MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CUMBERLAND TOWN COUNCIL

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13. 2026 at 6:30 P.M.

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

45 BROAD STREET, CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND

 

 

1.       CALL TO ORDER 

Council Pro Tem President Magill called the meeting to order at 6:30p.m. noting that all members were present with the exception of Council President Kinch, who was unable to attend in person but was participating remotely via Zoom.

 

2.       PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

 

3.       PUBLIC COMMENTS

Cheryl Parks, 37 East Earle Street, is a lifelong resident of Cumberland whose family home had been passed down through multiple generations — originally belonging to her great-grandparents and grandparents — addressed the council regarding what she described as a serious and growing rat infestation in her neighborhood. She noted that the home and surrounding area had never previously experienced a rat problem, even during years when Bradley's Farm had been located directly behind the property on Liberty Street. She expressed disbelief and frustration that the issue had emerged now.

 

Ms. Parks described the infestation in visceral terms, explaining that rats had begun nesting within the walls of her home — specifically in the wall that provides structural access to her cellar. She recounted that she and her husband had returned from New Hampshire to discover the problem, and that because it was a Sunday, their first course of action was to contact Blue Ribbon Pest Solutions (referred to colloquially as the "Big Blue Bug"), who had since placed three traps on the property. Despite this professional intervention, including the application of poison, she stated that not a single rat had been caught and that the infestation remained unresolved.

 

She noted that she had also attempted to report the problem through the town's official website, using the "Report a Problem" portal. A town employee had responded, suggesting that residents refrain from putting out bird feeders as a potential attractant. Ms. Parks pushed back firmly on this suggestion, clarifying that she and her husband had not been home and had not had any bird feeders active. She emphasized that her yard is entirely flower beds and contains no trash or food waste that might attract rodents.

 

Ms. Parks made clear that the situation was a public health concern for her personally — stating she was afraid to enter her own yard — and that the financial burden was significant. She appealed directly to the council, asking what the town was doing to address the rat problem and whether there was a solution available to residents dealing with this issue. She concluded her remarks by thanking the council for listening.

 

Sharon Coyle, identified herself as Ms. Parks' next-door neighbor, with her house directly adjacent. She opened her remarks by referencing a deeply personal and long-standing grievance with the town: her daughter had suffered a stroke in Cumberland, one of twelve children in the East Earle Street area who had strokes between 2008 and 2010. She stated that no satisfactory explanation was ever given to the affected families, and that officials — including a representative from the state health department — had taken no meaningful action.

 

Ms. Coyle disclosed that she was recently retired and had been placed on disability, listing several serious health conditions including COPD, emphysema, asthma, and type 2 diabetes. She described herself as someone who had previously taken on town hall in Pawtucket and won, and made clear she was prepared to take the same approach in Cumberland.

 

She corroborated with Ms. Parks' account of the rat problem, confirming that she too had discovered rats in the walls of her home — having never encountered a rat in her yard before despite the presence of a toad, rabbits, and other wildlife. She expressed profound disbelief, stating: "Now they're walking across the street over there. I cannot live like this."

Ms. Coyle announced that she had already contacted Channel 10 and Channel 12 news and threatened to picket outside town hall if she did not receive a substantive response. She referenced her observation that three new houses had recently been constructed in the area — specifically on West Earl Street — and speculated that excavation work for those homes may have displaced rat populations and driven the infestation into the surrounding neighborhood. She spoke critically of the town's approach to development, saying: "They keep shoehorning houses everywhere in Cumberland. Hey, everybody, come to Cumberland, it's a great town."

 

She objected strongly to the advice she had received not to feed birds, saying she was a retired person who enjoyed watching birds in her yard and should not have to give that up. She also raised concerns about the use of rat poison, noting that if her dog were to encounter a poisoned rat, the consequences could be severe. On a fixed disability income, she stated categorically that she would not bear the financial cost of resolving a problem she attributed to the town's development activities and alleged negligence.

 

Ms. Coyle drew a direct connection between the current rat issue and what she characterized as the town's broader pattern of concealing public health problems — alluding to the unresolved stroke cluster of 2008–2010 — and called on the council to be transparent and proactive rather than dismissive. Her final appeal was passionate: "Fix the issues. Fix the issues that caused all the strokes. Fix the rat issue. And don't tell me somebody will call you back when they're gonna ignore me." She warned that if the council did not act, she would make the matter so publicly visible that property sales in the area would be affected.

 

Jeff Mutter, 12 Scotia Drive, following Ms. Coyle's remarks, addressed the allegations of a cover-up. While expressing sympathy for the issue, he stated that he had only become aware of the rat problem late that afternoon. He drew a clear distinction between emotional characterizations and substantiated claims, noting that any allegation of a cover-up required supporting evidence: "I think anybody who sits in our seats, when someone suggests a cover up, needs to do better than just suggest — they need to have some proof." He stated plainly and for the record that there was no cover-up of any kind.

 

 

4.       NEW BUSINESS

A.     ORDINANCES FOR PRESENTATION & PERMISSION TO ADVERTISE

1.       #26-11 – An ordinance amending the Operating Budget for the Town of Cumberland's General Fund for Fiscal Year 2025/2026

 

2.       #26-12 – An ordinance establishing the Operating Budget for the Town of Cumberland's General Fund for Fiscal Year 2026/2027

 

3.       #26-13 – An ordinance establishing the Operating Budget for the Town of Cumberland's Sewer Fund for Fiscal Year 2026/2027

 

4.       #26-14 – An ordinance establishing the Operating Budget for the Town of Cumberland's Water Fund for Fiscal Year 2026/2027

 

5.       #26-15 – An ordinance establishing the Operating Budget for the Town of Cumberland's Recreation Fund for Fiscal Year 2026/2027

 

 

The below budget hearing dates were read into the record:

 

FINANCE SUB-COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARING:

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 6:30p.m.

Cumberland Town Hall, Everett “Moe” Bonner Jr. Town Council Chambers

45 Broad Street

 

FIRST PUBLIC HEARING:

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Joseph L. McCourt Middle School

45 Highland Avenue

 

SECOND PUBLIC HEARING & VOTE:

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

Cumberland Town Hall, Everett “Moe” Bonner Jr. Town Council Chambers

45 Broad Street

 

FINAL VOTE:

Monday, June 8, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Cumberland Town Hall, Everett “Moe” Bonner Jr. Town Council Chambers

45 Broad Street

 

5.       PUBLIC COMMENTS

None

 

6.       ADJOURNMENT

MOTION BY COUNCILORS SHAW AND SWEET, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR BEAULIEU, TO ADJOURN AT 6:42 P.M.  VOTE 6/0.