Charter Review Commission Elects Former Town Councilor as Chairman

The Barrington Charter Review Commission took its first official action Monday night, Sept. 16, and elected former town councilor Jeffrey Brenner as its chairman.

Eleven of the 12 members of the commission met in the Council Chamber in Town Hall for about an hour. The board will meet again in two weeks.

The vote for Brenner was unanimous. He is one of four charter commission members who served on the 2003 board that reviewed the Town Charter. It must be done every 10 years. 

The meeting was primarily a getting-to-know-you session. Each member introduced themselves and provided a bit of a profile as well as previous experiences they have had serving on other Barrington boards or commissions.

The commission did not take a vote but did agree to circulate a letter to members of every other board or commission in Barrington introducing its charge as an advisory board to the Town Council and seeking comments from interested citizens and other volunteers. 

The commission is seeking suggestions and comments either in writing or at one of its public meetings.

Meetings will be held once a month on Monday evenings until the end of this year. In January, the commission is expected to pick up the pace and meet twice a month.

Brenner will report back to the Town Council on its progress “when there is something to report,” he said. He also will serve as the commission’s public spokesman, the commission agreed. 

Besides Brenner, members of the Charter Review Commission include in alphabetical order: Patricia F. Adams, Anthony V. Arico, John D. Cregan, Meredith DeSisto, Paul C. Dulchinos, Mary Alyce Gasbarro, Joel Hellmann, James A. Jackson, Allan C. Klepper, Timothy R. Sweetser, and Joan D. Warren. DeSisto is the Town Clerk and a non-voting member.

The charge of the commission will be to review the existing Town Charter and come up with recommendations – if any – to amend it. Those recommendations will go to the Town Council, which will make decisions on which proposals should be put before voters in the form of a referendum at the 2014 election after holding a public hearing on the recommendations.