North Kingstown Town Council Meeting - March 10, 2025

On Monday, March 10, 2025, at 7:00 PM, the North Kingstown Town Council met in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included a public hearing to name a portion of the municipal parking lot as "Anchor Park," the presentation of the Town Manager's preliminary FY2025/2026 budget, public comments on library regulations and school redistricting, and several votes on appointments and funding requests.

Consent Calendar

• Approved Items 7, 8, 9, 12: Minutes of February 10, 2025; receipt of a $50 donation; authorization to accept compensation for temporary easements related to the Post Road and West Main Street Sidewalk Improvements; and an exhibition license for TANK's Pride Celebration on June 1, 2025. (Items 10 and 11 were removed for separate consideration.)
• Item 10 (Grant application for Old Town House): Tabled with no action pending further information.
• Item 11 (Meeting Schedule Amendment): The council approved changing the June 2, 2025 meeting to June 9, 2025, and the June 16, 2025 meeting to June 23, 2025.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Anchor Park Naming (Public Hearing): William Pennoyer and Randy Wheatman spoke in favor of naming the park, describing it as a popular, scenic spot used for flag ceremonies. No opposition was heard. The council voted unanimously to approve the name.
• Jennifer Lima (TANK): Expressed full support for the Pride Parade, highlighting the importance of celebrating LGBTQ+ youth and adults, and announced that this year's parade will center transgender individuals.
• Richard Welch: Raised concerns about school construction costs amid tariffs, criticized the property tax appraisal process (wanting in-person interviews), and expressed opposition to the planned roundabout at Wickford, urging the council to gauge public sentiment.
• Randy Wheatman: Corrected a newspaper article about Wickford Elementary (not being turned into apartments by the town) and thanked the council for improved communication efforts.
• Mike Donahue (NK Free Library Trustee): Opposed proposed state library regulation changes, arguing they would force smaller libraries to close or merge, increasing costs to the town. He urged support for the council's resolution.
• Jennifer Shaker (Willett Free Library Director): Described the library's 140-year history and warned that the new regulations would impose a 40% increase in expenses without state funding, forcing withdrawal from the statewide system.
• Pauline Sheehey, Sarah Galvani, Teresa Hirsch, Kevin Hirsch, Bob Armentano, Nicole Piquette, Amanda Mellor (parents): Expressed strong opposition to the school committee's proposed redistricting plan, citing lack of transparency, rapid timeline, and negative impacts on family stability and property values. They urged the council to withhold approval of the school budget until more data and community input are provided.
• Diane Izzo: Supported the library resolution but noted that library services are increasingly virtual, and pledged to continue advocacy at the state level. She also praised the town manager's budget presentation.
• Kieran Salvatore: Requested a program to preserve historic stone walls and again asked for a video of a similar-sized roundabout with accident data to evaluate the Wickford roundabout proposal.

Discussion Items

• Town Manager's Preliminary Budget Presentation: Town Manager Ralph presented the FY2025/2026 budget, noting it was one of the most challenging due to property revaluation, reduced state aid, and labor negotiations. Key points: municipal expenditures up 3.4%, school appropriation up 3.4%, debt service up 11.25%. The proposed residential tax rate would drop from $14.34 to $11.50 (or $10.50 with homestead exemption), and commercial from $16.28 to $14.79, thanks to a strong fund balance ($18.2 million). The budget includes $750,000 for road improvements, technology increases, and funding for senior services. The council will hold budget sessions on March 18, with a public hearing April 21.
• Food Pantry Capital Campaign Contribution: The council approved transferring $150,000 from the town's unassigned fund balance to support the food pantry's expansion (total project ~$2.1 million). The food pantry has raised about $1 million so far. The town manager argued this is fiscally superior to budgeting $50,000/year for three years.
• Resolution Against Library Regulation Changes: The council unanimously passed a resolution requesting the Rhode Island Office of Library Information Services not adopt proposed regulation changes that would increase hours and staffing requirements for small libraries, calling them an unfunded mandate that could force the Willett and Davisville libraries to close.
• Appointments: The council approved Amy Jenner to the Assessment Board of Review (to Dec 1, 2027) and the Personnel Board (to March 1, 2028); Lee Hardgrove and Mary Ellen Madsen to the Veterans Day & Memorial Day Parades Committee (to March 1, 2028); and Patricia Siegmund and Brett Mallery to the Veterans Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee (to July 1, 2025).

Key Outcomes

• Anchor Park naming approved unanimously (Item 4).
• Consent agenda approved for Items 7, 8, 9, 12; Item 10 tabled; Item 11 amended and approved.
• Food Pantry contribution approved ($150,000 from fund balance) (Item 14).
• Library resolution approved (Item 15) – will be sent to the state before the March 17 hearing.
• All appointments (Items 16-19) approved unanimously.
• Correspondence (Item 20) noted: emails on trash at town landing, school redistricting, social media comments, and deforestation concerns.