July News Briefs

Lisa Ann Logan RI Paraprofessional of the Year

Posted Thursday, July 6, 2023 10:37 am

Charter Commission Continues Tussle with City Council
City charter commission chairman Marc Furtado, continued to wrangle with the City Council at its June 21^st meeting. Furtado is still upset with responses from some of the council that he believes were disrespectful during a prior council appearance. “I think council comments were not malicious but were simple incompetence. They are a little wet behind the ears when it comes to governance,” said Furtado. “They have a reality TV show every other Tuesday,” added Furtado. The chairman had appeared before the City Council last month to request an “up or down vote” on charter amendment issues. Members of the Council said that they didn’t prefer individual “up or down votes,” rather they preferred that the commission go through the current charter and make a final list of recommendations. “We will listen to every concern and comment of the charter commission and vote up or down, etc., at some point after reviewing,” Council President Bob Rodericks told Furtado at that meeting. Several commission members did not agree with Chairman Furtado bringing a resolution for a vote before the City Council without their (commission) approval to do so. Members of the City Council contacted later for a response to Chairman Furtado’s comments reportedly were not happy with quotes referring to them as ‘incompetent’ and ‘wet behind the ears’, said President Rodericks. “Council members have indicated a need to respond at its July meeting.”

EP Police Deploy Body-Worn Cameras
The East Providence Police Department announced the deployment of its Body Worn Camera program. The department conducted a pilot program where several cameras were tested by officers and staff. Axon body cameras were chosen and purchased through the Rhode Island Statewide Body Worn Camera Program earlier this year after conducting extensive research into the logistics and future funding of the program.

In a June press release, the police department said that, “The body-worn cameras are a tool in modern policing that not only offers protection from false accusations against officers but also helps to document criminal offenses and establishes greater accountability,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said. The department is committed to establishing a body-worn camera program that not only assists officers with their investigations but most importantly strengthens police and community relationships by promoting transparency and accountability within our communities. “Equipping our men and women with body-worn cameras is a milestone we have been working towards for some time now,” Chief Christopher Francesconi said.

“This technology will provide an additional level of transparency, accountability and point of view perspective for our community and police officers. “The cameras will also significantly enhance our evidence-gathering capabilities and lead to more efficient investigations,” Francesconi added.

The cameras will be issued to all frontline patrol officers and patrol sergeants, Traffic Division officers, K9 officers, and Community Police officers starting on June 9, 2023. All sworn members of the department will be trained by the middle of June. Body Worn Camera recordings are subject to the Rhode Island Access to Public Record Act (APRA), Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 38-2. All Requests for public access to a Body Worn Camera recording shall be handled in accordance with state law.

Speed Camera Review Requested by Council
At its June 20^th meeting, members of the City Council requested that the city administration provide a comprehensive review of the speed camera program. The initial request from Council members Frank Rego, Frank Fogarty and Anna Sousa, asked that an “independent audit” be conducted. Council members eventually turned the item into a request for a review. All Council members had pointed questions for Police Chief Christopher Francesconi and Director of Administration Napoleon Gonsalves. City Director of Finance Malcolm Moore told the Council that just under $8 million dollars in tickets have been issued. This includes speed and red-light cameras combined. “That’s if we collect all the fines,” said Moore. Moore reminded the Council that not everyone pays for their ticket and some people appeal and go to Municipal Court. Other fines go to the company that operates the program, Sensys Gatso. The city administration has estimated about $3 million will be collected for the Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget. “This money generally goes into the General Budget,” said Moore. Of the 157,00 issued tickets, some 100,000 are processed and paid up. The balance is unpaid or awaiting Court action.

The future of speed cameras in the city is unsure at best. Council members Fogarty and Lawson are against their deployment at all. Others haven’t gone that far yet but have several questions. Some have suggested altering the times to only before and after school or doing away with some locations all together.

Councilman Rego said he is concerned that some motorists avoid main camera areas and detour down side streets “like Don avenue and others.” Still, Director Gonsalves said that the program is working. “The number one complaint we get in the city is speeding. Cameras work, traffic is slowing.”

The council has asked for the following specific questions to be answered by the July 18^th council meeting:

Number of events from Sensys Gatso issued from inception to June 30, 2023
How many tickets were generated from these events from inception to June 30, 2023
How many tickets were paid from inception to June 30, 2023
How many tickets are unpaid from inception to June 30, 2023
How many were adjudicated from inception to June 30, 2023
What is the total revenue from inception to June 30, 2023
A report by zip code of total tickets from inception to June 30, 2023
A member representative from Senys Gatso to be present at the July 18, 2023
Interpretation of the contract with Sensys Gatso regarding permissions/ability/authority the council has to alter times, locations and numbers of School Zone Speed Cameras and Red Light Cameras.

Police to get new Portable Radios
The local police department will be the recipient of 60 new portable radios as a result of the council approval of Mayor Bob DaSilva’s request. In a resolution sponsored by Council President Rodericks, the city will purchase the radios worth a total of $590,000. The funding is from asset forfeiture and not a drain on the budget. Asked by Rodericks if “these are not just radio Shack radios,” Chief Francesconi replied, “definitely not.” “These are much needed as we have been buying refurbished radios,” said the police chief. "The radios are an officer's lifeline on the streets. These are the most advanced radios on the market and critical to communications and other law enforcement needs,” said Francesconi. The Wi-Fi capable radios and are very rugged.” “I will always support purchasing new equipment like this for your department,” Councilman Rego told Francesconi. “I don’t support buying used safety equipment.”

City to save $670K annually with Green Development Partnership
The City of East Providence will save approximately $18.5 million over 25 years by opting for clean, renewable energy for schools, housing developments, and municipal facilities.

In an early June press statement, the Mayor’s office announced that it has signed a 25-year agreement with Green Development LLC, a Cranston-based developer of large-scale solar, wind, and battery projects. The agreement, enabled by the Rhode Island Virtual Net Metering program, makes it possible for qualified entities, such as municipalities, quasi-government agencies, nonprofits, and schools to realize significant savings on their energy bills while contributing to the growth of clean, renewable energy in Rhode Island. The annual savings will be approximately $670,000 per year and $18,500,000 over the life of the agreement.

Green Development is able to maximize the energy discount because all three East-Providence entities—the school district, housing authority, and the city itself, signed their agreements simultaneously, along with plans for a solar canopy at the city’s police facility. As part of a public-private partnership, the canopy project will feature covered parking and electric vehicle charging stations.

“The covered parking will also save on exterior wear and tear of many vehicles and allow our special response vehicle to have a safe home also,” said Council President Rodericks. “A win-win for our community.

“We are looking forward to saving millions of dollars on energy bills over the next few years and beyond,” East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva said. “The long-term agreement will help us achieve our clean energy goals while enabling us to devote a greater portion of our budgets to programs and services that serve East Providence residents.”

In March 2021, the city began working with Green Development to conduct a 12-month trial run, based on a subset of our energy usage. Once it was obvious that participation in the RI Virtual Net Metering program provides sizeable savings, both the East Providence School District and the East Providence Housing Authority determined that the program makes good economic sense for them, as well. “We are pleased to welcome the City of East Providence as our newest clean energy partner, and we hope that the city can serve as an example to other cities and towns that renewable energy, in conjunction with the RI Virtual Net Metering program makes sense from an economic standpoint, in addition to benefiting the environment”, added Green Development Founder and CEO Mark DePasquale.

“As a leading, locally owned and operated developer of renewable energy projects, we are proud to be one of the drivers of the ongoing and quickly accelerating energy transformation here in Rhode Island,” Green Development VP of Business Development Hannah Morini. “When electricity is increasingly produced from in-state renewable energy assets, the level of energy security also rises, making Rhode Island less dependent on out-of-state fossil fuel sources. The support and participation of energy partners, like the City of East Providence, makes it possible for us to continue this work.”

Riverside Middle School Staff Awards
Riverside Middle School (RMS) recently finished its 2022-2023 school year with a celebration honoring three staff members for prestigious recognition awards. Kristyn-Anne Pinheiro was recognized as the annual District Teacher of the Year. Pinheiro was featured in the Reporter last month. “She has an energy like no other, working all hours of the day and night to make sure that her students are met with an equitable playing field,” wrote Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sandra Forand.

RMS paraprofessional staff member, Lisa Crowley Logan, was named the Rhode Island Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year. Logan represented Rhode Island and was in contention for the national award in a ceremony in Seattle, Washington earlier this year. Since the award’s inception in 1992, 32 ESPs from 20 states have received this prestigious national award. Rhode Island has never won the award until Logan was named this year. The NEA ESP recognizes and honors the contributions that all ESPs make towards ensuring great public schools for every student.

The other RMS winner is Dean of Students, Brian Petsch. The Golden Apple Award honors those who believe in the true spirit of teaching by making classrooms a creative and safe place to learn. NBC 10 and the Rhode Island Department of Education partner up to recognize outstanding teachers in Rhode Island. Winning educators will receive a $250 contribution to be used for their school.