MINUTES
EXETER TOWN COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING
JANUARY 8, 2024
The Town Council President and one Council Member being late, the three Council
Members present asked the Town Clerk to commence the meeting.
The Town Clerk led Council and the Public in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Special Meeting of the Exeter Town Council was called to order at 6:10 p.m., on Monday, January 8, 2023, in Council Chambers, Exeter Clerk’s Office, 675 Ten Rod Road, Exeter, Rhode Island.
Roll Call: Daniel W. Patterson Late
Michael A. Lefebvre Late
Diane Bampton-Allen Present
Olivia DeFrancesco Present
Calvin A. Ellis Present
Also Present: Lynn M. Hawkins, Town Clerk
Kenneth G. Findlay, Council Assistant
Maria Lawler, Town Treasurer
A) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCE CENTER, $3,500.00; B) HOME REPAIRS,
UP TO $7,000.00; C) VEHICLE REPAIRS, UP TO $3,500.00; D) TREE REMOVAL/
STOVE REPLACEMENT OR REPAIRS, UP TO $7,000.00:
MOTION made by Mr. Ellis to approve Reynolds Charitable Trust Requests A through D as presented; seconded by Ms. DeFrancesco; and voted unanimously in the affirmative.
MOTION made by Mr. Ellis to approve Resolution Urging Passage of State Legislation
Regarding General Assembly Appropriations in-Lieu-of Property Tax for State-Owned
Properties in the Town of Exeter; seconded by Ms. Allen.
Discussion: Council has introduced and adopted this resolution for several years hoping that
the Town will get PILOT money from the State.
Back to the Motion: Voted unanimously in the affirmative.
FOR TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER TO SERVE ON CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE:
Council received the request from Superintendent James Erinakes on December 21, 2023.
Ms. Allen volunteered to be the Representative for the Town Council
MOTION made by Ms. DeFrancesco to appoint Council Member Diane Allen as the
Representative for the Exeter Town Council on the Exeter-West Greenwich School
District Charter Review Committee; seconded by Mr. Ellis.
Discussion: Council thanked Ms. Allen.
Back to the Motion: Voted unanimously in the affirmative.
Mr. Lefebvre arrived to the meeting at 6:16 p.m.
The Town recently received three substantial solar permit fees, which were processed as building permit fees. Half of building fees go to the Town as income, and the other half disbursed among the inspectors. The Town Planner did the review and work on these solar projects. As they are new and substantial, Town Treasurer Maria Lawler seeks guidance on distribution. Should they be treated as building permits or in a different way? Should more than fifty percent be retained by the Town? Discussion ensued. Ms. Allen suggested that half go to the Town and the other half go to the Town Planner to use for consultants to assist him with his workload. Ms. DeFrancesco thought
it premature to decide how to handle these fees because these projects being new, may require outside experts to be retained. Ms. Lawler suggested taking the Town’s half as income and putting the other half in a liability account to be distributed before the end of the fiscal year.
MOTION made by Mr. Ellis to direct Town Treasurer Maria Lawler to hold solar project fees until further consideration by the Town Council; seconded by Ms. DeFrancesco.
Discussion: The Clerk will write the Town Planner to let him know that the funds are available for outside consultants if needed or other assistance he will need with these projects, that further
discussion will ensue regarding disbursement of these funds, and that Council would appreciate
his input, opinion, and ideas.
Back to the Motion: Voted unanimously in the affirmative.
Mr. Patterson arrived to the meeting at 6:26 p.m., and took over the meeting.
The policy is in need of updating. Mr. Findlay distributed
a draft of the policy and Attachment A proposing changes coinciding with the Union Contract. Lengthy discussion and review took place. Decisions and changes were made. This agenda
item will be carried to Council’s February 5, 2024, agenda for possible adoption.
The Town’s bank charges $20.00 for checks returned for insufficient funds. One Town department charges the fee. The others do not. Treasurer Maria Lawler seeks guidance as to whether all departments should charge the bank fees. Discussion ensued.
MOTION made by Mr. Patterson for all departments to charge $35.00 for all bounced
checks; seconded by Ms. Allen.
Discussion: Following discussion, Council felt $35.00 a little harsh. Mr. Patterson amended
his motion and Ms. Allen seconded as follows:
MOTION made by Mr. Patterson for all departments to charge $25.00 for bounced
checks; seconded by Ms. Allen; and voted unanimously in the affirmative.
The Clerk will inform all departments and will inform them to post this policy.
Ms. DeFrancesco put this item on the agenda. 1) Many cities and towns are now streaming public meetings, either through a service or directly
to YouTube. How can the Town?; 2) Department computers do not “talk” to each other. The
staff cannot access each other’s computers and programs. Is an “intranet” needed? Discussion ensued. IT Director, James Angi, will be asked to look into streaming meetings and linking computers and report back to Council his findings, suggestions, and costs.
Council, Mr. Findlay, and Ms. Lawler engaged in lengthy discussion.
The impact fee schedule imposed on developers was revised some years ago. A business owner in Town, the first under the new fee schedule, was recently charged approximately $40,000.00 for impact fees, which he feels is exorbitant. Commercial buildings are charged $4619.00 per 1000 square feet. Warehouses are charged $371.00 per 1000 square feet. His property was charged as all commercial. His property and the fees applied will be reviewed by the Tax Assessor and Town Planner to determine if there should be an adjustment in the fees applied.
When the impact fee ordinance was revised, along with the fee scheduled, brine equipment
and a Public Works truck were identified as projects that the impact fees would pay for. Discussion ensued. Have the projects been paid for? If not, how much is outstanding?
Director of Public Works Rob Shappy will be consulted. If there is a balance owing,
perhaps the difference could be paid with American Recovery Funds; and then, a new
study can be conducted, the ordinance reviewed and rewritten, especially regarding the
fees, and new project(s) assigned.
Section 505(c), Purchasing and Accounting Control: The language will be changed to reflect
that purchases will follow State law and local ordinance.
Section 703, Conservation Commission: This section indicates that the Commission
will be comprised of seven people. The revision to this section would change the
required number of members from seven to five, which may be an easier number to
achieve to form a commission.
Section 301(b), Date and Purpose of Annual Financial Town Meeting: The Financial
Town Meeting dictates how the Town’s taxes will be spent. Language will be incorporated
to provide for processing of non-taxpayer funds, such as grant money received during a
fiscal year.
Regarding the position of Social Services Director, it was changed at the Election of 2022
from elected to appointed, effective two years from passage; i.e., November 2024. Section
613, Eligibility of Elected Officials, Town Employment, prohibits an elected official from
being appointed to a position within the one year following the end of their last term.
Town Solicitor James Marusak will be consulted on whether this section will apply in the
case of a position being changed from elected to appointed.
MOTION made by Mr. Patterson to adjourn the meeting; seconded by
Ms. DeFrancesco; and voted unanimously in the affirmative.
The Special Meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lynn M. Hawkins, CMC
Exeter Town Clerk
Approved: February 5, 2024