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PAWTUCKET CITY COUNCIL
PAWTUCKET MUNICIPAL ANNEX, 100 FREIGHT STREET
2nd FLOOR – TEMPORARY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
ENTER PARKING LOT AT 75 SABIN STREET
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2026
A regular session of the Pawtucket City Council was held Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 8:45 p.m., in the Temporary City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, 100 Freight St., Pawtucket, RI.
Present – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak and Wildenhain.
Absent – 0.
President Mercer presided.
1. The reading of the records of the January 7, 2025 Ordinance Committee meeting, Committee on Claims and Pending Suits meeting, and City Council meeting, was dispensed with and the records were APPROVED as prepared by the Clerk.
2. Upon motion made by Councilor Araujo, seconded by Councilor Moreno, the *Consent Agenda was APPROVED on a unanimous voice vote:
*THE FOLLOWING COMMUNICATIONS WERE READ AND ORDERED FILED
- 028 Resolution from the Town of Exeter Regarding the Restoration of General Revenue Sharing to Cities and Towns
- Communication from Alain Noiset, Demeter, LLC, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, requesting an Easement onto City Property to Build a Ramp at 3 Exchange Street WAS REFERRED TO THE CITY PROPERTY COMMITTEE
- Communication from Leonard E. Rounds, President, Len’s Hot Dog Haven, Inc., to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council (Five-Year Contract Renewal for Lease of Concessions at Slater Memorial Park) WAS REFERRED TO THE CITY PROPERTY COMMITTEE
- THE FOLLOWING CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS AND PENDING SUITS:
Israel Thomas – $127.36 (Pothole)
- THE FOLLOWING CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY WAS REFERRED TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND RI INTERLOCAL TRUST:
Ronald J. Sweeney, Jr. – $5,501.90 / $6,831.32 (Tree)
- Communication from Jordan Karlik, Blackstone Distribution Center, LLC, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council (1 Moshassuck St. Q4 2025 Construction Update) was READ AND ORDERED FILED.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZED COUNCILOR GREGOR
With majority consent of the Council, the following motion made by Councilor Gregor, seconded by Councilor Stachowiak, was PASSED on a unanimous voice vote:
The Clerk was instructed to send a communication to the Administration, requesting an update on the conversion process of Morley Field, estimates on the rehabilitation of the entirety of Morley Field, and information on what was done with the $2.2 million set aside for the rehabilitation of Morley Field in the 2014 Comprehensive Field Assessment.
The Council also requested monthly reports indicating whether there are going to be any future public comments or any documents sent out regarding the conversion.
3. Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting the following reappointment as a member of the Historic District Commission, FOR CONFIRMATION:
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
589 Adam J. Beauregard, 69 Harcourt Ave., Pawtucket, RI 02861. Term expires the 1st Monday in February, 2029, WAS READ AND ORDERED FILED.
The following nomination submitted by His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, for confirmation, was CONFIRMED on a roll call vote, as follows:
AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak, and Wildenhain
NOES – 0.
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
Adam J. Beauregard, 69 Harcourt Ave., Pawtucket, RI 02861. Term expires the 1st Monday in February, 2029.
4. Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting the following reappointment as a member of the Pension Board, FOR CONFIRMATION:
PENSION BOARD
589 Cory Morel, 75 Archer St. Apt. 1, Pawtucket, RI 02860. Term expires the 1st Monday in January, 2028, WAS READ AND ORDERED FILED.
The following nomination submitted by His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, for confirmation, was CONFIRMED on a roll call vote, as follows:
AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak, and Wildenhain
NOES – 0.
PENSION BOARD
Cory Morel, 75 Archer St. Apt. 1, Pawtucket, RI 02860. Term expires the 1st Monday in January, 2028.
5. Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting the following reappointment as an alternate member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, FOR CONFIRMATION:
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
589 Kevin Miniati, 470 Newport Ave., Pawtucket, RI 02861. Term expires the 1st Monday in January, 2031, WAS READ AND ORDERED FILED.
The following nomination submitted by His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, for confirmation, was CONFIRMED on a roll call vote, as follows:
AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak, and Wildenhain
NOES – 0.
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Kevin Miniati, 470 Newport Ave., Pawtucket, RI 02861. Term expires the 1st Monday in January, 2031.
6. Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council, submitting the following appointment as a member of the Planning Commission, FOR CONFIRMATION:
PLANNING COMMISSION
589 Annmarie DeBrito, 80 Anthony Ave., Pawtucket, RI 02860. Term expires the 1st Monday in January, 2031, WAS READ AND ORDERED FILED
The following nomination submitted by His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, for confirmation, was CONFIRMED on a roll call vote, as follows:
AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak, and Wildenhain
NOES – 0.
PLANNING COMMISSION
Annmarie DeBrito, 80 Anthony Ave., Pawtucket, RI 02860. Term expires the 1st Monday in January, 2031
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZED COUNCILOR MORAN
7. Upon motion made by Councilor Moran, seconded by Councilor Wildenhain, the agenda was amended to include the following communication, on a unanimous voice vote:
Communication from Carl Johnson, Zoning Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council (Zoning Ordinance Amendment Retail Cannabis Ordinance, Second Reading)
8. Upon motion made by Councilor Moran, seconded by Councilor Wildenhain, the following communication was READ AND ORDERED FILED, on a unanimous voice vote:
622 Communication from Carl Johnson, Zoning Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council (Zoning Ordinance Amendment Retail Cannabis Ordinance, Second Reading)
9. Upon motion made by Councilor Moran, seconded by the entire City Council, the following ordinance was POSTPONED to the February 11, 2026 City Council meeting:
AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 410 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET 1996, ENTITLED “ZONING” (Text – Table of Use and Special Use Permit Requirements for Retail Cannabis Establishments) AS AMENDED
And the Zoning Director was asked to view this night’s Public Input Period and be prepared to respond to the concerns expressed by the speakers regarding this zoning ordinance.
COUNCILOR CODERRE LEFT THE CHAMBERS AT 9:20 PM.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZED COUNCILOR ARAUJO
10. Upon motion made by Councilor Araujo, seconded by Councilor Rubio, the agenda was amended to include the following communication, on a unanimous voice vote:
Communication from Randy A. Buck, Interim School Superintendent, to His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien (Response to Mayor Grebien’s Letter Requesting Additional Information Regarding Dual Language Charter School)
Upon motion made by Councilor Araujo, seconded by Councilor Rubio, the following communication was READ AND ORDERED FILED, on a unanimous voice vote:
3 Communication from Randy A. Buck, Interim School Superintendent, to His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien (Response to Mayor Grebien’s Letter Requesting Additional Information Regarding Dual Language Charter School)
THE COMMITTEE TOOK UP THE FOLLOWING:
11. REVIEW OF NETWORK CHARTER SCHOOLS
a. 591 Communication from the Honorable Terrence E. Mercer, President, Pawtucket City Council, to the Members of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education (Opposition to De La Comunidad Charter School) WAS READ AND ORDERED FILED
b. 590 Communication from His Honor, Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to Randy A. Buck, Interim School Superintendent (Requesting Additional Information Regarding Dual Language Charter School) WAS READ AND ORDERED FILED
c. 613 Communication from Frank J. Milos, Jr., Esq., to the Honorable Terrence E. Mercer, City Council President (Requirement for local support – RI Gen. Laws § 16-77-5.1 (De La Comunidad Charter School) WAS READ AND ORDERED FILED
The following resolution was APPROVED on a roll call vote, as follows:
AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio and Wildenhain
NOES – Councilor Stachowiak.
588 RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE RI COUNCIL ON ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION’S APPROVAL OF THE APPLICATION OF DE LA COMUNIDAD NETWORK CHARTER SCHOOL BE RESCINDED AS IT PERTAINS TO PAWTUCKET AS A “SENDING” COMMUNITY.
Councilor Coderre abstained based on her statement that a member of the Board is her family member.
Upon motion made by Councilor Araujo, seconded by the entire City Council, the meeting was adjourned in Memory of former Councilor Thomas E. Hodge and Battalion Chief Jamie Pike at 10:30 PM.