March 23, 2009
7:00 p.m. – Town Council Chambers, Town Hall,
MEMBERS PRESENT:
MEMBERS ABSENT:
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
A moment of silence
for our men and women around the world in harm’s way.
TOWN COUNCIL
CONSENT AGENDA – None.
BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS
ENTERTAINMENT LICENSE
1.
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, to approve the Entertainment License for Providence Rugby Club, Beast of the East Rugby Tournament, Glen Farm Special Events Fields, for April 18-19, 2009. All voted in favor of the motion.
PEDDLER LICENSE
1. Rugby
Imports, Ltd., Beast of the
Events Fields, April 18-19, 2009
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, to approve the Peddler License for Rugby Imports, Ltd., Beast of the East Rugby Tournament, Glen Farm Special Events Fields, for April 18-19, 2009. All voted in favor of the motion.
VICTUALLER LICENSE WITH FEE WAIVER REQUEST
1.
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Plumb, to approve the Victualler License with Fee Waiver for Portsmouth Lions Club, Beast of the East Rugby Tournament, Glen Farm Special Events Fields, April 18-19, 2009. The motion carried 3-0 with Mr. Little abstaining due to a possible conflict of interest.
A motion by Mr. Little, seconded by Seveney, to adjourn as a Board of License Commissioners. All voted in favor of the motion.
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ADJOURN
TOWN COUNCIL
PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - None
MINUTES – TCM 3/9/09 (6:30 p.m.), TCM 3/9/09 (7:00 p.m.) and Exec.
A motion by Mr. Little, seconded by Mr. Plumb, to accept as written the minutes of 3/9/09 (6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.) and Executive Session. The motion carried 3-0 with Mr. Seveney abstaining due to his absence.
BILLS
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, to pay all just and due bills in the amount of $116,811.75. All voted in favor of the motion.
TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Twenty megawatts of energy generated so far (about $3,000. of revenue for Town)
Guaranteed that for first six months we will receive 90% of all energy produced (calculated by available wind speed) and 95% of energy produced for next two years.
There is a two year warranty on the machine.
APPOINTMENTS AND RECOGNITIONS
RECOGNITION: Receipt of $125,000. Grant from the Heritage Foundation/Open Space Committee
Helen Furriel, Open Space Committee, announced the Town of
OLD BUSINESS
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, to approve the change in jurisdiction as presented. All voted in favor of the motion.
President McIntyre presented a town tile to Captain Poirier as the first Naval Station Newport Commanding Officer to attend a Town Council Meeting.
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No action.
NEW BUSINESS
NB 1 and NB 2 were heard together.
NB 1 - Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ending 6/30/08
NB 2 - Presentation Concerning Audited Financial Statements, Management Letters and Single Audit Report
Jim Wilkinson, Braver P.M., presented the Annual Financial Report and answered questions.
A motion by Mr. Little, seconded by Mr. Seveney, to receive and place on file the Annual Financial Report. All voted in favor of the motion.
NB 3 - Request to Revise the School Dept. Budget for FY 2008-09
Item 3 was withdrawn, to be returned on April 13th.
NB 4 - Coyote Coexistence and Management Plan for Aquidneck and Conanicut Islands/Narragansett Bay Coyote Study
Dr. Numi Mitchell asked for
Council members to join a multi-municipal workshop on designing a coexistence
and management plan and implementing it for Aquidneck Island and
A motion by Mr. Plumb, seconded by Mr. Seveney, to have Mr. Plumb and Mr. Hamilton represent the Town Council. All voted in favor of the motion.
NB 5 -
Judi Staven, Chairperson, and committee members Rick Taylor and Robert Gessler presented the annual report.
A motion by Mr. Little, seconded by Mr. Seveney, to authorize a bin at the Transfer Station for
asphalt, brick and concrete (ABC). All voted in favor of the motion.
Mr. Driscoll stated that his office will coordinate a plan
to get credit for diversions. (Diversions
such as the 42.81 tons of Christmas tree chips diverted from the solid waste
stream along with businesses’ privately picked up recycling and the recycling
done on
Mr. Driscoll will work with the Committee on a resident and business recycling plan.
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NB 6 - Joint Earth Day Celebration/Conservation Com., Solid Waste/Recycling Study Com.,
Tree Commission
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, to approve
the use of the
NB 7 -
Esmond Douglas Smith, Chairman, requested the Council authorize DPW to install the granite boundary markers and help with the site clean up. The Committee is developing informational signage telling the history of the site.
NB 8 - Discussion of
A motion by Mr. Little, seconded by Mr.
Seveney, to set up a workshop on the
NB 9 - Memorandum of Agreement/East Bay Energy Consortium
Gary Gump said this is a no cost commitment to the
Town. They will be looking at all renewable
energies requirements across the entire
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, to approve the agreement. All voted in favor of the motion.
NB 10 - Town Council Meeting Protocol Regarding Correspondence Items
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, Council modify its current meeting protocol
to allow any individual councilor to make a case that something coming up under discussion from the Correspondence list looks like it’s going to be a consequential discussion and therefore should be tabled and put on the business agenda for the following meeting. All voted in favor of the motion.
NB 11 - Opposition to House Bill 5122-Placing the Turnpike & Bridge Division under the
Auspices of the Dept. of Transportation
A motion by Mr. Little, seconded by Mr. Seveney, to oppose the bill and send a resolution to our
representatives and the Councils of Middletown and
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RESOLUTION #
2009-03-23
WHEREAS: The Portsmouth Town Council voted
unanimously, at their regularly scheduled Council
Meeting of March 23, 2009, to oppose House Bill 5122, An Act Relating
to State Affairs and Government – Department of Transportation.
The Town Council
is strongly opposed to turning the jurisdiction of all bridges over to the
Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and
WHEREAS: it is their belief that these bridges,
should remain under the jurisdiction of the “Turnpike
and Bridge Division”, of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, and
would be better served by an agency created for their purpose and
not under the auspices of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and
NOW
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the Town of Portsmouth is
strongly opposed
to House Bill 5122 and its implementation, and
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Town
of Portsmouth’s
Delegates to the General Assembly with the request that they inform
their colleagues of this Resolution and that they also oppose House Bill 5122.
ADOPTED: March 23, 2009.
_______________________________
Peter
J. McIntyre, President,
NB 12 - Request to Approve a Revised Vehicle Usage Policy
John King,
President McIntyre said that main issue is the use of town vehicles by department heads with their families and the liability to the Town.
Mr. Driscoll stated that the department heads are on call 24/7 and their personal use of the vehicle has been the Town policy for many years.
A motion by Mr. Plumb, seconded by Mr. Little, to send the policy back to Mr. Driscoll and Mr.
Faucher for a comprehensive review, to make the changes needed and to prepare a new plan. All voted in favor of the motion.
NB 13 - Award of Contract for Melville
A motion by Mr. Little, seconded by Mr. Seveney, to award a
contract for construction to Beachview Building Company, Inc.,
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Mr. Plumb stated for the record that he voted with the majority in case he wants to bring this up at a later date.
NB 14 - Tax Vouchers #
A motion by Mr. Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, to approve Tax Vouchers #20090323 01 –
#20090323 06. All voted in favor of the motion.
CORRESPONDENCE
1. Invitation Response R.E.Gallison
FUTURE MEETINGS
April 8 – 7:00 p.m. – Regional Waste Water Concept Workshop
April 13 – 7:00 p.m. – Town Council Meeting
– HEARING: Proposed amendment to the Animal Control
Ordinance, Ordinance #83-7, as amended (Revised
definition of “Leashed”)
A motion by Mr. Plumb, seconded by Mr. Seveney, to adjourn the meeting. All voted in favor of
the motion.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
RIGL 42-46-5 (a) (2) Potential Litigaton D.A.D’Andrea
RIGL 42-46-5 (a) (2) Collective Bargaining
A motion by Mr. Little, seconded by Mr. Seveney, to go into Executive Session under RIGL
42-46-5 (a) (2) Pending Litigation and RIGL 42-46-5 (a) (2) Collective Bargaining. All
voted in favor of the motion.
TIME: 9:40 p.m.
TIME: 10:56 p.m. - Return
A motion by Seveney, seconded by Mr. Little, to adjourn. All voted in favor of the motion.
ADJOURN
TIME: 10:58 p.m.
_________________________________
Kathleen Viera Beaudoin
Town Clerk