[{"_1":2,"_94":-5,"_95":-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",[32,74,84],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6570403,"mediaKeyId","3194689-44b2b422c38d5fe5092a9dfdeb55891a","parentId",3194689,"title","Council amends state tax‑classification request to give Warwick more local flexibility, approves measure","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",5231000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3194689-44b2b422c38d5fe5092a9dfdeb55891a&start=5231&end=5231","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3194689-44b2b422c38d5fe5092a9dfdeb55891a/thumbnail_5231000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6570403/Warwick-City/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Council-amends-state-taxclassification-request-to-give-Warwick-more-local-flexibility-approves-measure","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570403-96a43e63f5f00fe73a71521d37e9c212/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154372&Signature=K2RymqouDLu0oB7kWAOhuNJ7mGhIlcjAXuTmVUoWnpw3mzw-FCqYVdFsaXVSxMKvtW-XwW3Q~5ZWWkMPWpSMQYJzfXzXPt8th-7Gv4sZdmgDT~MKAGKcXrQA8WEUQm59URfQQR85O1NXrsQ1xPCzBXWwNdEWl5TuL3XiK5XdSbowRLohCCeQwbmzSdI2xQOEhUWJhxYRJdm7IpG5NleWnDLuyWzs7VF~ive1N7IRzB1UwfZZjnlBkd4gVkQKQaU4RkkCc7NHSi1SCIB-6~QjskThNnbJ8A7zuvr0oAL5X1LhxwzXkhW2seYLd6HiuUlhTQUsYTTGoNwWJrgv06CwbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Warwick","date","2025-05-06T01:35:32Z","article","The Warwick City Council voted to approve an amended resolution asking the Rhode Island General Assembly to modify the state tax‑classification statute so the city can exercise more local flexibility in setting class tax rates.

Neil Dupuy, director of assessing, told the council the measure is intended to prevent an unintended shift in tax burden after revaluation. “Nothing that we're proposing here tonight is trying to increase the taxes on any commercial property owner,” Dupuy said, explaining that revaluations can change the balance of revenue between the residential and commercial tax classes if the statutory ratio is too rigid.

The council considered and adopted an amendment that removes a prescriptive statutory ratio (a clause that would have required class 1 residential rates to be at least 57% of class 2 commercial rates) and struck proposed new, specific language that would have embedded detailed formulae in state law. The amendment leaves the council responsible for approving tax rates each year through the same process used for the city budget and allows the city to place more detailed guardrails in local ordinance instead of relying on state statute.

Dupuy said the city’s current commercial share of the net levy is about 32% and that the proposed change aims to preserve the relative revenue share between classes in the face of market shifts. Council members said the amendment was intended to let Warwick respond to local market conditions without repeatedly seeking piecemeal statutory changes from the General Assembly.

Members of the public asked for clarity about the scope and effect of the change. Anne Sheridan asked whether the proposal covered condominiums and whether changes would be triggered only at revaluation; Dupuy clarified that class definitions are state law and that the intent was to stabilize revenue by class, not to impose new individual tax bills by administrative fiat. Michelle Kumar and other residents urged clear guardrails and transparency so residents understand when and how rates might change.

Councilman Kevin Napa moved the amendment to delete the 57% prescriptive language and the additional proposed state text; the motion to approve the resolution as amended was seconded and passed on roll call. The clerk recorded an affirmative vote by the full council (8 yes), approving the amended request for state action.

The administration and assessing department will work on any accompanying local ordinance language and provide data during budget hearings so the council can consider the rates and revenue implications as part of its annual budget process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Warwick City Council Meeting - 5.5.25","oneSentenceSummary","Warwick council voted to approve an amended resolution asking the General Assembly to change state law so the city can set tax‑class ratios locally through its annual budget instead of a fixed statutory formula.","taxTitle","Warwick City, Kent County, Rhode Island","taxId",4566,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":42,"_43":77,"_45":77,"_46":78,"_48":79,"_50":80,"_52":81,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":82,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":83,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6570408,"Council approves $150,000 spending authority for fire‑apparatus repairs after debate over bid transparency",3613000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3194689-44b2b422c38d5fe5092a9dfdeb55891a&start=3613&end=3613","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3194689-44b2b422c38d5fe5092a9dfdeb55891a/thumbnail_3613000.jpg","/articles/6570408/Warwick-City/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Council-approves-150000-spending-authority-for-fireapparatus-repairs-after-debate-over-bid-transparency","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570408-f4f79ce496b715e0f9c416afc0a8312e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154372&Signature=bovZ~mqCW7JQU7glpXJym0QZcmErkSEAmS8CeXTL2ycHHkAT7J9BmyDKK2PYSm1GV5HHCLLH-tfJ7bmJze8M~b-cDWV~J9LpNLG39uAsrUAcPQDUPntVj5tp18DhxTIkJl6r2svawXUxxRwq4Y-UuaHBk45ZjUxwDmb6EVCAU81xSxY9UDzAdnivC0zeacfoR24lOv6flI9lwt285~07ZSj2GMLfVIoQb6UMGYD8XZJMRIQdjI2~JlJIbwDGjermVu~HTM41g6nUG9i78pyZRyJ0lhN9gvbpVj0CnYTnE~Et1lB~4iEAKas-W5w8Ryp~s~zS6~Qp2YLmFV-eh~pXsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Warwick City Council approved spending authority of up to $150,000 to award a one‑year contract (June 8, 2025–June 7, 2026) for fire apparatus repairs, after multiple council members criticized the solicitation for lacking line‑item pricing.

Christie Moretti of Public Works told the Finance Committee that Public Works received one bid for on‑site and vendor repairs from On Scene LLC and requested consolidated spending authority covering two parts of the solicitation. “This is a new bid award that we are requesting… It is a hundred and $50,000 collectively between a and b for spending authority,” Moretti said, adding department figures for prior years’ outside repair costs.

Several council members objected to the lack of specific prices in the bid. “I’m surprised this bid even came to us because we have no prices in this,” Councilman Matthew Lattice said at committee. Lattice and other members repeatedly pressed staff for concrete net prices rather than a percentage‑off‑list approach; he warned that taking vendors at a declared “20% off” without seeing list prices would let bidders “write their own price.”

Public Works explained that many fire‑apparatus repairs are performed in‑house and that only specialized work (ladders, pumps, transmissions) must be sent to outside vendors. Moretti said the department typically performs about 95% of fire‑apparatus repairs in‑house and sends about 5% out for specialized work. She also gave recent spending figures: fiscal year 2023 outside repairs $115,570.45; FY2024 $55,181.83; FY2025 to date $37,159.48.

Council members who opposed the motion said awarding a contract with no line‑item pricing was poor practice and encouraged companies to skip bidding if they expected to be added to an incumbency list anyway. Councilman Lattice said adding non‑bidders to the list “encourages companies to say, the heck with it — I’m not gonna bid.” The administration countered that part B of the solicitation adds vendors who work on specialized makes and models; Public Works said it needed the flexibility to send certain trucks to specific vendors because not every vendor works on every apparatus brand.

After committee debate, the full council approved the spending authority. Clerk roll call shows the motion passed, 6‑2, with Lattice and Ricks voting no and the remaining members voting yes.

The council asked Public Works to provide more detail about the most commonly used parts and to tighten procurement documentation for future awards. The department said it would supply lists of typical parts and consider separating high‑volume items into distinct PCRs (purchase contract requests) so the council can review pricing with more specificity.","Council approved awarding fire‑apparatus repairs to the lone bidder despite objections about missing list prices in the bid. Council members pressed Public Works to include clearer pricing on future contracts and to avoid open‑ended spending without line‑item figures.",{"_33":85,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":86,"_41":42,"_43":87,"_45":87,"_46":88,"_48":89,"_50":90,"_52":91,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":92,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":93,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6570413,"Warwick holds vote on food-truck contract after vendors and council raise fairness concerns",205000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3194689-44b2b422c38d5fe5092a9dfdeb55891a&start=205&end=205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3194689-44b2b422c38d5fe5092a9dfdeb55891a/thumbnail_205000.jpg","/articles/6570413/Warwick-City/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Warwick-holds-vote-on-food-truck-contract-after-vendors-and-council-raise-fairness-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570413-c50755d5b652c4476ac53132fd45d56a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154372&Signature=J5MBH0ULQhsTNJKUfPM41xEmAV2MgL3fYuW6C2Bs6LZ-RbQ6a9xFy~h~YaRhBjH7bRsJ2WPrIhu5tebb1bzBMJSyU5ZZw5BuDnAgnlLuhMs0sgEy6FeJ9tGfmMqkRDhl1FMzWP3a5Xx9tLDHL7hckkYvtOQDV-sZFeGV1QpRGxhg7CqB2l3F7-VS1HBCtC9Um2Ct-0erqizS84IgyPg2dOxBFEBmRRYrokc2pRBjHmR-aIXDDUQA~q1L8hBSvXMrDTsJTT0GPsREAo~FUMR0i6B9Jjy3ggE5PjAq8sDEz7mgiWVBtDGu4carckZOsCyDun2m2wADMpZP2ewCwjM5Tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Warwick City Council on the floor of its meeting held action on a request to award a one‑year revenue contract for city‑sponsored food‑truck events to Ocean State Concessions LLC after an extended discussion about bidding rules and fairness to local vendors.

Parks and Recreation matters were presented to the Finance Committee by Bill Vicente, chief of staff to Mayor Picozzi, who said the administration sought a single contractor to organize food trucks at 13 city events and estimated the award would generate $8,260 in revenue to the city for the season. “This is the first year we’re doing this, and I ask that we are given a 1 year trial to see how it works,” Vicente said at the committee hearing.

The request drew sustained objections from council members and multiple public speakers who said the procurement process disadvantaged long‑standing Warwick vendors and lacked clarity on responsibilities, minimum bids and placement decisions. Councilman Matthew Lattice and others pressed the administration on bid language, apparent discrepancies in minimum bid amounts and a provision that would allow the contract to be extended by “mutual agreement.”

Business owners who testified said the process felt exclusionary. “This is a monopoly,” said Robert Lombardi, owner of New England Lemonade, who described bidding for seasonal locations over decades and said his firm previously paid $18,500 for a package of locations. Local vendor Rick Leandre said he was “totally against this bid” and complained the structure required food truck operators to join an association to compete.

Administration officials and the parks and recreation presenter said the contract does not stop any properly licensed food truck from “driving through” and selling on city property outside the 13 listed events, and that the sample vendor agreement (included in the RFP pages 14–16) spells out requirements for participating trucks. Vicente told council members the 13 events were scheduled and that the first event is June 20, with another on July 9.

Council members raised two recurring concerns: first, that the RFP did not include an explicit preference or protections for Warwick‑based vendors; second, that the award would give the vendor discretion to assign which trucks attend which events. Vicente said the vendor would recommend a lineup but that the administration would set placement limits and that the city would have to approve any contract extension under its purchasing rules.

After debate at the full council, a motion to approve the award resulted in a 4‑4 tie and failed. The council then voted 8‑0 to hold the item and take no further action until the next meeting, scheduled June 2, so members can revisit bid language and allow additional input.

The contract under consideration (bid 2025419) would cover business coordination of food trucks at 13 predetermined city events; the bid term as written in the RFP runs January 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026, with a possible one‑year extension by mutual agreement. The administration said last season’s coordinated events produced $4,350 in revenue versus the $8,260 figure estimated under the current proposal.

The council directed further review of RFP details — including minimum bid inconsistencies raised on the bid pages — and invited additional information from the purchasing division and Parks and Recreation ahead of the June 2 meeting. The council did not approve any contract or authorize staff to execute an award at tonight’s session.

Looking ahead, the administration said it will treat this as a one‑year trial and that any contract extension would require council approval. The council signaled interest in stronger protections for local vendors, clearer role definitions in future RFPs, and clearer, documented attendance and revenue projections.","City council held action on a one‑year award to Ocean State Confections after weeks of questions from council members and vendors about the RFP’s terms, vendor preference, revenue estimates and who assigns trucks to events. The contract was held for further review until the council’s June 2 meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council amends state tax‑classification request to give Warwick more local flexibility, approves measure

Council approves $150,000 spending authority for fire‑apparatus repairs after debate over bid transparency

Warwick holds vote on food-truck contract after vendors and council raise fairness concerns