After a year of discussions and revisions, the General Assembly has approved a plan to separate the Quonset Davisville Management Corporation and its current parent agency, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, establishing it as a stand-alone quasi-public agency, renamed the Quonset Development Corporation.
The idea behind the legislation, according to proponents, is to reshape how the QDC operates by “implementing national best practices of rules and regulations.” The new QDC assumes complete control over development at the Quonset Davisville Port and Commerce Park, including the leasing and selling of property – until now the responsibility of the EDC.
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“This legislation … will first of all ensure that there is an entity whose sole focus and total responsibility is park development,” said Sen. James Sheehan, a North Kingstown Democrat and a sponsor of the legislation.
Rep. Ken Carter, a North Kingstown Democrat who sponsored the legislation in the House, describes the QDC as having a singular focus as “an engine of quality job growth.” Carter added that having a separate agency to manage the port and commerce park “eliminates another layer of bureaucracy and will result in much more attention being concentrated on the park’s growth.”
We like the idea of mandating national best practices that include, among other things, strict ethical standards and increased auditing provisions.
Sen. J. Michael Lenihan, an East Greenwich Democrat who co-sponsored the legislation in the Senate, suggests that it is a model for all of the state’s quasi-public agencies to follow.
We hope so.
In general, we would rather see fewer quasi-public agencies than more of them. This one, however, does seem to have the public’s best interests at hand.
Several legislators co-sponsored the legislation. It also had the support of the EDC, the Davisville Management board and officials in North Kingstown.
Much progress has occurred and many jobs have been created at Quonset in recent years – probably more than the general public realizes. Now that the powers that be have what they asked for, we hope to see even bigger and better results.
