THIS MEETING CAN BE HEARD IN ITS ENTIRETY ON THE TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN WEBSITE WWW.MIDDLETOWNRI.GOV, OR THE DVD IS AVAILABLE AT THE MIDDLETOWN LIBRARY AND MINUTES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON CLERKBASE THROUGH THE TOWN WEBSITE OR BY USING THE FOLLOWING LINK https://clerkshq.com/Middletown-ri
At a Special Meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Middletown, RI at the Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road, Middletown, RI on Monday, August 24, 2026 at 5:01 P.M.
Council President Paul M. Rodrigues, Presiding
Vice President Thomas P. Welch, III
Councilor Peter D. Connerton, Sr.
Councilor Charles R. Roberts
Councilor Dennis B. Turano
Councilor Barbara A. VonVillas, Members Present
Absent:
Councilor Christopher M. Logan
POSTED AND AMENDED – AUGUST 19, 2026 – To correct numbering
POSTED – August 19, 2026
SPECIAL MEETING – August 24, 2026
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 special meeting to be held on Monday, August 24, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. at the Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road, Middletown, Rhode Island. Said meeting will be conducted in person. Virtual access will also be provided by telephone conference call/ webinar and 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: 869 7966 6972 or on the web at; https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86979666972; however, virtual access is being provided only as a convenience and is not an official "location" where access to the meeting is guaranteed. Being physically present at the meeting is the only way to guarantee complete access to the meeting, as the meeting will not be paused or rescheduled if the virtual access fails.
Wendy J.W. Marshall, MMC
Town Clerk
Town of Middletown
Town Hall – 350 East Main Road
Middletown, Rhode Island 02842
Dear Ms. Marshall:
Pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 203 of the Town Charter and in accordance with Sections 42-46-2., 42-46-4., 42-46-5., and 42-46-6., RIGL, I hereby call a Special Meeting of the Town Council to formally consider, discuss and act upon the following items of business. All items on this agenda, may be considered, discussed and voted upon.
1. Executive Session - Pursuant to provisions of RIGL, Sections 42-46-2, 42-46-4 and 42-46-5 (a), (2) Collective Bargaining (NEAM – Teacher’s Union) - review, discussion and/or potential action and/or vote in executive session and/or open session.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to recess open session and reconvene in executive session at 5:02 p.m.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to recess executive session and reconvene in open session at 5:17 p.m.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to ratify -the NEAM – Teachers Union Contract – September 1, 2026 – August 30, 2029.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to seal the executive session minutes pursuant to Section 42-46-7. RIGL
Council President Rodrigues noted that it is exciting to have a three-year contract with the teachers and thanked the Teachers Union.
School Committee Chair Gregory Huet thanked the teachers for all they do every day and noted that the contract is good for the Town and Schools.
Councilor VonVillas noted that she is extremely proud of the way the School District is going.
2. Communication of Jay Edwards, Project Manager, Downes Construction Company, re: renovations to the Middletown Town Library at 110 Enterprise Center.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive said communication.
Jay Edwards, Project Manager, Downes Construction Company, addressed the Council reviewing the above communication.
Discussion centered around the library has been applying for grants and donations, enhancements for the library project, some change orders for the library project are due to timing and the project may be complete by December 2026.
Councilor Turano read the following email from Paul Mankofsky into the record:
Please see if you can get some answers on library project expenditures! Monday night’s council agenda includes a request to approve a ~$1.19 million expenditure for the library project. The project's plan, schedule, total construction, furnishing, and financing costs; and progress to date are unclear. The schedule has slipped 6 months as the construction manager at risk cost has increased by about $1.8M and construction and engineering costs have increased by about $100,000
The council should demand an expenditure pause until the administration provides the public with a detailed project plan and clear accounting of the total project cost, a detailed expenditure timeline including costs incurred to date, contractual obligations, and a financing plan with its total interest and bond issuance costs.
The town’s strategy to fund this project intentionally circumvented the town charter’s referendum requirement through a series of consecutive short-term notes followed by issuance of long-term debt. This approach denied taxpayers of their right to vote on major capital expenditures. Here is what Middletown did and will do:
· October 2024: Financed purchase of an older building for the library with a one-year note for $3.4 million.
· October 2025: Refinanced the 3.4 Million and rolled the project into a one-year note of $11.4 million to include building modifications for a library.
· October 2026: Plans to refinance the entire project into a long-term, 20-year bond for some TBD amount.
The total cost of this entire project remains blurred. In addition to the schedule and cost increased previously cited, the town will add a $1.4 million expense to expand municipal administration and employee office space inside the library; it expects some reimbursement from the state; and is facing a turbulent bond market that could increase bond issuance and interest costs.
The council claims that Public-Private Ventures (PPV) will offset costs (it shows an unplanned 115K PPV expenditure in the current budget) but there is no single place where a taxpayer can view the total project plan, total cost, and schedule.
Discussion centered around Councilor Turano inquiring if there is a single document showing a summary of the entire project including money that has been spent, making library information more accessible, funding sources for the library did not dictate changes in the project, the finance office will make a schedule for the library project and grants are specific for what the funding is for.
Don Morin, Middletown, Library Building Chair, noted the following:
Thank you, Mr. Town Council President, Members of the Town Council for allowing me to speak tonight. As you know, I Chair the Library Building Committee, and I, along with other supporters of the project that are here today, encourage you to approve the resolutions before you. These changes have been made possible through some great work of the Building Committee, Library personnel, Town Administration, Town Council and many others. These efforts have raised over $2.3 million in grants and donations to support the project, and we continue to solicit more. This has allowed us to include many items that would not have been possible without these additional funds. Also, it is important to note that the Town’s financial obligation to the project has not changed.
I’d like to briefly address those who have spoken out in opposition to this project. Through the notable efforts of the Town Council and the Town Administration, this new library will replace an existing structure that is in serious need of upgrades with no impact on the taxpayer. The current building has suffered from collapsed floors due to the weight of the books, as the building was never intended to be used as a library, having been originally built to serve as a Navy daycare center. Just this past Wednesday we had to move the Building Committee meeting from the main conference room to an interior location because the air conditioning in the front part of the building is no longer able to adequately cool that space. Rather than pour taxpayer money into an aging building, the Town has developed a creative approach to use existing resources that will provide the Town with a new library that will be more than double the size of the existing one, allowing for additional services and programs that we could never imagine offering within the current space, while at the same time providing a large community room, additional conference room and study space, and a local history room, spaces that the Town currently lacks and can definitely use, all of which will be accessible to the public afterhours.
As for those with concerns about the location, the new library will be much closer to the center of the Town geographically than the current building, and it will be ~ one mile or less walk from every school in the district once the school construction project is completed for the fall 2028 school year. It is adjacent to an existing affordable senior housing complex on one side and on the other side sits a new residential property that is currently under construction that is expected to house 81 studio, single bedroom and two-bedroom units, not to mention the affordable housing currently planned to be developed across the street.
Regarding project transparency, the Library Building Committee was established by the Town Council via town ordinance in January of 2025. It consists of two members of the Town Council, two members of the Library Board of Trustees, the Library Director and Assistant Director, the Town Administrator, the Town Facilities Director and three community members. The Committee meets twice a month on the first and third Wednesday, all meetings are posted and open to the public, and at each meeting both the budget and schedule are reviewed. All meeting materials are also posted to the Library Building Committee website and are available for anyone to review at any time. Regarding the concerns raised by the letter read by Council Member Turano, answers can be found on the Building Committee website and, as he stated, I have already reached out to the author to address his concerns. While all information is posted, it might not be easy to locate. Since I am also the one who maintains the website, I can certainly address that.
While it may have been wonderful to have a new library as part of a Town Center that was initially envisioned for its current location on West Main Road, it would have cost a lot more. An analysis performed by some who are opposed to this project states that new construction would only cost about $3.4 million more than this renovation effort. Unfortunately, although I’m sure it was unintentional, the analysis overstated the reimbursement amount for new construction. While the analysis properly used 50% of the new construction cost for reimbursement, it unfortunately did not consider the fact that reimbursement is capped at $300 a square foot per RI Regulations for Public Library Construction Reimbursement (220-RICR-60-15-1). This error alone caused an overstatement of $2.4 million in reimbursement for new construction. Also, the Town has already received its reimbursement commitment letter from the Office of Library and Information Services, and the amount of reimbursable square footage for the renovation portion of the analysis was understated. Taking both into account, a new library would have cost at least six and perhaps upwards of eight million dollars more than this renovation project and would have certainly required an increase in taxes, unlike this option. Both the Library Building Committee and the Library Board of Trustees have unanimously approved these changes, and I encourage you to do the same tonight. I am available to answer any questions you may have. Thank you.
Town Administrator Shawn Brown recused himself from the following item of business #3.
3. Resolution of the Council, re: The Town Council agrees to change order number one in the amount of thirty-two thousand three hundred forty-five dollars and zero cents (32,345.00), that funding for this change order is from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund, and that the Finance Director is authorized hereby to execute this change order on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to pass said resolution.
Terri Flynn, Middletown, address the Council, submitting the following as part of the record:
Discussion centered around the Finance Department will prepare financial information regarding the library project for the next meeting, donations for the library project are specific for certain areas within the library project, not for reducing the overall cost of the library project; the total cost of the Library project, Vice President Welch noted that the project does not increase taxes and the PPV funds have paid for Town infrastructure projects.
Terri Flynn, Middletown, addressed the Council, reviewing the above information, which she has requested to be part of the official record. Ms. Flynn also noted that she is against the process of the project, not the project itself.
Don Morin, Middletown, Library Building Chair, addressed the Council noting that both the Town numbers and Ms. Flynn’s numbers are correct. Ms. Flynn included the cost of the purchase of the library building.
John Gargliano, Middletown, addressed the Council noting that the proposed library building is not new construction and was built in 1988, explaining the building is almost 40 years old.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
4. Resolution of the Council, re: The Town Council agrees to change order numbers three, four, and five as indicated below for the total amount not to exceed fifty-one thousand ninety dollars and zero cents ($51,090.00):
the funding for these change orders are from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund and that the Town Administrator is authorized hereby to execute this change order on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to pass said resolution.
Council President Rodrigues left the dais.
Vice President Welch presiding
Discussion centered around that the change order is for the architect work only.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
5. Resolution of the Council, re: The Town Council approves the recommendation to approve the furniture, fixtures, and equipment in the amount not to exceed five hundred thousand one hundred thirty-four dollars and zero cents ($500,134.00), and that the funding for this proposal is to be from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund, and that the Finance Director is authorized hereby to execute said purchase on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Councilor VonVillas, duly seconded, to pass said resolution.
Council President Rodrigues returned to the dais.
Discussion centered around the number of chairs being purchased, there is a large community room that will hold 112 chairs, the Town will pay for their furniture for the Town offices and only the Library furniture will be paid from the library funding.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Councilor VonVillas, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
6. Resolution of the Council, re: The Town Council approves the recommendation to approve the library shelving and book carts for the total amount not to exceed two hundred eighty-five thousand nine hundred nineteen dollars and zero cents ($285,919.00), that the funding for this proposal is to be from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund, and that the Finance Director is authorized hereby to execute said purchase on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
7. Resolution of the Council, re: That the Town Council approves the recommendation to approve the skylight shade panel for the total amount not to exceed thirteen thousand two hundred dollars and zero cents ($13,200.00), the funding for this proposal is to be from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund, and the Finance Director is authorized hereby to execute said purchase on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to pass said resolution.
Don Morin, Library Building Committee Chair, noted that the funding is for cloth shades for the skylights to disperse light.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
8. Resolution of the Council, re: That the Town Council approves the recommendation to approve the finance office compact shelving system for the total amount not to exceed forty-nine thousand three hundred seventy-five dollars and zero cents ($49,375.00), the funding for this proposal is to be from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund, and that the Finance Director is authorized hereby to execute said purchase on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
9. Resolution of the Council, re: The Town Council approves the recommendation to approve the change order for Ahlborg Construction Corporation in the amount not to exceed ninety-two thousand six hundred ninety-one dollars and zero cents ($92,691.00), the funding for this proposal is to be from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund, and the Town Administrator is authorized hereby to execute this change order on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to pass said resolution.
Discussion centered around grant monies from the van Beuren Foundation was a direct request for sound masking in the new library; Councilor Roberts noted appreciation for all people involved, explaining that he is against the process, not the project.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
10. Resolution of the Council, re: The Town Council approves the recommendation to approve the change order for Ahlborg Construction Corporation in the amount not to exceed one hundred fifty thousand two dollars and zero cents ($150,002.00), the funding for this proposal is to be from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund, and the Town Administrator is authorized hereby to execute this change order on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to pass said resolution.
Don Morin, Library Building Committee Chair, noted that the funding is for the reconfiguration of the front entrance of the library.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
11. Resolution of the Town Council approve the recommendation to approve the change order for Ahlborg Construction Corporation in the amount not to exceed twenty thousand one hundred sixty-seven dollars and zero cents ($20,167.00), the funding for this proposal is to be from the Bond Anticipation Note Proceeds, interest income, eligible private donations, and eligible grants and all expenses recorded in the Town’s Grant or Capital Project Fund, and the Town Administrator is authorized hereby to execute this change order on behalf of the Town.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to pass said resolution.
Discussion centered around the need for a washer and dryer to clean items used for library programs such as linens, stuffed animals and items used in cooking class at the new library, and Home Depot donated the appliances including dishwashers, refrigerators and washer and dryers.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted to pass said resolution; Councilor Roberts voted NO to said motion.
12. Memorandum of Finance Director, thru Town Administrator, re: Library Renovation Project – Donations.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive said memorandum.
Finance Director Marc Tanguay reviewed the memorandum above.
Council President Rodrigues thanked everyone for their generous donations to the Library project.
13. Resolution of the Council, re: The Town Council hereby accepts the donations from the Friends of the Middletown Public Library of $3,500 and the donation/pledges from two private donors, consisting of approximately $250,000 each, totaling $500,000 in support of the Library Renovation Project, That the funds be designated and applied in accordance with donor intent as follows:
· $500,000 for the general purpose of the project
· $2,100 for the Children’s Learning and Play Area
· $1,000 for equipment for the Innovation Center
· $100 for the Outdoor Learning and Community Spaces
· $300 for where most needed
and, that the Finance Director is authorized hereby to allocate and expend said funds in accordance with all town purchasing policies and procedures.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to pass said resolution.
14. Approval of Minutes, re: Regular Meeting, August 3, 2026.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to approve said minutes.
15. Approval of Minutes, re: Special Meeting, August 13, 2026.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to approve said minutes.
16. License of Burial, re: Robert Sullivan, Middletown, Section 47E, Lot 43.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to grant said license of burial.
17. License of Burial, re: Robert Sullivan, Middletown, Section 47E, Lot 44.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to grant said license of burial.
18. Application for Special Event Permit from Add Impact Network, Inc. for Bike to the Beach New England - 100 Mile charity bike ride from Boston, benefiting Autism service providers, to be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, beginning at 11:00 am to 3:00 pm – Route through Middletown (Various Town roadways, ending in Newport).
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to grant said special event permit.
19. Memorandum of Operations & Facility Manager, re: Extending Concession Stand Operational Hours.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive said memorandum.
Operations & Facilities Manager Will Cronin addressed the Council reviewing the memorandum above.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to approve the request of Fire and Water Concessions, SB, Inc. holder of the contract for Sachuest Beach Concession, for an extension of the operating 2026 season to include through the month of September 2026 from the hours of 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM for this season only and authorize the Finance Director to execute said contract amendment.
20. Agreement between the State of Rhode Island through its Department of Transportation and the Town of Middletown, re: Municipal Road and Bridge Program State Funds.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, to approve said agreement and authorize the Town Council President, Town Solicitor and Town Administrator to execute said agreement on behalf of the Town.
Town Administrator Shawn Brown reviewed the Agreement above.
A vote was taken.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to approve said agreement and authorize the Town Council President, Town Solicitor and Town Administrator to execute said agreement on behalf of the Town.
21. Appointment of one (1) member to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, to complete a term expiring March 2027.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to appoint Jeannie Nelson to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, to complete a term expiring March 2027.
Vice President Welch recused himself from acting on the following item #21 of business, due to a possible conflict of interest.
22. Appointment of one (1) member to the Conservation Commission, term expiring July 2029.
On motion of Councilor VonVillas, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to reappoint Melissa Welch to the Conservation Commission, term expiring July 2029.
Vice President Welch returned to the dais.
23. Appointment of one (1) member to the Library Board of Trustees, term expiring September 2029.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to reappoint Joan Definis to the Library Board of Trustees, term expiring September 2029.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to adjourn said meeting at 6:43 p.m.
Wendy J.W. Marshall, MMC
Council Clerk
Said meeting will be held at the Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road, Middletown, Rhode Island 02842 on Monday, August 24, 2026 at 5:00 P.M.
____________________________________
Paul M. Rodrigues, President
Middletown Town Council
cc : Town Council Public Library Finance Director
Town Administrator Town Solicitor School Committee
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 August 19, 2026 at Middletown Town Hall, Middletown Public Library and Secretary of State Web Site.
Posted on August 19, 2026 at Middletown Town Hall, Middletown Public Library and Secretary of State Web Site.
Supporting documentation is available at http://clerkshq.com/default.ashx?clientsite=Middletown-ri