New Shoreham Town Council Meeting

Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road

Monday, November 17, 2025

7:00 p.m.

 

Present: First Warden Keith Stover, Second Warden Nancy Dodge, Town Council members William McCombe, and Margaret O’Neill.  Also present were Town Manager Amy Land, Finance Director Mona Dwyer Helterline and via Zoom, Town Solicitor Nick Solitro.  Town Clerk/Director of Administration Millicent Highet was present for the recording of minutes.  Council Member Tristan Payne was absent.

 

First Warden Stover called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m.

 

1.      Public Comment

No public comment was presented.

 

2.      Consent Agenda:

a.       Approval of minutes: November 3, 2025 open and closed; and November 5, 2025

b.      Receive Correspondence: Town of New Shoreham to RI Department of Environmental Management re: An application from James Blansfield of Blansfield Realty Holdings. LLC, off Mansion Road, Plat 3, Lot 136 to alter freshwater wetlands

Mr. McCombe made a motion to approve the consent agenda.  The motion was seconded by Ms. Dodge and carried.

            Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, McCombe)       Nays: 0     Absent: 1 (Payne)      

 

3.      Discuss and act on Board, Commission and Committees:

a.       Appoint School Committee member term expiring 11/2026

Ms. Dodge moved to appoint Greta Heinz to the School Committee with term expiring in November 2026.  The motion was seconded by Mr. McCombe and carried.

            Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, McCombe)       Nays: 0     Absent: 1 (Payne)      

 

b.      Consider enlarging the membership of the AARP Age-Friendly Community Task Force

Mr. Stover moved to increase the membership of the AARP Age-Friendly Community Task Force to ten members.  The motion was seconded by Ms. O’Neill and carried.

            Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, McCombe)       Nays: 0     Absent: 1 (Payne)      

 

c.       Appoint members to the Age-Friendly Community Task Force to a two year staggered terms expiring 12/2026 & 12/2027 (to be determined at the committee level)

Mr. McCombe moved to appoint Richard Tretheway, Jim McCormick, Sarah Mott, Hillary Transue, Alicia Miro, Chuck McMellon, Carolyn Benjamin, Neil Murphy, Sandra Kelly, and Marguerite Donnelly with terms expiring December 2026 and 2027.  The motion was seconded by Ms. O’Neill and carried.

            Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, McCombe)       Nays: 0     Absent: 1 (Payne)      

 

d.      Receive resignation from Andrew Transue from the Police Advisory Commission

Ms. Dodge moved to accept the resignation from Andrew Transue from the Police Advisory Commission.  The motion was seconded by Mr. McCombe and carried.

Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, McCombe)       Nays: 0     Absent: 1 (Payne)      

 

e.       Announce vacancies:

                                                     i.            Commission on Motor Vehicles for Hire: One (not MVFH licensee) (term exp. 12/2026)

                                                   ii.            Coastal Resilience Committee (term exp. 12/2027)

                                                 iii.            Senior Advisory Committee (term exp. 12/2026)

                                                  iv.            Police Advisory Commission (term exp. 12/2026)

The vacancies were announced.

 

4.      Discuss and act on direction to the Planning Board to draft a Zoning Ordinance regulating Cannabis Retail operations: location from schools, daycares, place of worship, hours of operation, etc.

Mr. Stover noted that the question to prohibit cannabis retail shops was put before the voters in 2024 and the voters chose not to prohibit them.  Discussion ensued regarding what to include in a Zoning Ordinance regulating cannabis.  The following items were raised: hours of operation, limit of number, further distance than 200’, year-round operation.  

Mr. Stover moved to direct the Planning Board to draft a Zoning Ordinance regulating Cannabis Retail operations to include a limit to one retail shop, as far away from family activities as possible, and limiting hours of operation.  The motion was seconded by Ms. Dodge and carried.

Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, McCombe)       Nays: 0     Absent: 1 (Payne)      

 

5.      Discuss and act on directing the Town’s Attorney to draft an ordinance to allow Town employees to run for the office of School Committee

Mr. Stover noted that state law only allows a Town employee to run for the office of School Committee if it is authorized by local charter or local ordinance.  He noted that there is a lot of talent to be found in Town employees and it would make sense to allow them to run for School Committee.  He further suggested that an ordinance may want to exclude department heads from serving, as many of them have close working relationships with the school.  The Council members concurred.  The Town Attorneys will draft an ordinance addressing such.

 

6.      Receive update from Town Engineer on RIDEM Landfill Closure and Landfill Slope Repair

Town Engineer Jim Geremia was present via Zoom.  He reported on the RIDEM directive regarding the landfill closure and the landfill slope repair:

·         Empty trash containers are stored on Lot 40 on top of the closed landfill.  The DEM objects to the practice unless they are stored on top of a concrete slab, as increased erosion may open the old landfill. 

·         An environmental land use restriction deed and a soil management plan must be developed and recorded, which will include a maintenance and monitoring plan.

·         A $4 million upgrade and expansion to the revetment must be completed.  CRMC has given assent for the work.

·         Cleanup of metal along the shoreline needs to take place.

Ms. Land and Engineer Geremia are creating a plan to reduce monitoring requirements and duration.  

 

7.      Receive and act on Report of Town Manager (Public Works, Finance, School, School Construction Project, Library, Recreation, Administration, Harbors, Broadband, Police, Roads, Human Services)

Town Manager Amy Land reported the following:

·         35 applications for mini-grants have been received and will come to Council in December.

·         The Land Use Department has been carrying a lot of extra meetings.  She acknowledged the staff for going above and beyond to meet the workload.

·         The final DOT STIP plan includes $20 million for the replacement of the highways garage.  Although it is included, it has yet to be funded.

·         The School Committee is working on the Stage 2 development application to RIDE and funding for the project is expected for inclusion on May Financial Town Meeting warrant.

 

8.      Discuss and act on an agreement between the Town of New Shoreham and Clifton Larson Allen LLP for temporary accounting services for the Finance Department

Finance Director Dwyer Helterline reported that she is seeking assistance to help with the staffing shortage in the office and has chosen Clifton Larson Allen LLP for temporary accounting services.  She noted that the costs would not exceed the salary of the Deputy Finance Director.

 

Mr. McCombe moved to approve the agreement between the Town of New Shoreham and Clifton Larson Allen LLP for temporary accounting services.  The motion was seconded by Ms. Dodge and carried.

Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, McCombe)       Nays: 0            Absent: 1 (Payne)        

 

9.      Receive and act on Financial Reports:

a.       October 2025 financials

Finance Director Mona Dwyer Helterline was present and reported the following regarding the October 2025 financials:

·         There is an increase in tax revenues, as they were able to capture back some significant back taxes.

·         The Hotel and Cottage Tax increased 27% over last year.

·         The Meals Tax increased 22% over last year.

 

b.      S&P Global Ratings Affirms ‘AA’ long term rating

Finance Director Dwyer Helterline reported that the Town received the S&P Global Ratings and it affirmed the ‘AA’ rating that the Town has carried over the past number of years. 

 

10.  Discuss establishing a beach parking permit

Mr. Stover explained that New Shoreham is the last Town in the state to have free parking and paid parking may be worth exploring.  He noted that metered parking downtown may defray some tourism costs.  Ms. Dodge stated that she was not in favor of paid parking.  She further stated that free beaches are part of the Island culture and the internal costs with collection etc. do not make it worth exploring.  Mr. McCombe stated that strict enforcement of current parking regulations may cover anything raised through parking fees, without the extra infrastructure.  Ms. O’Neill stated that she would be willing to have a larger conversation which includes downtown parking to allocate funds to a specific purpose. 

 

11.  Raise items for future agendas

·         No overnight parking in New Harbor

·         Downtown, New Harbor, beach parking fees

·         Pumper truck storage location

 

Mr. McCombe made a motion to adjourn at 8:38 p.m.  The motion was seconded by Ms. Dodge and carried.

            Ayes: 4 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, McCombe)       Nays: 0     Absent: 1 (Payne)      

 

Millicent Highet, MMC

Town Clerk                                         Date Approved: 12/2/2025