Change of venue - at the Police Station, NOT Town Hall
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| Get ready for Charlestown's monthly cat fight |
The Charlestown Council holds its regular monthly meeting
Monday, June 9 at 7 PM.
This meeting will not be in the Town Council Chambers at Town Hall, but at the Charlestown Police Station. I don't know what this will do to Clerkbase accessability. Probably nothing good.
Before the open session, the Council will meet in closed-door Executive Session to discuss two items: the two-year old lawsuit by Town Council member Lisa DiBello against the Town and a host of past and present town officials, and the never-ending litigation between Charlestown and Shelter Cove LLC (a.k.a. Johnny Angels) over beach parking.
This meeting will not be in the Town Council Chambers at Town Hall, but at the Charlestown Police Station. I don't know what this will do to Clerkbase accessability. Probably nothing good.
Before the open session, the Council will meet in closed-door Executive Session to discuss two items: the two-year old lawsuit by Town Council member Lisa DiBello against the Town and a host of past and present town officials, and the never-ending litigation between Charlestown and Shelter Cove LLC (a.k.a. Johnny Angels) over beach parking.
On tonight’s agenda is the formal adoption of the new Town
Budget recently approved by voters on a ridiculously low voter turnout. This
budget will also formalize the hike in the tax rate by a larger amount than
previously advertised by this Council and a rise in the total amount of taxes
the town will collect.
In this Council meeting, we will see Planning Commissar Ruth
Platner repudiate her long-held reverence to putting land aside for open space
because, in this instance, the buyer of the land is the state Water Resources
Board (not one of Ruth’s preferred groups) and the seller of the land is
someone she doesn’t like.
We’ll see a proposal to buy another chunk of strategic land,
also for open space, using money the town of Charlestown no longer has, having
spent it all to block the Whalerock wind turbine project.
We will see Jim Mageau step up to the microphone to attack
two town citizens. We will see more futile weeping and gnashing of teeth over
our differences with our Chariho partners.
As always, there is a lot more and many, many more ways for
our Councilors to find new ways to entertain us with their good government
skills.
Here is the agenda arranged to reflect the actual order of
business. My snide and nasty comments appear as usual in the appropriate spots
in sharp bold
red.
1. CALL TO ORDER, Moment of Silence,
Pledge of Allegiance
2. ROLL CALL
Motion
to move items 15a, 15b, 15c, 18a,
18b, 12 and 8b to be heard next
on the Agenda
15. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND
PROCLAMATIONS
a. Resolution of Respect in honor of
Thomas C. DePatie
b. Resolution of Respect in honor of
Carol M. Miller
c. Resolution of Respect in honor of
Janette H. Nielsen
18. FISCAL MATTERS
a. Discussion and potential action
regarding the approval of the Annual Fiscal Resolutions to
set the Budget and the Tax Rate
NOTE: this resolution makes the hike in the tax rate
official, except it’s now even higher than it was when the budget was
advertised and put up for a vote. The new rate will be $9.90, not $9.87. This
adds to the CCA Party's sux-year unbroken string of tax hikes, each year since they took control of town
government.
b. Discussion and potential action regarding the approval of a resolution authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds and notes of the Town of Charlestown not to exceed $2,000,000 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.
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: 11a, 13a, 13b, 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d, 18c,
18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, and 18h
NOTE: “Consent
agenda” items are voted on as a bloc without discussion or debate because they
are supposed to be non-controversial. However, it is rare when there aren’t at
least a couple of items that Councilors Lisa DiBello or Dan Slattery wanted
pulled off for chewing over. Which will they be this month?
11. LICENSES AND PERMITS
“CA”
a. 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:
1. Event: Chariho High School Boys Soccer – Summer 2014 Games and Practice
Event Dates: Tuesday and
Friday evenings from June 17, 2014 to August 22, 2014 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00
p.m.
Camping: N/A
Insurance: $1 Million
General Liability
Fee: Waived
13. MINUTES AND REPORTS
“CA”
a. Town Council Minutes:
1. May 5 (Budget Public Hearing)
2. May 7
3. May 12 (Executive and Regular)
“CA” b. Reports:
1. Building Official – May 2014 Surprisingly little construction activity in town over the past month.
2. Police – May 2014
3. Public Works Director
– May 2014
4. Town Clerk – May 2014 - Death is increasing its lead over Births - current score 18 to 13. Joy in the CCA Party clubhouse as Charlestown continues to shed population.
5. Treasurer – April 2014
17. APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS
“CA”
a. Discussion and potential action regarding the appointment of Gordon Mahan to the Senior Citizens Commission,
term to expire in January of 2015
“CA”
b. Discussion and potential action regarding the acceptance of the resignation
of Cheryl Dowdell from the Friends of Ninigret Park
Subcommittee with regret
“CA” c. Discussion and potential action regarding the
acceptance of the resignation of Robert
W. Beggs, Jr. the Economic
Improvement Commission with regret
“CA”
d. Discussion and potential action regarding the reappointment of Richard Phelan to the Coastal Ponds
Management Commission, term to expire in March of 2017
18. FISCAL MATTERS
“CA”
c. Discussion and potential action regarding the award of the Heating Fuel and Maintenance Services bid to Ginger’s Service Station for a markup price of
$.05 per gallon, with a Regular Hourly Cost of $68.00 per hour and a Night,
Weekend and Holiday Cost of $85.00 per hour, as budgeted in line items
01.620.6020 and 01.620.6040, 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
“CA”
d. Discussion and potential action regarding the award of the Roll Off Hauling bid to R.P.E. Waste Services for a two-year period
in the amount of $170.00 per trip to Johnston in the first year and $175.00 per
trip to Johnston in the second year, as budgeted in line items 05.000.6055 and
05.000.6060, 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
“CA”
e. Discussion and potential action regarding the award of the Audit Services bid [SIC] to Cayer Caccia, LLP in the amount of $84,000 (FY2015 - $28,000; FY2016 -
$28,000; FY2017 - $28,000), as budgeted in line item 01.940.9435, 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
“CA”
f. Discussion and potential action regarding the approval of
the Solid Waste and Recycling Services Agreement with Rhode Island Resource
Recovery Corporation for Fiscal Years 2015-2017 and authorization for the
Town Administrator and Town Solicitor to sign, funding as budgeted from CRCC
line item (05.000.6055)
“CA”
g. Request from the Tax Assessor for abatements in the amount of $255.75
“CA” h. Discussion and potential action regarding the award of the Senior/Community Center Cleaning bid to Mark Russo in the amount of $30/day regular rate and $45 per diem emergency rate with the possibility of 1 year extension with Council approval at $30/day, for the 2015 fiscal year, as budgeted in line item 800.6065, 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.
Technically, the town is "accepting" the bid and awarding the "contract," not awarding the bid as this is written in items a, d, e, and h. Yes, this is a picky point, but the Town needs to be a more diligent about the way it deals with contracting evidenced by its questionable contracting decision at last month's meeting.
8. NEW BUSINESS
b. Discussion and potential action regarding plans to secure a new public water supply at Cross Mills, with Ken Burke, General Manager of the RI Water Resources Board
NOTE: this item could be interesting as it was already attacked by the Planning Commission. The state Water Resources Board is interested in
buying some land owned by Frank Glista and holding it as open space to preserve
the clean water resource.
Going against everything she’s ever said in the past,
Planning Commissar Ruth Platner OPPOSES this open space acquisition by the
state on the grounds that any such water resource might under some unknown
conditions turn into a public water supply and, according to Commissar Platner,
and public water supply automatically means high-density development. At least
that’s what she said at the last planning commission meeting.
For evidence as to how a public water supply automatically
creates high-density development, well, gee, let’s all look to see if that’s
what happened over the decades since Shady
Harbor and Quonochontaug Central set up public water supplies.
By the way, the state would do secure this open space/water resource WITHOUT town money.
3. PUBLIC COMMENT for items not on the
Agenda
4. COUNCIL COMMENTS
5. PERSONS WISHING TO BE HEARD
a. James M. Mageau - 2014 Spring/Summer Parks and Recreation Programs
NOTE: Jim is mad about Parks & Recreation, the fees it
charges and seems to want to pick a fight with Cheryl Dowdell and Julia
Beasley, as he raised “possible conflicts of interest” they might have
committed. Under the Council rules, there generally is no interaction between
the “Person Wishing to Be Heard” and anyone else, but I wouldn’t count on that
in this instance.
6. ADMINISTRATOR, SOLICITOR, COMMISSION
REPORTS
a. Town Administrator
b. Commission Reports
7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a. Discussion and potential action regarding the reconsideration of the proposed joint meeting of the Chariho Town councils and the Chariho School committee to hear testimony from the elected representatives on the School Committee, per the request of Committee Member Ron Areglado
NOTE: Charlestown’s guru for morality and ethics, the
Honorable Ron Areglado, thinks that even though it would be a total waste of
time, that the Town Councils of the three Chariho Towns and the Chariho School
Committee should still get together to discuss their grievances. Let’s all
sing….”Getting to know you, getting to know all about you….”
b. Discussion and potential action
regarding the submission of two agenda items for discussion at the Joint
Meeting of the Chariho Governing Bodies, with specific
reference to section and language from the Act
c. Discussion and potential action
regarding Senate Bill 3039 An Act Relating to the Chariho Regional School District
(Matriculation)
d. Discussion and potential action regarding the request from the Ad Hoc Chariho Withdrawal Committee to allow the Town Administrator's Office to distribute the Special Edition of the Pipeline to all Charlestown residents, and to post the Pipeline and all Background Information used by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Town's website
NOTE: Items b., c. and d. are all the proof you need that
Item a. is stupid. The one saving grace in all of this is that the General
Assembly isn’t going to touch this silliness with a ten-foot barge pole. Chariho was a marriage of convenience – a ménage a trois – for three towns that couldn’t handle the costs of a modern school system on their own. They hacked out a rough consensus in the form of the Chariho Act.
Ever since, the towns have taken turns each year complaining that the other two towns are picking on them and ripping them off.
Then, it blows over because, as enrollment numbers change, some
other town takes up the drumbeat that it is being exploited. None of this is
going to change no matter how much incense Swami Areglado burns or how much
Councilor Dan Slattery huffs and blusters – the only real interest I have in
this is whether Slattery’s tomato head will actually explode.
e. Discussion and potential action regarding the acceptance of the Community Garden at Ninigret Park lease termination from the Southern Rhode Island Volunteers and approval of an administrative change of the Garden at Ninigret Park from the Town of Charlestown to the Jonnycake Center of Westerly 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
NOTE: Looks like yet another marriage that didn’t work out
and an alternative arrangement is in the offing. I hope this will all work out
to the best advantage of all these very important community programs.
8. NEW BUSINESS
a. Discussion and potential action regarding interest in the purchase of AP 13, Lot 5
NOTE: Our temporary Town Planner Jane Weidman thinks it would
be a good idea for the town to buy an open lot near the General Stanton Inn as
open space for somewhere less than $250,000. While it’s a nice piece of
property, strategically located, Charlestown has already blown through all of
its open space/recreation money to buy the proposed site of the Whalerock wind
farm.
Given our sixth consecutive tax increase, where does Jane
think this $250,000 is going to come from? Is there some conscience-stricken
“anonymous abutter” willing to kick in the money?
c. Discussion and potential action
regarding Senate Bill 2034 and House Bill 7593 (Ethics
Commission)
d. Discussion and potential action
regarding a letter of support for Wood River Health Center encouraging the legislative
delegation to continue to support health center funding in the federal budget
NOTE: Wood River is in some serious financial trouble due to
cutbacks in federal and state funding. Between sequestration and radical House
Republicans obduracies, funding for community health centers is drying up. Low
income families in our area NEED this service.
However, I doubt that our Congressional delegation needs much prodding on this issue since they are all very much on top of it. They’re not the problem – it’s the Tea Party.
However, I doubt that our Congressional delegation needs much prodding on this issue since they are all very much on top of it. They’re not the problem – it’s the Tea Party.
9. PUBLIC HEARINGS
The
public hearing regarding the 2014 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
Activity Ranking has been rescheduled to June 23, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. at the
Charlestown Police Station.
10. COUNCIL SITTING AS BEVERAGE LICENSING
BOARD
a. Public Hearing and potential action regarding the following application for beverage license - Old Mill Diner LLC d/b/a “Old Mill Diner” to apply to premises located at 4349 South County Trail – Class BV Limited. Designated premises: restaurant and deck/patio only; daily from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm This is the license request from what used to be the Gentleman Farmer.
b. Motion to order advertised for public hearing on July 14, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., the
following applications for beverage license:
VSA Arts Rhode Island for a Class F Liquor License, fee to
be waived for the Rhythm and Roots event to be held at Ninigret
Park on August 29 – alcohol served 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., August 30 – alcohol
served 11:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., August 31 – alcohol served 11:00 a.m. until
11:00 p.m.
14. ANNOUNCEMENTS
a. Board and Commission vacancies
15. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND
PROCLAMATIONS
d. Discussion and potential extension of the Temporary Moratorium on the Permitting and Licensing of Excavation, Quarrying, Mining and Material Processing Facilities for an additional three months
NOTE: Extending the moratorium seems to be the only thing Charlestown is willing (or finds itself able) to do to curb problems connected with
quarries. However, it can’t keep doing this forever.