Town Council Meets Twice Tonight

The Barrington Town Council holds two meetings back to back tonight in the Council Chamber in Town Hall.

A 6 pm meeting will deal with two pieces of RI legislation:

• a new bill that proposes to create an East Bay Energy Consortium as a part of the RI Economic Development Corporation, not as a separate entity as was previously proposed and rejected in the State House;
• a bill that would update the enabling legislation that formed the Bristol County Water Authority.

The meeting will end with an executive session on the adverse possession litigation involving High Street and the collective bargaining agreement with Barrington’s firefighters union.

A 7 pm meeting that follows the executive session will deal with the following agenda items:

• A proposed ordinance that will prohibit tennis instructors from using public courts for lessons will get a public hearing.

• An ordinance that will change the salaries and compensation for 33 non-union positions in Barrington, including department heads such as the police chief, fire chief, public works director, finance director, town clerk and library director, will be introduced.

• A proposal that would eliminate the use of synthetic chemicals on Barrington playing fields with organic fertilizers, dubbed the BEST program (Barrington Environmentally Safe Turf) will be presented.

• An application from the school department to the RI Department of Education for $2.4 million in of health and safety improvements to the schools.

• Acceptance of the street, Walker Farm Lane, that serves the affordable housing development off of County Road that is being develloped by West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, will be recommended.

• An announcement on the state’s new recycling program, which allows the mixing of all recyclables in the same containers.