2015 -- S 0914

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LC002691

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

AMENDING THE CHARTER OF NORTH PROVIDENCE

     Introduced By: Senators Ruggerio, Ciccone, Archambault, E O`Neill, and Nesselbush

     Date Introduced: May 14, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Article 20 Chapter 1 of Chapter 237 of the 1973 Public Laws entitled "An

Act to Incorporate the Town of North Providence, as amended", is hereby further amended to

read as follows:

ARTICLE 20

PURCHASING BOARD

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL PROVISIONS

     20-1-2. Meetings.

     The board shall hold regularly scheduled meetings and give written notice of regularly

scheduled meetings at the beginning of each calendar year. The notice shall include the dates,

times, and places of the meetings and shall be provided to members of the public upon request

and to the secretary of state at the beginning of each calendar year in accordance with chapter 46

of title 42, "Rhode Island Open Meetings Act."

     The board shall give supplemental written public notice of any meeting within a

minimum of forty-eight (48) hours before the date. This notice shall include the date the notice

was posted, the date, time, and place of the meeting, and a statement specifying the nature of the

business to be discussed. Notwithstanding the aforementioned forty-eight (48) hour notice, this

supplemental notice shall be provided to the members of the board at least two weeks (2) in

advance of the meeting(s).

     In the event of an emergency affecting the public safety, health or welfare, on the written

recommendation of the purchasing agent, additional meetings of the board may be held provided

that written notice of the meeting, as provided under the Rhode Island Open Meetings Act, as

amended, is given.

     The board shall hold all meetings at the North Providence town hall. All meetings shall

be held on weekdays at 6:00 p.m.

     The board, at its discretion, shall hold all meetings within the confines of Municipal

buildings, which are ADA approved, within the Town of North Providence. All meetings shall be

held on weekdays at times and dates set by the Board at its discretion.

     The agenda, the time, and the location of each meeting, except an emergency meeting as

hereinabove provided, shall be advertised in a paper of local circulation at least one week prior to

the meeting.

     20-1-3. Processing prior to requesting bids and upon Submission of Bids.

     Prior to sending out the Request For Proposal, the treasurer must approve, in writing, to

the purchasing board, a written certification of the line item in the budget that supports the

purchase.

     Prior to the evaluation of any bid submitted. the finance director shall provide a written

certification to the purchasing board members of the line item in the budget that supports the

purchase.

     All purchases requiring the submissions of bids pursuant to state law or this charter, at the

time they are submitted to either the town or the purchasing agent, shall be time stamped by the

purchasing agent or the town when submitted. No bid submitted after the time set for submission

in the bid specifications shall be considered by the board.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

AMENDING THE CHARTER OF NORTH PROVIDENCE

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     This act would amend the charter provisions of the North Providence town charter

regarding the location and timing of public board meetings.

     The act would also require the town finance director to identify line items in the budget

that support certain purchases.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC002691

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