2026-07-30 - City Council
Summary
Based on auto-captions; names, item numbers and titles may be misheard. The captions run from 00:14 to 20:10 but jump from 00:14 straight to 10:10, so the opening of the recording is missing; this appears to be a short special meeting (and possibly a partial recording), and the captions give titles for almost none of the items.
- Special council meeting, Thursday, July 30, 2026.
- Quorum with 10 members present and 5 absent (Councilor Graves, Councilor Reyes, Jo-Ann Ryan, Councilman Taylor and Councilwoman Ana Vargas).
- Adjourned at about 20:00 in memory of Fernando Valiente (as captioned) and Judy Crank, followed by a Cape Verdean Independence Day celebration.
Time on topic
| Topic | Minutes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petitioned Ordinance Referendum Submission | 4 | 40% |
Other business
10:10-13:45
- Rachel Miller opened with the roll; Oscar Vargas gave the invocation and Shelley Peterson led the Pledge.
- Items 1 and 2 were received on a voice vote. Item 3 was received and approved. Oscar Vargas (captioned as "Councilwoman Vargas"; context suggests he spoke) said he did not know an appointee, Thomas Morgan (as captioned), and asked for a courtesy call to councilors when someone is appointed; the president noted it as a point of personal expression.
Petitioned Ordinance Referendum Submission
13:45-17:24
- The city solicitor explained that the council must submit a petitioned ordinance to the voters at the next general election under the charter, since petitioners met the 5% signature requirement within the statutory deadline. The vote is neither support nor opposition.
- Item 4 passed on a voice vote with no discussion.
Other business
17:26-20:10
- Items 5 and 6 passed on a roll call: 10 ayes with 5 absent on item 5; 9 ayes and 1 no on item 6. The captions do not say what they were or who voted no; several members' responses were not captured.
- Adjournment in memory of the deceased; a councilor added condolences for Isidoro Ramos, former mayor of East Providence (as captioned).
Issues discussed: Petitioned Ordinance Referendum Submission
Sources
Video
Transcript
These are auto-generated captions; names and numbers may be misheard.
Transcript
00:14Check one, two.
10:10>> Good evening counselors and welcome to
10:12the special council meeting on Thursday,
10:15July 30th.
10:16Madam Clerk, please call the roll.
10:18>> Council President Miller. Present.
10:20Deputy Majority Whip Anderberg.
10:22Councilor Davidson.
10:24Majority Leader Espinal.
10:27Senior Deputy Majority Leader Gonzales.
10:29>> Present.
10:30>> Councilwoman Graves is absent. Deputy
10:34Majority Leader Harris.
10:36Councilwoman Peterson.
10:39Council President Pro Tem Pichardo.
10:41>> Present.
10:42>> Councilor Reyes is absent. Councilwoman
10:46Ryan is absent. Majority Whip Sanchez.
10:49>> Present.
10:50>> Councilman Taylor is absent.
10:52Councilwoman Anna Vargas is absent.
10:55Councilman Oscar Vargas.
10:56>> Present.
10:57>> You have 10 present and five absent. You
10:59have a quorum.
11:00>> Thank you, Madam Clerk. This evening the
11:02invocation will be led by Councilman
11:05Oscar Vargas.
11:06>> Thank you, Madam President.
11:08The name of the Father, the Son, and the
11:10Holy Spirit.
11:12God, please give your vision
11:15and patience to get things done in our
11:17city
11:19and to think
11:20and good resolutions and ordinances
11:23for our people.
11:26And please give us clarifying
11:29decisions
11:30how we can do better and work with our
11:33departments.
11:34Amen.
11:35>> Amen.
11:36>> Thank you, counselor. And the pledge of
11:37allegiance will be led by Councilwoman
11:39Peterson.
11:41>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
11:43United States of America, and to the
11:46republic for which it stands,
11:48one nation under God, indivisible, with
11:51liberty and justice for all.
11:58>> Madam Clerk, item one,
12:00>> Madam President,
12:01>> majority leader,
12:02>> motion to waive the reading of items one
12:04and two.
12:05>> Second, Madam President.
12:06>> We have a motion and a second. Any
12:07discussion on items one or two?
12:10Hearing none, all in favor?
12:12>> Aye.
12:13>> Any
12:14>> Madam President,
12:15>> Okay, we'll finish the vote and then
12:17I'll call on you. Is that all right?
12:18I'm sorry. Any opposed? Any abstentions
12:20on item one and two?
12:21>> One.
12:23Madam President,
12:24>> Yes.
12:25>> Can you receive
12:27>> Yes, we haven't voted yet, but yes.
12:29Uh all Any opposed? Any abstentions?
12:33The motion passes.
12:34Uh
12:35Madam Clerk, please note one and two is
12:37received. So, Councilwoman Vargas,
12:38sorry. Well, go go ahead. You have the
12:41floor, sir.
12:42>> Yes, uh thank you, Madam President. Is
12:44Is Is about number one.
12:48I remember when I first started 5 years
12:50ago, we used to get a phone call from
12:51anybody who gets appointed to these.
12:55I don't know who Mr. Thomas Morgan is.
12:58I would like to know the people when
12:59they appoint somebody, and at least a
13:02courtesy phone call to say, "Look, I'm
13:04I'm working on it and and and to
13:07introduce yourself." Thank you.
13:08>> Councilor, I will note that as a point
13:10of personal expression.
13:12Uh that's okay, and we're moving on to
13:14item three. That uh
13:16takes this up in more detail. Item
13:19three, please.
13:20>> Madam President,
13:21>> majority leader,
13:22>> motion to waive the reading of item
13:23three and receive and approve.
13:26>> Second, it, President.
13:27>> We have a motion and a second. Any
13:28discussion on item three?
13:32Any further discussion?
13:35All in favor?
13:36>> Aye.
13:37>> Any opposed? Any abstentions?
13:40The motion passes. Uh Madam Clerk,
13:43please note item three as received and
13:45approved. So noted. Item four. And
13:48before we um move on to item four, I
13:51would like to
13:52turn the floor over to the city
13:54solicitor to just do a brief
13:56introduction.
13:57>> Thank you.
14:02Okay.
14:03Um so I think as uh you all are aware,
14:07the background of this from
14:10the memo that I provided you at
14:13Yep. That I provided you at your
14:14request.
14:16Um I'll reiterate
14:18in general that
14:20um
14:21the vote on this resolution is not
14:24in
14:25support nor in opposition of the actual
14:28ordinance that has been proposed by the
14:30petitioners.
14:32It's merely
14:34to submit it this proposed ordinance to
14:37the voters.
14:38I will read from the relevant portion of
14:42the charter, which is the reason why
14:44this is before you.
14:46Um
14:48209C of the charter
14:51uh states that in the event that the
14:53city council shall fail to enact such
14:55proposed ordinance without amendments.
14:58And upon receipt by the city clerk of a
15:00notarized referendum petition signed by
15:03an additional 5% of the qualified
15:06electors of the city,
15:08the city council shall submit such
15:11proposed ordinance to a vote of the
15:13people at of the city at the next
15:15general election. Now, as you know,
15:17this council received this proposed
15:20ordinance, did not enact it.
15:23And then subsequently the city clerk did
15:26receive a notarized referendum petition
15:29and the board of canvassers uh confirmed
15:33that there were um an additional 5% of
15:36the qualified electors of the city
15:39that had signed on to it.
15:41Um those were the
15:44ministerial requirements.
15:47Um the basic requirements under the law
15:50for this to go
15:52to the voters. The final piece
15:56pursuant to the charter
15:59and it's not elective, but merely the
16:01charter says that the city council shall
16:04submit the proposed ordinance to the
16:06vote of the people. So as as I noted to
16:09you in our memo, they've satisfied
16:12the petitioners have satisfied the
16:14requirement of for the number of
16:16qualified
16:18signatures
16:20or signatures of qualified electors
16:23and have done so within the time
16:26required under state statute. So the
16:29final step is for the city council,
16:31again, pursuant to the city charter
16:35to submit the ordinance to the the
16:38proposed ordinance to the vote of the
16:40people. And I'll reiterate that that is
16:42not um
16:45by submitting it to the vote of the
16:47people, the council is not
16:50um approving of the ordinance or not um
16:54not registering opposition or support
16:57one way or the other.
17:02>> Thank you, Mr. Solicitor.
17:04Um Madam Clerk, item four.
17:07>> Madam President.
17:08>> Majority Leader.
17:09>> Motion to waive the reading of item four
17:11and pass on a voice vote.
17:12>> Second, Madam President.
17:13>> We have a motion and a second. Any
17:15discussion on item four?
17:18Hearing none, all in favor?
17:20>> Aye.
17:21>> Any opposed? Any abstentions?
17:24The motion passes.
17:26Item five.
17:28>> Madam President.
17:29>> Majority Leader.
17:29>> I wish to move that we read item five
17:31and six and pass in a roll call vote.
17:37>> We have a motion and a second. Any
17:38discussion on items five or six?
17:44Hearing none, Madam Clerk, please call
17:45the roll.
17:46>> Council President Miller.
17:47>> Aye.
17:48>> Deputy Majority Whip Vanderboon.
17:51Councilor Davidson.
17:53Majority Leader Espinal.
17:55>> Aye.
17:56>> Senior Deputy Majority Leader Gonsalves.
17:58>> Aye.
17:59>> Councilwoman Graves is absent. Deputy
18:01Majority Leader Harris.
18:03>> Aye.
18:04>> Councilwoman Peterson.
18:07>> Aye on five and aye on six.
18:13>> Council President Pro Tem Pichardo.
18:16>> Aye.
18:18>> Councilor Reyes is absent. Councilwoman
18:21Ryan is absent. Majority Whip Sanchez.
18:24>> Aye.
18:25>> Councilwoman Taylor is absent.
18:28Councilwoman Anna Vargas is absent.
18:30Councilman Oscar Vargas.
18:32>> Aye.
18:34>> You have 10 ayes and five absent on item
18:38five. You have nine ayes, one no, and
18:42five absent on number six. The motion
18:45carries. The matters are approved on a
18:47roll call vote.
18:48>> Thank you, Madam Clerk.
18:50Uh
18:53>> Madam President.
18:54>> Majority Leader.
18:55>> I ask that we rise as we prepare to
18:57adjourn. And tonight we do that in the
19:00memory of those that have passed away.
19:02And tonight we adjourn in the name of
19:04Fernando D. Valiente
19:07Valiente and Judy Crank. And all of
19:10those that have passed away, may God
19:12rest their souls. Motion to adjourn.
19:21>> Any discussion? All in favor?
19:24>> Aye.
19:25Sorry, Madam President.
19:27Point of personal expression here to add
19:30on to the majority leader there.
19:33I just want to say rest in peace to
19:35Isidoro Ramos, the former
19:38mayor of East Providence who passed
19:41recently. He was a Cape Verdean elected
19:43official who served honorably in East
19:46Providence and I just want to wish his
19:48family my deepest condolences. Thank
19:51you.
19:51>> Thank you. Thank you, counselor. And I'm
19:53sorry I missed you on the discussion
19:54point to correct us. That was a
19:57discussion.
19:59All in favor?
20:00Aye.
20:01>> Aye.
20:01>> Any opposed? Any abstentions? The motion
20:03passes. We are adjourned.
20:06Very much inviting everyone to stay and
20:09celebrate Cape Verdean Independence Day
20:10with us shortly.