Economic Development
Wyoming Design Study: After the budget was voted down, Town Staff suggested removing 20k from the capital improvement plan for a Wyoming Design Study. This was intended for a long-range vision of what downtown should look like and give developers a guide to meet town goals. I was disappointed this was removed from the budget, however, Council decided to spend ARPA funds to complete this important project.
APOD: On July 21, 2023, Council approved the Amendments to the Aquifer Protection Overlay District (APOD) in a 3-2 vote. This came before council after a year of discussions by our planning board. Many local developers attended those meetings and provided feedback. The Planning Board reviewed every use code and was able to add 27 additional uses that were not permitted before, some are permitted and some require a special use permit. Which is a step in the right direction. In my opinion, this was a win-win for both economic development and the protection of our most important natural resource, our water.
School Committee Appointment
If you have not heard, Jess Purcell was appointed to the School Committee!
When I campaigned in 2022, I promised to spend taxpayer dollars wisely which is why I voted against hiring legal counsel in the School Committee matter (and voted for the rightful person in the first place). At the last council meeting, we finally received the invoice. It’s total: $22,242.50
I asked to reduce the bill by about $3,650. The Attorney hired billed the town for filing the Writ on behalf of Clay Johnson on Jan 24th and to attend the School Committee meeting that week. We did not agree to hire him until the 25th, we did not authorize him to file the writ or attend the SC meeting. In a 3-2 vote, a motion passed to pay the full invoice of $22,242.50 for the fees associated with actions in January that violated the Town Charter and required legal recourse.
Learn365
Richmond is one of the municipalities that will receive a grant from the Learn365 program! I’m grateful the request to apply passed council 3-1 on June 20th (with one councilor absent). Town staff worked together on the application and potential programs.
We all hoped the funds could be awarded to the Chariho district instead of the municipality. However, only municipalities were eligible and this opportunity was not one to miss out on.
It’s so important for the development and mental health of our students that they have additional activities outside of school. Town staff is partnering with the YMCA & the Chariho Superintendent to bring programs to Richmond!
Onboarding
During this term, there have been multiple concerns regarding the onboarding of employees in town. In the past, the administrator gave a recommendation to TC and an appointment was made. Current council members are not satisfied with this. The best way to address this concern is to add it to our agenda for discussion and find a resolution. At our last meeting, I did just that.
Yes, the Charter gives the council the authority to appoint new employees. However, the personnel section of our ordinances do not address how we get to the appointment. What happens before the council meeting? What should happen?
Council unanimously approved my motion to ask the Town Solicitor and the Town Administrator to work together to draft ordinances that align with the current internal procedure. When ready, the council will discuss and make suggestions. All ordinance amendments are put to a public hearing before they go into effect; you will have an opportunity to share your opinion too.
