[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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",[32,75,87,98],{"_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",6475147,"mediaKeyId","5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12","parentId",5737331,"title","Votes at a glance: East Greenwich Town Council, Sept. 8, 2025","audioSeconds",3115,"startMs",2660000,"endMs",5775000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12&start=2660&end=5775","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12/thumbnail_2660000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6475147/East-Greenwich/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Votes-at-a-glance-East-Greenwich-Town-Council-Sept-8-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475147-49937a8d8a395713246dfeb7cb525786/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191336&Signature=n-BoaqjQBXUOYEi3WUoOkpKqQqbGppxUbwFp3RGZ2h57P8pBnqwfSUqQC1aXPwSr8X81Noa37wM-GvF5fzoFzdHhNjxkC18o~rViX1jydUzCyh5gg8seS5wtvTAfOy2uhAyS8Qx0ljZqNEnlCCP9sNHgUSk6tnZTkq4LQcXNz6WkpatOVwRrsIC6KHa04LNHXQWTJ87d99F8mn03WT2Mv3qj5rCQc-ds~~MfTfj54Js~9Bd8UC0zj0wph6F5PiGJjKGZerH4sl3Iui2DAtgECph3Am~TdceMq2FwcJYbPHDTRDSUKV7Vbtz38P3OkiNaAa7fYJOvzQ8i-Z-yk5t4zw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","East Greenwich","date","2025-09-08T00:00:00Z","article","The East Greenwich Town Council took the following recorded actions at its Sept. 8 meeting. All votes listed below are recorded in the meeting minutes.

Consent calendar (items 4a–4f): approved 5-0. Items included: minutes of the Aug. 12 regular meeting; a revised class F alcohol beverage license application for the Academy Science Center fundraiser (Sept. 27); award of bid for a 2025 Ford Interceptor police SUV (amount not to exceed $100,000) with financing from the capital improvement fund; sole-source and other awards for police handguns, rifles and related equipment (to be funded and reimbursed upon receipt of an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Award); sole-source purchase of a large-area rotary mower (amount not to exceed $163,631.93); tax assessor recommendations including abatements totaling $5,827.93 and additions totaling $9,044.71; and acceptance of a resignation from a school construction committee community member (effective 09/10/2025). The council voted to approve the consent calendar without discussion.

Public hearing — Mimi's Cafe (6a): upgrade of alcohol beverage license from class BV limited (beer and wine) to class BV full for 1855 South County Trail — motion to approve subject to fire-department approval carried 5-0. (Separate article covers details of the hearing and conditions.)

Trees ordinance (6b): second reading of an ordinance to add a new chapter entitled \"The Trees\" was continued because of an advertising error; motion to continue to the council's next meeting (Sept. 29) carried 5-0.

New business — school construction resolution: motion to authorize the town manager to negotiate and execute GMP contracts for early bid package #2 (site work, concrete, structural steel, air handlers) in an amount not to exceed $29,972,641, funded by the $150,000,000 school construction bond, carried 5-0. (See separate article for an extended summary of the project presentation and risks.)

Executive session: the council convened an executive session under Rhode Island General Law 42-46-5(a)(1) and (5) to review executive session minutes and to discuss acquisition/lease of real property for public purposes (Bosch Farm). The council reported out that approval of executive-session minutes was completed; no action was taken on the property discussion. The council later voted to seal the executive-session minutes (motion carried 4-0 after one member recused from one item).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","East Greenwich - Town Council","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal council actions taken Sept. 8, 2025, including consent calendar approvals, continuation of a trees ordinance hearing, license and construction authorizations, and executive-session motions.","taxTitle","East Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island","taxId",79579,"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},6475152,"Town solicitor briefs council on 2025 state housing and zoning laws that reduce some local controls",1716,6437000,8153000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12&start=6437&end=8153","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12/thumbnail_6437000.jpg","/articles/6475152/East-Greenwich/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Town-solicitor-briefs-council-on-2025-state-housing-and-zoning-laws-that-reduce-some-local-controls","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475152-b322475133fde9b9fd44b3e7a1e6f0f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191336&Signature=J1OllapokH3vye3F2hTlSaxwjB~p82d7tZ7CCnHxXUSvfltwtcCKcYrNS0cCUSmdQb95jsWZhDRrCS1nlD5-G0RAza51se7X0PRQ4TH7i0tPO91fwTuoJjFkJ3zwr3PX73Pl2FcLbUEF~Gaqmw1Xe3PxC7B1bgdtpAVJLQPXeHhoojPZkutkxsli8pqljh19EXMxEnRVmrED~gZgU1XX3ANJIZWkFRoqD-AGXknfktCX8W5oZciuJkphZEy9jRg1qgRPCfS8VwsU0XkkyH1gA4kvQpViP4Glbko5UFVSxImPvc~JqhOtUnuuEXrB56VMSBSr5ZvLw59xawhTmeVEDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town Solicitor Andrew Tights told the council Sept. 8 that a package of 2025 General Assembly bills continues a multi-year state effort to streamline housing development approvals and shift certain decisions from local public hearings to administrative review.

Tights said the new laws modify the zoning enabling act, the planning act and the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act. Among the changes he highlighted: minor subdivisions that do not require new streets have no fixed numerical limit (localities must rely on administrative review rather than automatic public hearings in many cases); final approvals can be processed administratively rather than by a planning board; and requirements that local boards find \"no negative environmental impact\" have been narrowed where state environmental permits apply.

He discussed adaptive reuse changes that provide a density incentive if projects provide affordable units; the statute now requires a minimum affordable set‑aside (the law provides a 10% affordable unit incentive for adaptive reuse density) and limits additions to non-habitable spaces (elevators, stairwells, mechanical equipment) rather than new habitable penthouses. Tights said the law now gives communities more explicit authority to define industrial areas where residential reuse would be hazardous.

On accessory dwelling units (ADUs), Tights summarized new state limits: an ADU may be up to 800 square feet for a one-bedroom unit and 1,200 square feet for a two-bedroom unit and may not exceed 60% of the primary dwelling's size; ADUs cannot be used for short-term rentals. He said condominium and homeowners association restrictions remain in effect for the time being but cautioned that state law preemption around ADUs will require local ordinance updates.

Tights also outlined a new clarification (effective January 2026) about how municipalities qualify under the Low and Moderate Income Housing Act once they meet a 10% affordable housing milestone and the interplay with inclusionary zoning: if a town has qualifying inclusionary zoning and other requirements in place, it may no longer be subject to the comprehensive-permit provisions for qualifying projects. The solicitor and council discussed infrastructure constraints: Tights cited a recent court decision in Westerly that upheld denial of a 2,300-unit proposal because the area lacked the necessary sewer and water infrastructure.

Councilors asked questions about impacts on local procedures and the need to update town ordinances. Tights said the town will need ordinance revisions and that further bills are likely to continue this trend toward administrative approvals.","Town solicitor Andrew Tights summarized multiple 2025 General Assembly bills that change Rhode Island land-use law: expanding administrative approvals, altering subdivision rules, updating adaptive reuse and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) provisions, and clarifying how municipalities meet the 10% affordable-housing milestone.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":46,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6475156,"Council authorizes manager to negotiate early school construction contracts totaling about $29.97 million",3086,2689000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12&start=2689&end=5775","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12/thumbnail_2689000.jpg","/articles/6475156/East-Greenwich/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/Council-authorizes-manager-to-negotiate-early-school-construction-contracts-totaling-about-2997-million","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475156-c7c1d4468c47a27ed6533a57edd44709/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191336&Signature=acTWFfRJ-RJPXFgNeluESmlihmcoqgoXIyHiUSB8iWV5oaguy96zdxThT50xGL8b1JcpsqyfCQjmNTKeM5dVetP8gafvpU5vTwnwa4XTD-LBZjWY9naVl1EHIdWyhaq7xq~9eiAM7tvcvEJU1yfLtkaqZmOjiIM-am9b3NBdKvelOnUtOnGkpzZYWuy-YmSxqU-STMfp6ILiltKKr7pfrOaULdqzPWmBJ3Uh0PDD2uOkhBjasbzq3eBba81v48Y~zuL6hLdPFdLuPYDHnpAD2Xu2TsJpA2DqyFKAMcl~9msFMB5YDuBrJSP9K7wgX1a57ue-uwxCyO9nCSB5fLX0lA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The East Greenwich Town Council voted 5-0 Sept. 8 to authorize the town manager to review, negotiate and, subject to solicitor review, execute contracts and guaranteed maximum price agreements for an early bid package of the town's school construction project totaling $29,972,641 and to fund the work from the town's school construction bond proceeds.

Town Manager Andrew Nada and Consigli Construction project executive Corey Pinero led an extended presentation at the meeting describing the early bid package (Bid Package 2) that covers site work, concrete, structural steel and air handler units for East Greenwich High School, Frenchtown Elementary and Hannaford Elementary. Pinero said the direct trade cost for the 12 scope elements across the three schools is \"just under $27,000,000,\" with roughly $3,000,000 in indirect costs, for a total just under $30,000,000.

Nada and the construction team described a multi-step procurement process: a pre-bid meeting and site tours, issuance of 60% construction documents, receipt of more than 50 subcontractor bids across the three primary schools, scope reviews, and final negotiations. Project staff reported approximately $700,000 in bid-day savings from the last estimate and additional value-management savings of roughly $1,000,000 identified at a working-group meeting the same day.

Consigli and the town emphasized project risks and mitigation measures. The team described a 5% owner's contingency held outside the construction manager's numbers to address risks such as tariffs, soil remediation and subcontractor performance. Pinero said statewide tariff exposure across comparable projects tends to be \"about a 1 to 2% impact on your overall project cost,\" and identified structural steel as the largest tariff risk for this scope. Town staff said the school construction committee and working group had reviewed the packages and recommended advancing the early contracts to preserve the January 2026 mobilization date.

The resolution authorizes the manager to negotiate and execute contracts with Consigli for the early bid package and requires the manager to return to the council for final approval if individual GMPs exceed $29,972,641. The council voted to approve the resolution 5-0.","The council approved a resolution allowing the town manager to review and execute guaranteed maximum price (GMP) agreements for an early bid package of the district's school construction project, funding the work from the $150 million school construction bond.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6475162,"East Greenwich council approves Mimi's Cafe upgrade to full liquor license, subject to fire marshal clearance",1047,1575000,2622000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12&start=1575&end=2622","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5737331-29e96ee83816410c4581f21d3660dd12/thumbnail_1575000.jpg","/articles/6475162/East-Greenwich/Kent-County/Rhode-Island/East-Greenwich-council-approves-Mimis-Cafe-upgrade-to-full-liquor-license-subject-to-fire-marshal-clearance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475162-91a53d68f5383e382f1ecf8b9adc3051/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191336&Signature=FXwuRRi4Wr2mAGMfJX-6LhlxGNpsENIgY8GPbqDDNMxnGJxOhDxSxqHxLCpVpOgA2yRKjw1LQquUDXvtXUhuLnfIB99ZJwqDGO4dphLurEsM0vTvPY-RUF8OsmPT5iD4L~F0z32X0wbDLdweWrFGwaocGBWi8cuBoGaJGInoiBDiawTwuAd~3D75KxmZq8iFrm528GKi0mg9keHw5rR07iDr5LXn1mMTPNbp32vmperRWEXmgv4JieWZombPZUnoAmWU0J8VTRAv6IjuqoPutdlZ8maU5d51j~Id0ZgCb9uPmmG43d568W5g-jFOluu-gUlrPjKg9L5tdjnJseVvcQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The East Greenwich Town Council voted 5-0 Sept. 8 to allow Mimi's Cafe, 1855 South County Trail, to upgrade its alcohol license from a class BV limited (beer and wine) to a class BV full license, contingent on final sign-off from the fire marshal and town clerk.

At a public hearing, David Card, owner of Mimi's Cafe, told the council the upgrade would let the restaurant expand its breakfast cocktail menu. \"We'd like that opportunity to grow our breakfast cocktail menu,\" Card said, adding the business plans to focus on morning offerings such as Bloody Marys and a limited set of espresso martinis served as flights.

The clerk reported that the applicant has clearance from the Division of Taxation but that final approval from the fire marshal remained pending because the building owner must upgrade the fire alarm system. The council and staff clarified the approval would be subject to full compliance as determined by the town clerk and fire department.

Neighbors attended and spoke. Richard Notar Donato of 1040 Middle Road said his concern \"was that the license is issued to the establishment\" and could later be used to expand evening hours, but he told the council the condition tying service to current hours addressed that worry. An online commenter, Dale Vandevredi of 126 Pine Glen Drive, voiced support for the upgrade.

Council members discussed hours and conditions at length. The council relied on representations about Mimi's existing operating hours — weekday closing at 2:30 p.m. and weekend closing at 3:00 p.m. — and the existing allowance for private events (previously limited until 10 p.m.). The council and applicant agreed the liquor license should align with the restaurant's business hours, and that any later change in hours would require a separate application to the council.

Councilor Michael Zarrella moved to approve the upgrade, subject to fire-department approval and compliance with the clerk; Counselor Reina Engelhardt seconded. The motion carried 5-0.

The council and staff noted there is only one full class BV license available in town; awarding it to Mimi's will use that slot. Any future requests for additional full licenses would require action by the council to raise the local cap.","After a public hearing and neighbor comment, the Town Council voted 5-0 to permit Mimi's Cafe at 1855 South County Trail to upgrade from a beer-and-wine (class BV limited) license to a full class BV license, subject to final approval by the fire marshal and clerk.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: East Greenwich Town Council, Sept. 8, 2025

Town solicitor briefs council on 2025 state housing and zoning laws that reduce some local controls

Council authorizes manager to negotiate early school construction contracts totaling about $29.97 million

East Greenwich council approves Mimi's Cafe upgrade to full liquor license, subject to fire marshal clearance