LegislativeAct




	Enabling Legislative Act Brief overviews of portions of this legislation is provided in other pages of this section. To insure accuracy and allow the reader full information on the topic, we have presented here the entire legislation, exactly as given to us. The Legislative Act is divided into sections as follows. Click on any underlined text to view that section. Section 1. Establishes geographic boundaries of Hopkins Hill Fire District Section 2. Defines qualifications to vote on District matters Section 3. Stipulates Annual Meeting and allows for special meetings Section 4. Sets requirements for composition of the governing body
Section 5. Confers the authority to levy taxes to fund the activities of the Fire District Section 6. Sets the requirement to establish and maintain suitable fire fighting equipment and station Section 7. Gives the Fire District the authority to maintain order at a fire scene, under penalty of law Section 8. Permits Fire Chief or other person in charge, to raze building(s) to stop the progress of the fire and to reasonably compensate building owner Section 9. Permits Fire District residents to enact by-laws necessary to carry out the provisions of the act Section 10. Limits indebtedness of Hopkins Hill Fire District corporation Section 11. Voids any section of the legislation which is in conflict with RI General Laws Section 12. Sets effective date of legislation \| Top \| Back To Fire District \| Act to Amend The Hopkins Hill Fire District SECTION 1. All that part of the town of Coventry lying and being within the following lines and bounds: Beginning at a point which point is located 100 feet east of the northeast corner of land now or formerly of Douglas Jackson; thence turning and running in a southerly direction in a direct line to the northwest corner of Tiogue twin lakes no. 2 plat; thence running to the northeast corner of Lake George plat; thence following along the eastern boundaries of properties now or formerly of Jerry Johnson, et ux, Linwood lace works and William J. Beattie; thence in a direct line to a stone bound in the boundary line between the Towns of Coventry and West Greenwich, this being the northwest corner of the Town of East Greenwich; thence turning and running westerly on said Coventry and West Greenwich town line until it comes to a point in the middle of Spring Lake Stream (also known as Mishnock River); thence turning and running in a northerly direction along the center line of said Spring Lake Stream, so-called, until it comes to a point five hundred (500) feet south of Nooseneck Hill Road, route 3, which point constitutes the southwesterly corner of the Washington Lighting District; thence easterly parallel with, and five hundred (500) feet south of said Nooseneck Hill Road, route 3, along the southerly line of the Washington Lighting District; thence northerly along the present line of the Washington Lighting District until it comes to the center line of said Nooseneck Hill Road, route 3; thence turning and running in an easterly direction along the center line of said Nooseneck Hill Road, route 3, until it comes to the point or place of beginning; (it being intended that said area aforedescribed be bounded northerly by the Washington Lighting District, easterly by the Tiogue Fire District, southerly by the Coventry—West Greenwich town line and westerly by the westerly half of Spring Lake Stream, so called); is hereby incorporated into a district to be called the Hopkins Hill Fire District. Said district may have a common seal, sue and be sued, and enjoy the other powers generally incident to corporations. \| Top \| SECTION 2. The taxable inhabitants of said district qualified to vote in town affairs on propositions to impose a tax or for the expenditure of money shall be eligible to vote and act in all meetings of the corporation. \| Top \| SECTION 3. Annual meetings of the corporation shall be held on the first Saturday of May at 7:00 p.m. at the fire station on Bestwick Trail off of Hopkins Hill Road or at such other place as the Executive Committee may designate. Upon written application to the clerk by twenty (20) or more qualified and registered voters of the district, or by order of the Executive Committee, said clerk shall call a special meeting giving such notice as provided in the by-laws and the General Laws of Rhode Island. Any application signed by the twenty or more qualified and registered voters, must set forth and define with specificity the precise business which is to be discussed at said meeting and no other business can be addressed other than that which appears in the petition and has otherwise, been placed upon the agenda. No Special Meeting shall be called without the consent of the Executive Committee if the subject or any of the subjects proposed to be considered at such special meeting shall have been acted upon by a district meeting, either annual or special, within six (6) months previous to the time of such proposed call. No Special Meeting shall be called without the consent of the Executive Committee if the purpose is to amend or modify the annual budget approved at the most recent annual meeting. All meetings will have a seven (7) day notice of said meeting, stating the time, place, and purpose thereof, and signed by five (5) or more qualified voters of said district, shall be given by posting the same in three (3) or more public places in the district, at least one week before said meeting, and by publishing the same one week prior to said meeting in some newspaper published in the County of Kent. Twenty (20) qualified electors of said district shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the corporation, legally called. \| Top \| SECTION 4. Said taxable inhabitants at each annual meeting and at any other meetings when vacancies occur may elect officers to serve for one year. Said officers must be qualified electors of the district as outlined in Section 2 of this Act. The officers shall consist of a Moderator, Vice Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, and Member at Large. Duties and Powers within said district shall be such as outlined in the District By—Laws. In the case of resignation or vacancy of a committee member, the Executive Committee shall be authorized to appoint an interim member until the next annual meeting, if the period of appointment is less than six months. If the period is greater than six months a special meeting will be called to fill the vacancy by election. \| Top \| SECTION 5. Said taxable inhabitants at any of their legal meetings shall have power to order such taxes and provide for the assessing and collecting of the same on the taxable inhabitants and property in said district. Such taxes, so ordered, shall be assessed by the assessor 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 town taxes. \| Top \| SECTION 6. The corporation shall provide and maintain suitable fire fighting equipment and station. Said equipment and station shall be maintained in a fashion consistent with industry standards. \| Top \| SECTION 7. The taxable inhabitants of the Hopkins Hill Fire District may enact By-Laws prescribing the duties of the inhabitants of said district in time of conflagration, and to enforce obedience to the commands of the Chief or other person in charge from the said Hopkins Hill Fire District, if an agreement as aforementioned be reached for suppressing disorder and tumult, guarding and removing property, and rendering other service in time of fire; and for breach of and such By-Laws may provide a penalty not exceeding a fine of one hundred ($100.00) dollars, to be recovered for the use of said district, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten (10) days, which penalty may be enforced by prosecution on complaint and warrant before the district court of the fourth judicial district. \| Top \| SECTION 8. The Chief or other person in charge from the Hopkins Hill Fire District, if an agreement as aforementioned be reached, may order, in time of fire, such buildings to be pulled down or blown up, as he shall judge necessary to stop the progress of the fire; and if it shall happen that the pulling down or blowing up of any such buildings, by direction as aforesaid, shall be the occasion of stopping the progress of such fire or if the fire stop before it come to the same, the owners shall be reasonably paid therefor, by a tax on said district, the amount of which tax shall be adjudged by the superior court for the County of Kent, which court is authorized upon application to it made on behalf of such owners to adjudge the amount necessary, cause same to be certified to the district, and such tax shall be assessed and collected as are other taxes in said district. But no building in which any fire shall first break out or begin shall be paid for hereunder. \| Top \| SECTION 9. The taxable inhabitants of said district may enact all By—Laws by them adjudged necessary and expedient for carrying the provisions of this act into effect, provided the same be not in violation of or repugnant to the laws of the State of Rhode Island. \| Top \| SECTION 10. The corporation shall not incur indebtedness, funded or otherwise, in excess of one million dollars (1,000,000). \| Top \| SECTION 11. Any section of this Act which is in conflict with the Rhode Island General Laws shall be void, state law will be in full force. All other sections of this amendment will remain in full force. \| Top \| SECTION 12. This act shall take effect upon its passage by the Rhode Island General Assembly.
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