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Monday, August 8, 2016

CORRECTION:Town Council meets TUESDAY, not tonight

Dog Days meeting should be short
By Will Collette

My bad. I missed the fact that Charlestown observes the unique and anachronistic Rhode Island holiday of "Victory Day," a.k.a. VJ-Day today. 

So the Council meeting to put a public face on decisions that have already been made in private will take place on Tuesday, not today.

It used to be that Tom and I would put a lot of work into covering the doings at the Charlestown Town Council. But after their election triumph in 2014, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA Alliance) holds every elected office in town, including the Council, and they are likely to retain their death grip on the town because they face hardly any opposition in the November election.

Since most important decisions are pre-determined by the CCA Party’s Steering Committee in their secret monthly meetings, these Council sessions serve to simply provide a platform to announce those decisions. But on occasion, as required by state law, the CCA Council must put some matters up before the public and allow dissenting voices to be hears.

After reviewing this month’s agenda, the only two items likely to provoke even a little sharp dialogue are the two listed under “New Business.” The first is a proposal by Frank Glista to display a propeller from a nearby World War II crash site near the memorial to the Navy flyers who were trained at the Ninigret Auxiliary Air Field (NAAF) which is now Ninigret Park. The prop certainly makes the point that not all of those training flights ended well.

This Town Council has been generally hostile to anything proposed by Frank, including proposals to enhance the town’s recognition of the historic NAAF site. Expect at least some sharp elbows to be thrown over this subject.

The second item under new business is the planned expansion of Burlingame Park through the acquisition of the 42 acre “Dodson Property” by DEM. Normally, nothing, and I mean nothing, gives the CCA a greater thrill that to see more Charlestown real estate get turned into open space.

However, it looks like the Town is going to get a little snippy with DEM because, if you look down the agenda, toward the end, there’s an item in the Consent Agenda that calls for:

“CA” L. Authorization of the Town Administrator to Send a Communication to All State Agencies and Regulatory Boards, to Specifically Include the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health, the Department of Environmental Management and the Water Resources Board, and Any Other Pertinent Agencies, Requesting Notification of Any State Projects Scheduled to Occur Within the Town of Charlestown

This is a reiteration of the “Slattery Doctrine” that Charlestown asserts that no state agency should do anything in Charlestown without checking with the CCA Town Council.

Essentially, any state agency that wants to do anything in Charlestown has to play "Simon Sez" with the Council, meaning with the CCA Party.

The Slattery Doctrine stems from a negotiation between the state Water Resource Board and Frank Glista’s family that led to the state’s purchase of a parcel of land in Cross’ Mills that would be set aside as open space to preserve the underground water resource.

As much as the CCA Council loves open space, they were outraged that the Water Resource Board would do business with the accursed Glista family (see above) or for that matter do anything in Charlestown without their CCA Council’s advice and consent.

This policy, pretty much exclusively focused on the Water Resources Board, essentially lapsed after the residents in and around the CCA Party stronghold in Quonnie finally came to accept the fact their drinking water was imperiled by nitrates and other future threats. At that point, the state Water Resource Board went from being a slimy illegal alien to becoming Quonnie’s potential savior.

It’s funny how self-interest works.

Anyway, it looks like the Slattery Doctrine has returned now that DEM is back in the Charlestown Open Space business. And the great thing for the CCA is that they can't really be held accountable for yet another display of gross hypocrisy.

Here’s the official agenda:

Charlestown Town Council
Regular Meeting
8/9/2016 7:00 PM
Council Chambers
Town Hall   4540 South County Trail   Charlestown, RI 02813
Downloads:

CALL TO ORDER, Moment of Silence, Pledge of Allegiance
ROLL CALL
Roll Call
PUBLIC COMMENT for items not on the Agenda
COUNCIL COMMENTS
ADMINISTRATOR and COMMISSION REPORTS
A. Administrator Report




B. Commission Reports
ANNOUNCEMENTS
A. Board and Commission Vacancies




a.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Public Hearing and Potential Action Regarding the Addition of a Warrant Item on the November 2016 Ballot to Amend the Town Charter to Specify that Any Proposed Warrant Item that Imposes a Tax Burden by Citizen's Petition Shall Require Voter Approval on the November Ballot


a.
b.
Motion to open the Public Hearing
Motion to close the Public Hearing
ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
A. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding a Resolution Relative to the Churchwoods Property, Approving and Authorizing the Assignment and Assumption of Town Affordable Housing Obligations by Churchwoods, LLC from Washington County Community Development Corporation and Mortgage Subordination Agreement Changing Lien Priorities




a.
B. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding a Resolution in Support of the Adoption of a State Law to Restrict the Distribution and Sale of Flavored Nicotine and Tobacco Products, to Ban Tobacco Product Discounting, to Adopt Other Proven Tobacco Retailer Point of Sale Initiatives that Require Minimum Packaging, and to Limit Sales in Proximity to Schools and Playgrounds


a.
b.
c.
C. Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance #373 – Chapter 192 Taxation, Article X – Additional Veterans Exemption; to be Advertised for Public Hearing on September 12, 2016




a.
b.
c.
D. Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance #374 – Chapter 192 Taxation, Article XI – Additional Business Tangible Property Exemption; to be Advertised for Public Hearing on September 12, 2016




a.
b.
c.
FISCAL MATTERS
A. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding the Approval of Budget Transfers in the Amount of $254,070.00, as Requested by Town Treasurer Patricia M. Anderson


a.
b.
NEW BUSINESS
A. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding a WWII Prop Exhibit in Ninigret Park by Air Memorial




a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
B. Discussion and Potential Action Regarding a Recommendation to the RIDEM Regarding the State’s Acquisition of an Approximate 42 Acre Portion of Assessor’s Map 16, Lot 29 - 16 Old Indian Trail in Charlestown (A.K.A – the Dobson Property) to be Incorporated Within the Burlingame Management Area


a.
b.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion to accept, approve and place on file the following as the consent agenda: “CA” A - “CA” M
"CA" A. Town Council Minutes:



a.



a.
b.
"CA" B. Reports:
document
a.



a.



a.


a.
“CA” C. Approval of the Following Events to Occur Within the Town of Charlestown Per RIGL §31-12-12(A):


a.
b.
c.
"CA" D. Acceptance of the Resignation of Jennifer Q. Hodshon from the Bicycle Pathway Ad Hoc Committee with Regret




a.
"CA" E. Approval of the Extension of the September 14, 2015 Authorization to Bradford Associates to Include the Hourly Rates to Perform Construction Monitoring Services for the Multi-Purpose Trail: Project Landscape Architect - $90.00 and Staff Landscape Architect - $65.00; 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.
b.
"CA" F. Award of Heating Fuel and Maintenance Services Bid to Ginger's Service Station for an Amount Not to Exceed "Tank Car" Price Mark-Up of 0.05 Cents/Gallon and "Tank Car" Price Mark-Up Including Taxes of 0.391 Cents/Gallon, as Budgeted in Line Item 01.630.6195 and for Heating System Maintenance and Repair, Hourly Regular Work-Day Cost $85.00/Hour and Night Weekend and Holiday Cost $100.00/Hour as Budgeted in Line Item 01.630.6040, 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, or Any Other Action Relative Thereto




a.
b.
c.
"CA" G. Award of the Conceptual Design(S) for an Integrated Artistic Entry Sign/Monument and Entrance of Ninigret Park to Bradford and Associates for an Amount Not to Exceed $8,200.00, to be Taken from Recreation Bond Account 76.000.5100.000 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 Other Action Relative Thereto




a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
"CA" H. Approve and Reconfirm Town Council Vote of October 14, 2014 for the Sole Source Procurement of Clivus Multrum Composting Toilet Units from Clivus New England 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.
"CA" I. Award of the Rubberized Asphalt Chip Seal Bid to All States Asphalt, Inc. for an Amount Not to Exceed $129,563.60, as Budgeted in Line Item 01.990.9961.000, 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 Other Action Relative Thereto


a.
b.
c.
"CA" J. Award of the Heavy-Duty Dump Truck Bid to Coastal International for an Amount Not to Exceed $134,443.00, as Budgeted in Line Item 01.990.9964.000, 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 Other Action Relative Thereto


a.
b.
c.
"CA" K. Approval of the Request from the Tax Assessor for Abatements in the Amount of $3675.59


a.
b.
“CA” L. Authorization of the Town Administrator to Send a Communication to All State Agencies and Regulatory Boards, to Specifically Include the Department of Transportation, the Department of Health, the Department of Environmental Management and the Water Resources Board, and Any Other Pertinent Agencies, Requesting Notification of Any State Projects Scheduled to Occur Within the Town of Charlestown


“CA” M. Authorization of the Town Administrator to Prepare an Advisory Detailing How the Wastewater Management Commission Can Work on Potable Water Issues, with a Report Back to the Council at the September Meeting
document
ADJOURNMENT