[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6272824,"mediaKeyId","3020852-3ef548c91966028faf5679e04d0a4648","parentId",3020852,"title","Jamestown councilors lay out priorities: water, infrastructure, Fort Getty and housing among top goals","audioSeconds",2465,"startMs",3810000,"endMs",6275000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3020852-3ef548c91966028faf5679e04d0a4648&start=3810&end=6275","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3020852-3ef548c91966028faf5679e04d0a4648/thumbnail_3810000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6272824/Jamestown/Newport-County/Rhode-Island/Jamestown-councilors-lay-out-priorities-water-infrastructure-Fort-Getty-and-housing-among-top-goals","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272824-9fd2a524a61917890dd98734230d7d6a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770441370&Signature=c9jdqMUNJig~-h72CezrK~X~2w2L~1qpEOreoPNxDu2TvWo2j8S9GzxE0HwlWmuDmD3vLe-gr-w8kOuUYIGdxF6uuO-ud29PE26Yw~xZXQUB083CM164pFjBVjcfdxdPJat5sphuhB1w0f-zjWnMRHyQxPiA-SW5-po3AORh~bn2avNbGuR95-JP8fcsHobzVz96mOzN2lVBLyd1dWMJ7VMrOCTVxr4cWdDvIckf0vYVt5yBEcKQGqy86wh~wh3FBruw0Gr3JYJ~3EmErqMCbR7gYxV-cYnddihc7yHEFzYaFr9rvbra4lmbAQoFOWxs9VWgfBncS05s6KYYo98yqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Jamestown, RI","date","2025-01-02T00:00:00Z","article","Jamestown — Councilors used a Jan. 7 workshop to exchange their top priorities for the coming year and to ask staff for a clear, prioritized plan to match projects with funding options.

“I gave everybody copies of the goals that we had written,” Councilor Mary said, introducing a previous set of council goals and asking members to compare them with individual priorities presented at the workshop. The exchange produced broad agreement on a handful of recurring priorities: water supply and resiliency, major infrastructure repairs and investments, Fort Getty improvements and maintenance, housing (including short‑term rental policy and workforce housing), improved town communications and additional staffing or contracted capacity for grant writing and IT.

Several councilors offered specific emphases. Councilor Eric described his “number 1 priority [as] to look to find a path to generational investment in Jamestown,” citing roads, the bike path plan, Eldred Field improvements and the need to address deferred maintenance at town facilities and the school. Councilor Ed (Town Administrator) told the council staff has compiled a list of active and near‑term projects “somewhere around $22,000,000 worth of projects that we're currently working at,” and he outlined a range of capital needs and permitting hurdles the town faces.

What was discussed
- Water and resiliency: Several councilors called water the town’s top infrastructure issue. Suggestions ranged from feasibility studies and alternative sources to small measures (rain barrels, conservation programs) while staff noted active study and grant applications for water‑system projects and meter replacement.
- Infrastructure and capital planning: Councilors emphasized the town’s capital backlog, from roads and drainage to Fort Getty electrical and camp‑site infrastructure. Several said the town’s practice of yearly small set‑asides is unlikely to remedy large projects given recent spikes in construction costs.
- Fort Getty: Fort Getty was flagged both as an asset that generates revenue (camping, rentals) and as a site with deferred maintenance needing a coherent master plan tied to revenue and investment decisions.
- Housing and senior services: Short‑term rentals, accessory dwelling units and workforce housing were raised repeatedly. Multiple councilors also urged more services and support for the town’s large senior population and asked council and staff to explore options such as assisted‑living partnerships.
- Town staffing and grants: Several councilors proposed investing in staff capacity or contracting for grant writing, IT/cybersecurity and communications so the town can access state and federal funding and deliver better resident services.

Staff asked councilors to prioritize the lists so staff can match those priorities to funding strategies, including grant applications, ARPA, local bonding and Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank loans. Ed said the town is preparing a more detailed, bond‑ready package for larger investments and will return with a recommended order of priorities and estimated costs.

Councilors agreed to continue the discussion at a future workshop and to present a shortened, prioritized goals list that staff can use to guide budget and grant efforts. No votes or funding commitments were made at the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","1/2/25 Jamestown Special Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Councilors used a Jan. 7 workshop to present individual priorities and to compare lists. Recurring themes were water sustainability, generational infrastructure investment, Fort Getty improvements, housing and senior services. Town staff provided a project inventory the council said should inform a short list of prioritized goals.","taxTitle","Jamestown, Newport County, Rhode Island","taxId",79832,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6272829,"Jamestown council workshop weighs firming public‑comment rules, sign‑up and time limits",1428,334000,1762000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3020852-3ef548c91966028faf5679e04d0a4648&start=334&end=1762","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3020852-3ef548c91966028faf5679e04d0a4648/thumbnail_334000.jpg","/articles/6272829/Jamestown/Newport-County/Rhode-Island/Jamestown-council-workshop-weighs-firming-publiccomment-rules-signup-and-time-limits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6272829-c6e5ea4470dcf33e6803e2dc0e5c545b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770441370&Signature=My1WYB-P8ZPR-mUqQUQGxrZSiNpLcFN5NzuFQx1x4ZfvsjAVPyReZrg8mNXS17f1W7ueuHYs9pcQH7xIjDwxVzsLtZX-M2VwGdsBgsPUMtvTs4ulLyGVK-l9EInDiLC4Vl40YjdM6ePqGrGcfLPhjYsxLZ6~BU-DYB29AmH0udqVF37zbfCg5oCKmxE~hD3e~4O~wZuGc81qzvd9A8ZPPFMthQqiERu0iWZQxf5Cx0LLiTA0HlbROFZodZUlhhUeP61LuQ9EVeSrs8vlgJF3tCcoivpPvXsuGQCZ7-VXIfkYyh4uHVgIRz6MZLSB~16i~Pe7rFlYpINV9U0x5auS3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jamestown — Councilors and town staff spent much of a Jan. 7 workshop discussing how and when members of the public may speak at town meetings and whether to adopt clearer, uniform time limits and a sign‑up procedure.

Councilor Mary told attendees the meeting was a workshop and “there’s no voting tonight,” as the group debated changes to the rules and procedures that govern public comment. The conversation covered three separate ways people may address the council: scheduled “request to address” items, an open forum at the start of meetings, and speaking at the discretion of the council during discussion of an agenda item.

The discussion matters because unclear rules have previously lengthened meetings and led to disputes about fairness, councilors said. Staff and the town attorney repeatedly referenced the Open Meetings Act when describing legal limits on discussion of items not on the published agenda and cautioned against improvised votes or decisions during public comment.

Most councilors expressed support for keeping an early open forum so residents can attend, speak and leave without waiting through a long meeting. Several also favored continuing open forum at the end of the meeting when needed. Councilor Eric said the town should set expectations so people know “they’re clear with what the expectation is,” while other councilors warned against allowing open‑ended remarks that can “filibuster” and derail the agenda.

On specific proposals the council discussed:
- Sign‑up process: Councilors asked staff to test a voluntary sign‑in sheet at the back of the meeting room so the clerk can capture names and addresses and callers can be called in order. Staff said sign‑up should be optional and cannot be required as a condition of speaking.
- Deadlines for scheduling presentations: The draft rules suggested a deadline for “request to address” submissions. Councilors discussed moving between five and seven days before a meeting; some preferred retaining the existing five‑day standard.
- Time limits: A 10‑minute guideline was debated for scheduled “request to address” presentations; short open‑forum remarks drew suggestions ranging from three to ten minutes. Several councilors proposed a default per‑person limit for open forum tied to an overall time cap (for example, an initial 10–20 minute open forum that could be extended or continued to the end of the meeting).
- Speaking during agenda discussion: Councilors agreed that, if members of the public are allowed to speak while the council is discussing an agenda item, the council should take its own turn first (councilors speak, then public), and the chair should manage time so discussion does not become a back‑and‑forth exchange that prevents completion of the agenda.

Town staff and the attorney repeated that the Open Meetings Act prohibits deliberation or action on items that have not been properly noticed on the agenda; the town attorney described a real‑world example of that restriction and warned that treating public comment as a place to adopt or decide agenda items would risk an Open Meetings Act violation. He said that if a public speaker raises an item the council wants to address, the appropriate response is to direct staff to schedule it on a future agenda.

Councilors also discussed practical meeting mechanics: whether roll call needs to be conducted verbally (staff said no legal requirement), how to arrange the agenda order so open forum precedes public hearings, and adding a short preamble explaining the public‑comment process on agendas. Staff said they will produce a revised draft of the rules that incorporates the sign‑in idea, clarifies the “request to address” deadline (staff noted five days is the current rule), and proposes time‑limit language the council can discuss at a future meeting.

No motions or votes were taken at the workshop; councilors agreed to continue refining the draft and to return the rules for further consideration at a later meeting.","At a Jan. 7 workshop, Jamestown Town Councilors and staff debated formalizing rules for public comment, including sign‑up deadlines, a possible 10‑minute limit for scheduled presentations, a sign‑in sheet for open forum and a policy to begin open forum at the start of meetings and continue it at the end when needed. No formal votes were taken.","actionData","errors"]

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Jamestown councilors lay out priorities: water, infrastructure, Fort Getty and housing among top goals

Jamestown council workshop weighs firming public‑comment rules, sign‑up and time limits