Town of Tiverton, Rhode Island
Town Council Meeting

NOTICE and AGENDA
Regular Meeting: Monday, September 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

Tiverton Town Hall
343 Highland Road
Tiverton, Rhode Island 02878

 

Notice: Meeting is in person only and may also be viewable live at: www.youtube.com/user/TivertonVideos

 

Individuals requesting interpreter services for the hearing impaired must contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 343 Highland Road or call (401) 625-6704 at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the meeting.

 

Pursuant to RIGL §42-46-6(b): “Nothing contained herein shall prevent a public body, other than a school committee, from adding additional items to the agenda by a 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.”

 

The public may send written comments by regular mail to the Town Clerk at 343 Highland Road, Tiverton, RI 02878, or place them in the grey drop box located outside Town Hall by noon on the day of the meeting.

 

 

Date Posted: September 24, 2026

 

 

1.       CALL TO ORDER

 

2.       PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

 

3.       ROLL CALL

 

President John G. Edwards V           Vice President David J. Paull         Deborah G. Janick

Denise M. deMedeiros                       Craig R. Committo                            David Perry

Michael S. Burk

 

 

 

*** Proclamation In Recognition of Dorothy Furtado’s 100^th Birthday! ***

 

 

 

4.       LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

 

A.      Standish Boat Yard, 1697 Main Road - presentation related to their business activities and history 

 

 

 

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.       July 27, 2026 – Regular Meeting (Councilors Committo, deMedeiros, and Burk abstain, absent)

2.       July 27, 2026 – Executive Session (Councilors Committo, deMedeiros, and Burk abstain, absent)

3.       August 6, 2026 – Special Meeting (Councilor Janick abstains, absent)

4.       August 11, 2026 – Regular Meeting (Councilor Janick abstains, absent)

5.       August 24, 2026 – Regular Meeting

6.       August 24, 2026 – Executive Session

 

B.      Acknowledge Receipt of Minutes from Boards/Commissions/Committees

1.       Economic Development Commission (1)

2.       Zoning Board of Review (1)

3.       Historical Cemeteries Commission (3)

4.       Litter Control Committee (1)

5.       Building Code Board of Appeals (1)

6.       Board of Canvassers (5)

7.       Open Space and Land Preservation (1)

8.       Harbor Commission (1)

9.       Zoning Revision Committee (3)

 

C.      Acknowledge Receipt of Reports

1.       Town Administrator – Departments’ Monthly Reports – August 2026

2.       Town Administrator – Police and Fire Department Overtime Reports – August 2026

3.       Treasurer Saurette – Budget and Revenue Reports – August 2026

4.       School Department - YTD Budget v. Actual Report – August 2026

5.       School Department - Preliminary Year-End Financial Results – FY2026

6.       School Department – FY2027 First Month Financial Review through July 31, 2026

     

D.      Acknowledge Receipt of Correspondence

1.       Town of Richmond – Town Ordinance Amendment – No Knock Registry

2.       Town of Little Compton - Resolution requesting the Rhode Island General Assembly and the Executive Office of Housing to recognize the unique challenges facing the Town of Little Compton in the Development of Affordable Housing and to provide support to address these Obstacles

3.       Town of Gloucester - Resolution requesting the RI 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

4.       Auditor General – Letter of approval of deficit reduction plan to address school departments' Cumulative deficit of $1,243,427 as of June 30, 2025 

5.       Letter from Janice Vincent - in opposition to the Friendship Farms II major land development proposal

6.       Letter from Katherine Peruzzi - PFAS results and soil dumping at Friendship Farms

7.       Letter from Katherine Peruzzi - Request for Immediate Freeze on New Development in PFAS-Impacted Areas / Public Health & Environmental Concerns

8.       Letter from Blake Hayden – formal objection to recent actions and proposed abutter approvals related to 61 Highland Court, as well as the ongoing pattern of inconsistent treatment regarding my property at 174 and 214/214R Highland Road

9.       Letter from Sandra Van Hof – URI Groundwater Study

10.   Letter from Deborah Dutra – request to place decorative cornstalks on 8 sign poles along Quintal Drive

 

E.       Approval of Tax Assessor Abatements – $231.48

 

F.       Approval of Tax Collector Abatements – $20,909.66

 

6.       PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING A COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM OR OTHER TOWN BUSINESS

 

 

7.       PUBLIC HEARINGS (ADVERTISED) – Discussion and possible votes, subject to meeting all legal requirements

 

A.      Aurora Goodland/Tiverton Land Trust, 3228 Main Road – Request approval of Class F One-Day Liquor License for Hicks Farm Fundraiser event on October 2, 2026 from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM (SPE-173)

 

B.      Elizabeth Corsetti, 61 Highland Court – Requesting approval of Sound Variance for wedding on October 3, 2026 (rain date October 4, 2026) from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM (SPE-187)

 

C.      Jim Long/Street Legal CEO Club, 216 Progress Road – Requesting approval of Entertainment, Victualling and Class BV Liquor Licenses, hours of operation Sunday 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM (ANN-26-3) (LIQ-23-1)

 

 

8.       BOARD OF LICENSING– Discussion and possible votes, subject to meeting all legal requirements

Directions to view licensing applications: 1) Click on https://tivertonri.portal.opengov.com/search,

2) Click Records and then type in the record number listed on the agenda, 3) Click on the highlighted record to view the application

 

A.      Karan Goswami/Daily Stop Mart, 11 Hurst Lane – Request approval for new Tobacco License (ANN-26-2)

 

9.       APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS– Discussion and possible votes

 

A.      Acknowledgement of resignation/retirement

1.       John Chelo from the Budget Committee, effective 9/23/2026

 

B.      Juvenile Hearing Board - (7) Member Board (3) Year Terms (1) Alternate Vacancy

1.       Timothy Backstrom, 63 Massey Road - Requests appointment for term ending 10/15/2027

 

C.      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

 

D.      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

 

10.   GENERAL BUSINESS

 

A.      School Department – Update regarding calculation of Out-of-District placement of CTE students

 

B.      School Department – Discussion and possible vote on FY27 Capital Funding requests and proposed Resolution 2026–0024

1.       High school tennis court drainage and court equipment - $28,505

2.       Ranger Elementary School oil tank protection - $50,000

3.       Food service program vehicle - $30,000

 

C.      Police Chief Costa – Discussion and possible vote to appoint retired Police Lt. Jonathan Cunningham to the Reserve Officer Corps (R.O.C.)

 

D.      Police Chief Costa – Discussion and possible vote to extend contract with AXON for Body Worn Cameras

 

E.       Recreation Chair Gilfillen – Discussion and possible vote on approval of Commemorative Item Dedication Policy and Municipal Facilities Naming Policy

 

F.       Vice President Paull – Discussion and possible vote to install stop sign at intersection of Kenyon Road and Hope Street

 

G.      Councilor Committo – Discussion and possible vote regarding Hometown Heroes Banners for utility poles

 

H.      Councilor Committo – Discussion and possible vote regarding moratorium on PFAS areas

 

I.         Administrator Jones – Update on Crandall Road regarding PFAS and Community Meeting

 

J.        Councilor Burk / Administrator Jones – Discussion to advertise for an ordinance change to the Two Rod Way Parking ordinance.

 

11.   EXECUTIVE SESSION

 

A.      Solicitor Marcello - R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-5(a)(2) Litigation: BCP Properties, LLC v. Town of Tiverton Planning Board by and through its Members, Town of Tiverton by and through its Finance Director (C.A. No. NC-2026-0394)

 

B.      Solicitor Marcello – R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-5(a)(2) Potential litigation regarding tax treaty with Twin River Tiverton, LLC

 

C.      Administrator Jones - R.I. Gen Law § 42-46-5(a)(2) Collective Bargaining – Discussion related to proposed Memorandum of Understanding with United Steelworkers AFL-CIO, CLC on behalf of Local 14845

 

12.   GENERAL BUSINESS (CONT.)

 

K.       Administrator Jones – Discussion and possible vote to ratify proposed Memorandum of Understanding with United Steelworkers AFL-CIO, CLC on behalf of Local 14845

 

13.   ADJOURNMENT