Votes at a glance: Smithfield council approves appointments, licenses, equipment purchases and contracts on March 18
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Summary
The Town Council on March 18 approved a package of routine and substantive items including appointments, licenses, fire and public works equipment purchases, a water main design contract contingent on grant award, and a fire disability retirement.
At its March 18 meeting the Smithfield Town Council approved a range of motions including appointments, licenses, equipment purchases, contracts, and personnel actions. Most motions passed by voice vote; where a specific vote tally was not recorded in the transcript, the minutes state the motion carried.
Key outcomes approved by the council:
- Minutes and executive-session minutes: Council approved minutes for February and March sessions as recorded and sealed.
- Appointments and reappointments: Christopher Boyle (Sewer Authority), Barbara Rich (Land Trust), Barbara Bowery (Housing Authority), Peter Pare (Conservation Commission), and multiple appointees to the Charter Review Commission (Adam LaGreca, Dennis Acoccia, Emilio Calantonio, Ernie Almonte, Jamie Sibelico, Carrie Lawton, Robert Randall, Thomas Hodgkins, Russell Marcella) were approved.
- Licenses: The council approved a new venting-only license for Starry Night Cafe and approved annual renewals for a list of establishments as presented; it also approved a renewal for a weapons license (High Table Outfitters LLC), a mobile food truck license (Little B's Barbecue LLC) and a bingo license (Georgiaville Tenants Association), subject to compliance with state and local regulations.
- Personnel and retirement: The council authorized a fire disability retirement for Captain Christopher Keane effective March 19, 2025.
- Fire department equipment: The council authorized purchases under state/pricing agreements for battery-operated rescue tools (four units) totaling $63,494 to be paid from the fire department's capital budget; the purchase completes a multi-year upgrade begun in 2023.
- Public works equipment and contracts (capital reserve funded unless otherwise stated): authorization to purchase a ME36 mulching head ($21,243.72); two 11-foot snow plows ($19,622); four mobile column lifts ($47,584.91); two replacement mower motors ($29,796.80); and to purchase kilns for the high school via RFP to be paid by grant funds.
- Water main design contract: The council authorized entering a contract with Beta Group for engineering and design of the Log Road water-main extension in the amount of $143,400 contingent on award of a Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank / US EPA emerging contaminants grant (estimated $1,000,000 grant recommendation). The vote directs staff to pursue the grant application and, if the infrastructure bank awards funding, to execute the design contract.
- Other contracts: The council authorized purchase of Hurst (rescue) tools for the fire department and approved multiple smaller vendor purchases through master-price agreements.
- Ordinances and public hearings: The council continued the public hearing on an amended town seal ordinance to April 1 to address First Amendment concerns raised by outside counsel (ACLU review) and scheduled multiple public hearings (April 1 and April 15) to consider amendments to tax-stabilization agreements, sidewalk snow removal, tree and structure code changes, and tax-stabilization provisions.
All of the above were recorded in meeting minutes and passed by the council during the March 18 meeting; many motions were approved by voice vote and the clerk recorded the approvals.
