Chapter 432
2008 -- H 7778
AS AMENDED
Enacted 07/05/08
A N A C T
RELATING
TO THE COVENTRY FIRE DISTRICT
Introduced
By: Representatives Moffitt, Serpa, and Sullivan
Date
Introduced: February 26, 2008
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1.
Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 14 and 15 of Chapter 806 of the 1889 Public
Laws entitled "An Act to Incorporate the
Coventry Fire District" and as subsequently amended,
are hereby further amended to read as follows:
Sec. 2. The taxable
inhabitants of said district qualified to vote in town affairs, on
propositions to impose taxes, or for the
expenditure of money, shall be eligible to vote and act in
all meetings of the corporation
Sec. 3 The annual
meeting of said district shall be holden on the second Monday Tuesday
of December in each year. The first meeting
shall be holden on the second Tuesday after the
enactment of this act in the town of Coventry
within the limits of the fire district, and may be
called by any one or more of the taxable
inhabitants of said district. A vote by ballot shall be
taken at said meeting upon the proposition:
"Shall the Coventry Fire District be established
according to the act of incorporation passed by
the General Assembly of the state?" If a majority
of the persons so voting shall vote
"yes," then said Coventry fire district shall be established
according to the provisions of this act. If a
majority of the persons so voting shall vote "no," then
this act shall become null and void.
Sec. 4. Said taxable
inhabitants, at each annual meeting, and at any other meetings when
vacancies occur, may elect officers to serve
for one year or until the next annual meeting and until
others be chosen in their stead; which officers
shall consist of a
the board of directors in
accordance with and as set forth in the by-laws
of the district and not inconsistent with law. The
board of directors shall appoint the tax
collector, treasurer,
moderator, clerk, three assessors and a
collector of taxes whose duties and powers
within said district shall be such as like officers of
towns of this state have in their respective
towns,. They may also elect firewards and any other
needed officers who shall have such powers and
duties as are now legally imposed upon fire
wards and fire wardens, and such further powers
and duties as are specified in the by-laws of said
fire district not inconsistent with laws, The
board of engineers shall appoint the tax collector and
treasurer, who shall serve at the pleasure of
the board of engineers. and who shall serve at the
pleasure of the board of directors. Any
reference to the board of engineers in the Rhode Island
general laws or otherwise shall be deemed to
mean board of directors. The board of directors
shall have the power and authority to contract
on behalf of the district.
Sec. 5. Said taxable
inhabitants, at any of their legal meetings, shall have power to order
such taxes, and provide for the assessing and
collecting the same on the taxable inhabitants and
property in said district, as they shall deem
necessary for purchasing and procuring implements
and apparatus and a supply of water for the
extinguishment of fire, and for the purpose of lighting
the streets and public highways in said district
with electricity, or otherwise; and such taxes so
ordered shall be assessed by the assessors of
said district on the taxable inhabitants and property
therein, according to the last valuation made by
the assessors of the town next previous to the said
assessment, adding, however, any taxable
property which may have been omitted by said town
assessors or afterwards acquired; and in the
assessment and collecting said taxes, such
proceedings shall be had by the officers of said
district, as near as may be, as required to be had
by the corresponding officers of towns in
assessing and collecting town taxes; provided, however,
that the tax assessed and payable in any one
year under the provisions of this section shall not
exceed five mills one each dollar of said
valuation.
Sec. 6. Said taxable
inhabitants, at any legal meeting shall have the power to enact by-
laws prescribing the duties of firewards, and of
the inhabitants of said district in time of
conflagration, and for the purpose of enforcing
obedience to the commands of the firewards and
appoint officers for suppressing disorder and
tumult, guarding or removing property, or rendering
other services in time of fire, and also for the
protection of the water pipes, hydrants, safety-
valves, water gates, hose or other apparatus or
property of said district and for breach of any such
by-laws may provide a penalty not exceeding a
fine of twenty dollars five hundred dollars, to be
recovered for the use of said district, or
imprisonment for a term not exceeding thirty days, which
penalty may be enforced by a prosecution on
complaint of any member of the said board of
firewards board of directors before any court of
competent jurisdiction.
Sec. 8. Said
taxable inhabitants at any town meeting or other legal meeting The board
of
directors shall have power to choose and appoint so many
men as they shall think needful, in
accordance with the budget set by the
inhabitants
to be formed into a hose company or
companies, and also hook and ladder company, and
to make all such laws and regulations for the
organizing and establishing the same as they
shall see fit; and the members of such companies
shall be exempt jury or militia duty. The
salaries of firefighters shall be determined by the board
of directors.
Sec. 9. Said taxable
inhabitants may hold special meetings which, as well as the annual
meetings, shall be notified in such a manner as
they shall prescribe; prescribed by the by-laws and
it shall be the duty of the clerk to call such a
meeting upon written application, signed by twelve
eighty or more such inhabitants; and whenever the
subject of ordering a tax is to be acted on, the
same shall be mentioned in the notice, unless it
be an annual meeting. The board of directors may
call a special meeting for matters they deem
necessary and expedient in the operations of the fire
district. Such special meetings shall follow the
notice requirements prescribed in the by-laws.
Sec. 14. The said board
of engineers board of directors are is hereby
authorized and
empowered to make and ordain such ordinances not
repugnant to law, as they may deem
necessary for said district, providing for fire
limits, the construction and equipment of buildings,
and such further ordinances and regulations
designed to prevent fire hazards as they may deem
necessary, and may impose penalties for the
violation of such ordinances and regulations not
exceeding, however, a fine of twenty dollars
five hundred dollars or imprisonment not exceeding
ten days in jail, for any one offence, to be
prosecuted by said board board of directors and to be
recovered to the use of said district, provided,
however, that no ordinance or regulation shall take
effect within said district until such ordinance
or regulation has been approved by a majority vote
of the taxpayers present at any regular or
special meeting.
Sec. 15. Said
taxable inhabitants may at any annual or special meeting elect a chief of the
fire district who shall hold office during good
behavior, and who shall be removed from office
only for cause at any regular or special meeting
by a majority vote of the taxable inhabitants
present at such meeting, but no such officer
shall be held to answer any charges until after such
charges have been duly preferred against him in
writing, and filed with the clerk of said district
and a copy thereof duly served upon such
officer; and no action shall be taken upon any such
charges until the accused has been given full
and fair opportunity to appear before such meeting
and be heard thereon. The chief of the
fire district shall be appointed by the board of directors and
will serve at the pleasure of the board of
directors. The board of directors shall set the
qualifications for the chief of the fire
district.
SECTION 2. This
act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC01050/2
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