on 04-25-2009 04:26

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET - In a move that was hailed as a compromise, the City Council has approved second passage of an amended noise ordinance that would place an 11 p.m. time limit on amplified sound at outdoor feasts and festivals on Fridays, Saturdays, and the days before holidays.

Going forward, the City Council will consider the 11 p.m. limit on a case-by-case basis as it applies to each entertainment license applicant and in the event of any problems, can set an earlier cut-off the next time the offending organization applies for a license.
Numerous members of several of the city's Portuguese cultural organizations attended the City Council meeting on Wednesday and applauded after the decision was made.  Several board members singled out David Andrade, the president of the Portuguese American Citizens Committee, for being a strong advocate for compromise on the noise issue.
In other matters, a resolution authorizing the filing of an application for the 2010 Community Development Block Grant program for the upcoming year was tabled for two weeks after Councilors Jean Philippe Barros and Albert Vitali Jr. requested further time to study the approved project requests.
Barros and Vitali questioned city Planning Director Michael Cassidy at length about the annual process involved in obtaining the grants. Barros requested to see the entire list of applicants who had applied for the block grants that will be awarded by the federal government this fall. He also said he wanted to question Mayor James Doyle about the criteria that was used by the mayor's administration to make the final decisions.
The council also approved first passage of a new three-year contract for members of the Police Department. The contract establishes a new pay plan for the period from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2012.
Additionally, the council approved second passage of numerous bonds to pay for capital improvements projects that had been approved by voters in the last election, and gave second passage to an ordinance to entitle Memorial Hospital "hospital zone" parking to Rhode Island Avenue.
During the public input session of the meeting, School Committeeman Joseph Knight had addressed the council to ask for their help in obtaining legal clarification over whether or not School Committee members are indemnified from lawsuits if they don't achieve a balanced budget by June 30. He noted that the way current legislation reads, the School Committee is legally bound to not overspend the current fiscal year's budget and is forbidden from operating at a deficit or its members could potentially be held accountable or sued personally.
Knight, saying he was speaking on his own behalf as a school board member and not for the rest of the School Committee, said he would not have voted to support the Caruolo action if he knew he could be personally indemnified on the budget matter. He said that while he still feels he was elected to find ways to adequately fund the schools with the budget that is provided by the city, he came to realize that "as School Committee members, our hands are pretty well tied."
Knight said that he felt he had to protect his family from the possibility of any such legal action in the wake of the school budget deficit, so therefore went along with the rest of the committee members on the Caruolo action."I am extremely distressed by this and seek help from the council," Knight stated.
Council members agreed to seek an opinion from the city solicitor's office on the matter of indemnification for the School Committee members.

on 05-05-2009 02:42

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET - In its first meeting since filing a lawsuit under the Caroulo Act to get additional funds, the School Committee remained silent on the issue, except to approve a special meeting on May 20.

The School Committee met for almost an hour in executive session with School Department attorney Stephen M. Robinson prior to the start of the regular meeting. The topics for discussion had been listed as legal advice on the fiscal year 2009 budget deficit, which reportedly looms at $5.1 million, the fiscal year 2010 budget, and a resolution for a legal proposal.
However, when the committee reconvened in open session, it was reported that no votes had been taken. Chairman David Coughlin said there could be a possible vote taken on a resolution from attorney Robinson at the May 20 special meeting, which will be held at Jenks Junior High School at 6 p.m.
Although it was listed on the agenda, the School Committee also opted not to discuss publicly the results of a meeting of an ad hoc Task Force that included state Auditor General Ernest Almonte and Mayor James Doyle. The task force had been called for by the mayor to discuss joint solutions for addressing the budget deficit.
The committee did vote to award a food service bid with its current provider, Sodexo under a new one-year contract. The new contract, which has a bottom line increase of $97,000 over the previous year's figure, was approved for one year with four additional one-year renewal options available.
Committeeman James Chelle questioned Sodexo manager Solange Morrissette on the company's "non-compete" clause regarding the sale of food items, and Committeeman Joseph Knight asked how often the company had provided free meals for administrative functions. However, Committeewoman Joanne Bonollo and Amy Breault Zolt praised Sodexo, saying the company had vastly improved the quality of school food and had   made improvements to cafeterias at no charge to the school district.
On a related note, Morrissette told the committee that two of the city's elementary schools, Curvin-McCabe and Cunningham have been chosen to receive the U.S. Department of Agriculture's prestigious "U.S. Healthier Schools Challenge" award. She said Pawtucket will be the first
See SCHOOLS, Page A-2
school district in Rhode Island to receive the prestigious award, which honors schools that have promoted health education and wellness.

The committee also approved a new electricity contract with Constellation Energy, a telephone contract with Cox Communications, and a fire alarm system bid to Ryan Electric.

The School Committee also approved second reading of numerous new policies regarding diverse learners staffing, English language learners, graduation policy fir English language learners, guidelines for in-school observations, and high school diploma options.

An action by Bonollo to resurrect a policy sub-committee of the school committee, however, died after a three-person slate of members that had been recommended by Chairman David Coughlin was voted down. Coughlin had previously recommended Bonollo, Knight and Committeeman Raymond Noonan, but Bonollo had wanted Nicole Nordquist, a former member of the wellness policy committee, to sit on the new committee. When Coughlin proposed the same slate as he had before, all members voted against it, including Coughlin, but no subsequent action was taken.

At the suggestion of Noonan, committee members agreed to develop a set of criteria to give a performance evaluation to Schools Supt. Hans Dellith that will be conducted in June of 2010. Noonan pointed out that the superintendent's contact states that such a evaluation be given annually each June, but said it appears that no criteria were ever established to do so. Dellith agreed to do a draft that will be approved with input from the committee.

Dellith, who returned on April 26 from his trip to China with the Cultural Exchange Initiative, told the committee that it was "very worthwhile." He said he visited six schools outside of Beijing, learned a lot about the culture and its educational system and hopes to continue to have a good relationship with the host schools and administrators.

In other matters, Tracie Bourget, a teacher at the Agnes Little Elementary School, addressed the committee on what she said was the unfair characterization that the staff is not responsive to the concerns over traffic safety issues in and around the school parking lot. She said it is the parents who are to blame for speeding and reckless driving, and for blaring loud music, and said some even curse at the students. She told the committee, "We care...but we need help."
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