As the summer wears on and reports of unacceptable behavior at area beaches are steadily increasing, the Tiverton Town Council is considering the creation of a new ordinance that would impose fines on visitors who ignore town beach rules.

The measure is the result of a recommendation by council president Denise deMedeiros, who along with fellow councilor Jay Edwards, visited Grinnell’s Beach one recent Saturday night after receiving a complaint from a resident who said the situation there was “out of control.”

When they arrived at around 7:30 p.m., deMedeiros said the parking lot was nearly full. She and Edwards observed “kids running everywhere.” People were making no effort to conceal their consumption of alcohol, she said, and individuals were fishing on both sides of the walkway, casting their lines and making it impossible for anyone to enjoy that area if they were there for an evening stroll.

deMedeiros, noting she was involved in the wide-ranging community effort several years ago to upgrade and improve Grinnell’s Beach, said the new walkway installed as part of that project was never intended for fishing.

“It was intended for the citizens of this town on a beautiful Saturday night to walk freely up and down without getting hit by a hook or being run over by fishermen and their children.”

She added that during her and Edwards’ visit, she was particularly concerned that the dinghy dock gate was open, and that area, too, was “full of fishermen” who were fishing on the ledge. Town officials need to figure out a way to limit accessibility to the dock, she said.

“A two-or-three-year-old child came running down to see his father, went through the gate, tripped, and I grabbed him. He would have fallen into the water.”

deMedeiros said Police Chief Patrick Jones and Town Administrator Chris Cotta are on board with creation of the new ordinance which would call for law enforcement personnel to issue a first-time warning to individuals not abiding by the rules, with a fine to be assessed when a second violation occurs.

Referencing challenges at Grinnell’s relating to excessive amounts of litter, deMedeiros said lifeguards have told her they spend the start of each workday picking up beer bottles and an assortment of other items discarded by visitors the previous night.

deMedeiros recommended to the council that signs informing the public of the various beach regulations be posted in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Once the ordinance is drafted, community members will have a chance to review it at a public hearing before final adoption.