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Woonsocket council approves ordinances and tax abatements in unanimous votes
Summary
The Woonsocket City Council held a public hearing and approved a slate of ordinances and tax-cancellation resolutions on Sept. 15, 2025, all by unanimous roll calls; a safety action plan resolution was tabled to October.
Woonsocket City Council approved multiple ordinances and tax-cancellation resolutions Sept. 15, 2025, each by unanimous votes during a meeting at City Hall. Several measures advanced on first or second passage, and the council tabled one safety-plan resolution for more information.
The council voted 7-0 to close a public hearing on an amendment to the city zoning code (25 O 52) and then advanced a set of ordinances including utility easements, traffic control changes and commercial trash enclosure rules. Council members also approved several resolutions cancelling specific tax liabilities for properties and practitioners, citing assessment irregularities or statutory exemptions. The council tabled the resolution adopting the Woonsocket Safety Action Plan (25 R 113) to the October meeting to allow staff follow-up.
Key outcomes (roll-call tallies as read by the clerk): - Licenses and renewals (25 LC 31): approved 7-0. Motion to approve by Councilwoman Gonzales; seconded by Councilwoman Fox. The clerk recorded the vote as 7 to 0. - Narragansett Electric anchor relocation (25 O 48): approved on second passage, 7-0. Motion by Councilwoman Sierra; seconded by Councilwoman Gonzales. - Easement to Narragansett Electric on Manvel Road (25 O 49): approved 7-0. Motion by Councilwoman Gonzales; seconded by Councilwoman Sierra. - New stop signs at intersections with Main/Mason streets (25 O 50): approved 7-0. Motion by Councilwoman Sierra; seconded by Councilwoman Harmon. - Police detail rates and fees codification for FY 2025–26 (25 O 51): approved 7-0. Motion by Councilman DuBois; seconded by Councilwoman Sierra. - Amendment to zoning regarding special use permits (25 O 52): public hearing closed and ordinance approved (first passage recorded as 7-0). - Ordinance to enclose all commercial garbage and trash (25 O 53): approved on second passage, 7-0. Motion by Councilwoman Harmon; seconded by Councilwoman Fox. The solicitor will research a variance/appeal mechanism for properties physically unable to meet enclosure requirements and report back if needed. - Authorization to permit wastewater connection outside city limits (25 O 54): approved first passage, 7-0. Motion by Councilwoman Gonzales; seconded by Councilwoman Sierra. - Multiple tax-cancellation resolutions (25 R 104, 25 R 105, 25 R 111, 25 R 112, 25 R 114): each approved 7-0. The docket included abatements and cancellations for errors, homestead exemptions, tangible-property corrections and other specified reasons; combined totals discussed during the meeting reached roughly $110,000 in abatements for the night.
The council tabled the resolution adopting the Woonsocket Safety Action Plan (25 R 113) after members requested clearer information on who is leading implementation and what outreach has already occurred. The motion to table passed and the item was continued to the October meeting.
The council’s actions were routine roll-call votes with no recorded dissents. Several agenda items that drew public comment (zoning amendment, trash enclosure ordinance) were discussed before votes; the minutes show the clerk recorded each roll call and the 7-0 tallies. The meeting ended with a unanimous motion to adjourn.
