[{"_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",6532236,"mediaKeyId","3411844-837c408616089dec938e5088a1a39e03","parentId",3411844,"title","Council approves licenses and three routine resolutions; fireworks permit OK'd","audioSeconds",1531,"startMs",1661000,"endMs",3192000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3411844-837c408616089dec938e5088a1a39e03&start=1661&end=3192","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3411844-837c408616089dec938e5088a1a39e03/thumbnail_1661000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6532236/Rhode-Island/Council-approves-licenses-and-three-routine-resolutions-fireworks-permit-OKd","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6532236-bf1a86b9b975aa15c81a2279c3eeae2b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770985759&Signature=Sq~PrshWo5jzGZef8qhJgFSkStQ~pwGKLT3tAPx8ndd156p-EDuZrOLPqCrfx61ZzUDF3mSnc5VUG15YVlsfWbEJc0Ov4pAeQC6kez89TQtFbtPjhT938Ji0NsltX9qBrQxEMohKnutCsoVH6R7xOpeYjVgEZWpCYKioKDxdE6XPOjd-mCUYeRbt-HYAxtlxGRxwyb7ElMTpOzfRFSHsJkeR8IC0H9kUwRJrMb4z-XyNFb70BtN4ijmVzLiBqTFBvjNYikvDvLUvzHaDMs1OmbM4DxeGHMZ47rqXHB8tAbQH0rHE4mfeQi67bFA0qvU8ERlb18ESp0Lkg~1Q03Vi5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Coventry Rhode Island","date","2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","article","Coventry Town Council approved multiple routine licenses and resolutions Wednesday, voting unanimously among members present to renew a hawker license, permit a fireworks display for the summer festival, award a millwork contract for the community learning center and allocate $9,900 in school-impact fees for sewer pre-treatment work at Coventry High School.

Licenses

The council approved a 60-day renewal hawker license for Keystone Novelties Distributors LLC, to be located at 6 Reservoir Road (application period listed in packet). Motion to approve was made by Councilman Brown and seconded by Councilperson Capaldi; roll call was unanimous among members present.

The council also approved a fireworks permit filed by Pyrotechnico Fireworks for a fireworks display at 40 Reservoir Road on June 21, 2025 (rain date June 22). The application lists a show time of 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. Motion to approve was made by Councilman Brown and seconded by Councilperson Capaldi; the permit passed on a unanimous roll call of members present.

Resolutions and contracts

Resolution 2025-60 awarded a contract through the state MPA to Orion Manufacturing for millwork and countertops for the community learning center in the amount of $79,500. The project manager told the council this scope was the last outstanding piece necessary for the carpentry program's facility work and that the purchase was budgeted. The resolution passed on a roll call with all members present voting yes.

Resolution 2025-61 approved the use of school impact fees, $9,900, to vacuum out limestone-chip waste from a 350-gallon unit and properly dispose of the material as part of pretreatment associated with a new sewer line for Coventry High School. Council members confirmed the funds will be drawn from the educational facility impact-fee account; the motion passed unanimously.

Votes

- Keystone Novelties Distributors LLC, 60-day hawker license renewal (location: 6 Reservoir Road) ' motion by Councilman Brown, second Councilperson Capaldi; outcome: approved (unanimous among members present).

- Pyrotechnico Fireworks, fireworks permit (40 Reservoir Road), June 21, 2025, rain date June 22; show time listed 9:00'9:30 p.m. ' motion by Councilman Brown, second Councilperson Capaldi; outcome: approved (unanimous among members present).

- Resolution 2025-60, award to Orion Manufacturing for millwork/countertops, $79,500 ' mover not specified in transcript; second by Vice President Verducci and Councilperson Capaldi noted in discussion; outcome: approved (unanimous among members present).

- Resolution 2025-61, allocation of $9,900 in school-impact fees for pretreatment cleaning related to Coventry High School sewer tie-in ' motion by Councilman Brown, second Councilperson Capaldi; outcome: approved (unanimous among members present).

Several votes were taken by roll call; motions and seconders are recorded when provided in the public transcript. No contested votes or recorded no-votes occurred for these items.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Council - 20 May 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its June meeting Coventry Town Council approved a hawker license renewal, a fireworks permit for the summer festival, and three routine resolutions including a $79,500 millwork contract and a $9,900 allocation of school impact fees; votes were unanimous among members present.","taxTitle","Coventry, Kent County, Rhode Island","taxId",79575,"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},6532241,"Council approves resolution asking state to allow tax stabilization agreements for Coventry developments",448,3298000,3746000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3411844-837c408616089dec938e5088a1a39e03&start=3298&end=3746","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3411844-837c408616089dec938e5088a1a39e03/thumbnail_3298000.jpg","/articles/6532241/Rhode-Island/Council-approves-resolution-asking-state-to-allow-tax-stabilization-agreements-for-Coventry-developments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6532241-ca22c06a9153a804bb721fbf2fb0e2d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770985759&Signature=Ug9PmnTeudQwx6M6x6ajDscezirnRLTCg~TEsj0hRrLXiK4HhVB7WJYHbjvpEBJeGBWRR~k8hClno6Tw5yTFSNfF~bx2blVYW6QCee1Nj~a5SKVSV7h1mbhWGSrs10abHFkGnH2jzeBEHIbadekb-VPDtBP5sIzbbJ3u7qbvk3rF9QyGdcw7Gu2O1r6ZG6KAv3TQmfwGzE0rhwqriPV7LhV980EG0ysxF-Yl1~WktdD1Bex1QNj8j5xZ~T7EFPOk9C2rz4bqcd1I~hhV06n1NA8YMiyeB1SmnJc4A0eADKFBUYKxGXJhlcfXrrVRryooFRv9PJXDaxAAFKssrS08kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coventry Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday to ask the Rhode Island General Assembly to amend state law so the town may negotiate tax-stabilization agreements with private developers for commercial, industrial, residential or mixed-use properties.

Solicitor Sir Angel, who presented the resolution, said the measure is \"enabling legislation\" that would permit Coventry to offer negotiated stabilization terms when needed to attract development. \"This is state enabling legislation, it does not mean that if developers come to Coventry they automatically get some kind of a 20-year tax stabilization agreement,\" Angel said. The council passed Resolution 2025-62 with all members voting in the affirmative.

Angel and council members said tax-stabilization agreements are a common municipal tool that can help developers spread out infrastructure costs for large projects. The solicitor said other Rhode Island communities already have similar authority and that without the change Coventry cannot offer stabilization agreements for the types of mixed-use projects now being proposed at locations such as the Center of New England site.

Councilmembers asked for and received a distinction from the solicitor between tax-stabilization agreements and tax-increment financing; Angel said the two are separate mechanisms. Members emphasized that any future agreement would come back to the council for approval and that the resolution merely seeks state authorization to make such agreements possible.

The resolution notes Representative Naurey as the prime sponsor in the General Assembly with co-sponsors representatives Serpa and Reed, and the council vote was recorded as unanimous.

","Coventry Town Council unanimously approved a resolution asking the Rhode Island General Assembly to amend state law to allow the town to enter tax-stabilization agreements for commercial, industrial, residential and mixed-use projects; council members were told the change is an enabling tool, not an automatic benefit for developers.",{"_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},6532245,"Coventry council reviews senior, veteran and disability tax exemptions after audit; no changes voted",2723,280000,3003000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3411844-837c408616089dec938e5088a1a39e03&start=280&end=3003","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3411844-837c408616089dec938e5088a1a39e03/thumbnail_280000.jpg","/articles/6532245/Rhode-Island/Coventry-council-reviews-senior-veteran-and-disability-tax-exemptions-after-audit-no-changes-voted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6532245-5e28a47010c821ab4251e8dd18c4a0db/orig.mp4?Expires=1770985759&Signature=nVDw3y5h5vlyYHOoMZXS--f2iL6kCjQKtZeboeBMPx-y5fvni3egB94pfrpgl3Z5yfed8kLHR-JpcUYoZkT4HLX2HhS2jbQLcE7yPiwomLsSf4yakfLXLogkwVET5O7MBVnVl~sWMpKYVeTzpyzzDxotQJXvngbQmf~Tma8ZhxxwLRNTV6HR5gSHcgfm1mrQ-KP94MRAPiLL9FZz8J3CAMCNAoey3SVKYCFp7vZfnHqftmKBYKFW9iHvTX~42rWnyp-OUVvY~GlVLKKChB9rcRJj3WpAPuClmXiGc-z1rCp-HgnYhStdmE1fX3VC2d~AirmbYLb8PZyTLBxyU-zQSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Coventry Town Council members and town staff spent more than an hour Wednesday discussing proposed revisions to the town's tax-exemption ordinances after last year's audit flagged ambiguous language and administrative gaps.

The council's president, President Lima, began the public portion of the discussion by telling residents, \"Nobody is taking away anyone's senior tax freeze.\" Town Manager Perillo and tax-office staff described draft ordinance changes intended to tighten administration and reduce potential fraud, waste or abuse, but no ordinance amendments were adopted and no votes were taken.

Council and staff said the discussion is intended to clarify the ordinance so the tax-assessor's office can administer exemptions consistently. Manager Perillo said the changes under consideration \"would give [assessor and finance] more teeth\" to manage the program and flagged that adopting some proposal elements could cost the town money in the first year while the new rules \"catch up.\" Carrie, speaking for the tax office, explained procedural limits in the office and said large numbers of applications create administrative burden.

Public commenters expressed concern about possible prospective changes. Britney Boyer, a Coventry resident, said the freeze helps seniors and disabled residents with fixed incomes and urged the council to preserve access for those \"who truly need it.\" Longtime resident Scott Guthrie and others urged caution, warning changes could force long-term residents from their homes. Several commenters asked the council to allow public review of specific proposed ordinance language before any final action.

Staff and council provided several factual clarifications during the discussion. Carrie said the town currently has 3,225 exemption accounts on the roll and that the town has doubled the number of freeze accounts since 2019. She said roughly 12% of property-tax revenue currently derives from accounts that are frozen and about 24% of residential accounts are on the freeze. The tax-office process requires applications by Jan. 31 for the next tax year and the ordinance requires applicants be age 65 by Dec. 31 to qualify for the senior freeze.

Staff also clarified two technical points in the current ordinance that have driven confusion: the $8,000 provision is an $8,000 assessment credit (not an $8,000 tax credit) and a provision limiting the freeze to the first two acres of a property has not been historically enforced. Carrie said the $8,000 assessment credit produced a tax-benefit on the order of about $126 last year, not a direct $8,000 reduction in taxes.

Council members discussed next steps. Several members, including Councilperson Capaldi, urged deliberate review, additional fiscal modeling and at least two readings for any ordinance changes. Manager Perillo asked for council direction on whether to continue accepting new exemption applications while changes are developed; no formal direction or vote was recorded. Staff said they had been advising applicants to wait for the next application cycle under the office's normal process and highlighted that hundreds of people apply each year, which strains a small tax office.

The council also discussed separately-proposed adjustments to veterans' and disability-related exemptions. Staff said current veteran exemptions provide a modest benefit (about $142 last year for the veterans credit as currently structured) and that the draft proposals would increase those benefits; council members said they were generally sympathetic but wanted fiscal estimates and additional options before deciding.

The council did not schedule or take a final vote on any ordinance amendments at the meeting. Manager Perillo and tax-office staff said they would return with fiscal estimates, sample ordinance language and implementation options for further council consideration.

Council members closed the item by asking staff to assemble comparative data, ballpark fiscal impacts and draft ordinance text for a later meeting so residents could review proposed changes before the council proceeded to first reading.

The council then moved on to other business.

","Coventry Town Council and staff opened a multi-hour discussion of proposed revisions to the town's tax-exemption ordinances after an audit found ambiguous language; council did not take votes but staff requested direction on whether to accept new applications while changes are considered.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves licenses and three routine resolutions; fireworks permit OK'd

Council approves resolution asking state to allow tax stabilization agreements for Coventry developments

Coventry council reviews senior, veteran and disability tax exemptions after audit; no changes voted