City Council OKs Southern Heath Avenue Parking Ban, Delays Wildlife Feeding Ban

WARWICK, RI — The Warwick City Council voted final passage on a ban on parking on Heath Avenue’s south side, then delayed a vote on making landlords responsible for tenants’ street debris and a ban on keeping and feeding wildlife  until their Dec. 17 meeting Wednesday night.

Councillors also delayed voting on a resolution requiring landlords to be responsible for debris left on the street by their tenants, till Dec. 17, as well as on awarding a $50,000 big for Telecommunication Services/Installation & Parts, a resolution to install a sprinkler system in the Cooper Building.

A resolution on establishing a committee for the Buckeye Brook remediation was delayed until Jan. 9, as was a resolution to add $6 million to the Warwick Schools budget.

Councillors also passed:

• A resolution awarding $2,678.98 for diesel exhaust fluid to Dennis K. Burke Oil.
• Various Maintenance & Repairs at Thayer/Warburton Ice Plant for $9,069.67 to Environmental
  Systems, Inc.
• HVAC Maintenance & Repair Contract for City Owned Buildings for $7,500 to CAM HVAC &
  Construction, Inc.
• Various Fire Apparatus Repairs for $25,000.
• Repair Parts for Snowplows at $15,000.
• Various Parts for Sand & Spreaders for $12,000

During City Council committee hearings prior to the meeting’s late 8:15 p.m. start, Councilman Jeremy Rix asked for an amendment to his resolution banning keeping and feeding wildlife that would mirror state law regarding penalties for feeding wildlife, making city ordinance similar to the law governing DEM officer authority.

Kimberly Aquino of Chambly Avenue told councilors that granting the City’s Animal Control Officer with the same authority as a DEM officer in matters of wildlife enforcement would save residents a phone call, and make it easier to keep people from inconveniencing their neighbors.

Aquino said her neighbor drew a lot of pidgeons to their neighborhood by feeding them, hospitality the birds repaid by pooping all over everything.

“They were pooping all over my driveway, all over my cars,” Aquino said. But, when she called the City Animal Control officer, there was nothing she could do.

The council voted to delay a vote until they could review Rix’s legislation in detail.

The council also hosted City Councilmen Elect Anthony Sinapi, Ward 8 and James McElroy, Ward 4, who sat to the left and right sides of the council’s seating, respectively.

“I’ve invited them to sit with us to get them prepared for January,” when their terms begin, said City Council President Steve Merolla.