But for their incompetence in attending to public health in town, there might be a small public water system in the Commons area, paid for by grant money, to replace the sewage contaminated wells in the area.

But for the leadership’s fear of being surveilled, there could have been a security camera system connected to the police department at the harbor, town beach and other locations in town vulnerable to vandalism. Maybe they would have seen and arrested the persons who stole all the picnic tables at the beach. But this group turned down a $25,000 offer of a grant for the purpose from a private citizen.

But for the mismanagement of the harbor, all docked and moored boats with onboard marine toilets would have been sealed according to DEM regulations and documented with visible decals. Instead, almost no decals are visible and sewage contamination continues in the harbor.

But for the ignorance of the present town leadership, the old restaurant well in the harbor neighborhood would have been cemented in long ago, instead of permitting its use by businesses that spew its sewage contaminated water into the harbor to wash boats and floats.

But for the council’s libertarian attitudes, there might have been regulations on short term rentals in town, so septic systems wouldn’t have been overwhelmed and neighborhoods terrorized by speeders on lanes with endless noisy parties, and the town selling beach passes to these transients that then crowd out use of the beach by legal taxpaying residents.

But for a myopic town council, there could have been a small civic center with a garage for town transport vehicles built on high ground in town to provide shelter in storms, a state of the art auditorium with kitchen, and a spacious meeting place for the town’s seniors, also almost completely paid for by grant money.

It is long overdue for a big change in town leadership!

Mimi Karlsson

Little Compton

Karlsson is a member of the Sakonnet Shore Watch Coalition.