Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Construction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
West Warwick council asks state lawmakers to enable bonding for school construction planning
Summary
The Town Council approved a resolution asking the Rhode Island General Assembly to enact enabling legislation so West Warwick can finance school building plans by bond; the resolution references the town’s Stage 2 submission and a not-to-exceed figure used for planning.
The West Warwick Town Council voted unanimously March 18 to ask the Rhode Island General Assembly for enabling legislation that would let the town finance school building plans through bonds.
The measure, presented during the council’s meeting, requests state-level authorization to allow the town to include bond financing in its school construction plan. The town’s staff said the resolution matches figures used in the town’s Stage 2 submission and states an estimated current-year reimbursement rate of about 64.6 percent.
Town staff said the Stage 2 submission used a planning maximum bond amount of $71,000,000; they explicitly said that number is the Stage 2 submission total used for planning, and does not commit the town to issuing bonds in that amount. Staff also said the town must file the legislative request promptly to be considered in this session’s calendar, and that the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) will respond on the town’s application around May.
Council President Magofflin moved the item onto the agenda earlier in the meeting; the council heard the staff presentation, asked no substantive follow-up questions, and approved the resolution by voice vote.
The resolution is an administrative step in the state school construction process: it seeks authority and lays out minimum reimbursement and a planning maximum so the town can continue the RIDE Stage 2 process.
Looking ahead, staff said the town will wait for RIDE’s response to the Stage 2 application in the May timeframe and will return with any required next steps if the legislative authorization proceeds.
