New Shoreham meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

New Shoreham agendas list police contract, zoning hearings and stormwater bid — but no minutes yet

New Shoreham boards posted agendas for four meetings over the past two weeks, but no minutes or vote tallies have been published for any of them. That means the record available this week shows what was scheduled for action, not what was actually decided. The most consequential items on the posted agendas were a police union contract, two zoning public hearings, a stormwater design contract award and a request to the General Assembly on sewer penalties.

Council: police contract and two zoning hearings

The Town Council agenda for Monday, October 5, 2026 lists a contract with the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, Local 720, for approval. The agenda notes that negotiations may be discussed in closed session under Rhode Island General Laws 42-46-5(a)(2).

The same agenda schedules two public hearings on zoning changes: amendments for Adaptive Reuse (Article 1 Section 114; Article 3 Sections 306-313, 319, 322; Article 5 Sections 502, 520; Appendix B), and an amendment to Zoning Appendix B covering Use Categories Allowed by Zoning District.

The agenda lists the meeting for 6:30 p.m. in the schedule line and 6:45 p.m. in the summary text, at Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road. No minutes have been posted to confirm what the council did on any of these items.

Stormwater design bid and sewer penalties

Also on the October 5 agenda: awarding a bid for design engineering and permitting for West Beach Road green infrastructure stormwater retrofits under the Municipal Resilience Program Grant. No dollar figure for the bid appears in the posted summary.

The council was also set to consider a resolution asking the General Assembly to amend Sewer District enabling legislation to increase penalties for rules violations. The agenda's correspondence list includes zoning violation notices to John R. and Kelly A. Leone at Plat 9, Lot 64, 995 Mohegan Trail, over parking and vehicle rental/storage.

Interstate Navigation talks

A separate council meeting was posted for 12:30 p.m. on October 5 with representatives from Interstate Navigation. The agenda lists two discussion items covering tourism-related issues, scheduling, July 4th planning, infrastructure and a visitor center. The summary states that no ordinances, contracts, fee changes or public hearings appear on that agenda — the items are discussions only.

Planning Board: cannabis, manufactured homes, shoreline permits

The Planning Board posted agendas for October 13 and October 14 with the same substantive items. Both list recommendations on Zoning Ordinance amendments regarding Manufactured Homes and Cannabis Establishments, plus advisory opinions on three special use permit applications:

• shoreline erosion alterations at 22 Spring Street
• razing and rebuilding an accessory structure and adding a pool at 867 West Side Road
• a structure addition in the Coastal Zone at 1199 Coast Guard Road

Because the two postings carry the same items, it is not clear from the agendas alone whether the board met twice or whether one notice was re-posted. No minutes are available for either date.

Comprehensive Plan update

A second October 13 Planning Board agenda lists a review of the status of the Comprehensive Plan project provided by Weston & Sampson. Listed discussion items include the Community Survey summary, final comments on the Community Profile and Existing Conditions Report, a summary of the first Community Open House/Workshop, and planning for a second Open House.

What the record does not show

Every meeting in this period is listed as agenda only, with minutes not yet published. No vote tallies, contract values, bid amounts or final outcomes appear in the supplied material. Nothing here establishes that any listed item was approved, rejected, tabled or withdrawn.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days in the supplied schedule. Residents should check the town's official posting site for the Town Council and Planning Board agendas, and for minutes of the October 5, 13 and 14 meetings once published.

New Shoreham boards weigh restaurant license, road work, new home

No decisions have been published from the three New Shoreham meetings held between July 27 and Aug. 3; minutes are not yet available. The most consequential item on those agendas was a $289,500 road improvement bid before the Town Council.

Town Council

At its Aug. 3 meeting, the Town Council had on its agenda a $289,500 bid award for 2027 Roadway Improvements from Grace's Cove to Ocean State Sitework & Hauling, LLC. The council also was set to hold a public hearing on a new outdoor entertainment license for OneBI Steak & Oyster at 212 Water Street, discuss a 99-year lease with Block Island Post No. 36 American Legion, and consider amendments to the Zoning Ordinance on Development Plan Review, Special Use Permits, and Performance Standards. The council also held a closed session to discuss the Town Manager's job performance, citing Rhode Island General Laws 42-46-1(a)(1). No votes or outcomes were reported.

License Commission

On July 29, the Board of License Commissioners held a show cause hearing for TMG BI Operating LLC, doing business as OneBI Steak & Oyster at 212 Water Street. The business is accused of allowing outdoor entertainment or sound amplification outside permitted hours of Monday through Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. The board was to consider revoking, canceling, suspending the license, or imposing fines. No outcome was reported.

Historic District Commission

The Historic District Commission met July 27 to review two applications: a new single-family dwelling by Casa Ladera, LLC on Old Town Road (Plat 6, Lot 2-3), and a screening fence for a dumpster by the Town of New Shoreham and BIMI at 119 Ocean Ave (Plat 5, Lot 64-2). The commission also was to approve minutes from three prior meetings. Public comment was limited to exterior design and site issues.

Coming up

The Police Advisory Commission will meet Aug. 13 to elect officers, review minutes from Jan. 12, 2026, discuss community feedback, and receive an update from Police Chief Paul Deane. The meeting is open to the public and will set the next meeting date.

New Shoreham agendas: $289,500 Grace's Cove contract, zoning amendments, and license hearings on the docket

The New Shoreham Town Council has scheduled votes and public hearings on items ranging from a $289,500 roadway-improvement contract to zoning-ordinance amendments and several license requests. However, minutes have not yet been published for any of the recent meetings listed below, so outcomes — including whether votes passed — are not yet confirmed in the public record.

Town Council — July 7, 2026

The council's July 7 agenda included a public hearing on General Ordinances Chapter 8, Article II, sections 8-18 and 8-21, covering amusement license conditions and restrictions.

Other items on the agenda:

• A proposed $10,000 allocation for the Block Island Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogen Surveillance Pilot Program.
• Award of on-call engineering services to four firms: James J. Geremia & Associates, Inc.; VHB, Inc.; Foth Infrastructure & Environmental, LLC; and GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
• A special temporary permit request for habitation trailers at 777 Mitchell Lane and 967 West Beach Road.
• A mobile food establishment permit for Payne's Killer Donuts at Plat 5, Lot 104, Ocean Avenue.

Minutes for this meeting have not been published, so it is not yet confirmed which items were approved, continued, or tabled.

Town Council — July 15, 2026

The July 15 agenda listed a vote on a $289,500 contract award to Ocean State Sitework & Hauling, LLC for 2027 Grace's Cove roadway improvements. Whether the council approved the award is not confirmed without published minutes.

The agenda also included:

• A closed-session discussion on collective-bargaining negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 720.
• A public hearing on an outdoor entertainment license for TMG BI Operating, LLC, d/b/a OneBI Steak & Oyster, at 212 Water Street.
• A proposed zoning-ordinance amendment adding "Game Rooms" to the Old Harbor Commercial Zone.
• A proposed amendment to General Ordinance Chapter 8, Article X, covering Special Events.

Zoning Board of Review — hearing set for July 22

The Zoning Board of Review has scheduled a public hearing for July 22, 2026, at Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road, Block Island. The agenda lists two public-hearing items:

• Christopher J. Gorayeb — Special Use Permit for a secondary dwelling.
• The Family Trust of Demos — Variance for a home addition.

The agenda also includes approval of previous meeting minutes.

What this means for residents

The Grace's Cove roadway-improvement contract, if approved, would commit $289,500 to road work planned for 2027. The zoning amendments — including the proposed addition of "Game Rooms" to the Old Harbor Commercial Zone and changes to amusement-license rules — could affect what activities are permitted and where. License requests for outdoor entertainment and mobile food sales, if granted, would allow specific businesses to operate under stated conditions. Residents who want to weigh in on the Zoning Board's July 22 hearing can attend at Town Hall.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days. The Zoning Board of Review public hearing scheduled for July 22, 2026, at Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road, was noted in the July 14 agenda posting and may be the next opportunity for public participation. Residents should confirm with the town clerk whether additional meetings are added.