06-R 037
2006 -- S 2015
Enacted 01/19/06
S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
CREATING
A SPECIAL SENATE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE FINANCING OF
NECESSARY
REPAIRS AND RENOVATIONS TO MUNICIPAL EDUCATIONAL
FACILITIES
Introduced
By: Senators Ciccone, Badeau, Lanzi, Connors, and Pichardo
Date
Introduced: January 12, 2006
RESOLVED,
That a special Senate commission be and the same is hereby created
consisting
of ten (10) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the senate, not more
than
two
(2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the President of the
Senate; one (1) of
whom
shall be the President of the Rhode Island AFT, or designee; one (1) of whom
shall be the
President
of the NEA Rhode Island, or designee; one (1) of whom shall be the President of
the
Rhode
Island School Superintendents' Association, or designee; one (1) of whom shall
be the
Executive
Director of the Rhode Island Association of School Committees, or designee; one
(1)
of
whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and
Towns, or
designee;
and two (2) of whom shall be representatives of a design and/or construction
company
that
has regularly engaged in renovation or repair of municipal educational
facilities, to be
appointed
by the President of the Rhode Island Building Trades Association.
In
lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory
commission,
a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General
Assembly
resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public
to
serve
in lieu of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority
leader of the
political
party which is entitled to the appointment consent to the member of the general
public.
The
purpose of said commission shall be to study the needs of Rhode Island’s
thirty-
nine
(39) cities and towns in regard to the financing of repairs and renovations
costing less
than
$3 million per project, for public schools located in each of the
municipalities. Said
commission
shall produce a complete inventory of existing educational facilities in need
of
repair
or renovation, as part of an interim report, including, but not limited to: age
of
structure;
purpose of repair; estimated durability of repair; and estimated cost of repair
or
renovation.
Said
commission shall recognize that:
(1)
Rhode Island’s cities and towns rely heavily upon the local tax levy to finance
improvements
to educational facilities; and
(2)
Further escalation of the local tax levy places the burden for maintenance and
repair
on
local property owners; and
(3)
Municipalities have, in the past, deferred preventative maintenance for
educational
facilities in times of economic hardship; and
(4)
It is of utmost importance to provide a safe, secure, and healthy environment
conducive
to learning for the children of Rhode Island.
Forthwith
upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at
the
call of the President of the Senate and organize and shall select, from among
the legislators, a
chairperson.
Vacancies in said commission shall be filed in like manner as the original
appointment.
The
membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.
All
municipalities, school districts, departments and agencies of the state shall
furnish
such
advice and information, documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its
agents as is
deemed
necessary or desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this
resolution.
The
Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to
provide
suitable
quarters for said commission; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the
Senate
periodically, with an interim report to be issued no later than March 30, 2006,
and said
commission
shall expire on December 31, 2006.
=======
LC00429
=======