Woonsocket Radio News Room

MARCH 17, 2025

6:45 P.M.

NORTH SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
CHANGE OF LOCATION - NORTH SMITHFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL, 1850 PROVIDENCE PIKE PARTICIPATION FOR THIS MEETING WILL BE IN-PERSON ONLY


The meeting will also be livestream. Please join the meeting (viewing only) from your computer, tablet, or smartphone by clicking on this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFgw5KxL950ZgZ_DKz8B-MQ
or go to the North Smithfield YouTube page - North Smithfield Town Meetings
*If technical difficulties occur during the livestream the above specified meetings will resume as scheduled.


Documents related to the meeting will be posted on the Town Council’s page of the Town’s website on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., see link here: https://www.nsmithfieldri.org/

FOR BOARDS/COMMISSIONS VACANCIES: https://onboard.nsmithfieldri.org/

FOR ONLINE APPLICATIONS:
https://www.nsmithfieldri.org/FormCenter/Boards-Commissions-5/Application-for-Board-Commission-46


I. OPEN MEETING-PRAYER-PLEDGE
II. ROLL CALL
III. OPEN FORUM – PURSUANT TO 42-46-6 (d) (Maximum 3 minutes per person)
IV. NORTH SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL SITTING AS BOARD OF LICENSING –
Transfer of Liquor License for Buffalo Wild Wings Located at 51 Dowling Village Boulevard
V. DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL, VOTE, OR OTHER ACTION ON PAYMENT OF BILLS
VI. DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL, VOTE, OR OTHER ACTION ON CONSENT AGENDA
All items listed in this section are considered in one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Councilor requests, in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda.
    A. Town Council Minutes of March 3, 2025
    B. Communications
        1. Animal Control Monthly Reports January and February 2025
        1. NSF&R Monthly Report for February 2025
        2. NS Municipal Court Monthly Report for February 2025
        3. NSPD Monthly Report for February 2025
VII. OLD BUSINESS
    A. Discussion by Council, Vote or Other Action on Status/Progress Report of Specific
    Items
        1. Asset Management – Mr. Gibbs
        2. Grants – Mr. Gibbs
        3. Human Resources – Ms. Alves
        4. Municipal Building Review Task Force – Ms. Alves
    B. Discussion by Council, Vote or other Action on Petition/Application for an Amendment to     the Zoning Ordinance Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 45-24-50 and 45-24-51 - 45-24-53 as     follows:
        1. Petition/Application for Amendment to Zoning Ordinance filed by Pound Hill Realty,         LLC, c/o 618 Greenville Road, North Smithfield, RI 02896, the owner of the parcel of land         situated off Old Oxford Road, Pound Hill Road and Pine Hill Road in the Town of North         Smithfield, more particularly described as Town of North Smithfield Tax Assessor’s Plat 7,         lot 38, consisting of 89.44 acres (subject property).
        2. Text amendment and a zoning map amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of
        North Smithfield (the “Zoning Ordinance”). The proposed zoning amendment will create a
        new zoning district “Industrial Special Management District 1 Overlay,” the intent of the
        district is to allow mining, quarrying, sand and gravel extraction, loam stripping, stone
        cutting operations, crushing, washing, and/or processing of materials. The zoning map
        amendment proposes to amend the zoning designation of the parcel of land located at 14         Pine Hill Road in the Town of North Smithfield, more specifically described as Assessor’s         Plat: 7, Lot: 38 (the “Property”) from Rural Agricultural (RA) & Rural Estate Agricultural         (REA) to Industrial Special Management District 1 Overlay.
            a. Continuation of Public Hearing
            b. Discussion by Council, Vote or Other Action
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
    A. Discussion by Council, Vote or Other Action on Approval of Contract Addendum No. 3     from Pare Engineering for Mowry Fire Tower Project – Mr. Pendergast
    B. Discussion by Council, Vote, or Other Action on Resolution in Support of Rhode
    Island League of Cities and Towns 2025 Legislative Priorities – Mr. Gibbs
IX. ADJOURN

Individuals requesting special assistance should contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 767-2200, ext. 504 seventy-two (72) hours in advance of the meeting date.

Agenda posted March 13, 2025

President Trump's meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is done. Machado said the meeting was "great" as she departed the White House this afternoon. She did not say if she had gifted her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Trump as she has said she wanted to. Trump's relationship with Machado has become somewhat complicated since the U.S. arrested former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.        Federal agents deployed tear gas against protesters this afternoon in Minneapolis. The protest is in front of an ICE facility in the city, and the crowd remains, although the standoff with ICE officers is over for now. Officers were lined up, blocking the front entrance to the facility. Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino confirms there was an arrest.        Unemployment numbers saw a drop last week. The Labor Department reported Thursday that just 198-thousand Americans filed initial claims for unemployment benefits for the week ending January 10th. That's a drop of nine-thousand from the previous week.        Several people are facing charges in connection with an NCAA Basketball gambling conspiracy. The DOJ is calling it a transnational criminal conspiracy that began in China with former college and Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney. The indictment alleges Blakeney was having so much success fixing games in China as a player, he moved the operation stateside with a number of co-conspirators.        The World Health Organization is calling for higher takes on sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages in order to slow down consumption. The organization released a new report saying they are getting cheaper because of low tax rates in many countries, fueling obesity, heart disease and other health issues in young adults and children. It points to high sugar products like fruit juices, sweetened milk drinks, and ready-to-drink coffees and teas that are tax free in many places.        Over 100 classic episodes of Sesame Street is now available on YouTube. The streaming giant announced Thursday that it's now the largest digital library of the educational show. That includes the first-ever Sesame Street episode to air back in 1969.       

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