MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CUMBERLAND TOWN COUNCIL

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

 CUMBERLAND TOWN HALL, EVERETT “MOE” BONNER, JR. COUNCIL CHAMBERS

45 BROAD STREET, CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND

 

CALL TO ORDER

Council President called the meeting to order at 7:47 p.m.  He noted for the record that all council members were present.

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

 

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

President Kinch welcomed the championship LEGO team present at the meeting noting they very happy that them joined them, and thanks them for making Cumberland proud.

 

CONSENT AGENDA

A.    Acceptance of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of February 18, 2026.

 

B.     COMMUNICATIONS

1.      C-26-06 – A resolution from the Town of Foster in support of House Bill H7356 and Senate Bill S2216, School Employee Background Checks

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR SHAW, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, AND IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. VOTE 7/0.

 

PUBLIC COMMENTS

 

REPORTS/COMMUNICATIONS

A.    Report of Executive Session vote(s), as may be necessary

 

There were no executive session votes to report out.

 

B.     Presentation by the Historic Metcalf-Franklin Farm Preservation Association of their annual State of the Farm         address  

Julie Guerin of 28 Metcalf Drive and Will of 27 Green Meadow Lane presented the annual state of the farm update on behalf of the Historic Metcalf-Franklin Farm Preservation Association.

 

Mrs. Guerin began by explaining historic Metcalf Franklin farm has deep roots dating back over 2 centuries from its earliest cultivation in 1801 by Liberty Metcalf through its decades as a working dairy farm under the Franklin family to its present role as a treasured community resource. She emphasized that this land's history tells a story of resilience, tradition, and continuity and that the intact fields, stone walls, barn complex, and farmhouse connect us to the agricultural heritage of Cumberland and remind us of the generations and families that helped to build our town.

 

Will explained that the Historic Metcalf Franklin Farm Preservation Association was established 20 years ago as an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization. He outlined their mission is to preserve the farm's historic structures and landscapes, to educate all ages about agricultural history and sustainable practices, and to engage the community in meaningful ways that honor the past while growing for the future.

 

Mrs. Guerin detailed in 2025, Franklin Farm was a vibrant place of learning, service, and discovery.  She reported that phase 2 of restoration of the 1857 farmhouse was complete with handicapped accessibility, a bathroom, hallway, kitchenette area, and heat. The Long Barn project had reached the architecture and engineering level, with Haynes De Beer selected as architect and approved by the Town Council. They hoped to send out RFPs in late spring. Windows and screens were installed in the milking barn, and volunteers continued extensive maintenance work valued at approximately $30,000.

 

Will highlighted their community garden and no till gardens thrived under the care of dedicated volunteers who helped cultivate, harvest, and deliver fresh, naturally grown produce to our neighbors in need at local food pantries.  He proudly announced that they had 31,465 pounds of produce donated to 9 different food pantry agencies last summer.

 

Julie Guerin described their educational programs that brought 550 students and connected children's families and school groups with the land. Through volunteer led field trips, summer programs, story time and activities exploring ecology, history and farming, participants gained a deeper understanding of the natural world and our agricultural heritage in 2025. She noted they offered 20 weeks of programming.

 

Will discussed community engagement activities, including their annual perennial plant sale, an Idle Hands production of "a 24 hour play," hosting the Rhode Island beekeepers annual meeting, and their first volunteer open house. He emphasized that these gatherings not only raise support for our mission, but also strengthen the bonds between neighbors, volunteers, community, and partners with old friends and new faces alike.

 

Looking ahead to 2026, Julie outlined their strategic focus areas are to increase focus on preservation and restoration at the board level, beginning construction phase of the Long Barn project, establishment of a fundraising subcommittee, and creation of a strategic preservation committee to identify and prioritize realistic phases of restoration with budgetary estimates.

 

Will added their additional 2026 initiatives: twentieth anniversary celebration activities coordinated with USA's 250th anniversary and Liberty Metcalf's 250th birthday, increased focus on growing their volunteer base, increased education opportunities including adult classes and collaboration with Cumberland School Department, and their first year of greenhouse operations.

 

Julie concluded by stating that as we look toward 2026, our vision remains clear to preserve this remarkable landscape and legacy for future generations while inviting more people to connect with the farm's history, land, and mission. Whether through restoration projects, education, gardening, or volunteer service, there's a place here for everyone.

 

They attempted to show a video presentation but encountered audio difficulties.

 

Councilor Shaw suggested putting a link to their video on the front of the town website so people could enjoy it.

 

Councilor Beaulieu asked which food pantries benefit from the donations.

 

Mrs. Guerin responded that the Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry was their biggest partner, along with the Department of Children and Families in Woonsocket and the Pawtucket Soup Kitchen. She explained that the food pantries actually come to the farm on assigned nights to receive donations, creating a great partnership where they get to meet the pantries and the pantries see where the produce comes from.

 

When asked if their volunteer base was growing, Julie confirmed it was, with 15-30 volunteers on any given tending night (Mondays and Thursdays from May through September). She noted they have many people who come just once a season, and they're encouraging more frequent participation while maintaining strong repeat volunteers.

 

President Kinch congratulated them on a nice article about her son and jokingly recommended having a chiropractor available every 4 hours for "the old guys" after spending 4 hours setting up with her son.

 

Recognition of the First LEGO League Rhode Island State Championship Team from North Cumberland Middle School

C.    Recognition of the First LEGO League Rhode Island State Championship Team from North Cumberland Middle School

 A coach introduced the team, explaining that "I did not coach these kids. They coach themselves." He provided background on the First LEGO League program, explaining it exists for kids from kindergarten through high school at different levels. The FLL Challenge level is for middle school students, and this year's theme was "unearthed archaeology."  He described how teams must put on both archaeologist and robotics engineer hats to solve problems. This year, the kids created a really cool website for detecting fake news and fake archaeology using AI to verify archaeological claims. 

 

The team members - Ansh, Shriman, and Ray Ansh - introduced themselves as the team Brandy Bunch.

 

Ray Ansh explained that FLL is a competition where students apply teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills to design and program a robot to complete missions on a map, and to develop an innovation project to solve a real-world problem dedicated to the theme of that season. FLL is more than just robotics. It's a way for students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and solve real world problems.  Shriman described their two-fold challenge: First, they had to create an innovative solution to a problem based on archaeology. Then they had to design, build, and program a robot to do archaeology themed missions on a competition field, and we were scored for accuracy and performance.  He detailed their innovation project, they built a pseudoarcheology detector, which is a detector that detects if something is false or misinformation and gives the real answer to the problem.

 

Ansh explained their website detects user submitted claims and helps them respond and detects with archaeology. We use a back-end AI, GPT 4 mini, and a backup keyword detector to analyze user submitted claims and give a clear explanation as to whether the claim is supported by credible archaeological research. Also, we use red flags to help readers look for sensational language, such as hidden or mystery. And we promote critical thinking and support for real evidence.  He pointed out that in their research they contacted many archaeologists and professors like Emma Richardson, Christine Bobbie from URI, and Catherine Labadia from Connecticut University. After incorporating their feedback, they competed in a junior shark tank competition, and we won first place. And Christine Bobby told us that she shared our website with her archaeology students.  He continued to explain that with their innovation project, they also built a competition robot, BrainyBot, which accomplishes 14 different missions in just 7 runs, along with our custom-built attachments such as elephant, ram, rhino, axolotl, snake, scorpion, and anaconda. They name these attachments based on their appearance and their actions. He concluded by reflecting on their learning stating that throughout this journey, they’ve learned a lot and discovered things like how to think critically, collaborate effectively, and how to solve real world problems. Our collaboration with experts, archaeologists, has also shown how they’ve used their resources and they’ve really helped guide us through the season. And that has allowed them to win first place in the RI state championship and get ready for worlds.

 

The coach noted that a university professor was using their project as teaching material for incoming freshman undergraduates and jokingly mentioned they needed to add more money to their GPT tokens since the system stopped working before competition due to license renewal needs.

 

President Kinch asked for a demonstration, and the team showed their website with QR codes for the audience to access. They demonstrated how users could input claims like "Napoleon rode a dinosaur to battle" and receive verification responses.

 

Councilor Shaw asked how long it took to create and program the robot.

 

Shriman responded that building took around 1 session, which is around 2 to 3 hours, while programming took mostly the whole season as in, a few months.

 

The coach explained this wasn't like simple line-following robots but involved complex mission planning on an 8x4 table with different stations requiring token collection, lever pressing, and strategic optimization within 2 minutes and 30 seconds. He compared it to mission planning work done by companies and government agencies.

 

When asked about funding, the coach explained it was a community team where families paid for themselves. The Lego education kit costs about $600, plus a $200 season-specific kit, transportation costs, registration fees, and team merchandise.

 

Councilor Beaulieu noted he had been a First LEGO League coach 16 years ago and that those kids were now engineers, artists, and programmers.  He asked each team member about their favorite part.

 

Ray Ansh said his favorite was either building the robot itself or watching it complete a mission successfully.

Ansh noted he enjoyed contacting the experts and getting their feedback as to what we can help in the archaeological world, because that really gives us an idea as to what problems there are and how we can help solve that.

 

Shriman's favorite part was doing the trial and error to get the successful missions.

 

Councilor Beaulieu asked about sensors on the robot.

 

Ansh explained they used gyro sensors, which helps the robot move in a consistent straight line without there being, like, any minor turns that can offset the entire robot runs. They don't really use color sensors or any light sensors as of this year. There are very few lines, helpful lines on the map that could help the robot guide its way to mission models.

 

Ray Ansh added that they do have color sensors on the robot, but we have not programmed them, and they do not work.

 

When asked about AI tokens, Shriman explained that for every person that types in, like, a claim, we need tokens so that, like, the AI can, like, analyze the claim to give a clear response.

 

Ansh clarified they couldn't buy tokens individually.  They're in packs, and I believe 1,000,000 tokens is 5 to 7 dollars.

 

Councilor Metivier congratulated them and asked if they could help get the Franklin Farm video on the website, which drew laughter.

 

Mayor Mutter presented citations on behalf of the town, recognizing Ray Ansh Mamadusati, Ansh Najar, and Sriman Penangalapati for contributing to the team's first state championship in the competition's history in Cumberland. The team posed for photos with their trophy and citations. The coach mentioned that Worlds would be held in Houston, Texas.

 

LICENSES

HAWKER LICENSE

1.    An application for a Hawker’s License from Phantom Fireworks Eastern Region LLC with operating dates from June 25, 2026, through July 4, 2026, located at 1170 Mendon Road. 

 

President Kinch noted that everything was in order and no one from Phantom Fireworks was present. He acknowledged this was done yearly.

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SHAW, AND IT WAS VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 6/1.

Nay vote:  Councilor Shaw

 

2026-2027 LICENSE RENEWALS

Mayor Mutter presented the 2026-2027 license renewals for entertainment licenses, noting that all renewals were subject to necessary documents, approvals, and payment of outstanding taxes. 

 

ENTERTAINMENT LICENSE:

Amaya Primos Inc, d/b/a/ LaFamilia Restaurant, 1666 Diamond Hill Rd (22-43)

American Legion, d/b/a Cumberland Post #14- 695 Broad Street (22-245)

Angelos’s Pizza Inc., d/b/a Angelo’s Palace Pizza & Venue 131– 133 Mendon Road (22-40)

Blackstone Herbs and coffee shop, d/b/a Apothica Inc, 3 dexter Street (24-12)

Blackstone River Theatre d/b/a Blackstone River – 549 Broad Street (22-60)

Carlton Catering & Services LLC d/b/a MCT’S Tavern- 940 Mendon Rd (25-95)  

Club Juventude Lusitana, Inc.- 10 Chase Street (22-225)

Davenport’s Family Restaurant Inc. d/b/a Davenport’s Family Restaurant-1070 Mendon Road (22-35)

El Rodeo Family Mexican Restaurant LLC d/b/a El Rodeo- 405 Mendon Rd (25-27)

Fatima Holy Name Society, d/b/a Fatima Holy Name Society – 1 Fatima Drive (22-244)

Filibuster Club-23 High Street (22-99)

Friendly Greene LLC d/b/a The Tap-1225 Mendon Rd (24-23)

Friendly Sons of St. Patrick – 127 Broad St (22-242)

Franks Incorporated d/b/a Bandidos Mexican Restaurant – 88 Broad Street (22-79)

J.K. and Son LLC, d/b/a The End Zone Sports Pub – 958 Mendon Road (22-49)

Jose Almeida d/b/a Valley Park Pub- 17 Mill St (24-5)

Kidozland – 1726 Mendon Rd (23-106)

Ocean State Brewing Co. d/b/a/ Phantom Farms Brewing- 30 Martin St (24-25)

Phantom Farms II, LLC d/b/a Phantom Farms – 2922 Diamond Hill Road (24-13)

Ravenous Brewing Co, 10 Industrial Drive (25-37)

Seven Cray Street Realty, Corp d/b/a Seven Cray Street – 7 Cray Street (22-17)

Sonamex Corporation d/b/a Juncal Mexican Grill & Bar- 2352 Mendon Rd (25-3)

SPG Group d/b/a Koury’s Tavern, 80 Manville Rd (24-11)

The Lodge at Diamond Hill d/b/a Cumberland Parks and Recreation (25-50)

Valley Falls Entertainment LLC, dba Mickeys valley view pub – 46 Carpenter Street (24-148)

      

MOTION BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SWEET, AND IT IS UNANOMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

  

FIREARMS:  

             J. & A. Sales – 400 West Wrentham Road (22-16)

Rui Felix d/b/a Tactical Concepts- 15 Amanda Drive (22-100)

Bradley Victor Beaudoin d/b/a 401 Armory -35 Vivian Ave (23-40)

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR BEAULIEU, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, AND IT IS UNANOMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

 

HAWKER LICENSE:    

John Delpivo d/b/a Pivo’s Landscaping – 2077 Diamond Hill Rd (22-73)

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR SHAW, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, AND IT IS UNANOMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

       

JUNK AND SECONDHAND GOODS DEALER

Achase Recycling LLC -79 Garden St (22-34)

Auto Parts Group Southwest LLC d/b/a Pick-N-Pull – 70 Macondray Street (22-36)

Centennial Leasing & Operating LLC d/b/a Anthony Desmarais-187 Dexter St (22-114)

LKQ Northeast Inc. d/b/a LKQ Advanced Auto Recycling– 290 Curran Road (22-92)

Moulton Enterprises Inc. d/b/a Dead Jeep-120 Ralco Way (22-31)

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR SWEET, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, AND IT IS UNANOMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

           

KENNEL LICENSE:                                                                                                          

Happy Pets At Home, 75 Wrentham Road (24-180)

Michael & Barbara Boday – 333 Nate Whipple Highway (22-23)                                     

Lisa & Ed Ritchie, Pinebrook Farms, 21 Deerbrook way (22-150)

Les Bebes Frenchies LLC, 195 Wrentham Road (25-52)

Wheaten Way LLC, 9 Deerbrook Way (24-144)

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SHAW, AND IT IS UNANOMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

 

PRIVATE DETECTIVE:         

Adam Axelband (PD-18)

Bethany Arnold (PD-16)

Brandon Lowe (PD-9

Brian Landry (PD-5)

Christopher Fitzpatrick (PD-15)

Dean K. Volante (PD-8)

Dennis Malloy (PD-13)

Derrick Levasseur (PD-10)

Henry Joseph Williamson (PD-6)

Kevin Porter (PD-25)

Michael Mastrangelo (PD-11)

Michael V. Orchard (PD-12)

Zara Ghadeer (PD-32)

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR SWEET, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SHAW, AND IT IS UNANOMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

 

OLD BUSINESS

A.    ORDINANCES

1.  #26-02 – An ordinance amending the fee schedule for the Lodge at Diamond Hill Park (Presented by Council President and Councilor Beaulieu)

 

Councilor Beaulieu reported that the sub-committee met last evening to discuss this ordinance. And after some discussion, they've determined we will keep it in committee. Part of the rationale for that is they think the lodge has been open for a certain amount of time, but not substantial enough to collect data to potentially revise some aspects of the ordinance. So, it will remain in committee until there's more information available.

 

NEW BUSINESS

A.    APPOINTMENTS

      PENSION BOARD & OPEB

      (3 Member Board appointed by the Town Council -3-year terms)  

 

Patrick Hogan, replacing Irene Schmitt term to expire January 31, 2029

 

Town Solicitor Salvatore noted they had no application yet and suggested waiting two weeks for more information, noting there would still be a quorum for quarterly meetings.

 

The council agreed to wait for additional information without requiring a formal vote.

 

PLANNING BOARD

       (9 Member Board; 3-Year terms with 4 At-Large members appointed by the Town Council, and

       5 Mayoral appointments one for each district)

 

Gregory E. Kwiatkowski, District 3 Member term to expire January 31, 2028

(completing Harry MacDonald’s term)

 

Council President thanked Mr. MacDonald for his years of service.

Gregory Kochowski of 24 Waterman Farm Road introduced himself.  He noted that he is a 30-year town resident, 40-year banking career, now retired. He has performed 40 years’ worth of financial analysis and risk assessment including a lot of commercial real estate deals in developments. Now that he is retired, he has time to he’d like to take on the challenge.

 

President Kinch noted that his expertise would be helpful to the board. He pointed out that ass this is a mayoral appointment, no vote was necessary.

 

B.     RESOLUTIONS

1.  R-26-09 – A resolution authorizing and empowering Mayor Jeffrey J. Mutter to enter into an agreement with Zoll Medical Corporation to purchase eleven (11) Zoll AED 3 BLS packages in an amount not to exceed thirty-nine thousand and twelve dollars and sixty cents ($39,012.60).

 

EMS Chief Scott Desssert presented both resolution R-26-09 and R-26-13 together since they’re related AED purchases. He explained that these resolutions are requesting approval to purchase 11 Zoll AED 3 BLS automated external defibrillators and 4 next generation Zoll Xenix cardiac monitor defibrillators using opioid settlement funds, which would result in no impact on the town's general fund. He stated that as most are aware, opioid overdoses lead to severe respiratory depression, which can lead to cardiac arrest if untreated.  Their plan is to replace the units currently assigned to each fire apparatus and chief's vehicles. These modern AEDs provide real time CPR feedback, rapid shock delivery, pediatric capability without pad changes, and cloud connectivity that ensures proper documentation and quality assurance. The purchase will also allow them to redeploy existing AEDs that remain serviceable into public access locations throughout the community and establish a townwide AED loaner program for community organizations and events.

When asked about lifespan, Chief Dessert noted their oldest units were from 2012, so about 15 years of service life. For trade-in value, he believed they were getting $7,500 per monitor but would need to double-check the quote.

MOTION BY COUNCILOR BEAULIEU, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, AND IT IS UNANOMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

 

2.  R-26-10 – A resolution authorizing and empowering Mayor Jeffrey J. Mutter to transfer the tax title for 4 Leddy Road to Family First LLC

 

Tax Assessor Al Wylie presented the resolution, explaining the petitioner has come to them requesting that we assign the tax title to them. The town is holding a lien on the property from unpaid taxes from, I believe, in this case, the tax sale from 1994.  He provided a map showing it was a small 2,500 square foot lot that abuts two lots owned by the petitioner on the corner of Scott Road and Leddy Road. He noted that it is his understanding that he wants the ability to create a site plan for all 3 lots and a septic system there would be much easier with his working with his engineer if he had this lot. So, he's asking that the council approve the assignment of the tax title, and he can move forward with foreclosing on the lien and take a title to the property.

 

President Kinch asked if a structure could be built on the lot alone.

Town Solicitor Salvatore explained that while lot area variances were no longer required under new state law, and proportionate reductions in setbacks would apply, at 2,500 square feet she doesn't know how you get something on there that's reasonable.  However, combined with the owner's other two lots of about 10,000 square feet, it would provide about 13,000 square feet total.

 

Mr. Wylie emphasized that the town is only holding the tax lien on it. We don't own it in fee simple. It's essentially been abandoned and whoever pays the lien will still need to go to superior court for foreclosure. He added that this whole strip of area has been ignored and abandoned, and he thinks it will be good to have somebody do something productive with it.  The redemption amount shown in the packet was approximately $9,500.

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR BEAULIEU, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SHAW, AND IT IS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

 

3.  R-26-11 – A resolution authorizing Mayor Jeffrey J. Mutter to enter into an agreement with Mega Disposal, LLC for refuse and recycling collection services for the Town of Cumberland

 

Public Works Director Romeo Mendes explained the present agreement for refuse recycling and yard waste collection services is going to expire at the end of June. In anticipation of that occurring, they initially took the approach of reviewing the agreement and just happened to catch a caveat within that said, assuming both parties are agreeable, an extension could be negotiated.  After consulting with the town solicitor, they asked Mega Disposal for proposals for current services and for keeping refuse the same while going to recycling collection every other week. He and the mayor recommended favorable consideration of entering another 5-year extension with biweekly recycling collection, similar to other communities' successful experiences.

 

President Kinch stated he wanted to refer this to the finance subcommittee since they received some materials late and needed time to properly vet the proposal.

 

Councilor Sweet asked about the recycling cart language, noting it mentioned households would have 95 gallons of recycling capacity over two weeks versus current 130-gallon cart capacity.

 

Mega representative clarified that most of the town currently has 65-gallon recycling carts, so the 130 gallons refers to capacity over two weeks, and they would receive larger 95-gallon carts for biweekly collection.

 

Councilor Sweet also asked about the policy requiring recycling bins to be out for trash collection.

 

Public Works Director Mendes wasn't certain but would research it.

 

The Mega representative believed the policy was that you must participate in recycling to participate in refuse collection, stemming from Rhode Island Resource Recovery requirements.

 

President Kinch addressed recent service delays, asking Mega to explain the issues.

 

The representative apologized, explaining that quarter 4 of last year was not their finest moment. They have had a handful of things that kind of turned into a perfect storm.  The main issue was losing their second-shift maintenance team to better-paying day jobs, creating service problems.  He outlined their solutions to adjust pay structure with bonuses after the first year, purchasing seven new residential trucks costing about half a million dollars each (with two already arrived and five more coming), and securing two additional rear-load trucks useful for yard waste season.

 

Councilor Beaulieu asked about the complaint process.

 

The representative explained the town's public works department was quick to relay messages with appropriate details, and residents could also call Mega directly at their call center staffed 8 am to 5 pm with typically 5-second wait times.

 

Councilor Sweet asked about trash barrels ending up in roads.

 

The representative said he would remind crews about proper placement and could pull truck video to investigate specific problem areas if locations were reported.

 

The item was referred to the finance subcommittee for further review.

 

4.  R-26-12 – A resolution requesting the general assembly to enact legislation exempting from taxation the real property and the tangible personal property of mount St. Rita Health Centre (Presented by Councilor Sweet)

 

Councilor Sweet explained this resolution was requested by state representatives who wanted the town's support before helping Mount Saint Rita seek tax exemption. She described how when the property transferred from the Sisters of Mercy around 2015, something went wrong. It wasn't recorded quite the right way.  The facility hadn't been paying taxes under the Sisters of Mercy, but this didn't transfer properly when ownership changed hands.  She noted Mount Saint Rita had been providing services for older, financially challenged community members, still had three sisters on the board maintaining ties to Sisters of Mercy, cared for 88 people, was working on a memory care unit, and regularly operated at a loss.

 

Patricia Viera, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at 47 Berm Drive, presented extensive testimony. She introduced the all-volunteer board consisting of three Sisters of Mercy, a Dominican friar from Providence College, a nursing professor from Rhode Island College, a physician, and local business experts who meet bimonthly for oversight.

She detailed the Sisters of Mercy's long Rhode Island history through Bayview Academy, Mercy Mount, County Day School, Salve Regina University, Bishop Feehan, Saint Xavier's Academy, parish schools, and social services at Macaulay House. She noted the town's awareness of the wisdom and generosity of the sisters who sold the Mercy Woods property to the town in 2018 at far below market value preserving pristine acreage with watershed and habitat benefits.

She explained Mount Saint Rita's history noting that originally the novitiate house for Sisters of Mercy, transitioning in 1969 to skilled facility for aging sisters, opening to the public 20 years later, now with 98 beds for long-term skilled nursing care and short-term rehab.  Ms. Viera detailed the sponsorship structure as a ministerial juridic person with special obligations to the Catholic Diocese of Providence, listed in the official Catholic directory since 2015. In 2015, the Sisters of Mercy transferred sponsorship to Covenant Health, a Catholic nonprofit health system with New England experience in skilled nursing and long-term care.

 

She described the careful selection process where they sought a new sponsor who was financially stable, experienced in delivering high-quality long-term care that respected the Catholic heritage and charism of the Sisters of Mercy and was committed to local board governance.

 

Regarding the tax issue, she explained that recognizing its standing as a Catholic nonprofit organization under the Sisters of Mercy, the Town of Cumberland had always exempted Mount Saint Rita from tangible personal property and real estate taxes. And when Covenant Health assumed the sponsorship with that same nonprofit Catholic, juridical person standing that the sisters had, we did not expect that the tax-exempt status would change.  However, they began receiving personal property tax bills. Various attempts to resolve the issue with town officials received unclear or unanswered responses. COVID-19 and administrative changes delayed resolution efforts. To date, they have paid $225,670 in personal property taxes.  She explained that recently, the tax assessor's office noted a filing error when sponsorship changed, and with property no longer owned by the tax-exempt Sisters of Mercy, real estate taxes were now also to be collected starting November 2025.

 

Their local representatives, Alex Maslowkowski and Senator Brian Thompson, were supportive and ready to submit required legislation under General Law Title 44 Chapter 44-3, which lists over 60 other nonprofit organizations with similar permanent tax exemptions. However, they requested a town council resolution supporting the request.  Ms. Viera acknowledged the impact on other taxpayers but argued this was unique tax relief deserving approval. The approximately $38,000 personal property tax wouldn't create hardship spread among Cumberland taxpayers but was consequential for Mount Saint Rita's negative budget margins. Real estate tax exemption would have no negative impact since they hadn't been paying it due to the filing error.  She stated as fact, not threat, that without exemption, Mount Saint Rita would cease to exist because there's simply no way that we could continue to operate if we would have been liable for a property tax of tens of thousands of dollars.  She reported that 56% of long-term residents and 53% of recent short-term rehab patients were from the greater Cumberland, Lincoln, Woonsocket, Pawtucket area. They were developing a certified dementia/memory care unit expected to open in 12-18 months.  She highlighted their Catholic identity with the Sisters of Mercy charism of mercy, hospitality, and care for the poor, supported by Covenant Health. They maintained a full-time spiritual director, daily mass, sacraments, rosary, and feast day celebrations, plus staff support through a food pantry and emergency fund.  She noted that since the pandemic, nine Rhode Island nursing homes had closed, most others operate with negative margins and cannot absorb any new expense that has no direct benefit to patients such as a real estate tax that we haven't been paying and the property taxes that we have been paying since 2017.

 

Councilor Sweet provided additional context about nursing home closures, citing Federal Reserve Bank of Boston data showing New England closures outpacing other Medicaid regions despite larger older populations. She noted about 600 at-risk institutions nationally, with the median Rhode Island nursing home operating at a loss.  She explained that approving this just gives the legislature the opportunity to put it forward because they ask that we weigh in first. It doesn't necessarily guarantee anything, but it's another step in the right direction.  She also considered EMS cost implications if the facility closed, noting impacts on emergency care, transport, and ambulance availability.

 

President Kinch asked about the $225,670 payment since 2017, confirming the legislation would eliminate both personal property and real estate taxes going forward.  He asked about Covenant Health's tax status in other states.

 

Ms. Viera explained that in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, 501(c)(3) organizations are automatically tax-exempt, but Rhode Island has this unusual glitch in it where to be tax exempt, you have to have legislative approval at the state level.

 

Mayor Mutter confirmed that other local nursing homes (Grand View and Autumn Villa) were for-profit and therefore not seeking similar exemptions.

Councilor Shaw, drawing on his CNA experience and personal connections to the facility, praised their care quality and called the facility "a hidden gem tucked away up on a hill." He expressed regret about how the situation played out over the years and honor in helping correct it going forward.  He asked about the permanence of the exemption.

 

Town Solicitor Salvatore clarified that the legislation would exempt the real and personal property of Mount Saint Rita Health Care Center specifically, so name changes due to ownership changes would end the exemption.

 

Tax Assessor Wylie suggested working together on legislation language to clarify continuation as long as operated by a nonprofit or public entity, avoiding future ambiguity about conveyances to for-profit companies.

 

Councilor Shaw emphasized not wanting to set a precedent where for-profit companies could acquire properties with tax exemptions, saying he doesn’t want someone coming in and looking like they could just take this business, and they don't have to pay taxes.

Town Solicitor Salvatore agreed to contact their attorney Jeff Brenner to review the legislation and ensure the council's intent was included.

 

Councilor Bradley asked if any money was currently owed in tangibles - Wylie believed they were current. Bradley also asked about EMS billing from the facility. Wylie noted the chief had mentioned they don't currently charge for calls there, similar to other nonprofits, though further EMS billing questions would need the chief's input.

 

Councilor Sweet noted the resolution already clearly identified Mount Saint Rita as a Rhode Island nonprofit corporation established on January first, 1991, providing some protection against future for-profit ownership claims.

 

Mayor Mutter clarified for the record, referencing Tax Assessor Wylie’s memo dated March 4, 2026, that once the error was discovered, the town had no choice but to pursue the issue since they lacked authority to grant tax exemptions - that required state legislation. He emphasized the town appreciated Mount Saint Rita and their partnership with the Sisters of Mercy, stating this is here because it has to be. It is not here because anyone wanted it to be.

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR SWEET, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR BEAULIEU, AND IT IS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

 

5.  R-26-13 – A resolution authorizing and empowering Mayor Jeffrey J. Mutter to purchase four (4) Zoll Zenix cardiac monitors/defibrillators and accessories in an amount not to exceed two hundred sixty-six thousand three hundred and fifteen dollars and seventy-five cents  ($266,315.75).

 

This resolution was presented and discussed together with R-26-09 earlier in the meeting.

 

Chief Dessert explained that cardiac monitors are the most frequently used piece of equipment that we use on patients in our ambulances. It's critical for nearly every patient to encounter, including the management of opioid overdoses where continuous monitoring of the patient's vital signs and overall physiological status is essential.  He noted that in these situations, the cardiac monitor allows providers to closely track patient status while administering treatments such as naloxone and provides capability to deliver lifesaving defibrillation if cardiac arrest occurs.  The purchase included trading in 4 existing cardiac monitors to help offset costs while replacing equipment approaching end of service life.

 

MOTION BY COUNCILOR SWEET, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SHAW, AND IT IS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO APPROVE. VOTE 7/0.

 

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Mayor Mutter opened the second public comment section, asking if anyone in the chamber or virtually would like to address the council. Seeing none, he moved to adjournment.

 

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION BY COUNCILOR SHAW, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MAGILL, AND IT IS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ADJOURN AT 9:15 P.M. VOTE 7/0.