POSTED FEBURARY 26, 2025
REGULAR MEETING MARCH 3, 2025
TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND
The following items of business, having been filed with the Town Clerk under the Rules of the Council, will come before the Council at a regular meeting to be held on Monday, March 3, 2025, 5:00 P.M. Joint Meeting with the School Committee, Executive Session and 6:30 P.M. Regular Meeting at the Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road, Middletown, Rhode Island. Said meeting will be conducted in person, by telephone conference call/ webinar, members of the public may access and listen to the meeting in real-time by calling 1-877-853-5257 (Toll Free) or 1-888-475-4499 (Toll Free) and entering Meeting ID: 893 7194 4573 or on the web at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89371944573
If you choose to join the meeting by zoom or telephone, Council Rules allow for the Public to speak only during the Public Forum and Public Hearings. If calling in by telephone, pressing *9 raises your hand and pressing *6 will unmute.
The items listed on the Consent portion of the agenda are to be considered routine by the Town Council and will ordinarily be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Council, or a member of the public so requests and the Town Council President permits, in which event the item will be removed from Consent Agenda consideration and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda. All items on this agenda, with the exception of the Public Forum Session, may be considered, discussed, and voted upon in executive session and/or open session.
Pursuant to RIGL §42-46-6(b). Notice – “Nothing contained herein shall prevent a public body, other than a school committee, from adding additional items to the agenda by majority vote of the members. Such additional items shall be for informational purposes only and may not be voted on except where necessary to address an unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action to protect the public or to refer the matter to an appropriate committee or to another body or official.”
Any person not a member of the Council, desiring to address the Council concerning a matter on the docket of the Council, not the subject of a Public Hearing, shall submit a written request to the Town Clerk stating the matter upon which he desires to speak. Persons are permitted to address the Council for a period not to exceed five (5) minutes.
The Middletown Town Council follows the codification of present-day general parliamentary law as articulated in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised 10th edition (2000), together with whatever rules of order the Council has adopted for its own governance. The motion to reconsider is one of the motions that can bring a question again before an assembly, and is designed to bring back for further consideration a motion which has already been voted on:
If, in the same session that a motion has been voted on, but no later than the same day or the next day on which a business meeting is held, new information or a changed situation makes it appear that a different result might reflect the true will of the assembly, a member who voted with the prevailing side can, by moving to Reconsider [RONR (10th ed.), p. 304-321] the vote,
propose that the question shall come before the assembly again as if it had not previously been considered. (From Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief, Robert, Evans et al., De Capo Press, 2004)
1. Executive Session - Pursuant to provisions of RIGL, Sections 42-46-2, 42-46-4 and 42-46-5 (a), (2) Potential Litigation, (2) Collective Bargaining (NEARI/Library) and (1) Personnel (Deputy Police Chief) - review, discussion and/or potential action and/or vote in executive session and/or open session.
2. Memorandum of Town Administrator, re: Recommendation to Retain Pannone, Lopes, Devereaux & O’Gara, LLC. for Project Labor Agreement Feasibility Study.
3. Resolution of the Council, re: Award of agreement to Pannone, Lopes, Devereaux & O’Gara, LLC and authorize the Town Administrator to execute the agreement.
4. At the request of Councilor Connerton, Resolution of the Council, re: Proclaiming March 3, 2025 as Evan Smith Day in the Town.
5. Memorandum of Town Planner, re: Presentation – Paige Myatt, Director of Climate Resilience, Aquidneck Island Land Trust - Update of Growing Regional Resilience Coordination on Aquidneck Island.
6. Memorandum of Town Planner, re: Presentation of Atlantic Beach District Streetscapes Project 30% Design Plans.
7. The Town Administrator will provide an update on:
a. Town Projects
b. School Building Project
c. Library Building Project
8. Pursuant to Rule 25 of the Rules of the Council, Citizens may address the town on one (1) subject only, said subject of substantive Town business, neither discussed during the regular meeting nor related to personnel or job performance. Citizens may speak for no longer than five (5) minutes and must submit a public participation form to the Council Clerk prior to the start of the meeting. All items discussed during this session will not be voted upon.
9. Applications Six (6) received from the Norman Bird Sanctuary, 583 Third Beach Road, for Class F- Alcoholic Beverage License (Beer and Wine) and Class F-1 Alcoholic Beverage Licenses (Full Liquor) - (19-hour license) for the same premises for the following events and dates listed below: (Applicant requests fees be waived)
§ Birds & Breakfast -Saturday, May 17, 2025, 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
(Class F1- Full Liquor)
§ Donor Appreciation Evening – Wednesday, June 4, 2025, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. (Class F-1- Full Liquor)
§ Beach Bash – Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
(Class F1- Full Liquor)
§ Donor Appreciation Evening – Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. (Class F1- Full Liquor)
§ Harvest Fair – Saturday, October 4, 2025, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. (Class F- Beer and Wine)
§ Harvest Fair – Sunday, October 5, 2025, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. (Class F- Beer and Wine)
§ Annual Meeting - Thursday, November 6, 2025, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. (Class F- Beer and Wine)
10. Approval of Minutes, re: Regular Meeting, February 18, 2025.
11. Email communication of Stephen B. Hutler, re: Resignation from the Zoning Board of Review.
12. Applications for Special Event Permits three (3) received from the Norman Bird Sanctuary, 583 Third Beach Road, for the same premises for the following events and dates listed below: (Applicant requests permit fees to be waived)
§ Birds & Breakfast -Saturday, May 17, 2025, 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
§ Beach Bash – Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
§ Harvest Fair – Saturday, October 4, 2025 and Sunday, October 5, 2025, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
13. Communication of Detective John Sullivan, Newport Police Department, Chairman, AINPP, re: Request for waiver of all detail fees for the Aquidneck Island Police Parade.
14. Application for Special Event Permit from the Aquidneck Island Police Parade for the Aquidneck Island Police Parade, beginning on West Main Road in front of Hampton Inn and Suites, 317 West Main Road to Washington Square, Newport to be held on Sunday, May 4, 2025, beginning at 9:00 am. (Parade Committee respectfully requests all fees to be waived)
15. Application for Special Event Permit from St. Columba’s Chapel, 55 Vaucluse Avenue for the St. Columba’s Annual Garden Party to be held on Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
16. Application for Special Event Permit from St. George’s School for Alumni Weekend, Lunch, Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm (King Hall Terrace Tent on campus) and Dinner, May 17, 2025 from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm (Tent on Cliff Field on campus).
17. Application for Special Event Permit from Justin Speegle/Amp Surf New England a 501(c) non-profit organization for a VA Summer Sports Camp, Surfing Clinic for Veterans with disabilities to be held at Sachuest Beach, Path 8 on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, and Wednesday, July 23, 2025 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. (Applicant requests fees to be waived)
18. Application for Special Event Permit from Justin Speegle/Amp Surf New England a 501(c) non-profit organization for an Adaptive Surf Clinic for people with disabilities to be held at Sachuest Beach, Path 8 on Friday, August 8, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 8:00 am to1:00 pm. (Applicant request fees to be waived)
19. Application for Special Event Permit from Audrain Concours Foundation, LLC., Newport, for Tour d ’Elegance to be held on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 5:30 am to 8:30 am, starting at Second Beach.
20. Memorandum of Town Planner, re: FFY2026-2035 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
21. Public Hearing (Advertised on Town Website)
FFY2026-2035 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
22. Resolution of the Council, re: Approval of prioritized list of projects for submission to the State Planning Council for inclusion in the FFY2026-2035 STIP.
23. Public Hearing (Advertised).
An Ordinance of the Town of Middletown (First Reading)
An Ordinance in Amendment to the Town Code Title XV Land Usage, Chapter 152, Entitled “Zoning Code”, §602 Schedule of District Regulations-Uses and Districts, Article 4 Definitions, §400 Definitions, § 703 Accessory Uses and Structures, § 728 Home Occupation and § 1308 Parking Restrictions. (Planning Board recommendation is on file)
24. An Ordinance of the Town of Middletown (Second Reading)
An Ordinance in amendment to the Town Code, Title III Administration, Chapter 34 Taxes, Section 34.70 Tax Classification System.
25. Memorandum of Finance Director, thru Town Administrator, re: Library Janitorial and Maintenance Services contract extension.
26. Resolution of the Council, re: Library Janitorial and Maintenance Services contract extension and authorizing the Finance Director to execute the contract extension agreement on behalf of the Town.
27. Email communication of Town Administrator, re: Middletown Affordable Housing Committee recommendation approving Pennrose proposal presented to the Affordable Housing Committee on February 19, 2025.
Wendy J.W. Marshall, MMC
Town Clerk
This meeting location is accessible to the handicapped. Individuals requiring interpreter services for the hearing-impaired should notify the Town Clerk’s Office at 847-0009 not less than 48 hours before this meeting.
Posted on February 26, 2025 at Middletown Town Hall, Middletown Public Library and Secretary of State Web Site.