PORTSMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL NOTES

‘Pigs’ tasked with cleaning gas pipeline into Portsmouth

National Grid to ensure service isn’t interrupted

By Jim McGaw
Posted 4/24/18

PORTSMOUTH — The pig puns were flying Monday night when the Town Council heard plans for the inspection and maintenance of Spectra Energy’s gas transmission pipeline that feeds …

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PORTSMOUTH TOWN COUNCIL NOTES

‘Pigs’ tasked with cleaning gas pipeline into Portsmouth

National Grid to ensure service isn’t interrupted

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — The pig puns were flying Monday night when the Town Council heard plans for the inspection and maintenance of Spectra Energy’s gas transmission pipeline that feeds Aquidneck Island.

Town Administrator Richard Rainer Jr. briefed the council on the project, which will run from late May into early June. 

The operation is known as “pigging” — when a mechanical device known as a pig is used to perform various maintenance and inspection operations. The pig is inserted into a “pig launcher” — or launching station — located in Tiverton. The launching station is then closed and the gas pressure pushes the pig along the pipe until it reaches the receiving station (or “pig catcher”) located on National Grid property on Old Mill Lane.

During the maintenance work, National Grid and its contractors will temporarily locate equipment on its property there to provide a backup gas supply to ensure that natural gas service to the island is not interrupted, Mr. Rainer said. There are approximately 13,000 natural gas customers on the island.

Site work includes the installation of erosion control barriers, interlocked mats to minimize site disturbance, and a temporary fence to prevent the public from accessing the site and to hide the facility from view, the administrator said.

Notification letters were sent to abutters by National Grid, which will host an information session at Town Hall from 5-6 p.m. on Friday, April 27.

Google funds

The council unanimously approved a resolution urging State Attorney General Peter Kilmartin to release nearly $23 million in Google settlement funds for security upgrades in Rhode Island public schools.

The agenda item was requested by council member Elizabeth Pedro, who said Portsmouth’s four schools would gain more than $300,000 to spend on security if the money was released.

The attorney general’s office was given $60 million in 2012 as part of the $230 million Google settlement for law enforcement purposes, according to House Minority Leader Patricia Morgan (R-District 26), who’s also calling for release of the funds.

“Since then, the office has spent nearly two-thirds of the money on purchases that are much less important than our children and teachers’ safety, including high-end tablets and accessories, lapel pins, generator rentals, and a new $15 million ‘customer support center’ in Cranston,” Rep. Morgan stated in a press release this week.

The state budget office estimates that about $23 million from the settlement funds has not been committed to future projects, and Rep. Morgan has proposed giving that money to public schools for security upgrades. Since there are 306 public schools in Rhode Island, each one would receive $75,163 if the funds were divided equally.

License hearing continued

Sitting as the Board of License Commissioners, the council voted unanimously to continue until May 14 a public hearing on Salsas Burrito Grill LLC’s application for a Class BV liquor license

The Mexican restaurant, which recently opened at 108 Chase Road, wants the ability to serve beer and margaritas. 

During the public hearing that began Monday, three residents of Founders Avenue who live near the restaurant objected to the liquor license. One of them said liquor has never been allowed at the site before, and that he was concerned for his kids who ride their bikes nearby.

“This isn’t a bar,” Council President Keith Hamilton assured the residents, noting that the council has the ability to limit the hours for the establishment. He added the liquor license would run only until November at which time the council could revoke the liquor license if any problems developed.

After hearing abutters say there were more residents who wanted to speak on the issue, the council voted to continue the public hearing until the May 14 meeting.

In a separate matter, the board also granted a temporary seasonal expansion to Localz restaurant at 657 Park Ave. The action allows the restaurant to serve alcohol and food in an outside dining area over the summer.

Localz, as well as the previous business on the site, Scampi, were granted similar expansions over the past six years.

Block grants

The council voted 6-1 to apply for funding under the Office of Housing and Community Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program.

Town Planner Gary Crosby outlined projects that could be eligible for funding, including:

• $411,000 for a fire sprinkler system at the Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center, which Mr. Crosby said would allow the second floor of the building to be utilized. Fire Chief Michael Cranson said the town is considered in compliance with fire codes as long as it is working on a plan to address the sprinkler issue.

• $100,000 toward improvements to a cistern on Prudence Island to enhance the water supply for firefighting operations on the island.

• $72,044 for improvements to the Child & Family Services residential treatment home for foster children.

New polo scoreboard

The council voted 6-1 to approve a request by Dan Keating, president of Newport International Polo, to replace the existing scoreboard at Glen Farm with a modern electronic display board, and to reposition it from the west end of the field to the east end.

Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr., who recommended approval of the request, said the new scoreboard would be made available to the town’s Recreation Department for town-sponsored movie nights.

Turbine meeting rescheduled

Mr. Rainer announced that a meeting between abutters and the owner of the wind turbine has again been rescheduled. Mark DePasquale of Green Development LLC is now scheduled to meet with residents from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, in the Town Council chambers at Town Hall.

This is the second time a meeting between Mr. DePasquale and abutters who have raised concerns over noise and shadow flicker produced by the turbine has been rescheduled.

Resignations/appointments

The Harbor Commission’s membership got shuffled around Monday night. 

First, the council accepted with regret the resignation of Bradford Coyle from the panel.

The council also removed another member, Frank Wyatt, on the request of Harbor Commission Chairman Tom Grieb. 

Mr. Grieb said Mr. Wyatt notified him two years ago that he had to quit the board due to a family obligation, but his letter of resignation was either not submitted or lost, so he remained on the roster as a member. Mr. Grieb added his contact information for Mr. Wyatt was no longer valid, so the chairman had been unable to reach him.

Finally, the council appointed T. Brendan Donahue to the Harbor Commission for a four-year term.

There is now one vacancy on the board.

Proclamations

The council approved an Arbor Day proclamation and announced that Hathaway School would plant a tulip tree — donated by National Grid —  in memory of Edward Borden on Friday, April 27. The ceremony begins at 2:15 p.m.

The council also proclaimed May as Mental Health Month in Portsmouth, to coincide with National Mental Health Month.

Portsmouth Town Council, National Grid, Newport International Polo, Portsmouth wind turbine, Arbor Day

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.