PRESS RELEASE
Town of Smithfield Delays Mailing of Excise Tax Bills
Motor vehicle taxes held amid state budget uncertainty.

July 20, 2017- The Town of Smithfield will postpone the mailing of motor vehicle tax bills amid uncertainty over the state budget. The proposed state budget contains legislation that will reduce the motor vehicle taxes of Smithfield taxpayers, and the town is taking action to avoid issuing bills that could be rendered incorrect as a resolution to the budget impasse appears to be imminent.

The 2017 real estate and tangible tax bills are scheduled to be mailed on July 28th. The town finance department is preparing to adjust motor vehicle tax bills according to the state budget, which looks to enact a state-wide gradual phase out of the tax. Bills will be adjusted, printed, and mailed to taxpayers as soon as possible following passage of the budget. Town officials expect that this mailing will occur in August, leaving taxpayers more than a month before the end of the first payment period, which is September 30th.

Cyanobacteria Information

Blue-Green Algae Bloom Including High Toxin Levels in Slack Reservoir in Greenville

Providence — The Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Management are advising people to avoid contact with Slack Reservoir in Greenville (spans Smithfield and Johnston town line) due to a blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) bloom in the pond. Blue-green algae can produce toxins, including microcystins, that can harm humans and animals. Very high levels of microcystins were detected in water samples taken from Slack Reservoir this week.

All recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking, should be avoided. People also should not ingest water or eat fish from Slack Reservoir. Pets can also be affected by exposure to the algal toxins and thus owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in the water. The advisory will remain in effect until further notice.

Skin contact with water containing blue-green algae commonly causes irritation of the skin, nose, eyes, and/or throat. Common health effects associated with ingesting water containing algal toxins include stomach ache, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Rarer health effects include dizziness, headache, fever, liver damage, and nervous system damage. Young children and pets are at a particular risk for health effects associated with algal toxins. People who have had contact with these ponds and experience those symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.

If you come into contact with the water, rinse your skin with clean water as soon as possible and, when you get home, take a shower and wash your clothes. Similarly, if your pet comes into contact with the water, immediately wash your pet with clean water. Do not let the animal lick algae off its fur. Call a veterinarian if your animal shows any symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning, including loss of energy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or any unexplained sickness that occurs within a day or so after being in contact with water. People are cautioned that toxins may persist in the water after the blue-green algae bloom is no longer visible.

It is possible that blue-green algae blooms may be affecting other waterbodies in Rhode Island. People are advised to avoid contact with waterbodies that exhibit bright green coloration in the water or at the water surface and/or dense floating algal mats that form on the water’s surface. The water may look like green paint, thick pea soup, or green cottage cheese. To report suspected blue-green algae blooms, contact DEM’s Office of Water Resources at 222-4700 or DEM.OWRCyano@dem.ri.gov and if possible, send a photograph of the reported algae bloom.

Prior to Memorial Day, the Friends of Smithfield Cemeteries, VFW 2929 and the American Legion flagged the 170 veteran cemeteries in town.

If anyone knows of a veteran’s grave in town that does not have an American flag, please contact Bob Buonaccorsi at 349-4074.

We want to be sure all veterans are honored.

The Town of Smithfield is pleased to announce that the new OnBoard Board & Commission Management Solution System is now available on the Town’s website to facilitate public engagement through our vendor, ClerkBase. Boards and Commissions are an important part of the Town’s governance, as they focus on specific areas of interest. OnBoard allows you to see who is currently serving on a Board or Commission, how to contact them, the membership history of that board, and each member’s history on all boards.

The Smithfield Traffic Safety Commission is proud to introduce the new “Traffic Safety Request Form.” The new online form makes the process of identifying traffic problems and recommending solutions to the Smithfield Traffic Safety Commission more efficient. The user friendly form allows a traffic safety request to be added to the Traffic Safety Commission Meeting. Appropriate requests will be added to the agenda for the next scheduled meeting. We look forward to working with the public in an effort to enhance traffic safety. For additional information please contact Sgt. Cory Carpenter at ccarpenter@smithfieldpd.com or 401-231-2500 x132.

Find the form here on the Smithfield Police Department’s website at: smithfieldpd.com/tsc-form/

It is Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s intent to make lane configuration changes to the existing intersection of Route 44 (Putnam Pike) with the Crossings at Smithfield shopping plaza.

The design is optimized to eliminate the potential for high speed collisions due to vehicle backups on the I-295 northbound lane at the Route 44 west, exit 7B. The changes proposed are conceptual at this time and tentatively scheduled for 2019 pending further design and funding.

Town of Smithfield Engineering Division

Join Boy Scout Troop One Georgiaville

Troop One Georgiaville meets every Thursday from 7-8:30 PM at the East Smithfield Neighborhood Center at 7 Esmond Street, Smithfield. Boy Scouting is for boys age 11-17, and is a community-oriented program that instills values such as citizenship, teamwork, honesty, respect, responsibility, and fitness, while being a lot of fun! We want the boys to have a great time, while teaching them something along the way. We also believe that an important part of scouting is giving back to the community, through community service projects and pride in America.

We welcome you to come to a meeting and check it out for yourself. For more information, contact the Troop One at http://1georgiaville.weebly.com/ or call 401-578-5261.

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Boy Scout Troop 1 Greenville Welcomes New Scouts

Troop 1 meets every Wednesday from 7-8:30 PM at the Greenville Baptist Church, 582 Putnam Pike, Greenville. Boy Scouting is for boys age 11-17 and provides a program that focuses on character building, leadership, citizenship, personal fitness and outdoor adventures. Troop 1’s chartering organization is Greenville Baptist Church but scouts are members of all faiths.

We welcome you to come to a meeting, if you are interested in joining our troop. For more information, contact the Troop 1 at http://troop1greenville.com/contact or call (401) 640-9444.

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High Adventure Awaits!

Venturing is a co-ed branch of the Boy Scouts of America, where young men and women plan and participate in exciting outdoor adventures.

Venturing Crew 2000 Smithfield meets at 7 PM on the second and last Monday of each month at the American Legion Post #64, 170 Pleasant View Ave, Smithfield, the same building as the “Little Red Schoolhouse” nursery school. Venturing is for young men and women ages 14 to 20, and is a community-oriented program whose purpose is to provide positive experiences to help young people mature and to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults.

We welcome you to come to a meeting and check it out for yourself. For more information, contact Crew 2000 at ltcroger@cox.net or 401-447-0567.

Has your mailbox been damaged by a Town snow plow?

All reports of mailbox damage should be directed to the Department of Public Works at 401-233-1034 or e-mail at dpw3@smithfieldri.com. The department will dispatch a representative to verify any claims.

Update: Use the DPW’s new online form to report mailbox damage;

Mailboxes damaged by the Town, regardless of type, will be replaced with a standard rural mailbox compliant with US Postal Service (USPS) Standard 7, Mailboxes, City and Rural Curbside. Posts will be either 1-1/2” galvanized, painted black iron or pressure treated 4” x4” wood. Wherever possible, the existing mailbox, if undamaged, will be reused as will the existing post. Installation will be performed by Town employees.

Anyone who wishes to purchase their own replacement and install same shall be reimbursed by the Town for up to $25.00 with valid receipt(s).

Photo courtesy of Earl Snell.

The Town of Smithfield is pleased to announce that Smithfield Town Council meeting videos will now be posted online.  The meetings will be posted on the Town’s Vimeo account at vimeopro.com/smithfieldri/meetings.  Videos will also be linked to individual meeting dates on the meeting agendas page on the town website, smithfieldri.com. For 2016, that page link is smithfieldri.com/2016-meeting-agendas/.

UPDATE: As of 7-1-2016, Planning Board & Zoning Board meeting videos are now posted online as well.

Meeting videos will be posted online as soon as possible after the meeting ends, typically within a day or two.  Users can view the meetings directly online or choose to download them directly in a variety of formats suitable for different devices.