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Town of North Smithfield

October 16, 2020

Message from Town Administrator

Gary Ezovski

Stamina Mill Building

Our prior attempts to get the Stamina Mill Building eliminated as an eyesore and hazard were stymied by funding limitations. As an alternative, over many months, I have pressed for consideration by RIDEM and EPA to take action as part of their responsibility in the Stamina Superfund program. That effort has produced results. EPA has stepped up. As a step in that direction EPA must follow historic preservation guidelines. As will be seen in a block below, pursuit of public comments is part of that process. I call attention to the EPA notice with hope many will reinforce the concern we have over this unfortunate condition. Demolition could happen in November if all elements of this process move forward smoothly.

Road Reconstruction Update

As many know, when I first took office in 2016, I found there was no plan for how to spend a modest amount of funds that had been budgeted for road repaving. As I learned more about what had been done with the 2014 road reconstruction bond money and was receiving calls from residents about road conditions, I focused attention on the funding stream and the need. A report prepared by Casali Engineering a few years earlier was also helpful in gaining an understanding of the overall challenge. In discussions with DPW leadership I learned we had a total of about 66 miles of roads to manage in town and that the 2014 funds had repaired about 7 miles. Doing the math that developed from that project it was reasonable to conclude that road reconstruction budgeting should be based on a value of about $400,000 per mile. Given the number of miles of roadway and expectation that a 30-year service life could be a reasonable planning factor I concluded that the town needs to fund road reconstruction every year at an amount of $800,000. Without funding in that range, the only recourse would be to pursue projects through bond financing which only adds to the overall cost. But going to that level would require an additional contribution to paving at almost $600,000 which is very difficult to do in one year, especially when we were wrestling with a major reduction in income due to National Grid property classification matters. Such being the case I advocated for gradual increases of $100,000 in each year to reach the goal and developed a plan for deploying those funds. That can be seen here:

Roadway Resurface Funding Plan

It hasn’t been a straight line but we worked that number up to $450,000 in the 2020 budget year and had planned for a $600,000 allotment in 2021 until COVID 19 hit and we had to redirect some of those funds to a contingency fund to support our schools based on threats of significant reduction in aid to education. If the federal government enacts another stimulus bill in November it may allow the state to properly fund education which will give the town the opportunity to restore the full $600,000 allotment that would keep us on track.

This morning I took a photo which shows the work ongoing on Mechanic Street and Old Great Road that should be completed before the construction season ends and which will be the last area to be completed under my plans. I am hopeful that this plan will carry on after I leave office. We have deployed almost $1.4 million and completed 3.5 miles of roads in the last 2.5 years. That work was based on consideration to the Casali report, water and sewer projects, DPW experience and changes in road conditions since the Casali report was issued. We haven’t reached the 2 mile per year level, but we should be able to get there in fiscal 2023.

Update on blasting at the solar system construction site on Iron Mine Hill Road

A-1 Drilling & Blasting and Green Development have advised that the location of blasting will be changing to a different area of the project. The work completed to date has largely been focused on a north facing slope in the northern part of the property. They are preparing to start blasting on a south facing slope on a more southern area. This change in location for the blasting means that some different neighbors may feel ground vibrations or hear the blast. A-1 has recently delivered letters with pertinent information about their activity to homes along Iron Mine Hill Road, Sayles Hill Road and Valley View Drive. The first blast in this new area is expected to be in the end of next week. Copies of that information and notice can be found here:

Blasting letter to neighbors

Frequently asked questions for blasting

Information provided to date indicates vibration monitoring results from the previous blasting area of the project have all been within the regulatory limits and below levels known to cause damage to residential structures. Although the results from the previous phase of blasting were successful, out of an abundance of caution we encourage people who are particularly concerned about potential damage from the upcoming blasting, to take photos of the interior and exterior of their homes or any other item of concern to establish a record of conditions. As noted in the letter from A-1, any damage claim must be filed with the State Fire Marshal.

And finally, humans can feel vibrations at really low levels, well below levels that can damage construction materials. Because of this sensitivity, blasting may startle a person not expecting it. Anyone who lives in the area who would like to be notified of the specific blast times can call A-1 to be added to their list.

We have received many phone calls inquiring about the car tax bills. To answer the main question, no they have not been sent out. We are waiting for answers from the State regarding the car tax phase-out & the FY21 budget.

Here is an article that ran in the Providence Journal

h ttps://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200822/delayed-car-tax-bills-may-be-first-ripple-of-state-budget-tsunami

Early voting has begun and runs until November 2, 2020.

You can vote early if you are registered in the Town of North Smithfield, and have not requested a mail ballot.

Early voting is available at the Town Hall located at 83 Greene St.

during normal business hours:

Monday - Wednesday 8am-4pm, Thursday 8am-7pm, Friday 8am-12pm.

There is now an official ballot drop box located at the Town Hall on the side of the building for mail ballots. The mail ballots started being mailed out by the Secretary of State's office on Monday, October 5, 2020. If you would like to track your mail ballot, please visit vote.ri.gov.

Curbside yard waste collection has started. Yard waste is collected on the same day as your trash and recycling. Residents can have reasonable amount of leaf bags or cans, clearly marked, of yard waste out at the curb for weekly collection. The fall collection season runs through Friday, December 4, 2020.

Drop off hours at our Highway Garage, 281 Quaker Highway will continue Saturdays from 10 am - 2 pm and Wednesdays from 3:00 PM-6PM ONLY. Residents are welcome to bring yard waste or accepted recyclables. The town offers free drop off for rigid plastic and scrap metal items as well as used motor oil. Please do not leave items outside the gate after business hours, we will take notice.

For additional information contact 767-2200 x 348

Safety tips from North Smithfield Fire & Rescue

Change your clocks = Change the batteries in your smoke & Carbon Monoxide detectors!

We can’t say it enough!

It is so important to check the batteries in your smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms. This inexpensive item can SAVE A LIFE!

Some smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms come with a ten year sealed battery. If you have this type of alarm, we ask that you test them periodically. Information about testing can be found in the manufactures instructions. Replace smoke detectors every ten years and carbon monoxide detectors every five years.

Alert - During home inspections, our fire prevention division has found non-certified smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. In most cases, these alarms were purchased through the internet. Please make sure, when buying smoke and Carbon monoxide detectors, they have the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) stamp or the Factory Mutual (FM) stamp. UL and FM certified products are accepted under the Rhode Island State Fire Code.

Heating appliances require maintenance to guarantee efficiency. Failure to maintain this equipment adds great risk for fire and/or carbon monoxide exposure.

Chimney’s should be cleaned and inspected regularly.
Boilers should be serviced to include testing and inspection.
Fireplaces should be cleaned regularly.

Also, remember to use all heating units to the manufactures specification. Space heaters are safe when used correctly.

NEVER use any heating appliance against manufactures recommendations.

As always, feel free to contact the North Smithfield Fire Prevention office at (401) 762-1135 Monday through Thursday between the hours of 07:00 a.m. and 05:00 p.m. for any fire safety questions you may have. There is no fee for us to come to your home, for a fire safety inspection to make sure your home is safe.

Stay Healthy & Safe!

ATTENTION NORTH SMITHFIELD RESIDENTS WHO ARE BLACKSTONE, MASS WATER CUSTOMERS

(St Paul St / Elizabeth Ave / West St / Middle St / Colerick St / Fountain St)

PLEASE READ THE ATTACHED NOTICE REGARDING A WATER BAN

October Dates are:

Saturday:

October 24th & 31st, 10:00-10:30 am

Tuesday:

October 20th & 27th, 5:30–6:00 pm

If you did not confirm North Smithfield residency with a valid photo ID and a second form of identification such as a phone or rent bill with a North Smithfield address in September please bring these items with you in October.

The Food Pantry is a drive through at the Slatersville Congregational Church, UCC at 25 Greene St on the Common. Please line up on Greene St and you will be directed into the parking lot and food will be delivered into your car. You must wear a mask to receive food. You can come to all four of our pantries. Questions call 401-678-0356

Thank you to our good friends at Wright’s Dairy for their generous donation of milk! We so appreciate your kindness, and our clients say thank you as well!!!!

Additionally, thank you but we cannot use additional volunteer help at this time. If you would like to donate money, please mail to P.O. Box 283, Slatersville, RI 02876. If you would like to donate food, please call (401) 678-0356 to arrange a time for drop off. We need soups, canned tuna and chicken, canned fruit and juice, toilet paper and paper towels.

The flavors of the month for October is Cereal.

We are also in need of canned vegetables.