Good evening. My name is Helen Anthony. I'm the chair of the committee for finance, and we're following to order our regular meeting on Tuesday, February 25 at 05:33PM. Madam Clerk, could you please call the roll? Chairwoman Anthony?
Vice Chairman Taylor? Present. Councilor Angela? Present. Councilor Angela?
You have four present and one absent.
You have a floor. Thank you so much, and I would like to welcome Michael Felici from the department to speak. And thank you so much for joining us. It's a treat to have you. Mhmm.
I'm not sure if you give her any short stuff. Glad to have you.
And then Clarissa and Donna are. Thank you very much. Linda, would you please move the item number one now?
An ordinance amending chapter 17, officers and employees, article three, compensation and other benefits, division one in general section 17 through 57, holiday 10.
But I appreciate that. And why we why don't I take a motion if we may, and start with item number two since Michael Okay.
So we'll. Okay. And once you
made it by councilor Graves, seconded by councilor Sanchez. All in favor, I aye. All opposed. Okay. Then let's start with agenda item number two.
An ordinance relating to article four chapter 17 section 17 through one eighty nine f of the code of ordinances disability waiver request, Melanie Borges.
Wonderful. Who do we have here? Good night, Melanie. Oh, thank you. We wanna make him gorgeous.
If you wouldn't mind just going to the end of the table, and we'll stand and swear you in. Okay. Okay. Please rate your rate. You swear the penalty of perjury that the one you're about to give and.
Melanie, would you just miss Gorgias, please have a seat, and thank you so much for joining this evening. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Oh, not a problem. Not a problem.
So if you wouldn't mind just telling us, you know, why you're here this evening and and tell us why you're requesting the waiver. I have been an employee of the city of Providence for nearly thirty four years. I do
the math. And I've worked in various departments. I six years ago, I was assaulted by a student on the school bus, and through no fault of the student, and I mean this wholeheartedly, she was suffering from a mental disability. She had a one to one on that school bus, so she had an aide directed with her while we were on the bus. After filling in, I came back on, and the young lady was beating up her aide.
And I stepped in and got the beat in. She slit my face open and threw me right through my chest. I didn't know that it was an eighteen month period. I had no idea that that was a thing. I I didn't intend on being out of work for this long.
you give us a date on when the incident occurred? 11/16/2018. Okay. And you were out of work for how long?
I have been out of work Yes. Since
And you weren't aware that there was an eighteen month period?
I had no idea. And, again, I've had no intention of being out of work, and I've seen, like, the city doctors and, yeah, like, something's something's wrong. So I haven't been diagnosed with
If I can speak up, Jonathan Daschu,
the city. I don't inherently because I came as well for the case. I don't have a problem with the wafer itself. I have not had a chance to
look at We're gonna have to have you swear if you wouldn't mind. So That's to you. Nice to meet you. Okay. Thank you for interjecting.
Yes. So if you wouldn't mind being sworn
Yes. Thank you. Welcome. So I came for the case as well. I typically have no problem with the waivers.
I'm not sure what the policy is for the school department as to how they notify the employees of the eighteen month waiver. But with palliative, we just kinda have the employees floating on workers' comp where we need to really make the decision whether they are it is appropriate to get them as a disability not. Okay. So in this case, I would have to reach out to the medical records to actually review the incident that took place and to find out what the ID process is that she's currently in. I know I reached out to
the time today, and they did not
yet have all of the files, but that would be the next step
in the process. So when she
I I didn't figure out approving the wait.
Okay. Great. I appreciate that. And and we have had, I'll just say, as a as a committee, been very respectful on the claims that people were unaware Yeah. Of the and and understanding that if we allow this waiver, that it still has to go through a process even even after allowing the waiver.
So with that said, I appreciate both of you coming tonight. Is there any questions or comments that any member has placed on? Check his humor in the middle of a sentence. And so
what Okay. I'm sorry. No. I just get what you feel like you couldn't finish your thought, though.
I think I was just saying that at this all all the records will support this
for both the. Okay. I'm sorry. Now we're gonna have Sarah Sarah. So very, please.
do. I'm Sarah. I'm director for the. The city of Providence.
I just wanted to clarify a couple of things with Jonathan here as well. But the waiver request is really just allowing this person to apply for accidental disability and and not to, like, talk about their medical issues and.
That would happen with retirement boarding or medical. So this request is simply to allow this person to go through the application process because they can stop that line. So director.
