[{"_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",6533542,"mediaKeyId","3732795-84efcce6b29d144c27e429516867bf1d","parentId",3732795,"title","Historic Wickford donates original art; advisory committee urges action on sidewalks, harbor and vacancies","audioSeconds",1114,"startMs",1608000,"endMs",2722000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3732795-84efcce6b29d144c27e429516867bf1d&start=1608&end=2722","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3732795-84efcce6b29d144c27e429516867bf1d/thumbnail_1608000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6533542/Rhode-Island/Historic-Wickford-donates-original-art-advisory-committee-urges-action-on-sidewalks-harbor-and-vacancies","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533542-61afa1de47baa8d280c650e1c2fa3666/orig.mp4?Expires=1776080520&Signature=nSy2l2v8TjIh~~tSqionWQVwOpAeR6kLe6P9PT1Xz6LsfD6xnrIX5AHr5TSctohLoNWOp7pnDQW16CW1hMRszusA3~rUxH9h8IUGHLtMo3BDIaatCaHjyvMOoe1zDOvgRdsRKqS2Zi02LQCmVGwAaApFyOkio7IkT8Xw9EDJs~uEYtZQL4IdE1zMmHfBxRIxryOlfgF7StoRLDzKqQXqPElaFdmB1l3syNrYuQpdGdjFjpqoWjV8-90OYXfqkexSc46nP2fGvGA0GB-YcmA7zd3BoeU6UQTynNZYKHVOUD-lYtujyprkvEoS6q25jgd5MNnxZW4nCwqaU34bsJfhlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Kingstown","date","2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","article","A donation of original artwork documenting Wickford’s rail and trolley history drew council approval on June 9, and the Wickford Advisory Committee (WAC) used a council presentation to press for actions on pedestrian safety, harbor planning and vacant-properties follow-up.

Randy Weitman, president of Historic Wickford, presented an original painting created by local artist Guy Cassidy to the town and said the piece will be included in the Wickford Walk signage series and displayed in a town building. \"This is the original piece, to the people of North Kingstown,\" Weitman said. The council voted unanimously to accept the donation.

The WAC report summarized resident feedback gathered at a November forum. George Brennan, representing the committee, said members personally distributed more than 350 flyers in the village area and that 42 residents attended a community forum organized by the committee. WAC member Pierce Nixon told the council the committee organized resident input into four priority topics: traffic and pedestrian safety; harbor planning; vacant buildings; and climate resilience.

WAC recommendations included asking the town to work with RIDOT to confirm sidewalks extend the full length of West Main Street and to add physical barriers where elevation changes make separation difficult. The committee also asked the town to review West Main Street speed analysis with the North Kingstown Police Department and to consider developing a long-term harbor plan addressing issues such as mooring availability and breakwater repair.

WAC members raised concern about vacant storefronts and town-owned properties such as Wickford Elementary and the old library; the committee requested updates on timelines for development or reuse and suggested town policy options such as incentives for historic preservation and discouraging long-term vacancy.

Artist Guy Cassidy described research he did on the historic Wickford Depot and the Seaview Trolley route while creating the donated work. The donation is a physical original that will be digitally scanned for use in the Wickford Walk interpretive signage, organizers said.

Town officials thanked the volunteers and the Historical Wickford group. The council accepted the artwork by voice vote, and managers agreed to work with the WAC on the committee’s suggested follow-ups, including sidewalk design coordination and additional resident outreach.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","North Kingstown - Town Council - Jun 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Historic Wickford presented an original artwork donation and the Wickford Advisory Committee delivered a report urging the council to prioritize pedestrian safety, long-term harbor planning and solutions for vacant storefronts.","taxTitle","North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island","taxId",79577,"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},6533547,"North Kingstown moves up in FEMA floodplain rating as residents press resilience steps",2651,2890000,5541000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3732795-84efcce6b29d144c27e429516867bf1d&start=2890&end=5541","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3732795-84efcce6b29d144c27e429516867bf1d/thumbnail_2890000.jpg","/articles/6533547/Rhode-Island/North-Kingstown-moves-up-in-FEMA-floodplain-rating-as-residents-press-resilience-steps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533547-bcb89b18701a09b90999eb208ff9fdbb/orig.mp4?Expires=1776080520&Signature=nfkfw-g-6Juzuu34DV3fnO9d-kC6UfsoEEAIQFZsMWlvwLPjVwaE1b3S44j52oV5~VqYy5OkyarK93XHkq00JvHluZLhnI6DwX0f0BzZaXfXPJwUTwC-z8OM0f7WQZ-QVG813NWfYHcP~jRX41JmyZ4p4-Xc9a4dD7sUV7zEeJ2L~78yMHEFyp8ewapMvIen6rE9frmdvldKLepAO-2JgxPRuqlLnpKFSipgAqUKjrsAOjfHJcBv4fUc5CvP6mi2-ArextFve~ZBO2GMqnPfo43KUxodIbWqlFGfXerqTGX-zvUUI6L6GzgTzOD28KXx06s~E6kcg7H1hrFtTAduLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","North Kingstown’s planning staff announced on June 9 that the town has improved its Community Rating System (CRS) classification with FEMA from Class 9 to Class 7, a change that increases flood-insurance discounts for affected policyholders and reflects increased municipal efforts on floodplain management.

\"We finally got our official letter from the community rating system ... we are at a step 7,\" Nicole Lafontaine, director of planning and development, told the council, noting the upgrade produces a larger discount for flood-insurance policyholders (the town’s step change moves the discount from about 5% under the program to roughly 15% for affected policies).

The announcement came amid multiple presentations and public comments focused on climate resilience. Climate Conversations, a local volunteer group, showed a photography exhibit and described community workshops on coastal flooding, insurance impacts and household resilience measures. \"We decided that it would be great to do some kind of, like, educational workshops,\" said Sally Kingsbury of Climate Conversations.

The Wickford Advisory Committee (WAC) also reported resident feedback gathered at a November forum; WAC member Pierce Nixon said 42 residents attended and prioritized four issues: traffic and pedestrian safety, harbor planning, vacant buildings, and climate resilience. The committee recommended the town work with RIDOT to confirm sidewalk continuity along West Main Street, coordinate with the police department on speed enforcement near crosswalks, and consider a long-term harbor plan addressing mooring and breakwater repair.

Lafontaine summarized why the CRS rating matters in practical terms: North Kingstown has roughly 1,138 buildings in FEMA-mapped special flood-hazard areas and about 500 flood-insurance policies. She told the council roughly 51% of those policies are in A and V flood zones (the highest-mapped risk areas) and the remainder are in X zones. The town earned a significant proportion of its new CRS points from open-space protections, solar-management rules and improved planning and outreach, Lafontaine said. She added that completing a reviewed hazard-mitigation plan with the state and FEMA should gain the town additional points and could move the town closer to Class 6.

Councilors and the town manager expressed willingness to work with volunteer groups and civic committees on resilience planning. Manager Ralph Mullis said the council is \"a willing partner\" and that climate resilience is appearing across project discussions, from waterfront work to school projects that include net-zero planning.

Community speakers urged continued steps to plan for sea-level rise and to institutionalize resilience work. Pierce Nixon and other WAC members asked for improved public information on harbor planning and town-owned property redevelopment timelines; Mary Warbeck and others suggested creating a dedicated municipal resilience office or committee similar to those in other Rhode Island towns.

Nicole Lafontaine said outreach and written materials for homeowners and businesses will be available through the planning office and that the town already distributes related resources at municipal locations and events. \"If you call the planning department, we're provided to direct you to certain resources,\" she said. \"You can also call your insurance agent directly for more information.\"","After community presentations and an advisory committee report, the town’s planning director announced North Kingstown advanced to CRS Class 7, increasing standard flood-insurance discounts and prompting calls for stronger local resilience work.",{"_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},6533551,"Council authorizes initial bond drawdowns for school and public-safety projects",2406,4624000,7030000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3732795-84efcce6b29d144c27e429516867bf1d&start=4624&end=7030","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3732795-84efcce6b29d144c27e429516867bf1d/thumbnail_4624000.jpg","/articles/6533551/Rhode-Island/Council-authorizes-initial-bond-drawdowns-for-school-and-public-safety-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533551-21dfeff1e18366ae585ff26a0e2f070b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776080520&Signature=F~vhba0G8mKq1MDk~8FXSnMbkyqdUkniQAejxMY-wNQZno-iLsZzRW2PJpu6TJfC1lBfhzzZJ-Mk5OlfvqWO8dq3dC2QvLT18x0if3zPqMRbnbdyqoOe0-EfzgIwTzQMLxUeYg6jW7UptXlCSYCzC~rvmazrh9~Bn7~54ujdRIe1FJ06rvNf6oQp01iV9cPQzCVChWAPA0hKgRDTXmbbbjPFUbw3St0plnCFsD4R5s9pgV2o4Fit6Q7MvybHc7-SjCHZziQbUs7jur8T2z6ucPj2R9fHLua8Yag2rwBXVWPM4xO1ozwirOLXdBQkDuMtM-NLarLg4wuuv9oeQI9d1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The North Kingstown Town Council on June 9 approved initial drawdowns and authorizations to advance architect and owner’s-project-manager work on a planned middle-school renovation and a public-safety complex.

Town Manager Ralph Mullis told the council the town previously authorized up to $20 million for related school construction work and said staff will move forward with a more limited initial issuance. \"We expect to issue the bond anticipation notes later this month,\" Mullis said, describing coordination with the school department and the timing for drawdowns.

The action followed presentations from the school administration and project teams. The school superintendent, Dr. Dua, said the school committee had awarded contracts for an owner’s project manager (OPM) and an architecture/engineering firm after a competitive process. Mullis and bond counsel David Ferrer explained the town will fund those contract phases from short-term notes, with staff recommending an initial borrowing smaller than the full $20 million previously authorized. Ferrer told the council the contracts will be funded from notes currently being offered for sale.

Councilors asked how much staff planned to draw now. Mullis said internal planning and the school department’s anticipated schedule mean staff will request roughly $10 million in bond anticipation notes in the near term — about $5 million for school-related draws and $5 million for the public-safety project — rather than the full $20 million previously authorized by the council. Mullis said the larger $20 million authorization remains the council’s prior decision but that the next issuance would be smaller based on immediate needs and project schedules. \"We have decided internally ... they were only gonna go for 10,000,000 — 5,000,000 for school, 5,000,000 for public safety,\" Mullis said.

Separately at the meeting school staff cited contract award totals they will manage as part of the multi-year effort. Mullis and the superintendent described $4,385,000 in architect/engineering work and $2,422,610 for OPM services as the project-phase sums conveyed to the council during interviews and bid reviews. The superintendent said the school committee selected new firms to oversee and design the projects after a public procurement process.

The council unanimously approved the staff request to proceed with the drawdowns and authorizations described at the meeting. Council members said they expect continued updates from staff on cost estimates, borings and environmental studies before later approvals of any land purchases or larger bond issuances.

Manager’s reporting at the meeting also covered related scheduling: Mullis said the school department aims to submit its Stage 2 application to the Rhode Island Department of Education by mid-September and that town staff plan bond anticipation notes issuance in the coming weeks, contingent on final schedules and technical work.

The council’s approval now allows the town to move into the next contract and design phases; it does not itself expend construction funds or finalize project bids. Councilors asked staff to return with further details on the timing of draws, cost estimates and any required land-purchase approvals as those elements firm up.","North Kingstown council approved staff requests to begin bond drawdowns tied to planned school construction and a public-safety complex, after the town manager and school leaders described next steps and projected costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Historic Wickford donates original art; advisory committee urges action on sidewalks, harbor and vacancies

North Kingstown moves up in FEMA floodplain rating as residents press resilience steps

Council authorizes initial bond drawdowns for school and public-safety projects