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| The return of Y-Gate, the Issue that Wouldn't Die The Un-Dead Want their Open Space amid the Y Camp ruins |
Monday night's Town Council meeting is loaded to the rafters with controversy - the Y-Gate Scandal, the Battle for Ninigret Park, the lighting ordinance, Ruth Platner's ultimate power grab, the CRACers' Charter revision proposals, special guest speakers and lots of B-list items.
One frustration for regular Town Council meeting goers (and Clerkbase viewers) is that the Council always changes the order of business so that the meetings never run the way they are listed on the agenda. So, to remedy that annoying problem, I have re-arranged the council agenda to list the agenda items in the order in which they will be actually heard. Click here for a printer-friendly version.
I have also added notations and highlighting to flag agenda items that are likely to be controversial or interesting. In the version below, I have included links to previous articles and documents.
As of Town Hall close of business at 4:30 PM today, there were no posted links to the actual documents the Town Council will use to deliberate on these issues. There are also no Clerkbase links to their June 6 agenda meeting so you can hear how they discussed this agenda. I guess you'll get those links when the town thinks you have a "need to know."
TOWN OF CHARLESTOWN
PUBLIC NOTICE
TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR
MEETING – June 11, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
The regular monthly meeting of the Charlestown
Town Council will be held on June 11, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the Charlestown
Town Hall , 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown , RI
1. CALL TO ORDER, Moment of Silence,
Pledge of Allegiance
2. ROLL CALL
Motion to move items 17a, 15c,
8a, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 11c, 11d, and 12 to be heard next on the agenda.
ACTUAL ORDER OF BUSINESS, after the above agenda moves are
approved (agenda items that have been moved from other parts of the agenda are
shaded gray):
17. APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS
a. Acceptance of Col. Jack M. Shippee’s retirement, effective June 5, 2012 at
4:30 p.m. and presentation of commemorative plaque
15. c. Commendation for Joseph S. Dolock
8. NEW BUSINESS
a. Presentation by Elyse LaForest of the U.S. National Park Service NOTE: LaForest is the official who has actual jurisdiction over the 172 acres of Ninigret Park
where town uses must “not be inconsistent with” the neighboring National
Wildlife Refuge. She would be the key link in the decision chain if the federal
government wanted to take back Ninigret
Park
10. COUNCIL SITTING AS BEVERAGE LICENSING
BOARD
a. Public hearing and potential action
regarding the application for a Class BV Full beverage license: CRAIG T. MARR
d/b/a “The Breachway Grill
LLC” to apply to premises located at 1
Charlestown Beach Road – Class BV Full. Designated
Premises: Indoor Restaurant Space and Outdoor Patio Space only; daily from
11:00 am to 1:00 am. NOTE: in past Council
meetings, Boss Tom Gentz has mounted personal attacks on this establishment.
b. Public hearing and potential action
regarding the application for a Class BT (Tavern) beverage license: G.J.S.I.,
Inc to apply to premises located at 4115A&B Old Post Road – Class BT
(Tavern). Designated Premises: G.J.S.I. Tavern and Inn, patio area abutting
tavern enclosed by tarmac and stone wall, snack bar and patio area in front of
the snack bar/house and lawn abutting the Inn
towards the northeast. No
service easterly from tarmac and rear of snack bar to US Route 1; daily from
11:00 am to 1:00 am. – NOTE: this is the General Stanton Inn
c. (If item 10b is approved,) Motion to
set the following cap on beverage licenses within the Town of Charlestown :
Class A: 2; Class B Full: 5; Class
B Limited: 3; Class B Tavern: 2; Class D: 1
d. Discussion and potential action
regarding the request from Ocean
Community YMCA for a Class F Beverage License for a fundraising event
for premises located at 160 Prosser Trail (Camp Watchaug) on
September 14, 2012 from 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. subject to receipt of all
required paperwork and stipulations and rules and regulations as required by
the Liquor Control Administration and the Town Council. NOTE: this is
the same YMCA that would get $730,000 through the Y-Gate scam. If it was up to me, I would charge them $398,000 for this license.
11. c. Approval of the application for a
Peddler License from First Bite Bakery, subject to receipt of all required
paperwork.
d. Approval of the application for a
Hawkers License from The
Dog Pound, subject to receipt of all required paperwork. NOTE: this is the same Dog Pound that just lost its monopoly
on the town beach concessions. Its owner Deborah Dellolio is Councilor Lisa
DiBello’s housemate and business associate
Motion to accept, approve and place
on file the following as the consent agenda: 11a, 11b, 13a, 13b, 17b, 17c, 17d,
17e, 17g, 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, 18h, 18i and 18j. NOTE: that means that the Council has agreed in advance to
approve all of the following items without discussion or debate.
“CA”
a. Approval
of the application for the renewal of a Peddler’s License from Carpenter’s Farm
to sell produce at 4156 South County Trail, subject to receipt of all required
paperwork.
“CA”
b. Approval
of the application for the renewal of an Entertainment License from Johnny
Angel’s Clam Shack, Saturday through Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and
Tuesday through Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. subject to receipt of all
required paperwork. NOTE: this is the
establishment that out-bid the Dog Pound and broke the Dog Pound’s monopoly
over town beach concessions.
13. MINUTES AND REPORTS
“CA”
a. Town
Council Minutes: April 23 (Executive and Regular); May 7 (Budget Public
Hearing); May 9 (Agenda and Red Light Camera Workshop); May 14 (Executive and
Regular); May 21 (Executive); May 23 (Executive)
“CA”
b. Reports:
Building Official, May 2012; Chief of Police, May 2012; Public Works Director,
May 2012; Town Clerk, May 2012; Treasurer, April 2012
“CA”
c. Appointment of Susie Fehrmann to the Parks and Recreation Commission
with a term expiration of January 2015.
“CA”
d. Appointment
of Denise Hertmann to the Ninigret Park
Dog Park
“CA”e. Acceptance of the resignation of Kenneth
Smith and Megan Berndt from the Juvenile Hearing Board with regret.
“CA” g. Acceptance of the resignation of Whitney Frost from
the Coastal Pond Management Commission with regret.
18. FISCAL MATTERS
“CA”
a. Award of the Red Light Camera
Enforcement System to Sensys America,
Inc. for a cost of $4,350 per approach per month for the three year term
of the contract with a cost neutrality guaranty. NOTE: this is the vendor that falsely claimed it was a local, 100% American business. They are neither (they are the American vendor for a Swedish
company – they are headquartered in Miami – Miami , FL , not Miami , Rhode
Island
“CA”
b. Award
of the Heating Fuel and Maintenance Service Bid to Ginger’s Service Station,
Inc., with a recommendation from the Director of Public Works (funding to come
from line item 01.620.6020 for fuel and 01.620.6040 for maintenance and
repairs).
“CA”
c. Award
of the Roll Off Hauling Bid to R.P.E. Waste Services for a two-year period for
a rate of $170.00 per trip to Johnston and $175 for the additional year per
trip to Johnston, with a recommendation from the Director of Public Works
(funding as budgeted in the Charlestown Residential Collection Center Budget
from line item 05.000.6055 for waste and 05.000.6060 for recycling).
“CA”
d. Award
of the Water Systems Management Bid to Millenium Water,
LLC for an amount not to exceed $ 8,366.00 with a recommendation from the
Director of Public Works (funding as budgeted in the Building and Grounds
Professional Services Budget from line item 01.630.6065).
“CA”
e. Award
of the Senior/Community Center Cleaning Bid to Mark Russo for $30 per day
regular rate and $45 per diem emergency rate with a recommendation from the
Senior/Community Center Director (funding as budgeted to come from line item
01.800.6065).
“CA”
f. Award
of the Construction Materials and Services, with a recommendation from the
Director of Public Works (funding as budgeted to come from the General Fund).
“CA”
g. Extension
of DPW Professional Trade Services contract – Carpenter to C&C Investments,
Inc. with funding to come from the Building and Grounds Professional Services
line item (01.630.6065)
“CA”
h. Request
from the Tax Assessor to rescind abatements in the amount of $200.00
“CA” i. Approval of the Johnson Control
contract
“CA”
j. Approval
of the Online Mooring contract
3. PUBLIC COMMENT for items not on the
Agenda
4. COUNCIL COMMENTS
5. PERSONS WISHING TO BE HEARD
a. Charlie Vandemoer –
Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge and Ninigret Town Park NOTE: Vandemoer, our federal overseer, will no doubt try to
justify his actions over Ninigret
Park
b. James M. Mageau – The
Severance Agreement signed by for Town Administrator, William DiLibero and the Town NOTE: most likely he will speak against the severance
agreement. There’s a 1,000,000-to-1 chance he might ask that DiLibero’s
severance be increased match the 13 months severance the Town of Narragansett just gave its Town Manager who was forced out in a manner similar to DiLibero.
c. Bonnie Van Slyke – the history of Ninigret Park
6. ADMINISTRATOR, SOLICITOR, COMMISSION
REPORTS
a. Town Administrator
b. Town Solicitor NOTE: Solicitor Peter Ruggiero is supposed to report on what
the town’s two deeds to Ninigret
Park
7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Discussion of and potential action regarding a Memorandum
of Understanding with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Ninigret Park
Stakeholder NOTE this is Deputy Dan Slattery’s dream of putting all of Ninigret Park under the jurisdiction of US
Fish & Wildlife Charlie Vandemoer.
9. PUBLIC HEARINGS
a. Public hearing and potential action regarding Ordinance
#347 amending Chapter 218 Zoning, Section 75 Nuisances, D Lighting and Chapter
155 Nuisances, Article III Lighting, Section 15. NOTE: this is supposed to be a substantially watered down version of the famous dark-sky lighting ordinance
b. Public hearing and potential action
regarding Ordinance #349
amending Chapter 218 – Zoning, Historic Village District and Development Plan
Review. NOTE: this is Planning Commissar
Ruth Platner’s ultimate power grab.
c. Public hearing and potential action
regarding a CDBG request for the Edwards Lane project preagreement funds in the amount of $130,000 from
the State Office of Housing & Community Development
d. Public hearing and potential action
regarding the proposed Charter amendment questions as recommended by the
Charter Revision Advisory Committee NOTE: this is the collection of seven Town Charter revision proposals. One of them, #7, is good. See analysis here.
14. ANNOUNCEMENTS
a. Board and Commission vacancies
15. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND
PROCLAMATIONS
a. Resolution requiring all registered
voters to present identification at local referendum
b. Resolution in support of South County
and Westerly Hospitals
d. Resolution supporting a referendum
relating to the Code of Ethics
e. Introduction and first reading of Ordinance #350 amending
Chapter 206. Vehicles and Traffic, Article
I.
f. Introduction and first reading of
Ordinance #351 amending Chapter 26. Juvenile
Hearing Board, Section 4. Membership. Motion to order advertised for public
hearing on July 9, 2012.
16. COMMUNICATIONS AND PETITIONS - None
17. APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS
f. Appointments to the Town Administrator’s Search Committee.
Applications received from Ronald J. Areglado, Susan H. Ogle, Sean White, Christopher J.
Sheehan, Richard H. Hosp, Peter W. Arnold, Richard J. Sartor, Janice Falcone,
Anne M. Irons, Leone Mainelli, Janice Carlson, Arthur R. Ganz, David
R. Bailey, Dr. Dolph Santiello, Vaughn P. Ballard, Stephen Hoff, J. Lawrence
Dunn, JoAnne Santos and Steven Santos
18. FISCAL MATTERS
k. Approval of purchasing conservation easement on YMCA
property for $398,000, in conjunction with purchase of same property for
preservation by the Charlestown Land Trust, using open space and recreation
bond funds. NOTE: this is the Y-Gate Scam
l. Resolution authorizing the issuance of not to exceed
$2,000,000 general obligation bonds and notes of the Town of Charlestown
to finance the acquisition, preservation or protection of open space or any
interest therein alone or in conjunction with federal agencies, state agencies,
land conservancies, land trusts or preservation organization for preservation,
Ground water protection or the development of public recreation facilities. NOTE: this is how the Y-Gate Scam will be funded.
m. Approval of the Gate House lease. NOTE: hopefully this will end the long, drawn-out trial the
Town Council has put Bill Clarkin through.
19. LEGAL MATTERS - None
20. ADJOURNMENT