Council Update: Paving Vendors, Sewer Bonds

Editor’s note: The Council Update is a twice-monthly update on Council meetings and developments from Warwick City Council President Steve McAllister. The column is written after each council meeting, twice a month. This review of Warwick City Council events has been lightly edited to update time references, for grammar, and to include referential links for further reading.  

Last night, at the council meeting, we voted to have three paving vendors to choose from to do our spring and summer paving.  Roads repairs, potholes, sidewalk repairs are the top issues council members hear about from their constituents.  Over

the past few years, Warwick has paved more roads than ever before.  In 2019, we voted for a $10 million infrastructure bond for road repairs.  We were able to get this bond for an interest rate under 1% (how times have changed).  We have completed the work from that bond and continue to coordinate with utility companies to pave even more streets.

When Rhode Island Energy does work in our neighborhoods and finish, they have to pave curb to curb.  The city will then come in and pave the rest of the road.  This way we get the entire road paved, but only have to pay a portion of the costs.  Having three vendors also gives the City more flexibility to complete projects in a timely manner, because if one vendor is not available to do the work, we move on to the next vendor.

Sewer bonds authorized

The council also gave second passage to the sewer authority for authorization to issue bonds of up to $30 million dollars for sewer projects across the entire City.  As I mentioned in last month’s update, when the council voted for first passage; the sewer authority has a lot of long term bond debt coming off their books in the next couple years and this plan will allow them to continue investment in our sewer system.  The sewer authority director stated this bond is a revenue bond which is paid through rate payers.  We were told this new bond would not increase your sewer bills, bonds like these are already factored into your bills.

EG Line Condos

We also had a public hearing for a zoning change to build four new units on Post Road by the Warwick/ East Greenwich line.  These condos will have a view of the water and developers believe each unit will sell for over $500,000.  These condos/townhouses will be two buildings with two units in each building.

Spring is here! Lots of opening day ceremonies across the city this month.  There are also a number of community clean ups around Earth Day. I know there was a big cleanup of the Pawtuxet River last weekend and this weekend at Gorton’s Pond and Oakland Beach.

Announcements and Events:

Earth Day clean ups across the City this weekend.

Budget hearings will begin May 22.

Next council meeting is May 8th.

Have a great week!