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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, COUNTY OF NEWPORT
The Town Council of the Town of Tiverton, County, and State aforesaid held a Regular Council Meeting on Monday, May 11, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Tiverton Town Hall, 343 Highland Road, Tiverton, Rhode Island 02878.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
Council President Edwards V called the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
3. ROLL CALL
Present
President John G. Edwards V Vice President David J. Paull David Perry
Michael S. Burk Craig R. Committo Denise M. deMedeiros
Absent
Deborah G. Janick
Solicitor Marcello, Administrator Jones, Town Clerk Chabot, and Deputy Town Clerk Veegh were also present.
4. PRESENTATION
Recognition of Tiverton Schools Teacher Assistant Amy Paull
Senator Felag and Representative Edwards presented Ms. Paull with a citation in recognition of her heroic actions in saving a choking student’s life at Pocasset Elementary School.
5. ADMINISTRATION OF OATH
A. Community Service Officer Vaughan Marecki, Jr.
B. Community Service Officer Christopher Molina
C. Community Service Officer Joshua Troiano
D. Community Service Officer Hailey Williams
The Council officially welcomed four new Community Service Officers for the summer of 2026. The Chief of Police introduced the candidates, giving a summary of their backgrounds before the Town Clerk administered their oaths of office.
6. CONSENT AGENDA
All items listed within the Consent Agenda are to be considered routine by 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 for separate consideration later on the agenda.
A. Approval of Town Council Minutes
1. April 13, 2026 – Regular Meeting
2. April 13, 2026 – Executive Session
3. April 27, 2026 – Regular Meeting
4. April 27, 2026 – Executive Session
5. April 30, 2026 – Special Meeting
B. Acknowledge Receipt of Minutes from Boards/Commissions/Committees
1. Conservation Commission (1)
2. Dog Park Committee (1)
3. Historical Cemeteries Commission (2)
4. Economic Development Commission (1)
C. Acknowledge Receipt of Reports
1. Town Administrator – Departments’ Monthly Reports – April 2026
2. Town Administrator – Police and Fire Department Overtime Reports – April 2026
D. Acknowledge Receipt of Correspondence
1. Rhode Island Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars – Letter requesting support for
the Purple Heart Memorial in the RI Veterans Cemetery
2. Letter from ACLU related to city and town council public meeting accessibility
E. Cemetery Commission/Maureen Sylvia – Request to renew contract for Pocasset Hill Cemetery
Mowing/Maintenance and Cemetery Operations to Jared Ramunno dba Ramunno’s Landscaping –
exercise of second one-year extension
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to approve the Consent Agenda. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
7. PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING A COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM OR OTHER TOWN BUSINESS
Semiquincentennial Chair Peter Moniz held comments to the General Business item 9-A.
8. PUBLIC HEARINGS (ADVERTISED) – Discussion and possible votes
A. Approval of the proposed amendment to the Tiverton Code of Ordinances, Articles of Appendix A –
Zoning Ordinance: (cont. from 4-27-26)
1. Article II, Definitions: Amend definition of “Earth removal”; add definitions for “Agricultural
composting” and “Backyard composting”;
2. Article III, Zoning Districts: Add Section 5. Transition Rules;
3. Article IV, District Use Regulations:
a. Amend Section 4, Public and Semipublic uses, Subsection (d) Membership athletic
club, to permit the use by right in the Waterfront 1 and 2 Zones
b. Amend Section 16, Prohibited Uses (Manufactured Homes and Composting);
c. Amend Section 22. Adaptive Reuse;
d. Add Section 23. Accessory Dwelling Units
e. Add Section 24. Uses not listed in the table of uses;
4. Article V, District Dimensional Regulations: Amend Section 1. Dimensional regulations table as
to the PFD and TMS zones;
5. Article VI, Other District Regulations:
a. Amend Section 1, Yard regulations and accessory structures;
b. Amend Section 2, Departures from yard requirements;
c. Add Section 11, Design Standards;
6. Article VII, Substandard Lots of Record:
a. Amend Section 1. Substandard original lots;
b. Amend Section 2. Merger of lots under single ownership;
c. Amend Section 4. Applicable dimensional requirements;
d. Delete Section 5. Special use permits;
7. Article X, Special Provisions: Amend Section 7. Modifications to dimensional requirements;
8. Article XIV, Nonconforming Development: Delete and replace Section 1 – 8;
9. Article XVI, Special Use Permits: Amend Sections 1 – 5;
10. Article XVIII, Enforcement and Administration:
a. Amend Section 1. Zoning officer;
b. Amend Section 4, Vested Rights.
President Edwards V noted that Solicitor Romano, the town planner and Councilor Committo had spent significant time meeting prior to the session to review the complex zoning packet. Councilor Committo explained the intent was to map out balanced modifications, directing the council to the backup packets, where his newly proposed zoning updates were highlighted.
Solicitor Romano outlined Councilor Committo’s suggested revisions to the proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments.
State law sets three conditions where an Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) is allowed "by right" (without special town approval): owner-occupied with a disabled family member, lots of 20,000 square feet or larger, or keeping it within an existing structure's footprint. Councilor Committo proposed a major change to lower the lot size requirement for an ADU from 20,000 square feet down to 10,000 square feet by right with anything under 10,000 square feet would require a special use permit with two specific objective criteria.
A loophole was addressed where an ADU counted as an accessory structure, which previously meant an owner couldn't have both an ADU and a standard backyard shed. Because advertising rules prevented them from completely rewriting the residential structure standards at this specific meeting, a temporary fix was suggested to completely exclude an ADU from being classified as an accessory structure.
Related to the objective criteria for allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on lots under 10,000 square feet, Solicitor Romano explained the units must conform to specific setback requirements and that property owners must submit a parking plan to the permitting authority. Additionally, he suggested that properties of this size should also be required to have public water and sewer access.
Solicitor Marcello questioned the use of (“Y”) notations in the zoning designations in Aritcle IV, Sec. 4. where (ADUs) are permitted in the R30, R40, R60, and R120 zones. Solicitor Romano confirmed the typo and the sections should be corrected to ("P").
Accessory structures conforming to rear and side yard setbacks would increase from 120 to 480 square feet, to ensure property owners can build a functional space, such as a two-car garage. Secondly, the size of an accessory structure itself was increased from 480 to 900 square feet.
Regarding special use permits, the recommendation centered on refining language for special use permits and ensuring criteria for approving various zoning applications are both specific and objective, to avoid ambiguity.
Council President Edwards V opened the public hearing. No one presented to speak. The hearing was closed.
Councilor Committo motioned to approve his suggested revisions to the proposed amendments to the district use table in Article IV, Section 4., Public and Semipublic uses, subject to the administratively changing the (“Y”)’s to (“P”)’s. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Committo motioned to approve his suggested revisions to the proposed amendments in Article IV, District Use regulations in Sections a., b., c., d., and e. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Committo motioned to approve his suggested revisions to the proposed amendments in Article VI, Other District Regulations under a. Accessory Structures. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Committo motioned to approve his suggested revisions to the proposed amendments in Article XVI, Special Use Permits, Section 3. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed 5-1, with Councilor Burk opposed.
Councilor Committo motioned to approve his suggested revisions to the proposed amendments in Article XVI, Special Use Permits, Section 4. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to approve proposed amendments to the Tiverton Code of Ordinances with the alterations made by Councilor Committo, and authorizing the solicitor’s office to make non-substantive changes, codifications and other technical changes. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
9. GENERAL BUSINESS
A. Peter Moniz/Semiquincentennial Commission Chair – Discussion and possible vote to approve the Raising of the Liberty Pole special event for the 250th Celebration at Bulgarmarsh Park on June 14, 2026 at 1 pm
Chair Moniz spoke, stressing the significance of the upcoming community event to raise the Liberty Pole, describing it as a patriotic gathering intended to bring the community together through speeches and public engagement. He reminded the public about the "Flying the Colors" initiative, calling it an ongoing town campaign encouraging residents and businesses to fly red, white, and blue colors.
Councilor Paull motioned to approve the Raising of the Liberty Pole special event at Bulgarmarsh Park on June 14, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
B. Council President Edwards V – Discussion and possible vote to approve Resolution 2026-0015
regarding sales tax on beach parking fees
Councilor Burk motioned to approve Resolution 2026-0015 regarding sales tax on beach parking fees. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
C. Councilor Paull – Discussion and possible vote to approve Resolution 2026-0016 to reduce the
number of members on the Dog Park Committee from nine to five
Councilor Perry motioned to approve Resolution 2026-0016. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
D. Councilor Janick – Discussion and possible vote to approve Resolution 2026-0017 regarding continued
funding of the RhodeRestore program
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to approve Resolution 2026-0017 regarding continued funding of the RhodeRestore program. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
E. Councilor Janick – Discussion and possible vote to approve Resolution 2026-0018 supporting FULLY
FUNDING STATE AID to LIBRARIES
Councilor Perry motioned to approve Resolution 2026-0018 supporting FULLY FUNDING STATE AID to LIBRARIES. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
F. Councilor Janick – Discussion and possible vote on Letter in support of Blue-Ribbon Commission
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to approve a Letter in support of the Blue-Ribbon Commission. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
G. Review, discussion, and possible vote on the Proposed FY 27 Expenditure Budget for all municipal
Departments and Tiverton School Department
Councilor Edwards V motioned to reduce Contingency Fund/6890 (under 1020 Town Council) from $190,000 to $100,000. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Burk motioned to add new account under 1020 Town Council named Video Recording-Meetings funded with $10,000. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to reduce Building Maintenance/7840 (under 1040 Town Hall Operating Expenses) from $15,000 to $10,000. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Paull motioned to reduce 1080 Zoning Board of Review – Public Stenographer from $7,500 to $5,000. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to increase 1090 Town Sergeant from $1,000 to $1,500. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to increase Automobile Expenses/6913 (under 1140 Land Use) from $3,000 to $3,500. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to increase Liability & Causality/Buildings and Personal Property/7920 (under 2190 Insurance) from $350,000 to $365,000. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Paull motioned to reduce OPEB Contribution/5350 (under 2300 Unfunded Liability – Sick & Vacation) from $100,000 to $50,000. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed 5-1, with Councilor Committo opposed.
Councilor Burk motioned to approve the administrative changes in section 2220 Pension Plans. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to reduce Overtime/5104 (under 3310 Fire Department) from $500,000 to $450,000. Seconded by Councilor Edwards V, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to reduce Educational Allowance/6922 (under 3310 Fire Department) from $9,750 to $0. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed 5-1, with Councilor Paull opposed.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to reduce Education Incentive/5115 (under 3330 Police Department) from $60,000 $40,000. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Burk motioned to reduce Flock Camera Contract (under 3330 Police Department) from $23,000 $0. There was no second and the motion failed.
Councilor Burk motioned to increase Fuel, oil, tires (under 5130 Building Maintenance Division) from $0 to $5,250. Seconded by Councilor Edwards V, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Burk motioned to reduce Guard Rails/6797 (under 5540 Public Works) from $3,000 to $0. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Committo motioned to reduce 3420 Hydrant Services from $1,600 to $0. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to reduce (under 6210 Boards and Commissions) the Arts Council/8010 from $500 to $0 and the Recycling Committee/8035 from $100 to $0. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Under Senior Citizens Service 6100, the council discussed amending the Salary – Assistant Director from $31,512 to $25,209 as per AFSCME contract.
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to reduce Senior Citizens Service 6100 total from $164,447 to $158,144. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Paull motioned to reduce Boat Operations/6690 (under 3360 Harbor Master) from $17,000 to $14,000. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed 5-1, with Councilor Burk opposed.
Councilor Paull motioned to reduce Transportation, Fees, Equipment/6629 (under 8830 Summer recreation) from $20,400 to $12,400. Seconded by Councilor Edwards V, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to reduce (under 9660 Debt Service) Fort Barton School 10M Bond/8853 from $660,000 to $0 and THS & Ranger Refinanced/8861 from $750,000 to $0, with the stipulation that Fund 640 will cover any casino revenue shortfall. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
Council continued deliberation on school appropriations, ultimately deciding to determine a fixed percent allocation rather than adjusting by line items. Council President Edwards V noted that staffing and maintaining all three current educational facilities was mathematically and financially unsustainable over the long term.
Superintendent Haskins, along with Finance Director Andrade, addressed the Council, with the Superintendent stating the budget request represents the minimum the school department requires to operate responsibly. He said they received a budget proposal document only last Friday and recommended that changes should wait until the school committee had a chance to thoroughly deliberate on the figures as a committee. He furthered that the School Committee had already reduced their budget request by $342,387 through a line-item review and reduced 35 staff members over the past two fiscal years.
Council explored the fiscal impact of adjusting the school budget appropriation to a 3.25% increase instead of the requested 3.75%, which would require the department to find an additional $145,000 in savings, including a shortfall of $60,000 for contractual health insurance.
Discussion continued about the necessity of the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. Superintendent Haskins clarifies that a prior school committee consolidated administration by eliminating a shared Newport County Collaborative special education director role and creating the localized internal position. The redefined position serves as the primary director of special education for Tiverton, directly managing state compliance. He emphasized that special education involves an immense workload of federally mandated paperwork, strict compliance scheduling, and highly confidential family correspondence for over 300 students.
Councilor Perry stated that the school department had received more financial support over the past five years than any previous committee, including over $5 million in capital. He questioned significant enrollment losses to alternative schools and homeschooling.
Superintendent Haskins defended the 3.75% school department request, stating the municipal side was 8.36% and only offset by shifting bond repayments using casino revenue. He highlighted that while the town council cut $63,000 from police and $69,750 from fire, the school committee had slashed its own request by $342,387 during its internal review.
President Edwards countered that previous town councils historically "took it on the chin" by neglecting municipal staff raises to prioritize school funding. He emphasized that school spending had risen to a $36 million total despite a drop to 1,400 students, adding that maintaining five separate school buildings with shrinking attendance is unsustainable. Edwards pointed out that Tiverton's tax base is roughly 93% residential, making year-over-year school budget hikes an unfair burden on local homeowners—especially when many send their children to neighboring districts or homeschool them. He explained the town's financial model is unsustainable – relying almost entirely on residential property owners, with commercial properties making up only about 7% of the total tax base. He added that the council has taken proactive steps to change this dynamic by initiating property transactions within the town's industrial park.
Councilor Committo motioned to approve a 3.25% school budget increase in local appropriation from FY26. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed 5-1, with Councilor Burk opposed.
H. Overall discussion, review, and possible votes on FY 27 Budget and FY27 Revenue Projections,
including resolutions, miscellaneous supporting financial data, and tax worksheet
Discussion shifted to analyzing local revenue projections, sparking a policy debate on how the town funds its waste management operations. Councilor DeMedeiros noted that $350,000 generated from the Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) trash bag program is transferred into general town revenue to directly offset the budget.
President Edwards challenged this setup, stating that the town ordinance dictates PAYT money must strictly fund capped landfill maintenance and explicitly lower the trash collection contract. He questioned why $55,300 for landfill engineering testing is pulled from the operating general fund when bag revenues average $485,000 net. He suggests reducing the $1.5 million trash contract by the $350,000 allocation up front to guarantee transparent compliance. He pointed out that a roll of town bags has sat at $10 since the program began in 2011 despite inflation. He argued that because rates haven't been adjusted, a disproportionate amount of residential property taxes is being absorbed by trash disposal. He advocated for transitioning waste management into an enterprise fund, where trash operations would be wiped completely from the property-tax-funded budget and paid for entirely through user-based bags and stickers.
Assessor Robert warned that shifting trash entirely to an enterprise fund removes the commercial property tax base, which currently helps subsidize residential garbage collection.
Administrator Jones advised that structural changes cannot be rushed into this year's budget. He relayed that the council has already directed legal counsel to put the town's trash contract out to bid, and the incoming requests for proposals (RFPs) will provide the necessary concrete numbers to gauge the fiscal impact.
Councilor Paull motioned to increase 4240 Dinghy Dock revenue from $1,000 to $2,000. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to increase Beach Receipts revenue (Grinnell’s and Fogland) from $50,000 to $60,000. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor Edwards V motioned to pull $1,780,840 from the General Fund. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
I. Discussion and possible vote on the FY 27 Preliminary Unified Budget Ordinance and set Public
Hearing date
Allowing for the 14-day advertisement period, the Council agreed to set the public hearing for the regular meeting date of June 8, 2026.
10. EXECUTIVE SESSION
A. Solicitor Marcello – RI Gen. Law 42-46-5(a)(2) Watershed Solar Development v. Town of Tiverton
(NC-2026-0036)
B. Administrator Jones – RI Gen. Law 42-46-5(a)(2) Twin River Tiverton, LLC v. Town of Tiverton (NM-
2022-0138) related to the community host agreement and previous tax treaty – legal advice from
counsel related to potential litigation
Councilor Edwards V motioned to enter into Executive Session for agenda items 10-A and 10-B. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
The Council entered a closed executive session at approximately 11:01 p.m.
The Council returned to open session at approximately 11:22 p.m.
Councilor Burk motioned to seal the minutes of Executive Session. Councilor Perry seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Solicitor Marcello reported that items 10-A and 10-B were informational only; no votes were taken.
11. ADJOURNMENT
Councilor Burk motioned to adjourn the meeting. Councilor Perry seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 11:23 p.m.
A True Copy.
ATTEST______________________________________
Joan B. Chabot, CMC, Town Clerk