NEWS

McAllister leads council; Fire pact looms

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 11/16/22

Steve McAllister is looking forward to further public participation in City Council meetings now that he is in line to serve a second term as Council President.

Although the all-Democrat council …

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NEWS

McAllister leads council; Fire pact looms

Posted

Steve McAllister is looking forward to further public participation in City Council meetings now that he is in line to serve a second term as Council President.

Although the all-Democrat council has not held a caucus to choose a leader, McAllister said Friday he polled members and they unanimously support him for president. Of the nine-member council, only two, William Foley in Ward 1 and James McElroy in Ward 4, faced an opponent this election. All other incumbents ran unopposed. Traditionally, after being sworn in, the council elects a president. That will happen in January. McAllister said Donna Travis has done an excellent job as President Pro-Tem and he asked her to continue serving in that role.

The council has work to do before the New Year.

Topping the list is approval or rejection of the temporary agreement the administration has reached with Warwick Firefighters. Neither Mayor Frank Picozzi nor McAllister would discuss terms of the agreement other than it is a three-year pact. As of Friday the pact had yet to be shared with council members. The mayor said the administration is in the process of drafting a fiscal note to accompany the agreement. Union president Michael Carriero did no return calls for comment.

McAllister said he intends to handle council consideration of the contract at a meeting devoted solely to the matter. He hasn’t set a date for the meeting but assured, “it will have its own night.”

Picozzi could not pin a number on how many sessions it took for the parties to reach the tentative agreement, other than to say it was a lot. He sat in on a few of the sessions leaving negotiations to a team including Bruce Keiser, project coordinator for the City; Fire Chief Peter McMichael; chief of staff Susan Nahabedian and City Solicitor Michael Ursillo.

Picozzi said he learned from the days he served on the Warwick School Committee that failing to reach an agreement and ending up in arbitration can be a losing proposition.

McAllister pointed to passage of multiple projects listed by members to be funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act. Mayor Frank Picozzi budgeted $1.8 million -- $200,000 for each ward -- from the $38 million the city received under the program. Council members chose projects most critical to their wards. Now that those lists have been compiled, the projects, whether new benches for DelGuidice Park in Ward 5 or a gazebo at Conimicut Point, need to be advertised for bids and voted on by the council.

McAllister had hoped to have the city’s actuaries report on the fiscal status of the city including pensions and other post employment benefits (OPEB) prior to the end of the calendar year, but reports haven’t been finalized and that will be postponed until the New Year.

McAllister spoke of the new culture and the “new voices” he has brought to council meetings. He cited the introduction of individuals and organizations to the city (such as having the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce outline its work) ; starting meetings on time and scheduling agenda items with public hearings early in the meeting so as to avoid having members of the public no knowing how long they might have to wait.

“The issue I am most proud of these last two years is the Warwick City Council has invited more guests to speak at and lead us in the pledge of allegiance than any previous council. We as a council believe it’s important to highlight all the different groups and individuals that make up our community. We look forward to continuing this in the next legislative session!” McAllister wrote in an email.

Asked about the opportunity for the public to address the council that Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur is looking to revise, although the specifics of a plan have not been spelled out, McAllister said he talked with Ward 9 Councilman Vincent Gebhart who suggested a limited time for speakers rather than the current system of dividing the 15 minutes for public comment by the number seeking to speak. This would give people the chance to plan their remarks.

“Making the council more open and citizen friendly is a top goal,” McAllister said.

He went on to observe the public comment provision is just one opportunity to address the council. 

“Any individual can speak on any topic on the agenda. Residents and council members get the exact same amount of time to speak on each and every agenda item. If there is an item on the agenda citizens are interested in, they do not have to wait for public comment, they can speak as soon as the agenda item is taken up in committee at a council meeting,” he said.

McAllister also highlighted the appointment of a sergeant of arms, retired Warwick Police Officer Paul Wells, who has volunteered his time to assist the public and expedite hearings by lining up speakers planning to address the council and the scheduling of quarterly fiscal updates and periodic reports from department directors including the sewer and water division Both departments face major infrastructure improvement projects. Going forward the most notable projects involve the repair of a major aqueduct delivering water from Providence Water Supply that ruptured in early 2018 flooding an area between the Route 95 and Route 37 interchange. Fortunately, as the ability to provide water to the city would have been severely impaired, a bypass was built when the system was installed under Route 95. The bypass has held up and the water division is in the final rounds of engineering repairs and seeking bids for the work.

Meanwhile, the Warwick Sewer Authority is in the midst of work to “slip line” interceptor pipes that are deteriorating from age and the corrosive effects of hydrogen sulfide gas. This fall, the interceptor from the Cedar Swamp pump station, which was slated for renovations, ruptured spilling thousands of gallons of wastewater into Warwick Pond. A bypass to the break was quickly installed and the pipe fixed. The larger project of repairing the transmission line to the treatment plant on the banks of the Pawtuxet is the reason why temporary above ground pipes run along side Airport Road and roads leading to the treatment plant.

Also in the years ahead, the council can expect to be hearing from the School Committee now that voters have approved the $350 million bond to build new Toll Gate and Pilgrim High Schools. On Friday, Mayor Picozzi remained skeptical if the bond would be sufficient to fund construction of the schools, noting that the available amount is limited to $350 million and that the council controls release of the funds.

Picozzi is interested in seeing bids for school construction once that process starts. Under the Rhode Island Department of Education guidelines the district will have five years to complete the schools once the funding has been issued.

As for the ward projects, specifications are being drafted and bids sought.  McAllister listed the following projects in a recent update on council actions – another feature of his efforts to inform and involve the public:

Ward 1, Bishop Park, new playground equipment and benches;

Ward 3, Sand Pond, stabilization of access path and beach, and repair of stairs/slope on southeast side of path and terrace;

Ward 3, Sandy Lane, installation of heightened visual crossing paths at the Warwick Public Library, Cooper Building, Sandy Land Apartments and Thayer Arena;

Ward 4, Hoxie School, resurface basketball court;

Ward 4, Conimicut Point, purchase and installation of an octagonal Gazebo/Pavilion (estimated 30’ diameter, 745 sq. ft.);

Ward 5, DelGiudice Park, purchase and installation of playground swing set, landscaping, ADA Compliant, and replacement of park benches;

Ward 5, Main Channel, installation of two park benches;

Ward 6, City Park, revamp dog park;

Ward 6, City Park, install benches in all softball dugouts;

Ward 7, Village and Neighborhood Signs, purchase and install welcome signs and landmark placards;

Ward 7, Apponaug Baseball Complex, repair sprinkler system, install new shed, and purchase infield draggers and screen mats;

Ward 8, Pontiac Park, purchase and install black anodized deluxe IH Series 25ft flag pole shoe base and anchor bolts 5”;

Ward 9, Robert Ave, install a boat launch;

Ward 9, Sleepy Hollow Farms, install tennis courts;

McAllister, council

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