Woonsocket Radio News Room

FEBRUARY 18, 2025  6:45 P.M.

 

NORTH SMITHFIELD TOWN COUNCIL
83 GREENE STREET, NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI 02896
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 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 Tuesday, February 18, 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- Secondhand
license DBA She Shed Furnishings-1105 Iron Mine Hill Rd.- Ann Marie Champagne
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 January 6, 21, February 3 and 10, 2025
    B. Communications
        1. NSF&R Monthly Report for January 2025
        2. NS Municipal Court Monthly Report for January 2025
        3. NSPD Monthly Report for January 2025
VII. OLD BUSINESS
    A. Discussion by Council, Vote or Other Action on Status/Progress Report of Specific
    Items
        1. Asset Management
        2. Grants
        3. Human Resources – Ms. Alves
        4. Municipal Building Review Task Force – Ms. Alves
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
    A. 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. Public Hearing
            b. Discussion by Council, Vote or Other Action
    B. Discussion by Council, Vote or Other Action on Map Plotter Bid Award-Antony St. Onge
    C. Discussion by Council, Vote or Other Action on Resignation of Evan Masse from the     North Smithfield Historic District Commission
IX. OPEN FORUM – PURSUANT TO 42-46-6 (d) (Maximum 3 minutes per person)
X. EXECUTIVE SESSION (Closed Session)
    A. DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL, VOTE, OR OTHER ACTION RE: RIGL 42-46-5(A)(2)     Sessions pertaining to collective bargaining or litigation or work sessions pertaining to     collective bargaining or litigation or potential litigation:
        1. Notice of Claim to Town Council of North Smithfield - Personal Injury Claim
XI. OPEN SESSION
    A. DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL, VOTE, OR OTHER ACTION RE: Notice of Claim to Town     Council of North Smithfield - Personal Injury Claim
XII. 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 February 13, 2025

A federal judge is blocking parts of President Trump's executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government. On Friday, the judge halted Trump's orders to cancel federal contracts concerning DEI, and his order to make government contractors prove they don't use DEI practices. The judge's injunction does not block the Department of Justice from making lists of companies and universities to investigate.        Hamas is releasing another set of human remains after Israel demanded they hand over the body of a mother taken hostage. Hamas released four bodies on Thursday, but Israel was outraged when the remains of Shiri Bibas were not among them. On Friday, the leader of Hamas said Bibas' remains have now been given to Israel.        The Supreme Court says it will prevent President Trump from firing the head of a top watchdog agency for now. Trump has been trying to fire Hampton Dellinger, who leads the Office of Special Counsel, but so far has been blocked by lower courts. On Friday, the Supreme Court neither granted nor denied Trump's request to fire Dellinger, instead saying they're choosing not to act because lower court proceedings are moving quickly.        The Trump administration is reversing its decision to make major cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program. The program provides medical treatment to over a-hundred-thousand first responders and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Officials say they're reinstating research grants that had been cut, and employees who were fired will be allowed to return to their jobs.        White House officials say federal aid for the Los Angeles wildfires will come with strings attached. In an interview with Politico, Trump envoy Richard Grenell said "The federal response is mostly money and so we are going to have strings on the money that we give to California." Grenell didn't specify what the conditions would be, but did say the California Coastal Commisison, which protects the state's coastlines, should be "defunded."        Hackers have made away with one-point-five-billion-dollars in the largest crypto heist in history. Bybit, a major cryptocurrency exchange, announced the news Friday. The hackers compromised an offline storage system, and the stolen funds were quickly transferred and liquidated through various platforms.       

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