North Kingstown Town Council Meeting – April 15, 2025
North Kingstown Town Council Meeting – April 15, 2025
The North Kingstown Town Council met on April 15, 2025, to address a range of routine and special business items, including the appointment of a new Building Official, updates on school bond projects and the public safety complex, and public comments on water supply, school transparency, and parade funding. Several consent agenda items were pulled for discussion, and the council approved most items after debate.
Consent Calendar
- Items 9-11 and 13-28 were approved by a single motion. These included contracts for auditing services (CBIZ, $306,000), engineering for water main replacements (Pare Corporation $210,700; Tighe & Bond $196,600), a sole source contract for a Clean Water Infrastructure Report (Wright-Pierce, $37,000), various bids, licenses, permits, and a proclamation.
- Item 7 (Minutes) were pulled by Councilor Ross. After discussion, the minutes of March 24 were amended to reflect Councilor Ross's dissent on a prior zoning board appointment; March 10 and March 18 minutes were approved as submitted.
- Item 8 (Donation) – A $5,000 donation from the North Kingstown Senior Association for the Beechwood Senior Center was approved after clarification.
- Item 12 (Sole Source Contract) – Councilor Welch questioned the sole-source designation for the Wright-Pierce water infrastructure report. The Water Department explained the report updates a prior study and that Wright-Pierce is the only firm capable of meeting the August deadline. The item was approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kurt Fisher (Phillips Street) expressed concern about the town’s water supply, stating that overpumping has damaged wells in the past and that the town is headed for serious problems in a dry summer. He also criticized the town's assistance to Jamestown, arguing the town should prioritize its own supply.
- Richard Welch (Arrow Lane) reported that school building committee meetings are held without microphones, making it difficult for the public to hear. He urged better transparency and noted that few school committee members attended recent meetings.
- Frank Sullivan (Fairwood Drive) spoke about a lawsuit his neighborhood filed against the Planning Commission’s approval of a 10,000-panel solar installation. He questioned the cost of the town solicitor defending the decision and accused Town Manager Mollis and Council President Mancini of being involved, which the council denied. Councilor McCoy responded sharply, stating the council has no role in the development and that the resident should be ashamed of attacking character without proof.
- Mary Ellen Madsen (Parade Committee co-chair) requested $1,600 to hire a band for the Memorial Day parade, noting the current $1,000 per parade allocation is insufficient. Town Manager Mollis recommended submitting a formal budget request; the council discussed precedent and agreed to consider funding from the surplus.
- John Fitzgerald (Beach Street) supported the parade committee and also advocated for a crosswalk from Town Hall to the park (noting state approval was pending) and expressed opposition to a proposed rotary near Wickford.
- Bill Panoya (East Greenwich) supported funding for the parade band and asked to borrow the 9/11 guidon from the courtroom for a Providence parade.
- Janette (name unclear) presented 85 additional signatures opposing the Wickford roundabout, disputing the town manager’s plan to hold a meeting with businesses and residents. The manager confirmed a meeting would occur before any action.
Discussion Items
- Appointment of Building Official (Special Business) – Town Manager Mollis requested advice and consent to appoint Matthew Sousa as Building Official. He praised outgoing Building Official Don Peck for stepping down to allow Sousa to take the role, a significant personal financial sacrifice. Sousa, a North Kingstown graduate and certified official with years of experience, was confirmed unanimously. Councilors lauded the succession planning.
- School Bond Projects Update (Special Business) – Councilor Dr. Page reported that the School Building Committee is considering three design scenarios to maximize state reimbursement from RIDE: (1) adding pre-kindergarten classrooms to the new middle school, (2) moving fifth grade to the middle schools, or (3) building a three-story middle school for grades 6-8 only. The architects have preliminary drawings for the pre-K model. The committee has not made a decision; a meeting is scheduled for April 24. Councilor McCoy urged a three-story design to reduce footprint. Councilor Ross raised concerns about mixing fifth graders with older students and capacity at Davisville Middle School. Dr. Page noted that the next update will come to the council on April 28. The town manager added that all bond expenditures must be approved by the council at public meetings.
- Town Manager’s Report – Ralph Mollis provided updates on several topics:
- Public Safety Complex: Design and bid completion expected by end of 2025, construction June 2026–December 2027; Station 1 work to follow. A public meeting may be scheduled.
- Revolutions Wind: Over 200 workers; tour offered to council May 1 or 8.
- Wickford Waterfront Project: Bonding company seeking new contractor; pre-bid meeting held. Piling and fencing removal to begin after wall completion.
- Budget public hearing: April 21 at 6:30 PM.
- Animal Shelter: Successful first anniversary of restructuring with North Kingstown Animal Shelter Foundation; volunteer base increased.
- America 250th Anniversary Committee formed; rain barrel program launched; street sweeping underway; Earth Day employee participation.
- Parks & Recreation Department awarded Department of the Year and Chelsea Dumas-Gibbs received the John Jack O’Cronin Award.
- RIPTA proposed changes to Quonset Express route.
Key Outcomes
- Confirmed the appointment of Matthew Sousa as Building Official – unanimous approval after discussion.
- Approved Consent Agenda items 9-11 and 13-28 – with items 7, 8, and 12 handled separately.
- Approved minutes of March 10 and March 18 as submitted; March 24 minutes amended to reflect Councilor Ross’s dissenting vote on a zoning board appointment.
- Approved donation item #8 – $5,000 from North Kingstown Senior Association.
- Approved sole source contract item #12 – $37,000 to Wright-Pierce for CWIRP report update.
- Increased Class B-Full Alcoholic Beverage License limit for Saigon Hot Pot (item 30) – to 29 licenses, with a public hearing to follow.
- Directed Town Manager to follow up on citizen reports of fumes from an industrial plant affecting a resident’s children (Devil’s Foot Road).
- Noted that parade committee band funding request will be considered during FY26 budget deliberations; surplus funds are available for FY25 if council approves.
- School bond project update received – no action taken; further discussion on April 28.
- Acknowledged correspondence including emails requesting pause on school projects and a town hall meeting; also noted Pride Parade invitation and recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Meeting Transcript
Our property, so that's why I say it's a learning land purchase slash land swap. We're doing some geotechnical engineering on it right now to make sure that the land is buildable. Um we've done a phase one. We may have to do a phase two. Once we've done that, I'll be back before the council at a public meeting asking for approval for the purchase slash swap of that land. Okay. Thank you. I guess there will be one follow-up question and then I'll sit down. Um I I'm thinking of what the school is going through and having public meetings and what have you. How come there isn't anything similar for the safety complex? It's but because right now we feel that we're more productive in a workshop type of session. Um there are the engineering, it's virtual, there are a lot of virtual attendees. There's the engineering firm, the architect firm, not gonna bore you with everyone. Um there's a specialty firm that uh specializes in public safety complexes. Um our former fire chief, our current fire chief, members of the police department, finance legal myself. So it's a big team. Um handling more like a workshop, just trying to get this project off the ground. Uh, if there's any questions at all, please let me know. I'll be glad to try to give updates every meeting. No, that's not answering your question, but please let me know. I'm more than happy to give as much information as possible. But they're in the morning. Um that doesn't mean that you couldn't attend, they're in the morning, they're workshops in um now that you brought it up. Maybe we could have a couple of public meetings to just bring together what we're doing at in the evening, but we're meeting every single week right now because time is of the essence. So I again if there's any questions you have, let me know, and I'll take your question. Um I think it's a legitimate question, and maybe we can find a way to make it uh at least have a public meeting to talk about a recap of what we've done and get some questions, public comment, then go back into workshop. So I think that's a a good point. Okay. I would also say that I think that the uh building subcommittees, that's by law, that's by state law. That's the same. That is correct. That is correct. So thank you. Uh Mr. Kurt Fisher. Kurt Fisher, one of the four of Phillips Street. I just want to bring up to the town council and the public a situation that I don't think many people are aware of, and that is the precarious water supply that we have. Because we are headed for serious problems this summer if we have a very dry summer. Because I took over public works, town engineered public works in the 70s, and I was given a situation that had occurred because of overpumping of our town water wells. And I suspect that's happened again in the past because the car pond water wells are basically useless once again. Because my predecessor earlier at that car pond well would pump maybe a minute and a half too many gallons a day. They pumped it too much during a drought and destroyed the well. And so my point to bring this up is we need to somehow address and support the water department and coming up with more supplies, because we are just about as bad of supply situations as I was confronted with back in the 70s. Where we've overpumped in the past 30, 40 years, whatever it is. I can't think that fast. If you overpump them. And also I want to include we do need to take pass on the town of Jamestown, which we discussed some, because we cannot afford to be bowing them out, so we don't have to spend money on increasing their water supply. We've bailed them out a couple two or three times some number of years ago. But I don't think they've done anything to solve their problems. And there's you know, there's something else I want to mention too, but I can't think of it off the top of my head.
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