Politics & Government

Preview of May 9, 2011 Town Council Meeting

The Council is scheduled to meet tonight at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Court.

At its meeting scheduled for tonight, the Johnston Town Council is expected to hear a request from Mayor Joseph M. Polisena to change the eligbility requirements for appointees to the newly-formed Retirement Board.

Chief of Staff Doug Jeffrey, during a phone interview on May 9, said the mayor is asking the council to change the number of years of service required for members of the police and fire unions to be eligible to serve on the board.

Currently, the police and fire union representatives must be 10-year veterans of their respective unions; Jeffrey said the proposal is to change the term to five years.

Find out what's happening in Johnstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police Sgt. Matt Benson is the police union's appointee to the board; there is no fire union representative. At the appointment of the board on April 21, Town Solicitor William Conley explained that IAFF Local 1950 attempted to appoint a retiree to the board; when the town refused, the union filed a grievance and is currently pursuing legal action against the town.

Also on the board are two members chosen by the town council; two chosen by the mayor; and Finance Director Joseph Chiodo.

Find out what's happening in Johnstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Johnston Sun Rise, in its May 29 edition, reported that the union opposes the town's attempts to restrict the membership of the retirement board.

Also among the items on tonight's agenda is a request by the town Planning Department for council approval of Johnston's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications — one for a home repair program, and the second for a "disaster recovery" fund.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Municipal Court on Atwood Avenue.

Clarification: During the council meeting, Town Solicitor Conley stated that the original request to change the time requirement for the retirement board was brought by the firefighters' union.

From the latter half of the 19th century until the late 1960s, Dundee was the centre of a thriving jute industry, which employed a large segment of the town's labor, adults and children alike.


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