New Shoreham officials used the May 4 Group presentation as an occasion to press state transportation issues: a state-owned road garage and salt shed on the island, a maintenance agreement with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) that recently expired, and aging roads and drainage infrastructure.

Public Works Director Mike Shea described deteriorated culverts and road sections, saying many town culverts “are collapsed” and that some roads have not had major paving since the 1970s. He said the condition raises safety concerns for small-wheeled vehicles and mopeds.

Amy (the town manager) and council members discussed a maintenance agreement with RIDOT that expired in June 2024. Amy said DOT had returned an agreement it regards as final and ready to execute; council leaders said they prefer to discuss broader strategy and leverage—whether to sign now or use the contract renewal as negotiation leverage to press DOT on capital repairs, the state-owned garage, and other capital items such as the salt shed. "That would be my recommendation is that we talk about the agreement, which is up for renewal and the state feels is done and ready to execute, and how do we wanna proceed relative to all the other items that aren't reflected in that," one meeting participant said.

Officials and residents also discussed the DOT ‘state road garage’ (the island facility that stores trucks and materials). Participants noted the building is state-owned, has been assessed multiple times and repeatedly identified as in very poor condition, and that DOT control of the site complicates town efforts to achieve capital fixes. Amy described the garage as DOT’s responsibility: "They own it. I mean, they own the property. They own the roads. It's just we just maintain."

The council said it would prioritize a more detailed discussion of negotiation strategy at an upcoming meeting (referred to in the briefing as a council session likely on the 15th), and staff said they would work to reprioritize proposed DOT-funded items in light of the island’s documented road and drainage needs. Officials also noted state programs (including TIP/TIPS and RIDOT 10-year plans) as potential funding sources but cautioned that such funds are competitive and contingent on broader state and federal capital budgets.

Ending: No formal vote occurred. Council members said they will review the DOT contract language and discuss negotiation strategy at an upcoming meeting before deciding whether to execute the maintenance agreement.