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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Mayor David N. Cicilline's appointment of four non-city residents to city boards, including his senior advisor and a former city planning director, was criticized by the City Council Thursday night.
Leo J. Perrotta, of North Providence, was tapped as a member of the Board of Directors of the Providence Community Action Program, or ProCAP, the city's main anti-poverty agency. Perrotta is Cicilline's senior advisor, charged with overseeing appointments to city boards and commissions and acting as a liaison to the council, General Assembly and neighboring communities.
Stephen Lane, of Jamestown, was appointed to the Providence Economic Development Partnership, a non-profit corporation that serves as the city's primary economic development organization. Lane is CEO of Ximedica, a medical device design and development firm based in the city. Juana Horton, of Rehoboth, Mass. was also appointed to the Providence Economic Development Partnership. Horton owns Horton Interpretation Services, in Providence.
Thomas V. Moses, of Barrington, was appointed to the Providence External Review Authority, a civilian board that investigates allegations of misconduct in the Police Department and makes recommendations to the police chief.
Moses, the city's planning director from 1987-1991, is a managing partner in the Providence law firm of Moses and Afonso. He will fill the unexpired term of Arthur C. Jones, who resigned from the board. Emelda Benitez, of Providence, was also appointed to the board to complete the term of Rev. Mynor Vargas.
Information submitted to the council this week by the four appointees not residing in the city listed their Providence-based work addresses. Perrotta for example, gave the address to City Hall, 25 Dorrance St., rather than his home address on Fruit Hill Avenue in North Providence.
"Unless Leo is bedding down in his office that doesn't sound right," said City Councilor Luis Aponte.
None of the boards has a residency requirement, and the mayoral appointments did not require council approval. But councilors still called on the mayor to make more of an effort to hire city residents to volunteer boards and commissions.
Councilor Miguel Luna said that the council should not consider mayoral appointments that do not provide their home address.
"This is totally ridiculous. Are we just going to keep giving away our board seats?" said Councilor Nicholas Narducci. "I'm looking to the council leadership to do something."
In other council business, it unanimously approved Thursday night the appointment of Lynn Farrell, of 23 Minnesota St., to the Board of Tax Assessment Review. Farrell, who is the Director of Technology, Process and Standards Compliance for information technology company GTECH, is the sister of Fire Chief George Farrell. Her term will expire in January 2012.
