Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey has issued a new executive order that will end the mask mandate in municipal buildings in Barrington. The order goes into effect this Saturday, Feb. 26.

The executive order also permits — effective Feb. 18 — meetings of town public bodies to be held in-person only or remote-only, taking advantage of flexibility granted under Executive Order 22-20 issued by Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee.

The town manager’s action on masking in municipal buildings does not apply to Barrington schools, stated a press release from the manager’s office. 

Mr. Hervey said that when the statewide school mask mandate is no longer in effect, state law vests the school committee with the power and duty to address the health and wellness of students and employees. 

“Neither the town council nor the town manager has the legal authority to enact a mask mandate for Barrington Public Schools or prevent the school committee from doing so,” he said.

The town manager’s executive order provides the option to require a face mask or face covering, regardless of a person’s vaccination status, to be worn by occupants within certain spaces or for programs within a municipal building in cases where social distancing cannot be adequately maintained. Still exempted from any masking requirements are children under two (2) years of age and persons with physical or developmental disabilities that prevent wearing of face coverings.

“There are certain situations where a mask must be worn to protect the public and town employees,” Mr. Hervey said. “A program at the senior center, for example, may attract a large crowd relative to the size of the space. Rather than turn people away or cancel the program, the town would have the option to require the wearing of masks.”

The order provides the town’s public bodies more options to meet. 

Previously, the governor’s executive order had permitted either remote-only meetings or “hybrid” meetings where a meeting could be held in-person provided that alternative means of access (Zoom, for example) were available. Now a town public body can hold a public meeting that is 100 percent in-person, 100 percent remote, or a hybrid of the two. The remote-only meeting option is also available.

Spaces available for hybrid meetings are limited in Barrington, such that most public meetings have been held on Zoom in recent months. Now boards and commissions have more meeting rooms available to them since they can meet in person without also providing the remote option. 

“The Town is working on upgrading technology in the council chamber to allow for hybrid meetings, but this option is not yet available,” Mr. Hervey said.

The manager’s executive order will remain in effect until terminated or superseded by a subsequent order.