1.     6:06 P.M.  CALL TO ORDER

 

       Present:   Pres. Duhamel, Vice Pres. Scialabba

                        Councilors LaPietra, Niemeyer, Healy, Van Dover, Aiello

                        T. Mgr. Lacey, Co. Clk. LeBlanc, T. Sgt. Falcone

 

        Absent:    T. Sol. Conley

       

        Also Present:    M. Davy, Assistant Town Manager

                                 Sara Hassell, Finance Director

 

 

 2.    PUBLIC HEARING (Adv. on 4/9/26 & 4/16/26 for this time)

 

        a.     Proposed FY2026/2027 Budget

 

Motion by Mr. Niemeyer, Seconded by Mr. Aiello, that the public hearing be opened.  (Voted Unanimously)

 

     Participants:  Alison Croke, President and CEO, Wood River Health Services, 823 Main St, Hope Valley, RI – re: Thanked the Town for acknowledging the agency’s subsidy request; Dr. Mark Garceau, School Superintendent – asked that the Town Council approve the Finance Board’s recommended School Budget; Ruth Tureckova, Executive Director, The Olean Center, 93 Airport Rd – re: Thanked Town for funding; Michael Ober, 39 Sherwood Dr, School Committee member – re: School budget; Angela Goethals, 7 Granite St, School Committee member – re: School budget

 

     Dr. Garceau responded to the Council regarding fund balance, surplus, staffing, capital improvements, special education, student enrollment, school appropriation and level funding, staffing reductions over the past seven years, school bond project, RIDE reimbursement, and student career programs.

 

     Finance Director Cindy Kirchhoff was present and reported that, as of June 30, 2025, the total fund balance was $7,478,239 and that, as of April 16, 2026, the total fund balance is $5,795,691.

 

     Councilor LaPietra stated, for the record, that he has advocated and supported using school surplus to fund at least part of the school’s capital requests and has never said that the school should use surplus to fund its operating budget. 

 

Motion by Ms. Healy, Seconded by Mr. Aiello, that the public hearing be closed.  (Voted Unanimously)

 

 

 3.    CITIZENS’ COMMENTS

       

     When addressing the Council, please state your name and address; please conduct yourself in an orderly and respectful fashion.  Citizens will have up to five (5) minutes and one opportunity to speak.  The comments of citizens accessing this portion of our meeting are neither adopted nor endorsed by this body but heard as requested.  Comments shall be open to agenda items and any Town Government matter over which the Council has supervision, control, jurisdiction, or advisory power.  Other matters may be heard by a majority vote of the Council.

 

        None

 

COUNCILORS’ RESPONSE (Councilors may have up to five (5) minutes to respond to Citizens’ Comments, should not engage in discussions between Councilors, shall maintain decorum, and shall refrain from personal attacks and disparaging remarks.  A level of decorum is the expected standard.)

 

     None

 

 

 4.    ADJOURNMENT

 

        7:24 P.M.  Voted Unanimously to adjourn and take a five-minute recess.

 

 

     Details of the aforesaid proceedings are available on audio on the Town of Westerly website.