Chapter 238

2012 -- H 8104 SUBSTITUTE A

Enacted 06/12/12

 

A N A C T

RELATING TO THE CENTRAL COVENTRY FIRE DISTRICT

          

     Introduced By: Representatives Guthrie, Tomasso, Nunes, Chippendale, and Serpa

     Date Introduced: May 01, 2012

   

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

 

     SECTION 1. Sections 3, 5, 6 and 7 of Chapter 405 of the Public Laws, 2006, entitled,

“AN ACT IN AMENDMENT OF THE INCORPORATION OF THE CENTRAL COVENTRY

FIRE DISTRICT IN FURTHERANCE OF THE “CONSOLIDATION PLAN” OF THE

CENTRAL COVENTRY FIRE DISTRICT, THE WASHINGTON LIGHTING DISTRICT, THE

HARRIS FIRE & LIGHTING DISTRICT AND THE TIOGUE FIRE DISTRICT, AS

APPROVED BY THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF SAID DISTRICTS, AT DULY CALLED

MEETINGS HELD ON MARCH 28, 2006”are hereby amended to read as follows:

 

     Sec. 3. FIRST CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT MEETING AND ANNUAL MEETINGS

OF THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE DISTRICT.

      (a) 2006 - First consolidated meeting:

     Commencing in the year 2006, a special meeting of the consolidated district shall be held

within thirty (30) days of the amendment of this Charter by and among the Boards of Directors of

Central Coventry Fire District, the Washington Lighting District, the Harris Fire & Lighting

District and the Tiogue Fire District for the purposes of constituting the first Board of Directors of

the consolidated district, in accordance with Section 5 herein and for adopting the initial by-laws

for the Consolidated District.

     (b) Annual Meetings & Quorum:

     Annual meetings of said fire district for the election of officers and the transaction of any

other business of the fire district shall be held. Twenty five (25) qualified voters shall constitute a

quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the corporation.

     Commencing in 2007 and continuing annually thereafter, the district shall hold an annual

meeting in a public place on the second first Monday in September October, at 7:00 P.M. at such

place within the District as the Board shall determine, for the purposes of: (1) electing a Board of

Directors; (2) authorizing the assessment of all the taxable personal and real property of the

District; (3) authorizing the collection of taxes, as further set forth in Section 6 hereunder; (4)

authorizing an annual budget to provide for the purchase and maintenance of equipment,

apparatus, real and personal property, the payment of wages and salaries, and for such other

expenditures deemed necessary by the qualified voters of the District; and (5) For such other

lawful purposes deemed necessary and proper by either the Board of Directors or qualified voters

of the district.

     (c) Call of the Meeting:

     The Clerk of the District shall give notice of the annual meetings by causing a copy

thereof to be posted at least twice in some newspaper distributed in Kent County, and posted in

each fire station of the District not less than sixty (60) days prior to the meeting date.

     The annual meeting and all other meetings of the District shall be held in a public place,

which shall be accessible to the handicapped, pursuant to the requirements of the Rhode Island

Constitution, Article 1 & 2 and applicable federal and state non-discrimination laws.

     Sec. 5. DIRECTORS & OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION – MODERATOR -

QUALIFICATIONS

     (a) The consolidated district board shall be comprised of seven (7) directors, none of

whom shall be then serving as a Treasurer or Tax Collector of any individual district, appointed

by the respective Boards of each individual fire district and shall be constituted as follows: Two

(2) members shall be appointed by the Central Coventry Fire District; Two (2) members shall be

appointed by the Central Washington Fire District; One (1) member shall be appointed by the

Harris Fire District; One (1) member shall be appointed by the Tiogue Fire District; the final

member shall be appointed by the preceding six (6) members and may be from any of the

individual fire districts. The consolidated district Board of Directors shall elect a President and

Vice President, and all seven Directors shall be qualified to serve in office until at least the next

annual meeting. At the first meeting of the consolidated district, the Board shall determine by

some acceptable means, the order in which the members’ seats shall come up for election.

     (b) Thereafter, three (3) Directors will be elected to a three (3) year term at the 2007

annual meeting and every third year thereafter. Two (2) directors shall be elected at the 2008

annual meeting and every third year thereafter. Two (2) Directors shall be elected at the 2009

annual meeting and every third year thereafter.

     (c) Any inhabitant qualified to vote at any District meeting may be a candidate for

District office, provided such candidate submits to the District clerk the title of the elective office

sought, together with a petition signed by twenty (20) inhabitants qualified to vote at any District

meeting, at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the meeting, This list of signatures is to be

certified by the clerk no later than thirty (30) days prior to an annual or special meeting of the

District.

     (d) The clerk of the District shall post in a conspicuous place a list of all persons certified

to stand for election and the office to which each person seeks election in at least eight (8) public

places within the district, including all actively used District stations, at least twenty (20) days

prior to the annual meeting or any other special meeting called for the election of officers.

     (e) The Board of Directors shall have the power to declare an office vacant if the person

filling that office fails to attend three (3) consecutive monthly meetings of the Board.

     (f) In the event that a vacancy in any elective office of the District occurs, the president or

clerk shall call a meeting of the Board of Directors of the district within ten (10) working days

after such vacancy occurs. The Board of Directors shall select a qualified elector of the District to

fill the vacancy for a period of up to sixty (60) days until the next annual meeting.

     (g) Upon the occurrence of any vacancy in any elective office of the District, at the next

annual meeting an election will be held the president shall call a special meeting of the District

for the purpose of electing a qualified elector to fill the office vacated for the remainder of the

original term of office. Said special meeting shall be held within sixty-five (65) days from the

date such original vacancy occurs.

     Sec. 6 DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     (a) The Board of Directors shall hold monthly public meetings to conduct the business of

the District. The Board of Directors shall be empowered and responsible to: (1) Fix the amount of

the bond of the Treasurer and the Tax Collector; (2) Order payment of the district’s bills and

indebtedness; (3) Be in charge of and supervise the care of the district’s properties; (4) Cause

district property to be insured; (5) Upon the recommendation of the Fire Chief, purchase Purchase

equipment, property and apparatus and sell obsolete, decommissioned or surplus equipment,

property and apparatus as required by the District’s needs and budget; (6) Appoint an

Administrative Fire Chief, Tax Collector and Treasurer and other employees. No less than one

half (1/2) of the members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of

the Board.

     (b) The foregoing list of duties shall not be deemed to be limiting and the directors shall

have all necessary authority to operate and conduct the business of the District as necessary, all

within the bounds of the laws of the State of Rhode Island. The Board of Directors shall have the

power to appoint and/or employ a tax assessor, tax collector, treasurer, clerk, and other

committees and/or positions deemed necessary for the efficient operation of the District.

     (c) The members of the Board of Directors and any official appointed by said Board of

Directors shall be subject to the Rhode Island Code of Ethics in Government, Chapter 14 of Title

36 of the Rhode Island General Laws.

     (d) The president of said District shall preside at all annual and special meetings as

moderator; in his/her absence the vice president shall serve as moderator; in the absence of both,

a temporary moderator may be elected by a majority of voters present and voting.

     (e) The administrative duties of these Directors shall be specified in the by-laws of the

fire district.

     Sec. 7. TAXING AUTHORITY - TAX ASSESSOR

     (a) Said qualified voters at any of their legal meetings shall have the power to order such

taxes and provide for the assessing and collecting of the same on the taxable inhabitants and

property in said district as they shall deem necessary for purchasing fire engines, and all other

implements and apparatus for the extinguishing of fire; for the purchase of land and buildings for

keeping same; for the purchasing, installation, operation and maintenance of a suitable alarm

system; for making cisterns and reservoirs; for the purchase of necessary vehicles and equipment

to operate and maintain emergency medical services; for paying the salaries of district officers

and employees., as well as the members of the rescue unit known as Central Coventry Rescue.

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

of Coventry next previous to said assessment, adding, however, any taxable property which may

have been omitted by said town assessors or afterwards acquired; and in assessing and collecting

said taxes such proceedings shall be had by the officers of said district, as near as may be, as are

required to be had by the corresponding officers of towns in assessing and collecting taxes.

     (b) The qualified voters of the Central Coventry Fire District are also authorized to raise

money through taxes to purchase the necessary vehicles and equipment to operate and maintain a

rescue unit to be known as the Central Coventry Rescue.

     (c) TAX ASSESSOR

     There shall be at least one District Tax Assessor, who may also serve as District Clerk,

who shall be appointed or employed by the District. The tax assessor shall levy and assess taxes

at such rate as the district shall vote, on all taxable real and personal property in the district and

shall prepare and deposit the tax list with the tax collector and treasurer of the district; said board

shall assess property on the basis of the last valuation made by the assessors of the Town of

Coventry next previous to said assessment.

 

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

     

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LC02282/SUB A

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