Introduction
While I have only lived in Smithfield for 18 years, my experience is much more extensive beginning in 1984 as a student at Bryant College. Then continuing after graduation in 1987 as an active alumnus visiting the campus often and then full-time faculty member in 1994. A nice town!
Where are we going? A recent article (Observer, 11/18/21) is one more chapter in an framework of mismatched strategy, "a short-term, capture the flag" mentality and sometimes political integration.
EDC & Lack of Recommendation
In meetings that were held in April and May 2018, there was a discussion about several initiatives that could be implemented to encourage economic development in the Economic Growth Overlay(ECO).
In the April meeting, a discusion began relating to research on a local redevelpment authority. I asked for an opinion from the Solicitor on the intiatives associated with a Redevelopment Agency or tax increment financing.
At the subsequent meeting in May, a memo was sent on behalf of the EDC which said "the EDC’s opinion that the formation of a redevelopment agency is not recommended unless the pending legislation regarding tax increment financing (TIF) is not enacted by the state legislature, then it may need to be reconsidered". Please look at the April meeting minutes to determine if a) that a recommendation was made, b) any vote recorded on this and c) any solicitor advice was sought or provided.
The answer to all those questions is no. Wonder how this all occured? Look at the dialogue in the minutes. Notice the next five meetings were not held.
EDC & Salt Box Property
As a member of the EDC, I attended a meeting in August 2018. Just before people arrived at the meeting, I looked at the agenda. I noticed an agenda item Discuss RFP for former salt barn property Assessor’s Plat 46 Lot 290.
Thinking to myself ... we did not discuss this in the last meeting's agenda. I asked a Town employee, "Why is this on the agenda?". Since the response was not specific I asked, "Who placed this on the agenda?". Again, no definitive response. Another attempt at the question provided no response.
It should be noted that the RFP item was placed as old business on the August 2018 meeting. However, it was never discussed as a new agenda item on the previous meetings.
Several converasations with several members of the Town governance were posed to ask who requested this agenda item. At least seven people that I can remember revealed that they did not initiate that request.
Hmm, to this day, no one has conveyed that they requested agenda item to be added to the agenda. Since the meeting failed to gain a quorum the meeting was cancelled and this conversation was not recorded in the minutes.
The next two meetings (9/11, 9/12) were cancelled with an agenda filed with the RISoS. The September and October meetings were not held with no agendas filed.
The November and December meetings meeting had a posted agenda, but no minutes have been filed with the RISoS.
Interesting? These are examples of what was referenced earlier in the second paragraph.
The EGO Vision and Power of the Salt Box
When I was Chair of the EDC, I compiled a vision for two areas of the EGO. The two largest contiguous EGO properties are a) northeast of Route 116/Route 7 (behind the 280 Washington Highway) and b) southeast of Route 116/Route 7 (the area of the hotel, restaurant and gas station).
Read more about the vision by reading Part II for an extended narrative on this article.
