§ 45-2-18 - City of Providence – Establishment of department of public parks.
SECTION 45-2-18
§ 45-2-18 City of Providence –Establishment of department of public parks. – (a) There is hereby created, in the city of Providence, a department of publicparks. The division of public lands and parks of the department of publicproperty is hereby eliminated.
(b) The department of public parks is responsible, subject tothe authority of the board of park commissioners of the city of Providence, forall public parks and for all structures and facilities located thereinincluding the zoo and museum located in Roger Williams park, for all municipalburial grounds and for all structures and facilities located therein, and forall street trees within the city of Providence. It is responsible for theadministration, planning, design, construction, planting, alterations,maintenance, operations, and repairs to the public parks. No other citydepartment, board, bureau, commission, or other agency may undertake any plan,activity, construction, or operation in or involving any public park of thecity except by permission of the board of park commissioners.
(c) The department of public parks is headed by thesuperintendent of parks who is appointed by the board of park commissioners andwho has the status of a department head with all the powers and dutiesappertaining thereto, is subject to all provisions of the city charter relatingto department heads, and takes an oath of office as provided in § 4.4 ofthe city charter. The department of public parks consists of five (5)divisions. The head of each division is appointed by the superintendent andwill be subordinate to the superintendent of parks. The five (5) divisions areas follows:
(1) The division of parks, headed by the deputysuperintendent of parks.
(2) The division of burial grounds, headed by thesuperintendent of the north burial ground.
(3) The zoo division, headed by the director of the RogerWilliams park zoo.
(4) The division of forestry, by the city forester.
(5) The museum division, headed by the director of the RogerWilliams park museum.
(d) In addition to the heads of divisions, the superintendentof parks will be assisted by assistant superintendents and other employees thatmay be authorized for the department of public parks under ordinancespreviously or hereafter enacted.
(e) It is hereby prescribed that in an open, public,equitable, and competitive manner, the department of public parks shall selectthe vendor and negotiate the price and terms of any procurement for thedepartment of public parks of value less than the amount set by law forprocurement through the board of contract and supply. Authorization for paymentof these purchases issued by the department of public parks shall be paidwithin thirty (30) days by the city controller up to the total amountappropriated in the city budget for the operation of the department.
(f) No funds appropriated to the department of public parksor income from trust funds donated to the city for the facilities or programsthereof or income derived from the sale of surplus property belonging to thedepartment of parks may be transferred to or used to pay the bills of any othercity department, board, bureau, commission, or other agency, nor may anypersonnel paid from funds appropriated to the department of public parks betransferred to or assigned to work on any program or project of any other citydepartment, board, bureau, commission, or other agency without the expresswritten permission of the superintendent, subject to the approval by the boardof park commissioners. No expenditure shall be made by the city controller orby any other city employee of any funds appropriated to or trust funds donatedfor the facilities or programs of the department of public parks except uponwritten authorization of the superintendent of parks or the board of parkcommissioners. No park land, structure, or facility may be transferred to anyother city department, board, bureau, commission, or other agency without theconsent of the board of park commissioners.
(g) In any case where the provisions of this section or ofany regulation issued by the superintendent of parks or the board of parkcommissioners of the city pursuant to this section is found to be in conflictwith the provisions of any ordinance, resolution, rule, or regulation of thecity of Providence other than the city charter, the provisions of this sectionshall apply. Nothing in this section shall be construed to abolish, affect, orin any way reduce or diminish any of the powers previously granted by charterand ordinance to the board of park commissioners.