Questions and Answers…
Last week’s meeting of the Conservation Commission had a very disappointing outcome for those thankful for the Adopt-A-Right of Way program in the Shores. It was learned that the first Volunteer who was approved to care for the Hull Street ROW, has cut down several “new” tree plantings that were done by the Town to enhance and improve it’s landscape, after the former owner of the abutting property to the South had excavated it to look like their driveway.
According to the Chair of the Commission, they have put a hold on all Adoption applications until the program can be reviewed and changes made to the maintenance agreement. Until then, the Town’s DPW department will take over the care of the ROWs, as needed.
The Harbor Commission met and made their final vote on the Budget and Rates they proposed at their last meeting. They also had an interesting discussion during public forum, about making those who are paying a fee for moorings, now being required to put their dinghy on Town boat racks and pay a fee for that as well. Kind of an underhanded way, to squeeze a few more dollars from mooring renters. The issue will be put on a future agenda for discussion.
The week ahead starts with the Board of Canvassers on Tuesday, getting ready for Early Voting at the Town Hall that starts on Wednesday and will continue right up to Election Day.
Affordable Housing meets on Wednesday and will discuss an update to the Comprehensive Plan housing element, and an update to their Housing Action Plan, along with a Public Workshop that will be held at the Rec Center on November 15th starting with some Food and Drink. Sounds like fun.
Planning will meet on Wednesday and discuss Subdivision and Land Development Regulations. They will also cover some Zoning Ordinance amendments and then get back to work with the Comprehensive Plan consultant.
Candidate Question and Answers are now on the Eagle website with photos that you click on to see their answers. There are 14 questions (a lot more than the 7 than they got from the Press with a shorter timeline). When you get to the candidate’s page, just click on the Question to see their answer.
Jamestown Eagle
Watching over Jamestown, Rhode Island's governing.
jamestowneagle.com

Three of the five New candidates were able to make the deadline of noon yesterday and they all are Independents. The two new Democrat candidates, did not make the deadline of yesterday. Both were contacted by email and phone, Monday. Ed Ross had a death in his immediate family and was not confident he would reply, offered to send some info, but did not.
Mary Glackin, decided not to answer the questions, even after the Eagle extended the deadline for several hours. Not sure if the Democrat party suggested they skip over the questions from our readers, but unfortunately, because Early Voting starts on Wednesday, the Eagle could not extend the deadline any longer and be fair to the other candidates who did contribute on time, as requested. Guess they know our hundreds of readers are dedicated, concerned citizens, who pay attention to town Governing and... vote!
Happy Columbus Day!
The Eagle,
Watching over our Town’s Governing.

A long one but… worth it!
Another glitch for the Town meeting delivery but first... the concern last month for the Zoning Board’s meeting not having an official Agenda posted on the Town’s and the Secretary of State’s website, turned out to be an error serious enough to prevent the posting of the meeting video. This week an official notice was received by the Eagle that the meeting will be “done over” on October 22nd do to the error. Tough break for all those involved.
This week’s glitch was purely technical in nature… this time it was the Planning Commission on Wednesday. Unfortunately the main video recording computer failed, which is usually a slight inconvenience because there is an audio backup done by the Planning clerk, and although there is no video the audio portion can be delivered as a video recording from the meeting on-demand system. Well, as you probably have guessed by now... the backup audio also failed and so... we’ll have to wait for the meeting minutes to be posted to find out what happened with the two applications they reviewed.
With the campaign for Town Council heating up, last week the Eagle reported that candidate Mike DiMeglio had been getting accused, through rumors, that his wife had initiated a devious plan to get connected to the Town’s water system when she purchased her home on East Shore Road.

The Eagle reached out to Mrs. DiMeglio for the truth and she agreed to an email interview so there would be chance of her being misquoted. The contents of that email is posted here at the bottom of the update page.
She did say she knew about the rumors after her husband’s mailing went out and there were two negative letters mailed to her. (She sent the Eagle photo’s of both.) One was signed by a women from the water district who happens to be a registered Democrat and who’s husband was a Councilor a few decades ago. She repeated the rumor about them having nefarious intentions from the beginning and gave a condescending lecture about serving the community.
The other letter was not signed... the author took her husband’s letter and wrote over it with... “What gives you the right to tie in when the rest of us can’t” with the word NOPE written across the page.

Sad to see those things but... Mrs. DeMeglio wanted the Eagle readers to know that Mike has received an overwhelming amount of positive emails and calls from supporters, that far outweigh those few discouraging words. She understands that water is a difficult and stressful issue for all Jamestowners and hopes that it can be solved in the near future to bring everyone together.
Yes, and hopefully, the rumors will be put to bed with her interview and we can all move on.

Next, we have another topic from last week’s post that recounted the Eagle’s experience at a dinner party, where he learned that some Water Department customers call those with private wells “Hosers”. Perhaps it’s a little jealousy towards us not having to pay for our water… other than the expensive treating equipment and supplies to keep our well water safe. But that discussion is for another Update.

Anyway, the Eagle received a few counter suggestions from our readers with private wells. Those using town water are “Wasters” one said, because the water used by them does not get returned to the North Island aquifer and is just dumped into the bay.

Another was “Depleters”, identified as someone who actively or passively contributes to the reduction of natural resources. Again saying, “they take from the aquifer and don’t recycle for re-use.”

Yes, those with private wells usually have ISDS systems that returns up to 90% of their water back to the bedrock aquifer. In line with that thinking they also said that they should be honored as “Recyclers” or “Replenishers”. Sounds good to me.

The Eagle suggests that the Town Sewer Treatment plant install a pipeline that will return, to the North Island bedrock aquifer, the 50,000 gallons a day that they take. It would go a long way to make everyone happy, because there would be more recycling and more water to help mitigate the concerns about more users in the future. Perhaps, a water recycle committee should be established to develop the plan?

The week ahead starts with the Town Council on Monday with what looks like a light schedule. There’s no Unfinished Business listed and the only New Business is a request from Council President Beye to have the staff do an impact survey of Short Term Rentals.

Under Communications, Marian Falla sent another article to the Council about what Newport is doing with their Short Rentals that says they are about to Ban them! Wow. Guess they can, since they have hotels etc. Can’t imagine what that would do to Jamestown and the businesses that count on short-term summer visitors. Looks like Shore Term Rentals is another campaign issue of note.

On Tuesday, the Library Board will have their regular monthly meeting and at 6:30 the Conservation Commission will meet and get an update on the Adopt-A-Row program and discuss Mackerel Cove with Beavertail residents. They will also discuss a planting program with the Community Farm that will provide culms that will be used at Mackerel Cove to strength the dunes. Also they will discuss a new pilot program to provide rebates for the purchase of Battery-powered Leaf Blowers.

Their agenda is worth pulling up from the Eagle’s website because it has direct links to several interesting and informative articles on this weeks topics. Kudos to them for the effort.

On Wednesday the Harbor Commission will meet at 5:00 PM with an extensive Harbormaster’s Report before taking on the Budget again for a possible final vote for the 2026 season.
The Eagle’s Meet The “New” Candidates questionnaire is completed and sent out to all five of the new candidates for Town Council. Thanks so much for all your questions we were able to use most all of them. Those we did not might be part of a follow up. Stay tuned.
Since our readers are pretty much aware of the positions and actions of the incumbent Council candidates on the issues covered in the questions, they are getting a pass. For now.
We have given the “new” Council candidates a week to respond and with luck, their responses will be ready for next week’s update… maybe even sooner if they happen to be in before hand.
Mrs. DiMeglio’s interview is below.
The Eagle
Watching over our Town’s governing.
******************************
How did you hear about the property you bought on East Shore Road?

I heard about the property through my parents, who drove by the house on my birthday and called me. They told me that they found a cute little house in Jamestown, and they pictured me there, with my dog, Rocco. I always wanted to live by the water, and I did not need much space. It was small, and sweet, and it was all that my dog and I needed.

How did you purchase the property?

The property was up for sale through an auction, and I bought it at that auction.

What was your intent of the use of the property?

I had just moved back to Rhode Island from North Carolina with my dog, and the intent was for me to live here full time. I never wanted to live in Providence, nor did I have any desire to live in Newport. Jamestown was really the only place that I wanted to be. I have a close friend that I met in college in Roanoke, Virginia, who lives in Jamestown and grew up here. She is also a dog and beach lover, and I was excited to be close to her and to experience Jamestown the same way that she did growing up.

Was this ever intended to be an investment property?

No. I wanted to live here full time. I did not and do not intend to sell.

Do you know why was the house up for auction?

From my understanding, the woman who lived here had passed away and her children lived out of state. They had been renting it out to military families in the past, but with none of them being local, they eventually chose not to continue with ownership of the property. Being out of state, they figured that an auction was the fastest and easiest way to go with the sale of the house, and they were right. Many people bid on the house.

Were you told about any issues with the well?

No, the well was functional at the time I purchased the home and a professional well test was done. Additionally, my neighbors can attest to there being no well issues reported by any renters or the previous owners, over the years.

How would you describe your house?

My house is a 1,600 square foot ranch style home. It is two bedrooms and two bathrooms with a one car garage. I have not expanded the house and I never built up. I stayed within the original footprint of the home during the renovations, which were primarily interior. My house was built in the 1920’s, and it did need work, but I loved the idea of living in a small sweet ranch house. I do not want or need any more room than what I have.

Was your original intent to hook up to municipal water?

No, I was completely fine with being on a well. I remember when I was growing up that my grandparents were on well water in Lincoln, and I had no objections to being in a home with a well. I did put in a small RO system and water treatment (softener) to take care of any hard water, and it was all functioning properly at that time.

Before it failed, did your well ever go dry?

From time to time my well would get low, but it would recover within a day. It was just me and the dog, so it really wasn’t a big deal. From what I knew about wells, that sometimes happened and was to be expected when there was little rain. In the beginning it was no big deal.

So what happened then?

I purchased in 2016, officially moved in at the beginning of 2017, and my now-husband moved in early 2018. We had a baby in July of 2019. It wasn’t until 2020 that we started noticing issues. The two-year-old dishwasher completely eroded, and stopped functioning all together. All of our glass wear pretty much turned to sea glass from washing them with the water, and a horrible smell started coming out of our faucets and shower. My dog and cat began vomiting and were always sick, and when we would drink the water we would get horrible stomach pain. My son’s baby bottles were covered in some thick salty grey-ish film, (I showed the film on my son’s bottles to the Town Council). I became fearful of my baby’s health, and for all of our health. The well was going dry almost daily and would not recover for over a day, sometimes longer. We had well and water experts come in who all determined that my well had failed, and that there was no solution to the quantity or quality issue. If they could fix the quantity issue, they could treat the water and address the quality, but there was no supply to even treat. We obviously stopped drinking the water, but we stayed in the house in 2020. I spent that year exhausting all options to solve the problem before I considered asking the town for help. Unfortunately, I could not just dig a new well, due to the unique characteristics of my property (location of my current well, where my house is on the property, and where my septic system is located). I was stuck without any more options when I finally applied for the extension in 2021.

Who came up with the plan to ask the town to tie-in?

Our experts did. The company that drilled the well, and also Robert Ferrari from Northeast Water Solutions. (Mr. Ferrari is a true expert in all of this). They pointed out to me that the municipal water line and hydrant were just four houses away from me (which I did not notice prior to them pointing it out), and they said with no other options to salvage the well, that their recommendation was to ask the Town to connect. They said that they could not imagine that the Town would deny an extension of the water line, if I was willing to pay for it, if they understood the severity of the issue. Unfortunately, my request for a hook up was denied in June of 2021.

What about putting an above-ground tank on your property?

I called the DOH (Department of Health) to ask about this option. I heard that some people do this out in Beavertail and other remote areas. They told me that they do not make the rules on above-ground tanks for residential homes, but they do govern over commercial situations. They said that for a commercial property, they ONLY allow tanks in an emergency situation and on a short-term basis, because the quality of the water can be unsafe if used long term. They said it is absolutely not considered or meant to be a permanent solution. One of my main focuses was the safety of my son, so I listened to DOH, they were the experts on that, and they explained at length their reasoning for not considering this to be a safe, permanent solution.

What happened that led to litigation with the Town Water Department?

In 2022, a Builder’s law passed that standardized water rights state-wide, including municipalities and special water districts, private water companies, etc. It basically says that if there is absolutely no other option, that the town/municipality/etc. shall grant the application and hook you up to water, at the expense of the resident, not the Town. The benchmarks that have to be met in order for this law to apply to a resident are really severe. Actually, the rules of the state law are even more severe than the ordinance that Jamestown has in place, and as we know, state law trumps local laws and ordinances. My situation fit the high criteria of this law, so I re-applied. I was denied again, and that’s when I was advised to take legal action. After a year and a half, we reached a settlement with the Town.

Where does your husband and now Town Council candidate, fit into the story?

He and I did not know each other at the time that I purchased the home, and he and I were not married when I initially approached the Town and was denied. (We were married September of 2021, here in Jamestown, in our back yard.) Additionally, the route I took to fight for water was my choice. He let me take the lead on it, while he focused on providing for me, and our two kids. He was supportive, patient, and on my team at all times. That’s the kind of person he is. At the end of the day, what we went through has nothing to do with his qualifications to help the Town. Mike is a smart man. His career and background in construction, infrastructure and underground utilities are all assets. Jamestown would benefit greatly having someone with his background on the Town Council. With renovations to the Senior Center on the drawing board, and water/sewer projects ahead, his skill set would help to provide knowledge-based, and constructive solutions to some of these issues. He knows how to get things done efficiently, and cost effectively. I am really proud of him for stepping up to offer his experience and knowledge for the benefit of our community. 

Water, water everywhere and yet... we fail to think!
The past week only had one scheduled meeting, the Zoning Board, and as you’ll remember, last week there was a concern about not seeing the official Agenda posted on the Secretary of State’s website.
Well, the meeting did take place but... the Agenda was not registered with the SOS, so there is a good chance everything that was done will need a “do over”. Out of an abundance of caution, the Town has decided not to post the video recording, which is probably the right thing to do. Stay tuned on that.
By the way, an Agenda not getting posted in time, is very rare, especially for our Town that is number one in transparency. The purpose of having a 48 hour deadline is so, those who may be impacted by an action item, have an opportunity to be informed and attend the meeting to observe and express their concerns and or support. Before the internet, Agenda’s were only posted at the Town Hall and the Police station where concerned citizens had to read... in person. Fortunately, now it’s just a matter of having a connection.
This week the campaign for local office got a bit more active with advertisements in the Press and a direct mailing from independent candidate Mike DiMeglio.

On the rumor side of things, candidate DiMeglio has been questioned about his wife’s purchase of the home on East Shore road, before they even met and what her intentions were for getting a hookup (to the water) not a future husband. HA!
Somehow, those on the Town Water System are telling all sorts of stories about her having devious plans to get connected and put the Town’s supply at risk. Please… the department admitted a few weeks ago that they were prepared to sell 700,000 more gallons of water than they did this year... because of reduced demand. So there’s a water shortage but... they had more water than they could sell. Really?
The Eagle has a link to a detailed report (check it out here) about the true supply of available water that can easily be made use of, in addition to the benefits of recharge that is being wasted by dumping into the bay instead of being returned to the North Island reservoir.

One thing for sure, even if the 18 or so homes on East Shore road who are at risk of losing their drawing capacity due to global warming and/or over pumping by the Town’s wells, if they were connected... ninety percent of whatever the Town sold to them would go back into the aquifer for recharge... because they have ISDS Systems.
About the questions regarding Mrs. DiMeglio’s purchase history and intentions… the Eagle will see about getting those answers directly from her and not the rumor mill. Stay tuned!
It’s unfortunate that an election cycle can bring out the worst in people, even in paradise. But this time around... there are opponents for the Town Council seats, which is and has been for years led by Democrat candidates who were unchallenged.
The water issue apparently is being used to rally up the base in the Village and lots of mean and disappointing comments are being thrown around. Listen to this...
At a dinner party a few days ago, the Eagle swooped in and heard a term being used regarding those of us who get their water from wells… “Hosers”... I guess they see them of drinking out of garden hoses.

Yes, that’s the way some of those on the Water System think and talk about homes that are self-sufficient and get water the old-fashioned way. Unfortunately, the person who used the term and admitted it was derogatory, is also a proud and very vocal Democrat. Sad to hear that type of prejudice talk about fellow Jamestowners, over water or anything else like that. Come on people!
The week ahead has only one meeting scheduled Wednesday from the Planning Commission. They will hear two applications from homes in the High Groundwater District and then continue working with their consultant on the Comprehensive Plan Update.
Oh yes, speaking of ticks (an inside joke), also on Wednesday at 7:00 PM, at the library, there will be a presentation sponsored by the Tick Task force, from a renowned specialist who will bring everyone up to date on the threats.

Finally, this is the last chance to get your questions in that you’d like to have answered by the Town Council candidates. We’ve had some very interesting and thoughtful ones come in so far and look forward getting more suggestions.

The Eagle,

Watching Over our Town’s Governing 

Questions, Questions, Questions…
The past week started with a Town Council Meeting, where they also met as the Water & Sewer Board and learned about the improvements that are in their future including the price tag, from the contracted consultant, Weston & Sampson.
The Planning Commission meeting also received their first presentation by the firm hired to do the Comprehensive Plan update, which is being done under contract for the first time in 27 years. Town Planner, Lisa Bryer, who had been responsible for doing it most of that time, said she was very excited about the change.
What caught the Eagle’s attention is first off, the presenter from the firm said she had grown up in Jamestown, which should be of benefit to some degree and... the second item of note is that the contracting consultant is also Weston & Sampson, the same company hired to do the Water and Sewer improvements. Guess they really know how to win bids. Hmmm.
The Tree Preservation Committee had a meeting that was not listed in last week’s Update because they filed their Agenda on Monday. They did have the tree on the Steamboat Right of Way listed to discuss but there is no word yet about what was, if anything, done. The Eagle is sure, interested neighbors would have attended if the Agenda had been posted just one day earlier. We’ll see if any of the Committee members can fill us in.
The week ahead has only one meeting posted so far and that is the Zoning Board for Tuesday, however they must post it on the State Website 48 hours before and it looks like that has not been done, which could mean that the meeting can not take place because any and all decisions and discussions would not be valid. We’ll see.
Finally… Questions, Questions, Questions…
For the coming elections of the Town Council, which has three independent challengers this time around, the Eagle will be developing a list of questions for the candidates, to give our readers an opportunity to compare positions on Town issues.
So, to all our Update readers, the Eagle invites you to submit questions you would like to have asked.
Just respond to this email. The questionnaire to candidates will include those most requested.
The goal is to have the response from all candidates posted on the Eagle by the end of October. Thanks.
The Eagle
Watching over our Town’s Governing.

Singing a different tune…
Last week the Conservation Commission had an unusual and unexpected experience, to say the least. It started with their Agenda listing an Open Forum, request to address them, from a well know chorus director B.J. Whithouse, regarding Adoption of the Steamboat Street Right of Way, in the Shores.
To those who live around the ROW and remembered... B.J.’s efforts to support a former abutter with stopping the removal of a tree in the ROW that was found to be failing by the Town’s Tree Warden and a danger to Public Safety... they questioned what the underlying purpose of B.J. wanting to becoming the care taker, for the benefit of their use, when they said he did not “give a darn” back then.
So, the group showed up at the Conservation Commission meeting, not only to object to it being adopted by B.J. but also to present a unified stand as a neighborhood group of surrounding property owners, that is willing to Adopt the Steamboat Right of Way, rather than have a single person, with questionable motives, who lives a half mile away, caring for it.
The Commission had a lot more than they bargained for. Instead of one potential adopting party they now have two. Both were given the direction to submit a formal application to be considered at a future meeting. Stay tuned.
Oh Yes… The abutter that B.J. was helping, apparently was only interested in maintaining the value of his property long enough to get to the Spring Selling Season because... they quietly put it on the market and left town. They put the Town’s Tree Committee, Town Council and Steamboat ROW neighbors through months of distress and disruption to make a few extra bucks. Sad.
Later in the week the Harbor Commission met and along with their regular Agenda tasks, they passed a new budget for next year that will raise all fees for boat owners by 5%. The member who worked on the numbers said she wanted more but the Administrator reminded her that the Council had only increased their budget by 4% so she agreed to split the difference. Now is that’s a way to determine a rate? There’s still time for fee payers to put in their two cents, so to speak, since the budget needs to be approved by the Town Council. Good luck.
The Council will meet on Monday (No, the Harbor Budget request in not on this Agenda). They will be starting off as the Water and Sewer Commission and review a proposal for the Water Treatment Plant operations, and $525,000 of improvements to the Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Later on they will discuss amendments to the Parking ordinance, regarding trailers being used while repairs are being made to homes, that came from a home owner’s request for a permit extension to continue using their camper, at the Council’s last meeting.
There are not any items being covered under Unfinished Business or New Business on the Council’s Agenda but... there is another Executive Session for the Performance Review of the Town Administrator, with a section indicating that the Council may return to Open Session to review terms and conditions of employment and voted upon by them. We’ll see what happens.
The rest of the week will have a meeting by the Affordable Housing Committee, where they will discuss funding for 2026, among other things.
Planning Commission members will have a kick-off meeting with the consultants that were hired to update the Comprehensive Plan.
Remember to check out detailed Agendas and videos of meetings at https://jamestowneagle.com/
Jamestown Eagle
Watching over Jamestown, Rhode Island's governing.
jamestowneagle.com

Town Administrator got his… Review!
Last week’s Update had a headline that left out the work “...Review” and led some to believe, it was a bad thing. Sorry about that.
The Town Council has regular Reviews for those they are responsible for hiring directly and there was no indication that this one was nothing more than that. Done in Executive Session, there is no way to know what, if any, outcome there was. Unless they choose to disclose what took place at a later date. Stay tuned.
At Tuesday’s meeting the Council approved items to be applied for with the Community Development Block Grant, that if approved by the State would provide $1,125,000 of help with projects that are on the wish list. They also gave the approval for the Bike and Pedestrian Path master plan as a guide for what to do next, when the opportunity and funds are available.
A new Short Term Rental violation was brought to the attention of the Council that indicated a type of stealth approach, to check up on those who have received a permit, but are advertising and booking more rooms than are approved.
Apparently, we have a method of checking the internet for advertisements, to do that. Wow. Actual Big Brother oversight is being done by our little island community.
At open Forum, a citizen asked the Council to disclose if the money we are charging for permits is covering the cost of managing the program. Her question was not answered, that night. Maybe at the next meeting.
Fort Getty had a few interesting items... the first, was approving a “water garden” area required for the Conanicut Island Sailing Foundation’s facility expansion project. The Town Administrator gave a heads up to everyone, that although all the building costs were being paid for by CISF, the cost of extending water to the building... is on our Water Department’s dime.
Well, the good news is… they will become a new customer, and as we heard from the Water Budget presentation last month, they had plenty of supply but were short on water sales... by 400,000 gallons.
The second Fort Getty item was a proposal by the Recreation Department of a revenue source to allow Jamestowners to store their boats, over the winter, that could produce $15,000 a year.
The Council approved it but... they have a long way to go in recovering the $50,000 of lost revenue they created by thinning out the number of seasonal rental camp sites... for aesthetic reasons. Kudos to Director DeFalco for coming up with new ways to improve Recreation revenues, to cover his costs.
The week ahead starts with meetings on Tuesday. The Board of Canvassers will be the “first up” at 7:00 AM. Wow! Oh yes, it is Primary voting day. Next is the Library Board at 5:00 PM, finishing with the Conservation Commission at 6:30.
Conservation’s Agendas are always busy (Check it out on the Eagle website) but most interesting this week, is BJ Whitehouse, discussing in Open Forum, Adopting the controversial Steamboat Street, Right of Way. Hmmm.
Since he is a proponent of keeping the failing tree, that the Tree Warden wants removed and has many neighbors nervous about walking under it... hopefully, the Commission will remember his position and be diligent to check out his true motives and commitment to safe access.
The Harbor Commission will be meeting on Wednesday at 5:00 PM and among other things, they will be covering their Budget Proposal and Harbor Rates for next year, which should be a bit of motivation for boaters to attend.
The week ends with a 1:00 PM meeting on Thursday for the Senior Services Committee. They still have a few days to post their Agenda so check the Eagle website on Wednesday.
The Eagle
Watching over our Town’s Governing.