Coventry Council: Details for CHS Sewer Detour

COVENTRY, RI — Tuesday night, Town Council members said CPD details for the CHS sewer detour should be part of the plan during the Coventry High School Sewer project, requiring a detour through Wood Estates in November.

Assistant Town Manager Maria Broadbent updated the Council on CHS sewer detour and the work making it necessary at the start of the meeting. The work will install a new sewer line to the school, allowing the town to avoid the approximately $900 a day spent to pump out the school’s failed sewer system currently, for a current total of $600,000.

The sewer work itself is being paid for through a grant secured with the help of RI Sen. Jack Reed’s office, from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Broadbent said.

CHS sewer detour details requested

“It’s obvious, if you’re going down Tiogue Avenue, that we’ve started construction,” Broadbent said. She noted that the town’s Facebook post about the CHS sewer detour  broke a record with 65,000 views. She said the announcement was about a month early, timed to give people as much advance notice as possible, in case a detour is needed.

“If it’s the case, for safety reasons that we need a traffic detour, then we’ll have one,” Broadbent said. She said she and CPD Chief Witt spoke and ensured that if a police safety detail is needed, they’ll have one.”

About 160 linear feet of sewer line have been finished so far, and a bypass of the Mishnock River has been installed so the sewer line and a Kent County Water Authority service line can be installed together. The coordination is important, she said, because the sewer lines have to be installed below the water lines.

Broadbent said the detour around this work, going through Wood Estates, will be in effect starting in mid-November, lasting until mid-December. Construction will shut down for the winter at that time and will begin again April 3, 2026 until the project is finished in late spring. The area will be repaved once all the work is finished, sometime in August, giving the trenches time to settle.

“The day they put the detour in place, I think we need a detail in place, during those peak hours,” said Councilman Frank Brown.

“Sounds good to me,” Broadbent said.

Councilman Houle suggested a detail for Wood Estates as well.

Council Elects Brown Vice President

Also during the meeting, the Council voted 4-0 to elect Brown its vice president, with Brown abstaining.

Former Councilman JP Verducci was automatically named President per Town Charter upon the previous week’s resignation of Hilary Lima, the former president. Council members Jonathan Pascua and Alisa Capaldi nominated him, and there were no other nominations. Councilman Houle said he decided against putting his hat in the ring for the position upon learning of the item on the agenda to formalize equal responsibilities of each Council member, underscoring the ceremonial, not authoritative, nature of Council leadership.

“Certainly, it’ll be an honor and a privilege to serve in that capacity. We’re all the same on this Council, and that’s the biggest thing we’ve got going here. There’s a lot of transparency, we’re going to move Coventry forward, to be stronger and more vibrant, and that’s our goal, to make that happen. So, thank you for the support. I appreciate it, and look forward to sitting in that seat. Thank you,” Brown said.’

The Council voted 5-0 to table the next item, updating those rules, to wait for the Town Manager’s office to edit the multiple changes into a comprehensive document. A vote on the completed document updating Council rules will be taken at the Oct. 28 meeting.

During discussion of an audit of the invoices from Angell Law, Verducci said the Council’s auditor will be seeking criminal and financial discrepancies, the latter with an eye for seeking recovery, should anything be found. He asked Broadbent to have the town’s Finance Director, Robert Civetti, present options, including pricing, for a review versus a full forensic audit, to the council for discussion at the next meeting.

In other news Tuesday night:

13 – 15 A. Resolution 2025-103 – Authorizing a change order to the GZA GeoEnvironmental contract to include Professional Design Services for Harris Playground project in the amount of $5,200 GZA Contract Quidnick Field_2025 09 24 CHANGE ORDER NO.1 TC Resolution Oct 14 Resolution 2025-103 – GZA Quidnick Change Order 01 Harris Playground — approved, 5-0

16 – 23 B. Resolution 2025-104 – Approving the purchase of playground equipment for Giblin Memorial Park in the amount of $49,584.83 Hunters Crossing Playground Design for TC Resolution Oct 14 Hunters Crossing Playground Design model TC Resolution Oct 14 Hunters Crossing Playground Quote MRC GameTime TC Resolution Oct 14 Resolution 2025-104 – MRC GameTime Hunters Crossing Playground CIP Project — approved, 5-0

24 – 29 C. Resolution 2025-105 – Authorizing the purchase of (2) two 6-8 cubic yard Dump Truck Bodies for the Department of Public Works Dump Bodies (002) Resolution 2025-105 – Work Ready Truck LLC — approved, 5-0

30 – 36 D. Resolution 2025-106 – Approving the Sienna Condominiums Sewer Extension Sienna Condos – TC Packet 2025-10-08 Resolution 2025-106 -to approve Sienna Condominiums sewer extension 37 – 39 E. Resolution 2025-107 – Approving the purchase of a 2024 Ford Medium Roof Transit Van in the amount of $51,534.50 for the Parks and Page 3 of 145 — approved, 5-0

37 – 39 E. Resolution 2025-107 – Approving the purchase of a 2024 Ford Medium Roof Transit Van in the amount of $51,534.50 for the Parks and Page 3 of 145 Recreation Department 2024 F250 Medium Roof Cargo Van Bill of Sales Resolution 2025-107 – 2024 F250 Medium Roof Cargo Van — approved, 5-0

40 – 113 F. Resolution 2025-108 – Authorizing the request of the Land Trust to purchase the Development Rights at 798 Nicholas Rd (AP 307 lots 3 and 4) know as the Pettigrew Properties in the amount of $655,000 Town Council Memo_Pettigrew Property Purchase Resolution 2052-108 – to acquire Pettigrew Properties — Withdrawn

114 – 119 G. Resolution 2025-109 – Approving the Final Release of Bond for the Highwood Subdivision Phase V (formerly the Glenwood Subdivision) in the amount of $119,114.80 PC Recommendation_Release of Highwood Bond Resolution 2025-109 – to release of bond for Highwood Phase V — approved, 5-0

120 – 122 H. Resolution 2025-110 – to approve the Community Septic Loan Program (“CSSLP”) Town Council memo_Septic Program Resolution 2025-110 – CSSLP IX. COUNCIL BUSINESS — approved, 5-0