Charter Review Commission Filled With Active Barringtonians

Barrington has a Charter Review Commission filled with familiar faces. 

The Town Council appointed 12 members to the new ad hoc board at its meeting Tuesday evening, Sept. 3, and then gave the commission its charge. 

All of the members have been very active as volunteers on other boards or commissions or in local political and civic affairs. Each applied to serve on the commission.

In alphabetical order, the members of the Charter Review Commission are: Patricia F. Adams, Anthony V. Arico, Jeffrey S. Brenner, 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 new Town Clerk and was appointed as a nonvoting member.

The charge of the commission will be to review the existing town charter and come up with recommendations – if any – to amend the document that governs Barrington.

Those recommendations will go to the Town Council, which “ultimately will make decisions” on which ones should be put before voters in the form of a referendum, said Town Solicitor Mike Ursillo.

A public hearing also will be held to review the recommendations.

The public also is expected to be part of the charter review process by attending meetings of the commission, which will be governed by the open meeting laws of Rhode Island.

The commission will be asked to prepare a monthly report for the Town Council on progress being made. 

The commission will meet monthly on a day of time to be determined.

“That’s my first responsibility,” said DeSisto.

August 1 next year is the deadline to make recommendations to the Town Council, she said. That date gives Barrington just enough time to get referendums on the November election ballot.

Under terms of the town charter, a commission must be formed and meet every 10 years to review the document.