East Greenwich Development News
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Development News from the latest meeting
Town Council Replaces Material Testing Firm Due to Performance Issues
The Town Council rescinded a bid award to Aardvark Geotechnical Engineering and Testing for material testing services at Frenchtown, Hanaford Elementary Schools, and East Greenwich High School due to performance issues. The council then awarded a contract for the remainder of these services to Briggs Engineering and Testing, another original bidder. Aardvark's performance was criticized for delays in reporting, scheduling difficulties, and issues with understanding the scope of work, which posed risks to the project schedule and quality. Briggs Engineering and Testing, although not the lowest bidder initially, has positive recommendations and prior experience. The new contract with Briggs is not to exceed $227,535 and will be funded by the $150 million school construction bond issuance.
East Greenwich Council Approves Tax Abatements, 2026 Tax Roll, and Fund Transfers
The Town Council approved the abatement of $105,848.46 in uncollectible motor vehicle and personal property taxes from 2015 and older. These taxes are deemed uncollectible due to the 10-year statute of limitations for civil actions under Rhode Island law. The list includes write-offs for defunct businesses, individuals in bankruptcy, or deceased persons, as determined by the town's collection agency, Rossi Law. The council also approved a resolution to order the assessment of valuation and collection of taxes for the 2026 tax roll, covering real estate, tangible personal property, and motor vehicles. This resolution authorizes the Tax Assessor's role, confirms quarterly payment options, interest charges (12%), a 15-day grace period, and the annual tax sale, along with provisions for waiving interest under specific conditions. Additionally, the council approved closing out the remaining FLSA settlement liability balance of $172,956 (including FICA) by transferring it to the unassigned fund balance. Finally, the council authorized the transfer of $615,000 from the 2025-2026 general operating surplus to various capital reserve funds and the debt service fund to finance essential projects and minimize future tax increases. This includes allocations for the fire department's ladder truck, the DPW's front loader, municipal planning for the comprehensive plan, and the 350th celebration.
East Greenwich Adopts Quarterly Sewer Billing, Eliminates Deduct Meter Program
The Town Council voted to transition sewer billing from an annual to a quarterly system and to eliminate the deduct meter program for water usage. This change is intended to modernize the billing system, improve cash flow, provide more timely consumption information to residents, and reduce manual work and potential errors in the DPW and finance departments. The existing deduct meter program, used by a small percentage of accounts, was deemed outdated, difficult to administer, and prone to inaccuracies and manipulation. The elimination of deduct meters will be accompanied by a revised discount structure, moving from a 15% reduction for non-deduct meter users to a 20% reduction, with a 20% allowance for outdoor usage for all residential accounts. Special considerations were made for condominium associations with significant outdoor water usage, allowing them to qualify for the 80-20 discount, aligning with state land use codes. The transition to quarterly billing is set to begin January 1st, with a catch-up period for past usage.
East Greenwich Honors Planning Board Members, Recognizes Postal Service Anniversary
The Town Council recognized Benjamin Lupovitz for over nine years of service on the planning board, including five years as chairman, and Mark Gerzikoff for five years of service on the planning board. The council also issued a proclamation recognizing July 2nd, 2026, as America 250 and 250 Years of Postal Service Day in East Greenwich, acknowledging the historic East Greenwich Post Office as one of the original 61 post offices in the country. Postmaster Christine Whalen accepted the proclamation and spoke about the post office's long history, dating back to July 26, 1775. The meeting also included the approval of minutes, routine consent calendar items, and a discussion on changing sewer billing practices.
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