WARWICK, RI — Monday’s Warwick City Council meeting considers final passage on a requirement for clean contracts to be ratified to be submitted – in complete and redlined formats, and begins discussion of new ward borders and new term lengths at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, Warwick City Hall.
The Council will also spend some time in executive session discussing potential litigation regarding national opioid litigation and Guess?, Inc. on grounds of failing its fiduciary responsibilities to the Warwick Retirement Board.
Ratifying contracts
The issue of whether the council should ratify incomplete or unedited contracts harkens back to 2020, when the Council ratified the the Warwick Firefighters contract 5-4 Jan. 6 with errors in the document discussed during that meeting.
New Ward Apportionment
“Very little change is expected on the ward lines,” Council President Steve McAllister said in March when the Warwick City Council-appointed three-person Ward Reapportionment Committee met to determine where the new lines will lie. There have not been dramatic changes in city population since the previous Census 10 years ago, McAllister said.
The committee’s work would need to be done and sent to the RI Secretary of State’s office by April 15.
Term extensions for Mayor, Council
For elective terms commencing January, 2025, the resolution would set Mayoral and Council terms as:
- The term of office for the Mayor of Warwick shall be four years in length instead of the current two-year term, with a limit on service as Mayor of two consecutive terms, exclusive of service prior to January, 2025 and any partial term of less than two years previously served, and service on the Warwick City Council shall be limited to five consecutive two-year terms, exclusive of service prior to January, 2025 and any partial term of less than one year previously served.
The resolution would also place the the following question on the ballot:
- For elective terms commencing January 2025, shall the term of office for Mayor be increased from two to four years with service as Mayor limited to two consecutive four year terms, exclusive of service prior to January 2025 and any partial term of less than two years, and shall service on the City Council be limited to five consecutive two year terms, exclusive of service prior to January 2025 and any partial term of less than one year?
Possible litigation
“It has been brought to the Council’s attention by the City Solicitor that the Warwick Retirement Board, as the beneficial owner of shares of Guess?, Inc. common stock, has reason to investigate and assess potential breaches of fiduciary duties by members of Guess?, Inc.’s board of directors and/or senior management, the independence and disinterestedness of members of the Board, and whether to bring a lawsuit or take other appropriate action,” according to the agenda item.
The full agenda, and supporting documents, are embedded at the following links:
04-04-2022_regular_business_meeting_agenda
pcr_38-22_res._authorizing_retainer_guessinc_
pcr_158-21_charter_amendment_term_length_and_limits
pco-5-22_ord_requiring_redlined_cbas_0
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