[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6084262,"mediaKeyId","2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c","parentId",2919097,"title","Council adopts updated police standing orders to meet accreditation standards","audioSeconds",449,"startMs",5453000,"endMs",5902000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c&start=5453&end=5902","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c/thumbnail_5453000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6084262/Rhode-Island/Council-adopts-updated-police-standing-orders-to-meet-accreditation-standards","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084262-2d26e7e20644093b5b1dc984991e01ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437788&Signature=gYMxkoRAlgb6NChtq2zaD~yKEAAQwB0WW9pvcXNkM5kEd8zqT8oWGds1A0OXgwbjudhv-UuXkVVAYRwJmsQY2g2xF7w7L7AxOa~N-YTHCI~-mBjrBJbgtVV8GwKhr9fQzCDyef7nkYz~X~lMyyFlkLDvgN-kLEeXTO-SunP2On72hInZh7z2rfqwLmWdB7E4xc3EI4H72El~Gf2SymLj-A1SUFNaySGPSQD9~gJEupSlJBVvfGsxJ2XG4YQ-qhSU4F6FsCgNLDYxBBUyXkuX9a5H2IPFru8NpGwsckT7iH8mel-6pe3yE7GxvxPEA598-N2RpY9JEFzmCA9hiF0R4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","South Kingstown","date","2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Town Council on Feb. 24 approved seven updated standing orders for the police department, a set of policy documents the department said were necessary to meet best‑practice standards for law enforcement accreditation.

South Kingstown Police Chief Matt Moynihan explained the updates are part of a broader effort to bring standing orders and policies up to date for the Rhode Island Police Accreditation Association re‑assessment scheduled for March. Moynihan said the changes include updates to use‑of‑force guidance, vehicle pursuit policy, evidence handling and administrative items such as grievance timelines and survivor benefits.

Legal counsel and the chief discussed a separate, longer‑term issue: South Kingstown’s charter requires council approval of standing orders, an arrangement the chief called “antiquated” compared with most other municipalities. Council members agreed the charter provision complicates operational agility and asked the chief and staff to prepare a charter amendment proposal for voter consideration so that future routine policy changes would not require council votes. “We should be able to make those decisions in short order, the chief said, without the elected body having to approve every standing order change.”

Councilors said they were supportive of the department’s accreditation work and commended the chief and his staff for the effort. There was no public opposition during the hearing. The council voted to close the public hearing and approved the standing orders by voice vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","South Kingstown February 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved seven updated police standing orders aimed at meeting accreditation requirements and modernizing departmental policies to reflect current best practices.","taxTitle","South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island","taxId",79771,"location","Rhode Island","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6084267,"South Kingstown councilors begin new‑term goal‑setting; housing, high school and zoning top priorities",1470,10000,1480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c&start=10&end=1480","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c/thumbnail_10000.jpg","/articles/6084267/Rhode-Island/South-Kingstown-councilors-begin-newterm-goalsetting-housing-high-school-and-zoning-top-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084267-a4344103fd0fbf7f7fc7a133e59d2974/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437788&Signature=ou2TLeRUMtj-f09k0R5F~ijoUR68g0Tx4papAwzPMMJ3rEn3vzBxe0HRz0QnvTTnS0bkNdd2DccRRiNar9ezzOMQzomxmlQgN2FRQwKFaarV55WhnKSRXOOD9uPnG9KgaHN7yRjvGuaRA1h099acqe0LldwoSVsrXmnLNvsa8lARRZCaa6ab5c67kVqOd61NQhCdJOqYQbZLmb1WW3KKVLztP1QBw64LIVeN7lyMrem7qdiSjNcN1b-JF1p~-nLi~-n64TGm1OogePwpoCIwGjeG1OPl6BVvnrbfdhDMDvGkh9U-mg4UM7EYNsZ3f6unzL0N~G4Cu1o7dP1Oh2DHUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members spent a large portion of the Feb. 24 meeting discussing shared goals and objectives for the new term. The session was framed as an initial prioritization and asked members to converge on a common list to guide work sessions and quarterly progress reporting.

Town Manager Jim O’Neil (introduced in the meeting simply as “Jim”) asked members to prioritize the items they each had submitted and to agree on a short list of three to five top objectives that the council could measure with quarterly updates: “It’s gonna take at least 2 meetings, maybe even 3, to really formalize the goals and objectives so that it’s just not a paper tiger,” he said.

Councilors repeatedly named affordable housing and the high‑school project among their top priorities. Council Member Bergner said she and others saw overlap among many agenda items and urged the council to “zoom out a little bit and put zoning as a comprehensive issue that we need to land‑use that we need to look at.”

Other frequently mentioned topics included identifying and moving forward with redevelopment of three vacant town properties, studying a homestead tax exemption and its fiscal implications, strengthening boards and commissions, and improving public communications (including the possibility of a regular council newsletter and special‑topic meetings). One councilor recommended scheduling focused special meetings for major issues — for instance, high‑school or affordable‑housing sessions held at times convenient for public participation — rather than stretching regular meetings late into the evening.

Council members said they wanted to avoid siloed decision‑making and emphasized the interrelationship among zoning, homestead exemptions and short‑term‑rental data. “We need good data in order to come up with a homestead exemption that doesn’t … put us in a budget problem,” one member said.

Members requested that town staff return with a consolidated listing of proposed goals and suggested metrics so the council could prioritize and assign timelines. The manager said staff would prepare a prioritized list and recommended metrics for monitoring progress and bring the list back at upcoming work sessions.

No formal votes were taken; councilors described the Feb. 24 session as the first of multiple meetings to refine and formalize goals and reporting metrics for the term.","Councilors held an extended work‑session discussion on priorities for the new term, identifying affordable housing, the high‑school project, zoning review, repurposing vacant town buildings, and exploring a homestead tax exemption as leading items for further work and quarterly monitoring.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6084272,"Council approves full Phase 1A of Old Mountain Field with fair‑share fees, awards construction contract to E.W. Berman",1863,6953000,8816000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c&start=6953&end=8816","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c/thumbnail_6953000.jpg","/articles/6084272/Rhode-Island/Council-approves-full-Phase-1A-of-Old-Mountain-Field-with-fairshare-fees-awards-construction-contract-to-EW-Berman","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084272-49fa7df3fc0eeeb25188205d746fe971/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437788&Signature=UOMA6lyKmA~wX3TfDASH6IaNpCq6aALxhR3zjO2oQ5t1CfbLp2FVZLO8DeGWxYx1sdfe62qPnE6g7jadgxTO~88~5mPbuum2sBWacogzXcJ~2yxHKP-DgGYlWERzgo0Jp-2m-cG--DmNIp8TlWiUP3JuHH1egFzreRGyessbJubSuZK1iwzkVptxMtnJxAEkM1imS1Lw1aiHfXfclrDkAF-1falChbzvwJ3AhYBn2UXs4FP6Yp7LiCJPS36slPR-YXAu67z8hSweBIA8JrHG1m1dprXiGfrc8EvYndCM8jLf64xZEfbNLGgHF5hqamdgAtzcB4YnH3Ns0pxYj1IkZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town Council on Feb. 24 authorized use of fair‑share development impact fees to finance the remaining balance needed to complete Phase 1A of the Old Mountain Field improvements and awarded the construction contract to E.W. Berman Inc.

Parks and Recreation Director Terry Murphy told the council the project has been through a master‑plan and value‑engineering process and returned three bids. The low responsive bid from E.W. Berman was $3,029,000 for Phase 1A without the stadium‑style seating; the seating was bid as an alternate for $749,000, producing a combined total of $3,778,000 if the council included the alternate.

Murphy said available funding sources included $977,571 in ARPA funds and $1,942,004 in reallocated CIP reserves. That left a funding gap the town proposed to cover with the fair‑share development fee balance. Recreation staff asked the council to authorize a $1,130,000 draw from the fair‑share fund so the full scope for Phase 1A could proceed without postponing the seating element.

Council members and staff discussed the tradeoffs. Council Member Bergner said she wanted to be cautious about depleting the fund entirely because other projects may rely on those fees. Finance Director Brian Sylvia explained the fair‑share fund balance was about $1,137,452 at the most recent accounting and that the town typically collects roughly $100,000–$140,000 annually. He also noted the fund must be used for new or upgraded public facilities and that unspent funds older than the statutory period could require refunding under state rules.

Murphy and design consultant Randy Collins explained that leaving the seating alternate out would make future installation more difficult and likely more expensive — a point the council weighed in deciding timing for the work. “If you do it in the future you’ll likely have to redo elements of this project,” Collins said.

After discussion, the council voted to (1) award the contract to E.W. Berman Inc. and (2) authorize the use of fair‑share development impact fees to fund the project shortfall so Phase 1A can be constructed as bid, including the seating alternate.

Council members said they expected staff to continue pursuing supplementary sources where available and to return with implementation details, including construction phasing to minimize impacts on spring athletic schedules. Director Murphy said work could start in spring 2025 and that, if the schedule holds, the town expects Phase 1A to be complete in early 2026.

The motion to approve the contract award and the use of fair‑share funds carried by voice vote.","The council voted to cover the shortfall on Old Mountain Field Phase 1A using fair‑share development impact fees and to award the construction contract to E.W. Berman Inc. The base bid was about $3.03 million with an alternate of $749,000 for the stadium‑style seating; the council approved funding to include the alternate.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6084277,"South Kingstown Council ratifies three-year AFSCME contract covering 49 town employees",885,1922000,2807000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c&start=1922&end=2807","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c/thumbnail_1922000.jpg","/articles/6084277/Rhode-Island/South-Kingstown-Council-ratifies-three-year-AFSCME-contract-covering-49-town-employees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084277-d2602d6e477089f02c695434f529f44d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437788&Signature=VnTjDr~9SP3BBBTV4E6E9OJeu4gC4IuExNp-mjHFto5~PMeZOmLp7tUhXOlLW7xWq37hM2rer7Mb4XHFKLeXCNlo7s-KLeO4cYMWtwc4Y0fKFflr~QbHBkwQwETQ1XMcG-B8d5K4hEgxcvGSUfkw4Q1nUfx-MvYTWo9WwmDkS51qtM~zwFrULNLCSmWsLNOvsuVGjhRpybiNq70sUW3Ph3TTLHrWxffDldrbxSAjdw1GDt-j0NiZ~ryI0gMaSzZ11489gFqXMj4yAtUc~5kN1ctSDpBsHfqJ8FqiWClEV93hw8U~1V8Y33u5WGKvX3DxF3G3SVRPSW2pLjV8AVMQkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Town Council on Feb. 24 ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement between the town and Rhode Island Council 94, AFSCME, Local 1612, covering 49 full‑time employees and effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027.

Town Manager James O’Neil introduced the agreement and thanked the union negotiating team and town staff for the process. “This team was very respectful in how they negotiated,” O’Neil said, and he invited union leaders to the meeting to be recognized.

Luke Murray, the town’s labor negotiator, described the contract as “a rewrite of a contract to help the town for the next time that we negotiate” and said the agreement includes a variable first‑year wage adjustment followed by 2% increases in years two and three, new skill‑based pay incentives, changes to vacation and bereavement leave, and other amendments to modernize job classifications and benefit administration. Murray told the council the rewrite aimed to bring many provisions into alignment with other town contracts and to address recruitment and retention.

Brian Sylvia, the town’s fiscal analyst, summarized the financial effects. He said the package’s negotiated costs over three years total about $660,000, and after allocating costs to enterprise funds (notably wastewater), the general fund’s share is roughly $465,000 over the three‑year period. “Year 1 … the fiscal impact is about $348,000,” Sylvia said, adding that $235,000 of that was projected to hit the general fund in the first year and that the general‑fund impact would decline in years two and three.

Council members thanked union representatives and staff. There was no recorded roll‑call discussion of individual council votes; the mayor called for the vote and commissioners answered in the affirmative. The motion to approve the contract carried.

The agreement replaces the prior terms for a mix of trades and operations staff, including wastewater, highway, dispatch and parks personnel, and incorporates a retention pay program paid into regular paychecks, an expanded dental dependent benefit to age 26, a consolidated sick‑time donation bank, and a skills‑incentive table attached to the contract.

Council President Rory McEntee and other members said they supported the contract as a balance between the town’s fiscal responsibility and fair compensation for employees.

The contract was entered into the town record with a directive that town management incorporate the new wage and benefit changes into departmental budgets and the fiscal forecast for the coming years.","The Town Council voted to ratify a three-year collective bargaining agreement with Rhode Island Council 94, AFSCME, Local 1612, covering 49 full-time positions. Officials said the agreement aims to improve recruitment and retention while limiting the general fund impact to $465,000 over three years.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6084257,"Votes at a glance: South Kingstown council approves licenses, contracts, abatements and appointments",2086,2830000,4916000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c&start=2830&end=4916","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2919097-1e2cf7bd399f198282cb662141178a4c/thumbnail_2830000.jpg","/articles/6084257/Rhode-Island/Votes-at-a-glance-South-Kingstown-council-approves-licenses-contracts-abatements-and-appointments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084257-a2fe2d8efdd773c903b2febbe1293dfe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437788&Signature=gTxgQ~bgvVDLih~GWfB8KEE81KSFlBh-mrEE4EF5vxIs08AIdQb33rB6OCu~QeIWU8dpx-wnf4ubnHFWKR-kwmc7f5D4~zFXlQzy4v~tKCihbgG6p3VtPmriyV~9ait1ULlb7LaeLZ0LQvJ~7Yr8OANhruWr2SXMFThoLrkpsJMb4fhUi-TU8-f09nGL6eKNm5K9jF8RsZ1q9YU14o6UhkuM2wu1WYEsJ4YCqmTrXJI~aGbYZ3p9KRZrHuEFSPOUIC1e35Rb6KPLS1JCcLgXzLFV9SW6G5eWtthwndkGMBGnQRZkOtzEgRe-oetyCMq-ikN3Wd959xcrm~RjPRmtPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The South Kingstown Town Council handled several consent and new‑business items on Feb. 24. The following list captures each formal action taken by the council during that segment of the meeting. Where the transcript recorded specific dollar amounts or parties, they are noted.

- 7A — Class F (19‑hour) beverage license to the Education Foundation of High Street Wakefield for a spring fundraiser on March 29 (application by Lisonbee/Allison). Motion approved by voice vote.

- 7B — Vending and holiday sales license to Ganttik Craft Chocolate (owner Stephen Schneider) for 227 Robinson Street, Wakefield. Motion approved by voice vote.

- 7C & 9A — Dance, holiday sales and related approvals and the transfer of Phil’s Kitchen liquor license to a new operator (323 Main Street — Shannon Brito doing business as Birch and Bay). Council approved the license resolution and subsequently approved the liquor‑license transfer after a public hearing; the council passed the transfer by voice vote.

- 10B — Tax‑abatement request arising from an assessment‑board decision for the former Schneider Building; the board reduced an assessment from $11,800,000 to $7,700,000 and the council approved an abatement totaling $45,622.14 as recommended by the assessor. Motion approved by voice vote.

- 10C — Payment for years two and three of the EagleView vendor contract for property imagery and appraisal services (assessor’s software/imagery contract). Motion approved by voice vote.

- 10D — Award of a three‑year contract to Fire Systems Inc. for testing fire alarms and suppression at town and school buildings; the vendor was the low responsive bidder after a procurement with four solicitations. Motion approved by voice vote.

- 10F — Award of a purchase contract to Emmy O’Brien & Sons (procurement consortium MC16B14) not to exceed $200,000 for exterior site furnishings tied to downtown Main Street/Riverwalk improvements (ARPA funds identified). Motion approved by voice vote.

- 10H — Authorization to award an owners project management (OPM) contract to KCM Group for up to $25,000 (to be reimbursable under a CDBG administrative allowance) to support design and schedule on a community learning center-related project. Motion approved by voice vote.

- 10I/J — (See separate article) Council approved the award and funding for Old Mountain Field Phase 1A (E.W. Berman) and authorized the draw on the fair‑share development fee fund.

- Appointments — The council confirmed at least one appointment to the Recreation Commission during the meeting (the record shows motions and confirmations; items without full seconded confirmation at the meeting were deferred or lacked a second). The council also confirmed other routine appointments and reappointments by voice vote.

Most consent‑agenda items were approved without extended debate; applicants for licenses (gallery event, Ganttik Craft Chocolate, and Birch and Bay) made brief presentations to councilors during the licensing segment.","At its Feb. 24 meeting the council approved routine and consent items including liquor and special event licenses, a transfer of Phil’s liquor license to Birch and Bay, a tax‑abatement tied to an assessor board decision, several vendor contracts, and a number of appointments. Many items were approved by voice vote with no recorded roll call.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council adopts updated police standing orders to meet accreditation standards

South Kingstown councilors begin new‑term goal‑setting; housing, high school and zoning top priorities

Council approves full Phase 1A of Old Mountain Field with fair‑share fees, awards construction contract to E.W. Berman

South Kingstown Council ratifies three-year AFSCME contract covering 49 town employees

Votes at a glance: South Kingstown council approves licenses, contracts, abatements and appointments