Same-Sex Marriage Debated, An Update on the Waterfront, State Street Flooding

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: Councilwoman Katie Kleyla introduced a resolution supporting the passage of marriage equality legislation by the General Assembly. "This is an issue of fundamental fairness," she said. But several speakers, including the pastor of First Baptist Church in Rumford, opposed the resolution. "I don’t think you have the right to speak for me or for the people of East Providence on this issue," one woman said. Kleyla then asked for the resolution to be tabled, which passed 3 to 2.

WATERFRONT UPDATE: Planning director Jeanne Boyle said that despite the bad economy, there was positive news in the city's waterfront district. Aspen Aerogels, which specializes in nanotechology, has expanded manufacturing operations and recently held two job fairs in the city. Tockwotten Home, which is building a $41 million assisted living and nursing facility near Bold Point Park, is expected to start construction in early May. The planned extension of Waterfront Drive, which will provide better access to Interstate 195, is also proceeding.

CITY MANAGER SEARCH: Search committee chairman Dr. Isadore Ramos said the committee had received 70 resumes for the position of City Manager. Of those, 37 applicants met the specifications in the City Charter for the position, he said. The committee will now vet those applications for content and qualifications. The application date ends April 15. 

FORBES STREET LANDFILL SOLAR PROJECT: Councilman Michael DiGioia said that he could not support the solar farm project, which is in the planning stages, until the City Council gets definitive answers on how it will affect the water table in Riverside, which has significant drainage problems. Planning director Boyle said the more than $200,000 recoverable grant Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced last week will enable to city to pay for an engineering analysis of the site to address residents' concerns.

TLA/POND VIEW: In the latest effort to stop the operations at the waste management company on Dexter Road, several Rumford residents and Councilman William Conley demanded that the city enforce its zoning code against the company. He argued that when the East Providence zoning board granted the facility a variance in 1998, the board attached specific conditions. He argued the facility is processing more than it was permitted and is acting as a transfer facility, a use prohibited in East Providence. In 2003 and 2005 zoning officers noted that the company was also violating code because it was processing concrete, Conley said. He suggested the environmental attorney the city has hired in the matter should draft a lawsuit against the company seeking to close down its operations because he argued it hasn't complied with the conditions of its variances and is in violation of city zoning code. Mayor Bruce Rogers, who has argued that taking the matter to court hasn't solved anything, said he plans to tour the neighborhood and see the dust and noise neighbors are complaining about on a tour on May 7.

STATE STREET FLOODING: Mayor Rogers pointed out that residents in the State Street area near the Seekonk line have been inundated with flooding. "It's a disgrace what they have to go through down there," he said. Rogers said the owner of Coastal Realty has offered to donate and excavate a roughly three-acre site at Jay Medeiros and Commercial Way that could be used as a retention pond. Rogers said he plans to tour the neighborhood April 23 to gather support. Planning director Boyle said there are two potential grant opportunities to pay for improvements, which would cost about $1.9 million: from FEMA or Community Development Block Grant Disaster Funding.

DEFICIT ELIMINATION: Councilman Conley made a motion to establish a committee comprised of himself, two school committee members, Interim City Manager Orlando Andreoni, Superintendent Mario Cirillo, Schools Finance director Mary King and Jim McDonald, who is working in the city's finance department, to come up with a plan to eliminate the school department's deficit, which is at least $6 million. Andreoni said he had already had a meeting with some of the same people and bond counsel on the issue. Conley argued that they were just "kicking the can down the road." The Council voted 3 to 2 to establish a deficit elimination committee that will have to come up with a plan withing 40 days of its first meeting.