Gansett Council Roundup: May 7, 2012

At its meeting on Monday, the Narragansett Town Council voted on and took testimony on the following agenda items.

- With no debate, the council received and filed a report from Town Solicitor Mark McSally on the appropriateness of Town Manager Grady Miller shifting $3,000 in budget money to the Narrow River Preservation Association for FY 2012. (See attached PDF.)

McSally made three determinations for the council:

• The adopted budget for the wastewater department was approved with $3,000 earmarked for the NRPA.
• However, paying for the NRPA from the wastewater enterprise fund was not an appropriate expenditure.
• Also, any professional service costing more than $2,500 requires council approval.

The motion to receive and file the report was 3-2, in a similar breakdown to . Councilors Glenna Hagopian, David Crook and Alisa Trainor Fleet voted in favor, with councilors Christopher Wilkens and Susan Cicilline-Buonanno voting against.

- A second hearing for the FY 2013 budget was scheduled for May 21 by a 5-0 vote, with the final council workshop at 6:30 p.m.

- Following testimony at several previous meetings, the council voted by several 5-0 margins to forward several charter recommendations on to voters.

For the full list of accepted and rejected recommendations, see the attached 65-page PDF.

- The council voted 5-0 to extend the group life insurance contract with MetLife, although it expressed frustration that the contract did not properly go out to bid.

- The council voted 5-0 to purchase a 2012 John Deere backhoe from Schmidt Equipment for $103,335.11.

According to a memo from Department of Public Works director David E. Ousterhout, the price is about $63,000 less than list because of a purchasing agreement. The money for the equipment is budgeted in FY 2012.

Included in the documentation for the new backhoe is a list of the problems with the department’s current backhoe, a 1995 model with more than 5,500 work hours. (See attached PDF.)

According to Public Works’ employees, there are 14 separate issues, ranging from a rusting floor, a loss of pressure in the hydraulic pump and an inaccurate fuel gauge.

- The council heard short comments from Police Chief Dean Hoxsie on the marine storage and emergency port center project for Galilee. The building is being funded via .

In a memo to the council, Hoxsie and Town Engineer Jeff Ceasrine outlined the seven main elements of the facility:

• Dimensions of 64 feet by 47 feet.
• Concrete masonry, with a standing seem metal roof.
• Three storage bays.
• A hardened meeting and training room, with communications equipment and connections to allow it to be used in emergencies.
• Storage space in a mezzanine above the meeting room.
• An emergency power generator.
• A security access / keycard system to limit access to the building.

According to Hoxsie and Ceasrine, the project was expected to go out to bid this month, with an awarding in June and construction starting in July.

The only request from councilors was for the architecture of the building to be a bit friendlier, to fit in with the coastal aspect of Galilee.

- The council also approved $108,000 for four new Ford Crown Victoria police cruisers using a purchasing agreement.

According to Hoxsie, Ford is discontinuing the Crown Victorias used by the department starting with the 2013 model year, and as a result each car was discounted several thousand dollars. Hoxsie said the cars will replace and three others with high mileage. The purchase is covered by the FY 2012 budget.

- The council approved upping permit fees for peddlers, solicitors and itinerant vendors to $50 from $25, the maximum allowed by state law. The measure passed by a 5-0 vote.

- The council approved minor increases in the minimum wages for certain summer employees by a 5-0 vote. The council also approved an interim shifting of the employee parking lot to a portion of the West Lot of the town beach, due to work at Canonchet.

- The council approved the addition of 10 new segments (100 feet) of boardwalk at Canonchet Farm, as well as two Canonchet trail kiosks and benches by the Narragansett Tree Society.

- The council approved a $48,425 contract for Indoor Air Technologies for duct cleaning, disinfection and inspection for various buildings.

Although councilors noted the high price, they said it was the lowest bid, and several of the ducts had never been cleaned or inspected.

- The council approved $23,125 in consulting bills for Nyhart related to pension actuary services.

- The council approved a termination agreement between Cox Wireless and the town. According to documentation, the cell phone service provided by Cox went out of business, and they no longer needed the space provided on a water tower. Cox will continue to pay the leasing fee until the contract’s expiration date in 2014.

- The council approved its minutes from May 16, 2011 meetings by a 5-0 vote.

The council also approved the following consent agenda items by a 5-0 vote:

• A class F-1 alcoholic beverage license for an Endless Abilities fundraiser at the Towers on May 10.
• A request for permission for a Show and Shine Car Show at Veterans Memorial Park on August 26, held by the Boston chapter of the BMW CCA.
• A holiday sales license for Samantha Vang of Chi Spa.
• A soldier and sailor license for James P. Given, the owner of Pizza By Fire, LLC.
• A payment of $6,000 to WB Community Health for the Good Health Benefit Premiums.
• A contract for $3,970 to Accu-Tech, the lowest bidder for fire alarm cable and hardware.
• A contract for cold patch, hot patch and asphalt emulsion to two vendors, Johnston Asphalt and J.H. Lynch and Sons, based on low bid prices.
• A contract for $14,055 for 2012 shuttle service for the Narragansett Pier Area to the lowest bidder, the Narragansett School System.
• Two contract extensions until December 20, 2012, with Abcore Restoration Company for general construction services, building renovations, restoration and reconstruction.
• A replacement truck body for a 1999 Ford from Coastal International Trucks for $6,750.
• A contract with GovDeals.com, an online auction site, to sell surplus town supplies and equipment.

For more information on any agenda item, visit ClerkBase.