North Kingstown Bond Forum - October 12, 2023: School, Recreation, and Public Safety Proposals
North Kingstown Bond Forum - October 12, 2023: School, Recreation, and Public Safety Proposals
This was the second of two public forums regarding the three bond questions on the November 7, 2023 ballot. The forum began at approximately 5:30 PM and featured presentations from the school department, recreation department, and public safety chiefs, followed by public questions and comments. Early voting began October 18, 2023, and emergency ballots were available until 4 PM on November 6, 2023.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Frank Sullivan (43 Fairwood Drive) questioned the certainty of the proposed middle school site at Davisville/McGinn Park, citing floodplain and wetland concerns, the need for a raised septic system, the lack of a definite plan for the existing Wickford Middle School building, and the combination of school and public safety bonds into one question. He expressed skepticism about the cost estimates.
- Megan Riley (15 Eden Court) raised concerns about the Phase II Environmental Site Assessment and geotechnical studies not yet being complete, and asked about the district's long-term maintenance plan for all schools, noting inequities in elementary schools.
- Tom Ardito (7 Wake Court) acknowledged the need for a new middle school but urged the town to provide a cost comparison of renovation versus new construction and to make a transparent commitment to the disposition of the Wickford Middle School property.
- Ricky Thompson (194 Plain Road) questioned the assumed 4.5% bond interest rate, citing current double-A municipal bond rates of 5.2-5.6%. He also asked about the number of students currently in wheelchairs, the option of rehabbing the middle schools, and the technology adaptability of the new school. He expressed disappointment that no renovation option was presented and that the combined bond totals $248 million, which he believed would result in a 5-6% tax increase rather than the stated 2.3-3%.
- Ray McCarthy (Gladys Drive) questioned how the middle school enrollment dropped from 1400 to 900 students (removing 5th grade) and expressed concern about the combined $248 million bond, suggesting the school bond should stand alone. He also asked about the guarantee of state reimbursement if multiple towns apply.
- Justin Labelle (20 Keats Drive) supported the school project after touring the middle schools, noting the poor condition of Wickford Middle School, the importance of morale, and the need for a modern facility. He asked about the auditorium capacity (450 seats for 900 students) and future expansion possibilities.
- Holly Quinn (109 Clearview Drive) criticized the process, saying the community was not given options and that the school department's prioritization of the high school (newest building) for highest cost needs was contradictory. She asked for more transparency and a maintenance plan.
- Brad Baller (731 Quatucket Road) questioned the $130 million cost estimate for the middle school, citing cost overruns in other recent school projects. He asked for a detailed breakdown of the budget and contingencies. He supported the public safety bond but opposed the recreation center due to lack of operating cost estimates.
- Ann Gertman (90 Plum Beach Road) expressed support for all three bonds, emphasizing the need for sustainable investment in education, public safety, and recreation.
- Melissa Devine (373 Fletcher Road) thanked the presenters for transparency and asked about the safety plan for the new middle school. She supported the bond.
- James Sheehan (40 Blueberry Lane) supported the school bond, noting that good schools attract families and that the town's high school is a regional draw. He urged the community to look forward.
- Jewel Star Wagner (180 West Main Street) supported all bonds, stating that she moved back to North Kingstown because of the schools and wants the community to grow and not decline. She criticized the lack of recreation options for youth.
- Bridget Valverde (14 Cambridge Court), a state senator, offered support for the school bond, highlighting the need to invest in upstream education facilities to maintain excellence.
- Kieran Salvatore (621 Gilbert Stewart Road) expressed support for a recreation center but opposed the idea of giving the community center to the senior center, instead proposing a health and wellness center with a culinary kitchen.
- Diane Rivelli (230 Kingswood Road) asked about the land swap required for the Quonset recreation center site and the feasibility of the Davisville Academy site. She supported the recreation center.
- Cali Ashmer (West Allenton Road) asked about grant opportunities for the public safety complex and said she would vote for it.
Discussion Items
School Department Presentation
- Superintendent Kenny Duver and Assistant Superintendent Rob Maznati presented the need for a new consolidated middle school (grades 6-8) at the Davisville/McGinn Park site, costing $167 million total (approximately $130 million for the school, $37 million for district-wide upgrades). The school would be net-zero energy and target 21st century learning. They highlighted deficiencies at Wickford Middle School (built 1930s) and Davisville Middle School, including security, accessibility, undersized classrooms, lack of auditorium, and poor HVAC. A video demonstrated the difficult navigation for a wheelchair user at Wickford Middle School.
- Architect Ryan Dirk (Perkins Eastman) discussed sustainable design features: net-zero energy, improved indoor environmental quality (daylight, acoustics, air quality), and flexible learning spaces.
- Civil Engineer David Potter (Park Corporation) explained the site constraints: wetlands, floodplain, and the plan to build the school above the floodplain while preserving the existing fields and McGinn Park.
- Owner's Project Manager Zen Gunnox (Ms. Jacobs) detailed state reimbursement: 35% base share, plus up to 20% bonus incentives (health & safety, educational enhancements, newer & fewer, FCI, energy efficiency) if the application is submitted by February 2024. The bonuses expire in June 2024. Total potential reimbursement up to 55%, leaving the town's share at 45%.
- Finance representative Ralph Mollis presented the projected tax impact: $400 per year on a $450,000 home for the school bond (assuming 4.5% interest and full reimbursement). He noted that financing strategies (BANs, interest-only periods, debt cliff timing) could lower the actual increase.
Recreation Center Presentation
- Recreation Director Chelsea presented the proposed indoor recreation facility, costing up to $25 million. The facility would include a walking track, batting cages, multi-purpose courts (pickleball, basketball), convertible classrooms, and rentable spaces. It is intended to serve seniors, preschoolers, middle schoolers, and families, and would also serve as an emergency shelter. Two potential sites: Quonset (land swap needed) and Davisville Academy. The rec center is question 2 on the ballot.
- Ralph Mollis estimated the tax impact at $129 per year on a $450,000 home. He noted that ARPA funds and grants could reduce the bond amount. The community center would be repurposed for senior center expansion if the rec center is built.
Public Safety Complex Presentation
- Fire Chief Scott Cattel and Police Chief John Urban presented the need for a new public safety complex, costing $55 million (up from $39 million two years ago). The current 21,700 sq ft building (built 1957 with additions) has numerous issues: fire apparatus no longer fit, floor system compromised by salt, no windows or ventilation, roof leaks, inadequate holding cells, and lack of female facilities. The proposed 52,000 sq ft building would be built on the current site or potentially at Wickford Middle School if that site becomes available. The complex would house both police and fire administration, dispatch, and emergency operations.
- Ralph Mollis estimated the tax impact at $281 per year on a $450,000 home. He noted that grant opportunities are being pursued and that the project must be approved before applying for most grants.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken at this forum. The three bond questions will appear on the November 7, 2023 ballot:
- Question 1: School (new middle school and district-wide upgrades) and Public Safety Complex (combined as "needs") – $167 million + $55 million = $222 million.
- Question 2: Recreation Center (classified as a "want") – up to $25 million.
- The town council voted 4-0 to split the bonds into two questions, grouping school and public safety as Question 1 and recreation as Question 2.
- State reimbursement for the school bond is not guaranteed but is based on meeting criteria; the base rate is 35%, with potential bonuses up to 55% total if the application is submitted by February 2024.
- The school department estimated that if the bond fails, they will return to voters with a similar proposal, likely at a higher cost due to expiring incentives.
- The public safety committee emphasized that delay would increase costs (estimated $55M now, could be $60M+ in a year).
- The recreation department will continue to seek grants and public input on site selection if the bond passes.
- Tours of the public safety complex were offered on October 14 and October 19, 2023.
Meeting Transcript
So good afternoon, everyone. I want to welcome everyone to our second of two forums uh regarding the bond questions on November 7th. Um I want to thank all of the members of the general public who took the time out of their schedule to join us tonight. This forum is for you, so uh we're glad to see the heavy participation and hopefully we can provide you with some valuable information tonight. Um before we begin tonight, just want to remind everybody that early voting begins October 18th. Emergency ballots will be available to anyone who needs one until 4 p.m. on the day before the election, Monday, November 6th. And you can find your polling place, because there will only be two, I believe. Find your polling place or a sample ballot by visiting the Secretary of State's website at www.vote.so.ri.gov, or you can call our local board of canvases um at 268-1553. Um I just want to take a minute to thank the many individuals who spent countless hours putting together these presentations that you'll see tonight. Um the whole idea was to make sure that they're presenting you with some information that's valuable to give you a backup of these three important projects and to maybe answer some of your questions before you even have questions. But again, there's a lot of hours that no matter where you stand on this question, a lot of people put a lot of effort into making sure that somehow, some way they can make a presentation that's concise, but also try to anticipate some of the questions that you may have. We're going to begin tonight in a couple of minutes, about a minute or so with a presentation from the school department first. And so that will be followed by the recreation center and then the public safety complex. We'll do it the same as we did the last forum, although I know there's some people here who may not have been there in the last forum. So after the public after the school department gives their presentation, there'll be time for questions on the school department. You'll have ample time to ask your questions. Um we'll make sure that we'll do our best we can to provide answers to those questions. If by some chance there's a question that is asked that we don't have the answer to, we'll be sure to get back to you. Although I feel confident that we should have answers to most, if not all of your questions. After the school department, we'll follow that with the recreation center, once again a brief presentation, and then we'll open it up to questions on the recreation center. And that will be followed by the public safety complex with a brief presentation and once again um followed by questions on the public safety complex. The individuals who put a lot of time into these proposed these presentations will start off. I'll end for about maybe a two minutes to talk very briefly on the financial impact. But at the same time, you can ask any questions that you may have on the financial impact. And finally, um, in an effort to try to make it a lot easier for all of you, um, there was some instead of having sign-up sheets after the presentation. We'll just ask uh if anyone has questions, um, if you don't mind, you could raise your hand. We'll do the best we can to just have you come up. You will need to come up to the podium because we are live streaming this. So if we did it anywhere else, the camera may have your back. The public may not be able to hear your voice. So it's important that you do come up to the podium. Um hopefully that's not too inconvenient. So again, I also I want to recognize uh Bill Trimble from Ride for coming here this evening. Really appreciate that. Um the Redon Department of Education. It's it it is a big help to have someone from Ride here, because as you know, there were questions asked at the last forum, which we are comfortable with the answers, but I think just having Ride here not only validate some of our answers, but maybe they could answer a question that we don't have answers for. So thank you for taking time out of your evening to be here with us and help provide information to the residents of North Kingstown. And with that, I will turn it over to the superintendent uh Kenny Duver, who will begin the school department presentation. Thanks, Kenny. Thank you, Mr. Mollis. So as as he said, we are going to begin uh this evening with a presentation on the uh school facilities projects uh that we will outline for you this evening. So as we know, the bond is for 167 million dollars, and that amount is to include the design and construction of a new consolidated middle school, grades six through eight. And that school uh is being proposed to be built over at the McGinn Park Davisville Middle School location. In addition to that, the remaining funds that we have from the bond will be dedicated towards other district-wide buildings, upgrades and repair projects. It's it's our vision that we need to make sure that we are maintaining all of our buildings in the district, and we also need to make sure that we are upgrading all of the buildings in our district for our students, our staff and our community. So some of those upgrades that we are looking at to do across the district with the schools are security upgrades, new roofs, updating HVACs, and as well in some interior upgrades to benefit educational programming in some of the schools. This slide just explains the vision that we have for the new middle school. I'm not gonna read the entire slide here, and these slides are available, and this presentation has been updated from the last time, and it will be up on our website.
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