EAST PROVIDENCE  — The following are the state and local referenda items included on the November 8 General Election ballot:

Statewide

Question 1: University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus - $100,000,000
For repairs and to construct new facilities on the University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus in support of the educational and research needs for the marine disciplines.

Explanation: These bonds would provide funds to the State of Rhode Island to pay for higher education-related construction projects.

Approval of these bonds would provide one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) to design and construct new facilities at the University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus. This project would support educational and research needs in ocean engineering, oceanography, and other marine-related disciplines.

Project timetable: University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus construction is expected to be completed and the project ready for use by September 2026.
Useful life: The University of Rhode Island estimates that the useful life of the Narragansett Bay Campus improvements will be approximately 50 years.

Principal, projected interest, total cost: $100,000,000; $60,483,750; $160,483,750

Question 2: Rhode Island School Buildings - $250,000,000

To provide funding for the construction, renovation, and rehabilitation of the state’s public schools.

Explanation: Rhode Island school building bonds will be used to improve Pre-K through grade 12 public school facilities and equip them for 21st century learning. Every school district will be eligible to receive direct funding for school construction projects. Funding may be used to address immediate health and safety concerns, early childhood education, career and technical education, and other educational needs including but not limited to science labs, libraries and modern learning technology.

Project timetable: Bond proceeds will be made available to school districts beginning in 2023, and districts must break ground on their projects within five years of being approved for funding.

Useful life: While each project and facility will differ, the Rhode Island Department of Education’s expectation is that buildings will remain in service for up to 50 years, and projects must be designed to ensure bonds will be paid off prior to the end of the useful life of funded improvements.

Principal, projected interest, total cost: $250,000,000; $151,214,500; $401,214,500

Question 3: green economy bonds - $50,000,000
For environmental and recreational purposes, to be allocated as follows:
a. Municipal Resiliency - $16,000,000
b. Small Business Energy Loan Program - $5,000,000
c. Narragansett Bay and Watershed Restoration - $3,000,000
d. Forest Restoration - $3,000,000
e. Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development - $4,000,000
f. State Land Acquisition Program - $3,000,000
g. Local Land Acquisition Matching Grant Program - $2,000,000
h. Local Recreation Development Matching Grant Program - $2,000,000
i. Roger Williams Park and Zoo - $12,000,000

Explanation: Green economy bonds would be issued to allow the State to invest in improving the environment and public recreation facilities. The $50,000,000 will be allocated as outlined below to improve municipal resiliency, provide loans to small businesses for renewable energy projects, improve water quality in Narragansett Bay and the state’s watersheds, improve the health of forests on state properties, remediate contaminated brownfield sites, protect open space, support local recreation projects, and for new facilities at Roger Williams Park and Zoo.

Specifically, approval of this question will provide:
a. $16,000,000 for up to 75 percent matching grants to help cities and towns improve the resiliency of infrastructure, vulnerable coastal habitats, and restore rivers and stream floodplains. These grants will help cities and towns to identify top hazards and strengthen public safety in the face of increased flooding and more frequent and intense storm events.
b. $5,000,000 for Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank to provide small businesses with zero interest and below market rate loans and grants to help implement clean energy projects.
c. $3,000,000 for matching grants to complete projects that restore and protect the water quality, aquatic habitats and the environmental sustainability of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island’s watersheds. Eligible projects will further efforts to clean water for drinking, shellfishing, recreation, commerce and other uses.
d. $3,000,000 for projects related to the maintenance of forests, wildlife habitat, and related infrastructure on state properties, such as state management areas. Projects may include removal of dead and/or dying trees; tree planting; invasives removal and other forest health and wildlife habitat activities; and the repair and maintenance of fire roads, trails, and bridges to improve and maintain recreational public access and mitigate the risk of wildfire.
Project timetable: The state anticipates most projects will be completed within five years of their commencement.
Useful life: The useful life of projects varies depending on the project, but most projects will have a useful life of 25 to 50 years. The useful life of open space conserved is permanent.

City

Question 4: Martin Middle School & Waddington Elementary School bonds & notes not to exceed $148,000,000 for construction, renovation and improvements of school facilities (Resolution of the City Council adopted May 17, 2022)
Shall an acted passed at the 2022 session of the R.I. General Assembly entitled: “an act authorizing the city of east providence to finance the construction, renovation, improvement, alteration, repair furnishing and equipping of schools and school facilities in the city by the issuance of not more than $148,000,000 bonds, notes and/or other evidences of indebtedness therefor, subject to approval of state housing aid at a reimbursement rate or state share ratio of not less than 48.5% for expenditures eligible for state aid and provided that the authorization shall be reduced by any grant received from the school building authority capital fund” be approved?

Explanation: Approval of this question will authorize the City of East Providence to issue not more than $148,000,000 in bonds, notes and other evidences of indebtedness to finance the construction, renovation, improvement, alteration, repair, furnishing and equipping of schools and school facilities, particularly Martin Middle School and Waddington Elementary School, with the condition that the City receive as state school aid for at least 48.5% of eligible expenditures.

Question 5: Rhode Island Cannabis Act- Local Licensing (Resolution of the City Council adopted July 19, 2022) “Shall new cannabis related licenses for businesses involved in the cultivation, manufacture, laboratory
testing and for the retail sale of adult recreational use cannabis be issued in the City of East Providence?