The Economic Development Commission, with the approval of the Planning Board, completed a study in 2022 to improve the section of route 1 that runs through town, including adding housing and making infrastructure improvements, clearer signage and improved sidewalks, and general aesthetic upgrades. Both the EDC and Planning Board request that the Town Council support the project.

The majority of the council (LaPietra, Van Dover, Aiello, Duhamel) seemed resistant to approving the resolution for a variety of reasons, including how long it's been since the study was completed (lol), the scope of some of the projects (especially the sewers), and ✨ the cost to the taxpayers ✨.

You can read more about the background of this project in this article from the Sun.

The town formed an ad-hoc committee last year to develop next steps for the abandoned marina off of Margin Street, which is currently the only municipal property on the Pawcatuck River. All ad-hoc committees were dissolved by the former town council in October 2024 and, as a result, they did not have a chance to present the results of the study (completed in December) to the council. It was presented instead by the Economic Development Commission.

Recommendations for use include a new boat slip for smaller boats, restoring the boat ramps to be used for kayaking and other water sports, and installation of a recreation facility - all for public use, with the goal of maintaining public access to the river. The expense, however, would be significant, to which of course several councilors objected. The EDC strongly favors continuing with the project while also recommending seeking cost-cutting measures, especially regarding the contaminated soil and the WBLQ antenna on the property.

The state requires each local educational agency come up with a master plan for improvements to school construction. This submission is for phase II of the project, in which the town worked with engineering groups on proposals. The plan recommended by the town is eligible for 35% state reimbursement, which would yield over $9M in funding from RIDE.

Passed unanimously.

This presentation functioned as an overview of the current and previous years' budgets in order to provide context. The actual FY2026 budget is still in the works and won't be ready until next month.

The school superintendent prefaced his remarks with the idea that all budgets, spending decisions, and allocations of resources "are reflective of value judgments made by the School Committee on behalf of the community they represent."

Enrollment has been on decline since 2020. The FY2025 budget eliminated 8 "full time equivalent" jobs as a result, and the schools have eliminated a net 76 full time equivalents since FY2019. Proposed staffing changes for FY2026 would (net) reduce 1 full time equivalent job.

The school committee and superintendent expect to receive a hard time from the town council and the public about their recurring yearly surplus and want to be able to present their case for full funding effectively - mainly reserving the surplus for one-time expenses, such as large capital projects.