Charlestown Town Council meets again

With Budget Meeting in the can, on to the regular monthly meeting

By Will Collette

The tax rate will jump to $10.22 in the CCA Council's 2016 budget

Last week, the Charlestown Town Council held the special annual Budget meeting to discuss their new budget which raises taxes for the eighth straight year, even though Chariho costs are way down and town spending increases are only modest.

I now believe the Council, comprised entirely of members selected by the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Party) simply raises taxes out of force of habit…and because they can.

The big issue at that Budget meeting was an effort by the CCA and its supporters to articulate some reason why voters should not approve the $1.75 million referendum to save Charlestown’s iconic General Stanton Inn. It was interesting to see them flub around for a reason.

The wildest notion of all was that residents are afraid to voice disapproval of the General Stanton initiative out of fear of some mysterious cabal of rich and powerful denizens who will pounce on them for dissenting.

According to the Westerly Sun, Lorna Persson claimed: “I’m representing the underrepresented population of Charlestown. I got responses from other people in the town who felt they couldn’t speak up publicly because they are a business owner or a practitioner and they don’t want to offend their clients, their business base….This is an organized group with resources and there’s no equal to that in the opposition, and a lot of people who oppose it don’t feel free to speak.”

It’s funny, but that pretty much describes the way the CCA Party (which seems to be opposed to town purchase of the General Stanton Inn) runs this town.

According to RI Secretary of State records, Ms. Persson is the Vice-President of the Meadowbrook-Waldorf Association for the school of the same name in West Kingston.

Anyway, on Monday night, it’s back to regular Town Council business in our one-party town.

Meanwhile, in North Korea, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is convening a once-in-a-generation national Workers’ Congress which is expected to endorse Kim’s continued rule and his nuclear policies without dissent. The only expected controversy will be who is taken out of the hall and shot for failing to applaud and cheer loudly enough.

Sort of like a CCA-led Town Council meeting where all – and I mean all – issues have already been pre-determined by the CCA Party’s Steering Committee in their secret meeting in an undisclosed location.

The only potential wildcard on the agenda for Monday night meeting is the appearance of town curmudgeon Jim Mageau. He is listed as speaking on behalf of the town Memorial Day Parade Committee. Unless the Council has done something to piss him off, Jim is likely to make a very restrained presentation.

Here is the official agenda with a modest number of snarky editorial notes in bold red so you can easily recognize them.

Charlestown Town Council Regular Meeting 5/9/2016 7:00 PM Council Chambers Town Hall   4540 South County Trail   Charlestown, RI 02813
Call to Order Roll Call PUBLIC HEARING A. Public Hearing and Potential Action Regarding the 2016 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Activity Ranking a. CDBG 1st Public Hearing Ad b. CDBG PC adv c. CDBG Reso NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding the Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve Management Plan. This is the plan to manage the piece of property that Charlestown bought at a price well above the actual assessed value. On the agenda for the closed door Executive Session meeting of the Council is another potential open space land acquisition. a. Patricia Sprague Forest Preserve Management Plan FISCAL MATTERS A. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding the Adoption of the FY 2016-2017 Budget, Including Any Warrant Questions and Revisions, to be Put Before the Voters at the Financial Town Referendum on June 6, 2016 This should be a formality, given that the budget and Save the General Stanton Inn referendum have already been discussed at last week's Budget hearing. However, this will give the CCA Party another shot at going after the General Stanton proposal. We should also see who among the CCA Party Town Councilors votes against the referendum, not that they can stop it from going to the voters. Maybe, in their closed Executive Session, the Council will consider tearing down the General Stanton Inn to make more open space if, as I hope, voters approve the town's purchase of the Inn at the June 6 Financial Referendum. a. Budget Transmittal Letter 3-18-16 b. Budget 16-17 Tent for presentation at BPH PERSONS WISHING TO BE HEARD A. Jim Mageau – Charlestown Memorial Day Parade Committee, Inc. and the May 29, 2016 Memorial Day Parade a. PWTBH Mageau and Paliotta b. PWTBH Mageau minus Paliotta PUBLIC COMMENT for items not on the Agenda COUNCIL COMMENTS ADMINISTRATOR, SOLICITOR, COMMISSION REPORTS A. Administrator Report Town Administrator Mark Stankiewicz doesn't actually post his report until later. That's because he works for the Town Council, not the people of the town. B. Commission Reports ANNOUNCEMENTS A. Board and Commission Vacancies a. Vacancies as of 5-9-16 ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS A. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding a Resolution in Support of the Green Economy Bond a. TG agenda item request - Green Economy Bond b. Reso Green Economy Bond c. Green Economy Bond fact sheet 3 -14-16.pdf d. Green Economy Bond Proposed in Governor's 2016 Budget.pdf e. Voter Results State Open Space Bond Referenda 2004 -2014 -.pdf B. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding a Resolution Designating the Second Full Week in May as “Women’s Lung Health Week” a. Reso National Women's Lung Health Week b. 16 Turquoise Takeover 1-Pager.pdf c. Proclamation Request Letter.pdf UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Discussion and Potential Action on a Resolution to Reduce Solid Waste from Single-Use Plastic Bags and Polystyrene Containers NOTE: this started out as a headline-grabbing plan to actually ban plastic packaging, which would have been a first in Rhode Island. I think our Town Councilors have learned media manipulation from state Rep. Blake "Flip" Filippi who is great at grabbing headlines, even though he actually achieves absolutely nothing. Blue smoke & mirrors. Anyway, George Tremblay nailed the Flipper media model on this issue. a. 4-11-16 draft minutes - Solid Waste reso b. plastic bags resolution DRAFT GT 5-4-16 B. Discussion and Potential Action on a Strategy to Enlist Merchants in Promoting the Sale of Re-Usable Tote Bags to Transport Goods from the Store, Authorizing the Town Administrator to Spend an Amount Not to Exceed $10,000 to Subsidize Costs to the Participating Merchants a. GT agenda item request - Strategy to Enlist Merchants in Promoting the Sale of Re-Usable Tote Bags to Transport Goods from the Store CORRESPONDENCE A. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding a Request from the Burrillville Land Trust for Opposition to the Proposed Fracked Gas-Fired Power Plant in the Town of Burrillville a. Burrillville Land Trust Power Plant Opposition CONSENT AGENDA Motion to accept, approve and place on file the following as the consent agenda: “CA” A - “CA” K All of these items are deemed non-controversial and will not be debated. The entire bloc of "Consent Agenda" items will be subject to a single yes or no vote. "CA" A. Town Council Minutes: 1. April 6 (Agenda) a. 2016-4-6 2. April 11, 2016 (Regular) a. 2016-4-11 "CA" B. Reports: 1. Building Official - April 2016 a. Bldg Monthly Report April 16 2. Police Chief - April 2016 Red light camera tickets jumped to 125 in April with 299 for the first four months of 2016. Each ticket is for $85. Charlestown's no-fault contract with the Swedish-owned vendor Sensys prices the system at $17,400 a month. If every ticket issued in April gets paid - which is very unlikely, that will only generate $10,625. The 299 tickets issued so far this year, if 100% paid, would amount to $25,415 against a contract cost of $69,600. Fortunately, Charlestown IS NOT liable for the shortfall. a. Police monthly report Apr 16 3. Public Works Director – April 2016 a. DPW monthly report Apr 16 b. CRCC MONTHLY REPORT 4. Town Clerk - April 2016 Amy seems to have discontinued listing the number of births and deaths in Charlestown, data that has shown a consistent drop in Charlestown's population as the number of deaths outnumber the number of deaths births.  a. Clerk's Monthly Report Apr 16 5. Treasurer's Report - March 2016 a. March 2016 “CA” C. 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: Stedfast Christian Academy - Field Day a. EXCERPT OF DRAFT MINUTES - STEDFAST CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 2016 b. Stedfast Christian Academy 2016 Application 2. Event: Charlestown Skim Bash a. EXCERPT OF DRAFT MINUTES - CHARLESTOWN SKIM BASH b. CHARLESTOWN SKIM BASH APPLICATION 2016 "CA" D. Approval of the following events to occur within the Town of Charlestown per RIGL §31-12-12(a): 1. 2016 Race the State a. Race the State "CA" E. Resignation of Phyllis Penhallow from the Chariho RYSE Building Committee, with Regret A. Penhallow resign from RYSE "CA" F. Award of the Senior/Community Center Emergency Generator Bid to Commercial Electric, Inc. for an Amount Not to Exceed $85,286.00, as Budgeted in Line Item 46.000.5139, 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, or Any Action Relative Thereto A. Sr Center Generator Bid 1 of 2 B. Sr Center Generator Bid 2 of 2 C. award recommendation Preiss D. Commercial Electric - SR Ctr Generator E. Marchant email requesting approval of the CDBG amendment F. Tondra Letter Amend G. AmendForm_DR_Chas022ndPage.xlsx "CA" G. Award of the Professional Trades Services Bid to V & M Construction for Carpentry at Seventy-Three Dollars and Twenty-Seven Cents Per Hour ($73.27) and Painting at Sixty-Two Dollars and Six Cents ($62.06) Per Hour; to Brookside Electric for Electrician at Sixty Dollars ($60.00) Per Hour; CAM HVAC & Construction for HVAC Maintenance and Repair at Eighty Dollars ($80.00) Per Hour; and Stedman & Kazounis for Plumbing at Seventy Seven Dollars and Fifty Cents ($77.50) Per Hour, as Budgeted in Line Item 01.630.6065, 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, or Any Action Relative Thereto A. PROFESSIONAL TRADE AWD 2016 B. Professional Trade Services bid file C. Professional Trade Service FY2016 "CA" H. Approval of the Submission of a Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Large Recreation Development Grant for a New Facility by the Bicycle Pathway Ad Hoc Committee for the Ninigret Park Multiuse Pathway/ a Recreational Linear Park Pathway A. NP MultiPurpose Trail RIDEM grant appl B. NP MultiPurpose Trail RIDEM grant appl EXHIBIT A C. NP MultiPurpose Trail RIDEM grant appl EXHIBIT B D. NP MultiPurpose Trail RIDEM grant appl EXHIBIT C E. NP MultiPurpose Trail RIDEM grant appl EXHIBIT D F. NP MultiPurpose Trail RIDEM grant appl EXHIBIT E G. NP MultiPurpose Trail RIDEM grant appl EXHIBIT F "CA" I. Approval of the Inclusion of Frosty Drew Observatory’s June Viewing of the Milky Way in the Upcoming Pipeline A. Milky Way for Pipeline "CA" J. Approval of the Request of an Advisory from the Parks and Recreation Commission to be Forwarded in Time for the June 13, 2016 Town Council Meeting on Investing $37,970 to Add the ZipKrooz Handicapped Playground Equipment to the Existing Playground Equipment in a Kid’s Place Playground in Ninigret Park to be Paid for from the $1 M Bond A. TG agenda item request - ZipKrooz adv op B. ZipKrooz cost.pdf C. ZipKrooz Assist Parallel "CA" K. Approval of the Request of an Advisory from the Parks and Recreation Commission to be Forwarded in Time for the June 13, 2016 Town Council Meeting on the Award of the Ninigret Park Multi-Purpose Trail Bid to Cardi Corporation for an Amount Not to Exceed $266,927 A. 4-28-16 letter to TC - NP Multi-Purpose Trail bid B. TC Agenda request for 5-9-16 - NP Multi-Purpose Trail bid award C. NP MultiPurpose Trail bid file ADJOURNMENT