North Kingstown Town Council Meeting – October 6, 2025
North Kingstown Town Council Meeting
The North Kingstown Town Council held a regular meeting on Monday, October 6, 2025, at 7:00 PM following an executive session. The meeting included approval of the consent agenda, approval of two entertainment licenses, and a comprehensive report from the Town Manager covering school projects, public safety complex, waterfront parking lot, traffic signal improvements, and other municipal updates. No public comments were made.
Consent Calendar
- Approved items 6-9 and 12-15 unanimously: receipt of donation, bid award for valve and hydrant replacement ($287,000), ratification of emergency fire hydrant relocation ($26,000), annual entertainment license renewal for Lafayette Band Inc., authorization to apply for RIDEM Beautification Grant, and first readings for fee schedule amendments for Police Department fees, Recreation Department fees (Golf Course and Allen Harbor).
- Council Member Matthew McCoy recused himself from items 10 and 11 due to his membership in VFW Post 152.
- Items 10 and 11 (entertainment and exhibition licenses for VFW Post 152's OktoberVets 5K and Family Fun Festival) were then approved separately by a voice vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke or signed up for public comment.
Discussion Items
- Town Manager Ralph provided an extensive report:
- School Department bond project: Stage two submitted to RIDE, expecting response by end of December; subcommittee unanimously supported construction manager at risk approach; next meeting November 5th.
- Public Safety Complex: Internal workshop held; cost estimates greater than bond amount but within expectations; public presentation scheduled for October 20th from 5:00-6:30 PM in council chambers.
- Wickford Waterfront Municipal Parking Lot Project: Landscaping and final paving underway; completion expected mid-October.
- Federal Government shutdown: No local impact except federal earmark applications; monitoring continues.
- Route 4 traffic signal issues: RIDOT adjusted timing; monitoring continues.
- Mini roundabout in Wickford: Night work ongoing; some daytime work due to water department hydrant issue; expected noisy construction over next two weeks.
- West Main Street and Post Road sidewalk project: $20 million project with $8 million federal earmark; bids advertised this month, construction April 2026, completion winter 2027.
- Arbor Day tree planting at Cranston Playground on October 9th at 3 PM; tree dedication at town beach for Linda Sherman on October 14th at 5 PM.
- Fire Chief and Deb Bridgeham to present report on rescue building account at October 20th meeting.
- Tax exemption ordinance changes to be presented October 20th.
- Beach revenue and expenses: 2025 deficit reduced to $46,000; beach passes increased slightly.
- Chelsea Dumas and Haley Wicker awarded $2,000 Gold Level Award from Rhode Island Interlocal Trust for wellness initiatives.
- School safety informational briefing on October 8th, 6:30-7:30 PM.
- Blood drive at community center October 7th.
- Wickford Advisory Committee forum on short-term rentals on October 27th at 6:30 PM.
- Decentralized wastewater program: modification requested to expand area for grants to include additional properties.
- Energy aggregation program: contracted with provider for 2026; January rollout; workshops planned.
- Council Member complimented the updated town website.
Key Outcomes
- Approved consent agenda items 6-9 and 12-15 unanimously.
- Approved items 10 and 11 (entertainment and exhibition licenses for VFW Post 152) by voice vote after recusal.
- Sealed executive session minutes.
- Town Manager to provide further updates on public safety complex financing, rescue building account, and tax exemptions at the October 20th meeting.
- Public presentation on public safety complex set for October 20th.
Meeting Transcript
We're good. All right. Welcome, North Kingstown. Uh, I'd like to call this meeting to order. Uh, and pursuant to Rhode Island General Law forty two, forty six, six C. We know uh posted this on the Secretary of State's website. And we um are now our next thing on our agenda is to go into executive session. Uh, according to Rhode Island General Law forty six, or I'm sorry, forty two, forty six dash four and forty two forty-six dash five. Um, do I have a motion? Uh moved. Second. All in favor, say aye. All right, we are adjourned until for executive session. Okay, we're good. All right, so we are back from executive session. Do I have a motion to seal the minutes from the executive sess session? Uh motion. What the all those in favor say aye. All right. All right. So that brings us to welcome everyone to our uh Monday, October 6th meeting here at the North Kingstown Town Council. Uh it is the sort of thing we've just come out of executive session, so we actually earlier had greetings. So we're now ready to start with the meeting, and we will start with a salute to the flag. I pledge the flag of the United States of America or which it stands under God. With liberty and justice are all right. So the next thing on our agenda is uh public comment. Those who are uh um wishing to speak, uh you can come up to the microphone, you can say your name, and we give you three minutes to to express your um your thoughts. Jeanette, do we have anyone who's signed up? There was nobody signed up. All right, is there anybody out there right now who wants to talk? All right. So we are moving on. We are moving on to the consent agenda. Um is there anything that anybody on the council would like to exempt on the consent agenda? I would like to exempt uh myself from number 10 and 11. All right. You recusing from those two. Yes, I just wanted to call them out. So we have 10 and 11. Is there anything else anybody would like to recuse themselves from? No. All right. Do I have a motion to approve items number six through nine and twelve through um six fifteen? So moved. Second. Second. All right. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All right.
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