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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 Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Tiverton Public Library, 34 Roosevelt Avenue, 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 | Denise M. deMedeiros |
| Craig R. Committo | David Perry | Michael S. Burk |
Absent
Deborah G. Janick
Solicitor Romano, Administrator Jones, Town Clerk Chabot, and Deputy Clerk Veegh were also present.
4. LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
1. Paul’s Press, 27 Fish Road - presentation related to their business activities and history
Because the owners (Paul and Linda) were unable to attend, Renee Jones, chair of the Economic Development Commission (EDC) stood in to present their award. She commended the business for providing personal attention to a wide variety of print materials, including business cards, wedding invitations, mailing inserts, leaflets, and banners, noting that they have been doing business in Tiverton since 1984.
5. 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. September 28, 2026 – Regular Meeting
2. September 28, 2026 – Executive Session
B. Acknowledge Receipt of Minutes from Boards/Commissions/Committees
1. Historic Preservation Advisory Board (2)
2. Board of Canvassers (1)
C. Acknowledge Receipt of Reports
1. Town Administrator – Departments’ Monthly Reports – September 2026
2. Town Administrator – Fire Department Overtime Report – September 2026
D. Acknowledge Receipt of Correspondence
1. RI Federal Delegation – Letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin requesting federal support related to
private well PFAS contamination
2. Letter from School Finance Director Andrade - The Met CTE tuition clarification
3. Letter from Katherine Peruzzi – Portsmouth litigation challenging RI housing and land use mandates
4. Letter from Thomas Furman – Proposed multi-house development and access from Mary Lane
5. Letters from Sandra Van Hof - PFAS Finances and Local medical professional information sharing
6. Letters from Cynthia Wesling and Thomas Wesling – Opposition to Friendship Farms II
7. Letter from Frank DiGregorio – Opposing LMI Housing Act by participating in Portsmouth and
Hopkinton’s legal action under Article XIII
8. Letter from The Samaritans of Rhode Island
9. Town of Exeter – Resolution requesting the Rhode Island General Assembly to relieve cities and towns
of the unfunded mandate to prepare emergency action plans for privately owned dams, and to end
the penalizing of municipalities for owner noncompliance
10. Town of Exeter - Resolution supporting Gloucester and other Rhode Island municipalities seeking
reform of dam emergency action plan requirements
E. Approval of Tax Assessor Abatements – $4,992.97
Councilor deMedeiros pulled items D-4 and D-6
Councilor Paull motioned to approve the Consent Agenda except for items D-4 and D-6. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
Re: D-4 and D-6, Councilor deMedeiros requested that two specific letters be forwarded to the planning board because they contain crucial context regarding upcoming board decisions.
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to approve Consent Agenda items D-4 and D-6. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
Without objection, items 8-B and 8-A were taken out of order.
B. Administrator Jones – Update on Crandall Road regarding PFAS and Community Meeting
The administrator relayed bid for Phase 1 waterline extension was awarded to Boyle & Fogerty for under $1 million. Plans are on schedule to begin construction before first snowfall. The confirmed contaminated wells count remains stable at 110, up from an initial 41. He said DEM is aiming to install 10 water filtration systems per week, prioritizing residents waiting the longest. Some delays occurred because multiple wells contained hard water or heavy metals that would ruin the PFAS carbon filters; thus, DEM had to subcontract separate water softener/pre-treatment installations to fix this.
Council members raised concern that incoming EPA lifetime health advisory standards are lower than Rhode Island's current threshold of 20 parts per trillion. Discussion centered on the back-flushing cycle of these home systems. Members pointed out that flushing systems risks dumping concentrated PFAS back onto the surface soil, exacerbating the environmental cycle.
Mr. Jones said that while there is no official disaster declaration, FEMA is actively participating in weekly stakeholder meetings to identify alternative federal funding pathways, such as HUD or Veterans Administration grants.
The town continues to offer $200 reimbursements for independent private well testing, provided residents share mapping data with the town hall. A town informational meeting is being scheduled for the week of October 26, tentatively looking at Monday the 26th, to be hosted at either the high school or middle school.
PFAS-affected resident Michelle Reffelt shared that a full-house water filtration system installed in her home on July 23rd had failed. She received water test results detailing the issue and was scheduled for a pre-inspection for a pre-treatment water softener system. She expressed concern over what to do with flushed-out water from the pretreatment process. She also noted that her neighbor was switching to a simpler reverse osmosis system instead of a full-house setup.
Ms. Reffelt, also assisting with the mental health outreach, updated on local mental health sessions provided by Newport County Mental Health. While individual sessions take place on Mondays and Thursdays at Fort Barton, she strongly recommended the monthly group sessions, noting it was highly beneficial for contaminated well residents to vent and connect.
The administrator noted an upcoming meeting with the CEO of Newport County Mental Health regarding a $350,000 grant aimed at establishing a permanent location in Tiverton. They discussed the deployment of an informational flyer created by the organization. Because social media cannot reach everyone, council agreed to coordinate physical mailings using addresses compiled from local emergency water deliveries, and placing flyers in the library, town hall, and senior center.
A. PARE Engineering presentation on DPW Feasibility Study/Public Safety Complex
Administrator Jones gave an overview of the DPW Feasibility Study and Public Safety Complex report prepared by PARE Engineering related to a potential public safety and DPW complex. He cited a pressing timeline to relocate the town's recycling center as it sits on a section of the industrial park operating under a 5-year lease. While the town initially explored building the complex where the DPW currently resides, Mr. Jones highlighted major concerns regarding traffic and other overlapping local developments in the surrounding area.
A pre-presentation review meeting would be arranged with a stakeholder team consisting of the fire and police chiefs, the DPW director, the town planner, and PARE Engineering. President Edwards suggested postponing until after the incoming town council was sworn in, noting the new council members would ultimately have to live with and make the final decision.
6. PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING A COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM OR OTHER TOWN BUSINESS
Resident John Quirk expressed concern over the town's ongoing PFAS groundwater contamination crisis, urging council to push visiting senators to explore EPA Superfund avenues for additional cleanup resources. He noted that federal agencies will likely require a definitive source location, which has still not been officially determined. Administrator Jones replied that consulting engineers are actively investigating the source layout to secure more mitigation avenues.
Randall Rose from Rhode Islanders for Personal Privacy voiced strong opposition to the proposed $500,000+ Axon police equipment bundle contract expansion. He criticized problematic clauses, specifically pointing out pg. 11 that gives Axon an unrestricted right to utilize drone-collected data for any purpose. He also flagged massive data privacy gaps regarding AI tools and interconnected camera feeds shared across federal agency lines.
Jack Downey from 61 Pinerest Avenue, Providence also opposed the Axon contract extension. He warned against the application of unproven AI utilities in preventing crime, noting the dangerous statewide precedent of deploying airborne surveillance drones.
Resident V.A. Lopes stated that while she supports body cameras to protect officers, she shares privacy concerns regarding unannounced feature updates. She formally requested a contract amendment preventing municipal data from being used in aggregate machine learning and also asked for a public tracking system to notify local neighborhoods whenever police drones are actively flying over private backyards.
Jamie French from Craig Avenue warned the council against falling for a bundled sales pitch. She noted some advanced taser models mentioned by sales reps have not been fully developed. She said the town should piecemeal only what it strictly requires rather than waste tax money on over-automated AI tools.
7. APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS– Discussion and possible votes
A. Acknowledgement of resignation/retirement
1. Bob Sutherland from the Dog Park Committee, effective 10/3/2026
Councilor Paull motioned to accept Mr. Sutherlands’ resignation with regret. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
B. Open Space and Land Preservation Commission - (9) Member Board (3) Year Terms (2) Vacancies
1. Anja Josuweit, 40 Furey Avenue - Requests appointment for term ending 4/15/2027 or 4/15/2028
C. Zoning Board of Review - (7) Member Board (5) Year Terms (2) Alternate Vacancies
1. Anja Josuweit, 40 Furey Avenue - Requests appointment to Alternate position for term ending
7/15/2027
Ms. Josuweit was interviewed by the council.
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to waive policy and proceed to appointments. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed 5-1, with Councilor Committo opposed.
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to appoint Anja Josuweit to the Open Space and Land Preservation Commission for a term ending 4/15/2028. Seconded by Councilor Burk, the motion passed unanimously.
Councilor deMedeiros motioned to appoint Anja Josuweit to the alternate position on the Zoning Board of Review for a term ending 7/15/2027. Seconded by Councilor Burk, the motion passed 5-1, with Councilor Committo opposed.
8. GENERAL BUSINESS
A. PARE Engineering presentation on DPW Feasibility Study/Public Safety Complex
The item was addressed earlier in the meeting.
B. Administrator Jones – Update on Crandall Road regarding PFAS and Community Meeting
The item was addressed earlier in the meeting.
C. Solicitor Marcello – Update on alternative resolution options for potential PFAS moratorium
Solicitor Romano outlined two potential statutory avenues which allow a municipality to restrict land-use approvals for up to 120 days in a "dire emergency," and to utilize emergency charter powers. He warned that multiple local development applications are already legally vested projects, such as 1588 Bulgarmarsh Road/Crandall Commons, Spring Street, Friendship Farms 1 & 2, and Stafford Farms. He noted that while standard emergency powers typically do not halt vested projects, a "dire emergency" ordinance might allow it for a limited window, though it would likely trigger immediate developer lawsuits and temporary restraining orders.
Council members debated balancing the urgent need to install a clean public water main against concerns over soil disturbance and potential cross-contamination of bedrock fissures, ultimately reaching a consensus to direct the solicitor to draft baseline ordinance language to prohibit blasting and new supply well drilling within the defined PFAS zone, while incorporating an emergency safety valve for critical repairs like failing septic systems.
D. Police Chief Costa – Discussion and possible vote for additional funding needed for installation of
purchased traffic safety signage at Pocasset and Ranger/ High School Area – from Municipal Capital Fund
640, not to exceed $6,000.
Chief Costa and DPW Director Silva relayed that the supplied 2-inch square mounting poles included with the solar-powered digital radar speed signs were inadequate and swayed dangerously in moderate winds. They recommended purchasing heavy-duty poles, renting an earth auger to bypass rocky soil, pouring concrete footings, and hiring an electrician to safely integrate the solar panels.
Councilor Paull motioned to approve additional funding needed for installation of purchased traffic safety signage at Pocasset and Ranger/ High School Area not to exceed $10,580 from Municipal Capital Fund 640. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
E. Police Chief Costa – Discussion and possible vote to extend and consolidate contracts with AXON for the
following equipment/systems which previously were contracted separately: AXON Body Worn Cameras,
AXON Signal System, Tasers, Drones (2), and evidence management system (evidence.com).
Chief Costa requested to merge and renew five-year police equipment contracts with Axon into one bundle, covering body-worn cameras, signal systems, tasers, two drones, and evidence.com. Consolidating the separate services secures $250,000 in savings for the town.
In response to public comments regarding privacy, AI integration, and airborne cameras, he clarified that drones are strictly for emergencies (e.g., missing persons or executing search warrants) and are not patrolling 24/7. He highlighted safety features, noting the signal app automatically turns on body cameras when a cruiser's sirens are activated or a weapon is unholstered.
Councilor Paull motioned to extend and consolidate contracts with AXON for the following equipment/systems which previously were contracted separately: AXON Body Worn Cameras, AXON Signal System, Tasers, Drones (2), and evidence management system. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
F. Police Chief Costa – Discussion and possible vote to add and/or remove stop signage at the locations of;
Kenyon Ave and Hope St; East Beardsworth Rd and Hope St; Beardsworth Rd and Hope St; Doris Ave and
Hope St; Durfee Rd and Hope St; Vallee St at Doris Ave; Valley St at Alan St
The council reviewed a DPW intersection study showing a pattern of seven stop signs across a local neighborhood to establish uniform traffic flow. Several council members expressed hesitation over "stop sign pollution" in low-volume residential areas where accident history does not warrant federal traffic intervention.
Rather than installing all seven proposed signs, the council voted to approve the original request, directing the solicitor to draft an ordinance to add a single eastbound stop sign at the corner of Kenyon Avenue and Hope Street, turning it into a two-way stop intersection.
Councilor Burk motioned to direct the solicitor to draft an ordinance for consideration to place a stop sign at the corner of Kenyon and Hope. Seconded by Councilor Committo, the motion passed unanimously.
G. Council President Edwards V – Requesting an update from the Planning Board on Council’s request for
review of Article IV Section 16 prohibited uses
President Edwards V highlighted a communication failure where a year-and-a-half-old directive to have the Planning Board review regulations for gas stations and breweries had stalled at a separate committee level. The council confirmed the request would finally be sent directly to the current Planning Board chair.
H. Councilor Paull - Discussion and possible vote on proposed zoning amendments on wedding venues
The council requested historical research by the solicitor and clerk into past minutes, lawsuits, and condo association rules from circa 2020 regarding the Four Corners Meeting House to see if the town can safely reintroduce large wedding events with proper structural guardrails.
I. Councilor Paull - Discussion and possible vote to review ordinance Section 54-32 to allow dogs to be
walked on leashes with their owners on the tracks at Town Farm and Bulgarmarsh Park
Councilor Paull raised concern over residents being ticketed for walking small dogs on local recreational tracks. Council agreed to forward a proposal to the Recreation Beach Committee to look into changing Section 54-32 to permit leashed dogs strictly on the tracks at Town Farm and Bulgarmarsh Park, while continuing to ban them from the actual ball fields.
Councilor Burk motioned to forward ordinance Section 54-32 for dogs on the tracks at Town Farm and Bulgarmarsh Park to Recreation for their recommendation. Seconded by Councilor Perry, the motion passed unanimously.
J. Councilor Burk / Administrator Jones – Discussion to advertise for an ordinance change to the Two Rod
Way Parking ordinance (cont. from 9/28)
The topic focused on a current ordinance that contains too much ambiguity for enforcement, specifically regarding the "mean high tide mark" boundary line. Additionally, double parking is creating an environment that poses safety risks and blocks emergency rescue vehicles. The council discussed balancing public access to the water (for fishing and kayaking) with public safety rules.
Councilor Burk motioned to direct the solicitor to revise the ordinance related to Two Rod Way parking to limit it to four spots on the north side of the road closest to the mean high tide. Seconded by Councilor Edwards V, the motion passed unanimously.
K. Councilor Burk – Discussion and possible vote to authorize the Town Administrator to collaborate with the
Superintendent and submit joint comments regarding RIDE’s proposal to modify regulations related to
Career and Technical Education and Secondary Education
Councilor Burk explained RIDE’s proposed modifications to career, technical, and secondary education regulations. An upcoming public comment deadline was set for October 27th. Administrator Jones noted that the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns would likely submit comments on behalf of municipalities. Council agreed that the administrator is implicitly authorized by charter to collaborate with the superintendent to draft and submit joint community comments addressing their shared concerns.
L. Clerk Chabot – Update on Elections:
Voter Information Guide – Discussion and possible vote on funding the Guide production and mailing
from Council Contingency, not to exceed $8,700.00
Early Voting starts October 14, 2026, through November 2, 2026. General Election Nov 3, 2026
Clerk Chabot informed the Voter Information Guide—covering upcoming charter amendments and land transfer questions—was printed by Paul's Press and successfully sent to the direct mailer over the holiday weekend. She requested funding for the guide.
Councilor Paull motioned to cover the costs of the voter information guide from Council Contingency in an amount not to exceed $8,700. Seconded by Councilor deMedeiros, the motion passed unanimously.
Ms. Chabot concluded the section by mapping out the strict local election timeline. The early voting period is from October 14 to November 2, 2026, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM at Town Hall, and General Election Day is November 3, 2026.
9. EXECUTIVE SESSION
A. Solicitor Marcello – R.I. Gen. Laws §42-46-5(a)(2) – Potential Litigation and information of the Town of
Portsmouth v. State of Rhode Island et. al.
B. Solicitor Marcello – R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-5(a)(2) - Potential litigation regarding tax treaty with Twin River
Tiverton, LLC
C. Solicitor Marcello - R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-5(a)(2) - General update on all pending litigation
Councilor Edwards V motioned to enter into Executive Session for agenda items 9-A, 9-B, and 9-C. Seconded by Councilor Paull, the motion passed unanimously.
The Council entered a closed executive session at approximately 9:28 p.m.
The Council returned to open session at approximately 10:24 p.m.
Councilor Burk motioned to seal the minutes of Executive Session. Councilor Paull seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Solicitor Marcello reported that items 9-A, 9-B, and 9-C were discussion only; no votes were taken.
9. ADJOURNMENT
Councilor Burk moved to adjourn the meeting. Councilor Paull seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 10:25 p.m.
A True Copy.
ATTEST______________________________________
Joan B. Chabot, CMC, Town Clerk