Routine Issues Dominate Brief Town Council Meeting

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA
July 18th 2024

RICHMOND – At the only Town Council meeting scheduled for July, council members addressed a number of routine issues.

Executive Session

The proceedings of the Executive Session, which took place at 5:30 p.m., before the regular council meeting, are confidential, however, the council announced that two items had been resolved.

The first involved the payment of $27,500 to David Gamache, a former member of the Building Code Board of Appeals. Details of the litigation, including the reason Gamache took legal action against the town, were not provided.

The second item on the Executive Session agenda was the payment to the State of Rhode Island for a “health notice of violation” regarding the town water system.

Town Clerk Erin Liese stated that the motion to resolve the violation included a second motion, made by councilor Michael Colasante and seconded by Helen Sheehan “to authorize the Town Solicitor to draft a letter to Northeast Water to have them pay the $1,000 fine on behalf of the town. Administrative penalty to be sent along with the Department of Health letter regarding the town’s future compliance in the matter.” Northeast Water Solutions operates the town’s water system. The exact nature of the administrative violation was not made public.

The Regular Council Meeting

The Senior Activities Commission

Town Administrator Karen Pinch asked the council to consider passing a new ordinance formalizing the town’s Senior Activities Committee.

“We realized, actually, that it’s not in the ordinance, as the rest of the boards and commissions are,” she told the council. “It was established by a resolution in 2011, and never formalized in an ordinance. So, I think that’s an oversight, and I think the council might want to consider doing that.”

Pinch added that Senior Activities Committee Chair, Dennis McGinity has asked whether non-residents, who represent a significant portion of the Senior Center membership, could sit on the committee.

Helen Sheehan said she believed that since Richmond was paying for the Senior Center, the committee should comprise Richmond residents.

“The thing is, we’re paying for it,” she said.

Colasante agreed with Sheehan.

“That’s what kind of concerns me,” he said. “If we keep going down this path, we could have 50 residents using it consistently and 40 [from] outside Richmond but then, there’s a need for a new facility, and then, the Richmond taxpayers are on the hook for building a facility. … I say we take care of our own residents.”

Councilor Samantha Wilcox pointed out that because it was a challenge to recruit volunteers, the town might consider appointing non-residents.

“I just think with how hard it is to find good volunteers that will stay, open up the opportunity the opportunity to somebody who cares about the Senior Activities Committee and somebody who may have connections to bring more activities to seniors. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.”

The council, with Colasante opposed, approved a motion to draft an ordinance to formalize the Senior Activities Committee. The ordinance will be considered at a public hearing.

Anti - Harassment Policy

Pinch asked the council to approve updates to the town’s anti-harassment and discrimination policy.

“Our policy is over 10 years old, and it needed to be reviewed and updated to be more current,” she said.

After agreeing on several modifications and additions to the draft, the council approved the updated policy.

Notification of Residents

Pinch briefed council members on the initiative to include paper inserts, explaining how to enroll in the town’s notification system, in property tax bills, which are going out this week.

“There is an insert in the bill,” she said. “It gives instructions on how to sign up for Notify Me. In fact, there’s even a QR code that you can just take that little picture, it takes you right to the sign-up.”

Pinch added that the insert also includes information on the town’s current housing needs survey, which residents are encouraged to fill out.

Sheehan, who has urged the town to make additional efforts to reach residents who are not on line, said the inserts were a good start.

“This piece of paper in the tax bill is a beginning to at least give them an opening,” she said.

Police Hires

The council approved two hires in the police department.

Retired Providence police officer Stephen Blessing will be hired to fill an upcoming patrol position.

Police Chief Elwood Johnson’s letter to the Town Council states:

“Mr. Blessing, age 56, is retired in good standing from the Providence Police Department since 2009, and has been working for our department as a Per Diem Traffic Officer for the last seven (7) years. Mr. Blessing resides in the Town of Charlestown, and is an active community member, who coaches youth sports at the Chariho High School.”

Blessing will be on probation for one year.

The second hire is Thomas DeTora, who will be a part time dispatcher, filling shift vacancies. DeTora will be paid $19 per hour.