PORTSMOUTH — It will take you longer to read this article than to view the video of the Town Council’s most recent meeting.

On Thursday night, Aug. 10, the council called a special meeting to vote on just two items, and members wrapped up their business in only three minutes.

Actually, it was over in two minutes and 57 seconds, to be precise. And that included the emergency evacuation plan, the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silence for military personnel serving in harm’s way, instructions on public comment, and a roll call before the business portion of the meeting.

The reason for the special meeting? As is usually the case when this happens, a local business scheduled an event but neglected to secure the required licenses at the previous regularly scheduled council meeting. 

In this case, Safe Harbor New England Boatworks needed an entertainment license for a New England clambake dinner it’s hosting today (Friday, Aug. 11), during Safe Harbor Race Weekend at Safe Harbor Marina on Lagoon Road.

Although the council normally holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays of the month, it hadn’t previously met since July 10, which may explain why the license hadn’t already been requested. The July 24 meeting was canceled because there is typically less business for the council to conduct over the summer. 

So, the council helped Safe Harbor out by meeting on Thursday. Present were four members: President Kevin Aguiar, Vice President Len Katzman, Daniela Abbott and David Gleason — just enough for a quorum.

Sitting as the Board of License Commissioners, the council unanimously approved an entertainment license to Safe Harbor, as well as peddler licenses to two mobile food establishments that will be present at the event: Aquidneck Island Oyster Company of Wakefield, and Tony Lugo, doing business as Matilda LLC of Cranston.

“Thank you all for stopping in tonight,” Aguiar said after the meeting adjourned. “This means a lot to our business down there at New England Boatworks.”

No representatives from Safe Harbor or the mobile food vendors were present at Thursday’s meeting. The only residents in attendance were Portsmouth Concerned Citizens President Larry Fitzmorris, and Tom Grieb, who are both regulars at council meetings.

On tap for next meeting

Due to Victory Day being celebrated in Rhode Island on Monday, the council will conduct its next regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 15.

The council is scheduled to discuss and/or act upon the following items, among other matters:

• potential solutions for various problems occurring at local waterfront properties. Council member David Gleason requested a discussion on the matter. Local residents have made recent complaints about littering, parking, and other issues near local beaches and public rights of ways.

• a request by Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr. to release of up to $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that had previously been prioritized for broadband in Portsmouth. The funds would be used to secure the services of Mission Broadband in a proposed consortium with Newport and Middletown, Rainer said.

• an amendment to a power purchase agreement (PPA) between the Town of Portsmouth and WED Portsmouth One, LLC, which operates the wind turbine at the high school. The town first entered into an agreement with WED in November 2014. The amendment does two things, according to backup material on the agenda: First, it modifies the PPA with regard to pricing by substituting the “net metering credit rate” for the “retail rate.” Second, it modifies the PPA by deleting the potential pricing adjustment.

• a resolution to continue the town’s participation in the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank’s Community Septic System Loan Program in order to help local property owners who are required to repair or place failing septic systems and cesspools. The town has participated in the program since 2019. Continued participation would include the request for a non-restoring line of credit of $2 million to be allocated.

• a discussion on the need to continue annual council meetings on Prudence Island.