Town of North Smithfield

September 28th, 2018 Edition

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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN NORTH SMITHFIELD

Message from Town Administrator

Gary Ezovski

Cost proposals were opened recently for the long-discussed renovations to create appropriate space for town offices and the police department at the former Kendall Dean School and the municipal annex. As has been announced, for the second time, the total cost proposed by every bidder was more than the total budget for the project. As expected, that result has caused some to begin pointing fingers and making accusations. Though I am not a member of the Municipal Building Review Task Force which was formed by the current council to move this project forward, my office does provide the support and information that the task force requires. I am aware that they are reviewing the bids and working to fashion a way forward to accomplish the intent of the bond question within the financial limitations established by that bond. I believe they will have a recommendation to the council soon, and I hope we can afford them the opportunity to do that before drawing any conclusions.

We should all respect and appreciate the effort that many along the way have put into a task

that originated with a budget set by a town council prior to the 2014 election when the bond question was passed. With passage of the 2014 question, the sitting town council authorized the Public Building Improvement Committee to move the project forward, but in 2016 after well over a year of their work the then sitting town council refused to accept the PBIC’s proposals to resolve the bid versus budget condition which that group encountered. Now here we are again with a problem. Three councils and two committees have studied and acted but the budget is still a problem. Some will disagree, but in my opinion, the developments to date should be telling us something. I believe it should be clear at this point that, no matter who ultimately occupies either of these two buildings, the targeted work and the budget for that work were an ill-fated match from the very beginning. That isn’t an excuse or a criticism. I see it as a very simple statement of reality.

In planning our community’s future, I believe it is important to recognize we can’t do everything that we need to do in any single year. The way forward must include an approach where we don’t hide from or ignore mission critical needs of any kind while setting a financial plan to accomplish every one of those needs. In our current efforts, we are determined to recognize every need and plan to fund them by setting priorities in our spending and budgeting annually to accomplish each need. Many expectations can be satisfied if we show the people involved that we are setting aside funds each year to meet longer term needs just as we are doing with road reconstruction and OPEB funding. We are clearly witnessing that which is obvious. Matching high short-term expectations and unreasonable budgets is not the way to get anything done.

All that said, we have a good group of citizens working to move the annex and KD projects forward. As I write this, I don’t know what they will recommend, but I have confidence they will attempt to guide us to the best we can do with the resources available. 



In observance of Columbus Day, all town offices will be closed on Monday, October 8th, 2018. 

There will be no trash or recycling pick up on Monday, October 8th. All routes will be delayed one day all week. Residents are urged to plan accordingly.

Have a Safe Columbus Day Weekend!

NOTICE OF VOTER REGISTRATION

The Town Clerk’s office located at 575 Smithfield Road is open the following hours to receive new voter registrations and to correct names and addresses of registered voters:

Mon. thru Wed. 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Thurs.         8:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

Fri.           8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

For those residents who are not already registered to vote, the last date to register to be eligible to vote in the General Election scheduled for November 6, 2018 is:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2018 FROM 1:00 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.

Voter registration forms will be made available in the lobby of the North Smithfield Police Station, 575 Smithfield Road.

Mail Ballot Applications are available and must be returned to the Town Clerk’s office no later than 4:00 P.M. on October 16, 2018.

November 6, 2018 Sample Ballot

Click Here for the November 6, 2018 Sample Ballot for State and Local Questions

The Next 2018 Tax Bill Is Due

October 15, 2018

Dear North Smithfield Taxpayer:

ALL 2018 Real estate, motor vehicle and tangible personal property bills were mailed on July 13^th.

Please be aware ALL bills are due on the date listed on the bill stubs. Because there are no complications with auto taxes or budget timing this year, we are back to our regular billing cycle and due dates.

The dates are also listed below.

Real Estate, Motor Vehicle and Tangible Personal Property

1^st payment due 08-15-18

2^nd payment due 10-15-18

3^rd payment due 01-15-19

4^th payment due 04-15-19

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Tax Assessor’s Office at 401-767-2200 ext: 323 or the Tax Collector’s Office at 401-767-2200 ext: 511

FEMA To Test Text Message "Presidential Alert"

October 3, 2018 at 2:18 PM

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on the backup date of October 3, 2018 due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence. The WEA portion of the test commences at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed.

During this time, WEA compatible cell phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message. Some cell phones will not receive the test message, and cell phones should only receive the message once. The WEA test message will have a header that reads "Presidential Alert" and text that says:

“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

Click here to read the entire article from FEMA

North Smithfield Gets Ready for Fall! 

Curbside yard waste collection begins Tuesday, October 9, 2018. Yard waste is collected on the same day as your trash and recycling.  Residents can have a reasonable amount of leaf bags or cans, clearly marked, of yard waste out at the curb for weekly collection. The fall collection season runs from Tuesday, October 9th - Friday, December 7th.

Drop off hours at our Highway Garage, 281 Quaker Highway will continue Saturdays from 9 am - 3 pm and Wednesdays from 3 pm - 5 pm 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

CLICK HERE

FOR THE

KEEP BLACKSTONE VALLEY BEAUTIFUL

SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER

TO ALL OUR RESIDENTS:

This is a reminder that though we do not have a particular storm in view, June 1st to November 30th is Hurricane season, and we need to stay prepared. The attached link has a list of things to consider before and after a Hurricane. 

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

The Town of North Smithfield has hired Northeast Revaluation Group LLC to conduct a statistical update to bring all real estate in town to fair market value effective December 31, 2018 for the July 2019 tax roll. The process is mandatory according to RIGL 44-5-11.6. The law requires these statistical updates every 3 years and a full revaluation every 9 years.

Throughout the project Northeast Revaluation’s staff will be in neighborhoods throughout the town. The company will attempt to physically visit, measure and inspect properties that sold over the last 2 years, which helps in the analysis of determining fair market value. They also will be visiting any properties that have unfinished construction or have taken out building permits recently. All employees are required to carry identification and have their vehicles on file with the assessor’s office and police department. The process will last over the next several months and be completed in the spring of 2019. If there are questions or concerns contact the Assessor, Sarah Frew, 401-767-2200 ext 323 or Northeast Revaluation Group directly at 401-737-0300. Thank you for your patience throughout the process.

Our North Smithfield Animal Shelter is in

Need of Volunteers.

You can volunteer as many or as few days or hours that you can. Every little bit helps! Volunteering at an animal shelter can be a rewarding experience.

Please call the North Smithfield Animal Shelter at 766-0377.

The Garden Club of North Smithfield is Looking for

New Members. 

Men and women of all skill levels are welcome to join. If you enjoy gardening and working outdoors and think you might be interested, please contact Jo-Ann McGee for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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North Smithfield Heritage Association Releases

2018 Christmas Ornament

Senior Services, Inc. has provided services to seniors and adults with disabilities residing in Northern Rhode Island since 1975, in accordance with the Congregate Meal Program financed through a grant with R.I. Department of Elderly Affairs. Senior Services, Inc. provides nutritionally balanced lunches five days a week at our meal sites throughout Northern R.I.

Senior Services, Inc. offers activities, entertainment, computer classes, and Wellness programs, which include a weekly blood pressure clinic and exercise classes.

Senior Services, Inc. also offers an Adult Day Care Program ("A Home for the Day"), and a Community Information Specialist who can provide information on eligibility for all state and local programs, including RIPAE.

We offer activities, entertainment, computer classes, and Alzheimer's Disease Support Groups.

OCTOBER 2018 Senior Services Newsletter

OCTOBER 2018 Calendar of Events 

OCTOBER 2018 Menu  

Senior exercise classes at Scouter's Hall, 32 Main Street, North Smithfield include:

• Zumba Gold Mondays at 10:00 AM
• Chair Exercises, Mondays at 11:00 AM
• Zumba Gold Thursdays at 10:00 AM

Click Here for the North Smithfield/Lincoln/Cumberland Prevention Coalition September Newsletter

Filled with lots of great information for parents!!

TOUR OUR TOWN'S 60 HISTORIC CEMETERIES

We enjoyed a tour of another 5 cemeteries on Saturday, September 22 in the vicinity of Log Rd and Matitty Rd. See picture  

 Our next tour is scheduled for Saturday, October 6th at 9:00 am. We will visit 7 cemeteries in the vicinity of Grange Road and NS Elementary School: NS57, NS19, NS20, NS30, NS25, NS26, NS40. Those who want to attend will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the NS Middle School parking lot just off Providence Pike. Wear long pants and comfortable walking shoes. Bring water and insect repellent. People can contact Rich Keene at 401-447-6394 if they have any questions.

A copy of the upcoming tours can be accessed by CLICKING HERE.

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AREA FALL EVENTS

Franklin Farm Historic Farm & Homestead

Harvest Festival & Tractor Show

Saturday, September 29th 10 am-4 pm

CLICK HERE for more Information 

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Agendas can be found on the Secretary of State Website by

CLICKING HERE

Town Council Meeting

Tuesday, October 2nd @ 6:45 pm

North Smithfield Middle School

1850 Providence Pike

North Smithfield, RI 02896

Planning Board Meeting

Thursday, October 4th @ 6:00 pm

Primrose Fire Station

1470 Providence Pike

North Smithfield, RI 02896