but yes, that would that would the sale price alone would trigger a review by this by the city.

Yeah, it's automatic in that in the original deed.

So that's recorded, and owner number two comes in when the title insurance when the title underwriter does that work does that work, that's gonna trigger it off to the real estate agent.

So whatever the rate is at the time, I'm just it's if it goes to 700,000 20 years from now, they're under that deed restriction because it's gonna be written.

It's gonna be the bank wouldn't write it.

Oh bank would not underwrite it because it would have to be the single family dwellings.

What about apartments?

Who's monitoring to make sure they're maintaining the affordable units?

Um that work for the owners of the building.

Oh, you can't you can't speak until you it's a public here.

We'll bring you up and we'll have to do it.

Yeah, why don't you no?

We absolutely want to hear you.

Yeah, go ahead.

Go up right now.

Yeah, I mean was the question answered though.

I know it was uh never mind.

Go ahead.

You're not done yet.

So just uh name and address for the record.

Um, Billy Jean LaRoach, um, 102 Evergreen Drive, East Providence, Rhode Island.

Um so the the properties that we already have established in East Province, such as Evergreen, which is a very large property.

We have Wampanoag, Kent, um Bullocks Point has some.

Um, there is um, for instance, there's a nurse that lives there, she pays market rent, but the property manager takes care of those are done by a property manager.

There's a recertification process every year.

So if the income changes, if the family composition changes, um the paperwork's done yearly with HUD, Rhode Island housing to reassess the rents and such and such.

It's more red tape.

Yeah.

Um Bullock's point, they're putting in, they're making that, like they're putting in pools and stuff like that.

So I I was actually a little bit concerned with Bullock's point.

I because I didn't know if the small percentage of a subsidized housing is called subsidized housing, it's a third of your income.

Yep, whatever that is.

Um, so there's only a few of them because most of it is market rent.

The market or so.

With our family, when my dad came home from the Marines, we were in Bullocks Point Village.

That was work plus housing, work affordable.

Yep.

And then the affordable dirty years ran out and then went to market rate.

Really?

Yeah.

While you were living there, no, no, no, no, no.

This was years ago.

But that's the type of housing that workforce housing that um townhouse side by east, two bedroom.

Yeah, that's what we need.

Nickel and diamond, a couple units here, a couple there.

It's not the answer.

I know Rick, but the problem is we can't make developers do substance.

You can't, but putting more burden on them is gonna make them say, Do I even want to deal with that?

I understand that.

The previous the where it's actually lowering the percentage rate.

Any percentage is still a burden and onerous, you know.

On the developer, they have to figure out how they're gonna do it to make it work.

And the by jacking up the rents of the other units, the people who can afford it.

Well, we're not which isn't townies.

I'd rather know.

So who we building for?

Right.

But we're talking about wanting people to downsize housing, would be for townies.

Yeah, and others can afford market rate.

Yeah, but when it's city and sounds like he's got his vote, so let's this is state law.

This again, it's it's state law.

I mean, it the state is dictating this.

We're not gonna be, it's not just East Providence.

If if we don't act on this, every city in town in the 39 cities and towns are under the same issues that we're facing as far as housing and everything.

And if no, no, we're actually building, they're not some are and some aren't.

I mean, go to war.

Uh so I'll take you to lunch in Warwick someday and I'll show you everything that's going on down there too.

But the point of the matter is we don't do this.

We're just you you what you're concerned about those places in Riverside, and you ultimately do.

If we if we don't pass this and have this on the books for the city of East Providence, they can build as Keith said and Mike said that they can go down there and build 800 units, and there's not much that can be said and done.

We need this as a contributor.

We can do it with this because they get a bonus for density.

But that's what we'll lose total control.

I mean, I I mean, just so yeah, you're on the uh councilman Fogerty.

I wrote down that increased affordable housing supply.

It does add inventory to the deed restricted number one, and number two, it provides the housing for diverse income levels, and I'm happy with that.

You know, it would it's risk factors involved, of course, Rick.

You know, that's why I will support it.

And and the other thing, like councilman, you said he has his votes.

I you don't mean me, me.

I mean the votes are there.

Okay, I mean the votes.

Yeah, I'm not it's open discussion.

We've been talking nonstop.

No, I hear you.

Okay.

The votes are there, so just let's quit.

Well, I mean, it it gives that way, but so let's go.

Did you want to add anything else?

Um, Billy G.

I mean, the ones that we already have in East Providence are wonderful.

I know the people are very, very thankful to be able to afford to live in East Providence.

East Providence is a beautiful city.

Very clean.

I mean, the government, we just have a really good government.

Very thankful.

Right.

Um, I hope that they do keep Bullock's point.

The there's a lot of like market rents there that people just pay whatever the market rent is.

Yeah, because they lost the affordable restriction.

There's only several that are HUD, like in HUD, what happens is the folks that are subsidized, they pay a 30 30% of their income, and then HUD Rhode Island pays the rest.

So it's still 990, whatever the market rent is, but HUD is paying the rent for those folks.

You make a great point.

We should be focusing more on housing vouchers than garbage like this.

But you can also be displaced with like you said, with the private landlords, they don't want to be dealing with that red tape.

So they will raise the rent to get out of that bracket, and folks can become displaced, which is a very terrifying thought.

But there's also there's also property owners that like the guarantee that the government money's gonna be.

Um there's every I agree inspection every year.

So you know, there's there are controls.

Uh councilwoman, you wanted to I I just wanted to say to uh to uh councilman Lawson.

Um, just like anything else that we do up here and anything that we pass or have really good discussions about, these things are not permanent, right?

They're all two meetings away from a change.

And there this council, uh the previous council has had multiple legislations that have come before us that we have tweaked probably four or five times to get it right.

And I think these this piece of legislation is one of those that we've had our hands tied, much like a lot of other municipalities throughout the state, because the state is doing their thing with their agenda, and we have to just counteract to do what we can in the immediate, um, and then work with our resources, um, our you know, city officials, and try to come up with what's going to work best for our city moving forward.

So I think this is just a starting point, or I'd like to think of it as a starting point, and then we'll work to improve it um throughout the year so that it gets to where we need it to be so that everybody can live here who wants to live here, who currently lives here and doesn't have to move out.

Good point.

Um anyone else here?

This is a public hearing that what wants to come forward and and speak on this specifically.

Okay, thank you, Billy Jean.

Uh hearing none, I'll close the public hearing.

Uh final comments by council.

No Keith, you want to wrap up anything that you heard recently that you want to counter or nothing additional really okay.

I I would add we we did have uh I forget the date, it was maybe a year or so ago.

We did have the public hearing here where we had tables on the floor and a couple of things.

I was sick that night.

I couldn't make it okay.

We did have some some of the public that came that night.

I think there's been at least another discussion during a council meeting.

Uh yeah, the workshop, right?

Um I think we're we're ready.

Um, if there's no other comments, is there a motion?

Motion uh close the public hearing.

Motion yeah, I close the public hearing and just second that.

Okay, so hearing is closed.

Is there a motion on the uh on on the ordinance?

I make a motion to uh accept the ordinance.

Okay, motion by council vice president to accept as submitted.

Uh is there a second?

I'll second it.

Second by councilman Fogerty.

And just to keep the record clear, madam clerk, why don't you just call the role of the council?

Councilman Fogerty.

I councilman Lawson.

Nay.

Council Vice President Riga.

Aye, Councilwoman Souza.

Council President Rodericks.

Aye.

So the motion passes four to one.

Thank you all for the discussion.

Next item.

New business, mayor communications, director of policy and constituent services, Andre Herrera.

Thank you, madam clerk.

All right, Andre Herrera, Director of Policy and Constituent Services.

Appointment, reappointment requiring council confirmation, none.

And appointment reappointment not requiring council confirmation.

None.

And we have some items for announcement and for discussion.

Proclamation honoring Detective Corporal Kevin Feeney upon his retirement after 37 years of dedicated service to the East Providence Police Department.

And let me know, counselors, if you want me to.

Can you read that?

Because the Feeney's Kevin, his brother Paul, son Ryan, and uh Colin, they're all dedicated East Providence cops.

So could you please read proclamation for the Feeney?

Detective Corporal Kevin Feeney, whereas Detective Kevin Feeney began his career with the East Providence Police Department on December 4th, 1989, and whereas Detective Feeney first worked in the patrol division following his graduation from the municipal police academy, and whereas Detective Feeney's proactive approach to policing as a patrol officer quickly garnered the respect of his fellow officers and the community he served.

And whereas Detective Feeney is a lifelong townie having strong ties to the community, which often helped him resolve issues, gain compliance, and solve countless criminal matters, including some of the city's few homicide investigations.

And whereas Detective Feeney's hard work and dedication to the city of East Providence and its police force would lead to a promotion to the traffic division and motor unit in 1996.

And whereas Detective Feeney was again promoted in January of 2006 to Detective Corporal and assigned to the Major Crimes Division, where his deep ties to the East Providence community proved beneficial in his duties as detective.

And whereas Detective Feeney was temporarily assigned to the Vice / Narcotics Division in June of 2014 to assist the city following a sharp increase in drug overdoses throughout the community.

Again, his extensive knowledge of the community played an integral role in this unit.

And whereas Detective Feeney assisted in numerous complex narcotics investigations and was part of several regional and federal task forces and his talents assisted the division in increasing its technology and maintaining the surveillance equipment.

And whereas Detective Feeney dedicated dedication to the department is unparalleled, as he was an original member of the special reaction team, and he is a longtime firearms instructor and dedicated union board leader.

And whereas on the outside, it appeared that his job as a police officer was the most important aspect of his life, but what meant most to him was being a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend to countless people.

And whereas Detective Feeney's service will be sorely missed by the department and the East Providence community, we wish him nothing but the best in this next chapter of his journey.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And we have another Feel Good proclamation honoring Stuart Stu Morin as the 2026 St.

Patrick's Day celebration honoree for his kindness, community spirit, and joyful Irish American presence in East Providence.

Happy St.

Patrick's Day.

And a reminder to submit nominations for remarkable women, because our deadline is March 23rd.

And our event will be April 21st before the council meeting.

Andre, who's received?

I put in one, but I haven't heard back anything that it was received, that we agree.

A confirmation.

Yeah.

I will uh check with our office, but most likely if you sent it to the right address, we have received it.

But we'll I filled out the form.

It was on uh things the city website.

Yeah, I think we get that gets sent to our inbox, so I will uh have a member of our team uh follow up with you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And next we have a proclamation honoring April as autism awareness month in the city of East Providence.

Could you read this for the families and those on the spectrum?

Thank you.

Of course.

Whereas autism spectrum disorder, ASD is a neurological disorder that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.

And whereas ASD is commonly diagnosed in toddlers and children, however, ASD can be diagnosed at any age.

And whereas doctors continue to study the manifestation of ASD in the lives of adults who were not diagnosed as children and how that presents differently for them.

And whereas a diagnosis of ASD now includes several disorders that used to be diagnosed separately, which include autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified P D D NOS and Asperger syndrome.

Whereas ASD affects one in 31 children in the United States, a staggering increase from the 1980s when the disorder was found in only one to four out of every 10,000 individuals.

And whereas ASD is reported to occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, and whereas ASD is four times more diagnosed in men than women due to many signs and symptoms of ASD presenting differently in women compared to men.

And whereas diagnosis usually occurs during childhood.

However, some people are not diagnosed until they are adolescents or adults, which means that people with ASD might not get the early help they need.

And whereas early intervention services help children learn important developmental skills using different therapies to help the child talk, walk, interact with others, communicate and control behaviors, including physical aggression and self-injury behavior.

And whereas East Providence strives to promote autism awareness, acceptance, inclusion, and self-determination for all, and ensure that each person with ASD is provided an opportunity to achieve the highest possible quality of life.

And whereas everyone in East Providence is encouraged to learn more about the lives of those on the autism spectrum and continue to raise awareness and acceptance for children and adults who are on the autism spectrum.

Thank you.

And next, uh, we as a city are proud to support the Blue Wave Bond for Coastal Preparedness, House Bill H8151, which is up for consideration tonight.

And we hope you consider it.

Thank you.

Thank you, members of the city council.

Thank you.

Sergeant, if you no, no, we're saying um if you want to take care of that item now, you can we had talked about before.

Yeah, I know he has an appointment.

Okay, could you continue the agenda?

C report of school committee liaison counters.

Councilman.

All right.

Uh so I attended the school committee meeting last week.

And uh two things I wanted to bring to your attention.

One is they voted to rename the current old him back to Meadowcrest.

Um, as we mentioned earlier, the two names, it was confusing.

Um Bullocks Point Av, when the budget commission came, they recommended we closed that building move and uh we utilized Meadowcrest for it was uh special needs uh for a while, and then we put a pre-K.

Um when they move when they close the former old hymn, the name went with it at Title I, whatever funding, whatever.

No need for that anymore.

So the school committee voted to put the name back to Meadowcrest diet next school year.

There is one more school year for the pre-K to be in the building.

Uh, it sounds like Bob knows better than me.

Um the pre-K build is on track.

Um, finances are good when not going over budget, um, no supply issues.

So the plan is when the pre-K is built at Martin, that those kids uh leave what is now Meadowcrest school, and then we're gonna have a discussion on the disposition of what to do.

That is what the community meeting.

When you see a community meeting for old him, they are talking about the school on bar F and not the one on Bullock's point, um, where the mayor proposed eight apartment buildings.

This is separate.

So I'm thankful they changed the name because it takes a lot of explaining to people.

You have the date for that special community meeting.

I want to say March 26th.

No, they changed it because of the storm.

It got April.

So this Thursday.

Okay.

For some reason, I'm thinking 26th.

Yeah, the 19th.

Okay.

I'm pretty sure it's at Riverside Middle School, 6 o'clock.

And anybody interested in that wants to have a say in what to do with the building, and I will say the reason I'm talking is right had indicated that they didn't want to put any money into the building.

And like any other building, it does need some work.

So we're going to listen to the assessment of what the building needs, the cost to keep it up.

I'm going to be fighting to keep two elementary schools down in Riverside.

You can technically tell me Silver Spring is Riverside because it's right on the border, but I think it's important that we have two down in Riverside.

And the other thing I want to bring up, and this is just uh maybe start discussion.

Maybe Andre can carry it.

Um they were talking one of their sanders busted during the snowstorm.

And luckily the kids weren't in school, so it's not like they had to get the ice off the sidewalks right away.

But they were talking about, well, how are we gonna finance?

We gotta replace the sander.

So I think it's pertinent that the city works school side city side to talk about the snow that we had, how we dealt with it.

The work is a great, but I'm talking more specific, the equipment.

And I would love to see if there's any equipment needed.

We do it as a city rather than two separate things because there may be cost savings.

I would prefer that we finance the equipment on the city side so that way we're not cutting teacher positions.

Come next budget because we're spending money on snow removal equipment for the school department.

Um so Andre, I just want to put this out there that maybe you could talk to Dan and uh Sandy Ferrand and see if we could come up with a list.

I mean, a couple of the trucks got bogged down, but that was heavy snow.

But if things like Sanders and stuff like that, um because they were saying I guess the sand is like 7800 bucks or more.

So if we could just see if there's a way for the city as a whole to look at our whole snow removal, thank God years past have been mild, so it hasn't been an issue.

This storm kind of kicked us.

So just like insurance, the more prepared, the better you are.

We may never need it, and hopefully we never do have another three feet.

What I'm off topic?

About what snow.

I'm talking about the school need in Sanders and us in the city equipment.

Yeah.

So I just want to put it out there that I think it would be pro a good practice if we assess the whole thing as a city, because the city and school staff work together.

Yeah, and it was awesome.

So that's it.

I just want to say I think that's one area.

I know people don't want to talk all consolidation schools, but when it comes to buying equipment for snow removal, you know, they may even be savings if we have to buy something bulk.

And they did work together.

Um, I just wanted to bring it up now before we start doing budgets for snow removal equipment.

Next item.

Thank you, Councilman.

D resolution for discussion and possible vote.

One resolution of East Providence City Council supporting House Bill H 8151.

The blue wave bond for coastal preparedness introduced by Council President Rodericks.

So this is the feel good uh resolution, if you will.

This is not a budgetary thing uh for the city.

Uh, I'm not gonna read the resolution.

It isn't a in our packet.

It's there's a house bill in that is seeking to protect uh shorelines and coastal conditions or along the lines of uh erosion and possibly there'd be a state bond issue.

Uh so our legislators are supporting this.

Uh I move passage motion by councilman Fogarty to approve.

Is there a second?

Second, second councilwoman sousa.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

The ayes have it.

Thank you.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

Yeah, not yet.

Oh, sorry, you're gonna I just like to acknowledge Andrea, Andy, and uh Kathy Hollyhan and the whole clerk's office.

It was a very, very well presented presentation for St.

Patrick's Day.

Had a great time.

It was a full house.

I appreciate all the efforts that you ladies, gentlemen, do in that office.

Went very well.

Thank you very much.

Well, I hope the camera zoomed in on my Irish vest that I pulled out of the closet.

Um thank you, councilman, for that.

You have your corn beef lasagna.

No, yeah, I'm I'm getting getting ready to do that now.

Motion to motion to adjourn by councilman Rigo, seconded by Councilman Fogerty.

All in favor.

Aye.