North Smithfield council approves licenses, equipment purchases and contracts in roll-call votes

The North Smithfield Town Council on April 21 approved a series of routine and capital items, including vendor licenses, an equipment purchase and multiple engineering contracts, and voted to pay bills totaling $4,871,608.36.

The actions included approvals for a mobile food license for Ali and Ali's Freshly Squeezed lemonade trailer and a temporary peddler/seasonal license for Keystone Novelties/Keystone Fireworks tent at 900 Victory Highway. Council approved the payment of bills for April 21, 2025, in the amount of $4,871,608.36 and several procurement items: a 2023 Case 580N backhoe from Monroe Tractor for $97,588 (funded from the capital reserve); a $26,480 contract amendment to Parr Engineering for drainage design work near 71 Wilkes Ave; and an $18,500 contract with Wright-Pierce for preliminary plans and estimates for the St. Paul Street water-main extension, phase 2.

Council also approved routine housekeeping items: a motion to approve the consent agenda (minus town council minutes), and a separate motion to approve the March 17 town council minutes as amended. The council approved the appointment of Gina Astorini to the Asset Management Commission (term to 11/30/2028) and voted other committee appointments shown in the minutes. The council voted to authorize the town administrator to sign the Parr Engineering amendment and the Wright-Pierce contract.

One procurement was discussed but not approved: council members asked for more information on a proposed crash scene mapping system from Lasertech for the Nelsonfield Police Department (estimated at about $11,000 during discussion); members asked for vendor presentations and recurring-cost detail, and the item was tabled to a future meeting.

Votes and roll-call confirmations reported during the meeting identify the five sitting council members as answering in the affirmative on the listed approvals: Council Member Beauregard, Council Member Cristoforo, Council Member O'Hara, Council Member Punchak and Council Member Alves.

No ordinances, zoning changes or land-use approvals were adopted during the session covered here.

Votes at a glance - Mobile food license: Ali and Ali's Freshly Squeezed — approved (roll call: Beauregard, Cristoforo, O'Hara, Punchak, Alves — yes). - Temporary peddler/seasonal license: Keystone Novelties (fireworks tent), 900 Victory Highway — approved (same roll call: yes). - Payment of bills (04/21/2025): $4,871,608.36 — approved (roll call: yes). - Consent agenda (minus March 17 minutes) — approved (roll call: yes). - March 17 minutes (as amended) — approved (roll call: yes). - Purchase — 2023 Case 580N backhoe from Monroe Tractor, $97,588 (capital reserve) — approved (roll call: yes). - Contract amendment #5 — Parr Engineering, drainage review/design near 71 Wilkes Ave, $26,480 — approved; town administrator authorized to sign (roll call: yes). - Contract — Wright-Pierce, St. Paul Street water-main extension Phase 2 preliminary plans, $18,500 — approved; town administrator authorized to sign (roll call: yes). - Abatement: Parcel 004-034 (details in packet) — approved (roll call: yes). - Appointments: Gina Astorini to Asset Management Commission (term to 11/30/2028) — approved (roll call: yes). Other board/committee appointments were also made as recorded in the minutes. - Liaisons: Council President Alves and Council Member Punchak were appointed as liaisons for the North Smithfield Police Department project — approved (roll call: yes).

What the council did not decide: Council members discussed but did not approve purchase of the crash/scene-mapping system; they asked for demonstrations, vendor comparisons and recurring-cost detail and tabled the item to a subsequent meeting.

Why it matters: The recorded approvals move capital purchases and engineering work forward in the near term, and the clerk-recorded roll calls provide a clear public record of how each council member voted.

Provenance - Ali and Ali's Freshly Squeezed license — topicintro: s1021.565 evidence_excerpt: "Hi. Could you state your name and address, please? Yes. Samantha Dorado."; topfinish: s1144.98 evidence_excerpt: "Congratulations. You're all set.". - Keystone Fireworks tent license — topicintro: s1161.8251 evidence_excerpt: "Discussion by council vote of peddler slash walker slash holiday sales license..."; topfinish: s1228.085 evidence_excerpt: "Thank you. You're all set.". - Payment of bills (04/21/2025) — topicintro: s1230.99 evidence_excerpt: "Discussion by council vote or other action on payment of bills. Anyone have any questions on the packet?"; topfinish: s1540.98 evidence_excerpt: "Yes.". - Consent agenda / minutes amendments — topicintro: s1545.0599 evidence_excerpt: "Discussion by council about other action on consent agenda..."; topfinish: s1787.895 evidence_excerpt: "Roll call, please.". - Backhoe purchase (Monroe Tractor) — topicintro: s1806.965 evidence_excerpt: "New business discussion by council vote other action on Department of Public Works, purchase of backhoe."; topfinish: s1932.39 evidence_excerpt: "Yes.". - Parr Engineering amendment (71 Wilkes Ave) — topicintro: s1932.39 evidence_excerpt: "Next 1 is discussion by council vote of other action on contract amendment number 5..."; topfinish: s2244.82 evidence_excerpt: "I'd also like to add to that motion, to authorize the administrator to sign the contract.". - Crash scene mapping (Lasertech) — topicintro: s2260.385 evidence_excerpt: "Discussion by... on purchasing a crash scene mapping system from Lasertech for the Nelsonfield Police Department."; topfinish: s2572.5251 evidence_excerpt: "We're gonna table this till, next meeting?". - Wright-Pierce contract (St. Paul Street Phase 2) — topicintro: s4806.8047 evidence_excerpt: "Discussion by council vote... on Saint Paul Street waterline extension phase 2, miss Dakota."; topfinish: s5601.275 evidence_excerpt: "Yes. Thank you.". - Abatement Parcel 004-034 — topicintro: s8401.24 evidence_excerpt: "Anyone else have any other questions? Thank you. Discussion by council about other action on abatements."; topfinish: s8697.08 evidence_excerpt: "Ms. Alves? Yes.". - Appointments / liaisons — topicintro: s4573.22 evidence_excerpt: "Resignation from asset management commission..."; topfinish: s6350.195 evidence_excerpt: "Miss Salves? Yes.".