[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6542199,"mediaKeyId","3664922-a64e983d5888685ecfe3bf7f171cb9dc","parentId",3664922,"title","Council debates low-speed vehicles and rental-car rules; asks solicitor to clarify zoning and state law","audioSeconds",1607,"startMs",6240000,"endMs",7847000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3664922-a64e983d5888685ecfe3bf7f171cb9dc&start=6240&end=7847","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3664922-a64e983d5888685ecfe3bf7f171cb9dc/thumbnail_6240000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6542199/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/Council-debates-low-speed-vehicles-and-rental-car-rules-asks-solicitor-to-clarify-zoning-and-state-law","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542199-99c28386fd4aa39db8c8c083a5030789/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167497&Signature=WfOz~pIRZvJtknKkBiZAGDODspRwM~bWtolPPbN8i4p9dapGKfwipTXuhU246zQRlO~2W3sKUbeiUh7VyaZSPTdf6EBWS8QIrjEvZJl6Vhn~Cgvl8B0iA-LyGxk28m3mTCGWdd-5RDti7TRZ5NoOQm~aY1plLud1vdaO8wMfGuCLCYTeCnb69aI5ufzUjhDiLJXkJWs27zR9aeGRxeaQqgeMqTwZesxH1eLBoNEMZGatD1lmmNe3fPTnLgLrgc6lHIb6-6sjb78g2zMYi-8PmIeLODZjY6lg1hXUCLc7us13zK3RAX-yVZgV-byHJpBaqe9WC36ZvMa9UVs-6AujfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of New Shoreham","date","2025-06-04T19:58:15Z","article","The New Shoreham Town Council discussed on June 4 whether the town should regulate low-speed vehicles (LSVs) and to what extent existing zoning approvals authorize commercial vehicle rentals.

Council members said they are concerned about public-safety risks, particularly after dark, and about the apparent increase in rental LSVs and other lightweight vehicles on town streets. Several members asked the town solicitor to clarify whether the town may limit LSV operation on town roads for safety reasons and whether the town can create a local licensing regime for vehicle rentals that would place conditions on the number, type and hours of operation for rental fleets.

Town solicitor James said the statutory language suggests “vehicles” in local zoning was intended to mean automobiles (traditional cars) and that LSVs are often treated as a separate vehicle class under state law; he said there is room for legal argument and advised further research. “I think vehicles means automobiles,” James said during the meeting, while noting interpretations may vary and advising staff to check state statute and precedent.

Council members noted three prior special-exception approvals that explicitly authorized car-rental businesses at certain sites; during the meeting staff said one earlier decision listed 15 vehicles at the Boat Basin. Members asked staff to confirm the numeric limits in those historical approvals and to identify whether those approvals permit LSV rentals in addition to or instead of standard automobiles.

Council members also asked the town to check DMV and Department of Business Regulation rules about reciprocity for out-of-state registrations, whether gas-powered carts are permitted, whether LSV registration and equipment requirements apply (headlights, reflectors, slow-moving-vehicle emblem), and whether Rhode Island law permits municipalities to prohibit LSV operation on town roads and/or to limit hours of operation.

Several council members proposed a short-term, practical step: ask rental operators voluntarily to mark or number vehicles on their lots so the town can verify compliance with any existing numerical limits. Staff said they would pursue legal research and follow up with formal recommendations to the council.

No ordinance or regulation was adopted on June 4; the council directed staff and the solicitor to return with legal analysis and suggested regulatory options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Council Work Session 06/04/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council members asked the town solicitor on June 4 to clarify whether local zoning and state law allow limits on low-speed vehicles and whether the town can license vehicle rentals to set fleet size, permitted vehicle types and operating hours.","taxTitle","New Shoreham, Washington County, Rhode Island","taxId",79696,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6542204,"New Shoreham council asks police to collect property-line noise readings, to review outdoor-entertainment exemptions",761,219000,980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3664922-a64e983d5888685ecfe3bf7f171cb9dc&start=219&end=980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3664922-a64e983d5888685ecfe3bf7f171cb9dc/thumbnail_219000.jpg","/articles/6542204/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/New-Shoreham-council-asks-police-to-collect-property-line-noise-readings-to-review-outdoor-entertainment-exemptions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542204-f8a21e0abab42393ac36166189253750/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167497&Signature=Qjfs1NlJVTZKmE-Zgs~0Pf3mDpot43zlS5lFUDbQ-kTR1L9keL7hQqN66ras-sUo2E6~uOTAVJC7kyEFXbJzFocWdA4xSHEYEXwyBmzt1KEaD9nTvF8Qd6sVdvyWFuWrtF38~466J2Bpehpwi82iFdBkOtDAlNgjVItEPF9GIX7ja7Vx~oRozm0FyWX2op9iXvnHY7kED94DbUwLW8Ke7lAFVY09ubXOPlSQS49Nj681QcezxE6o21lr1SL-0g-x-h2iGdNO8iD~i4HrMugML3wrX-9R8IgnOLYM94dVR7ogIhHovuTAxEa-6UyPdz5rU4Khh0KXSEj302bv3sCHdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Shoreham Town Council agreed at a June 4 work session to have town police take A- and C-weighted sound measurements at or near the property lines of outdoor venues and report back to the council in mid-July, including readings taken over the Fourth of July weekend.

Council members said they want longitudinal data — not only anecdotal complaints — to show whether noise problems are episodic or persistent and whether readings differ by measurement location. Council members and residents raised concern about nighttime disturbance in downtown areas and asked staff, the police chief and property managers to work cooperatively to produce a report before the council considers formal ordinance changes.

The data request grew out of ongoing complaints about amplified music downtown and earlier discussions about lowering a numeric decibel standard (for example, from 70 to 65) and removing a 5% margin in the current rule. Chief Dean told the council the police department can take readings in both A and C weightings, and the council settled on a plan to collect data over a month and to include Fourth of July weekend measurements so the council has samples from busy summer weekends.

Residents who spoke urged tighter controls and clearer measurement rules. Sasha Crow, who identified herself as attending a symposium on wind energy, raised concerns about low-frequency noise and cited health effects listed in published guidance, saying, “Low frequency waves range increase in turbulent weather and during temperature inversions by at least fivefold.” Another resident, Marie Langdon of Calico Hill, told the council she was upset that a middle-school performance drew a complaint that required a police response.

Council members also asked staff and the town attorney to review a pair of ordinance cross-references that currently exempt activities conducted under a special-event license or an outdoor-entertainment license from certain provisions of the noise ordinance (referenced in the meeting as “12-50” and the outdoor-entertainment section). The council discussed clarifying whether those exemptions apply to the property-boundary prohibition, to the numerical decibel limit, or to both, and whether tents or temporary outdoor setups should remain exempt.

The council reviewed enforcement tools and noted the existing enforcement provision cited in the meeting, which the staff read as allowing fines and allowing the council to revoke an outdoor-entertainment license after notice and a duly advertised show-cause hearing (the transcript referenced “section 8-258” in that context). Members said they still want a data-driven approach: the police readings will be the official evidence for any formal complaint, while citizen meter readings may inform the discussion but would not substitute for the department’s certified measurements in enforcement cases.

The council requested that staff clarify three operational details before it drafts any ordinance change: (1) the measurement point (the group discussed taking readings from the sidewalk in front of an establishment or from the property line), (2) whether readings should be taken only after a complaint or on a scheduled sampling basis, and (3) whether readings should be in both A- and C-weighted scales. Chief Dean said the department can deliver both A and C measurements.

Council members asked the town attorney and police to return to the council with recommended drafting language and to schedule any ordinance change only after the department’s report. Several council members said they prefer to keep the issue on the council’s work-session agenda so the issue does not fade between busy summer meetings.

The council did not adopt an ordinance at the June 4 meeting; it directed staff and the police department to gather the agreed measurements and to report back at a future meeting.

Residents and business representatives told the council they are willing to cooperate in a trial data collection period and that some establishments already use onsite sound engineers or directional speakers; council members said those operational facts should be part of the report the police provide.

The council also asked its land-use attorney to review the outdoor-entertainment license and special-event provisions to determine whether the exemptions in the noise code should be narrowed or reworded so noise protections apply consistently across venues and permit types.","Town council members agreed to have the police department collect A- and C-weighted sound readings at or near property lines over the next month, including July 4 weekend, and to return to the council with data before pursuing ordinance changes that would narrow special-event or outdoor-entertainment exemptions in the noise code.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6542193,"Votes at a glance: New Shoreham Council — closed session, sealed minutes, authorization to draft contracts",3424,8749000,12173000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3664922-a64e983d5888685ecfe3bf7f171cb9dc&start=8749&end=12173","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3664922-a64e983d5888685ecfe3bf7f171cb9dc/thumbnail_8749000.jpg","/articles/6542193/New-Shoreham/Washington-County/Rhode-Island/Votes-at-a-glance-New-Shoreham-Council-closed-session-sealed-minutes-authorization-to-draft-contracts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6542193-3fc0878759abbb7d7f7bd351a7cbaa7b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167497&Signature=JAUsRleDwNnExDs9u0YZ6Fgb0cfX4~bgTbfW12RbUt~21~-V5k1VT1JoSL1RCaSxyD2oj8yzB1ayf4tZOv0qzln6VzqvnKu4gNYD4~vyVGxX32kNgMocId6wN8JtA~0l9M3kqjn34HBE644im9U5hmSoIoT~OicbKdhl7femTadmT55SZ1XYMPwAMrdLoSztmfrdIMqEXjD-yCO60QpTf6LAOS~USbks5NhWu6LaPgYsVvSS-r8dVvh4VTnWFSLdig-unpFCqN9n4MSKwm8vCUpLEurTF3OsnPEWxOHZJ84EiblByOytvpDiQ4YJ8dOn3beAlfqGLY6melCN1iIFPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Shoreham Town Council recorded three formal procedural actions at its June 4 work session.

1) Closed session: The council voted to convene a closed session under the terms cited at the meeting. The motion was seconded and the ayes carried. The meeting minutes from the closed session were later sealed.

2) Seal closed-session minutes: After returning from closed session, the council voted to seal the closed-session minutes. The motion carried by voice vote.

3) Authorization to pursue contract drafting: At the conclusion of the closed session, the council authorized the town manager to move forward to pursue drafting contracts with the town manager (administrative role as referenced), the director of administration/town clerk (Billy McGinnis) and the finance director (Mona Halterla) for review. The council authorized the town manager to proceed with that drafting; members moved, seconded and the ayes carried.

Votes were taken by voice and the council stated the results in the meeting. No council action to adopt or execute employment contracts occurred at the public meeting; the authorization directed staff to pursue drafting documents for future consideration.

(Procedural note: the public transcript records the council’s voice votes; the official minute tallies and sealed minutes are in the council’s record.)","At its June 4 work session the New Shoreham Town Council took three formal procedural votes: to enter a closed session, to seal the closed-session minutes, and to authorize the town manager to pursue drafting employment contracts with three named officials for review. The council set no policy changes tied to those votes at the public meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council debates low-speed vehicles and rental-car rules; asks solicitor to clarify zoning and state law

New Shoreham council asks police to collect property-line noise readings, to review outdoor-entertainment exemptions

Votes at a glance: New Shoreham Council — closed session, sealed minutes, authorization to draft contracts