The East Providence City Council held a special meeting on July 28, 2026, at 6:00 PM to expedite several capital projects and address routine business. The meeting began with a tribute to the late Dr. Izzy Ramers, a longtime community figure. The council approved a special event license, accepted a zoning board resignation, appointed a new member, and voted on three resolutions for community center parking lot paving, police vehicle purchases, and improvements to Pierce Memorial Stadium.
Sure. Good evening. Call the meeting of July twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-six uh to order. Um the solicitor, could you just call a role of a council? Uh Councilman Fogerty? Yeah. Council Vice President Rego. Yeah. Council President Roderick. Here. So the record we reflect that Councilman Lawson and Council Woman Susan are absent tonight. And there is is a quorum, so we'll continue with the meeting. So long time resident teacher, school administrator, school committee member, city council member, board of elections member, ambassador to Cape Verde, and a visit once to China. I mean, you name it, he's done it, but more than any of that, he's been a friend to thousands in his provenance, former students. If you read the tributes that are coming in on social media from former students, forget, take the politics out of it. But if you listen to the former students that have talked about how if it wasn't for uh Dr. Ramers, that they may not have stayed in school or they'd be in jail or be in trouble, or he he really meant a lot to a lot of people. So we'll do a little more of a formal presentation on August 11th. This was uh special meeting. Um did any of you want to add anything to that? Or great guy. He's a legend. I remember the first time I met him. It was at your parents' house. I was five years old. Senator Pell was coming in to the open house for Senator Pell. Uh vividly remembered him because he was the shot, he came in all shop dressed, he had the white suit on, and yeah, he was a big supporter of Senator Pell, as our families were back in the day. He was a classic, and and so close that uh my two kids who are not kids anymore, they're what in their 40s, they're adults. Uh they still call him Uncle Izzy. So, Uncle Izzy, uh, we miss you. For anyone watching this, uh, there will be uh awake service. It'll be on Monday coming up. Uh so if you are watching this, you'll have time to plan uh Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Perry Mixed Day on Pa Tucket Avenue and with a Tuesday morning mass at 10 a.m. at the St. Francis Church. But there'll be more about that later. So today's this is just a special meeting. Uh and as the community has been asking us to fast forward projects and let's get things done, like um Preston Park work, community center. Um, so in speaking with uh staff and planners and Dominic Leonardo is here today. If there are any questions, uh they are ready with some bids, and we want to get going. So rather than wait another couple of weeks, or thank you, ma'am. We started a little bit early. We started on time. You weren't informed. Well, I'm just trying to be diplomatic, you know. Give her a break. I don't want any open meetings by listening. No, the deputy clerk would it would never be late.