THIS MEETING CAN BE HEARD IN ITS ENTIRETY ON THE TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN WEBSITE WWW.MIDDLETOWNRI.COM OR THE DVD IS AVAILABLE AT THE MIDDLETOWN LIBRARY.
At a Special Meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Middletown, RI at the Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road, Middletown, RI in person, on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 8:01 A.M.
Council President Paul M. Rodrigues, Presiding
Vice President Thomas P. Welch, III
Councillor Peter D. Connerton, Sr.
Councillor Christopher M. Logan
Councillor Charles R. Roberts
Councillor Dennis B. Turano
Councillor Barbara A. VonVillas, Members Present
POSTED – April 22, 2025
SPECIAL MEETING – April 26, 2025
The following items of business, having been filed with the Town Clerk under the Rules of the Council, will come before the Council at a special meeting to be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 8:00 A.M. at the Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road, Middletown, Rhode Island. Said meeting will be conducted in person, by telephone conference call/ webinar, members of the public may access and listen to the meeting in real-time by calling 1-877-853-5257 (Toll Free) or 1-888-475-4499 (Toll Free) and entering Meeting ID: 835 1612 2513 or on the web at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83516122513
Wendy J.W. Marshall, MMC
Town Clerk
Town of Middletown
Town Hall – 350 East Main Road
Middletown, Rhode Island 02842
Dear Ms. Marshall:
Pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 203 of the Town Charter and in accordance with Sections 42-46-2., 42-46-4., 42-46-5., and 42-46-6., RIGL, I hereby call a Special Meeting of the Town Council to formally consider, discuss and act upon the following items of business. All items on this agenda, may be considered, discussed and voted upon.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
BUDGET
1. Receipt of Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget.
2. Review of Town of Middletown Proposed Budgets and Capital Improvement Plan, General Fund, Parks & Recreation Fund, Sewer Fund and Refuse & Recycling Fund of the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and matter related thereto.
3. Communication of William Niemeyer, Superintendent of Schools, re: Middletown Public School Budget Fiscal Year July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026- In accordance: Article VIII – Section 812 – Town Charter.
Said meeting will be held at the Middletown Town Hall, 350 East Main Road, Middletown, Rhode Island 02842 on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 8:00 A.M.
____________________________________
Paul M. Rodrigues, President
Middletown Town Council
cc : Town Council Public Library Finance Director
Town Administrator Town Solicitor School Committee
This meeting location is accessible to the handicapped. Individuals requiring interpreter services for the hearing-impaired should notify the Town Clerk’s Office at 847-0009 not less than 48 hours before this meeting.
Posted on April 22, 2025 at Middletown Town Hall, Middletown Public Library and Secretary of State Web Site.
Also present were Town Administrator Shawn Brown, Finance Director Marc Tanguay, Deputy Finance Director Patrick Guthlein, Budget Analyst Carol Melrose and Town Solicitor Peter B. Regan.
Town Council President Rodrigues noted that the Council is requesting the bottom line of the budget requests and any significant changes. Mr. Rodrigues explained that the Town Council is here to listen, ask questions and no public comment will be taken today. Council President Rodrigues noted there will be two public hearings, one May 21, 2025, and one May 28, 2025 when the public can comment of the budget.
1. Receipt of FY 2025-2026 Budget.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive FY2025-2026 Budget.
2. Review of Town of Middletown Proposed Budgets and Capital Improvement Plan, General Fund, Parks & Recreation Fund, Sewer Fund and Refuse & Recycling Fund of the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and matter related thereto.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to begin review of Town of Middletown Proposed Budgets and Capital Improvement Plan, General Fund, Parks & Recreation Fund, Sewer Fund and Refuse & Recycling Fund of the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and matters related thereto.
Town Administrator Shawn Brown addressed the Council noting that this is a challenging budget year. Mr. Brown explained that the Council will not receive the tax rate or sewer rate today, and the budget is mostly balanced. Mr. Brown explained there are a few issues to resolve with the shared financial services, shared facilities and school busing contract.
Police Budget – Page 11-14
Police Chief Jason Ryan, Deputy Police Chief Cliff McGregor and Administrative Assistant Lisa Sisson were present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Police Department slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around Police Department accomplishments, CALEA Accreditation, mental health related police calls, mental health training for Police Officers, the summer intern program, school zone speed cameras and the increase cost of healthcare.
Fire Department Budget - Page 14-16
Acting Fire Chief Robert McCall was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Fire Department slide was reviewed:
Acting Fire Chief Robert McCall reviewed the following:
To: The Honorable President & Members of the Middletown Town Council From: Robert J. McCall, Fire Chief
Thru: Shawn Brown, Town Administrator
Subject: Budget
Date: April 26, 2025
The Honorable President & Members of the Middletown Town Council,
Thank you for the opportunity to share some important updates and needs from the fire department. I’m writing to request funding for critical communications upgrades and the addition of a new pumper/tanker truck—both of which are essential to maintaining fast, effective emergency response throughout Middletown.
Radio and Alerting System Upgrades
Our Digitize radio box receivers are three full replacement cycles overdue. They’re no longer supported by the manufacturer, and parts are no longer available. If one fails, it could delay or block emergency notifications from reaching our stations.
Our station alerting system also needs replacement. The current system delays responses and doesn’t give our firefighters enough information during dispatch. A modern system would send alerts faster, with more detail, improving both speed and situational awareness.
Our Motorola Consolette base station is another weak link—it’s aging, unreliable, and doesn’t support newer communication standards. Replacing it would improve coverage, clarity, and reliability between dispatch and responding fire companies.
Importantly, all three of these upgrades—radio box receivers, station alerting, and the base station—can be fully integrated into our new CAD/RMS (Computer-Aided Dispatch/Records Management System) software, which we placed into service this week. By combining these four components, we create a streamlined, modern emergency dispatch system that allows firefighters to respond faster, more safely, and with more real-time information than ever before.
Pumper/Tanker Purchase
We are also requesting the purchase of a new pumper/tanker to serve the areas of Middletown without hydrants—primarily in the eastern and southern sections of town. These areas include some of the largest and highest-value homes and properties in the community, making rapid and reliable response a top priority.
Currently, we rely on mutual aid from Jamestown, Tiverton, and Little Compton to support these areas, and their response times can range from 35 to 45 minutes. That delay puts both lives and property at risk.
The new pumper/tanker would:
- Serve as a primary response vehicle in non-hydrant areas
- Act as a backup when a front-line engine is out of service
- Carry additional tools, supply lines, and attack lines that our current tanker can not
- Transport approximately 3,000 gallons of water
Combined with our current tanker, this gives us the ability to bring up to 6,000 gallons of water directly to the scene—much faster than relying solely on mutual aid.
Helping Offset the Cost
We’re mindful of costs. The recent increase in the radio box monitoring fee will help offset the expense of these upgrades to our radio and alerting system upgrades
These upgrades will strengthen our department's ability to protect lives and property across Middletown. They’ll ensure faster, safer responses and more coordinated emergency efforts. I appreciate your continued support and respectfully ask for your approval to move forward.
Sincerely,
Robert J. McCall
Fire Chief
Discussion centered around Fire Department Training, mental health related emergency calls, the Situation Table program, the Capital Improvement Budget – tanker truck, mutual aid, the rescue wagon fund and the dispatch center at the Fire Station is aging out.
Department of Public Works Budget – Page 16-18
DPW Director Robert Hanley, Recycling Coordinator and Operations & Facility Manager Will Cronin and Town Engineer John Mello were present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Public Works Department slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around staffing for the department, vehicle and equipment purchases in the Capital Improvement Program, red roads, drainage, wear and tear on town roads due to high traffic volume and the need for a traffic study on Aquidneck Island.
Parks and Recreation including Beach and Campground Budget
DPW Director Robert Hanley, Recycling Coordinator and Operations & Facility Manager Will Cronin and Town Engineer John Mello were present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Parks & Recreation Fund slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around the sale of beach passes, 39 camper spaces at the campground, the restricting of the beach pass fees due to using federal funds for the beach, the concession stand contract and deck expansion project at the beach.
Refuse and Recycling Department Budget
DPW Director Robert Hanley, Recycling Coordinator and Operations & Facility Manager Will Cronin and Town Engineer John Mello were present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Refuse & Recycling Fund slides were reviewed:
Discussion centered around the increase in the user fee, eliminating the 8-gallon trash bag, getting more resident participation for the PAY-AS-YOU-THROW program and keeping the program sustainable.
Sewer Department Budget
DPW Director Robert Hanley, Recycling Coordinator and Operations & Facility Manager Will Cronin and Town Engineer John Mello were present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Sewer Fund slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around the amount of pump stations the Town maintains, Capital Improvement Program projects and only the sewer users pay the sewer fee.
Facilities
Facilities Director Ed Collins was present to answer Council inquiries.
Discussion centered around support services for the Town, looking at efficiencies between the schools and the town, centralized purchasing for the Town and School and a one card access for employees into town buildings and preventative maintenance for the Town and School facilities.
Library Budget – Page18-20
Library Director Kimberly Usselman and Assistant Library Director Sue Connor were present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Library Budget slide was reviewed:
Library Director Kimberly Usselman reviewed the following:
Middletown Public Library: Goals of our FY26 budget request
Supporting our community, meeting state standards, and preparing for our future home
Role in the Community
The Middletown Public Library provides access to education, information, opportunity, and community to more than 90,000 visitors a year including children, families, seniors, jobseekers, and students of all ages.
Urgent Staffing Needs for FY26
We are requesting the addition of one full-time librarian, two part-time circulation assistants, and increased hours for our Administrative Assistant in FY26. These positions are essential to:
- Meet new state minimum staffing standards tied to our $177,333 Grant in Aid (GIA)
- Remain eligible for the state construction reimbursement grant
- Avoid reducing open hours from 54 to 45 hours/week
- Prepare for staffing our future expanded library facility
Staffing Reality Check
- 3 librarians currently – lowest in our size group statewide
- Regularly rely on substitutes and overtime to stay open
- Cannot guarantee a librarian is on site during all open hours, as required by OLIS
- Without progress toward staffing standards, we risk losing GIA and construction grant eligibility
Budget Request Summary
| Position | Cost | Benefits | Notes |
| 1 Librarian (FT) | $61,880 | Yes | Required for OLIS standards |
| Admin Assistant +20 hrs/wk (35 hours total) | $27,040 | Yes | Critical support |
| 2 Circulation Assistants (25 hrs/wk) | $49,400 | No | Frontline service support |
| Total | $138,320 | 2 benefit packages | |
| Reduced request Total | $124,800 | 1 benefit package | +$13,520 vs +$27,040 |
What’s at Stake
Without additional staffing:
- Open hours will need to be cut by 9 hours/week
- We may need OLIS waivers, risking our state aid
- We will fall further behind in preparing for our new building
- Current staff will continue to be overstretched, increasing turnover risk
We respectfully ask the Town Council to add these positions to the FY26 budget to avoid deeper operational strain in FY27 and beyond.
Discussion centered around electricity, salaries, state staffing regulations and the Library Building project.
Council President Rodrigues recused himself from acting on the following Senior Center Budget discussion, due to a possible conflict of interest.
Vice President Welch presiding.
Senior Center Budget – Page 20-21
Senior Citizens Director Arleen Kaull was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Senior Center Budget slide was reviewed:
Senior Center Director Arleen Kaull reviewed the following:
Discussion centered around the thrift shop, parking at the Senior Center, fundraising by the senior center members and the revenues from fundraising pay for activities and programs at the Senior Center.
Council President Rodrigues returned to the dais.
Council President Rodrigues presiding.
Planning Department Budget (Planning /Economic Development)– Page 11
Town Planner Ronald Wolanski was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Planning Budget slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around Aquidneck Island Planning Commission status, Dunlap Wheeler Park project, an Island wide traffic study and working with other communities on island wide issues.
Building Department Budget (Building/Zoning)– Page 10-11
Building Official Chris Costa was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Building Budget slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around closing outstanding building permits and staffing in the Building department.
Information Technology Department Budget – Page 7-8
IT Director Matthew Wainwright was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Information Technology Budget slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around cyber security throughout the Town, protecting Town data and the new finance department software.
Middletown Prevention Coalition Budget – Page 21-22
MPC Director Lori Verderosa was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Middletown Prevention Coalition Budget slide was reviewed:
MPC Director Lori Verderosa reviewed the following:
Discussion centered around there being a mental health crisis with youths, funding for the MPC program, a grant application will determine funding for the program and the need for the MPC program.
Outreach Department Budget – Page 22
Outreach Department Director Lori Turner was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Outreach Department slide was reviewed:
Outreach Director Lori Turner reviewed the following:
Outreach Department Budget Presentation Overview
Mission Statement: To support the efforts and meet the needs of all community members by delivering enrichment, guidance, and wellness opportunities.
Vision: To increase community engagement and support residents of all ages and socio-economic levels, increasing social cohesion and Middletown pride.
Key Priorities
1 Develop partnerships and collaborations to support community members.
2 Increase resident engagement and connectedness by providing communitywide programming.
3 Support residents and make appropriate referrals to local community services.
FY 2024 Data
Partnerships Formed-17
Participants in Communitywide Programming- approx. 800
Residents Referrals and Follow-ups- 140
Beyond the Numbers
-Youth Council- graduate now working at the senior center after meeting Arlene through the project.
-Situation Table- growing relationships between first responders and nonprofit partners leading to joint response to community emergencies including condo fire in February and tent encampment in April. Multiple partners in attendance at the recent East Bay Recovery Open House.
-MPS Multi-lingual Grant- Shared outreach assessment (2022) findings with the van Beuren Charitable Foundation team leading to interest in multi-year commitment to support MLL students. Introduced van Beuren grant officers to MPS administration. Approx $1M expected over next 5 years. 2024-2025 award $281,000.
-MPD Resident Referral-Unhoused individual, supported and connected to services. She was able to get CNA license and new job at a local nursing home. Christmas 2023 living in her car and Christmas 2024 was in a year-round apt in Newport.
FY 2026 Significant Initiatives:
-250th Memorial Commission staff liaison
-Continuation of the Situation Table regional resident response model with the City of Newport-meets weekly.
-Increased staff commitment to the completion of the Florence Gray Joint Community Learning Center opening Fall 2026.
-Increasing cross-department relationships have led to higher referrals for resident support, taking additional staff time.
-Increasing community-wide programming with part-time staff hire.
-Proposed strategic plan funding to evaluate department work-to-date, consensus on department goals from key stakeholder input, and determine long-term sustainability.
Discussion centered around if the Middletown Prevention Coalition, the Outreach Department and the Senior Citizens Center are overlapping services, there is money in the budget to have a study completed on overlapping services within the Town and this is the last year for ARPA funds to help fund the Outreach Department.
Tax Assessor/Collection Department Budget – Page 5-6
Tax Assessor George Durgin was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Tax Assessor Department Budget slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around processing the Tiered Tax applications, tax appeals, implementing a bridge between OpenGov and Vision Appraisal, a mailer being sent to the property owners to reconcile their field card and updating information sent by the Building Official regarding building permits.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to recess this meeting at 11:54 p.m.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to reconvene this meeting at 1:27 p.m.
The following was discussed after item number 3.
Finance Office Budget – Page 4-5
Finance Director Marc Tanguay and Deputy Finance Director Patrick Guthlein were present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Finance Department Budget slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around working on consolidation of the school and finance departments, the department is fully staffed and townwide training for employees.
Non-Department Specific Budget – Page 24-25
Town Administrator Shawn Brown was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Non-Department Specific slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around the expenses in this area of the budget is Town wide.
Town Clerk’s Department Budget – Page 6-7
Town Clerk Wendy J.W. Marshall was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Town Clerk Department slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around the functions in the Town Clerk’s Office and the budget has decreased by 2%, due to no election this fiscal year.
Support Services Budget – Page 8-9
Finance Director Marc Tanguay was present to answer Council inquires.
The following Support Services slide was reviewed:
Town Administrator’s Budget – Page 3-4
Town Administrator Shawn Brown was present to answer Council inquires.
The following Town Administrator Department slide was reviewed:
Town Administrator Shawn Brown reviewed the following:
Town of Middletown
FY026 Proposed Budget – Town Administrator
FY26 highlights:
· Construct a new Middle/High School
· Employee development
· Facility Office reorganization
· Finance Office reorganization
· Housing
· Renovate library (110 Enterprise)
· Renovate the HS into a consolidated elementary school
· Wellness reorganization
Assistant Administrator:
The cost to add an Assistant Administrator to the organization is approximately $174,200.
Public affairs:
The public affairs program falls within the Town Administrators budget. Matt Sheley will review this program separately.
Public Affairs
Public Affairs Officer Matthew Sheley was present to answer Council inquires.
Public Affairs Officer Matthew Sheley reviewed the following:
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN
350 East Main Road, Middletown, RI 02842
(401) 842-6500 | MiddletownRI.gov
>
| Item | Response |
| 1. Department Mission & Priorities | In a sentence, the role of the Public Affairs department is to make Middletown look good. This is done through various forward facing applications like MiddletownRI.gov, social media, traditional press, etc. |
| 2. Budget Request Summary | $156,402 — An increase of 13 percent from the FY25 budget of $138,217 |
| 3. Key Budget Drivers | Other than a salary hike, the overwhelming driver of the budget is the cost of printing and mailing the monthly Middletown Today newsletter. |
| 4. Personnel Costs & Staffing Needs | $69,356 — An increase of 6 percent from FY25 of $65,413. Matt Sheley reports directly to Town Administrator Shawn Brown and works closely with every department head and staff to spread a positive Middletown message. |
| 5. Capital Needs & Investments | The Public Affairs office does not have traditional capital needs, per se. Everything for the department originates and flows from the MiddletownRI.gov website, which is budgeted under Information Technology. |
| 7. Performance Metrics & Outcomes | In the past year, data for MiddletownRI.gov: • ~ 1.03 Million Unique Page Views | 461,736 Unique Visitors | 1:58 Average Time On Site | 99.68% Uptime | Fully Accessible Site Thru Monsido Tool In the past year, data for our combined Social Media accounts had: • 4,663 Posts | 12,829 Followers, close to 70 percent who are on Facebook| ~ 1.5 Million Impressions | The most liked Posts were the announcement of Jay Ryan becoming police chief on Dec. 17, 2024 During an online seminar Sheley attended in February, experts from across the globe encouraged Middletown to continue its current tact of “Taking the cue, but don’t take the bait” when it comes to negativity on social media. Basically, the message was to pivot what is creating smoke online, but not to engage directly because it’s a quagmire from which we’ll never return. |
| 8. Impact Of External Forces | Like every other town department, the economy impacts the major line items for Public Affairs. In this case, as printing and mailing costs go up, so do our expenses. |
| 9. Proposed Revenue Sources | The idea of taking on advertising in Middletown Today and other venues has been discussed in the past and remains of interest. However, without a policy outlining what’s acceptable and what’s not, this is a nonstarter for Public Affairs due to potential pitfalls. |
Town Solicitor/Town Council/Boards & Committees Budget – Page 9-10
Town Administrator Shawn Brown was present to answer Council inquiries.
The following Town Solicitor/Town Council/Boards/Committees slide was reviewed:
Discussion centered around there is no election in the upcoming fiscal year so there was a decrease in the budget and there was an increase in the Town Solicitor’s hourly fee outside the annual stipend.
This item was heard prior to the Finance Department Budget.
3. Communication of William Niemeyer, Superintendent of Schools, re: Middletown Public School Budget Fiscal Year July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026- In accordance: Article VIII – Section 812 – Town Charter.
On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to receive said communication.
Present representing the School Department were School Superintendent William Niemeyer, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Michelle Fonseca, Interim Business Manager Brian Hyde and School Committee member Tami Holden.
Superintendent of School William Neimeyer reviewed the following:
Discussion centered around current enrollment, enrollment projections, potential positions being eliminated, some school positions will be reinstated, the school department is requesting a 4% allocation, the Beyond the Bell program and shared facilities.
The following are questions/inquires by the Town Council from this meeting.
FY26 BUDGET
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN
350 East Main Road, Middletown, RI 02842
(401) 842-6500 | MiddletownRI.com
| Comment | Department | Suggester | Resolution |
| 1 Police Vehicle Replacement | MPD | C Logan | Chief Ryan said supply chain remains an issue, but department hoping to get back on track with two patrol vehicles and one administration vehicle a year, which is part of the proposed FY26 budget |
| 2 Minimum Manning | MPD | C Roberts | Shawn Brown said contractual and numbers are heavily analyzed | Figures are subject to regular review and changes |
| 3 Mental Health Resources | MPD | C Roberts | Chief Ryan said the department is current with its mental health training and it remains a source of focus for the department |
| 4 Speeding Crackdowns | MPD | C Roberts | P Rodrigues | Chief Ryan said this area remains a top priority for the department on big weekends as well as year round |
| 5 Mental Heath Calls | MPD | P Rodrigues | Chief Ryan said at least 70 percent of all calls to the department are mental health related |
| 6 Summer internship | MPD | P Rodrigues | Chief Ryan said the program is very well received and helping young officers get jobs | Two officers who participated in the program look like they’re going to be hired as officers |
| 7 School Speeding Cameras | MPD | D Turano | Chief Ryan said due to issues for the contracted firm, the project was behind schedule | According to the latest schedule, the school speeding cameras should be in place in time for the start of the 2025-2026 school year |
| 8 Fire Pumper Truck | MFD | P Rodrigues | Chief McCall said the vehicle is necessary to provide coverage, particularly on the east side of town that doesn’t have fire hydrants| Brown said funding for the pumper and all other capital items comes from the town’s Rescue Wagon Fund | Chief McCall said when existing truck is out of service, there’s no vehicle to replace it |
| 9 Staffing | MFD | P Rodrigues | Chief McCall said the department is one firefighter short and the hiring process is underway |
| 10 Capital Issues With Fire Station | MFD | P Rodrigues | Chief McCall said the building has minor issues, but as the newer building begins to age, upgrades might be needed, particularly HVAC |
| 11 Mental Health | MFD | P Rodrigues | Chief McCall said the percentage of mental health calls to MFD is similar to MPD, but there’s always room for improvement |
| 12 Fire Truck Following Ambulance | MFD | D Turano | Chief McCall said keeping fire crew together allows the team to respond to multiple calls efficiently especially with the unknown facing firefighters every day |
| 13 Situation Table Importance | MFD / MFD | D Turano | Chief McCall said it’s made an immense difference and helped provide services and care to those who need it | 10-12 Middletown residents have directly benefitted from the program to date |
| 14 Mental Health | MFD / MPD | D Turano | Use Rescue Wagon Fund to help pay for mental health items for personnel? Is a vehicle or personnel more important? |
| 15 Extra Rescue Wagon | MFD | P Rodrigues | Chief McCall said the second rescue makes a huge difference & the town is able to provide much better service |
| 16 Vehicle Replacement | DPW | P Rodrigues | T Welch | Brown said the fleet was reaching the end of its useful life after about 20-25 years. There is a big ask for capital equipment in the current budget and Fiscal 2027 budget, but that should largely be it in subsequent years to overcome fleet issues that originated in 2000 | Rodrigues questioned why 3 550 dump trucks must be purchased this budget? | Brown said all the equipment will be funded through the PPV non-tax fund over five years | Welch said he felt the DPW has been overlooked and under appreciated for years and he marvels at how much the department does with what’s been provided |
| 17 Prioritize Projects | DPW | D Turano | Needs to be a priority list of what has to be done | Brown said there’s thought that goes into the spending of every dollar |
| 18 Paving | DPW | T Welch | $650K in budget for pavement annually | Brown said drainage on Colony Drive remains an issue | $5 million road bond considered next year to help pay for project, with funding covered through potential new 2 percent Hotel Tax | Rodrigues said paving program needs a dedicated funding source so money goes further | |
| 19 Seaweed Removal | DPW | P Rodrigues | Bury the seaweed at the beach like town used to | Brown said the town will be shifting away from trucking the seaweed off the beach and burying both rocks and seaweed to help nourish |
| 20 Impact Of Traffic | DPW | C Roberts | Like to see RIDOT step up with more funding to help pay for road upkeep and replacement | Common item for discussion | Like to see state legislators assist with funding | Need to work with other municipalities and regional approach to bring in more funding |
| 21 Regional Approach To Traffic | DPW / Planning | C Roberts | Need to plan and take a regional approach to help improve traffic and roads |
| 22 Staffing | DPW | C Logan | DPW down 3 positions, 2 for DPW, 1 for sewer | Does the town need to allocate more to help make those jobs more attractive? | Contract opens on July 1 for negotiation |
| 23 Facilities Tracking System | DPW | D Turano | Need to have a universal way to track what’s happening and who’s doing what | It helps provide a better accounting of what’s being done | Shared Facilities Director Ed Collins said work is under way to make sure everything is on one platform, whether it’s something existing or a new system |
| 24 Beach Passes | P&R | C Roberts | Middletown borrowed federal funds that restricts how much the town can charge residents vs. non-residents in 1973 | Town is working with attorneys to help get rid of the restriction | Like to see the town maximize revenue source | Don’t want to pack the beach full of people and hurts the overall experience |
| 25 Path from The Rock To The Parking Lot | P&R | S Brown | Project under consideration | Would be off the road and make pedestrian experience safer |
| 26 Second Beach Family Campground | P&R | D Turano | Will Cronin said two more rigs are going into the campground and the rate is increasing 2 percent |
| 27 Concession Stand Sales | P&R | D Turano | Portion of concession stand sundries go into P&R budget |
| 28 Pay-As-You-Throw | R&R | P Rodrigues | Need to continue to find ways to get more residents on that program | More users helps keep costs down | ~4700 households now participate in program |
| 29 PAYT Bags | R&R | P Rodrigues | Look at bulk purchasing of bags with other communities | Brown said something that town will look into, but limited revenue opportunity |
| 30 Compliance | R&R | S Brown | Working at automated monitoring system to make sure everyone uses the yellow bags | If not, automated ticket could be issued |
| 31 Boulevard | Sewer | P Rodrigues | Existing 6 inch line is inadequate sized line to slipline | The town is looking to replace the existing line with an 8 inch main |
| 32 $1 Million Operating Increase? | Sewer | P Rodrigues | Increases due to city of Newport sewer contract anticipated increases | Brown said the items are under negotiation with Newport |
| 33 Shifting Burden Off Wave Avenue Pump Station | Sewer | P Rodrigues | Brown said the town continues to look at efficiencies in wastewater system | 90% of sewage goes thru Wave Avenue Pump Station | Town looking to route sewage down Coddington Highway more directly to Newport’s Connell Highway treatment plant | Town looking at being more efficient, reducing overflows into Easton’s Bay | Working on federal funding to help update sewer facilities | Town Engineer John Mello is researching | Cost savings and improved efficiencies are key to effort | More capacity helps address housing and economic development growth |
| 34 Shared Facilities | Shared Services | P Rodrigues | Happy with build and growth of program and perfect timing to creation of the department, especially with new school, new library | |
| 35 Maintenance | Shared Services | B VonVillas | Ed Collins said it’s critical that we have something that works upfront and that Middletown can maintain longterm so the town and taxpayers gets the biggest bang for its buck |
| 36 Building Status | Shared Services | D Turano | Ed Collins said the town is in the process of reviewing all the buildings and facilities and providing a freshening up wherever reasonably possible |
| 37 Facilities Programing | Shared Services | D Turano | Ed Collins said he’s working to create or piggyback on existing computer programs to make sure residents, businesspeople and staff can go to one place to file work orders | Rodrigues and Turano said important to have systems in place to make sure that Middletown continues making forward progress and continue on while finding efficiencies and reducing costs |
| | | | |
| 38 Library Staffing | Library | P Rodrigues | C Roberts | D Turano | Kim Usselman said Middletown is coming up short with its staffing levels and is at risk of losing state aid | Rodrigues said careful consideration is needed with staffing levels | Turano said it was important to give the library the staffing it needed to prepare for the new building | No new staff included in the proposed FY26 budget | Rodrigues said it might make sense to gradually ramp up staffing depending on need, especially with the new building coming on line | Brown said there needs to be more conversation about staffing | Turano said everything needs to come together to make sure the library is open as much as possible |
| 39 Librarian Assistant | Library | D Turano | Discussion on compensation & potential hiring | To get fully staffed, Usselman said the library needs two more staff members |
| 40 Visitors | Library | C Roberts | Monthly visits = 9000+ | 91K annually |
| 41 Senior Center Space | MSC | T Welch | Is there enough room in the existing building? | Kaull said there’s really not enough space but the Senior Center makes use of the existing room as best as possible |
| 42 Gymnasium | MSC | T Welch | Arleen Kaull said the space is not in a usable condition and lacks heating | Kaull said four of the classrooms in the vacant building are used for the thrift shop, which has been really well received by the entire community |
| 43 Thrift Shop | MSC | D Turano | Kaull said volunteers and staff maintain the Thrift Shop | Everything donated, cleaned, washed and put up for sale | All proceeds go to Senior Center activities fund | Brown said much of what the Senior Center does is funded through this type of fundraising | Money goes into a restricted special revenue fund |
| 44 Aquidneck Island Planning Commission | Planning | C Roberts | D Turano | Lack of funding and staff make it difficult to move forward on a regional basis | Brown said attempt to change by-laws to operate further away from municipalities helps create a disconnect | Roberts said it would be good to operate more on a regional basis for traffic, coyotes, mental health and issues every community is facing | Town Planner Ron Wolanski said Newport Chamber has filled the void somewhat along with other entities |
| 45 Local Water Supply | Planning | D Turano | Turano said he’d like to see more urgency with “hardening”the lower Aquidneck Avenue beach area | Wolanski said it was a priority based on what he’s seeing |
| 46 Lead Water Pipes | DPW | D Turano | Brown said the issue is the responsibility of the Newport Water Department and its rate payers | Brown said he would report back on his findings after looking into the matter more |
| 47 Permit Filing | Building | P Rodrigues | Building Official Chris Costa said there are some permits that were properly handled, but legacy computer systems show they haven’t been addressed | To address this, Costa said it would cost quite a bit of money that seemed not well spent |
| 48 Pulling A Building Permit | Building | C Roberts | D Turano | Want to make sure all permits are captured properly in the online system | Want to make sure everyone’s field cards are current and properly overseen |
| 49 Tyler Project | IT | D Turano | Finance Director Marc Tanguay said the program is on time to go live with the general ledger piece on July 1 | The entire project remains on time and on budget |
| 50 System Vulnerability | IT | C Logan | IT Director Matt Wainwright said his department has what it needs — for now. However, in an evolving playing field, Wainwright said the needs are evolving as well and the town has been supportive |
| 51 Funding for Middletown Prevention Coalition | MPC | C Roberts | C Logan | At this time, Roberts said the funding for the MPC is critical and this is not the time to cut the budget | The idea of shifting the MPC to under the umbrella of the School Department was broached | Brown said working with the School Department could help |
| 52 Lack Of Things For Kids To Do Is Concerning | Outer | C Roberts | C Logan | There seemed to be general consensus that the issue wouldn’t be solved Saturday, but it was something that needed to be looked into moving forward |
| 53 Funding For Outreach Department | Outreach | P Rodrigues | C Roberts | D Turano | Concerned that funding model is going to run out at some point and a more permanent solution is going to be necessary | Rodrigues said it seemed to be time to have a discussion about moving all social services under one umbrella to avoid overlap, save money and provide even better services | Roberts said he felt it was critical to support these programs given the needs of the community |
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| 55 Overlap Of Town’s Social Service Providers? | Outreach et al | T Welch | Several town and school departments could offer the same or similar services and a review by the town and school administration is needed to see where duplication might be happening | Brown pledged to look into the matter and report back to the council and related officials |
| 56 Vision Field Cards | Tax | S Brown | Mailings are expected to be going out to all property owners in October to make sure field cards are current | A software bridge is also in the process of being formed to make sure field cards update automatically with the most current information | Turano doubted whether people would update their field cards because they’d likely see a tax increase |
| 57 Enrollment Projections | Schools | C Roberts | Superintendent Billy Niemeyer said there’s some difference between the school’s contracted enrollment predictors and the figures the School Department sees in the classrooms |
| 58 Dean At MHS | Schools | P Rodrigues | Superintendent Billy Niemeyer said the proposed budget accounts for the retirement and loss of close to 10 positions. Thru that effort, the district will creating 3 positions to cover important key areas in response |
| 59 If You Could Add 1 Or 2 Positions Anywhere, What Would They Be? | Schools | P Rodrigues | Niemeyer said that was a tough question to answer that would require discussion with his staff and building principals. A Dean at MHS, an elementary school counselor and ELL supports would be key |
| 60 Proficiency Of Reading In Third Grade | Schools | T Welch | Niemeyer said key data shows that the faster you get students on track, the better everyone does | Metrics show that if students are reading proficiently by the third grade, their likelihood for success is higher |
| 61 Taking Middletown Schools To The Next Level | Schools | P Rodrigues | B VonVillas | Niemeyer said the district continues to identify and attack problem areas. The first area was to look at MLL and go forward with problem areas as they arise. Niemeyer said it would take time to see noticeable improvements | VonVillas said that it takes time to improve anything and she looked forward to seeing where things go |
| 62 Efficiencies & Shared Services | Schools et al | P Rodrigues | Spoke about the need to look at what services we’re providing and where improvements can be made | Assistant Superintendent Michelle Fonseca welcomed the discussion and said this programing was important, but efficiencies were potentially possible |
| 63 Combining Town & School Maintenance And/Or Technology | Schools | C Logan | Noting that the town and schools were working closer together than ever before, Logan suggested the town and schools looked at combining services more to improve efficiencies, reducing duplication and potentially provide better service |
| 64 Beyond The Bell | Schools | D Turano | Fonseca said the program was making a positive difference and it would be difficult to replicate those results in school only | Having after school time throughout the week and during the summer were invaluable |
| 65 MLL Population Growing | Schools | C Roberts | Niemeyer said about 10 percent of the total school population were MLL, or about 200 students | He said the population has held steady this year | Niemeyer said the district was looking at new ways to get all MLL populations — parents included — involved more in the district and community |
| 66 Mental Health? | Schools | C Roberts | Niemeyer said the district provides all the support it reasonably can and would love to add — if possible |
| 67 Top-Level Staffing | Schools | C Roberts | Niemeyer said the district was proud of its teachers and staff, who worked hard to provide the best education for students | At the same time, he said the district was looking at ways to incentivize early retirements |
| 68 Impact Of Federal Level Increases | Schools | P Rodrigues | Can Middletown handle the 1,000 new families projected to come to the area over the next couple years? | Niemeyer said the district is more nimble and can pivot quickly to handle what’s coming down the pipeline | Niemeyer said everyone realized the need to be flexible |
| 69 Keeping Things Fair & Neutral | Public Affairs | D Turano | P Rodrigues | The council urged the public affairs office to keep things factual and fair as much as possible when pushing out information to the public |
| 70 Advertising Meeting Notices | Misc | D Turano | Our advertising requirements force the town to pay an immense amount | Brown said every year legislation is introduced to the General Assembly and it goes nowhere | Brown said he’d run a report on advertising costs for a future discussion |
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On motion of Vice President Welch, duly seconded, it was voted unanimously to adjourn said meeting at 2:53 p.m.
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Wendy J.W. Marshall, MMC
Council Clerk
supporting documentation is available at http://clerkshq.com/default.ashx?clientsite=Middletown-ri