North Kingstown Town Council Meeting - March 23, 2026
North Kingstown Town Council Meeting - March 23, 2026
The North Kingstown Town Council met on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting was dominated by public concern over odors and proposed industrial facilities at Quonset Point, including the Bitumar asphalt plant and a proposed sewage sludge pyrolysis facility by QSS Biosolids LLC. The council also handled routine consent agenda items, received reports from the town manager and finance director, and discussed a letter to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) regarding odor complaints.
Consent Calendar
- Items 5-15 were approved unanimously, except for Item 8 (donation of two trees and a bench by HistWick), which was removed for separate discussion and approved. The consent agenda included approval of minutes, tax abatements, donations, authorizations, bids, purchases, and exhibition licenses for ECO-Land Art Project events.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Vanessa Mascaro (21 Parkside Way) criticized the vague wording of the DEM letter agenda item, noting that Bitumar was previously named as a specific source. She urged the council to be proactive and transparent, and referenced a state bill to ban sludge pyrolysis.
- John Dower (Reynolds Farm) reported six years of asphalt odors from the Meosy/Peckham plant, expressed concern about two additional proposed facilities, and warned of potential national environmental group involvement.
- Alyssa Knapp (24 Parkside Way) expressed concern for her young children's health and environment.
- Sean Conroy (67 Longfellow Drive) questioned Councilor McCoy's role with J2 Research and Analysis LLC, suggesting a conflict of interest, and urged council support for residents over QDC.
- Sean Taylor (225 Sewins Drive) detailed technical concerns about the QSS Biosolids incinerator, citing failures in Woonsocket's similar facility. He urged the council to sponsor a resolution opposing the air permit or request a public hearing.
- Kim Gallman (25 Fairfield Road) shared her personal story of undergoing chemotherapy and expressed distress over the proposed facilities.
- Joe Texara (200 Delano Drive) named three problems: the asphalt plant, the sludge incinerator, and a proposed lithium-ion battery storage facility. He called the town's direction a "dump" and requested a meeting with state legislators.
- Holly Quinn (109 Clearview Drive) demanded transparency, criticized the council for not informing the public about QDC projects, and noted that information often comes after decisions are made.
- Josh Olson (103 Oak Tree Drive) agreed with previous speakers and noted the West Davisville area is becoming a "giant dump."
- Jason Bergenstock (5 Woodland Drive) opposed the sludge facility, citing the applicant's own documents that admit emissions of hydrogen sulfide and other gases. He requested independent monitoring, public reporting, and enforceable shutdown triggers.
- Larry Mandel (54 Rome Street), a former QDC board member, explained that he and Councilor McCoy voted against the Global Soil Solutions lease in November 2024, but were outvoted 5-3. He advocated for holding the company accountable and supporting DEM efforts.
- Michael Laravy Benoit (145 Old Baptist Road) complained about dust and noise from the existing Davisville dump and opposed another 24-hour waste facility.
- Mark (2 Iron Horse Terrace) described moving from Nebraska to escape feedlot odors and feared similar experience in North Kingstown.
- Richard Welch (8 Arrow Lane), a former council member, criticized DEM's effectiveness, urged the council to fight for residents, and referenced a past court victory regarding public speak rights.
- Sharon Daniels (263 Old Baptist Road) reported asphalt odors in her home at night, even in winter, and expressed concern about property values.
- Nicholas Daniels (310 Newcombe Road) urged parents to bring their children to meetings and called for transparent data monitoring.
- Ricky Thompson (194 Plain Road) requested the reinstatement of regular QDC reports to the town council, stating that residents were uninformed.
- James Sheehan (40 Blueberry Lane), a former state senator, recalled successful opposition to a trash incinerator and container port, and urged the council to "lawyer up" or leverage QDC to stop the sludge facility.
- Dick Pastor (121 Suffolk Drive), a former EPA employee and planning board chair, warned that 90% removal efficiency is insufficient for toxic compounds, and that the system's failure mode would expose residents to carcinogens.
- Cam Panero (710 Silicon Road) endorsed transparency and suggested including QDC updates in the town email newsletter.
- Nicole Morel (40 Bel Air Drive) reminded the council of their duty to protect the community from health hazards, including groundwater contamination.
- Elizabeth O'Brien (80 Clearview Drive) lamented learning about projects late and asked why the town chooses toxic businesses over cleaner options.
- Glenn Lampinski (103 Love Lane) expressed his dream of quiet living in North Kingstown and pleaded with the council not to let it become a nightmare.
- Mary Shaw (159 Candlewood Drive) described her decade-long battle with dust from QDC, her husband's death from COPD and cancer, and her ongoing legal fight against the Coastal Council's dredging plan.
- Brian Votolato (62 Glenwood Drive), co-chair of the Parades Committee, requested the appointment of Beth Hill Ross as town council liaison, which was not formally approved but discussed.
Discussion Items
- Town Manager's Report: Covered progress on school and public safety bond projects, noting cost estimates exceeding $64 million for the latter. Reported on the Wickford Elementary School condominium projects receiving preliminary approval from the Planning Commission. Announced the opening of Devil's Foot Road Bridge, paving of Phillips Street, and plans for a new Fire Station 6 within the Quonset Business Park, with a need for a new mechanics division building. Also noted the town's recognition as a Tree City USA and upcoming recreation events.
- Finance Director's Report (presented by Town Manager): Year-to-date revenues are approximately $1 million over budget, expenditures about $500,000 over, resulting in a modest surplus. Tax collections at 76%, consistent with prior years. No structural concerns identified.
- Appointment of Town Council Liaison to Parades Committee: Discussion revealed that the council no longer appoints formal liaisons, but Councilor Beth Hill Ross agreed to attend meetings and report back informally.
- Letter to RIDEM Regarding Odor Concerns: Council voted to authorize the town solicitor to send a letter to DEM requesting investigation of odor sources in the Quonset/Davisville area, incorporating resident concerns about Bitumar. The letter will not name a specific source without evidence but will note citizen reports.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda (Items 5-7, 9-15) approved unanimously. Item 8 (HistWick donation) approved separately.
- DEM Letter: Motion to authorize a letter from the town solicitor to RIDEM, including citizen concerns, passed unanimously.
- Parades Committee Liaison: No formal appointment; Councilor Hill Ross will attend meetings and report back.
- Public Comment: No formal votes on the sludge facility or Bitumar; council committed to researching facts and representing citizens.
- Meeting adjourned after correspondence review.
Meeting Transcript
Did you pay extra for extra light room? Is there one of the people? Okay. I do have a statement. Whatever works best. Are they sure they know that we need to just sign in to be signed? For the folks standing, there are some seats up here. Please be more comfortable sitting. Good evening. Welcome to the North Kingstown Town Council meeting for Monday, uh, March twenty third, twenty twenty-six. And welcome to the People's House in North Kingstown. Notice this meeting has been posted in the Secretary of State's website. It is my sad duty to report to the citizens of North Kingstown that since we last met. Uh our clerk, John O Jeanette Alwart has passed away. She co she cared so deeply for. She carried quiet pride in her role and leaves behind a lasting impact on the community. For those of you who do not know Jeanette, um she had uh a great relationship with a family, and she served them well, but she also served the citizens of North Kingstown very well. So we have uh quite the sign-up sheet. Uh and we certainly want to hear from everybody. Um we do have a uh uh we ask everybody to keep um your time framed three minutes or less. Uh we do time frame it, we do time it. If uh somebody has said something um prior to you, if you would certainly can repeat it, or you can just say I I agree with that, the person before me, or John Smith or Jane Smith, or however you want to do it. Um to move this process along, I'm gonna ask uh I'm gonna read a bunch of names, and I'm gonna ask them to line up on the wall over here. Okay. So I'm gonna start with uh Vanessa Mascaro, John Dower, Alyssa Cap Knapp, sorry, Sean Conry, Sean Taylor, Kim Gill Gilman, and Joe Tech Sarah. Okay. Now before you do start, um I uh I suspect that uh most people, if not everyone here, is uh concerned about several projects down in Quonsett. Uh and I'm gonna let, even though he's done it before, I am going to uh ask our solicitor to comment on um the town council's role as it relates to Quonset. So if you could do that, Mr. Tsalissa, I'd appreciate it. Thanks, Mike. Uh welcome everyone. So for a summary, uh as you probably already know, the Kwant Development Corporation is a quasi-state agency and a subsidiary of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, which is responsible for the development and management of the Quonsett Business Park. Uh QDC. Head on. Can you speak into it, please? Thanks. QDC as it's known, Quant Development Corporation, was created by the General Assembly and consists of a board of directors. Uh the purpose of the QDC was to provide certain powers independent of municipal regulation. So for instance, for the most part, land, the land use table, dimensional regulations, and zones of the town ordinances do not generally apply to Quonset. So in that sense, the town has some limited powers over what happens in QDC. Um DC does have a master plan which uh governs its land use build-out, which is supposed to be consistent with the town's competitive plan and the state's guide plan. Um is also a technical review committee which reviews projects proposed in Quonsett. Uh the whole process is meant to work together for consensus consistency purposes, but overall, again, the QDC is a state agency or quasi-state agency, which is independent from the town. Uh that is not to say there can't be resident input or political input and pressure asserted by residents in the town and certain certain projects and proposals. But again, overall, the QDC is a separate entity from the town, and our direct control over their actions is limited just for a legal perspective. And the Quant uh Development Corporation has 10 board members, actually 11, but 10 voting uh uh and and the town gets to appoint two board members, correct? Correct. And Jamestown appoints one and then East Grandage appoints one. Yes.
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