Minutes

Semi-Monthly Meeting — Full Council — Tuesday, August 25, 2026; 6:00 p.m.
Administration Building, Conference Room A, One Capitol Hill, Providence, RI

 

In accordance with notice to members of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, a meeting was held on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. located at the Administration Building, Conference Room A, One Capitol Hill, Providence, RI.

Members Present
Raymond Coia, Chair
Steven Izzi, Vice Chair
Ronald Gagnon, DEM
Carder Starr
W. Michael Sullivan
Richard Bernardo
Scott Rabideau

Staff Present
Jeffrey M. Willis, Executive Director
Laura Miguel, Deputy Director
Leah Feldman
Anthony DeSisto, Legal Counsel
Laura Dwyer, Education/Information Coor -- remote
Ryan Moore, IT
Lisa Turner, Recording Secretary

 

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Coia called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

2. Review/Action of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting, July 14, 2026

Council Discussion and Motion:

• Motion:  Dr. Sullivan motioned to defer the 07-14-2026 meeting minutes to the meeting of 09-08-2026.
• Seconded: Mr. Rabideau
• Motion carried on unanimous voice vote.

3. Subcommittee Reports

Mr. Willis reported that the ROW Subcommittee met prior to the Semimonthly Meeting and that Leah Feldman, Coastal Policy Analyst with CRMC, gave a presentation on Rights of Way Management and Public Access highlighting the proposed ROWs, Spring Avenue Extension and Buttonwoods as well as the status of other potential Rights-of-Way.

Dr. Sullivan asked if the Council members could assist staff in ROW matters.

Mr. Willis stated that if Legal Counsel and the Chairman agreed, staff would welcome members help with research.

4. Staff Reports

Mr. Willis reported to the Council the following:

Army Corps of Engineers and the dredging the Providence River Shipping Channel – CRMC continues to coordinate with ACOE on items such as the process for the management of contaminated dredge material as well as the significant amount of quahogs that act as feeders for the rest of the bay which will need to be relocated. CRMC, ACOE and RIDEM meet to develop a program for that purpose.

Partnering with URI on a Research Project for Recreational Fishing activies in federal waters as there is a clear gap of data that would show what impacts might be on the recreational fishing industry from renewable energy and offshore wind projects.

CRMC Online and Internal Permit Database project which is a requirement from NOAA. CRMC has been working with OMB and Legislative staff to help procure the funding we need for the upgrad

5. CRMC Subcommittees – for action
     
Mr. Willis gave a short description of each Subcommittee and their responsibilities stating that there were 5 standing subcommittees with only two meeting regularly.

• Planning and Procedures Subcommittee and Rights of Way Subcommittee meet regularly.
• Shoreline Change (Beach) SAMP Subcommittee, Urban Ports & Harbors Subcommittee and Ocean SAMP Subcommittee meet when the need arises.
  

Chair Coia stated that he as chair and Stephen Izzi as Vice Chair serve as Ex Officio members of each Subcommittee.

Chair Coia stated that the Planning and Procedures Subcommittee consists of he as Chair, Stephen Izzy as Vice Chair, and Ron Gagnon.  Chair Coia asked if any other members were interested in being on that subcommittee.  Mr. Rabideau stated he was very interested.

Chair Coia stated that the Rights of Way Subcommittee consisted of he as Chair, Stephen Izzy as Vice Chair, and that Richard Bernardo and Carder Starr had indicated that they would like to be a ROW Subcommittee Members.

Chair Coia reiterated that the other Subcommittee would meet when the need arose and asked if anyone was interested in sitting.

Dr. Sullivan volunteered for the Ocean SAMP Subcommittee along with Mr. Rabideau.

Mr. Rabideau and Mr. Bernardo volunteered for the Shoreline Change (Beach) SAMP.

Mr. Starr volunteered for the Urban Ports and Harbors Subcommittee.

Leah Feldman, CRMC Coastal Policy Analyst, gave “A Presentation to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council on the work and changes to the CRMC’s Public Access Program during 2025-2026, as well as plans for the future of the program.” (Presentation attached).

Ms. Feldman stated that CRMC continues to review and manage CRMC designated public ROWs as well as the ROW database and that an annual report of CRMC activities is distributed as well as posted on the CRMC website. Part of the program requires coordination with municipalities and property owners on access and maintenance of the ROWs, as well as ROW review by the Rights of Way Subcommittee which allows for public engagement.

Ms. Feldman stated that two specific ROWs are being reviewed by the Subcommittee, the Spring Avenue Extension located in Westerly and the potential Buttonwoods ROW located in the City of Warwick. 

Ms. Feldman explained another key aspect of the ROW program which is the online ROW database which provides a map of ROWs that is available to the public through an ArcGIS platform that can bring people to these rights ways as well as provide detailed information about the specific ROW.

Ms. Feldman talked about the CRMC Public Access Program and key aspects of that program.
Adopt-an-Access Program is currently being revamped after 15 years.  The program allows for communities or individual stewardship for the ROW to help CRMC keep public access accessible for all; example:  improvement of public signage around public access points.

Ms. Feldman explained the statutory tools affecting shoreline access and parking:

• NOAA’s 309 Program for a public access strategy.
• The state legislation that clarified public access by defining public rights to lateral access in 2023 and that CRMC has worked towards implementing that change in a very transparent and accessible way across our municipalities.
• CRMC is working to provide imagery and signage to help people understand this access change more directly and openly.
• The 2025 parking legislation established additional planning requirements for parking near CRMC rights-of-ways, and municipalities must now consider accessibility impacts and provide public comment opportunities before parking reductions or restrictions.
• Working with state partners to help ensure that access is happening unilaterally with other efforts that are happening throughout the state.
• Rhode Island Sea Grant is one of our main champions in helping us provide public access walks that are available to the public that bring people to rights-of-ways throughout the state and other access points in order to ensure that people see on the ground where these rights-of-ways are, how they can access them, what kinds of resources are available around the rights of ways.
• Rhode Island Sea Grant also provides mapping opportunities through ShorelineRI.com which exists in partnership with our ArcGIS map that shows where ROWs are throughout the state.
• Save The Bay implemented a monitoring program utilizing volunteers to collect data at the various ROWs throughout the state.  CRMC and Save The Bay are working with municipalities to identify solutions to issues that have been identified.

Ms. Feldman updated that Council regarding the work that was done during the summer with two interns from the state internship program.  The two interns worked on the Adopt and Access Program and the CRMC Beach Vehicle Program.

Ms. Feldman finalized her presentation with a look ahead to the year in front of us, where CRMC Will continue to prepare for more Spring Avenue Extension hearings as well as begin the hearing for the Buttonwoods potential ROW. 
CRMC is advancing potential right-of-way designation research to our legal counsel on the right-of-way subcommittee. We are continuing the monitoring, reporting, maintenance coordination, and signage implementation as well as looking to formalize the Adopt and Access program research that we've undertaken this summer.  CRMC will continue to use our legislative tools and coordinated partnerships to strengthen long-term efforts across the state for public access.

Dr. Sullivan asked Ms. Feldman to provide notice to the Council members for the Public Access walks.

Public Comment:

Richard Langseth provided feedback that the City’s and Town’s Harbor Management Programs were not mentioned as a tool for ROW management.  Ms. Feldman stated that she would notify Theo Koboski, CRMC’s employee who works with the coastal communities regarding the Harbor Management.

7. Report to the Council on CRMC Hearing Officer’s determination on the Motion to Dismiss filed in the Bowen Aquaculture Application (CRMC File # 2020-04-037)

Attorney DeSisto began by stating that the objectors in the Bowen aquaculture matter filed a joint motion to dismiss.

Attorney DeSisto also explained that the Hearing Officers Determination was not a final order in this matter because the motion was denied.  The objectors rights are preserved later in the appeal process.

Attorney DeSisto stated that the Hearing Officer’s determination is on the agenda for the Council to receive it and that the hearing can now move on.

Attorney DeSisto stated that no vote was required.

Dr. Sullivan asked if the Council could motion to accept the determination for the record.

Attorney DeSisto clarified for Mr. Rabideau that the document could not be adjusted if the Council requested and that the document would not become precedent

Motion: Dr Sullivan motioned, for record purposes, for the Council’s receipt of the Hearing Officer’s determination.

Second: Vice Chair Izzy and Mr. Gagnon

Chair Coia did a roll call vote:
Mr. Starr Aye
Mr. Rabideau Aye
Vice Chair Izzi Aye
Mr. Gagnon Aye
Mr. Sullivan Aye
Chair Coia Aye
Mr. Bernardo Aye

Outcome: Motion passed.

9. ADJOURN

A motion to adjourn was made and seconded.

Motion to adjourn approved on a unanimous voice vote. The meeting was adjourned at pm.

 

Minutes respectfully submitted,
Lisa A. Turner, Recording Secretary