PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council Monday night unanimously voted to remove Duncan Ingraham from the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee (PEDC) on the recommendation of that board.

According to J. Lane McMahon, PEDC chairman, the committee voted by a two-thirds majority in June 2017 to ask the council to remove Mr. Ingraham from the board over attendance issues.

“Earlier this year, we gave Duncan an opportunity to rectify this situation. He agreed verbally, only to miss the next four meetings in a row,” Mr. McMahon stated in a letter to the council. “While we value Duncan’s knowledge, we cannot afford to have a seat empty month after month, putting quorum in jeopardy.”

In other action, the council accepted with regret the resignation of Kenneth E. Jones, chairman of the Portsmouth Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners.

The council appointed Brendan Abbott to the Design Review Committee and re-appointed Claudia S. Divoll to the Glen Manor House Authority.

Post-prom donation

The council voted unanimously to donate $1,000 toward the Parents Helping Students Organization’s 21st annual post-prom party, to be held after the high school’s senior prom on June 6.

The money will be taken from the Town Council’s contingency fund.

The event, organized and run by the seniors’ parents, is designed to allow students a safe and alcohol- and drug-free environment following the dance. There will be a photo booth, multiple games and other entertainment. 

The party will also feature raffles, each for a bigger and better prize than the one before, with a grand prize drawing at 3 a.m. Students must be present to claim their prizes, giving them an incentive to stay on site. 

Prudence safety concerns

The council received a letter from Edward Aldrich, chairman of the Prudence Island Planning Commission (PIPC), that raised concerns over staffing of the island’s police force.

The police presence on Prudence currently consists of one police officer who is not always on the island. An additional safety officer, Joseph Tavernier, is expected to be brought on board, however, according to Mr. Aldrich.

At the PIPC’s quarterly meeting March 24, the group discussed concerns raised by the island school teacher, who questioned the protocol to be followed at the school in the event of an emergency, Mr. Aldrich stated.

The PIPC voted to ask the council the following:

• What are the protocols in place for the on-duty officer in the event of a police emergency on the island?

• What is the protocol the teacher should follow in the event there is no officer on duty?

• Is there a requirement for a second backup officer before any action or engagement may occur, especially considering a typical delay of 30 minutes before a backup can be on scene, assuming there is a backup available?

That last point is particularly important, Mr. Aldrich stated, as there have been past instances when an officer was required on the island and none was available on the mainland.

PIPC also wants to know what Mr. Tavernier’s expected roles and responsibilities will be when he’s brought on board.

Licenses approved

The council, sitting as the Board of License Commissioners, unanimously approved a victualler license with a fee waiver to the Portsmouth Lions Club for the Portsmouth Free Public Library’s Touch-a-Truck fund-raiser, scheduled for May 5 at Glen Park.

The board also approved a peddler license to Rugby Imports, Ltd. of East Providence, for the Beast of the East Rugby Tournament at Glen Farm this weekend, April 14 and 15.