Providence Committee on Finance-Tuesday, May 13, 2025-5:30 PM

May 13, 2025

Call to Order, Roll Call, and Procedural Motions

16:43 - 20:00

The committee chair calls the finance committee meeting to order and the clerk conducts the roll call of members present. The committee votes to approve a motion waiving the reading of the preliminary agenda items.

DPW Budget Discussion: Engineering and Implementation Division

20:00 - 01:06:01

Department leadership presents the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget for the DPW Engineering and Implementation Division, noting expenditures and adjustments. Council members discuss open engineering vacancies, hurricane barrier maintenance, and timelines for community sidewalk repair projects.

DPW Budget Discussion: Environmental Division

01:06:01 - 01:47:15

Officials review the Environmental Division budget, highlighting trash and recycling pickup contracts, tipping fees, and barrel replacements. Council members discuss public education on recycling contamination, multi-family trash challenges, and rodent abatement strategies.

DPW Budget Discussion: Garage and Fleet Division

01:47:15 - 01:54:14

The committee reviews the Garage Division's proposed operational budget covering auto parts, tires, lubricants, and external vehicle repairs. Council members also question citywide cost-of-living salary increases across union, non-union, and sworn personnel.

DPW Budget Discussion: Highway Division

01:54:14 - 02:11:21

The committee reviews the Highway Division budget, discussing expenditures for street sweeping, asphalt products, temporary speed bumps, and staffing vacancies. Council members also question department policies regarding city take-home vehicles and emergency response protocols.

DPW Budget Discussion: Parking Administration Division

02:11:21 - 02:32:45

The administration presents the Parking Administration budget, discussing meter revenues, vendor maintenance contracts, and updated parking signage. Council members raise questions about overnight parking enforcement, short-term visitor passes, and key division salary adjustments.

DPW Budget Discussion: Environmental Court Liaison and Administration

02:32:45 - 02:39:42

Officials outline the administrative budget supporting the environmental court liaison, who handles citations and collections for sanitation violations. Councilors inquire about fine enforcement mechanisms, data tracking, and custodial staffing oversight.

DPW Budget Discussion: Sewer Division

02:39:42 - 02:50:56

The Sewer Division budget is reviewed, detailing projected expenditures for catch basin maintenance, castings, and capital sewer investments. Councilors discuss chronic localized flooding issues, equipment acquisitions, and coordination with the Narragansett Bay Commission.

DPW Budget Discussion: Storm Response

02:50:56 - 03:05:01

The committee reviews level-funded allocations for storm response, covering contractor plowing, salt and de-icing supplies, and storm-related overtime. Department leaders discuss winter storm operations, snow inspector management, and potential implementations of brine treatment.

DPW Budget Discussion: Traffic Engineering Division and General Wrap-up

03:05:01 - 03:31:32

Officials present the Traffic Engineering budget and review the status and balance of the school traffic safety fund. The committee discusses speed bump installation criteria, street striping, the 311 constituent request system, and plans for the new DPW garage.

Unknown

16:43 - 16:45

Seven. Those good days.

Unknown

16:45 - 16:45

Good evening. My name

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16:45 - 16:47

is No worries.

Unknown

16:47 - 16:49

The chair finance.

Unknown

16:49 - 16:53

I'm calling order a regular meeting on Tuesday, 09/13,

Unknown

16:58 - 17:05

Here. Councilor Anderson? Councilor Anderson? Councilor Sanchez?

Unknown

17:05 - 17:05

Present.

Unknown

17:05 - 17:08

Vice no action. You have a problem.

Unknown

17:08 - 17:33

Thank you very much. I'd also like to recognize tonight that we're joined by. We have counselor joins us this evening. We may be joined by others as the night goes on. But I also wanted to thank from the city's solicitor's office for attending this evening and, of course, our wonderful.

Unknown

17:33 - 17:49

Thank you so much for all you do. With that, I am going to ask for a motion to waive the reading of items number one through six. One four Go ahead. Sorry.

Unknown

17:49 - 17:50

No. Four five.

Unknown

17:50 - 18:04

155. Yes. I'm so sorry. Motion was made by counselor Graves and seconded by counselor Chandler. All in favor?

Unknown

18:04 - 18:09

Aye. Pull the post. Counselor. That, we are going to call up our.

Unknown

18:12 - 18:13

And

Unknown

18:16 - 18:57

our and our clients. Of course. Thank you so much, everyone, for calling, and thank you to doctor Frankie for. Thank offering me with her. Thank you so much.

Unknown

19:04 - 19:23

You. Sure. Sure. Madam Chair, would you like me to stop and pause the questions between slides by share having you do little bit presentation last time? I would recommend at the very same stop between divisions if they are somewhat different.

Unknown

19:23 - 19:28

That would be fine. And before we start, I think we will mark the whole.

Unknown

19:29 - 19:32

And We're on twelve. It's a bit twelve. Twelve.

Unknown

19:32 - 19:32

Second.

Unknown

19:35 - 19:55

I like to recognize counselor Peterson. Yeah. Yes. And then, yes, I think it would be a good idea certainly to pause between. And then it goes sometimes to.

Unknown

19:56 - 19:58

Of course. Yes. Will add on

Unknown

19:58 - 20:10

that too. Prepare to note your discretion. Just want to make sure that the the the. I encourage you all to turn your budget books to page two thirty seven. We'll be discussing the engineering and implementation division first.

Unknown

20:13 - 20:14

Yeah. Okay. Okay.

Unknown

20:22 - 21:01

On slide three. Total proposed expenditures in this division are 1,264,968. This represented a $2,253 increase over the fiscal twenty twenty five budget or approximately point 15%. Total salaries in this situation are negative $97,029. In fiscal twenty sixth, we are adjusting their salary line for cost of living increases for a total of $18,257 and staff increases for $11,514 for a total proposed salaries of $926,000.

Unknown

21:03 - 21:27

When it comes to fixed and discretionary costs, it's different from the slightly smaller services supply in Rhode Island. Their first fixed cost are by the contractors. These are funds for emergency design and engineering services for projects that are not funded by the capital improvement plan. There is under supply, a $2,000 allocation for miscellaneous expenses. This is engineering state fees, registrations, and survey equipment.

Unknown

21:28 - 21:59

And the reason a per portion of this $46,000 was reclassified to private contractors, so that that's part of what the decrease from the '25 budget is for. They also have a small amount of $1,000 for small tools and shop supplies. Their maintenance and service budget of $5,000 is for engineering related tools and equipment. Their costlier in lease maintenance runs about $8,000 a year, and we have $10,000 budget for hurricane barrier maintenance. And that will wrap up.

Unknown

22:01 - 22:03

Are there any questions from this division?

Unknown

22:03 - 22:04

Yes. Can

Unknown

22:04 - 22:04

I go with

Unknown

22:04 - 22:06

the Yes? Not for Vanderbijl.

Unknown

22:06 - 22:10

Thank you, Cherilyn. Thank you so much, deputy director. Vanderbijl,

Unknown

22:10 - 22:11

can you talk a

Unknown

22:11 - 22:14

little bit about how the hurricane barrier maintenance went down so much?

Unknown

22:15 - 22:30

Yes. So we do have funding, and we have a different plan for for hurricane. And so what we were finding is that that allocation was not being spent, and we did have other dollars to provide that maintenance. And so we reduced the budget, but have to place order in in case there was any sort of one off second. Okay.

Unknown

22:30 - 22:33

But it's in the capital. It is. Yes. Okay.

Unknown

22:33 - 22:39

Thank you. Mhmm. And also that just a general question on revenues.

Unknown

22:40 - 22:40

We have

Unknown

22:40 - 23:02

a revenue team in this department. There are revenues in this department, and, you know, one of the things we've been discussing is why they're actually not in this division specifically, but the engineering department does generate quite a few. As we get into the highly good divisions and traffic engineering division, that's where that revenue gets structured and budgeted and booked even though they do engineering. Mhmm. Yeah.

Unknown

23:02 - 23:10

We did see one time that we had in 2024 on revenue. We both are looking at February. Maybe not.

Unknown

23:11 - 23:20

Oh, yeah. I see this in the budget book. Yeah. I would I'd have to dig into that. I know we were getting some reimbursement for things.

Unknown

23:20 - 23:25

So as I have to run the GM to be where that was, but it was it was certainly a one time for them.

Unknown

23:25 - 23:31

And may I just ask one more question? Since it was the reason that Grant's made me think of this,

Unknown

23:31 - 23:32

is there someone in

Unknown

23:32 - 23:43

DPW is off the brakes on the grant writing, or is there Okay. I mean, I mean, can see how.

Unknown

23:44 - 23:56

Well, need be able to staff that will work either in the department or with other departments to help them too. We work a lot with

Unknown

24:38 - 24:48

There's also a document that's provided at the request of this committee, which addresses the total trash and safety done that's the. So there's a full analysis of that.

Unknown

24:48 - 24:49

Oh, great.

Unknown

24:49 - 25:27

Thank you. Oh, yeah. So it's you know what's easy to again, I think this is maybe one of those things that we need to look at when we're converting into a new ERP system. This department has always been referred to as engineering and sanitation. I'm not quite sure why we just refer to it as engineering, but the technical title in ordinances and budget work is engineering.

Unknown

25:27 - 25:37

Okay. So just so I have the right form, the public works engineering. Correct. Yes. Which, of course, is for the engineering here at times, like, because it's a big.

Unknown

25:37 - 25:45

My question is always, always, always, does we have enough support to do the development of.