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PAWTUCKET CITY COUNCIL

PAWTUCKET MUNICIPAL ANNEX, 100 FREIGHT STREET

2^nd FLOOR – TEMPORARY COUNCIL CHAMBERS

ENTER PARKING LOT AT 75 SABIN STREET

SHOWN LIVE ONLINE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026

A regular session of the Pawtucket City Council was held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 8:17 p.m., in the Temporary City Council Chambers, 2^nd Floor, 100 Freight St., Pawtucket, RI.

Present – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak and Wildenhain.

Absent – 0.

President Mercer presided.

THE COUNCIL RECESSED AT 8:18 PM TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FOLLOWING:

AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 410 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET 1996, ENTITLED “ZONING” (Amendment to Zoning Map from Residential Single Family (RS) to Commercial General (CG) Zoning District: 10 Newport Avenue, AP40 L1015)

THE CITY COUNCIL RECONVENED AT 8:29 PM.

1. The reading of the records of the March 3, 2026 City Property Committee meeting, Ordinance Committee meeting, Finance Committee meeting and City Council meeting, and the March 11, 2026 City Property 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

A. 028 Resolution from the Warren Town Council Requesting the RI General Assembly to Enact an Exemption for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as well as Persons with Neurological Disorders

028 Resolution from the Warren Town Council Requesting the RI General Assembly to Enact Legislation to Amend the Wavemaker Fellowship

028 Resolution from the Town of South Kingstown in Support of Establishing Reimbursement for Community Paramedic Programs

D. 028 Resolutions from the Town of Tiverton Relating to the Following: Support of H-7298 Relating to Tax Classification in Tiverton, Support of House Bill H-8181 – Exemptions from Tolling for Waste Management Vehicles, Support of House Bill H-8023 Relating to Taxation – Collection of Taxes Generally, Support of House Bills H-8025 and H-8026 Relating to Taxation – Property Subject to Taxation

E. 028 Resolutions from the Town of Exeter Relating to the Following: Support of RI House Bill H-7356 and Senate Bill S-2216 “School Employee Background Checks,” Support of Legislation Allowing Exeter to Establish a Tax Exemption for 100% Service-Connected Disabled Veterans, Support of Senate Bill S-2275 and House Bill H-7447 Relating to Low-and-Moderate Income Housing – Comprehensive Permits, Supporting Healthcare Advocacy and Fair Reimbursement to Preserve Local Access to Care

F. 028 Resolution from the Smithfield Town Council in Support of Municipalities Collaborating in Reviewing, Analyzing and Responding to the 2024 and 2025 Affordable Housing Laws

G. 028 Resolution from the Town of Smithfield in Support of Senate Bill S-2917 and House Bill H-8015 Relating to Towns and Cities – Rhode Island Housing Resources Act of 1988

H. 061 Communication from Jeannine S. Bourski, Deputy Finance Director, to the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council (Statement of Estimated, Realized and Unrealized Revenues for the fiscal period July 1, 2025, through February 28, 2026)

Communication from Frank J. Milos, Jr., Esq., to Richard J. Goldstein, MMC, City Clerk (City of Pawtucket v. Amerisourcebergen Drug Corporation, et al. (Case 1:18-cv-00139-WES-LDA)) – WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

THE FOLLOWING CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS AND PENDING SUITS:

Wendy Allard – $400.00 (Pothole)

Patricia Barros – $1,507.51 (Pothole)

Jodie Caruolo – $449.06 (Pothole)

Laurie Cheriza – $232.62 (Pothole)

Rachel Da Moeda – $590.29 (Pothole)

Ernest Eesiah – $453.92 (Pothole)

Diana Farinho – $414.45 (Pothole)

Richard Grady – $198.38 (Pothole)

Michael Pate – $939.00 (Pothole)

Maria Sokolova – $267.05 (Pothole)

Jhoanna Tataje – $369.98 (Pothole)

Keely Taylor – $294.94 (Pothole)

Suzanne Hoyle – $477.58 (Vehicle Damage)

Frederick Niles – $1,789.82 / $2,671.83 (Property Damage)

K. THE FOLLOWING CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY WAS REFERRED TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND RI INTERLOCAL TRUST:

Adiyana S. Franklin by Orabona Law Offices, PC – No amount specified (Personal Injury)

Patrick Wright – $6,794.58 / $7,144.82 (Vehicle Damage)

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZED COUNCILOR GREGOR

3. Upon motion made by Councilor Gregor, seconded by Councilor Moreno, the agenda was amended to include the following resolution, on a unanimous voice vote:

Communication from the Honorable Clovis C. Gregor, 5^th District Councilor, to the Honorable Terrence E. Mercer, City Council President, and the Honorable Members of the Pawtucket City Council (Amendments to the Proposed Outdoor Burning and Cooking Ordinance)

Upon motion made by Councilor Gregor, seconded by Councilor Wildenhain, the following communication was READ AND ORDERED FILED, on a unanimous voice vote:

4. UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE, THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE WAS READ FOR THE FIRST TIME AND PASSED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak and Wildenhain

NOES – Councilor Gregor.

AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 210 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, 1996, ENTITLED “FIRE PREVENTION CODE”. (Outdoor Burning and Cooking)

5. UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE, THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE WAS READ FOR THE FIRST TIME AND PASSED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak and Wildenhain

NOES – 0.

AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 3124 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, 1996, AMENDING THE 2017 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (10 Newport Avenue – AP40 L1015)

6. THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE, RETURNED BY THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE WAS TAKEN UP AT THIS TIME:

THE CHAIR RECOGNIZED COUNCILOR MORAN

Upon motion made by Councilor Moran, seconded by Councilor Coderre, the following amendment to the above ordinance was taken up:

Amend the following:

As a condition of this Zone Change, all commercial operations on the Subject Property shall be subject to the following conditions:

Requirement for barrier: There shall be a non-permeable barrier or fence on the western property line not less than six (6) feet in height with a gate for emergency access only.

Prohibition of Rear Deliveries: No commercial truck deliveries shall be permitted at the rear of the building.

Emergency Access Exception: The prohibition of rear access shall not apply to fire apparatus or other official emergency response vehicles (e.g., police, ambulance) in the event of an emergency.

Upon motion made by Councilor Moran, seconded by Councilor Coderre, the following AMENDMENT to the above ordinance was APPROVED on a roll call vote, as follows:

AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak and Wildenhain

NOES – 0.

Amend the following:

As a condition of this Zone Change, all commercial operations on the Subject Property shall be subject to the following conditions:

Requirement for barrier: There shall be a non-permeable barrier or fence on the western property line not less than six (6) feet in height with a gate for emergency access only.

Prohibition of Rear Deliveries: No commercial truck deliveries shall be permitted at the rear of the building.

Emergency Access Exception: The prohibition of rear access shall not apply to fire apparatus or other official emergency response vehicles (e.g., police, ambulance) in the event of an emergency.

7. UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE, THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE WAS READ FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS AMENDED, AND PASSED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak and Wildenhain

NOES – 0.

8. UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS AND PENDING SUITS, THE FOLLOWING CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY WERE APPROVED FOR PAYMENT ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak, and Wildenhain

NOES – 0.

Raymond Munoz Tabares – $74.00 (Pothole)

Kyle McCarthy – $300.00 (Pothole)

Duane Fortes – $300.00 (Pothole)

Ashley Diane Pociadlo – $639.25 (Fire Vehicle)

9. UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS AND PENDING SUITS, THE FOLLOWING CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY WAS DENIED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak, and Wildenhain

NOES – 0.

Penny Feldman – $96.29 (Property Damage)

THE FOLLOWING CLAIM WAS RECOMMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS AND PENDING SUITS ON A UNANIMOUS VOICE VOTE:

Janeen Smith – $144.87 (Vehicle Towed)

UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CLAIMS AND PENDING SUITS, THE FOLLOWING CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AGAINST THE CITY WAS DENIED AND REFERRED TO JR VINAGRO CONSTRUCTION CORP ON A ROLL CALL VOTE, AS FOLLOWS:

AYES – President Mercer; Councilors Araujo, Coderre, Gregor, Moran, Moreno, Rubio, Stachowiak, and Wildenhain

NOES – 0.

Randy Wunschel – $180.13 (Manhole)

Upon motion made by Councilor Araujo, seconded by Councilor Rubio, the meeting was adjourned 9:26 PM.