During public comment at the Dec. meeting several Warwick residents urged immediate and long‑term responses to two community concerns: people living in vehicles and failing ice‑rink infrastructure.

Maya Cuevas, who said she and her husband currently live in their car, described freezing overnight conditions and said removal of porta‑potties in winter worsened the situation. She urged the council to open an emergency warming center and said she had consulted regional advocates. Cuevas referenced what she identified as the Rhode Island homeless bill of rights (quoted as '31‑27') and asked the city to provide charging, shelter and safe places for residents living in vehicles.

Multiple speakers representing Warwick Figure Skaters said failures at Thayer and Warburton rinks have reduced ice availability, curtailed programs and damaged the long‑term viability of local skating clubs. Pierre Pecora and Tom Dillon said the two‑rink facility is unique in the state and argued for strategic investment and a dedicated facility manager to coordinate maintenance, improve reliability and capture potential tournament and revenue opportunities. Tom Dillon said the club has seen ice hours fall dramatically and urged a sustainable path beyond emergency repairs.

Parents and club representatives said the rink closures force families to travel long distances for practice, reduce program hours and risk losing skaters in the pipeline. They proposed short‑term operational changes — including shifting weekend public skate to the new outdoor rink so organizations can hold learn‑to‑skate programs — and asked the council to pursue state and federal funding sources for longer‑term infrastructure projects.

Council members thanked speakers and said the administration has moved quickly on immediate repairs (a new cooling tower was funded to restore one rink) while acknowledging broader capital needs; some councilors requested cost and timeline data for a comprehensive facilities plan.

The public comment period highlighted both immediate human‑services needs and the economic role of sports facilities in Warwick: one speaker estimated their skating club generates roughly $3 million in local economic activity annually and said sustained facility outages erode that revenue stream.