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FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY
POSTED 1/11/2021
TOWN OF SCITUATE
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
THURSDAY, January 14, 2021 @ 7:00 PM
In accordance with the guidance provided by the Governor and State and Local emergency management authorities due to the current state of emergency, Town meetings will be conducted solely via internet video conference with telephonic access; there shall be no in-person gathering for this meeting. The Town has set up the following internet video conference and telephonic access capabilities for council members and public participation.
By internet at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84933465838?pwd=Q25ibVgvcTZ4S2NwUzNlS0c3RTdtUT09
Passcode: 699381 (if needed)
or
By phone at: 877-853-5247, Meeting ID: 849 3346 5838
Passcode: 699381 (if needed)
Please contact the Town Clerk’s Office during normal business hours with any questions.
AGENDA
Attachments are available to view on our website www.scituateri.org
1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Call to order – Town Clerk
3. Roll Call – Town Clerk
4. Reorganization of Newly-Elected Town Council - Review, Discussion and/or Potential Action and/or Vote:
A. Nomination for President
B. Nomination for Vice President
5. Establishment of Liaison Assignments - Review, Discussion and/or Potential Action and/or Vote:
A. Police Department
B. Public Works
C. Building, Planning & Zoning
D. Senior Services
E. Recreation
6. Presentation of a $5,000.00 donation from the Scituate Art Festival Committee to Scituate’s Department of Human Services
7. Public comment for items not on the agenda
8. Consent Items – Review, Discussion and/or Potential Action and/or Vote:
Approval of the Consent Items shall be equivalent to approval of each item as if it had been acted upon separately for review, discussion and/or potential action and/or vote. A Consent Item or Items may be removed by the Town Council for individual review, discussion and/or potential action and/or vote
A. Approval of Town Council meeting minutes:
i. Regular meeting on December 10, 2020
B. Department Reports
i. Town Clerk
ii. Public Works
iii. Building Official/Zoning
iv. Police
v. Treasurer
vi. Senior Services
vii. Human Services
viii. EMA
ix. Recreation
C. Payment of Town Bills:
i. Early Town Expenses - $179,594.38
ii. Regular Town Expenses - $652,691.22
iii. General Obligation Bonds - $1,130.11
D. Licenses:
i. Private Investigator License Renewal to expire December 31, 2021; subject to receipt of all required paperwork, all State and Local permits, and compliance with all stipulations, rules and regulations as previously required by the Town Council:
1. David Ellingwood, 23 Harrington Ave.
2. David Mink, 306 Burnt Hill Road
E. Authorization for the Town Council President, in consultation with the Town Council Vice President and the Emergency Management Agency Director, to continue the Town State of Emergency through February 15, 2021, unless revoked earlier; ratification of all actions undertaken pursuant to Town State of Emergency since the previous extension
F. Authorization for the Town Council President to sign the Municipal COVID-19 Response Fund Certification which is being required by the State of Rhode Island Department of Revenue for the purpose of distributing funds from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
G. Reappointments:
i. Town Committees – see attached
ii. Town Officers and Other Assigned Responsibilities – see attached
iii. Town Constables – see attached
H. Approval to post for the following open positions on Town committees:
i. Plan Commission; open position for 2nd Alternate; term ending 12/31/21
ii. Recreation Committee; open position for term ending 12/31/21
iii. Recycling Committee; open positions for term ending 12/31/21
I. Approval of dates for Town Council Annual Calendar for 2021 – see attached
J. Authorization for the Scituate Land Trust Chairperson to take any and all such actions, and to approve, execute and deliver all such documents as may be necessary to carry into effect the Rhode Island Land Trust Council Memorandum of Understanding concerning the use of ERSI Geographic Information System (GIS) Software and Hardware for monitoring and stewardship of the Town’s protected lands at no cost to the Town.
9. Approval to sunset the following committees:
A. Police Station Building Committee
B. Capital Committee
C. Human Resource Policy Committee
10. Appointments – Review, Discussion and/or Potential Action and/or Vote:
A. Budget Committee
i. All seven members of the Town Council
ii. Dean Huff
iii. George Kuzmowcyz
iv. Jason Parmelee
v. Charles Collins Jr.
vi. Nominations from other Councilors
B. Human Resource Committee: positions to be filled by Town Council members; term ending 12/31/21
C. School Building Committee – open position for Council member
D. Plan Commission
i. V. George Mitola, Jr. as Full Member; term ending 12/31/21
ii. Richard T. Pincince as 1st Alternate; term ending 12/31/21
11. A Resolution Supporting Scituate Trails, Creation, Enhancement, and Improvement Grant whereby the Town Council of the Town of Scituate strongly supports this grant application to be submitted by the Scituate Land Trust
12. Town Business - Review, Discussion and/or Potential Action and/or Vote:
A. An update from EMA Director John Robinson on the Town’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and an update on the status of the vaccine distribution plan for the Town
B. A clarification that the dissemination of written communications and the coordination of activities related to public health issues shall be managed by our EMA Director John Robinson, in coordination with the State Department of Health
C. A discussion of the outstanding items related to the police station construction project and the assignment of responsibilities for completing the project
D. Reflecting challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the existing State of Emergency, consideration and approval of rescheduling the Financial Town Meeting currently scheduled for April 6, 2021 to the new date of June 8, 2021 or such other date as may be appropriate
E. Authorization for Senior Services Director Dina Elhelw to hire Kimberly Stinnette as a per diem employee to provide coverage for staffing shortages; terms and conditions to be the same as current temporary part-time position of employee; said per diem status to begin once Ms. Stinnette completes her current temporary part-time employment
F. A request from Recreation Director David Pannone, in consultation with the Town Purchasing Agent, to issue an RFP for the construction of a building at Andrews Field for use by the Scituate Girls Softball League for the purpose of storage and to serve as a concession stand
G. A request from the Finance Director, Town Purchasing Agent Karen Beattie, to award a bid to Northeast Revaluation in the amount of $74,800.00 for the completion of a statistical revaluation of town properties; and an authorization to the Town Council President, Treasurer and Purchasing Agent to take any and all such actions, and to approve, execute and deliver all such documents as may be necessary to carry into effect the bid award and to take any other action relative thereto; Bids received from:
| Bidder Name | Bid Amount |
| | |
| Vision Government Solutions | $78,000.00 |
| Northeast Revaluation | $74,800.00 |
H. Request from the Scituate Land Trust and the Scituate Conservation Commission, in consultation with the Town Purchasing Agent, to award a bid for the lump-sum sale of mixed oak sawtimber and firewood, on approximately 45 acres located easterly of Battey Meetinghouse Road in the Town of Scituate; the recommendation for the bid award will be presented by the Land Trust and Conservation Commission at the meeting of the Town Council on January 14, 2021; and an authorization to the Town Council President, Treasurer and Purchasing Agent to take any and all such actions, and to approve, execute and deliver all such documents as may be necessary to carry into effect the bid award and to take any other action relative thereto; Bids received from:
| Bidder Name | Bid Amount |
| | |
| Miller Firewood & Logging | $5,000.00 to be paid by Town |
| Green Development LLC | $1.00 to be paid by Bidder |
| Levi Hazen | $10,000.00 to be paid by Town |
I. Establish the representative(s) from the Town Council for upcoming negotiations for contract negotiations with:
i. International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 502 for new collective bargaining agreement beginning July 1, 2021; current collective bargaining agreement expires June 30, 2021.
ii. Teamsters Local 251 for new collective bargaining agreement beginning July 1, 2021; current collective bargaining agreement expires June 30, 2021.
13. Possible Motion(s) to convene into Closed/Executive Session
A. The Town Council may convene into Executive Session to discuss, take possible action, and/or vote regarding litigation pursuant to the relevant requirements of R.I. General Laws § 42-46-5(a) Subsection (2) Potential Litigation with one or more contractors related to the completion of the police station construction project. Discussion and/or Potential action, announcement and/or vote(s) from Executive Session and/or Open Session concerning potential litigation and/or settlement thereof with one or more contractors related to the completion of the police station construction project.
B. The Town Council may convene into Executive Session to discuss, take possible action, and/or vote regarding litigation pursuant to the relevant requirements of R.I. General Laws § 42-46-5(a) Subsection (2) Pending Litigation (R.I. Dept. of Labor & Training (“DLT”) v. Titans Construction, Inc., 2019-0021PW; DLT v. Robert Arita DBA Arita Construction, 2019-0030PW; Scituate v. DLT, PC-2020-05522). Discussion and/or Potential action, announcement and/or vote(s) from Executive Session and/or Open Session concerning DLT v. Titans Construction, Inc., 2019-0021PW and/or DLT v. Robert Arita DBA Arita Construction, 2019-0030PW and/or Scituate v. DLT, PC-2020-05522.
C. The Town Council may convene into Executive Session to discuss, take possible action, and/or vote regarding litigation pursuant to the relevant requirements of R.I. General Laws § 42-46-5(a) Subsection (2) Pending Litigation (Finnegan v. Przybyla et al, PC-2020-06563). Discussion and/or Potential action, announcement and/or vote(s) from Executive Session and/or Open Session concerning Finnegan v. Przybyla et al, PC-2020-06563.
D. The Town Council may convene into Executive Session to discuss, take possible action, and/or vote regarding litigation pursuant to the relevant requirements of R.I. General Laws § 42-46-5(a) Subsection (2) Collective Bargaining (Union negotiations with International Brotherhood of Police Officers (“IBPO”) Local 502 for new collective bargaining agreement beginning July 1, 2021). Discussion and/or Potential action, announcement and/or vote(s) from Executive Session and/or Open Session concerning negotiations with IBPO Local 502 for new collective bargaining agreement beginning July 1, 2021.
E. The Town Council may convene into Executive Session to discuss, take possible action, and/or vote regarding litigation pursuant to the relevant requirements of R.I. General Laws § 42-46-5(a) Subsection (2) Collective Bargaining (Union negotiations with Teamsters Local 251 for new collective bargaining agreement beginning July 1, 2021). Discussion and/or Potential action, announcement and/or vote(s) from Executive Session and/or Open Session concerning negotiations with Teamsters Local 251 for new collective bargaining agreement beginning July 1, 2021.