Votes at a glance: East Greenwich Town Council, Sept. 29 — consent items, tree ordinance second reading, appointment

At its Sept. 29 meeting the East Greenwich Town Council recorded several formal actions. Below are the outcomes and key details.

Votes at a glance

1) Consent calendar — approved (motion carried 4–0) What passed: A single motion adopted multiple routine items listed on the consent calendar, including: - Minutes of the regular Town Council meeting of Sept. 8, 2025 (item 4a) - Permit for Fry Farms annual fall flea‑market festival on South County Trail (item 4b) - A Class F one‑day alcoholic beverage license for New England Institute of Technology’s work‑anniversary event Nov. 6 (item 4c) - A petition from Rhode Island Energy to install a new utility pole and anchors on South County Trail (item 4d) - Award of contract to Emmy O’Brien and Sons for $18,156 to purchase 10 decorative benches; project paid from the town’s $343,000 Main Street Streetscape Improvement Fund awarded by Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (item 4e) - Award of contract to Anne Seal Incorporated (Johnson City, NY) for crack sealing of town roads in the amount of $30,000 (item 4f) Notes: The consent calendar was approved in one motion; no individual items were pulled for separate discussion. The council vote was announced as “Aye—motion carries 4 to 0.”

2) Tree ordinance — second reading amended and advanced to third reading (motion carried 4–0) What passed: The council held the second reading of an ordinance to add a new chapter on trees to the municipal code and approved amendments made after the Sept. 8 first reading. Notable changes recorded at the second reading: - Removal of a proposed new East Greenwich Tree Advisory Board from the draft ordinance; authority is vested in the tree warden (as revised). - Council directed a change in the ordinance language so that administrative regulations the tree warden may adopt are permissive ("may implement such rules and regulations...") rather than mandatory without additional town‑manager oversight. Notes: The ordinance remains subject to a third reading before final adoption. The council voted 4–0 to pass the ordinance as amended to a third reading.

3) New business — public safety communications upgrade, phase 3 — continued (motion carried 4–0) What passed: The council voted to continue consideration of the public safety communications upgrade project (phase 3) pending final review. Outcome recorded as postponed/continued to a future date.

4) Appointment — acting town manager Patricia Sunderland (motion carried 4–0) What passed: Town Manager Nada requested the council appoint Patricia Sunderland, director of finance, as acting town manager for the period Oct. 1 through Oct. 12, 2025. The council approved the appointment 4–0.

5) Executive session actions and report out - Executive session minutes from Sept. 8, 2025 — approved 4–0. The council reported out this approval in open session. - Real‑property acquisition discussions (Bosch Farm and other parcels) — no action taken (items 10B and 10C). The council reported that Councilor Zarrella was recused on item 10B and absent for item 10C. - Motion to seal the executive session minutes — approved 3–0 (Zarrella recused).

How votes were recorded: Where roll‑call records were not read into the transcript, the clerk and council announced outcomes (for example, “Motion carries 4 to 0”). When specific movers/seconders were not named on the record they are listed below as “not specified.”

Items to watch: The tree ordinance will return for a third reading; staff will bring draft ordinances for noise, open burning/fire pits and parking code rewrites in the coming months. The public safety communications upgrade project will be returned after final review.