E.P. Council scuppers potential streetlight purchase for the moment

Changes to smoking ordinance gain initial support; Jones Pond name switch approved

By Mike Rego
Posted 6/7/18

EAST PROVIDENCE — Proposed changes to how the city illuminates its streets several years in the making were once again tabled by the current council at its meeting Tuesday night, June 5.The …

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E.P. Council scuppers potential streetlight purchase for the moment

Changes to smoking ordinance gain initial support; Jones Pond name switch approved

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — Proposed changes to how the city illuminates its streets several years in the making were once again tabled by the current council at its meeting Tuesday night, June 5.
The proposal, co-sponsored by Acting City Manager Malcolm Moore and Ward 4 representative Brian Faria, calls for East Providence to purchase all of its existing street light fixtures, including those on state-owned roads, from National Grid at a cost of $218,024.40 and replace them with presumably more efficient LED (light-emitting diode) components. National Grid would retain ownership of the polls. The officials stressed the city would see significant yearly savings for all its electrical costs. A request was made to have the topic placed on the council’s June 19 meeting agenda for further evaluation.
A vote of the body to allow Mr. Moore to continue engaging National Grid on the proposal was scuppered by a majority of the council, those members saying they needed more information regarding the difference in the costs vs. potential savings going forward.
Asked for his opinion on the subject, Department of Public Works Director Steve Coutu said, “I think it’s a good program, but we just have to make sure we do it correctly.”
East Providence would assume operation and maintenance of all street lights under the proposal. Currently, the city pays National Grid approximately $450,000 annually for those services. Officials have pegged annual maintenance of the LED fixtures at about $50,000.
Mr. Coutu explained several years back, the state-appointed Budget Commission then in charge of city affairs ordered the shuttering of some 1,100 street lights, known as “red-capping” in the field, as part of cost-saving measures implemented. Mr. Coutu said almost 900 remain not in use. How many of those lights would be turned back on remains to be determined, he and Mr. Moore said.
Mr. Faria noted a number of municipalities, including Providence and Cranston, have signed the same purchase agreements and several others are planning to do the same. Only Johnston has been a hold-out, taking National Grid to court over ownership of fixtures on state roads. Assistant City Solicitor Dylan Conley, both Tuesday and previously, expressed reservations in his legal opinion about the language in the contract regarding future liability and the cost of the electricity the city will be charged by National Grid once the LED fixtures are installed.
“You’re assuming a risk,” Mr. Conley said Tuesday. “The question is whether or not the city wants to be bound by that risk. That’s a policy determination. I just lay out what the risks are and then the council has the right to make a decision about whether to assume a risk.”
State school bond
The council passed a resolution expressing its support of a school construction plan proposed by the state, which including offering up a $250 million bond referenda item to voters on the November 2018 ballot.
If approved, the $250 million would, among other things, “provide assistance, guidance, and incentives to cities, towns, and school districts as they work to invest in much-needed school facility construction and renovation projects.”
Previously, the council backed a city-wide bond referenda question to be posed to voters in the fall, seeking support to construct a new East Providence High School at a cost of approximately $189 million. The state, through the Rhode Island Department of Education, has already signaled it would reimburse the city in the amount of at least 54.5 percent of the total cost.
The state bond plan also includes a series of incentives, which if met would raise the amount of reimbursement municipalities would receive. In the case of the new EPHS, plans for it meet almost all of the proposed incentives and could increase the state’s allocation to as much as 74.5 percent of the building’s total cost.
Jones Pond name
The council backed a proposal from Ward 2 representative Anna Sousa, seeking to change the name of Jones Pond adjacent to Pierce Field from Townie Pride Park at Jones Pond to Townie Pride Memorial Park at Jones Pond.
In seeking support of the change, Councilwoman Sousa said residents had expressed an interest in having a chance to memorialize loved ones by dedicating vegetation at park or potentially inscribing their names in bricks to be laid as part of a walking path at the site.
Smoking ordinance
The council gave first approval to a long-sought after revision to an ordinance pertaining to “public places,” putting limits on smoking.
The changes to the City Charter Section 13-4 entitled “Smoking at public places” are as follows: “(a) Since smoking is a public nuisance and dangerous to public health, it shall be unlawful for any person to smoke in any form or otherwise use tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, in any public buildings, public parks or any other indoor or outdoor recreational areas or facilities owned by the City or leased by the City as lessee, and in all motor vehicles of any type or kind owned, rented, leased or used by the City or any of its departments, boards, or commissions; (b) This smoking prohibition includes the confines of RIPTA bus shelters throughout the City and such shelters outside of senior centers or public squares; (c) This excludes public sidewalks, streets and leased properties in which the City is the lessor. In all properties leased from the City, lessee must provide for a separate area for smokers apart from other patrons, if smoking is allowed. If a smoking area is provided, the lessee is responsible to clean up the area of all litter, cigarette butts, etc., at the end of the event.
“A violation of the provisions of this section shall be considered a public nuisance. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to immediate ejection from the area, punished by a fine not exceeding $50, and required to perform up to 20 hours of community service. Each violation of the provisions of this section shall constitute a separate offense.”
Sabin Point Park garden
The council and the administration expressed its support of a plan presented by Liam Wojas, an East Providence High School student and aspiring Eagle Scout, proposing the creation of “reflection garden” at Sabin Point Park in Riverside.
His proposal includes the installation of a memorial brick walkway inscribed with names of deceased city residents by their families and friends as well as the installation of “native” vegetation. The majority of the improvements would be paid for through donations.
Appointments
The council approved the following appointments during Tuesday’s meeting: Carousel Park Commission, by Councilwoman Sousa, Izilda Fernandes, 50 Walnut St; Carousel Park Commission, by Councilman Britto, Lisa George, 20 Arcadia Ave.; Carousel Park Commission Re-Appointment, by Councilman Briden, Donna McMahon, 233 Norton St.; raffic Control, by Councilman Briden, Tim Conley, 194 Terrace Ave.; City Sergeant, by Councilman Faria, Lorianne Green, 44 Knowlton St.; Veterans Advisory Committee, by Councilman Britto, Karen Panzarella, 21 Blanche Ave.

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