UPDATED: Town Council meeting Tuesday (not Monday)

Here is the ACTUAL agenda, as opposed to the official one

Planning Commissioner and CCA Town Council wannabe
George Tremblay will be back with another dramatic presentation
of his bogus research report on affordable housing

By Will Collette

Note that this month's Council meeting will be Tuesday, not its usual Monday because of Columbus Day. 

A few months ago, I realized that just about everybody who goes to a Town Council meeting, or watches it on Clerkbase, finds that the official, published agenda is pretty useless.

The actual order of business doesn't follow in the same numerical order. A few months ago, it occurred to me that, as a public service, Progressive Charlestown could provide you with the agenda in its actual order so that you can print it out and actually be able to follow it. 

That idea turned out to be pretty popular, so here it is again.

Planning Commission covers its “B-List” at July 25 meeting

Road bond refund, light poles, open space and affordable housing

By Will Collette

After a short hiatus, Charlestown’s version of political root canal, the Planning Commission, returned to action on July 25. Barely.

The Commission assembled a quorum with four of its seven members present. They actually lacked the three member quorum they needed to approve their last set of minutes (you have to have attended the meeting to vote to approve the minutes).

On board for the July 25 meeting: Planning Commissar Ruth Platner, her top lieutenant Linda Fabre (who is moving out of Charlestown), George Tremblay (who has his eye on a Town Council seat) and Alternate Joann Stolle, who brings her style sense and shingle collection to the table. Stolle’s term is up in November, but she is not running for re-election.

Gordon Foer, who is running for re-election, was not present. Neither was Jim Abbott, another member whose term is up but is not seeking to return. Kathryn O’Connor was also absent.

Planning Commission’s remodeling plans at Blue “Shingles” Beach

Formerly known as Blue Shutters

By Will Collette

If you listen through to the end of the Clerkbase recording of the Planning Commission’s March 28 meeting, you arrive at a discussion that is even more surreal than usual for this group. Provided you haven't killed yourself first.

Town Planner Ashley Hahn-Morris is making her formal report to the Commission and hesitantly broaches the topic of a conversation she’d had with two members of the Beach Facilities Committee.

Those committee members were concerned that the Planning Commission might take offense at a variation on the plan for the new beach facilities at Blue Shutters Beach.

The OMG Congress

With unemployment topping 9 percent, the European economy sliding toward an abyss, and Lindsey Lohan posing nude for Playboy, Congress took time out to "reaffirm" In God We Trust as our official national motto.

By Donald Kaul

You can tell politicians are getting nervous. They're playing the "In God We Trust" card again.

You'd think that card's all but worn out — Congress did, after all, make the slogan the nation's official motto in 1956 — but no, something more seems to be required.

Town Political Parties File Financial Reports

Charlestown’s multi-party system

By Will Collette

Halloween was the deadline for the town’s political parties and candidates for public office to file their finance reports for on-going activities with the RI Board of Elections. 

Charlestown is, for all practical purposes, now down to two and a half parties.

The Charlestown Moderate Party filed a notice of dissolution last July. In 2010, the Moderate Party ran a candidate against incumbent Rep. Donna Walsh. Donna wiped the floor with the guy, especially here in Charlestown, so bye-bye Moderate Party. 

Beach facility bingo

This land is your land, Part 3

By Will Collette

This is the third in an occasional series on Charlestown’s regulation of land and property. Read Part One here and Part Two here.

A commenter named T.J. Kahr recently wrote “The Charlestown Planning Commission in action is just so painful…I would rather have my fingernails pulled out one @ a time.”

Yup, that pretty much sums up the experience, whether you go in person or watch the Planning Commission on Clerkbase.

Class War in Charlestown: Affordable Housing and the CCA

A tent in Burlingame is NOT
affordable housing

During its six years of existence, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) and its representatives on the Town Council and Planning Commission have generally voiced support for only three solutions to Charlestown’s failure to comply with the state’s affordable housing law. These are:

1. Defy the law and talk about trying to change it so Charlestown does not have to comply. This has been the town’s default position. Planning Commissar Ruth Platner has been a big proponent of this approach. Her term expires in 2012.
2. Send low-income people somewhere else. Planning Commissioner Linda Fabre has stated that she doesn’t understand why Charlestown can’t meet its mandate by giving people vouchers to move to Westerly. Her term expires in 2012, too.
3. Convert foreclosed properties into affordable housing. Former CCA President and present Town Council Vice-President Dan Slattery is a big fan of this approach. He will also be up for re-election in 2012.

Should Charlestown regulate trees and lights?

Before I piss everyone off, I wish to declare my love for Charlestown’s trees and our amazing night-time sky. Add the water, and let’s not to forget to add the people of Charlestown, and that’s my list of reasons why I love living in this town.

And, also by way of disclaimer, I appreciate the efforts of people in town who have put a lot of work into protecting those resources.

BUT (and I’m sure you knew a “but” was coming), at what point does the town government go overboard in its efforts to protect these treasures?

Class War in Charlestown, Part Three: Closing the Borders

As Charlestown and shoreline RI became prime places to live, those who have their places in paradise want to close the door behind them. Or as Planning Commissar Ruth Platner puts it, “preserve Charlestown’s rural character.”

Exclusionary zoning is an effective way to “preserve Charlestown’s rural character.” Set minimum house lot sizes, micro-manage what types of structures can be built and severely limit the number of building permits issued each year. Peg residential permits to classroom size in the Chariho school system. Block rental property building permits by any means necessary.

Result: Charlestown is 96% white, household incomes exceed the state average by 24% and we have 60% less poverty.

Platner and her six CCA-chosen colleagues on the Planning Commission are the defenders of the gate, determined to make sure Charlestown stays white and wealthy.

In addition to existing ordinances, Platner has created her own criteria to ensure that no new affordable housing will be built in town. She doesn’t want any families with kids – those kids will go to school and cost the town more in Chariho fees.

She doesn’t want renters because they don’t pay property taxes. She doesn’t want senior citizen (+55) housing because older people are more likely to own cats. Cats might run free and if they do, they might eat the birds. Her Planning Commission colleague Linda Fabre wants to give low-income residents vouchers to move to Westerly. In short, if you don’t meet Ms. Platner’s means test for worthiness, get out and stay out.
* White (definitely NOT Narragansett)
* Past child-bearing years or certified sterile
* Not so old that you are a compulsive cat lover
* Able to buy your own home at market rates
* Allergic to asphalt, vinyl and all other man-made building materials. And wind turbines.
* Out-of-state second home buyers, especially from Florida, are welcome! As long as they don’t have cats.
* And finally, no cats.

If Charlestown was in Mississippi, circa 1965, there would be a platoon of US Justice Department civil rights lawyers crawling all over town. Or maybe the ASPCA.