The Department of Public Works handles waste and rubbish collection in Bristol. The department is in charge of collection routes, recycling, and the transfer station (located on Minturn Road).
Fees applicable to special pickup and the transfer station can be found on the Bristol town website. Also on the website are lists of items that can be recycled on blue bin and green bin weeks, as well as a recycling schedule.
The administrative offices of the Bristol Warren regional school district is located across the street from the Bristol Town Common in the former Oliver School building. The offices of Superintendent Melinda Thies and Assistant Superintendent Mario Andrade are located on the first floor of the building.
Departments within the building include human resources, payroll, finance, accounts payable/ receivable, curriculum, reading and people personnel services.
Located in the Coventry Town Hall, the Board of Canvassers is responsible for certifying the results of town elections. Coventry residents can contact the Board to find out about their voter registration status, where to vote, view district boundary maps, and gain more information about their elected officials.
The Department of Parks and Recreation organizes recreation programs for all age groups, including the popular summer playground program for children, sports leagues and classes for various interests including the arts, yoga and aerobics.
The department provides maintenance for municipal parks and buildings, undertakes community construction projects including the popular Greenway.
The Coventry Parks and Recreation Department also manages the Community Recreation Community Center, which provides meeting space for dozens of non-profit and civic organizations. The Flat River Road facility includes baseball and softball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a walking and bike bath, playgrounds and a skate park.
The offices of town treasurer Julie Goucher and deputy treasurer Gary Marshall are located in the Bristol Town Hall on Court Street. The town treasurer's department is responsible for the town finances, records and payment. The treasurer also handles payroll for town employees and is in charge of collecting town taxes.
Louis P. Cirillo has been the Bristol Town Clerk since 2004 and works within the Town Hall.
The Town Clerks Office provides notary seals, however, the office no longer services passport applications. The Town Clerk is also responsible for licensing, vital records, land evidence, parking permits, municipal court, probate court, council meeting information and election information.
The Rhode Island Lottery Commission oversees the state's lottery system. Established in 1974, the commission is the largest voluntary revenue source for the state, providing hundreds of millions in annual revenue that goes into the general fund. In 2008, the commission earned $2.4 billion in sales, generating $355 million for the general fund.
Games offered included instant games, four-digit daily numbers, Wild Money, PowerBall, Mega Millions, Keno and video lottery terminals.
The East Greenwich Police Department consists of 34 sworn officers, 11 police cars and a police boat. It spends much of its resources on traffic enforcement and quality-of-life calls. There are small divisions for both criminal investigations and juvenile offenders. Officers employ the community policing model, using problem-solving and community relationships to help enforce the law and prevent criminal activity.
The shelter and animal control is a branch of the Bristol Police Department run by Animal Control Officers Dyanne Gibree and Jen Federico.
The Bristol shelter is for stray, sick or injured cats, kittens, dogs and puppies only, and is not used for animal drop-off. It is also one of the only no-kill shelters in the area. According to state law, if an animal is picked up by an Animal Control Officer, owners have two days (for cats) or five days (for dogs) to claim their pet and pay the fine before it becomes property of the town and may be available for adoption.
The shelter can hold up to 16 dogs and 40 cats. The fee for adoption is $85 for cats or kittens and $100 for dogs and puppies. Dogs and cats are treated monthly for internal and external parasites and are tested for leukemia, heart worm and Lyme disease. Ninety percent of adopted animals are spayed or neutered; animals adopted from the Bristol shelter that have not been spayed or neutered can receive a $50 rebate if it is done through the RI Community Spay Neuter Program. More information on adoption can be found on the shelter website.
Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter, a nonprofit organization to benefit the shelter, hosts many fundraisers and food drives annually, including a macaroni dinner in November and a Mardi Gras Ball in February. The shelter is continuously looking for volunteers and canned and dry cat, kitten and dog food. Towel and blanket donations are also greatly appreciated.
This town-owned and operated marina is open to the public, though North Kingstown residents get priority for the waiting list. The marina includes 80 moorings and about 125 dock spaces. Other features include a launch dock, picnic area and horseshoes. Call for information on fees for moorings, dock spaces, parking, winter spaces and more. Many options and variations are available.
By land and by sea, the Middletown Fire Department is equipped to put out any fire. What started as a six-man department with a 300-gallon pumper in 1922 today stands at 239 Wyatt Road with a team of 32 full-time firefighters standing by at the ready with an impressive fleet of firefighting and rescue trucks and boats, including three pumpers, one ladder, two rescue vehicles, one special hazards vehicle, one tanker, one brush truck, one rescue boat, two command vehicles and one utility vehicle. In 1922, eight fires were fought. Today, the Fire Department's main lobby boasts a town map covered with hundreds of color-coded pins of every fire fought and major emergency response in the department's history. When they're not protecting Middletown lives and property, the Fire Chief and firefighters are often providing a number of public services to the community, such as fire prevention education visits to schools, fire extinguisher training and site-specific safety training to local businesses, smoke detector and carbon monoxide inspections for the home, some detector installation and battery changes for the disabled, blood pressure screening during normal fire station business hours, and conducting scheduled fire department tours.
Middletown's official record-keeper stores, maintains and provides access to the town's official documents, including the town charter, and oversees the information and general day-to-day business, services and information flow between elected government officials, town employees, committees and commissions and taxpayers.
Public information requests, board and committee applications, marriage licenses, dog licenses, birth and death records, voter information and special event permit applications are among those services overseen by the Middletown Town Clerk.
With three fire stations, 64 professional firefighters and a whole lot of know-how, the North Kingstown Fire Department makes protecting life and property its highest priority. The department has been serving the community since 1917, and became a professional department shortly after the Hurricane of 1938. Headed by Chief Patrick Campion, the department is headquartered at 8150 Post Road next to the police department in the newly-renovated facility. The department's other two stations are located at 1865 Boston Neck Rd. and 6445 Post Rd.
The office of Town Administrator Diane C. Mederos is located in the Town Hall on Court Street. The town administrator is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Town of Bristol.
Diane Mederos has been the Bristol Town Administrator since 2004. Prior to her position as town administrator, she was the first female town clerk elected in Bristol and served for 20 years.