Warren City Council has unanimously rejected the city Redevelopment Authority’s attempt to purchase nearly $30,000 in additional tables and chairs for downtown sidewalks.

Action by the RDA last month would have purchased 12 additional four-seat tables and one two-seater to complement the existing supply.

The RDA first proposed the idea at the April meeting. Between then and the May meeting Solicitor Andrea Stapleford, per Executive Secretary Teena Leary who presented the issue to council, provided an opinion that addressed the situation.

That opinion concluded that while the purchase wouldn’t be prohibited it also doesn’t fit with the RDA’s primary function – the redevelopment of property. Stapleford is the solicitor for both the city and the RDA.

The funds came from the sale of three properties the city seized for unpaid sewer debt that the RDA subsequently put up for auction.

Leary said the RDA has approached the city to assist with operating funds and explained that accepting this purchase would diminish funds available to the RDA without a guarantee that the city will be able to assist in funding the RDA in the future.

Councilman John Wortman then made a motion to reject the proposed purchase by the RDA and said he opposes the RDA’s action in the “strongest possible terms” for “two different yet equally important reasons.”

First, he said that accepting the purchase is not in the best interest of the city’s taxpayers as the tables and chairs would be “money reallocated” to aid a small group of private industries. He asked who would decide which businesses received tables and chairs, calling it a “rabbithole” with “no what to tell where it will lead.”

He was also critical of the RDA acting counter to the advice of its legal counsel.

Wortman said the RDA “ignored” advice that the funds should not be used for this purpose and said the RDA itself would need to be reviewed if it continues to reject its legal counsel.

Councilman Gregory Fraser called this “outside of the scope” of the RDA’s purpose and suggested the RDA should present the issue to city staff to be included in the city’s next capital budget.

“It’s not possible anything purchased this year is going to be used this year,” he said. “Timing is not of the essence.” He emphasized the purchase should be a policy decision made by city council.

Mayor Maurice Cashman said that, should the RDA proceed with the purchase, the tables and chairs could not go on city property.

That “would be a trespass for them to put (tables and chairs) on city property,” Fraser said.