Agenda 2026-01-12 — CouncilNotes

Portsmouth

Agenda · January 12, 2026

PORTSMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
JANUARY 12, 2026

AGENDA

The Portsmouth Town Council meeting will also be live-streamed on the web and by phone dial-in
using the Zoom remote meeting service. See below for directions.

7:00 PM – Town Council Chambers, Portsmouth Town Hall, 2200 East Main Road

EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

SITTING AS THE PORTSMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL

1. Roll Call

PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Directions to view licensing applications: 1) Click on OpenGov, 2) Click Records and then type in the
record number which is listed on the agenda, 3) Click on the highlighted record to view the application
1. Bills

Payment Voucher #1231 on 12/4/25 in the amount of $230,120.57 as approved by the
Finance Director Click here
Payment Voucher #1241 on 12/11/25 in the amount of $262,891.39 as approved by the
Finance Director Click here

Payment Voucher #1248 on 12/18/25 in the amount of $154,738.75 as approved by the
Finance Director Click here
Payment Voucher #1256 on 12/23/25 in the amount of $4,156.74 as approved by the
Finance Director Click here
Payment Voucher #1262 on 23/31/25 in the amount of $63,530.80 as approved by the
Finance Director Click here
2. CRMC – Public Notice 2025-11-047
Kristin Miller, 10 Fairgreen Ln, Old Greenwich, CT 06870 for a State of Rhode Island
Assent to construct and maintain a residential boating facility consisting of a fixed pier
approximately 4’ x 7’, a 3’ x 20’ ramp and a 6.5’ x 23’ float, extending to 50’ beyond Mean
Low Water and 1.8’ water depth. Project Location: 34 Aquidneck Avenue. Click here
3. CRMC – Public Notice 2025-11-063
Geoffrey Van Gorkom, 305 Riverside St, Portsmouth, RI 02871 for a State of Rhode Island
Assent to construct and maintain a residential boating facility consisting of a 4x76’ fixed
pier, a 3x24’ ramp and an 8x18.75’ float. The facility shall extend 90’ beyond Mean Low
Water (MLW) at a depth of approximately 2 feet, requiring a 40’ Variance to Section
1.3.1(D)(11)(1). Project Location: 305 Riverside Street. Click here
4. Letter informing that Walgreen’s, located at 2456 East Main Rd, closed on 12/4/25. Click here
5. Letter informing that J&W Ice Cream, Inc. d/b/a Clementine’s Homemade Ice Cream, located at
1016 East Main Rd, Unit 2A, has changed the business name to Clemmie’s Homemade Ice
Cream Click here

SITTING AS THE BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS

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Application from West Main Donuts LLC d/b/a Dunkin Donuts, 1550 West Main Rd
(#9362)
2. PUBLIC HEARING: Transfer of a Class BV Alcoholic Beverage License (#9364):
Application to transfer a Class BV Beverage License from Rocco’s Little Italy LLC d/b/a
Rocco’s Little Italy to RWR Hospitality LLC d/b/a Rocco’s Little Italy, 880 East Main Rd
a. Application for a Class BV Alcoholic Beverage License: RWR Hospitality LLC
d/b/a Rocco’s Little Italy, 880 East Main Rd
3. Victualler License:
RWR Hospitality LLC d/b/a Rocco’s Little Italy, 880 East Main Rd (#9364)
4. Entertainment License:
Rhode Island Rugby Football Foundation, Beast of the East Rugby Tournament, Gardner
Seveney Sports Complex, from April 18 & 19, 2026 (#9377)

ADJOURN

MINUTES

12/8/25 & Exec. Click here

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

1. Transfer station and curbside sales update
2. Chief Peters elected to Rhode Island Chief of Police Association (RIPCA) Executive Board
3. Rural Health Care grant
4. Rhode Restore for FY26
5. Update on Frank Carson playground improvement
6. Audit update
7. Town Hall closed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

RESIGNATIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

1. Resignations:

Conservation Commission – M. Smith Click here
Dog Park Committee – R. Gottlieb Click here

Juvenile Hearing Board – S. Cooper Click here
Planning Board – C. O’Connell Click here
Prudence Island Planning Commission – R. Naughton, L. Greaney
2. Appointments:
Dog Park Committee (Unlimited membership, 2 applicants) Click here
Economic Development Committee (4 vacancies, 1 applicant) Click here

Design Review Board (Re-Appt) – F. Munro Click here
Dog Park Committee (Re-Appt) – J. DeCosta Click here
Economic Development Committee (Re-Appt) – E. Cipolla Click here
Tree Commission (Re-Appt) – S. Wheeler, J. Jordan

OLD BUSINESS (Discussion/Action)
1. Approve a $150 assessment on all Prudence Island households in lieu of transfer station stickers.
/ K. Hamilton (15) (fr. 12/8/25) Click here
2. Monthly Finance Reports. / K. Marsden (5)
a. November 2025 Finance Report Click here
b. November 2025 School Finance Report Click here

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3. Request to have Town Staff and Legal formulate various Resolutions that address the Town
Council Legislative Priorities for 2026 and 2025 discussed on 12/8/25. / D. Gleason (15) Click
Here
4. RIDOT response to Town’s proposed Opticom CM agreement. / R. Rainer (5)

RIDOT answer to Town’s proposed CM Agreement

Proposed CM Agreement from RIDOT
Town’s proposed CM Agreement with RIDOT

NEW BUSINESS (Discussion/Action)
1. Request approval of the Prudence Island Planning Commission bylaws. / J. Spadaro, Chair (10)
Original Guidelines, New Bylaws
2. Request to have minutes submitted by Town Boards, Commissions, and Committees be placed
on the Consent Agenda as acknowledgement for the record; no discussion or action required. / S.
Patton (5) (No backup)
3. Discussion and possible action to require all boards, commissions, and committees to post
meeting agendas and approved minutes on the Town website. / S. Patton (5) (No backup)
4. Discussion/action to garner support to enact a Moratorium to examine the effects of the 30 bills
enacted by the General Assembly over the last several years, as described by Town Planner Lea
Hitchen at the 12/8/25 Town Council meeting. / D. Gleason (15) Click here

CORRESPONDENCE

1. Monthly RIRRC Report. / Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. November, December
2. Notice of LNG vaporizing at Old Mill Lane, EFSB Docket No. SB-2021-04. / The Narragansett
Electric Company d/b/a Rhode Island Energy Click here
3. Letter urging the Town to reject the installation of Flock safety cameras. / M. McGunagle, Policy
Associate, ACLU of Rhode Island Click here
4. Resolution regarding low and moderate income housing. / West Greenwich Town Council
Click here
5. Resolution affirming its strong support for preserving the Name, Significance, and Observance
of the Victory Day Holiday. / Warren Town Council Click here
6. Resolution requesting the General Assembly consider amending legislation relating to accessory
dwelling units. / Cumberland Town Council Click here
7. Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice 2024 Annual Report. / J. Fairbank, CEO Click here
8. Letter regarding the lack of proper decorum during the November 24, 2025 Town Council
meeting and a request to ensure that standards of decorum are applied consistently. / L.
Fitzmorris, President, Portsmouth Concerned Citizens Click here
9. Portsmouth Housing Authority Annual Report for 2025. / PHA Board of Commissioners Click
Here

FUTURE MEETINGS
Jan 26 7:00 PM – Town Council Meeting
Feb 9 7:00 PM – Town Council Meeting
Feb 23 7:00 PM – Town Council Meeting

To access the meeting through the web, go to the following web link in any browser to run the
Zoom app and view the meeting: https://livestream.portsmouthri.com/towncouncil

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To access the meeting by phone dial-in, please dial 1-888-788-0099. Once prompted for the
meeting ID, please dial 996-8471-9966#. Once prompted for a participant ID, dial # again. You
will now be in the meeting. While in the audio conference, to raise your hand to ask a question,
dial 9 and the host will be notified of your interest in asking a question. Dial 6 to mute and
unmute yourself.

Virtual access is being provided only as a convenience and is not an official “location” where access to
the meeting is guaranteed; please note that being physically present at the meeting is the only way to
guarantee complete access to the meeting.

The public is welcome to any meeting of the Town’s boards or its committees. If communication
assistance (readers/interpreters/captions) is needed or any other accommodation to ensure equal
participation, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 683-2101 at least (3) business days prior to
the meeting.

POSTED 1/7/26