Woonsocket council reviews ordinance to adopt state building and property-maintenance codes and speed enforcement

The Woonsocket City Council on Monday, May 12, 2025, heard a lengthy discussion of a draft ordinance to formally adopt the Rhode Island State building code and the state property-maintenance code and to change how the city processes and enforces violations.

Council members were told the changes would update references to outdated codes, bring local fees into alignment with state law and create a faster administrative enforcement track intended to get housing repairs done more quickly for tenants.

Council members and city staff said the current process often sends cases directly to housing court and can take months or years to resolve, leaving tenants in substandard conditions. The draft ordinance would add an administratively managed warning-letter step and shorten some notice windows so enforcement moves more quickly, city officials said.

"These are the residents who don't have the resources to represent themselves," said Ted Isabella, Woonsocket building official. "What we're looking to do is help the residents who reside in these…