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Ratified January 16, 2008
Bonnet
Shores Fire District Council
Bonnet Shores Fire District Community Center
130 Bonnet Shores Road
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Monthly
Meeting
November 28, 2007
Meeting Minutes
I.
The meeting was Called to Order at 7:40 p.m. by Chairperson Joe Thomas.
Council members in attendance included Bill Dickinson,
Bruce Fournier, Mimmy Logee, Matthew Mannix, Bob Stebenne and Dan
Quirk. District
Manager Erin Rooney, Tax Collector Helen Patience, Treasurer
Natalie McDonald, Harbormaster Mike Tortolani and Clerk Catherine
Kelleher were also present.
II.
Pledge of Allegiance
The Assembly
recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Council and Assembly also observed a prayerful moment
of silence for the men and women in uniform who are serving in the
Armed Forces, in harm’s way, in Afghanistan and Iraq and, in
particular, for those serving from our own state and community.
III.
Urgent Business
Building application plans were reviewed.
IV.
Period of Public Comment
None.
V.
Ratification
of Minutes
A.
Matthew Mannix requested that the following
statement be added to IV.D. of last month’s Council meeting
minutes: “Mrs.
Mannix wanted to clarify that CAP was a separate entity from the
Fire District Council, which the Council members confirmed”.
B.
Mr. Mannix also requested that the last sentence
in VI.6. be changed to: “Reprinting the ‘Bluebook’,
including amendments that have been passed since 1985.”
C.
Dan Quirk made a motion to accept the minutes of
the October 17, 2007 Council meeting with the proposed changes
offered by Matthew Mannix. The
motion was seconded by Bob Stebenne and approved by all seven
Council members in attendance.
VI.
Committee Reports
A.
Beach (Bob Stebenne)
None.
B.
Historical (Bob Stebenne)
1.
The report is on tape and a hard copy is
attached to the original meeting minutes retained at the Community
Center.
2.
Co-chairman
Lee Listro
reported that the committee discussed obtaining oral histories
from Bonnet Shores residents, as well as developing a historical
time line with pictures and stories by decade.
There is a long term goal of mounting these items.
3.
The committee would also like to recognize
former Council members and possibly using a plaque for that
recognition.
4.
Marybeth and George Murphy donated a tape
recorder to the Historical Committee which will be used when
taking the oral histories.
C.
Harbor (Dan Quirk)
1.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
2.
The Harbor Committee meeting was well attended
on November 24th, during which mooring fees and the
boat ramp were discussed.
3.
An increase in the mooring fees from $90 to $100
was suggested, as well as an increase in boat launch fees from $30
to $35.
4.
Dr. Quirk reported that there were some
disparities in the previous quotes received from Narragansett Dock
Works and W.H. Peppe. He
reported that Mike Tortolani attempted to get updated quotes from
both companies, as well as a quote from Rhode Island Mooring
Services. The
committee unanimously decided to select Rhode Island Mooring
Services.
5.
The boat ramp replacement bid process summary is
attached to the original meeting minutes retained at the Community
Center.
6.
A lengthy discussion regarding the cost and
funding of replacing the boat ramp occurred among the Council
members and Assembly.
7.
Dan Quirk made a motion that the Council move
forward with an expenditure of approximately $42,000 to replace
the boat ramp this coming year.
That motion was seconded by Bruce Fournier.
Further discussion ensued.
Matthew Mannix suggested that the Council ask the Treasurer
to calculate the financial impact.
Dan Quirk amended his motion to state that the cost of
replacing the boat ramp this coming year NOT EXCEED $42,160.
The amended motion was seconded by Bruce Fournier and
approved by all Council members in attendance.
8.
Joe Thomas will place “Funding of the boat
ramp” on the February 2008 Council meeting agenda.
9.
Treasurer Natalie McDonald stated, for the
record, that she would like everyone to know that she is a mooring
owner and she is on the waiting list for a second mooring.
She assured the Council and Assembly that she is looking
out for the taxpayer body as a whole.
D.
Roads (Bruce Fournier)
None.
E.
Trash (Bruce Fournier)
1.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
2.
The dumpster service is finished for the season.
3.
Roadside Christmas tree collection will be on
January 12, 2008.
F.
By-Laws (Matthew Mannix)
1.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
2.
The estimated cost of printing 1000 new By-Laws
books is $1,198.40.
3.
Mr. Mannix offered to chair the newsletter and
issue it as it was done in the past by a Council person.
He pointed out that a Council person doing the newsletter
would save the Fire District money.
4.
Matthew then made a motion that a Newsletter
Committee be established and that a Council member serve as its
chair. Matthew Mannix
offered to chair that committee for the 2007-2008 year.
Discussion ensued. A
vote was taken. Those
in favor included Mim Logee, Bill Dickinson, Matthew Mannix and
Bruce Fournier. Those
opposed included Joe Thomas and Bob Stebenne.
Dan Quirk abstained. The
motion passed 4 votes to 2.
G.
Beautification (Bill Dickinson)
1.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
2.
Fall clean-up is complete.
3.
Special thanks were extended to Roz Thomas and
Marybeth Murphy for cleaning up around the Community Center
building.
4.
Winter decorating of the barrels should be
finished by the end of the week.
H.
Pond (Bill Dickinson)
1.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
2.
Bob Barber indicated that there were no herring
when he cleaned out the breach way this Fall.
3.
Mr. Dickinson met with Andy Libby, the person
responsible for stocking the pond with herring.
He indicated that the pond was not restocked this year
because there was a shortage of herring.
4.
Bill found the missing steps to the ramp at
Kelly Beach buried in the sand bar.
They had been washed away during the Spring storm.
I.
Social (Bill Dickinson)
1.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
2.
The holiday gathering will be at the Spain
Restaurant on Sunday, December 9, 2007.
3.
The Social Committee is looking at a variety of
activities for 2008, possibly including a pot luck dinner, game
night, history night and brunch.
J.
Beach (Mim Logee)
1.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
2.
Mrs. Logee stated that Bob Stebenne had asked
her to run the Beach Committee.
The next meeting is scheduled for January 8, 2008 at 7:00
p.m.
K.
Harbor Master (Mike Tortolani)
1.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
2.
The water is turned off at both beaches.
The meter is out, the dock is out and all boats should be
off the beach by December 1st.
3.
Ten letters were mailed to non-compliant mooring
holders and certified receipts were received on all.
VII.
Treasurer’s
Report (Natalie McDonald)
A.
The report is on tape and a hard copy is
attached to the original meeting minutes retained at the Community
Center.
B.
The beach bus invoice is $318.00 under budget, a
cost of $5,682 versus the $6,000 that was budgeted.
C.
Natalie reported that there is a balance of
$195,049 in the combined checking and money market account.
D.
Mrs. McDonald recommended reviewing 3 accounts
that have money waiting to be allocated:
1.
Playground - $14,000
2.
Historical - $1,918
3.
Land Trust - $8,229
VIII.
Tax
Collector’s Report (Helen Patience)
A.
The report
is on tape and a hard copy is attached to the original meeting
minutes retained in the Community Center.
B.
2008 Fiscal
Year tax information is as follows:
·
Total
assessment - $578,618,800.00
·
Assessment
abated - $7,585,200
·
Total taxes
including abated - $241,341.55
·
Less abated
taxes - $3,163.80
·
Total
collectable taxes - $238,177.75
·
Taxes
collected to date - $222,509.41
·
Returned
check fees - $00.00
·
Interest
collected - $54.78
·
Percentage
collected – 93.42%
·
Outstanding
taxes for 2008 - $15,668.34
C.
Fiscal Year
2007 tax information:
·
Unpaid as of
September 19, 2007 - $1,032.99
·
Interest
collected - $77.28
D.
Fiscal Year
2006 tax information:
·
Unpaid as of
September 19, 2007 - $ 425.13
·
Interest
collected - $36.69
IX.
Land Trust (Doris Baris)
None.
X.
District Manager’s Report (Erin Rooney)
A.
The report is on tape and is retained at the
Community Center.
B.
The sign is missing at the top of the road.
C.
The blower in the office furnace has been
replaced
D.
There was a bad experience with the rental of
the Community Center for a Halloween Party.
E.
Erin painted the Community Center floor.
F.
Bob Barber opened the breach way on October 26th.
G.
101 people have pre-paid for the Holiday Party
on December 9th, 2007 at the Spain Restaurant.
H.
Name tags for all Council members will be
ordered.
I.
Erin reminded Bruce Fournier that the Fire
District is in need of two surf boards:
one for Kelly Beach and one for Little Beach.
J.
Erin spoke with Linda Byrne regarding the
Playground Fund. Dan
Quirk suggested using some of those funds to purchase boats for a
sailing school. The
cost to purchase boats would be approximately $7,000 to $8,000.
XI.
Old Business
None.
XII.
New Business
A.
Bruce Fournier motioned to cancel the December
2007 Council meeting, as has been done in the past.
The motion was seconded by Mim Logee and approved by all
Council members in attendance.
B.
Joe Thomas asked Erin Rooney to post “No
monthly meeting in December” on all the bulletin boards.
Erin will ask Steve Ryder to post same on the website.
C.
A resident asked to be informed regarding
college students renting in Bonnet Shores.
Erin will review the rental information with the resident.
D.
Mary Beth Holland asked the status of the Spring
Brook walkway. She
also asked about feedback on the changes to the beach bus hours.
XIII.
Executive Sessions
None.
XIV.
Adjournment
A.
Bruce Fournier motioned to adjourn the meeting.
The motion was seconded by Bob Stebenne and approved by all
Council members.
B.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Catherine M. Kelleher
Clerk
Catherine M. Kelleher
Clerk
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