[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6504387,"mediaKeyId","5681110-a39fe6d94d6ffb9edca4caf8da0a695c","parentId",5681110,"title","Cranston City Council approves tax abatements, parking ordinances, labor agreement and appointments","audioSeconds",142,"startMs",1474000,"endMs",1616000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681110-a39fe6d94d6ffb9edca4caf8da0a695c&start=1474&end=1616","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681110-a39fe6d94d6ffb9edca4caf8da0a695c/thumbnail_1474000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6504387/Cranston-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Cranston-City-Council-approves-tax-abatements-parking-ordinances-labor-agreement-and-appointments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504387-909813623a37471f7de773c6d1834bf5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771133336&Signature=n9p66PGxp13tCa~sxDeiimeKEQyX9JOniunoWLmrRibsjpqqYzZFbtWyqRmqJhcc~baxUJ2UzVvHt4o3bVe3xL8iYCdk2hiwNaYGVAlHMU7O790ZvU2xJZtBlJoB9OBAO~UwwZcgaoTEtHwcohXrMtHOjzeaZ40o7spvhCKSbfFmgEt1cxZq~ghhzGnpdT6o3IBZOMN75uwWftPvaJa22ilgqM9FYMnpVjapICHwewzfn7C8~wFvUgBmEJSAZzsSfMO8ZsbkGZxK8aHDCTvyaPp5Uzj-eZU6atsLM8YJFHSx1~XXKjQcUjtXBM6SnkQqxM-X6BXISz3eYL7NzooQ7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author"," City of Cranston","date","2025-08-26T11:37:05Z","article","The Cranston City Council on Aug. 25 approved a block of finance and ordinance items including real-estate and tangible tax abatements, two parking-related ordinance amendments, a parking-lot lease with a local VFW post and an ordinance ratifying a school committee collective bargaining agreement for school bus drivers. The council also approved three personnel appointments; one reappointment received a single dissenting vote.

Why it matters: The votes finalize routine tax-abatement requests, enact local parking restrictions and carry out a school‑committee labor agreement that the council ratified by ordinance. The actions affect municipal revenue, property owners, neighborhood parking rules and the school district’s labor terms, and they fill key volunteer posts on local boards.

Most important actions and outcomes
- Real-estate tax abatements (resolution): Approved unanimously. The finance committee recommended approval.
- Tangible tax abatements (resolution): Approved unanimously. The finance committee recommended approval.
- Ordinance O7-25-03: Ratifying the School Committee’s collective bargaining agreement with Rhode Island Laborers, District Council 13 — Bus Drivers unit: Approved (ordinance adoption). The finance committee recommended passage.
- Ordinance O7-25-07: Ratifying a parking-lot lease between the City of Cranston and VFW Post 2396, doing business as Tabor Franke Post: Approved (lease ratified).
- Ordinance O7-25-04: Amendment to Title 10, Chapter 32, Section 22.25 of the City of Cranston Code of Ordinances (no parking of commercial vehicles): Approved (ordinance adoption). The ordinance committee heard from the traffic engineer and recommended approval.
- Ordinance O7-25-05: Amendment to Title 10, Chapter 32, Section 040 (no parking on certain streets): Approved (ordinance adoption). The city traffic engineer flagged a potential conflict with an existing two-hour parking restriction; Director Moretti recommended a deletion/amendment to resolve the conflict at a subsequent meeting.
- Appointments: Carol Cooney to the Tax Assessment Board of Review (alternate No. 3, term to 01/05/2026) — approved. Justin McCarthy to the Tax Assessment Board of Review (alternate No. 1, term to 01/28/2026) — approved. Reappointment of Dean Verdecakis to the Zoning Board of Review (term 10/05/2025–10/05/2030) — approved; roll call shows one \"No\" vote from Councilman Andujar.

How the votes were recorded: The clerk took roll calls for each formal vote. For the items listed above the roll-call votes were recorded as affirmative by Councilman Campopiano, Councilman Bonanno, Councilwoman Graziano, Councilwoman Heroyan, Councilman Ritz, Councilman Traficante, Council vice president Wall and Council president Marino on each matter; the reappointment of Dean Verdecakis recorded one No from Councilman Andujar and Yes votes from the other members.

Process and committee context: The finance committee recommended the tax abatements and the labor-agreement ordinance for approval. The ordinance committee recommended the two parking ordinances after input from the city traffic engineer; Director Moretti advised a minor amendment would be needed to avoid overlapping two‑hour parking restrictions on one street before finalizing enforcement language.

What the council did not decide tonight: The council did not take additional amendments to the parking ordinances at this meeting; Director Moretti suggested the conflict could be handled by an ordinance deletion at a future meeting.

Votes at a glance (normalized list)
- Approval of minutes, July 28, 2025 regular meeting — motion approved (unanimous roll call).
- Resolution: Real-estate tax abatements — approved (unanimous roll call).
- Resolution: Tangible tax abatements — approved (unanimous roll call).
- Ordinance O7-25-03: Ratify School Committee collective bargaining agreement with Rhode Island Laborers, District Council 13 (Bus Drivers unit) — approved.
- Ordinance O7-25-07: Ratify parking-lot lease with VFW Post 2396 (Tabor Franke Post) — approved.
- Ordinance O7-25-04: Amend Title 10, Ch. 32, §22.25 (no parking of commercial vehicles) — approved.
- Ordinance O7-25-05: Amend Title 10, Ch. 32, §040 (no parking on certain streets) — approved; traffic engineer recommended follow-up amendment to avoid conflicting two‑hour parking restriction.
- Appointment: Carol Cooney, Tax Assessment Board of Review (alternate No. 3, term to 01/05/2026) — approved.
- Appointment: Justin McCarthy, Tax Assessment Board of Review (alternate No. 1, term to 01/28/2026) — approved.
- Reappointment: Dean Verdecakis, Zoning Board of Review (term 10/05/2025–10/05/2030) — approved (8 Yes, 1 No — Councilman Andujar voted No).

Ending: The council moved several routine and committee‑recommended items in a single meeting; where technical conflicts were identified (the parking‑restriction overlap) staff and council indicated they would correct the ordinances at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 25, 2025, City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Cranston City Council on Aug. 25 approved a block of finance and ordinance items including tax abatements, parking ordinances, a parking-lot lease and a school‑committee labor agreement, and confirmed three appointments.","taxTitle","Cranston City, Providence County, Rhode Island","taxId",4549,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6504378,"Garden City Alliance urges city to address long‑running Saugonasset intersection issues, vacant building and Topgolf fill pile",155,1891000,2046000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681110-a39fe6d94d6ffb9edca4caf8da0a695c&start=1891&end=2046","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681110-a39fe6d94d6ffb9edca4caf8da0a695c/thumbnail_1891000.jpg","/articles/6504378/Cranston-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Garden-City-Alliance-urges-city-to-address-longrunning-Saugonasset-intersection-issues-vacant-building-and-Topgolf-fill-pile","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504378-2f19766004a3d5dd57eabede82e9c6e9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771133336&Signature=eXv1CMwP6-dDAbbeh7I-YheO1MS-21F6eoXtui7wMp8sqCax7nNgjok9yBh59lb7TpzvRX8h7E7NdObFP8BNuq-v~zhjIprhW-Bs0MHVKjP2YsnFiZ7IqMlht0m4ZgZHragB8neL1CwGxgis4TDJLzZHrSYIoEIaHSglPID-WRAwVS19BnVx8dlqe1lA6roMZxYG4l8TjUt50M6OpgbZ4rzzP48l~HqSg1CAkxX96obLdxFjo4kvjpf8SwmHL1MNfg4KylThBtsxbClQPAKqdVlG0Rl6ViuZbcXBD0LkfXHxF7Eqx0LbRp34Zl-kCUDwsG1tUtHV5cqTokfD9sHbfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pauline DeRosa, founder of the Garden City Alliance, told the Cranston City Council on Aug. 25 that long‑standing traffic and property issues in the Garden City Center — including congestion at a state‑owned intersection, a boarded‑up office building and a persistent pile of fill behind the Topgolf site — remain unresolved.

DeRosa described Hillside Road as an interior perimeter driveway within the Garden City Center that carries traffic to multiple points in the center and said congestion at the intersection of Saugonassett (state road) and Hillside Road forces additional delays. She told the council she was told in 2019 by a member of the Public Works department that the Saugonassett corridor work must be completed before the traffic situation could be addressed.

DeRosa also said a citizens‑call‑center building on Saugonassett (described in her remarks as the Veil Building) remains vacant with the main entrance boarded up. She said the Capionado Group proposed a six‑story building for that site in February 2016 but that large‑scale development has not occurred.

Finally, DeRosa raised concerns about a \"very large pile of fill behind the Topgolf facility\" that, she said, was promised in March 2016 by a Capionado Group administrator to be used on other projects but has not been moved and has become an eyesore and a source of fugitive dirt.

Why it matters: The issues raised touch traffic flow on a state road, long‑term vacancy of a building in a major retail center and a site‑management concern that affects local cleanliness and possibly stormwater/fugitive dust. DeRosa urged the city to address or at least acknowledge these continuing problems.

Council response and next steps: DeRosa asked the council to resolve or address the problems; the meeting transcript records the questions but no formal action or staff report addressing the specific claims during the Aug. 25 meeting. Earlier in the meeting, Director Moretti and council members discussed traffic‑engineer input related to other parking ordinances and indicated staff would handle related traffic‑engineering changes at future meetings.

Ending: DeRosa asked the council to take up the longstanding Garden City traffic and property concerns; the council did not take immediate action during the meeting and the items will require follow‑up by city staff or referral to the appropriate committee.","In public comment at the Aug. 25 Cranston City Council meeting, Pauline DeRosa of the Garden City Alliance described continued traffic problems at the Saugonassett/Hillside Road intersection, a long‑vacant office building and a large pile of fill behind the Topgolf site that she says has remained since 2016.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6504383,"Resident asks city to clarify status of Budlong Pool project and $4.75 million grant",122,2122000,2244000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681110-a39fe6d94d6ffb9edca4caf8da0a695c&start=2122&end=2244","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681110-a39fe6d94d6ffb9edca4caf8da0a695c/thumbnail_2122000.jpg","/articles/6504383/Cranston-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Resident-asks-city-to-clarify-status-of-Budlong-Pool-project-and-475-million-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504383-bdbf58b52e10ef26d031aa657a3e1521/orig.mp4?Expires=1771133336&Signature=ocLXOKRaL2bz6T66cTyHIZmlj2sxLTaGN5A0~yve74AtgDGNFXZ~aVV-uH9mxCAv046laOR6N3WDCeb6OVuVYutnWkXPfTr9Rb74AzH0pddc19xJpVB3Bq4R4RLyVZ1Pf2WDhocVEQE63HGpeDgQgB-sFjXcF3nchLvv4nzp6Yl45GRwjfQ4A6hiaEVwiLQSdlakbrESqIq0Bfp5nuX8eGQCa5S32pmfC-6vCPiXgYBz64gOS2wQREtqPr3V~2KHjm4-88czi8sXy7YhRYlJL7X0GrBxhE3oakOxqTyn0bCieMynu~3E3Qt3HI43rnrtmUpOK6zDIVb4vTnyg1eU6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Robert Ferry, a Cranston resident who said he previously served on the council, urged the council on Aug. 25 to provide clarity on the Budlong Pool project and a federal grant he said was awarded to the mayor nearly three years ago.

\"Will we lose the OPERA money in the federal grant? The mayor was given $4,750,000 almost 3 years ago to build a pool,\" Ferry said during the meeting’s public comment period. He said the pool project was not on the council’s agenda and asked what pressure, if any, the administration is applying to complete the work before a possible deadline.

Why it matters: Ferry framed the issue as a potential risk to a sizable grant and to children in Cranston who lack access to a municipal swimming pool as summer ends. If a time-sensitive federal grant condition exists, failing to meet it could require the city to forfeit funds or seek an extension; the council did not provide a substantive answer during the meeting.

Details from the comment
- Ferry said the grant amount in question was $4,750,000 and that it had been allocated to the mayor's office nearly three years prior to the Aug. 25 meeting.
- He asked whether the city would lose the OPERA money if a pool is not completed by the end of the year and requested the council \"find out what the story is with finishing the pool and what's gonna happen to the money.\"
- Ferry also asked whether the administration had been pressured to finish the project and said he is \"very disappointed\" that the pool was not on the council agenda.

Council response at the meeting: The matter was raised during public comment; council members did not provide a definitive answer at the Aug. 25 meeting and the transcript records no staff report answering Ferry’s specific questions. Ferry asked the council to \"please find out what the story is\" and the item remains open for follow-up by staff or council members.

Ending: Ferry requested that the council determine the status of the grant and the project timeline; the council did not resolve those questions at the meeting and indicated follow-up through staff would be necessary.","During public comment at the Aug. 25 Cranston City Council meeting, resident Robert Ferry urged the council to explain whether the city will lose a federal OPERA grant tied to the Budlong Pool project and asked what pressure the administration is applying to meet the implied deadline.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cranston City Council approves tax abatements, parking ordinances, labor agreement and appointments

Garden City Alliance urges city to address long‑running Saugonasset intersection issues, vacant building and Topgolf fill pile

Resident asks city to clarify status of Budlong Pool project and $4.75 million grant