5 Things You Need To Know: The Council Edition

Brightening up the roads-

The streets of Woonsocket have been darker since the council voted to save money by turning off every other light, but if your road has no lights, you may   just need to notify the utility company. City Council members Daniel Gendron and John Ward discussed the difficulty residents have had with distinguishing the difference between lights which have been deliberately turned off and lights that need repair and should be reported to National Grid. Lights with a red cap, as displayed above, were turned off deliberately. If you see lights out on your street that do not have a red cap, submit a repair request to National Grid here. 

Liquor licenses-

All 71 pending liquor licenses were approved last night with stipulations that the applicants must pass the fire marshal's inspection; satisfy all payments on tangible taxes, water and sewer fees; and present a Certificate of Good Standing from the state. Many businesses have been slow to comply with license requirements in past years and 2011 is no exception. Look for more on this issue on Woonsocket Patch later today.

Wastewater loan-

The council approved an ordinance authorizing the financing of improvement to the city's wastewater treatment plant, approving borrowing of up to $26 million from Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency. Only Councilwoman Suzanne Vadenais voted against the measure, which may result in a loan subsidized by the federal government with ARRA funds. Mayor Leo Fontaine said that he, and Public Works Director Sheila McGauvran, are still looking for mechanisms to delay the project.

Hydrants-

The City Council unanimously passed a new ordinance setting fees for usage of Woonsocket's fire hydrants. Woonsocket is the second municipality in the state to pass an ordinance addressing rental fees under a state law which passed last spring. 

No Councilwomen?

With Councilwomen Vadenais and Stella Brien leaving in December, there will be no females serving on the Woonsocket City Council. Vadenais and Brien expressed their dismay at the fact Monday night, and Brien called for more women to run in future elections.