The City Council met on Monday night to review their agenda and pass several routine pieces of legislation including zoning changes, and resolutions celebrating diversity,  to support citizens of Armenia and victims of the Armenian genocide as well as action to protect and preserve Pawtuxet River.

A resolution urging the City Council to recognize April as “Celebrate Diversity Month” was sponsored by Councilwoman Aniece Germain.

“When we talk about diversity, often people think it’s only about black and white, that it is about colors,” said Germain. “Diversity is not only about skin color. It’s about all ethnicities. It’s about elderly people. It’s about people with impairment and disability. It’s about LGBTQ. It’s about all the minorities in the community that need to be included.”

Germain said this April 27 through 29 is Native American Gathering of Nations. The gathering, which is the largest powwow in the United States and is held yearly on the fourth weekend in April, on the Powwow Grounds at Expo NM, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The event celebrates cultures and values from cultures all over the world.

The motion was passed unanimously, with several members of the council requesting to be added as cosponsorsl. This, however, was not the only resolution the council passed to show support of traditionally marginalized populations.

Following the raising of the Armenian flag at City Hall on Friday, the mayor and his administration sponsored a resolution to establish a friendship city relationship between Cranston and Stepanakert, in the Republic of Artsakh.

Stepanakert is the de facto capital and the largest city of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, by right a part of Azerbaijan, located within the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area that would become Stepanakert was originally an Armenian settlement named Vararakn.

This motion was approved unanimously by the council, and its passing shows Cranston’s official support of the struggles of the Armenian people around the world.

The resolution, sponsored by Council Vice-president Lammis Vargas and Council President Marino, in support of legislation introduced by Rep. Joseph McNamara concerning access and protection of  the Pawtuxet River, was approved unanimously after Councilman Chris Paplauskas asked to be added to the legislation as a co-sponsor. After his request the entire council, minus Councilwoman Nicole Renzulli who was absent for the begging of the meeting before arriving later, asked to be added as cosponsors as well.

The council also approved several other recommendations of the Ordinance Committee. Among these ordinances were several zoning changes, most notably to rezone the site of Cranston Print Works, which will allow developer Brady Sullivan Properties to move forward with the plan to turn the property into a combination of apartments and a self-storage facility. The City Council will meet next to discuss the adoption of the mayor’s proposed budget at a special meeting April 27, with their next routine meeting taking place on May 22.