Block Island Times

The results were a mixed bag on Tuesday at the R.I. Public Utilities Commission meeting when the Block Island Utility District’s Docket 5192 was taken up at an open meeting. The meeting was, specifically, not a public hearing and no comments from the general public were entertained. Filed on Oct 26, 2021 the docket is […]

The Town Council has been holding hearings on the proposed budget in preparation for the final budget vote at the Financial Town Meeting in May. One department’s budget created more discussion than any other in the meetings on March 28 and 30. The police department saw an increase in its recommended budget of $160,317 over

As the Town Council continues poring over the proposed budget, one new cost the town is potentially facing is a charge for state police coverage. Traditionally, the Rhode Island State Police have sent troopers to the island to augment the local police force during the busy summer months. Town Manager Maryanne Crawford explained to the

The Town Council continued its budget process at a work session with department heads on March 28, hearing from the administration and finance departments, the police department, the fire and rescue and Emergency Management department (Dispatch), Public Works, Harbors Department, building officials, GIS and technology, and boards and commissions. The council also heard from the

I have written two previous letters on enhancements at the medical center in structure and philosophy. The medical center team and I have been discussing ways to communicate changes that are made to facilitate your best healthcare experience. The medical center proudly provided 6,742 patient visits in 2021 which was 14 percent more than our

Kevin Cute of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council met with the Harbors Committee via Zoom to discuss the Harbor Management Plan the town has submitted. He had a few suggestions, mostly related to including references to the ongoing legal matter involving Champlin’s Realty Associates, the former owner of Champlin’s Marina. He said that

Judith Rose appeared before the Zoning Board of Review at its March meeting, seeking a variance for front and rear setbacks for the construction of a home on Sunset Hill Lane off High Street. The zoning ordinances call for a setback of 25 feet on the front, and 40 feet on the back. The problem

The town’s budget work sessions for the next fiscal year that starts on July 1, kicked off on Tuesday night, March 22. The hearings focused on town departments, and other entities that receive some funding from the town, that are related to community support. The items up for discussion were the Medical Center, the Island

To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, Rhode Island Resource Recovery will be hosting a youth art contest open to all Rhode Island students in grades K to 12. Submissions should showcase the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling here in R.I. To help students get their creative juices flowing, below are some suggestions for

After months of preparation involving hanging new transformers and stringing lines, the switch is about to be turned on in the voltage conversion project being undertaken by the Block Island Utility District (doing business as the Block Island Power Company). As of now, the first island-wide outages are scheduled for the weekend of April 9