Barrington councilors return to Town Hall as virtual meetings end

Council approves Carmelite deal, begins ‘Diversity’ appointments during in-person meeting

By Joan D. Warren
Posted 7/27/21

For the first time in 16 months, the Barrington Town Council meeting was in held in council chambers at the town hall on Monday, July 26. Seats in the room were filled, mostly with department heads …

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Barrington councilors return to Town Hall as virtual meetings end

Council approves Carmelite deal, begins ‘Diversity’ appointments during in-person meeting

Posted

For the first time in 16 months, the Barrington Town Council meeting was in held in council chambers at the town hall on Monday, July 26. Seats in the room were filled, mostly with department heads and residents interviewing for a seat on the newly formed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEI). The council is not air conditioned and temperatures in the chambers were well over 85 degrees.

The majority of the meeting that lasted until about 9:45 p.m. was dedicated to interviews for the DEI and discussion on how the council would make appointments since five of the 17 applicants were not able to attend the in-person meeting. The council decided to appoint five of those they interviewed and at the next meeting, schedule for Sept. 13, they will interview the remaining applicants. They will not accept new applications for the committee.

The nine full members and two alternates will serve on staggered terms, and the council will appoint the chairperson and vice chairperson in the initial year, with the committee voting on the leadership roles in subsequent years.

The five residents chosen to serve on the DEI are: Braxton Howard Medlin, Liana Maris, Kathleen Brueckner, Steven Felix and Glenmore Wagner.

Councilor Jacob Brier had requested the council discuss and act on a new process for interviewing residents for town boards and commissions, but the motion did not move forward after a short discussion.

Mr. Brier said he is concerned about the subjective nature of the process. Council President Michael Carroll said the process, in his opinion, is acceptable as the council president creates the agenda and sees no issues with the process in place.

Composting program

The council unanimously voted to approve a composting program and allocated about $5,000 to allow for a composting hub on Kent Street, with an exact location to be determined.

Tim Faulkner of the Barrington Farm School told the council the program has been endorsed by the Barrington Conservation Commission, and the Department of Public Works will work to implement and assist in managing the program. Residents will have the opportunity to drop off food scraps at the Kent Street location.

Council President Carroll said the program will save the town money since less garbage will be collected and sent to the state landfill.

Heritage Hall of Fame

The council voted to allocate $3,000 from its contingency fund for a plaque and reception for the 2020 and 2021 inductees to the Barrington Heritage Hall of Fame, a new initiative brought forward by Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha to honor residents, living and deceased, who have played a role in shaping the town. A reception will be held at a date that has yet to be determined.

Parking update

Mr. Cunha provided an update on the parking study being implemented by Barrington Police in the overnight hours. Officers are measuring street widths to determine if parking should be allowed on town streets with certain criteria. Emergency vehicles need 20 feet of roadway to safely maneuver town roadways. Mr. Cunha said parking will be allowed on one side of streets that are 26 feet wide and both sides of streets that are 32 feet wide. The measuring project is about one-third complete and should be wrapped up by the September council meeting, when the manger will share their report.

Monastery purchase approved

The council voted to allow the town manger to proceed with the purchase agreement for the Carmelite Monastery property on Watson Avenue. Mr. Cunha explained that the town has been granted an extension until Aug. 15 to conduct environmental studies on the property and to ensure that the town has performed complete due diligence before moving forward with the purchase of the property. Financial Town Meeting voters approved the $3.5 million purchase by one vote last month.

Livestreaming future meetings

Councilor Brier asked the manager how future meetings would be held and if livestreaming and hybrid models would be an option. Mr. Cunha said livestreaming equipment has been ordered but may not be installed by the next council meeting in September.

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