2024 Mayor’s Race: Hazelwood Q&A

WARWICK, RI — Leah Hazelwood, Democrat, lifelong Warwick resident, mom, retired teacher and Warwick School Committee Vice Chair, is in the 2024 Mayor’s race Nov. 5 to make government more open and aid small business.

Hazelwood retired from teaching, then represented Dist. 2 on the Warwick School Committee, winning the 2022 race against Steve  A. DiPalma, with 6,145 votes to DiPalma’s 3,294.

On her campaign website, Hazelwood pledges to run, ” the most accessible, transparent and open administration in Warwick’s history.”  She writes that city government will be open, accessible and will provide information citizen’s want and need.

She has been endorsed by RI Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi and the Warwick Teacher’s Union.

Warwick Post posed the following questions to each of the three Warwick mayoral candidates on the ballot, giving each the same amount of time, five days,  to respond with their answers. Candidates were urged to answer the questions directly, and invited to elaborate on each topic after answering the initial question. The answers have been edited for style and spelling, to ensure responses remain on-topic, and do not introduce misinformation into the debate.

All the questionnaires have been posted within the same  five-minute window, with a digital dice roll assigning the order each set of answers run on the site, and thus, their order in  the daily newsletter.

Here are Warwick Post’s questions, and Hazelwood’s answers:

2024 Mayor’s Race: Hazelwood Answers

2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 1A: The recent sexual harassment lawsuit against the city alleges disregard for the city’s sexual harassment policy among staff and managers. Warwick Post reporting on the city’s sexual harassment policy shows it does not provide for verification of receipt of the policy or routine reminders for cIity personnel. However, the people involved in the suit had been sent the policy and/or attended training to combat sexual harassment six months prior to the start of events alleged in the lawsuit: https://warwickpost.com/supervisors-in-suit-trained-on-sexual-harassment-months-before/

HAZELWOOD: It is common practice for public agencies (including one that I worked with as a foster parent) to have regular monthly trainings, and required documentation signing by off. I would be in favor of policy receipt documentation.

2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 1B:  Warwick Post received information on the policy and its distribution to managers –  public information – after a public records request following unanswered requests to the mayor’s office, weeks later. Mayor Picozzi has declined comment on the issue, citing legal concerns. Does Warwick’s mayor have a responsibility to comment to the public generally about the sexual harassment policy, and the communication of it to staff? How would you handle such situations?

HAZELWOOD: As a member of the Warwick School Committee, it is often advised by legal counsel not to comment during an ongoing investigation. As far as speaking about the policy, it should be available for the public on a website, and questions directed toward what the policy states could be answered. As to the question, if the policy was followed, advisement would be against it from counsel. Concerning how to handle a situation such as this….be proactive. On the WSC we have revisited every policy and changed/added/omitted language so that each policy is up to date and follows the law. I serve on the Policy Committee and would bring this experience to the city.

2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 1C:  Please  share any other thoughts you have on this.   

HAZELWOOD: Having read the lawsuit which states one-sided testimony, it raises many questions about the procedures following complaints. As an outsider looking in, I was appalled by the documentation. Testimony and further investigation will show if these allegations are founded. In any case, we need to make sure that every employee in the city of Warwick is valued and respected. Every voice must be heard.

2024 MAYOR’S RACE  QUESTION 2A: What is the most important thing you intend to do to aid small businesses in the city?

HAZELWOOD: Streamlining permitting and licensing is necessary to aid small businesses in Warwick. Too often the complaints are that small infractions are presented, and then corrected for reinspection. as requested. The business owner then waits for re-inspection, and upon re-examination another infraction is placed on the business owner. Some businesses are waiting months to open. Changes are necessary.

WARWICK POST QUESTION 3A:The FY25 budget projected $1.3M in revenue from the city’s new traffic camera program. Mayor Frank Picozzi noted during budget discussions, “This was never meant to be a revenue generator. It’s a side benefit of them.”  What is the most appropriate use of this revenue?

HAZELWOOD: The best use of these funds would be to improve traffic safety, signage, awareness campaigns, distracted driving education, as well as infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, as well as maintenance of the equipment used to keep the program current.

2024 MAYOR’S RACE  QUESTION 3B: Please share any other thoughts you have on this topic. 

HAZELWOOD: Hazlewood did not elaborate on this question.

2024 MAYOR’S RACE  QUESTION 4A: In 2022, the RIAG’s office ruled the original digital records detailing WFD sick time taken by firefighters between 2013 and 2018 that cost the city up to $368,000, produced for the city by Marcum, belonged to Marcum and not the public, and therefore were not subject to the RI Access to Public Records Act, leaving the public to enter the information manually from the printed report for digital analysis: https://warwickpost.com/city-doesnt-have-to-produce-fire-sick-time-file-says-ag/

Should future reports of this sort commissioned to third parties include the digital records produced? 

HAZELWOOD: In the future, there should be clarification of ownership within the contract. Language should be clear that any record produced using taxpayer funds will be subject to ARPA request in an effort to ensure transparency and accountablility to the public.

2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 4B: What is your opinion of how this information was released to the public?

HAZELWOOD My opinion is that any time we make it difficult for the public to have access to records, we breed a culture of distrust. This is something that I will work to change.

2024 MAYOR’S RACE QUESTION 4C Please share any other thoughts you have on this topic.

HAZELWOOD: Hazelwood did not elaborate on this question.

The city of Warwick has listed polling places by precinct on Board of Canvassers website.