THIS MEETING CAN BE HEARD IN ITS ENTIRETY ON THE TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN WEBSITE WWW.MIDDLETOWNRI.COM OR THE DVD IS AVAILABLE AT THE MIDDLETOWN LIBRARY.
5:30 P.M.
Council President Paul M. Rodrigues, Presiding
Vice President Thomas P. Welch, III
Councillor Peter D. Connerton, Sr.
Councillor Christopher M. Logan
Councillor Emily M. Tessier
Councillor Dennis B. Turano
Councillor Barbara A. VonVillas, Members Present
POSTED NOVEMBER 1, 2023
REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 6, 2023
TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND
The following items of business, having been filed with the Town Clerk under the Rules of the Council, will come before the Council at a regular meeting to be held on Monday, November 6, 2023 at 5:30 P.M. Executive Session, Town Business Updates – Immediately following Executive Session and 6:30 P.M. Regular Meeting at the Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road, Middletown, Rhode Island. Said meeting will be conducted in person, by telephone conference call/ webinar, members of the public may access and listen to the meeting in real-time by calling 1-877-853-5257 (Toll Free) or 1-888-475-4499 (Toll Free) and entering Meeting ID: 869 8082 3189 or on the web at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86980823189
If you chose to join the meeting by zoom or telephone, Council Rules allow for the Public to speak only during the Public Forum and Public Hearings. If calling in by telephone, pressing *9 raises your hand and pressing *6 will unmute.
The items listed on the Consent portion of the agenda are to be considered routine by the Town Council and will ordinarily be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Council, or a member of the public so requests and the Town Council President permits, in which event the item will be removed from Consent Agenda consideration and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. All items on this agenda, with the exception of the Public Forum Session, may be considered, discussed, and voted upon in executive session and/or open session.
Pursuant to RIGL §42-46-6(b). Notice – “Nothing contained herein shall prevent a public body, other than a school committee, from adding additional items to the agenda by majority vote of the members. Such additional items shall be for informational purposes only and may not be voted on except where necessary to address an unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action to protect the public or to refer the matter to an appropriate committee or to another body or official.”
Any person not a member of the Council, desiring to address the Council concerning a matter on the docket of the Council, not the subject of a Public Hearing, shall submit a written request to the Town Clerk stating the matter upon which he desires to speak. Persons are permitted to address the Council for a period not to exceed five (5) minutes.
The Middletown Town Council follows the codification of present-day general parliamentary law as articulated in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 10th edition (2000), together with whatever rules of order the Council has adopted for its own governance. The motion to reconsider is one of the motions that can bring a question again before an assembly, and is designed to bring back for further consideration a motion which has already been voted on:
If, in the same session that a motion has been voted on, but no later than the same day or the next day on which a business meeting is held, new information or a changed situation makes it appear that a different result might reflect the true will of the assembly, a member who voted with the prevailing side can, by moving to Reconsider [RONR (10th ed.), p. 304-321] the vote,
propose that the question shall come before the assembly again as if it had not previously been considered. (From Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief, Robert, Evans et al., De Capo Press, 2004)
There were no reconsiderations.
1. Executive Session - Pursuant to provisions of RIGL, Sections 42-46-2, 42-46-4 and 42-46-5 (a), (5) Land Acquisition, (5) Land Acquisition and (2) Potential Litigation - review, discussion and/or potential action and/or vote in executive session and/or open session.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to recess open session and reconvene in executive session at 5:31 p.m.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to recess executive session and reconvene in open session at 5:45 p.m.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive the Gauch claim and refer to the RI Interlocal Risk Management Trust.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to seal the executive session minutes pursuant to Section 42-46-7. RIGL.
2. The Town Administrator will provide an update on Town Projects.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to begin said update on the Town Projects.
Town Administrator Shawn Brown reviewed the following Project Update memorandum, entered here:
3. The Town Administrator will provide an update on the School Building Project.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to begin said update on the School Building Project.
Town Administrator Shawn Brown reviewed the following memorandum, entered here:
Discussion centered around trying to secure more reimbursement from the State for the project, if the School Bond passes on November 7, 2023, and there will be input from the teachers regarding school building furnishings.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded it was voted unanimously to recess this meeting at 6:10 pm.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to reconvene this meeting at 6:30 pm.
4. Pursuant to Rule 25 of the Rules of the Council, Citizens may address the town on one (1) subject only, said subject of substantive Town business, neither discussed during the regular meeting nor related to personnel or job performance. Citizens may speak for no longer than five (5) minutes and must submit a public participation form to the Council Clerk prior to the start of the meeting. All items discussed during this session will not be voted upon.
No one spoke during this session.
5. Approval of Minutes, re: Regular Meeting, October 16, 2023.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to approve said minutes.
6. Memorandum of Paul A. Croce, Chair, Middletown Planning Board, re: 2023 RI General Assembly Session – Housing related bills. (Council action to advertise for public hearing)
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive said memorandum and advertise for a future public hearing.
7. Resolution of the Council, re: National Veterans Small Business Week 2023 Proclamation.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to pass said resolution.
8. License of Burial, re: Christopher Browe – Section 56, Lot 10.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to grant said license of burial.
9. License of Burial, re: Aubrey L. O’Garro – Section 56, Lot 11.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to grant said license of burial.
10. Continued from the October 16, 2023, Regular Meeting.
(Public Hearing Advertised)
Applications received from the following named persons, firms or corporations for RENEWAL of Victualling House Licenses, Additional Hours of Operation, for the 2023-2024 licensing year. (See attached list)
Public Hearing was declared open.
There being no persons present desiring to be heard, public hearing was declared closed.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to grant said license renewals.
11. Application for Special Event Permit by Embrace Home Loans for the Embrace Home Loans Holiday Party at 25 Enterprise Drive to be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to grant said Special Event Permit.
12. Communication of James I. “Jimmy” Winters, President, NAACP, re: Request for support for programs – Sponsors for its 101st Annual Awards Dinner.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive said communication and authorize and approve a donation in the amount of $125.00 to be appropriated from the Council President’s Discretionary Fund.
13. Memorandum of Councillor Connerton, re: MHS Mock Trial Team Donation Request.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to receive said memorandum and approve a donation in the amount of $1,000.00 to be appropriated from the Council President’s Discretionary Fund.
Jordan Cook, Middletown, addressed the Council explaining she was appointed as advisor for the MHS Mock Trial Team. Ms. Cook noted that the school department did not budget for this program, and she has been soliciting donations for the program. Jordan Cook thanked the Council for their support.
Brian Kinsella, Middletown, addressed the Council noting he is a Volunteer Assistant Coach for the MHS Mock Trial program and thanked the Council for their support.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive said memorandum and approve a donation in the amount of $1,000.00 to be appropriated from the Council President’s Discretionary Fund.
14. Memorandum of Councillor Connerton, re: MHS Parent Teacher Group Donation Request.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive said memorandum and approve a donation in the amount of $250.00 to be appropriated from the Council President’s Discretionary Fund.
15. Resolution of the Council, re: Accepting the ARPA Predevelopment Grant for real property located at 361 & 393 East Main Road and authorizing the Town Administrator to execute any and all documents on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to pass said resolution.
Discussion centered around the Council wanting transparency and communication for the project, the Town Solicitor reviewing the deed restriction for the property, the Council requests a longer term for the deed restriction to keep the property for Affordable Housing.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to pass said resolution.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to adjourn said meeting at 6:47 p.m.
Wendy J.W. Marshall, CMC
Council Clerk
Supporting documentation is available at http://clerkshq.com/default.ashx?clientsite=Middletown-ri