At its meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 13, the Town Council voted to suspend all outdoor entertainment, with the exception of weddings, effective immediately and for the remainder of the season. At the same meeting, Second Warden André Boudreau appealed directly to Gov. Gina Raimondo for help in crowd mitigation.
The vote sparked an immediate backlash on social media, with business owners saying that the vote should have targeted businesses not following the rules, rather than a blanket approach.
The vote on the outdoor entertainment licenses was 3-1, with Councilors Martha Ball, Sven Risom voting in favor, and First Warden Ken Lacoste voting against. Councilor Chris Willi abstained due to the fact that he holds an entertainment license.
The island has seen an increase in crowds this summer, which has been raising the concerns of the health and safety of island residents during the global pandemic. The island has seen fewer than 10 known cases of Covid-19.
Ball broached the subject of suspending licenses.
“I think we should talk about suspending outdoor entertainment licenses for the rest of the summer. We have all seen photos of the boats and the lines. We are in a pandemic. Our numbers
