[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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],{"_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",6569811,"mediaKeyId","3277971-8c6e7666a767094ccd1708b4a7375360","parentId",3277971,"title","Votes at a glance: council accepts road, approves permits and licenses, and funds town projects","audioSeconds",403,"startMs",1923000,"endMs",2326000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3277971-8c6e7666a767094ccd1708b4a7375360&start=1923&end=2326","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3277971-8c6e7666a767094ccd1708b4a7375360/thumbnail_1923000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6569811/Rhode-Island/Votes-at-a-glance-council-accepts-road-approves-permits-and-licenses-and-funds-town-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569811-69805330eedbe1a8df0c879ed6879444/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151351&Signature=GgaxicAOve~X~Zhhs8ZOriPjMPyyr02nlf~vzxh5yhpAASmL1QOSFUs8OWRy1rq84RjXKZa2mH5V4wm5LqUwC5B03~CNZmVZ3YwyZ2uX28Efj2J3QfhttTkGeWqu2APXDqW9E9FHoUdfjtavO34ctGI45ioBcDzwcHisf5wVF5Tr3SXDzLZ48UijdgIylLQ08R3R5c7xYX59KPH51~Q~Zsyhs3UXdzoYC1SNEFo0~oOdVhhR1zXv01sDWi7MtnVrRhEUUz0VEJb3iiJs61hxYW8~JpUPEX5UzzAJOvyl~z7wjwfiBneVnZxUsM83zCka3tRdTlXTvikXIrUiwIi9mA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","South Kingstown","date","2025-05-12T21:54:31Z","article","The South Kingstown Town Council approved a number of consent‑agenda and new‑business items during its May 12 meeting, including accepting a neighborhood road into the town system, approving a temporary mass‑gathering permit, awarding several contracts, and granting a liquor license for a Wakefield restaurant.

Key actions (outcomes recorded during the meeting):
- Makayla Court: The council approved acceptance of Makayla Court into the town road system, subject to the conditions in the planning director’s memorandum (storm‑drain covenant modification and a later public hearing on a stop sign ordinance change).
- South County Pride Foundation: A temporary mass‑gathering permit for a South County Pride event on June 14, 2025, including a required hold‑harmless agreement, was approved; town staff agreed administratively to finalize porta‑potty placement to address staging constraints.
- TRJ Restaurants LLC (The Joyce): The council approved a class B victualler liquor license for The Joyce at 195 Main Street, Wakefield; the license approval was contingent on usual filings (COGS, insurance, compliance with local regulations).
- Proclamations and ceremonial items: The council adopted a proclamation recognizing May 26, 2025, as Vietnam Veterans and Missing in Action Recognition Day and approved use of the town seal on a veterans’ challenge coin as requested by local veterans groups.
- Procurement and capital awards: The council approved multiple vendor awards and contract amendments across town departments, including a surveillance‑camera replacement contract, municipal vehicle replacement, uniform and apparel renewals, and other town‑wide services as listed on the agenda.

Why it matters: These routine approvals move forward town operations, public events and capital maintenance work. Acceptance of Makayla Court transfers maintenance responsibility to the town under specified covenant modifications. Awarded contracts and license approvals enable vendors and event organizers to proceed with planning and operations.

What to watch: The Makayla Court acceptance requires follow‑up ordinances (stop‑sign placement) and covenant amendments. Some contract awards included contingencies and notes about future expansion of systems or sites (for example, surveillance camera coverage can be expanded into other town buildings). Several items were approved based on available funding in departmental capital or reserve accounts.

Ending: Staff were instructed to complete the documentation required by the approvals and to return to council or to the appropriate boards when additional public hearings (for traffic signs or ordinance changes) are required.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 12, 2025 Town Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its May 12 meeting the South Kingstown Town Council approved a set of consent and new-business items: public road acceptance, event permits, liquor and raffle-related approvals, procurement and capital items, and several routine contract awards.","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},6569816,"Council finalizes wording for 2024–26 town goals and objectives; adds mixed‑use zoning item",756,820000,1576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3277971-8c6e7666a767094ccd1708b4a7375360&start=820&end=1576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3277971-8c6e7666a767094ccd1708b4a7375360/thumbnail_820000.jpg","/articles/6569816/Rhode-Island/Council-finalizes-wording-for-202426-town-goals-and-objectives-adds-mixeduse-zoning-item","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569816-86cb090544779a420a285bacfb53ed0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151351&Signature=Q43RWTF3j6-Jql8yjIxchfJZ7vYT9vr0KYxOuZhrKDYp2-Aj-w1hmL6Qq5Az3HA85lRerAWtO5hzdgnqGe2XDiYSXH1Ombti5o8~umsGwq0rfwZcHWco3fhk2MtWCMBdltFzxsvG5WkWGPFb9nyPfY~Zz2Y7I3sGKdeizeaH3Cxy2MVltmjjMwx0e05-7ijnVhgV2RoLNzz01FPAKA9cWNvu02WOYbfUQLIdZiOzEuMtVJVlCr1xU0mR41ciiPHBstyQShqdrOGTuesIvHHmJrP8Q4Krdoqtqsui-LaB~rfIK-Xon0rYUZzj2k2m9qfB1Uz0EFHYmBHPdcbXM2UyOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The South Kingstown Town Council spent a work‑session segment of its Monday meeting refining language for its goals and objectives covering the 2024–26 term, agreeing to consolidated language and to add a new objective calling for expanded commercial and mixed‑use zoning where appropriate.

Council members and staff reviewed several draft versions. Council members said they preferred a succinct introductory mission sentence that begins, “In these extraordinary times, we are committed to responding nimbly to the challenges as they arrive.” Councilor Patty Alley and others asked that the document maintain plain, reader-friendly bullets rather than long paragraphs.

On housing policy wording, participants agreed to remove specific AMI (area median income) percentages from the goal text after receiving a cautionary note in an email from a town attorney. Councilor Alley and others said they wanted the town’s language to remain consistent with the 2030 comprehensive plan’s targets and to avoid locking the town into rigid income bands that might complicate future funding options.

Councilors also agreed to explicitly add a separate goal to modify the zoning ordinance to allow increased commercial and mixed‑use zoning where appropriate. The group discussed moving a previously discussed “Sour Hill Overlay District” concept into a discrete objective and renumbering bullets so the mixed‑use item appears as goal 5.

Why it matters: The goals and objectives document will be used to prioritize staff time and to influence how the council weighs future agenda items. Council members asked that staff prioritize agenda items that align with the adopted goals so the council has time to act on top priorities even when regular meeting agendas are long.

What’s next: Staff will circulate a draft that folds in the changes discussed at the meeting. Council members asked to receive the revised draft by Monday before the next meeting so they can return comments ahead of a vote expected at the second meeting in May.

Ending: Councilors asked the town manager and staff to use the adopted goals to help set agendas and prioritize department work so that items falling within the goals “appear earlier in the agenda,” as one councilor put it.","Town council worked through multiple draft versions of its goals and objectives for the 2024–26 term, agreed to consolidate language, remove specific AMI percentages from affordable-housing text, and add a separate objective to pursue mixed-use and commercial zoning expansions.",{"_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},6569821,"South Kingstown council hears detailed high school schedule; approves project labor agreement",570,2859000,3429000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3277971-8c6e7666a767094ccd1708b4a7375360&start=2859&end=3429","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3277971-8c6e7666a767094ccd1708b4a7375360/thumbnail_2859000.jpg","/articles/6569821/Rhode-Island/South-Kingstown-council-hears-detailed-high-school-schedule-approves-project-labor-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6569821-5684555eec21a012972395dabdb57ba8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151351&Signature=NIHA0Udthk-srVvlx-VVbK-NdR3q2~4hPG5zc94mEhuFHESrIRoVrDnvlbM1KjJzUMJ7rB8T6tkQTskAS7lUBvsHLGIs8JXtWpMHaKXKrQtZv1pSyUt3ZCT-zUYyGlmtaHcP459hBs5nlq5Bo4aHeSGqmQ53ChkMZqsKgOLwdDp7zXM8RHimRcid0zx-wxNx24XZBpTlU4j0blNIygBR6Ts5KBai9s8MZlzILY~XOWYD-JCN1rNp1sa4cCBFM-epJhO9A4tu7HrF~FSoAyDOScf1WkTV~NdRujUl~xkWEuK-PMMRiRqt7zTGjM86VFiZuh0ScRo588Dyn2yTi~3LwA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The South Kingstown Town Council received an extended project update on Monday about plans to replace South Kingstown High School and voted to authorize a project labor agreement intended to streamline construction bidding and keep the schedule on track.

The update, delivered by the school project team and construction managers, focused on a compressed list of approvals and early-construction actions the team said are necessary to meet the goal of opening the new building for the first day of school in 2027. Chris Spiegel, with the project management firm on the job, said the team is “about halfway through the design development estimating phase” and expects cost estimates this week that will inform the next steps.

The report mapped a sequence of near-term milestones: submission of stormwater permits to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, a planning-board master-planning hearing on May 29, foundation-permit submission July 1, and a proposed early site-enabling construction contract approval in mid-July. Spiegel said those early approvals would allow the contractor to install temporary power, set up parent-drop routing and put up about a mile of construction fencing with minimal disruption to school operations.

Kate Turner, senior project manager on the job, described a one-day “estimate reconciliation” with the contractor and the project’s independent cost estimator to compare quantities and unit prices, including the impact of tariffs on long-lead items. She said the team is meeting the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) this month and plans to submit design development documents to RIDE in mid-May.

Architects presented revised floor plans and exterior renderings. Mark Rhodes of SLAM Collaborative said the design reduces the building’s horizontal footprint by about 10,000 square feet and concentrates laboratories and special programs to improve mechanical efficiency and program adjacency. Designer Phil Conte reviewed the site plan, saying the design separates parent drop-off, student parking and a bus loop to reduce queuing on adjacent streets and that planners had relocated an entry point to address abutter concerns.

The team also briefed the council on environmental soil borings already completed at the high school and the Curtis Corner athletic-field site; results are at the lab and may affect soil handling, the report said. Spiegel told the council soil and groundwater testing “is impactful to our cost and schedule” and that the project team is doing the sampling now to avoid later delays.

Dylan Conley, the town’s outside attorney on labor matters, recommended the council adopt a project labor agreement (PLA) for the construction work. Conley said a PLA operates like a project-specific collective-bargaining agreement and that on publicly funded, prevailing-wage school projects the expected cost differences historically cited as objections to PLAs are eliminated. The council voted to approve the PLA (motion carried; transcript records a unanimous “Aye”), authorizing staff to proceed with the agreement.

Why it matters: The high school project is the largest single capital undertaking in the town’s near-term budget and will require coordinated approvals from multiple state agencies, the planning board, and construction contracts timed to summer work windows. The PLA approval indicates the council and staff want to reduce procurement risk and speed early-construction activity, but the timeline depends on several outside approvals.

What comes next: The project team said it will present final design-development documents to the School Building Committee and to RIDE in mid-May and return to the council with requests for the site-enabling construction contract and the early guaranteed maximum price (GMP) in July and August. The team emphasized that if any of the near-term dates slip, meeting the target 2027 opening will become more difficult.

Several council members and staff asked for increased public communication about site logistics for the first day of school, including the location of temporary fencing, parent drop-off routing, and bus operations. The project team agreed to post the presentation materials and additional construction-logistics information to the project web page following the meeting.

Ending: Town leaders said they want to keep the project timeline intact and that the PLA was adopted to support that schedule; staff emphasized continued public outreach and more detailed material boards and renderings before final approvals.","Council received a multi-stakeholder update on the South Kingstown High School replacement project, including a tightened schedule, permitting milestones and exterior design changes, and voted to authorize a project labor agreement to support construction contracting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: council accepts road, approves permits and licenses, and funds town projects

Council finalizes wording for 2024–26 town goals and objectives; adds mixed‑use zoning item

South Kingstown council hears detailed high school schedule; approves project labor agreement