Planning
Commission returns with revised anti-business ordinance proposals
By Will Collette
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| Bring us a shrubbery! |
Planning Commissar Ruth
Platner will take another run at trying to drive the last of Charlestown’s
small businesses out of business as she returns to the Council with revised
versions of her proposed Ordinance #359 on shrubbery and mulch, and Ordinance #360
on parking.
While most Charlestown
residents have probably not thought of shrubbery, mulch and parking as serious
issues in Charlestown, let me tell you that these are issues of paramount
importance for the radical conservationist wing of the CCA Party.
They have
been working for over a year on these issues, using a consultant paid for with
your tax dollars to come up with a comprehensive, minutely detailed approach to
deal with these dire threats to the safety and well-being of the town’s
citizens.
The October presentation of
these ordinances did not go well for Platner or for fellow CCA Party leader
Faith Labossiere, who actually proposed stronger and more expansive controls
over mulch and shrubbery.
Labossiere held the podium for an hour on October 7
to expound on the need to strictly police what town businesses do to promote
the planting and maintenance of berry-growing shrubbery on their property, and
to also crack down on businesses who do not lay down deep layers of natural
mulch.
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| Meet Charlestown's new shrubbery and mulch volunteer patrol |
The other speakers at the
October 7 Council hearing did not share Platner’s or Labossiere’s zeal in
adding yet another mandate onto Charlestown’s shrinking small business base or
more unenforceable laws on Charlestown property owners.
The Planning Commission made
some minor changes at its November 19 meeting. Unfortunately, you can’t watch
their deliberations because there is no Clerkbase video – the meeting site was
moved.
The linked versions of the proposed ordinances is a mish-mosh of colors and charts that is difficult - almost impossible - to follow. When Platner originally presented the ordinances, the Planning Commission simply struck out all of the existing ordinances and presented all of the proposed ordinances as if the two were entirely different.
You could not tell what changes had been made. This presented a serious public relations problem as businesses looked at the entirety of the language and realized the extent to which town government intended to screw them. That made Platner - actually, Ashley Hahn, our recently departed town Planner - scramble to come up with a before-and-after presentation that made it look less like the Planning Commission had totally lost its collective mind.
Platner needed to be able to say that a lot of what is in the ordinances is actually already in existing law or is similar. Thus, the inscrutable and basically useless color-coding.
You could not tell what changes had been made. This presented a serious public relations problem as businesses looked at the entirety of the language and realized the extent to which town government intended to screw them. That made Platner - actually, Ashley Hahn, our recently departed town Planner - scramble to come up with a before-and-after presentation that made it look less like the Planning Commission had totally lost its collective mind.
Platner needed to be able to say that a lot of what is in the ordinances is actually already in existing law or is similar. Thus, the inscrutable and basically useless color-coding.
All this is consistent with
Planning Commissar Ruth Platner’s on-going practice of limiting public access
to information and minimizing public input. Let people either trust her to act
in their best interests or try to figure it all out for themselves.
That’s good government, CCA style.
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| Cliff Vanover - next in line for a CCA political patronage appointment? |
That’s good government, CCA style.
Also on the agenda is the
roll-out of the plan to come up with a scheme for the newly acquired town
property officially called the Charlestown Moraine Preserve, better known by
most as the former site of the Whalerock wind turbine proposal.
There’s also the surprise
resignation of David Provancha as Alternate #1 to the Zoning Board of Review
(ZBR). Provancha was only just re-appointed in October. This allows CCA Party
bard Mike Chambers to move up from Alternate #1 to #2 and creates another slot
for the CCA Party majority on the Town Council to make another political
appointment. I have heard that the only contender at the moment is CCA Party
leader Cliff Vanover.
Really.
Here’s the Town Council
agenda for its December 9 meeting which starts at 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall. My snarky comments and
predictions appear in bold
red.
1. CALL TO ORDER, Moment of Silence, Pledge of Allegiance. NOTE: It will be interesting to see if Council Boss Tom Gentz uses this moment to honor Nelson Mandela. I doubt it, but it would be nice to see. We're also coming up on the first anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School slaughter, but I doubt Gentz will touch that one either.
2. ROLL CALL
Motion to move items 7a, 15c, 12, 9a and 9b to be heard next on the Agenda
7. UNFINISHED
BUSINESS
a. Discussion and potential action
regarding the presentation of the Hometown Hero Award to the Charlestown
Historical Society
15. ORDINANCES,
RESOLUTIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
c. Discussion and potential action
regarding the presentation of a Proclamation for Joshua Alan Hedin in recognition of his attaining
the rank of Eagle Scout
12. CONSENT
AGENDA
All items marked with “CA” are
to be considered consent agenda
Motion to accept, approve and place on file the following as the consent agenda:
8a, 11a, 11b, 13a, 13b, 17a, 17b, 18a, and 18b.
NOTE: the “Consent Agenda” is for non-controversial items that are
not discussed or debated, but are simply approved as a bloc on a single vote.
Often, either Councilor Lisa DiBello or Deputy Dan Slattery pull an item off
the consent agenda when they want to make a point or grind an ax.
8. NEW
BUSINESS
“CA” a. Discussion and potential action regarding
the placement of the Affordable Housing questionnaire from the RI League of
Cities and Towns and the answers provided by the Town on the Town's website and
authorization for the Town Administrator to facilitate future requests from
Councilors for information to be placed on the Town’s website
11. LICENSES
AND PERMITS
“CA” a. Discussion
and potential action regarding the approval of a retail firearms dealer’s license
for the following
businesses, subject to receipt of all required Local approvals and State and
Federal licenses:
1. Carolina Consultants, 110 Carolina
Back Road
2. Brad’s Guns, 4203 S County Trail
NOTE: Owner Raymond Bradley describes the business as "Firearms Internet Sales" being sold from an R-40 zoned dwelling. I wonder how much ammunition he has stored on site.
Bradley is one of the organizers of "We the People of Exeter," the group composed largely of people NOT from Exeter, who petitioned to force the December 14th recall election of four of the five members of the Exeter Town Council.
NOTE: Owner Raymond Bradley describes the business as "Firearms Internet Sales" being sold from an R-40 zoned dwelling. I wonder how much ammunition he has stored on site.
Bradley is one of the organizers of "We the People of Exeter," the group composed largely of people NOT from Exeter, who petitioned to force the December 14th recall election of four of the five members of the Exeter Town Council.
“CA” b. Discussion and potential action
regarding the approval of the following events at Ninigret Park with a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation
Commission, subject to review of contracts by the Town Solicitor, receipt of
all applicable paperwork and insurance and that all event details are
satisfactorily met by the Parks and Recreation Director:
2. Event: Rhythm & Roots
Park Reservation (Setup): August 23 – September 4, 2014
Event Dates: August 29 – 31, 2014
Camping: 1,500 Max Campers
Insurance: $2 Million General Liability; $2 Million Liquor
Liability
Fee: $9,000.00
13. MINUTES
AND REPORTS
“CA” a. Town Council Minutes:
November 6; November 12 (Executive and Regular)
“CA” b. Reports:
Building Official – November 2013; Police Chief – November
2013; Public Works Director – November 2013; Town Clerk – November 2013;
Treasurer – October 2013; Wastewater Manager – November 2013
17. APPOINTMENTS
AND RESIGNATIONS
“CA” a. Discussion and potential action regarding the acceptance of the resignation, with regret, of David Provancha from the Zoning Board of Review as Alternate #1.
NOTE: Provancha was re-appointed just last October 7. His resignation means CCA Party pundit Mike Chambers, who was given a political patronage appointment to the ZBR as Alternate #3, moves up a notch. And it creates another slot for the CCA Party Town Council Majority to give out another patronage appointment to one of their supporters. Is there anyone else among Ron Arglado’s flock who hasn’t gotten a patronage appointment?
“CA” b. Appointment of Donna M. Deyorio
to the Parks and Recreation Commission, term to expire in
January of 2016
18. FISCAL
MATTERS
“CA” a. Discussion and potential action
regarding the award of the Heavy Duty Pickup Truck bid to Flood Ford of East Greenwich for a Ford F-350HD
with radio, plow and frame for the net bid price of $37,400 through a
lease-purchase agreement as budgeted through line item 990-9916, and
authorization of the Town Administrator and Town Treasurer, each, to take any
and all such actions, and execute and deliver such certificates, receipts or
other documents as may be necessary to carry into effect the foregoing
