ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS
Art. 1. Law Department, §§ 1-4
Art. 2. Department of Public Works, §§ 1-4
Art. 3. Division Engineer, §§ 1-3
Art. 4. Department of Public Safety, §§ 1-5
Art. 5. Department of Planning and Development, §§ 1-3
Art. 6. Planning Board, §§ 1-4
Art. 7. Department of Human Resources, §§ 1-3
There shall be a law department, the head of which shall be the city solicitor who shall be appointed by the mayor, subject to approval by a resolution of the city council, and serve, at will, for a term concurrent with that of the mayor. The city solicitor shall be an attorney-at-law in good standing who has been admitted to practice in the state at least five (5) years prior to his appointment.
(a) The City Solicitor shall be the attorney for the city and legal advisor to the Mayor, City Council and all other departments (except the School Department), offices and agencies of the city. The city solicitor shall appear for and protect the rights of the city in all actions, suits or proceedings, civil or criminal, in law or equity, brought by or against it or for or against any of its departments, officers, (offices) or agencies and shall perform such other duties appropriate to the office as the mayor and/or city council may require.
(b) The city solicitor shall examine and approve, in writing, the forms of all ordinances and resolutions and the forms of all invitations for bids, contracts and other legal documents sent out by any department, office or agency of the city.
(c) The city solicitor shall decide all questions and controversies relative to the legal construction of any and all laws and ordinances affecting the city as well as the city charter and the division of powers and duties created or implied therein.
The city solicitor shall provide for the codification of the ordinances of the city of a substantive character which are appropriate for continuation as local laws within three (3) years from the effective date of this amendment and shall thereafter supervise and maintain the said codification, but the original copies of all ordinances shall remain in the office of the city clerk during such codification.
Editor’s note—Section 3 above is set out as amended at an election called by Ord. No. 2362, adopted December 2, 1968, and held April 1, 1969. Said amendment was effective at 8:00 p.m. April 30, 1969.
All legal opinions furnished to the council and to all city officers, departments and agencies which shall be in writing shall be filed by the city solicitor with the city clerk, as a public record, together with the resolution, letter or other memorandum requesting the opinion.
(Election of 5-24-77)
At any time, the mayor may terminate the city solicitor; said termination to be subject to approval by resolution of the city council. Notwithstanding any other provisions within this charter, the city council, may at any time, terminate the city solicitor by an ordinance receiving the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the whole number of its members; said ordinance to take effect immediately upon passage..
There shall be a department of public works, the head of which shall be the director of public works who shall be appointed by the mayor.
The department of public works shall be responsible for the functions and services of the city relative to highways, engineering, street lighting, public parking lots, waste disposal, sewers, water supply, public parks, public playgrounds and other public recreational properties and equipment except those within the jurisdiction of the department of education, and said department shall also be responsible for recreation programs and activities within the amount appropriated therefor.
The department shall have charge of the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, maintenance, operation and engineering relating to the several functions and services within its jurisdiction.
The department also shall have charge of the maintenance of city hall and any other city property, unless assigned by the council or the mayor, as provided in this charter, to some other department.
There shall be in the public works department a superintendent of parks and recreation who shall be appointed by the director of public works. Said superintendent shall be responsible for the care of parks and other public places, the management of parks, and care of required equipment. He shall also be responsible for the conduct of recreational programs and activities within the amount appropriated therefor. (Election of 5-24-77)
There shall be a division engineer who shall be appointed by the director of public works.
The division engineer shall be a registered professional engineer in the State of Rhode Island. (Election of 11-3-87)
Editor’s note—Former §§ 2,3, which pertained to the superintendent of parks and the superintendent of recreation, respectively, were repealed at an election held May 24, 1977. Said sections had been derived from the original charter approved by the electorate November 4, 1952, revised March 1, 1960.
There shall be a department of public safety, the head of which shall be the director of public safety who shall be appointed by the mayor.
Within the department of public safety there shall be divisions known as the police department and the fire department. The head of each division shall be a chief who shall be appointed by and responsible to the director of public safety.
Editor’s note—Section 3, responsibility for building, plumbing and electrical inspections and § 4, responsibility for other inspection services, were repealed at an election held November 3, 1987. See now art. 5, §§ 4,5.
*Editor’s note—The title of art. 3 was changed from “City Engineer” to “Division Engineer” to conform to a similar change made in § 1, at an election held November 3, 1987.
Editor’s note—Former § 5, which pertained to functions of the city sergeant and city messenger, was repealed at an election held May 24, 1977. Said section had been contained in the original charter approved November 4, 1952, revised March 1, 1960.
There shall be a department of planning and development, the head of which shall be the director of planning and development, who shall be appointed by the mayor. The director of planning and development shall have at the time of his appointment at least four (4) years experience in city or regional planning or urban renewal with at least one year of the total in a responsible planning position.
Within the department of planning and development there shall be divisions known as the division of zoning, building inspection and construction development division, planning division and office of the director division. The head of the division of planning shall be the city planner appointed by the planning board. (Election of 11-6-01)
It shall be the duty of the director of planning and development: (a) To supervise and to coordinate the activities of the division of minimum housing standards, of planning, and of urban redevelopment, and to coordinate the activities of all city departments relating to planning and development. (b) To submit an annual report to the mayor summarizing the work of the preceding year, including projections as to future plans and actions, and to submit any other reports called for by the mayor. (c) To apply and administer special federal and state grants as assigned by the mayor and/or legislatively approved by the city council. (Election of 11-6-01 to add (c)).
The department of planning and development shall be responsible for building, plumbing and electrical inspection, unless otherwise assigned by the mayor, and the director of planning and development shall appoint such inspectors as may in his opinion be required within the amount provided in the budget for such inspectional services. (Election of 11-3-87)
All other inspection services of whatever nature, unless otherwise assigned by ordinance, or unless otherwise assigned by this charter or by state law, shall be in the department of planning and development. (Election of 11-3-87)
*Editor’s note—Article 5 of this chapter is as amended in its entirety at an election called by Ord. No. 2362, adopted December 2, 1968 and held April 1, 1969. Said amendment was effective at 8:00 p.m. April 30, 1969. Before said amendment, chapter X, article 5 related to the department of health and contained §§ 1-4.
There shall be a planning board which shall consist of the city engineer and four (4) members appointed by the mayor to serve for terms of four (4) years, and until their successors are appointed and qualified. The members first appointed shall serve for terms of one to four (4) years respectively and thereafter one member shall be appointed each year for a term of four (4) years. If a vacancy occurs in the membership of the planning board, such vacancy shall be filled by the mayor for the remainder of the unexpired term. Any planning board member may be removed for due cause by the mayor following a public hearing.
Editor’s note—Chapter X, article 6, § 1 above is set out as amended at an election called by Ord. No. 2362, adopted December 2, 1968, and held April 1, 1969. Said amendment was effective at 8:00 p.m . April 30, 1969.
The planning board shall organize annually by electing from its own membership a chairman and other officers as it deems necessary or desirable. Such board may adopt any procedural rules deemed necessary to the discharge of its duties. The planning board may engage a city planner and request of the division of planning and such division shall provide technical or clerical assistance to aid the planning board in the discharge of its duties. The city planner shall coordinate his activities with the department of planning and development. The planning board may, subject to confirmation of the city council and within the limit of the funds appropriated, enter into cooperative agreement with other city, town, regional or federal agencies to undertake studies, deemed to be in the best interest of the locality, including cooperative agreements with cities or towns in neighboring states where problems of common interest are deemed to exist. (Election of 4-1-69; election of 5-24-77)
It shall be the duty of the planning board to:
(a) Serve in an advisory capacity to the several departments and agencies of the city.
(b) Make studies and prepare plans and reports on the needs and resources of the city with reference to its physical growth and development as affecting the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the people. Such studies, plans and reports, shall concern the following:
(1) Land use and land use regulation.
(2) Transportation facilities.
(3) Public utilities.
(4) Public facilities including recreation areas, schools, fire stations, police stations, and the like.
(5) Blighted areas including the designation of general areas for redevelopment or renewal.
(6) Air and water pollution.
(7) Natural resources.
(8) Protection from disaster.
(9) Economic and sociological characteristics of the city.
(c) Prepare and adopt a comprehensive plan for the future development of the city. Such plan may, among other things, show the proposed arrangement of land uses; transportation facilities; utility systems; public buildings; renewal or redevelopment areas and historic sites to be preserved. No portion of the comprehensive plan or amendment thereto shall be adopted by the planning board without a public hearing, notice of which shall be published as a paid advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the city once a week for three (3) successive weeks. Such a comprehensive plan shall serve as a guide to the planning board in the discharge of its duties. Upon adoption of the comprehensive plan or portion or amendment thereof, the planning board shall transmit the same to the city council and when approved with or without modification by the city council by ordinance such comprehensive plan or portion or amendment thereof shall become binding upon the city and all its departments, boards, commission, office, and agencies. Any comprehensive plan or portion thereof may be modified or amended by the city council following a public hearing. Prior to council consideration, said modification or amendment shall be referred to the planning board for an advisory opinion. The affirmative vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the city council shall be necessary to enact any modification or amendment to any comprehensive plan or portion thereof.
(d) Prepare a capital budge and a comprehensive long-range capital improvement program for submission to the city council and the mayor.
(e) Submit an opinion on all proposed amendments to the city zoning ordinance, to the city council and the mayor, and report to the city council or to the mayor or any matter that may be referred to the planning board by the city council or by the mayor.
(f) Call upon other departments, boards, and agencies of the city and upon regional, state, and federal agencies for information and assistance necessary to the performance of its duties and to cooperate with such regional, state and federal agencies on matters of community, regional and state planning and development.
(g) Regulate the subdivision of land within the city in accordance with the applicable general law.
(h) Submit an annual report to the mayor summarizing the work of the preceding year with recommendations as to plans and action for future development, and to submit any other reports called for by general law.
(i) Exercise such powers and authority and perform such duties as are conferred or required by state law concerning such boards and by city ordinance enacted in conformity with said state law.
Editor’s note—Chapter X, article 7, § 3 was repealed at an election called by Ord. No. 2362, adopted December 2, 1968, and held April 1, 1969. Said amendment was effective at 8:00 p.m. April 30, 1969.
Editor’s note—Chapter X, article 7, § 4 was repealed at an election called by Ord. No. 2362, adopted December 2, 1968, and held April 1, 1969. Said amendment was effective at 8:00 p.m. April 30, 1969.
*Editor’s note—At election held May 24, 1977, former art. 6, §§ 1,2, which pertained to the department of public welfare, was repealed. Former art. 7 was re-designated art. 6, as hereinabove set out.
There shall be a department of human services, which will be headed by a director appointed by the mayor. (Election of 11-6-01)
The duties of the director shall be to perform all functions and duties relative to the public’s welfare and such other services as may be required by ordinance. (Election of 5-24-77)
The director shall be responsible for the accountability of funds from the City of Woonsocket provided for all social services and shall encourage coordination, and reduce duplication of efforts among local human service agencies, participate in human service planning and assist in developing program evaluation agencies. The director shall also recommend to the mayor and the city council the use of funds from the City of Woonsocket in support of human services. (Election of 5-24-77; election of 11-3-87)
*Editor’s note—At election of May 24, 1977, a new art. 7, §§ 1-3, was added to ch. X as hereinabove set out.