The town has dilapidated basketball courts all over the place that we haven’t taken care of.”

Daniela Abbott, Portsmouth Town Council

PORTSMOUTH — Saying the existing outdoor basketball courts around town are in poor shape, a local nonprofit has proposed building new ones at the Seveney Field Complex at town-owned Glen Farm.

Jeff Swider of Portsmouth Youth Basketball (PYB) came before the Town Council Monday night to present a plan in which the group would fund-raise to construct and maintain three to five courts on the special events field just north of Linden Lane and the Leonard Brown House. 

“There are a few dilapidated courts throughout the town that are really not suitable for our children. It really came clear during COVID that basketball outdoors was a really tough thing to come by,” Mr. Swider said.

The outdoor basketball courts at Portsmouth High School are not available for renovation as they’re being reserved for additional parking, he said. The group decided against using the courts at the former Elmhurst School so as not to disrupt the neighborhood, Mr. Swider added.

The proposed site at Glen Farm is ideal because that part of the field is pitched quite sharply and is not as utilized as the rest of the area, he said. According to plans presented to the council, the job would require paving about 36,000 square feet.

PYB would develop the site work plans, receive multiple bids for each phase of the court construction, develop fund-raising strategies for families and corporate donors, seek grants, and develop guidelines for the use and sharing of the courts with the Portsmouth Recreation Department, which would be a partner in the project.

“Portsmouth Youth Basketball would like to arrange for clinics there, but our biggest goal is to make the courts available for pickup basketball for the kids in town,” Mr. Swider said. “We realize there’s a lot of work to be done, but we’re looking for the Town Council’s approval to move forward.

The proposal had a big fan in council member Daniela Abbott, who said it was “shameful” and “ridiculous” there were no suitable outdoor basketball courts in Portsmouth.

“The town has dilapidated basketball courts all over the place that we haven’t taken care of,” said Ms. Abbott, who suggested the town — not PYB — pay for any necessary engineering studies for the project. 

“I’m hoping this will help motivate us as a town in improving our recreational facilities across the board, because it’s not just basketball; it’s a lot of other things,” she said.

That is precisely why the town should be wary of locking itself into any specific recreational project at this time, said Council Vice President Linda Ujifusa. The town is in the process of reviewing its open space master plan, so things could change, she said. Ms. Ujifusa agreed to support the proposal, so long as PYB was aware of that.

The council voted unanimously to approve Mr. Swider’s request to work with town staff on an engineering study and memorandum of understanding that will come back to the council for review.

Automated speed enforcement

In other business Monday night, the council voted 6-1 to begin the process of getting an automated speed-enforcement system installed on West Main Road in front of Melville Elementary School. These systems, which are in heavy use in Providence, take photographs of vehicles that exceed the speed limit, with the registered owners sent tickets through the mail.

“Speeding through the Melville School zone is abysmal on a good day,” said council member Andrew Kelly, who put the item on the agenda. “Although police are constantly there doing traffic enforcement, they can only pull over one person at a time.”

The council previously discussed the matter at its Feb. 8 meeting, when Sen. Jim Seveney (D-Dist. 11-Bristol, Portsmouth, Tiverton) sought support of his bill authorizing automated speed camera-enforcement systems in not only school zones but on all state and local roads in Rhode Island. The council voted 4-3 against the idea, and Sen. Seveney vowed to pull the bill.

Since Mr. Kelly’s proposal targeted only one specific school zone, however, the idea received more support on Monday. 

Police Chief Brian Peters said he favored the automated system. “From what I’ve seen in the studies in the different applications across the country, I have seen that the speed limits decrease in those zones,” he said.

To get the ball rolling, the town would need to send a formal request letter to the state, and State Police and the R.I. Department of Transportation would have to approve the proposal, Chief Peters said.

Not everyone was on board with the idea, however. Larry Fitzmorris of Portsmouth Concerned Citizens reiterated his objections from Feb. 8: He was opposed to any government surveillance and the use of facial recognition technology.

Council member Keith Hamilton said he didn’t like the idea of “faceless machines giving out tickets.” Although there was a speeding problem at Melville School, Mr. Hamilton said he’d support local police giving out more tickets, “rather than R2-D2 sitting by the road.” Chief Peters, answering a question from Mr. Hamilton, estimated it would cost another $20,000 to $30,000 for additional traffic patrols at the site.

Mr. Hamilton ended up voting to start the process, however. The only council member who opposed the motion was Ms. Abbott, who had criticized automated speeding systems at the Feb. 8 meeting. 

At that meeting, Ms. Abbot said she once lived in a community that used traffic cameras to catch speeders, but they were considered somewhat of a “joke.” Not only were they ineffective — drivers would slow down when approaching the cameras and then speed back up again — they added to visual pollution, she said.

Bills get support

The council passed two resolutions in support of proposed state legislation having to do with the environment. Mr. Kelly placed both matters on the agenda for consideration.

The first resolution, passed unanimously, was in support of a House bill, H-5113, that would create a refundable 50-cent deposit for miniature alcoholic beverage containers, often referred to as "nips,” in hopes of reducing littering.

The second resolution, passed 6-1, supported the 2021 Act On Climate bill (S-0078 and H-5445), which calls for faster emission reductions, consistent with climate science recommendations: 45 percent cut by 2030; 80 percent cut by 2040; and net zero emissions by 2050. The measure also calls for more accountability and transparency, and addresses job creation and transition.

Mr. Hamilton voted against the resolution because no associated costs were included.

Meals on Wheels

The council proclaimed March 2021 as the 19th annual March for Meals Month, honoring Meals on Wheels programs that deliver “vital and critical services by donating, volunteering and raising awareness about senior hunger and isolation.”

The agency’s nutrition programs have served Rhode Island communities for 52 years. Meals on Wheels served 2,748 homebound Rhode Islanders and delivered 336,678 home-delivered meals in 2020.

Mr. Aguiar, who along with Mr. Hamilton was invited to deliver a meal to a Portsmouth resident this Friday, March 12, urged “every citizen to take this month to honor our Meals on Wheels programs, the seniors they serve and the volunteers who care for them.” 

Kathleen Pavlakis honored

The council unanimously approved a proclamation of appreciation in recognition of Kathleen Pavlakis, who is retiring from the Zoning Board of Review March 14 after more than five years of service.

Appointments

The council unanimously appointed Theodore Pietz to the Economic Development Committee, and re-appointed Norbert J. Rattay and Brad Finnegan to the Tax Assessors Board of Review.

Future meetings

The council will meet on the following dates, all at 7 p.m.:

• Monday, March 22

• Monday, April 12

• Monday, April 26 (budget overview)

• Tuesday, April 27 (budget review)

• Wednesday, April 28 (budget review)

• Thursday, April 29 (budget review if needed)