The city council exercised overrode Mayor Ken Hopkins’ veto of a new position within the planning department at their meeting Monday night by a six to two vote.

The override undid a block of five vetoes that were applied by the mayor to adjustments in the proposed budget that would create a new position in the planning department. Line items such as payroll taxes, salary schedule, pension contribution, life insurance and pension contributions were increased by the council to provide funding for the new position.

“In total these mayoral vetoes add up to just shy of $54,000,” said Councilman John Donegan. “This would fund, beginning January 1, 2024, a senior planner in our planning department.”

The adjustments to the department’s budget were made to fund this position, and were discussed and voted for by the council during its discussion over the proposed budget before being revised and given back to the administration for veto consideration.

“I do not support the decision of the City Council to create a new full-time senior planner position in the planning department,” Mayor Ken Hopkins said in defense of his choice to exercise his veto power. “Last year, I made the difficult decision to implement a workforce reduction plan which eliminated 24 city positions as part of an overall cost savings program. Departments found a way to carry on critical functions with less personnel.”

The mayor went on to say he implemented a no new hire policy during the past year for additional positions. This, he explained, has been a cost saving measure. In this budget cycle, the mayor said, he asked city employees to do more with less and he feels that adding a position to the planning department, and its associated benefits, is not justified.

“As we’ve heard from members of the department, and that we can all deduce from our own observations, it’s a department that needs more support,” Donegan explained. “While there are challenges, we are a city of over 80,000 people, and we have two full time planners. I think that when you look at other municipalities of like size they have significantly more.”

Donegan said that if the city hopes to tackle the myriad of issues in the city while helping to secure financial stability, the planning department has a vital role in accomplishing that.

“I agree with my colleague,” said Councilman Robert Ferri. “We feel another position in the planning office is essential to accomplishing many of the developments that are coming up for Cranston, that are taking place in Cranston right now and also to speed up the possibility that we do get an updated comprehensive plan. I support overriding this, because I do believe that this position is needed far more than any other position in the city.”

Councilwoman Nicole Renzulli, one of two who voted against the override along with Councilman Chris Paplauskas, said that she felt the position was not important because it would be rewarding poor behavior.

“I do not think that we should reward poor management, or like I say, we shouldn’t reward poor behavior,” Renzulli said. “The planning department is not operating in an efficient manner, and maybe that should perhaps be addressed before we fund a position when we let go 24 people I believe last year and the mayor had implemented a no new hire. I think that if we’re going to hire in this department how fair is it to the other departments. Building code enforcement they need people all over the city, so I think it's not fair that we just hire for this position.”

Paplauskas also had similar concerns pointing out that the $54,000 for this fiscal year would grow into a position requiring over $100,000 in the next fiscal year.

“I understand the point of my colleagues, but at the same time we know that we need to move forward,” said Councilwoman Aniece Germain. “The planning department is the heart of a city. How can we move forward economically? How can we move forward with all the development coming to our city? Two people are not enough.”

The Mayor’s statement about the vetoes made clear that he is always concerned about the timely and efficient permitting process for residential and commercial applicants, but he said that the planning department is just one aspect of that review process. Inspections, public works and the fire department are all a piece of that same puzzle.

“During the current fiscal year Planning is exceeding the budgeted departmental revenue that we projected of $70,000,” the mayor’s statement said. “To date they have collected $105,000 and part of this year was with the current senior planner position vacant for two months. To their credit, several large projects that paid sizable application fees, like the Print Works and Comstock Industrial, have been processed with current staff members.”

“It is going to be strict on the budget going forward next year, but I do believe it is going to help the city,” said Councilman Richard Campopiano. “Even before I was appointed councilman I started hearing about the strains of the comprehensive plan not getting done and how they didn’t have the personnel. I went back and watched the videos of last year and this year, and it was just over and over and over again. So, I am in support of putting someone in that position, but they have to be held accountable.”

Council President Jessica Marino said that she was in support of the veto and found the size of Cranston’s planning department to be grossly undersized compared to neighboring cities.

“Providence alone has a minimum, I believe, of six senior planners, and that’s not including a director, deputy director and a lower level planner,” Marino said. “We as a city are withholding our ability to grow. We can have different opinions on that, but we are withholding our ability to grow and our revenue base by having a stronger planning department.”