Portsmouth appoints 26 citizens to Charter Review Committee

Panel makes slew of other appointments Monday

By Jim McGaw
Posted 1/14/19

PORTSMOUTH — When a review of the town’s home rule charter commences this year, there will be no shortage of opinions.

The Town Council Monday night appointed every candidate who …

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Portsmouth appoints 26 citizens to Charter Review Committee

Panel makes slew of other appointments Monday

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — When a review of the town’s home rule charter commences this year, there will be no shortage of opinions.

The Town Council Monday night appointed every candidate who applied for a seat on the 2019 Charter Review Committee — all 26 of them.

The applicants’ occupations varied greatly: preservationist, engineer, Naval officer, public relations specialist, R.I Department of Transportation employee, lawyer and more. A good number of applicants said they’re retired.

According to the Portsmouth Town Charter, first adopted in 1972, the council appoints a Charter Review Committee at eight-year intervals. The panel will eventually present its recommendations to the council for review and approval.

Although a minimum of only seven qualified electors are required for the panel, the council Monday went with “the more, the merrier” philosophy.

Council member Len Katzman said previous councils had appointed all applicants to the charter panel in the past, including one that had 35 members.

The committees’ meetings were always well-run and civil, with members offering valuable input, he said. “I would recommend we consider appointing all applicants,” Mr. Katzman said.

The council voted unanimously to do just that. Separate votes were taken on two of the candidates, Mark J. Katzman and Jhodi Redlich, because they are both related to Mr. Katzman, who abstained.

Here are the new members of the 2019 Charter Review Committee:

• Joseph Baker, 1 Aquidneck Ave.

• James Carreira, 127 Storm King Drive

• Donald F. Clukies, 173 Heidi Drive

• Terry Lee Dickinson, 5 Marvel St.

• Benjamin Furriel, 23 Gideon Lawton Lane

• Stephen J. Gaul, 50 Madison Way

• Nancy Grieb, 110 Thayer Drive

• Conni Harding, 884 Union St.

• George Kassis, 126 Storm King Drive

• Paul Kesson, 3241 East Main Road

• Jim Kitzmiller, 140 Adams Drive

• Frederick J. Marano, 200 Lepes Road

• John G. McDaid, 65 Gormley Ave.

• Michelle McGaw, 58 Camara Drive

• Rick Norton, 25 Windstone Drive

• Theodore Pietz, 85 Glen Road

• David G. Reise, 66 Freeborn St.

• David Souza, 25 Lowell Drive

• Jayme Souza, 25 Lowell Drive

• Roy Streit, 110 Ethel Drive

• Mark M. Thayer, 295 King Charles Drive

• Kathleen Wilson, 93 Ethel Drive

• Conley Zani, 1350 Anthony Road

• Nancy Zitka, 11 Schaefer Drive

• Mark J. Katzman, 78 Mail Coach Road

• Jhodi Redlich, 162 Spring Hill Road

More appointments/resignations

In other action Monday, the council made a slew of membership changes to other town committees.

The council made the following new appointments: Robert J. Andrews to the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission; Anne Dexter to the Bristol Ferry Town Common Committee; Jennifer McGinley and Andrea Rounds to the Dog Park Operating Committee; David M. Gleason to the Glen Manor House Committee and to the Harbor Management Committee; Allison Serina to the Portsmouth Housing Authority; Karen Vebber to the Juvenile Hearing Board; and Carolyn Gillman to the Solid Waste/Recycling Committee.

The following people were reappointed by the council: H. Weber Wilson to the Bristol Ferry Town Common Committee; David G, Reise and Claudette Weissinger to the Conservation Commission; Kathleen Wilson to the Planning Board; Henry J. Peter to the Prudence Island Planning Commission; and John Fitzgerald, Teresa Pinto and Scott D. Wheeler to the Tree Commission. Mr. Fitzgerald was also reappointed as tree warden.

The council voted to remove Bob Vickers from the Bristol Ferry Town Common Committee; Barbara Shamblin and Cyrus Gibson from the Glen Park Committee; and Grace Kinnunen and Don Sly from the Melville Park Committee. Those members did not wish to renew their memberships, the council was informed.

The council also accepted the resignations of H. Weber Wilson from the Design Review Committee, Kerry Freeborn from the Dog Park Operating Committee, Benjamin Furriel from the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee, Ali Khorsand from the Tax Assessment Board of Review and Andrew Kelly from the Glen Manor House Authority. Mr. Kelly had to give up his position due to his recent election to the Town Council. 

Portsmouth Town Council, Charter Review Committee

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