Portsmouth public meetings in 2022

Pension Advisory Committee Formerly Pension Investment Committee

The committee voted to update the pension investment policy to allow for the purchase of guaranteed interest contracts (GIC). It further decided to allow Principal Global Advisors to issue a GIC for a portion of the Town's fixed-income portfolio.

• Approved 11/15/22 minutes (unanimous)
• Approved rewriting pension investment policy to allow purchase of GICs (unanimous)
• Approved allowing Principal to issue a GIC for a portion of the fixed-income portfolio (unanimous)

Town Council

The Town Council accepted Coddington Way and an extension of Vanderbilt Lane as public roads. The board also approved several liquor and victualler licenses for Thriving Tree Coffee House and appointed new members to town commissions. Additionally, the council scheduled public hearings for zoning, noise variance, and tobacco amendments.

• Approved Class BV Alcoholic Beverage, Victualler, and Holiday licenses for Sunset Cove Inc. d/b/a Thriving Tree Coffee House (7-0)
• Accepted Coddington Way as a public road (7-0)
• Accepted extension of Vanderbilt Lane as a public road (7-0)
• Approved public hearings for Jan 9, 2023, regarding zoning amendments, a sound variance at 111 Old Mill Lane, and tobacco product regulations (7-0)
• Appointed Joshua Parks to Harbor Commission, Stephen Dunn to Melville Park Committee, and Irene St. Germain to Prudence Island Planning Commission (7-0)
• Reappointed Richard D’Addario as Municipal Court Judge with an annual salary of $9,000 (7-0)
• Awarded on-call Miscellaneous Construction & Roadway Repairs to East Coast Landscaping & Construction (7-0)
• Approved $7,500 match for FY22 FEMA BRIC grant application for Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (7-0)

Town Council

The Town Council held a swearing-in ceremony for council and school committee members. The council elected a President and Vice President to lead the body.

• Elected Kevin M. Aguiar as Town Council President (7-0)
• Elected Leonard B. Katzman as Town Council Vice President

Pension Advisory Committee Formerly Pension Investment Committee

The committee received a presentation from Principal Global Advisors regarding the Fiscal Year 2023 Quarter 1 Investment Advisory Report. Members discussed asset mix and interest rate strategies. No formal votes were taken during the meeting.

Town Council

The Town Council set the 2023 transfer station sticker fee at $250.00. The Board of License Commissioners approved numerous annual liquor and victualler license renewals. The council also processed several board appointments and removals.

• Approved 2023 transfer station sticker fee of $250.00 (6-0)
• Approved annual liquor license renewals for Class A, BH/BT, BV, BV Ancillary, BVL, D, and J (6-0, one recusal)
• Approved annual Sunday sales license renewals (6-0)
• Approved annual victualler license renewals with extended hours (6-0)
• Approved annual victualler license renewal for Portsmouth Portuguese American Citizens Club (5-0)
• Approved public hearing for beverage license transfer to Sunset Cove Inc. (6-0)
• Appointed Thomas Grieb to Pension Investment (6-0)
• Reappointed John Borden to Zoning Board of Review (6-0)

Planning Board

The board approved a comprehensive preliminary plan for a low-to-moderate income housing development and new Senior Center at 110 Bristol Ferry Road. The board also issued favorable advisory opinions to the Town Council regarding road acceptance and zoning amendments for the Aquidneck Country Club.

• Approved Comprehensive Preliminary Plan for 54-unit senior housing at 110 Bristol Ferry Road (Unanimous)
• Waived 5% development bond for Church Community Housing Corporation project (Unanimous)
• Issued favorable advisory opinion to Town Council to accept Coddington Way as a public road and release $400,000 bond (Unanimous)
• Issued favorable advisory opinion to Town Council to expand zoning jurisdiction to include Aquidneck Country Club properties (Unanimous)
• Approved Modification 7 to reconfigure three single-family units into two at Newport Beach Club, AP 17, Lot 9 (Unanimous)
• Approved October 26, 2022 special meeting minutes (Unanimous)
• Accepted November 9, 2022 Monthly Project Status Report (Unanimous)

Planning Board

The board issued an advisory opinion to the Town Council to accept the Vanderbilt Avenue Extension and release a road bond. A Technical Review Committee was established to evaluate a 60-unit housing and senior center project. A request to expand the Planned Resort Ordinance jurisdiction was continued to November 9.

• Approved advisory opinion to Town Council to accept Vanderbilt Avenue Extension and release $1,259,260.00 road bond conditioned on a $62,963.00 maintenance bond
• Approved October 12, 2022 meeting minutes
• Tabled request to expand Planned Resort Ordinance jurisdiction to include Aquidneck Country Club properties until November 9
• Approved establishment of a Technical Review Committee to review Church Community Housing Corporation's comprehensive permit application for 60 dwelling units and a senior center

Town Council

The Town Council voted 6-1 to enter negotiations to extend the Transfer Station contract for two years, with Councilor Abbott dissenting. The council also approved a consent agenda including bills and a CRMC permit modification for boat launch repairs, and unanimously approved a proclamation for National Veterans Small Business Week. A request to reject bids and cancel the RFP for the Mill Creek Culvert replacement was approved 7-0.

• Approved entering negotiations to extend Transfer Station contract for 2 years (6-1, Abbott dissenting)
• Approved consent agenda including bills and CRMC permit modification for boat launch repairs (7-0)
• Approved proclamation declaring Oct 31–Nov 4, 2022 National Veterans Small Business Week (7-0)
• Approved proposed FY 2023-24 Budget Time Line (7-0)
• Approved rejecting bids and canceling RFP for Mill Creek Culvert replacement (7-0)
• Approved monthly finance report to be received and placed on file (7-0)
• Approved tax voucher #20221024-01 (7-0)
• Approved minutes of 9/10/22 and 10/11/22 (7-0)