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Council authorizes town manager and solicitor to work with USDA on acquisition timeline and cooperative agreement
Summary
The council authorized the town manager and town solicitor to finalize cooperative-agreement details with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a property-acquisition project and asked staff to seek a timetable and deadlines to keep the federal process moving.
The West Warwick Town Council authorized the town manager and town solicitor to finalize discussions and to move forward with a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) related to a town acquisition project.
Staff reported that USDA officials determined a memorandum of understanding was not required and that the agency can proceed with a cooperative agreement. The council was told the cooperative agreement would outline responsibilities and a timetable; staff said they expect a draft within days and offered to return a timetable to the council and affected residents once the draft is available.
Council members asked staff to keep the process moving, to seek firm deadlines for appraisals, title work and environmental records, and to avoid unnecessary delays. Town staff described three primary actions the USDA will undertake: third-party appraisals, federal-record reviews, and environmental records screening; council members asked staff to press the USDA for clearly defined timelines and for regular updates to property owners.
On a voice vote the council authorized the town manager and town solicitor to finalize the cooperative agreement and to continue working with USDA officials to advance the acquisition process. Staff said they would report back to the council and, if necessary, schedule a special meeting to consider documents that require prompt action.
