PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council Monday night awarded a $1.83 million contract to low bidder PJ Keating Company of Fairhaven, Mass. to carry out road improvements to Narragansett Avenue on Prudence Island.

Prudence residents have been complaining for years about the condition of Narragansett Avenue, which runs north to south along the island’s east side. The 2.6-mile road hasn’t seen any major improvements since 1967.

After the town advertised a request for proposals (RFP), five contractors submitted bids by the July 29 deadline. They ranged from about $2.05 million from Keating, all the way up to $4.67 million from Cardi Corp.

In an effort to further reduce costs, the town’s RFP allowed the bidders to provide “value engineering proposals,” using the existing asphalt and gravel base when performing pavement reclamation. Again, Keating came out as the low bidder, at about $1.83 million.

Brian Woodhead, deputy director of the town’s Department of Public Works, has said he anticipates the job will be done by Nov. 15.

Honor Roll questioned

In other business Monday, the council heard an objection to its previous decision earlier this year to update the criteria to be placed on the Veterans’ Honor Roll, which recognizes the town’s war veterans.

In March, the council approved new qualifications in which a veterans must satisfy the following items:

• Must be a Portsmouth resident who served honorably in the military.

• Must have received an honorable discharge at time of separation.

• Must have been a Portsmouth resident at the time of entry into military service or must have been a resident of the town for at least 10 years. 

David L. Crow, a 54-year resident of Portsmouth and the sergeant at arms for American Legion Post 18, said the council was misled and not given all the facts on the issue before it voted to change the rules. He took particular issue with the third criteria, which he said opens the doors to many veterans who have lived here for a relatively short time.

“You changed something that was not supposed to be changed,” said Mr. Crow, adding that the previous guidelines are the same for many communities across the country. He suggested that anyone who didn’t fit the original criteria should petition their own hometowns.

“They don’t belong on that list,” he said.

Mr. Crow also objected to the idea of installing a video monitor at either the Portsmouth Historical Soccer or the library to list members of the Honor Roll, comparing it to movie credits. “It’s just disgraceful to me,” he said.

Council President Keith Hamilton said the council would look into the matter.

Bag ban proposal

The council took no action on a request by Clean Ocean Access (COA) to ban single-use plastic bags in Portsmouth. 

According to Dave McLaughlin, COA’s executive director, Newport and Middletown have already agreed to adopt a similar ordinance, which would be similar to one implemented in Barrington in 2013.

Council members said they wanted to consult with business owners, such as Clements’ Marketplace, before considering any time of plastic bag ban. The council is expected to revisit the matter sometime in October.

Food truck gets OK

Sitting as the Board of License Commissioners, the council approved a peddler license to Ryan Connors and Max Reeve’s doing business as Red’s, a farm-to-table mobile food truck based out of Cumberland.

Appointments/resignations

The council made a slew of appointments and accepted several resignations Monday night:

• Judith A. Elste, Deare Warren, Brenda Doran and Nancy Hall were reappointed to the Glen Manor House Authority.

• Karen Gleason and Linda A. Nalle were re-appointed to the Juvenile Hearing Board, and John C. Ferreira was appointed as a new member. The council also removed Marsha Auerbach and Elizabeth Jordan from the same panel at the request of the panel’s chairwoman, Ms. Gleason, who said the two women had not been attending the board’s meetings for well over a year and said they could no longer serve.

• Rosemary Davidson was re-appointed to the Glen Park Working Committee.

• Leon Lesinski was re-appointed to the Melville Park Committee.

• David G. Reise was appointed to the Agriculture Committee, while Harry Chase and Martha A. Haynes both resigned from the panel.

• Courtney Ward and Frederick J. Marano were appointed as new members of the Economic Development Committee.

• Sara Churgin and Keith C. Humphreys were appointed to vacancies on the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission. 

• Alan Corcoran resigned from the Solid Waste and Recycling Committee.

• H. Weber Wilson resigned from the Citizens Interested in the Comprehensive Community Planning Process Committee.