North Kingstown Town Council Meeting - October 17, 2022

The regular meeting of the North Kingstown Town Council was called to order at 7:00 PM on Monday, October 17, 2022, following an executive session. The agenda covered license renewals, public comments, a major Payment-in-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT) agreement with Revolution Wind, consent agenda items, reports from the Town Manager and Finance Director, discussion of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the School Department, Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) applications, and appointments to various boards and committees.

Public Hearing

• Alcoholic Beverage, Victualling, Dance, Entertainment, Billiard, Amusement, and Jukebox License Renewals 2022-2023: The public hearing was opened and closed with no public testimony on the item. Mary Salisbury attempted to speak about a noise ordinance but was directed to public comment. The renewals were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mary Salisbury (124 Hideaway Lane) expressed support for a proposed noise ordinance regulating motorized vehicles, modeled after East Greenwich's ordinance. She described her neighborhood as having become "unsettled" due to noise from ATVs and motorcycles, and urged proactive measures to support law enforcement.
• Bridget Higginsbottom (174 Hideaway Lane) supported a noise ordinance, noting that current laws lack specifics for unregistered ATVs and purposely loud exhaust systems. She emphasized safety concerns beyond noise.
• Tim Cranston (resident of Hideaway Lane) read a letter detailing ongoing issues with unregistered ATVs and loud vehicles, including a recent incident where a firework was thrown at a 9-year-old girl. He stated that police currently lack legal tools to address these problems and urged adoption of an ordinance with substantial fines.
• James Gallo (200 Minor Road) made political comments about Council President Mancini and two female council members.
• Rodriz Khan (127 Hideaway Lane) expressed feeling more threatened in North Kingstown than when he lived in Brooklyn, NY, due to the ongoing disturbances.
• Kurt Fisher (104 Phillips Street, Wickford) agreed with the need for a noise ordinance, stating that excessive noise is a town-wide problem.
• Council Response: Councilor McKay noted the town already has a decibel ordinance used for beach concerts and questioned why it is not applied. Town Manager Ralph Mollis indicated that Police Chief Flanagan is working on drafting a targeted ordinance, and the council agreed to pursue further action.

Discussion Items

• Item 27: Authorization for Town Manager to Enter into a Payment-in-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT) Agreement with Revolution Wind: Town Manager Ralph Mollis presented the agreement. Revolution Wind is constructing an offshore wind farm 17 miles south of Rhode Island, with cables connecting to a National Grid substation in North Kingstown via private roads within Quonset Business Park. The 25-year PILOT freezes the personal property tax rate at $17.50 per $1,000. Estimated personal property value is $117 million, yielding approximately $26.1–$26.2 million in tax revenue over the term (first year ~$2 million, last year ~$615,000). Additionally, a Host Community Agreement provides $2 million over seven years ($500,000 in year one, $250,000 annually for six years) once the project is operational. Representatives from Revolution Wind and Orsted thanked the council for collaboration. The motion to authorize the Town Manager to sign passed unanimously.
• Item 24: Discussion/Review – Memorandum of Understanding between the Town and School Department regarding Financial Management: Councilor McKay argued that the current MOU prevents the Town from reviewing the school’s budget, which he called a lack of checks and balances. He noted the school recently authorized $1 million in bonuses and salary adjustments from OPEB funds without full transparency. He proposed requiring the Town Finance Director and Town Manager to have read-only access to school financial records. Town Manager Mollis explained that the MOU was originally created to expedite audits but led to the school cutting off Town access to its ledger. Councilor Brimer and others voiced support for transparency, and a motion was passed (unanimous) directing the Town Manager to negotiate with the school for read access.
• Consent Agenda – Items 13 and 14:
  • Item 13: Approval of Purchase – Kubota Compact Excavator ($75,969): Councilor McKay raised a general concern about equipment sharing across town departments. Town Manager Mollis confirmed the excavator will be shared between the Golf Course and Recreation Departments. Motion to approve passed.
  • Item 14: Rescission of Bid Award for Wilson Park Walkway Improvements and Re-award to RICON Construction, LLC ($225,000): Councilor McKay noted the original bid from Narragansett Improvement Company was mistakenly low. Public Works Director Adam White explained the contractor tried to honor the price but could not due to estimating software error; the bid bond will cover any loss. Motion to approve passed.

Key Outcomes

• Approved license renewals (Item 5) and consent agenda items 7–12, 15–19, and 21.
• Authorized PILOT and Host Community Agreement with Revolution Wind (Item 27) – unanimous.
• Directed Town Manager to negotiate read access to school financial records as part of MOU amendment (Item 24) – unanimous.
• Approved CRMC Applications:
  • No. 2022-06-032 (Safe Harbor Marinas, negative lift at 84 Westcott Road) – motion passed with no substantive objection.
  • No. 2022-08-059 (Quonset Development Corporation, new pier at 2574 Davisville Road) – motion passed with no substantive objection.
• Appointments:
  • Conservation Commission: Ahren Cohen (reappointment to October 1, 2025) and Tim Warren (new member to October 1, 2025).
  • Library Board of Trustees: Rini Georgekutty and Danny Humbyrd appointed to October 1, 2025.
  • Wickford Advisory Committee: Michael Donohue appointed as Wickford Village Resident to October 1, 2025.
  • Remaining vacancies for Economic Development Advisory Board, Groundwater Committee, Information Technology Advisory Committee, Wickford Advisory Committee (two positions), and Wickford Village Design Guidelines Committee were re-advertised.
• Town Manager Report noted: leak detection survey near completion, Beach Street sidewalk project underway, Wilson Park restrooms closed early due to vandalism, Veterans Day events, and golf course record of 5,959 rounds in September.
• Finance Report projected a ~$500,000 surplus (less than 1% of budget), attributed to unfilled positions and additional revenue from motor vehicle tax elimination and higher interest income.
• Correspondence was read and filed.