[{"_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",6488354,"mediaKeyId","5597494-97e7c4b0d0f93f69c6d9dc996fe2cac4","parentId",5597494,"title","Woonsocket Council approves routine licenses, budgets, and project awards; key ordinances pass or are tabled","audioSeconds",9059,"startMs",128000,"endMs",9187000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5597494-97e7c4b0d0f93f69c6d9dc996fe2cac4&start=128&end=9187","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5597494-97e7c4b0d0f93f69c6d9dc996fe2cac4/thumbnail_128000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6488354/Woonsocket-City/Providence-County/Rhode-Island/Woonsocket-Council-approves-routine-licenses-budgets-and-project-awards-key-ordinances-pass-or-are-tabled","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6488354-3797e41c601d646733c2725eded9a535/orig.mp4?Expires=1771006321&Signature=BIk6MMRZyACRaSgudyvguke~fopG-ewU95C25AfdaHEp7oGf-g6eMSjp2UdW5qcmb41oTSx8j9YD5g8hYyTDgtTv~J3IDwJh3jk~RsuZZO4oxC-O2W5PfHXya~LFLsbeGHfDEJJyzSdZzCtqt1ARihCjSzNvFHtIQaSL4fFlW6uYqve81e422mIsxs-NI9J4TjCjiXJxrbiFJnbYfkWJJ~jOnTX1hbjrMyZi5Llj63jKP5Q4XokVtWHXqHeaorlvA4xSkVH~NKoVkTWicSadCVgFEEAEwHBVagRNCyaQXTYQz9kJjxXczHVq2SrOweFI5K~Ot2mR3zHWWJ91QyIPvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Woonsocket, RI","date","2025-08-19T01:55:41Z","article","The Woonsocket City Council conducted a broad set of routine approvals on Aug. 18, including liquor license renewals, contract awards and several ordinances and resolutions. Major outcomes included approval of new and renewed liquor licenses, adoption of a commercial-dumpster enclosure ordinance, approval of police-detail rates, award of the construction contract for the Casper Community Center and acceptance of a State Pandemic Recovery Office subaward to build the Cass Park community learning center.

Highlights and formal votes

- Liquor licenses: The council approved the following license applications (all votes 7-0): 25LC27 (Adam Pizza LLC d/b/a J & D Pizza, 282 Mendon Road); 25LC28 (Early Eats LLC d/b/a Tropical Bar Restaurant, 350 River Street; name change only); 25LC29 (Mama Linda Kitchen LLC, 420 Social Street); and routine license renewals/permits listed under 25LC30 (annual entertainment, holiday, private investigator, street vendor, mobile food, tattoo, tobacco and related licenses).

- Zoning and planning: Ordinance 25 O 43 to eliminate parking minimums was defeated (6-1); an amendment to limit the change to the downtown overlay district failed earlier in the debate.

- Dumpster enclosures: Ordinance 25 O 53 (requirement to enclose commercial dumpsters visible from the street) was amended to replace the phrase \"containment facilities\" with the explicit term \"dumpsters\" and passed first passage 7-0.

- Police-detail rates and fees: Ordinance 25 O 51 codifying police detail rates (previously set by resolution) was amended to attach Resolution 25 R 84 as an exhibit and was approved 7-0 on first passage.

- Traffic controls: Ordinance 25 O 50 (stop signs and stop intersections on and near Mason Street and other locations) passed 7-0.

- Contract awards, grants and capital projects:
- 25 R 99: Council authorized the mayor to award bid number 63162 and enter into a contract with Tower Construction for the Casper Community Center; the council adopted three amendments clarifying funding contingencies and authorizing the mayor to confirm StatePRO funding and contingencies; resolution approved 7-0 as amended.
- 25 R 100: The council accepted an amended StatePRO subaward and increased the grant total to $6,990,500 for the Cass Park community learning center; passed 7-0.
- 25 R 96: Three-year audit services contract with CBIZ CPAs PC was approved 7-0.
- 25 R 98: Authorization to engage a broker to sell a surplus Woonsocket Fire Department ladder truck was approved 7-0.

- Resolutions and other approvals: The council approved multiple routine permits for use of city property (25 R 92\t6, 97 and others) and passed a resolution urging the governor to fund RIPTA to avoid service reductions, 25 R 101 (7-0).

- Tabling and referral: Zoning item 25 O 52 (amendment regarding special use permits) was tabled and sent to the planning board for recommendation; several tax-cancellation items (25 R 102, 103, 104, 105) were tabled pending assessor review and correction of attachments.

Why it matters: The meeting combined routine licensing and procedural business with several substantive policy items: approval of capital grants and construction contracts moves local building projects forward, while the dumpster ordinance and police-detail rate codification respond to public complaints about property conditions and event staffing costs. The zoning vote demonstrated council reluctance to remove parking requirements without a narrower pilot and planning-board review.

Selected roll-call tallies (recorded in meeting minutes)

- 25LC27: approved 7-0.
- 25LC28: approved 7-0.
- 25LC29: approved 7-0.
- 25LC30 (licenses/renewals): approved 7-0.
- 25 O 43 (parking minimums): defeated 6-1.
- 25 O 53 (dumpster enclosures): approved 7-0 (first passage, as amended).
- 25 O 51 (police detail rates): approved 7-0 (first passage, as amended).
- 25 R 99 (award Casper Community Center to Tower Construction): approved 7-0 (as amended).
- 25 R 100 (StatePRO subaward for Cass Park): approved 7-0.
- 25 R 101 (RIPTA funding resolution): approved 7-0.

Speakers and sponsors

Major motions and sponsors were recorded in the minutes and reflected in roll-call votes. Council motions were mostly unanimous on routine items; contested items produced recorded no votes from multiple council members.

Clarifying details

- StatePRO grant: 25 R 100 increased the State Pandemic Recovery Office subaward to $6,990,500 for the Cass Park community learning center project.

- Casper Community Center bid: The council approved awarding the construction contract to Tower Construction and adopted amendments to clarify contingency funding and StatePRO confirmation; the final approved motion included modest added contingencies and conditions that the mayor confirm StatePRO's review of bid coverage.

- Police-detail rates: The ordinance codified previously adopted resolution 25 R 84 and included an attachment showing the rate calculation used to align with peer communities.

Actions

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Provenance

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Councilwoman Christina Fox introduced the measure and then offered an amendment to delete proposed citywide changes in sections 1 through 5 and limit the new rule to section 1.6, which would have applied only to the downtown overlay district and sent the revised draft back to the planning board for further review.

\"All it's saying is if someone wants to develop housing units, they are not also responsible for having to have land for parking as part of their proposal,\" Fox said in defense of the change, arguing the amendment would let housing and downtown projects advance without requiring on-site parking that can block development.

Concerns from the planning board and several council members centered on the overlay district's expansion and the ordinance's potential to reduce parking citywide without a targeted pilot. Councilman Dubois cited the planning board's recommendation that the amendment was \"generally inconsistent with the goals and purposes of the comprehensive plan\" and urged narrower drafting.

Votes and outcome

- Amendment to limit changes to the downtown overlay district (motion by Councilwoman Fox; seconded by Councilwoman Gonzales) — Roll-call vote: Kenoyer No; Dubois No; Fox Aye; Gonzales No; Harmon No; Sierra No; President Gendron No. The amendment failed 6 to 1.

- Main motion (ordinance 25 O 43 as proposed) — Roll-call vote: Kenoyer No; Dubois No; Fox Aye; Gonzales No; Harmon No; Sierra No; President Gendron No. The ordinance was defeated 6 to 1.

Why it matters: The debate linked housing and economic development policy to downtown revitalization and homelessness concerns; proponents said eliminating parking minimums can unlock infill housing, while opponents warned of adverse effects on downtown businesses and the burden on existing municipal parking.

Discussion highlights

- Sponsor's rationale: Fox described the change as a way to reduce red tape and encourage conversion of vacant downtown buildings to housing. She listed other municipalities that have taken similar steps and said the proposal was intended as a targeted start in the downtown overlay.

- Planning board and process concerns: Multiple council members and the city solicitor (Attorney Fung) noted that zoning changes must follow state law advertising and notice requirements and that planning board recommendations must be considered; several suggested tabling and re-drafting to narrow the test area.

- Mayor Beauchamp said he would meet with Fox to discuss targeted options and that some downtown projects (Longley Building, 162 Main, others) might not be blocked by parking requirements because of existing municipal lots or private parking.

Clarifying details

- Planning board: The planning board had recommended against the citywide change; councilmembers said the board might be more receptive to a narrower downtown-only approach but had not yet voted on that narrower text.

- Amendment mechanics: Fox's amendment would have reverted sections 1.1 through 1.5 to current language and left only section 1.6 changed to eliminate minimums in the downtown overlay district; the amendment itself required a roll-call vote and to proceed would have sent the modified ordinance back to planning for fresh review.

Speakers

[{\"name\":\"Councilwoman Christina Fox\",\"role_title\":\"Councilwoman\",\"affiliation_type\":\"government\",\"affiliation_name\":\"Woonsocket City Council\",\"first_reference\":{\"timecode\":\"00:52:25\",\"transcript_line_range\":[5251,5262]}},{\"name\":\"Councilman Dubois\",\"role_title\":\"Councilman\",\"affiliation_type\":\"government\",\"affiliation_name\":\"Woonsocket City Council\",\"first_reference\":{\"timecode\":\"00:52:12\",\"transcript_line_range\":[5421,5431]}},{\"name\":\"Councilman Kenoyer\",\"role_title\":\"Councilman\",\"affiliation_type\":\"government\",\"affiliation_name\":\"Woonsocket City Council\",\"first_reference\":{\"timecode\":\"00:54:52\",\"transcript_line_range\":[5492,5503]}},{\"name\":\"Solicitor Fung\",\"role_title\":\"City Solicitor\",\"affiliation_type\":\"government\",\"affiliation_name\":\"City of Woonsocket Law Department\",\"first_reference\":{\"timecode\":\"01:02:14\",\"transcript_line_range\":[6318,6339]}},{\"name\":\"Mayor Beauchamp\",\"role_title\":\"Mayor\",\"affiliation_type\":\"government\",\"affiliation_name\":\"City of Woonsocket\",\"first_reference\":{\"timecode\":\"01:05:31\",\"transcript_line_range\":[6660,6693]}}]

authorities

[{\"type\":\"ordinance\",\"name\":\"City Code of Ordinances Appendix C - Zoning (25 O 43)\",\"citation\":\"25 O 43\",\"referenced_by\":[\"zoning-parking-minimums-25o43-wsnskt-2025-08-18\"]},{\"type\":\"other\",\"name\":\"Planning board recommendation (advisory)\",\"citation\":\"planning board report (not formally cited)\",\"referenced_by\":[\"zoning-parking-minimums-25o43-wsnskt-2025-08-18\"]}]

actions

[{\"kind\":\"ordinance_first_reading\",\"identifiers\":{\"ordinance_number\":\"25 O 43\"},\"motion\":\"An ordinance to amend City Code Appendix C (Zoning) to eliminate minimum parking requirements\",\"mover\":\"Councilwoman Christina Fox\",\"second\":\"Councilwoman Gonzales\",\"vote_record\":[{\"member\":\"Councilman Kenoyer\",\"vote\":\"no\"},{\"member\":\"Councilman Dubois\",\"vote\":\"no\"},{\"member\":\"Councilwoman Fox\",\"vote\":\"yes\"},{\"member\":\"Councilwoman Gonzales\",\"vote\":\"no\"},{\"member\":\"Councilwoman Harmon\",\"vote\":\"no\"},{\"member\":\"Councilwoman Sierra\",\"vote\":\"no\"},{\"member\":\"President Gendron\",\"vote\":\"no\"}],\"tally\":{\"yes\":1,\"no\":6,\"abstain\":0},\"legal_threshold\":{\"met\":false,\"notes\":\"Failed by roll-call vote\"},\"outcome\":\"failed\",\"notes\":\"Amendment to narrow the ordinance also failed earlier; planning board had recommended against the citywide change.\"}]

discussion_decision

{\"discussion_points\":[\"Whether removing parking minimums encourages downtown housing without harming businesses; planning board said citywide change inconsistent with comprehensive plan\",\"Concerns that the downtown overlay district has expanded and the policy should be piloted in a narrower geographic area\"],\"directions\":[\"Councilwoman Fox to continue discussions with the mayor and planning staff; possible new draft or targeted pilot to return to council after planning board review\"],\"decisions\":[\"Ordinance 25 O 43 defeated (6-1); amendment to limit change to downtown overlay failed (6-1)\"]}

clarifying_details

[{\"category\":\"planning_board_recommendation\",\"detail\":\"Planning board found proposed citywide amendment inconsistent with comprehensive plan\",\"value\":\"not specified\",\"units\":\"\",\"approximate\":false,\"source_speaker\":\"Councilman Dubois\"},{\"category\":\"vote\",\"detail\":\"Amendment roll-call\",\"value\":\"6-1\",\"units\":\"votes\",\"approximate\":false,\"source_speaker\":\"Madam Clerk\"},{\"category\":\"vote\",\"detail\":\"Final ordinance roll-call\",\"value\":\"6-1\",\"units\":\"votes\",\"approximate\":false,\"source_speaker\":\"Madam Clerk\"}]

proper_names

[{\"name\":\"Downtown Overlay District\",\"type\":\"location\"},{\"name\":\"Longley Building\",\"type\":\"location\"},{\"name\":\"162 Main Street\",\"type\":\"location\"},{\"name\":\"Planning Board\",\"type\":\"agency\"}]

meeting_context

{\"engagement_level\":{\"speakers_count\":7,\"duration_minutes\":135,\"items_count\":1},\"implementation_risk\":\"medium\",\"history\":[{\"date\":\"prior meeting\",\"note\":\"Ordinance previously tabled and sent to planning board; planning board recommended against citywide change.\"}]}

searchable_tags[\"zoning\",\"parking\",\"downtown\",\"housing\",\"planning_board\"]

provenance

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\"A September 1 opening date does not look attainable, perhaps sometime in early to mid October,\" Sierra said, and she said Open Doors has assumed operations at 356 Cumberland Street in the meantime.

The vice president presented construction and permitting updates from city staff and from Open Doors. Sierra said the city solicitor had told the council the building's fire alarm system remains under repair and that the city is completing an application to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management tied to the building permit because of the property's proximity to water. Sierra also said Open Doors representative Nick Horton has told the city the project's timeline has shifted.

Why it matters: Council members, the mayor and city staff said they expect more people to be unhoused this fall than available shelter beds will accommodate. Council and city staff acknowledged state-level funding changes that reduced shelter capacity elsewhere in Northern Rhode Island and warned that residents living in encampments could remain unsheltered when a ban on outdoor camping takes effect this fall.

Most important facts

- Interim shelter operations: Sierra said Open Doors is operating at 356 Cumberland Street while work continues at 181 Cumberland Street.

- Bed counts presented: 356 Cumberland (Clinton Street) has 40 beds; 181 Cumberland is planned for 50 beds, producing a net gain of about 10 beds when occupants move from the interim site. Sierra also said the Harvest Community site will add roughly 28 beds; she recalled a prior estimate of about 60 people living in encampments during winter months and said that number may be higher in summer.

- State funding changes: Director Morrissey (city staff) told the council there had been a net loss of shelter beds in Rhode Island this year under a new state funding formula; the Northern Rhode Island (NRI) shelter in Smithfield is closing, the director said, and that will increase pressure on local placement options.

- Enforcement and site closure actions: Mayor Beauchamp described talks with Rhode Island Energy and the Department of Transportation to install fences and no-trespass signage at locations such as the Hammond Avenue bridge. \"Once we have that, there is nobody living underneath the Hammond Avenue bridge. It is completely clean,\" the mayor said, while acknowledging some people likely migrated to other nearby sites.

Discussion vs. decisions

Discussion: Council members repeatedly pressed city staff and the mayor's office on contingency plans for people who cannot be accommodated in city shelters this fall. Sierra asked whether nonprofits and the administration have planning conversations about relocating people to other communities, reconnecting them with family, or expanding placements.

Direction/ongoing work: The mayor and staff said they are meeting daily with Community Care Alliance, Open Doors and other partners to search for placements, approach landlords and identify any available units. The mayor said the city is pursuing permission from DOT and Rhode Island Energy to install fencing and no-trespass signage at bridge sites to prevent re-encampment at those locations.

Formal action: The meeting record does not show a new council vote to authorize additional shelter funding or emergency housing; council members instead received reports and asked staff to continue coordination.

Quotes

\"This is the second time where I'm giving the public a report as to what's going on with the Open Doors in 181 Cumberland Street,\" Vice President Sierra said. \"The fire alarm system continues to be worked on...a September 1 opening date does not look attainable, perhaps sometime in early to mid October.\"

\"There is actually a net loss of shelter beds in the state of Rhode Island from the state funding this year,\" Director Morrissey told the council when discussing placement capacity.

\"Once we have that, there is nobody living underneath the Hammond Avenue bridge. It is completely clean,\" Mayor Beauchamp said, describing coordination with state agencies to restrict access at bridge underpasses.

Clarifying details and context

- Interim and planned bed totals: 356 Cumberland (interim) = 40 beds; 181 Cumberland (planned) = 50 beds; Harvest Community opening estimated ~28 beds. Net gain when moving from 356 to 181 = about 10 beds. Sierra said an earlier estimate (winter count) placed encampment population around 60 people; she cautioned the number may be higher now.

- Permitting hold points: City staff reported ongoing work on the building's fire alarm system and a DEM application required because of the site's proximity to water; those items affect the building permit timeline.

- State-level impacts: Officials said a changed state funding formula reduced available shelter beds and that the Northern Rhode Island shelter in Smithfield is closing, increasing demand for placements outside Woonsocket.

Community relevance

- Geographies affected: Encampments and shelter placements citywide, with specific sites at 181 Cumberland Street and 356 Cumberland Street; Hammond Avenue and Court Street bridge areas were identified as enforcement targets.

- Impact groups: People experiencing homelessness, persons using Open Doors services, nearby neighborhoods where encampments have been located.

Meeting context

- Engagement level: Item generated extended discussion in the presentation segment (Vice President Sierra's report) and follow-up comments from the mayor and council members; multiple council members raised follow-up questions and suggested continued inter-agency coordination.

- Implementation risk: High — bed capacity depends on external state funding and on construction/permitting milestones beyond the city's immediate control.

Speakers

[{\"name\":\"Vice President Sierra\",\"role_title\":\"Council Vice President\",\"affiliation_type\":\"government\"},{\"name\":\"Mayor Beauchamp\",\"role_title\":\"Mayor\",\"affiliation_type\":\"government\"},{\"name\":\"Director Morrissey\",\"role_title\":\"Director of Human Services (city staff)\",\"affiliation_type\":\"government\"},{\"name\":\"Nick Horton\",\"role_title\":\"Open Doors representative (stated by Vice President Sierra)\",\"affiliation_type\":\"nonprofit\"},{\"name\":\"Community Care Alliance\",\"role_title\":\"Nonprofit service partner (referenced)\",\"affiliation_type\":\"nonprofit\"}]

Authorities

[{\"type\":\"ordinance\",\"name\":\"City ordinance banning outdoor camping (not specified)\",\"referenced_by\":[\"homelessness-open-doors-encampments-wsnskt-2025-08-18\"]},{\"type\":\"other\",\"name\":\"DEM application requirement for building permits near water (RI Department of Environmental Management)\",\"referenced_by\":[\"homelessness-open-doors-encampments-wsnskt-2025-08-18\"]}]

Clarifying_details

[{\"category\":\"beds\",\"detail\":\"Interim site at 356 Cumberland (Clinton Street) operates 40 beds\",\"value\":\"40\",\"units\":\"beds\",\"approximate\":false,\"source_speaker\":\"Vice President Sierra\"},{\"category\":\"beds\",\"detail\":\"Planned capacity at 181 Cumberland Street\",\"value\":\"50\",\"units\":\"beds\",\"approximate\":false,\"source_speaker\":\"Vice President Sierra\"},{\"category\":\"beds\",\"detail\":\"Harvest Community opening expected to add roughly\",\"value\":28,\"units\":\"beds\",\"approximate\":true,\"source_speaker\":\"Vice President Sierra\"},{\"category\":\"encampment_count\",\"detail\":\"Estimated encampment population during winter count\",\"value\":60,\"units\":\"people\",\"approximate\":true,\"source_speaker\":\"Vice President Sierra\"}]

proper_names

[{\"name\":\"Open Doors\",\"type\":\"organization\"},{\"name\":\"356 Cumberland Street\",\"type\":\"location\"},{\"name\":\"181 Cumberland Street\",\"type\":\"location\"},{\"name\":\"Harvest Community\",\"type\":\"organization\"},{\"name\":\"Northern Rhode Island shelter (Smithfield)\",\"type\":\"organization\"},{\"name\":\"Community Care Alliance\",\"type\":\"organization\"},{\"name\":\"Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management\",\"type\":\"agency\"},{\"name\":\"Rhode Island Energy\",\"type\":\"business\"}]

provenance

{\"transcript_segments\":[{\"block_id\":\"s2864.265\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":222,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"This is the second time where I'm giving the public a report as to what's going on with the open doors in 181 Cumberland Street...The fire alarm system continues to be worked on...a September 1 opening date does not look attainable, perhaps sometime in early to mid October.\",\"reason_code\":\"topicintro\"},{\"block_id\":\"s3439.26\",\"local_start\":0,\"local_end\":24,\"evidence_excerpt\":\"I think that that's all for me. Thank you so much.\",\"reason_code\":\"topicfinish\"}]}

salience

{\"overall\":0.82,\"overall_justification\":\"City-level shelter capacity and a forthcoming camping ban create immediate operational and humanitarian issues affecting dozens of people; state funding changes raise urgency.\",\"impact_scope\":\"local\",\"impact_scope_justification\":\"Directly affects people in Woonsocket, local shelters and parks.\",\"attention_level\":\"high\",\"attention_level_justification\":\"Ongoing operational decisions and an imminent policy enforcement deadline (fall) require follow-up.\",\"novelty\":0.45,\"novelty_justification\":\"Delay to a high-profile shelter opening was newsworthy locally but not unprecedented.\",\"timeliness_urgency\":0.86,\"timeliness_urgency_justification\":\"Opening delays and a coming camping ban mean immediate operational and outreach work is required.\",\"legal_significance\":0.30,\"legal_significance_justification\":\"Permitting and no-trespass signage involve state agencies, but no new laws were enacted at the meeting.\",\"budgetary_significance\":0.40,\"budgetary_significance_justification\":\"Potential need for reallocated funds or emergency placements; specific new appropriations were not approved.\",\"affected_population_estimate\":100,\"affected_population_estimate_justification\":\"Combining encampment estimates and shelter placements yields an order-of-magnitude estimate; confidence is low.\",\"budget_total_usd\":0.0,\"budget_total_usd_justification\":\"No new appropriations were approved during this discussion.\",\"policy_stage\":\"implementation\",\"policy_stage_justification\":\"Permitting and partner coordination are underway; beds are being added but capacity shortfalls remain.\"}","Council Vice President reported delays to the Open Doors shelter at 181 Cumberland Street and said interim operations are ongoing at 356 Cumberland Street; city leaders and service providers warned that shelter bed gains will not cover the estimated number of people living in encampments this fall.","actionData","errors"]

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City officials warn shelter capacity will fall short as Open Doors opening slips toward October