Wednesday’s Warwick City Council Tackles New Charter Board, Sidewalks, Panhandling

WARWICK, RI — There are a few new items on the Warwick City Council’s agenda for Wednesday at 7 p.m. in City Hall, including resolutions to begin a new Charter Review Commission, improving Conimicut Village crosswalks, and prohibiting panhandling in medians.

Regarding the Charter Review Commission dissolution resolution, authored by Councilman Ed Ladouceur, the City Council “desires to dissolve the inactive Charter Review Commission because dissolving the Commission will avoid any confusion if a new Charter Review Commission is established,” the proposal reads.

The proposal’s not merely precautionary, however, since a second resolution, PCR-134-18, not yet drafted, would  create a Charter Review Committee.

Resolution PCR135-18 would authorize Mayor Joseph Solomon to execute a Construction & Maintenance Agreement with the State for work on crosswalks to be done in the City. The resolution allows the city to use a $69,000 grant from the Rhode Island Commerce Commission for improvements to the crosswalks in the 6 Conimicut Village Business District.

Unfinished business during the meeting ahead of those issues on the agenda, include second passage on:

PCO-16-18 – An Ordinance relative to an amendment to the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) to consolidate waterfront business zone to conform with existing marine use of the subject property.

PCO-17-18 – Ordinance in regards to moving the No Parking signs on the east
side of Bank Street and amending the No Parking signs on the west side of
Bank Street to say “No Parking This Side”.

PCO-20-18 – Ordinance in regards to No Parking this Side (East side) of
Benefit Street

They’ll also consider first passage on PCO-40-16 An Ordinance regarding Pedestrians,  prohibiting standing in the median of City streets, a proposal that drew the criticism of the ACLU of Rhode Island in March 2017.