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Town administrator reports electronic permitting launch, transfer-station signups and recycling contamination fee
Summary
Town Administrator reported that electronic permitting went live ahead of the Oct. 1 statewide deadline, building-permit system will transition mid-September, curbside/transfer-station sticker signups are incomplete and a recent recycling load was rejected for contamination resulting in a $250 handling fee.
Town Administrator (name in minutes) briefed the council on administrative matters: planning and building permitting transitions, transfer-station and curbside sticker signups, recycling contamination and the FY25 audit status.
The planning department launched an electronic permit submission platform (OpenGov) on Sept. 2, ahead of the state-mandated Oct. 1 requirement. The building-permit platform will be migrated over the weekend from Friday the 11th through Sunday the 14th, and building permits will be issued on the new system beginning Monday the 15th. The administrator asked staff to post instructions on the town website and to assist applicants.
On solid waste signups, town staff reported 5,172 households (Prudence Island plus the mainland) of 6,566 eligible had signed up for transfer-station or curbside services, leaving about 1,394 households that still needed to register. The administrator reminded residents to place bins at the curb by 6 a.m. or the night before and to leave them until empty; drivers and the diversion manager review truck video when complaints arise.
Town staff also reported that a Portsmouth recycling load was rejected by the Rhode Island Recovery Resource Corporation for contamination (plastic film and bagged trash) and the town was assessed a $250 handling fee plus disposal charges. The administrator asked residents not to put plastic bags or nonrecyclables in recycling bins and said most recent collection complaints stemmed from improperly set out bins.
The administrator also reminded the council of a senior-center fundraising yard sale on Sept. 13 and noted the auditor is continuing field work for the FY25 audit with draft financial statements expected late this fall.
