The North Kingstown Town Council held a regular meeting on Monday, December 15, 2025, at 6:30 PM in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting began with a joint session with the School Committee for a pre-budget consultation, followed by the Council’s own agenda. Key actions included approval of a construction management contract for the new Wickford Middle School, adoption of a three‑year extension of the municipal electricity aggregation agreement, conditional renewal of a liquor license for Saigon Hot Pot, a road abandonment to facilitate Quonset Development Corporation projects, and several appointments and resolutions.
I always do that. Right, right. We all set Madam Clerk. Video's all set, guys. Thank you. Uh good evening. Welcome to the People's House in North Kingstown for a meeting Monday, December 15th, 2025. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Earlier today I happened to uh have a uh professional meeting with some folks at Brown University. Uh and I'm not gonna lie, it was difficult. And I know that some first responders from uh NK were called to Providence for that tragedy, and with the community is certainly grateful for them. Anyways, uh before we salute the flag, I would like uh for Linnea Drew, who is a graduate of Brown, um, to say a couple words on this uh tragedy. Linnea Um Greg asked me to speak because I'm a Brown alum, like you just said, uh twice over actually. Um and I spent countless hours in the library across the street. And then I watched videos on Saturday and Sunday of students um, you know, huddled terrified in the library, uh, not knowing whether the knocking outside was the police coming to evacuate them or the shooter coming to target them also. Um I have wonderful memories from Brown. I think it's a beautiful open and academically curious campus and university. Um, but I don't think that the students now will be able to think about the good times without thinking about this really really horrible time. Um in that study session who just wanted to study and do well on their exams and go home to their family and friends, and two of them now never will. Um, and the nine that were shot, um you know, will be forever changed physically, emotionally, mentally, and I think probably every student and many community members will also be forever changed. Um actually there are a couple of brown students who survived um school shootings in high school and chose brown because it's felt like a safe place to be and now they've survived a school shooting in college. Um that you know, I it's hard to think of anything more uniquely American. Um which is a tragedy and a huge failing. Um so um after we say the Pledge of Allegiance, um, would ask that everyone observe a moment of silence. Um in memory of the two students who lost their lives on Saturday, Ella Cook and Mohammed Aziz Umazakov. Umor and support of the nine students who are recovering from their injuries and uh in solidarity with the entire community. I do want everyone to know that the citizens of North Kingstown, I did text the mayor uh earlier today. First of all, I told him what a great job he's doing, and told him if you need anything from the community in North Kingstown, we were here to support him. As indicated a couple minutes ago, we did have some first responders go to the City of Providence. Also, um, when that horrific act occurred, we had a robotics team, high school robotics team in and around the area, just two blocks uh from um shooting, and I didn't know if Dr. Earl would like to say anything about that. Yeah, thank you so much. Um wonderful words, Linnea. Um, in our special meeting earlier, I did read some um remarks regarding the situation, but I did want to take this moment at the town council meeting to again thank our students who were up in Providence during the events that occurred on Saturday for their resilience and the families that were with them as well as their amazing teachers and bus drivers. Um I also want to take a minute to thank Dr. Duva and the administrators on their response and helping support the students. Uh Dr. Iduba even went and met the bus uh when it returned to North Kingstown safely, and I am very grateful for that. And so just wanted to really share our compassion um and support to our students during this difficult time, including the whole educational community as they recover from this tragedy. So thank you, Mr. Manzini. Thank you, Dr. Earl, and certainly thank you, uh Dr. Duva. I don't know if you want to add anything to that. So you're welcome, and thank you. Um I just you know, just let all of you know, you know, we met with all of the uh the students today along with our mental health support staff, and we met as a team with them after school as well, just to let them know that anything they need, we're here to support them as well as supporting the families. Um, and we greatly appreciate uh this Shields and Mr. Powell, who were the two uh teachers with them that kept the students calm just through their leadership and all. So you know it's an unfortunate event.