Yeah, I'll have to check with the computer.

Yeah, is it six weeks?

Probably today is going to say $1.85 and it's five totally going to make uh you please for chairman Oscar Vargas Right Share Miguel Sanchez is absent.

Once Pedro Espina Consider Justin Bryas is absent.

You have three present to absent.

You have a done.

I want to say thank you for everyone who came today to these special meetings that we have in public works.

Can everybody stand up?

I want to swear everybody in at the same time.

Please raise your right hand.

Do you swear on the penalty and project that the testimony that you're about to give us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um item number one.

L p one part road suite 300.

Providence broad island 02903.

Requesting a permanent underground east man below a portion of waterman's tree.

Uh welcome into the selection.

Can you request all your point?

Absolutely.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Chairman and committee members.

With your agenda items today, you have three uh main documents.

The first is an easement from the developer team, which is known as 159 Going Associates LLC.

We are the owners of the problem where the development is occurring.

That easement is a piece of the invented to the uh narrow ganset electric, which is the successor and interest to Reddit Energy's electrical infrastructure system.

That easement runs from the developer to the utility company.

Behind that you have a easement that running from the municipality to the developer, and behind that document, you have a planering plan showing the actual location of that easement.

Um these are the routine utility easements for the location of a transport transfer vault and a distribution system for the level utilities that will not only be servicing the actual development itself, but in addition to the development, uh provide the ability to extend electrical utilities in that area to other properties located in the bottom of the air and orderment at Waterman Street um throughout the entire area.

This is the standard form utility, the easement that is drafted and developed uh by Relayable Energy or the American Electric is one that is used by this committee and this council to direct similar public utility easements.

Um again, nothing within the rights or responsibilities being granted from the city to the developer changes in any way from the developer to where I have managed.

Simply know energy cannot be granted an easy way from the developer until the developers can easily from the city of profits.

Any questions G may have provided any of the documents for the concepts itself?

Any questions on the Moon?

Uh not from here with I mean as we explain is the battle is very much routine and and uh we've done this before, and I don't really see any uh confirmations here, so I'm okay.

Um last question, everything is also um on the island prospect.

Yeah, we should then do the letter of all the property.

It's about 184 where the wall was really powerful, move wall with this part of the walk and then it's really shown with five.

All right, thank you very much.

Okay, if this is the case, I don't have any questions either.

Um need a motion to approve.

So move.

Okay.

So a motion for approval by Councilman Ferris Pinov and second by council I suppose.

All those in favor?

I was opposed.

None.

Any objections?

The motion but good luck.

Thank you very much.

Item number two.

And audience amending chapter 12, health and sanitation.

I both are garbage, trash, and refuse of the court of ordinances of the city of Providence.

Okay.

So that case uh don't move.

Second.

Motion made by Councilman and second by the council women analogus.

All those in favor?

Aye.

All those opposed.

Any obsession?

Motion plans.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Well, they want to explain what it means and how it's going to be uh deliberate and affecting an aspect of working with for better city.

Indeed.

Um thank you, um chairman.

Um Aaron Segarla, I'm the W setup of policy, you know, the council, and I'm just gonna give an overview of some of the changes that are in well, complete changes that are in the best before you and this you know, um amending the section 1263 and specifically subsection E.

And I'm just gonna go into the changes, um, not necessarily providing, but also conceptually.

Um, so these amendments they provide that if a product violator um has not paid violations, the city may provide written notice of the intent to remove the list containers, providing 14 days for violators to remit the payment quote.

And upon expiration of that 14-day notice period, the city may remove all issued containers from said dwelling until all payments are made, including removal and redelivery posts.

The cost assessed for removal and redelivery shall be set by the department of public work and published on their website, and then additionally, following the first mailed notice, the department of public works may, in the case of subsequent violations, remove containers without any additional notice.

And then lastly, the city may also summon product violators to municipal court, but not as a substitute for the penalties that are specified in the session, and that concludes overall the changes in how to work.

Thank you.

Of course.

Well, these these ordinance uh again like a fine sponsor.

You know, these amendments the reason is why we've been having a lot of issues in the city that people they don't file the ordinance to take the trash cards inside the property, they left it on the sidewalk where people are the pedestrians are working, handicapped in land go through, they had to jump in the street.

We will share it in a word through there.

It's a little message that we have that's why we do an is amendment for the property owners who basically doesn't care about the city and and that's why we work at this end, and we also call the directory for Trisha Coin to explain how this is going to be affected because she's that director of uh these defined white.

Uh thank you, thank you.

Um councilman borders, Chair Vargas.

Um we don't object to the to the uh amended uh this piece of legislation.

I think I think the intentions are very good because as you know, the the violations don't really have a lot of teeth.

Um this kind of gives them a little bit of teeth, uh, a way to for people to kind of pay attention to those violations when they get them.

Um I appreciate the discretion that's given to the Department of Public Works to try to work with the constituent where we can.

Um, so maybe there's an extenuating circumstances that we can try to work with them on, and so it's not an automatic thing.

I like I like the way it's been instructive that we can give notice, and then you know that that notice period gives us an opportunity to work with that constituent, and if the constituent persists and and we're not making any progress, then we do have that option uh in our discretion to pull the ballots.

And so um we are thank you.

Any questions members?

But I just want to add that on well.

So thank you for amending it.

Um to add flexibility to the department in case it gives them a choice I want to proceed and make it more effective.

Uh property owners are not our enemies.

It covers 68% of our budget.

So I think that any series that we pay to be guided and was a conversation that was warning.

And so we're embracing the request for not city.

So I was five who support the changes that we made here, but it does so uh you didn't move those in.

I'm gonna give you a ticket, and if you don't pay that or remove your thoughts, so it's kind of like open set up to a dialogue.

Uh so that I'm not sure what it will be called.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh, one acknowledge uh welcome.

I'm on it.

Thank you.

Sure, yeah.

I appreciate the flexibility uh as counselor Espinol saying, um and you know, when I read us uh or in it, in fact, similar challenges exist in my neighborhood.

And um work my DPW in the past, there was a situation, and this just the example I'm going to provide speaks to why flexibility is so necessary.

Is that there are a few homes on Admiral Street where there's no they in order for the the uh residents to get into their house, there's a huge climb of stairs.

And so to expect uh residents of of addresses like that to kind of love their trash bed up those stairs, especially during winter months.

I think it it would be very um, it would be an unreasonable ask uh of that.

And so there's uh a few addresses like that where there's this uh I guess like uh unspoken agreement between DVW and those addresses that as long as they can um put those bars on the sidewalk in a in an organized manner, um, then um most neighbors in the area kind of uh appreciate that.

So um, yeah, I appreciate the flexibility and examples like that uh speak to to why this is necessary uh necessary.

So thank you.

Any other one?

No.

Um thank you very much.

Um they're sending that case that you won't be able to hold uh the flashpad final steps all the steps and yeah, and then they've got when they bring it out with back in two weeks.

Yeah, yes.

So yeah, DPW respected have the knowledge that would be understandable.

Um so there's nothing else.

Can I get in the motion to move?

Um as amended.

Sorry, so it's by motion by as amended by one of them.

Uh by the spinal and second by all those in favor, aye.

All those opposed, any abstention, motion but director.

Thank you, Ellen.

Um please read number two.

Item number three resolution requesting an easement on behalf of the Navagan Electric Company, a domestic the TV cool and green business has Rhode Island Energy over, under and across a portion of CD um located on access flat one one love 92 675 main through the screen.

Thank you very much.

Do we have any white one?

Good.

Um representing the department of public property.

Uh, this is the Iglio Z Rec Center.

We've met recently again.

But since we last met and had approved the previous piecement, redown energy went to install full as the next step in a transformation solution and ran into an obstacle at the original location of the poll.

And um, it's going to be far away from this location from 675.

Uh there is within the property line 675 in the front, and we can also obtain that it's only baronets, but that's okay.

Any questions we remember?

Well, this is my recreation.

I want my next question, they exactly anything in needed as equations on basic four.

Okay, so I need to entertain a motion to uh to approve this one.

So we'll move second so motion we are moved by spinal, second by console women and all those in favor.

Suppose and expensive the motion passed.

Thank you.

Um please bring number four.

Item number four resolution instructing the city's traffic engineering division and the office of corpus site management to inspect all city um traffic and parking signage.

Okay, this is another resolution that we try and to build with DPW and the uh who's representing this department.

We now also need a motion to so be mostly I should make my players finale, second by uh response and papers because of course any tension motion cost.

Thank you.

Um substitution space.

You don't have to talk about the substitution space.

Yes, we want to have uh this uh thank you, Chairman.

Um, as we did with the ordinance previously, we did uh an amended version that will probably be for you.

Um honestly there are just four additional clauses that were added, and I'm gonna you know, summarize them you know for you so you know some of the changes.

So be it for the result that the department of public works is encouraged to conduct such inspections whenever practical during or immediately following rainy weather conditions to best evaluate visibility.

Also, be it further resolved that the department of public works shall provide a status update to the province city council within six months of passage of this resolution, and the second update within 12 months of passage.

Be a further resolve that all inspections, repairs, and necessary corrective actions described be completed within 18 months of passage of this resolution, and then the last addition is be a further result that following completion of the initial inspection and correct actions.

The department of public works shall to the greatest extent practical conduct similar inspections on an annual basis moving forward, and that includes it concludes the four clauses that were added to just add these up to the resolution.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Welcome back.

So this another resolution that we try to work with equipodia is that we see a lot of paid signs that they created out and location that we missing signs, like a one-way sign, do not enter sign, and uh the best way is for this is to create this resolution for people to find out how they can get this job done because it's insane that we as a part-time workers, council people.

We don't have the time to go around inspect every single location.

And if I ask you how many signs we have, I'm sure you have a number.

We got a good amount.

That's why we work on this resolution or this amendment of these audience.

We give you 18 months, 18 months to do the whole job.

The first six months we will meet again and say, look, this is what we've been doing so far.

We are up to here, and now we like to get name of the streets, ward or districts and location, and hopefully I can get say okay.

We would raise so many subsides, we will place so many uh one-way signs and assign all of those.

And I would like to to get like uh when we place an order, what is 500 or each count?

Like 500, it's the same to sign all the time.

It's the same stop sign all the time.

You can order 500 pieces and keep it there in the back.

Yeah, they don't get both one-way signs, also can order 500.

The same quote.

So those are the signs that we never changed.

The look and the way, you know, hopefully, I don't know, one day would ask, oh, can you put that in Spanish?

No, this is a medical specific stuff.

That's it.

You know, we're not getting one advantage in it.

Is it subscribed?

So and that's why we try to work with this new amount.

And you have any concerns about it.

I do.

Um, and and so first let me say that I I do share your concern.

I understand.

I mean, it's a it's a big city, there's signs that have been up a long time, and as you say, some get faded, some get drapeedy, some aren't there.

Um, and certainly that's that's when I would very, very much encourage a 311, or text me or call me.

I mean, you know, you can always do that with me.

Um, I did bring our our traffic engineer Nate Urso and our curbside administrator Melanie Jewitt with me as subject matter experts, but before I ask them to come up to answer any specific questions, I I do want to express um concern with what I think is a very well-intentioned um good idea uh with our ability to execute because it's it's essentially an unfunded mandate.

Um there are over 10,000 signs in Providence, and we're not just talking.

I mean in your remarks, you limited it to four different kinds of signs.

Maybe we can talk about that, because those aren't only the four signs that are in the city.

There's there's signs for everything, plus all the street signs, all the memorial signs, all the directional signs, uh, notes are on red, everything.

Um it's tens of thousands of signs or thousands of signs, and that's also at a time when our workload in this particular division, these two particular divisions has really seen an uptick in the last couple of years.

For example, our permits that are handled by curbside, uh actually, they both both divisions handle different kinds of permits, those are up 30% over just last year.

Our sign requests are way up.

I don't have a percentage for you.

Um it's kind of one of those things like we we don't have anyone to count how many we're making because we're too busy making them.

Um there's one sign maker, one.

Um, she recently had a workplace uh accident and had to be out of work for a few weeks, and the backlog related to, I'm not blaming her for this, but I'm just saying the backlog related to her her absence, which I think was maybe three weeks, is colossal.

Um, and so you know, and and certainly are there are later issues in in farming out that work to uh to uh uh a vendor, but we're looking at that.

Um the sign crew is four people.

Um there are about uh in the course of a year, we install about 15 to 20,000 temporary no parking signs for different events uh and and and things going on around the city.

The city is 380 miles, it's 21 square miles.

It's a lot to ask of these two very small units.

Um, the traffic unit is is Mr.

Urso, he has uh three traffic analysts, and he has four little collar workers to do signage.

Yeah, well, we uh and four minutes and four to store, and so there's no you know, there's no middle manager, really.

It's it's like Nate and the blue coffee, and then there's uh Melanie's side and Ms.

Jewitt's side of the curb side end of things, um, which again has seen a huge uptick up tip in needs of signage, especially with all of the new meters that put in.

She has a sign crew of four people and three people.

Can you please come to the money and name three people?

So it's Melanie and the three food colors.

That's it.

Um, and so while I absolutely respect and understand the concern, I would be uh I would not be doing my job if I sat here and just said, okay, we can do that, we can get you that report in six months because truly I don't think we can.

Um, all of you, I'm sure, have had the experience of calling me or texting me or putting in a 311 for a sign that you want that doesn't exist right now, where you want it installed and how long that takes.

And it doesn't take a long time from the request to the installation because these people are lazy.

And so to be able to go through the entirety of the city with the staff they have they would have to do nothing else and I'm still not confident that it could get done in six months.

Any question from uh yeah well that's not some I know the engineer traffic always warning when it put in some sign is the WHI has to pass or you want to do is uh a sidewalk because you have to put in wheelchair but what I see in my work in Hartford Avenue put in the middle of the sidewalk one traffic and the and the real chicken I can pass because this area the AIDA and Lugo we have a commercial and I see the struggle when they have the wheelchair can want to go there because in here in the middle of the SI walk it have a traffic sign.

What type of yeah is it for we have a like I have a um school I have the you know it's yes yes so please put in the in the middle and that this the side in the in the middle so there's the the wheelchair not can it's really position of the sign in the position in the yes because this area is very traffic with the school and also with the commercial can have a the the bodega or for you know grocery so this is not good to put in there and also it was the new sidewalk so sometimes it's worrying when we want a sidewalk because you know be fixed it or it's not uh good because don't have a mouse space and then you put in the the the mirror does this take a time to people walk in with a real chair that's my concern is there a particular location or is that yes particularly Hartford Avenue is close to Ida because the top line is free and Lugo is this this is in the between and also that the school can have the there so people have the traffic every moment and this is valid for the wheelchair.

Is that you know is that one of those big speech under signs?

I yeah we can take a look at it it could be a number of reasons why we put it there they're very big so you have to make sure that they don't stick out to the world so it depends on the width of it so we'll I don't see a well over there because we'll take a look this is the school traffic and also the groceries so many people work in there and also the wheelchair because you sell us some food and then going there and some time had to be down to this three so one year on laud it's not well he doesn't there but it's is it I guess free in Lugo the yellow um grocery and also the school when the people pass every day once there that's my my my my concern we'll take a look at that and I'll get and I'll get back to you council okay yes thank you Mr Chair um well I'm I'm glad we have this conversation but uh I never no idea there was so many thousands of signs um so when I looked at the um resolution so oh what that's an interesting resolution uh but I did not know that it was so many signs what kind of system do we have in place now is it do you just get the request from us as we call it in or the 311 we don't have the you don't have anybody that just drives around right and look at the signs that need to be replaced it's just per request that they all come in I'll let them I'll let them expound but it is very reactionary because of the resource issue that I would love for us to be able to be more proactive with the resource issue.

Go ahead.

But previous years we we've done something, some years quite a bit, maybe gone through the city uh once or twice in a year.

It depends, it really depends on the amounts of requests because you kind of you have to uh address those with installations and then in previous years there's been breaks in those months of requests we could go out and do these surveys.

Okay, so so you'd be able to produce a report within six months on the work that you've done on all the signs of in repair, what was requested, but not in projecting as to what should we repair because it's just way is is way out of uh the arrangement really because you don't have the manpower to go out there and do a general inspection of the entire city.

Uh and I don't know what good that would be if you're not gonna be able to respond to all the signs that need to be replaced or repair because you don't have the manpower.

Yeah, and it's it's yeah, you have two tasks here.

You have you have the survey and the um and the actual installation of all those.

So um, you know, I mean if we look at the the workload we have now for actually requests coming to us, it it you know it would be tough, but you know, in fact you know there may be an opportunity in the future, but there's no there's no okay.

So it sounds like you need to expand your department, but how many um well for nate to to satisfy the survey and the installation of all missing and um signs and I mean I mean just about replacing time missing um evaluation would be a little bit more whether okay should it be a two-hour parking sign here or more parking signs?

So it's tough to say because we it I mean the the amount of signs that need to be is there's really a it's a guess right now.

We really have to it'd be tough to say how much how much is it to actually do the survey, but it would be tough to say how many people we would need to expand to actually do a full survey and follow it up with a full installation.

Yeah, I would spend time on actually expanding the department and seeing exactly what the additional personnel is.

Um it's only gonna get bigger every year.

It's it's gonna be more demanding and yeah, and no less we overlooked.

Uh we we do better when we're more effective.

The only way to do that is gonna be to add enough people that can do the work.

Yeah, thank you.

Umly comments I have is um chair.

I appreciate the sphere of this.

Um, but I I whenever I like for lack of better words, harassed and be done, DPW.

Um I'm always like there's a before I send that email out, there's a level of part of me that feels guilty because I realize that my micro is their macro.

And I want to reach a place where it's this budget season coming up where we are just giving you, especially trap the traffic division resources, uh man and woman power to make a debt at this, you know, because I I I get it, I get it.

And um, and I this is reasonable frustration, but I think it's it's uh part of the under-resourced uh division.

And I I want to try to correct that.

Uh maybe it's not in one budget cycle, maybe it's a commitment that we do in several, but we are we're chipping away at that.

Um, because you know, and I I will say, Nate, I'm probably gonna email you next week about uh some pending traffic things, but I I will just be on record saying I have been thinking a lot about that, but I also think about the humans doing this job.

So yeah, I'm I'm I'm conflicted on that, so I won't support this resolution, but I I get it.

That's all I can say.

So yeah, hope that makes sense.

Well, I'm yeah, do you keep it uh the data for each one?

You know, that for example, my one is a seven.

So how many signs you have, how many stars do you keep in that data?

You mean how many signs did we install in the one replay because you say she said a lot to put in the the whole so because that sign sometimes keeping in years and years and years in every display.

Uh so you keep there any data for each board.

So yeah, board seven, we did X number stop signs in last year.

signs that we install in the one replay because you say she said put in the the whole sign so because that sign sometimes keeping in years and years and years in the space uh so you keep any data for each board for yeah board seven we did x number stop signs in last year um well it it's something that we haven't done in the past but we we do currently have an electric uh digital uh work order system which which we could use that mapping feature of that somehow um to do that uh and actually see what's how many signs we did it in a sort of area um we'd have to set that up and we put there's a possibility to do that so but when we um I mentioned in previous years I mean you know right now like I said the current situation there there's so many requests we really haven't had time to do surveys but in previous years we used to do um because there were more breaks the requests we used to do surveys and we used to do by war and we you know you know sometimes we get through once or maybe even twice going to award in a year so um that's where we would break it up but I think we have the ability to with this digital work order system to break up the amount of uh signs installed we need to set that up a little bit with with that system but then we can do that so and how much it costs for all these sign is for each war do you think it's a lot is a less or we need more people to help um it's simple to say because we really have to do the survey to see how much is how much is missing and it needed be installed kind of I mean our sign materials budget is about um 70 000 a year um but this would this would certainly if we did this you know it would it would be much more than that much much more than that to do it with one of the city citywide survey it's simple to say the cost because you really have to kind of quantify how much is missing and needs to be replaced and so forth so um it would be um you know tens of thousands of positive thank you so much so may I ask one question um I don't know if if there are deem might be able to answer um are without getting into personnel uh like matters but are there any like uh like uh workers in your division or related signage that are like on leave or injured or or is it just yeah without getting the actual personnel um yes but um their position is back filled by it's presented as an opportunity for someone to bid on because it might be more money than they make doing something else for DPW um and but they take that position knowing it's subject to it's temporary subject to when the person comes back okay okay so like so if there's an agency it doesn't vacant got that's right that you do fill it perfect okay thank you so on and COPSI the I know the KO side has the meter chip that the meters responsibility to check for me as are you down to that right because I think all those meters in the city so all of the meters have been replaced in the city but we collect from several hundred meters every day.

So my team the the blue collar employees who work for me are uh their job title is um meter maintenance person one and meter maintenance person two and their job descriptions are very specific into maintaining and selecting funds from those meters um so that has tied our hands to a certain extent with with certain things but they're out there every day fixing meters collecting money for meters um and making sure that the meters are in good repair citywide including a daylight today so including these two employees there's three those things going with and number four is almost signs I don't have anybody who puts up signs my sign requests go from my office to Nate and to Nate's sign for it.

So you always collect that information who needs the sign where you need the sign and how do you need the sign no I look at sign I look at parking holistically for the whole city but in terms of parking signs so say I get a request for um handicapped accessible parking signs.

So I have to review the information submitted then I create a visual installation plan for Nate's team I tell them exactly where the signs are supposed to go and what they're supposed to say and then I send that to Nate through our electronic work order system and then Nate goes through all of my sign requests along with all of the sign requests and emergency sign requests that he gets and creates a a work queue of how things get installed in what um and so and then I also deal with all of the overnight parking permits all of the temporary parking permits um you know if you're micro mobility so all of the bikes and scooters I oversee that as well um there's a ton of long term projects that we would love to get to but our day to day is focused on keeping the sign requests under control.

Micro mobility, so all of the bikes and scooters, I oversee that as well.

But our day-to-day is focused on keeping the sign requests under control.

So when the order comes in through either by email, 311, the phone call or feds, or to the director, you are the only person who make the station for parking?

Yeah.

Unless it's a major significant change.

Like so if a street, if somebody on a street says we're having a huge problem here, and we really need one entire side of this street to be no parking, I will then write a letter and send it to every residence on that street asking their opinion on whether one side of that street should have no parking or not.

And then tally those responses and determine if they've reached the two-thirds level of which two-thirds in the affirmative, which is what is the standard to change the parking signage on an entire block.

Um so that sort of thing is very, you know, it's our it's our belief and has been the department's long-standing policy that the people affected by that sort of larger change should be the people who weigh in on it.

Um I've done probably 15 to 20 of those since I've been in this position.

I've only had one that was overwhelmingly, yes, we want the no parking signs on our side of the street or on that one side of the street.

All of the other ones have failed.

Um, I've also done I do those for streets that don't currently have overnight parking, but want to have overnight parking, it's the same sort of process.

Um, but yeah, so if somebody comes in and says the trash truck can't make it around the corner, I am the only person in general.

Occasionally Nate has some capacity in his team to help, but I'm the only person who's making that no parking here to corner sign order and then sending it off to him and his crew for for fabrication and installation.

Yeah, I there are I mean, usually what we differentiate these parking services.

If there's a change of parking, normally you go so it's a replacing kind, or if it's uh or if it's based on an order, it's like we'll park in the corners and order, it's really no decision making, which some of those she does, but micro um can make those work orders.

And you know, as far as making the work orders, and then of course the microinstalls.

So there are other people that are getting signed requests that besides.

Well, I'm trying to figure that out, is like this isn't like a um like the the lights goes on as a generator in the black one kick on and we'll keep it on.

In this case, when you're not doing the job, who's going to do it?

Like when you'll take the cash or you might get sick.

So these are done, like everybody, every day if people talk people something every day between the tools that you make the order, he will put it in.

Then then another day you've got another phone call.

I mean, we signed that sign here, signed it.

But my question is who will do the job when you're not there?

So I actually was out for several weeks earlier this year, and the running joke with me and a few people in the department is that it gave my absence gave Nate and his team time to catch up.

And that because we kept talking about that we had the sign installation backlog, and I came back and they're like, Oh, we're all caught up.

And then I immediately gave them work orders for you know, like 150 signs, and I went to director Poinca and said, It's me, I'm the problem, it's me.

I'm the I'm causing the backlog by doing my job.

Um so when I'm not there, we try to um divvy out my responsibilities as much as possible, but everybody else that they're getting divvyed up to also has full-time responsibilities already.

So there were things that admittedly didn't get handled while I was out, and that I took care of as soon as I got back.

But yeah, there needs to be more resources so that we can have redundancy, absolutely.

Go ahead.

Uh share.

I have I'm sorry, one's only what's fine.

Um just out of uh question of probably more granular.

Is the uh this like system, this database just like in the queue.

Is that like is that a computer program where like you're submitting work orders and then it's almost like automatic, and does that database show any orders that are still outstanding?

How that is a spreadsheet, how's that work?

So it's a software program.

I'm sorry, no, go called asset essentials.

Um the parks department has been using it for years.

GPW made a full switch over to it to paperless work orders earlier this year.

Um, and so it's it's cloud based, and it shows you the day it was created down to the second hour, minute, second it was created, who it was created by the tasks, who it's assigned to, when they complete the tasks, and then when the task is when the work order itself is finally completed, and it gives you it has options for you know, like when I put a work order in, I put into the work order the work I'm doing to create the work order because otherwise it would never be reflected.

Um, and then I tell the mates team in the work order this is the total number of signs we need, and this is the breakdown of those signs.

So we need, you know, seven no parking here to corner left arrows or five no parking here to corner right arrows or no parking anytime toe zone, you know.

So there's there's a whole raft of work and information that is in that.

Um unfortunately, the reporting feature is not awesome.

Um, so that's something we have been struggling with to find the best way to actually demonstrate the data that's in there that we do collect using this system.

And 311 feeds into that system, yes.

Um I think more so for some of the other divisions um than maybe these divisions, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

So, for example, environmental the 311s go to the specter of the ward that the point is from, but they one system informs another.

Um then you have to add the new calling um or you know, or I get a text or something, or I see something on my way in, uh, and I'll donate and say, you know, uh Councilman Royce just called this one-way sign needs to be replaced blah blah blah.

He then, because that wasn't coming through 311, he then has to create that work.

Um, and so do the heads of every other division.

Um, I've tried very hard to impress if it's not in there, it didn't happen.

Right.

Don't tell me that you're doing all of these wonderful things for council if I can't see it and asset essentially it didn't happen.

Uh but uh Melanie's point on the reporting uh aspect is correct that it's still very much a work in progress.

So I would love council of ignoring us to be able to push a button and tell you how many signs we made last year for your ward.

I don't know that the system is there yet, um, but that's the goal to be able to have a really robust system that shows us all that we're doing.

It's good to have that because for me with the money goal, how many signs you do it you know, the years in the week, you know, we're working for this.

Is it like a get out of the we need more people?

Do we need anything going so we can have the information?

Because it's like a thousand for the whole city.

I understand, but how many of my name are work for not everybody doing the same thing?

So that's my well, that's my question.

So go ahead, no, I just uh about the uh asset essentials.

Is it like so?

Do we need like a tech vendor to kind of make the program speak to each other in a way that they use they do so 311 feeds directly into asset essentials?

I'm sorry, I guess my question is like when will we when will the program be uh able to allow you all to like you know run a report and and allow you to see you can do some reporting?

We would we report once a month all the divisions and work as well for all even like big dash neighborhood by oh missing or is that too if I don't we're not we're not gonna forget a little board so we work very closely with IT and particularly Bonnie Howland who is sort of spearheaded the project for DPW.

Um but a lot of it is trying to get asset essentials to adjust their things for us, and that takes time and money and resources, and um you know IT none of us have that lying around.

Um so it's very challenging to look at that sort of thing.

Um, I will speak to uh an email that I got last week from um Melissa Cruz asking about the number of handicapped signs are had installed in one ward, and I haven't we don't necessarily we don't track it by ward because overnight parking and handicapped parking is enforced via police district, so that's what we asked for.

And I haven't, we don't necessarily don't track it by ward because overnight parking and handicapped parking is enforced via police district, so that's what we asked for.

So I'm going to be working with our open gov vendor because our handicapped accessibility requests come through open gov, not 311 to say, you know, can you add ward?

But also there's a lot of people, no offense with full respect that don't know what ward they live in.

For sure.

Um, and so it's easier for them to look at a police district map because they cover a larger area.

So the police district is larger, but the data isn't as perennial.

Um, and then there was also a question as to whether um we ever go through and remove handicap signs.

We do go through and remove temporary signs if we're told that they're no longer needed.

Um we check in when that handicapped placard temporary placard expires.

Um I have found in my tenure that families or people who have had signs who don't need them anymore, are really quite responsible about calling and saying, you know, my mother has passed away, or she's moved to assisted living.

Well, and we, you know, we're selling a house, we don't need the signs anymore.

That said, we don't necessarily want to be the people going out and saying, Do you are you still disabled?

Do we need that?

Do you need that sign?

Um, the optics of that admittedly are not good.

Um, and you know, so that's not something we have traditionally done.

If we get a complaint from somebody saying, Hey, there's these handicapped signs on my street, and nobody's lived there forever, you know, we can check and see if we have current information, and we can check and see if they're still needed, but you know, it's not something that we're routinely going out and saying, hey, you don't need those anymore.

Um, and then we also do a lot of education when we do signs like that to tell people that this sign is in front of your house because you requested it, but it is not reserved to you.

Anyone with a valid placard can use it.

And some people don't like that, but it is what it is.

Yeah, that's that's not to ask me the district, the police district call us almost two, like my district five, told us and bottle was shakes in one fifteen.

And and for somebody to have an overnight parking, you can park anywhere and those are those require no good because if I leave in Manton Avenue and he did the overnight parking on Webstead Avenue, and then he's going to be parking overnight parking and man, it's disturbing the other community because he has an overnight uh parking.

It's something that we have to google this type focal for like area where they came forward.

We might have to make it like a shorted goal by a thousand feet or two thousand feet or round the property.

That would be the new the new step that we will think and these overnight because they abusing.

I think we'd have to look at that very carefully, sir.

I would because I think that when enforcement is based out of the particular police district, if you're making the areas smaller where people can park, that may end up having certain areas and certain streets covered by two police districts, and that could make enforcement very tricky.

Um, it we do have some major streets in the city that one side of the street is in one district and one is in the other, and it it can make things complicated.

Um, but I think the thing to remember is that overnight permits, just like uh handicapped accessible signage, they don't reserve you this spot in front of your house.

And that was never the intent of the of the program.

The program is to allow people who don't have other options to park on street, but it nowhere in anything has it ever said you get the space in front of your house because think about our multi family buildings.

Our you know, Providence is a city of triple deckers, so there's only one, maybe two parking spaces in front of most triple deckers.

So to say that people can only park within a certain distance, or that you know, they get the space reserved in front of their house, there's literally just not enough spaces in front of everybody's house.

So that's why people can park in the full district, and also, you know, like if I'm visiting a friend and you know they I park on the in their driveway and they park on the street, but their neighbor is parked in front of their house.

And also, you know, like if I'm visiting a friend, and you know they I park on the in their driveway and they park on the street, but their neighbor is parked in front of their house.

It's also just part of living in a city.

Like we can't expect that we're always going to have the parking space in front of my house.

It's just not feasible in a city of Providence's size.

Um, I mean, and I get the frustration.

I live on a street that has a school on it, and there's always people parked in front of my house for drop-off and pickup and soccer and everything, you know, and sometimes you really just want to be able to like zip in and zip out, but it's just part of life of being in a healthy, thriving city.

Okay, right.

Well, something that we would we would be doing.

Uh thank you for the clarification of that because I did have someone that proposed to me to do legislation around that.

Uh it basically uh it was something in the sense that to be able to reserve this spot in front of your house.

And I say you're talking about privatizing public property because I don't care what you judge for that, it belongs to the public.

Uh I was not as elaborate as you, but it is, but I know that it that it did not sit well.

Parking is kind of a passion project.

So I talk on the uh but yeah, no, I appreciate that.

It is absolutely and reserving it in all but the most extreme outlying cases is practice at public property.

And are they gonna pay property tax on that part of the road that they're parking on that nobody else can use?

The next question is well, mate, Nate.

How many people you have in your group?

You mean by cruel?

You mean the whole goes on and the signs?

Yeah, there's um there's a format and and four sign maintenance person.

So former one, one makes the signs in the three.

Yes.

So one name the whole, the other one put up the signs, and the former just watch.

Well, he actually, I mean, in practice, he actually does lose some work.

So you got four or three we have one foreman and four traffic sign means people.

Total of five.

Yeah, so one makes the signs and then the other pre-install one will sell you.

I'm sorry, so I was gonna say so only three are installed.

Yeah, those are three installers, yeah.

Well, future you need another bunch in the crew.

Yes, well, like, yeah, I mean, I'm sure we're sure we can keep them busy, yeah.

I mean, it's because if the kid won't get sick, you know, right?

There's certainly a big order.

Yeah, I see the two departments.

Melon takes it over, she reviewed it, she printed on that, and then she send it to your like the work order for you to execute the order, right?

Right.

Sometimes I call you two, and you go back to the collaboration, sure.

And then two to group.

So these are the idea they have.

Any other more questions?

No, all right.

There's a yeah, and these I mean less focus and stop signs, one-way signs, and luna enter signs.

And these periods, the three most important stop signs, do not enter in one word.

So we can hire another person for unit.

Right.

I need a motion for these three can I ask a question?

They asked for a motion.

So I need a motion.

Well, to amend it.

But um when it comes to one priority when it comes to stop sign from my personal experience, whenever I talk about stop signing, it's done.

So if I go early in the morning, it's uh it's done in the F it all the next day.

Yeah, you just because that's that's like top priority, right?

Yeah, it isn't what is it down or missing sign?

Yeah, or down sign also, fixed priority.

So I can't think of anywhere out of control issues.

I can't think of anywhere that will be a stop sign that there is no stop sign where there should be.

I think we have stop signs all over, unless somebody lacks a dollar a car by accident or whatever.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, well, unless they've been gradually over, yeah, the straffities, I mean, occasionally steal them.

So, what are the most important signs?

And one link signs.

Yeah, I would say that those those are the most critical in terms of um traffic safety because people they could drive the wrong way and stop signs, yeah.

Yeah, I'm good.

Uh yes.

Um, so there's a uh I've I've sort of briefly amended the amended resolution.

I want to read the paragraph that I amended that I think reflects what you are proposing.

Uh so this is in the now, therefore be it resolved paragraph.

It says now that uh therefore be it resolved at the Providence City Council directs the traffic engineering division and the office of curbside maintenance to inspect all city owners stop one way and do not enter signage, ensuring each is clearly visible, properly installed, clean, and in good condition.

Does that reflect what your intent is?

That might be no motion.

Let's just go over this.

Okay, if we can how does that sound to the director?

Does that sound like something that um that can be achieved if we rebuke the digit the spot sign or not enter and one way?

Is that something achievable?

Oh within the eight of months.

Well, what's your opinion?

So I'm I you can see me have asking some questions here.

So Nate has a team of traffic analysts and a team of signed install people, team three to put four people.

Um I would because there have been labor issues in the past between Melanie's blue collars and May's blue collar workers, where they they don't have interchange, even though their job descriptions are oh close to each other.

There's been issues about overtime, one taking overtime that belongs to the other, and knowing that history, I would want to be really careful about knowing whose job it is to do this sort of inquiry.

So you think so?

Would that be a traffic analyst job to go out and do that sort of survey, or is it the sign crew?

I don't know if you know off the top of your head without looking at the two job descriptions.

I want to be really careful because as I said before, I don't mean to be the dead horse, but they're buried already with work, and it's not we haven't even we even even talked about things like crosswalks and speed bumps and all of you know speed cameras and but like cameras kind of all of that work that makes division does um the the the signs that you mentioned would limit this work solely to Nates side of the house because it's not parking really, it's movement.

So I would need to I I would feel very uncomfortable as I sit here right now saying, yeah, we could do it.

No, we can't without really digging into more of what the quantity is, right?

Not trying to be, I'm trying to be helpful and not trying to be obstructionist.

It's just that I don't want to mislead the committee into saying, okay, this is a good this is a good halfway point if we can get this done without me asking someone flesh, and and and frankly, I'm pessimistic knowing what their workload is.

I'm pessimistic.

I appreciate the fact that we try to limit it.

I'm still pessimist.

Yeah, maybe you want me to add a um if I get for another person because it's C or whatever mention can have it.

Oh, but sorry.

So she had all that time.

Why do you put another point?

That is a concern.

The concern of the director is that she don't know which department would take over to inspect these signs.

She she has to go back into deep audio, we have books and find out who's in charge to go out and say, Look, these departments in charge to inspect all the signs.

So that this person wouldn't spend would say it uh would say it uh think of the street sign needs to be replaced.

That already will go to Melanie, Melanie will walk in the moment to replace this sign, then Pete she will send the order to May to be replaced.

Yeah, but we inspected by such department that she needs to find out which department is if it's a parking sign, it wouldn't it would be a good idea.

Yeah, that's if we do that path, what are we gonna like sign?

Why is our handicap sign?

Parking on parking on you, you're not in the handicap handicap parking signs, yes, two hour parking, no parking anytime, no parking here in the corner, you know, no parking fire lane, no parking toes and only the parking loading zone, you know, parking school hours, any and all of that to come to me.

But if it was a street sign, like a street name sign, let's say solely in Nate's shop.

Yeah, the judge of the stop sign.

So I think I think um, yeah, anything non-parking would come to put I think it's I don't I don't think the issue is who does the work.

I mean, what you've described into the network stops, one ways inspecting what they're missing, it's probably gonna be um the traffic system analyst that does the survey and and my sign main this couple does the install.

The issue is uh to to commit to this, we really have to make some type of guesstimate of what the quantity is before we can commit to that.

So you know it's it's um and it's you know, so that's why we say that we need to expect to see what the plan is.

Yeah, but I think even how much time it takes.

Um I was doing that.

I think it it we'd like to kind of just think through and make an estimate of how much that would take to that's what we work in 18 months, yeah.

The six months are not going to be asking you.

I need a thousand signs to be up.

It's a report I would bring.

This is so much I've been done in six months, but yeah, even that survey we would have to kind of think through to see how many signs we talk about, you know, what's the man hours and and that's what we want to be inspected to know how many signs we need, yeah.

Yeah, but I think initially we're talking about uh even we're looking at the quantify that effort to do a citywide survey of missing um stop signs two minutes or one ways.

We just like to think about quantify that somehow, how many we think they are, and before we say, yeah, we can do that in six months, and also what would be committed for the next three months or whatever.

If if I could I I think that um the kind of citywide survey that you're um contemplating, given the resources here, um might be amenable to some sort of I don't know, contract for a vendor or company to do that.

I'm only I'm only saying that as a possibility.

I don't know who would pay for that.

I don't know where that money would come from.

I don't want to get yelled out when I walk up and boss them to kill me.

But I mean, it's it's because of the very I think I think Nate's trying very hard to be accommodating, but the reality is his traffic analysts are already completely barren.

Um, and so this would still be, even though you've you've you've carved it out a little bit, it would still be uh whole lot of additional work that they would have to be doing.

And I'm not confident in their ability to get that.

And we all respect right, or that's why we put in this in this amendment, and then six months we will combat and say, look, we couldn't do it, we have so much thing.

Then we open the door that we can we have to subcontract out, and then we will find out we couldn't go.

You know, we are not wasting my time.

I'm working for my constituents and try to do the best to see it.

And this is a new idea for for DPW to start working on this going on issue that we have.

If that doesn't work in six months, or we you will say what you respect, we need to subcontract this out.

Then we start looking for the money.

Then we start thinking, okay, how are we going to do it?

And and go from there.

But I'm not going to penalize DPW because they don't have a report six months, but it's a beginning.

Somewhere we have to begin, somewhere we have to start.

And now we'll find out is the division nate, the engineering division who's in charge of this area, and that's what we can start.

If I may, Mr.

Chair, I make that with all uh world on the same page, at least on the same book.

Uh so they don't want to commit to this.

Well, one because of the size, uh, the work and the size of responsibility that the resolution is implies.

Uh thousand and thousands were signed province of a very big city, and obviously with the uh work is that they have, you're not gonna be able to assign one or two people to do it.

So that sounds to me like you know, I how do I get engaging to a responsibility that I will not prepare for, which is acceptable.

I mean, that's the way it is.

But what you're saying is that that is what the six months are for.

So you basically what you're saying is we can enter into this for a solution, but I'm not hoping you to it.

I'll give you six months for you to let us know whether you can do it or not, whether it should be subcontracted out and whether we can work with this.

So that's what I'm saying.

That's what's done.

You're not gonna come back in six months to say, well, I don't know.

You know what I mean?

Is that because if if we were if I was to say, what are we continuing with this so that we can look further into this and see whether we can commit to it or not, and whether this is something that we can work with or not, uh, you probably say, well, yeah, the cleaning will be back next month or in a couple of months, but you're saying they're getting six months anyway to do that.

So that's correct.

Let's get it six months.

Because they did on my resolution.

That's correct.

Like that's what we got it down to stop signs, you know, I enter signs, one-way signs, and six months we'll come back to the table and we'll say, okay, this is what's going on.

And the when the report will say, okay, we try and go to this, trying to do this, and we find out we don't have the manpower.

Or yes, we find out that we can do it, but we need more time than 18 months, and you always have that window.

So it's basically a resolution to start a conversation on this, which is very important.

Basically, a resolution to start a project.

I'll give you six months, you develop the team come back with the results because it's basically it was impossible without Avon planning.

Correct.

They it's like the engineering maybe also saying that it's it's impossible because we have the we we don't know how many we need.

We don't know how many hours we're going to use.

We don't know because we haven't started.

But why you have the resolution?

Hey, you have six months to start working on it.

You will find out how we can make it better in six months and see if we need uh to hire another person, or we need to give it out or be the process.

Go ahead, Constantine.

Uh chair, I um I do like how we're narrowing the focus a little bit.

I think I I you know I'll just say this publicly is um I'm more interested in meeting more frequently as a committee.

Uh uh that that's probably requirement ranking in DBW, which I know that's probably uh they would prefer to be doing other things.

Uh, but I I'm the reason why is these like these projects that are well intentioned, um require like if we're gonna ask them to do this, I feel like there's like benchmarks that need to happen, like check-ins where we break, you know, bring them in and we ask just for a progress update, right?

But in in between that, I really want to go on this like genuine journey to figure out as the budget comes up again.

I really want to figure out what how many staff members they would need to take on something like this so that we can give them the resources when it's time for that.

So I mean, I don't I don't that's because this is a resolution.

I'm being cynical here, that they're probably not going to even take a dent at this because of the resources dilemma.

So I just I think we should have a good faith effort in trying to do that, but really what I'm looking for is for DBW to come back and say we need this many people in this division to to tackle the pending work orders, and I'd like to do that well before um finance starts meaning about how many folks you know get getting into those like intense budget conversations.

I do feel like that's it within the scope of this committee is to ask DPW what how give me a number on on the number of staff you need to tackle this or to to make even you know even half progress on this.

So uh that's where I feel like the conversation needs to happen.

So that's that's my two cents.

And I again I want to just reiterate.

I feel like we we uh we're meeting as a committee very sparingly, and I think we need to have more frequent meetings.

Um and I think if we have more frequent meetings, the agenda will actually be shorter, and these these conversations will be shorter, uh, because um just off the strap that we're meeting more frequently, you know, then so that's that's my two cents.

Thank you.

I understand what the director said about that she needs to find out who which department will be responsible to to do this kind of job.

So I have a motion on the floor.

Can I um listen?

Can I change the motion to actually withdraw the motion?

Yeah, the well it wasn't flexible, uh something because I can talk I see DPW needs more time to think about it and figure out this new resolution that is in the books or is in the books come out.

I would like but I just would like to add, I think that Michael and Aaron, if if this council seems or this committee is pushing towards asking for a shorter term status report about what kind of personnel they need as opposed to taking on the work that's needed to do this, just try trying to understand the concept.

Maybe that's something that again, Michael and Aaron can work with BPW and creating a new resolution that could maybe have shorter time frame because there's not actually people doing a ton of stuff, but they can come back to this count this committee quicker.

Right.

That's why I want to mention we can continue it on far side, and then in the meantime, even though they will work to figure out how they can how many people they need or what do they need and how time I need tools who work on these men?

It's an initial conversation, and it's a good one, and it's one that is needed.

So now that the record is not here, and we're basically no one we're looking for.

I think that it is prudent to have time for them to digest, uh think about revise the department and see what we can come up with.

I don't see it as a while.

All right.

Are you okay with uh the right one?

Yes, sir.

All right, so I want to ask for a motion to continue.

Is that motion to continue?

Second, second.

Well, motion was done by councilman, second by Anna Lagas.

All those in favor?

I suppose any extension the motion passed.

Um no further business.

I need a motion to draw it.

So move motion done by the person and by using women on a violence.

Um those in favor.

All those supposed any extension, emotion classes.

Thank you very much.

I have to ask.