Town Council - Regular Meeting

live stream? I've been up here with Gary and Paul and everyone. We've had these discussions with these kids before. I've hired five people since I've been here. Six. One we kicked out of the academy. Three have left for other departments.

That's nature of the beast. Thank you.

It says their date of birth. Yes, you are.

It says their date of birth right on here.

It shouldn't. One of them does.

Yeah, I saw that.

Heather, we're running.

I need to work on that a little bit.

So we are live streaming, so we have to talk into our mics. So if you can hear us, if they're watching. Hi, sit right down, Lucas. How are you?

Good.

We're going to start off with Gary Matarones. Then we're going to go to Paul Golombeski. Then we're going to go to Andrew Moore and Victoria. And I'll be the last.

So what makes you want to be a police officer in Little Compton?

What makes me want to be a police officer in Little Compton is the community, please. Yes, that provides character communities. I personally live in a small community itself. So I know that, you know, my own police officers.

And I see work for the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office. It'd be a little problem there was that.

Yes, I work for the County Sheriff's Department from 2020 to 2022. Unfortunately, I got fired in September of 2022. I got married in August of that year. So between August and July, I was doing a lot of overtime, working on a lot of shifts. And I wasn't doing time management well.

Oh, okay.

I was immature at that, doing a lot of things. I was the night shift at the jail. And unfortunately, I was sleeping on the job and missed rounds in the unit. And in a prison setting, you can't be doing that. You have to provide safety for the inmates, the other officers, and yourself. Right. I wrote institutional rules. Okay. I wrote to staff about that, along with all my uh, supervisors, you know, they can see it on camera. I assume responsibility. That was my fault. It was my mistake. I was not prioritizing time. They didn't have any rules going on in my personal life. But I was straightforward and honest with them about that.

Thank you for being forthright with that. The only other thing, uh, So your military contract was scheduled to expire March 2026. Did you go the full term?

Yes. So I'm currently in the service right now. It's a master existential guard.

Okay.

I serve in the infantry, Delta, and Vero role. So my contract with the Marine Corps was from May 2018. to May of 2024, then there's an active reserve upon just two years. But I enlisted in the National Guard in December of 2024.

Okay. And do you think the commute from a cushion is going to be any kind of a problem? No. You can't speed coming to work if you're late, you know. Right. All right, so... You know, a lot of times we hire police officers. We send them through the academy and everything, and then they say they want to stay here, and then they leave for more money. Is that going to happen to you? Are we a stepping stone for you, or are you going to commit to staying in Little Compton?

Yes, sir. I plan on doing my career here in this town.

Okay. Thank you. That's it for me. That's great. Paul?

Hi. What was your rate when When was your job?

Oh, so my unit was at London Air, New Hampshire, Bravo Company.

Do you have a specific designation on what you did, infantry?

Yes, my MOS was 0331, which is machine gunner.

50 gal?

No, so it was a light infantry company, so the most heaviest weapon we had at the time was 240.

Shot a 50, that was a lot of fun. How would you react to an accident scene?

How would I react?

You get a call at the station, there's been an accident on corner XYZ, and you're the first on scene. What are your actions when you get there?

My reaction is calm and collective, trying to be, trying to plan a situation, what's going on, whether it's a car accident, whether it was a vehicle or, something's going on or if a person's hurt, I'm trying to figure out all the details as much as I can so I can respond appropriately.

And then now you find somebody is really hurt. What is your reaction then?

Again, maintain calmness and readiness and call for support.

That's what I was looking for. I'm good. Gary's got a few ahead of me, so I'm all set.

No problem at all. That's why we want to do that, so they get shorter as we go.

Andrew? Mr. Matt, I want to ask you why you want to be a police officer in Little Compton. Why do you want to be a police officer in general?

I've always wanted to be a police officer since I was a child. I've always admired my kind of police officers for some of the investment That made a big impression on me. These men and women were part of our community. They were part of our upbringing. It made a huge difference for me. That's something I wanted to do when I got older.

Did you grow up in a Cushman? No, I grew up in Stoughton. That's a small community too, right?

Back then, yes. I feel like it's not so much anymore. I know. I know.

It's just gotten further and further out from the city.

Nice.

Yeah. Well, I like to hear that because I see, like, community on this sheet. When people talk about you, they say community-minded, and, you know, that's really important in a small town, like, people knowing individual issues or what might be bothering someone. So I think that, you know, I'm glad to have you here, and I hope you keep that mentality going forward as you join the police department. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Hi, thanks for putting yourself forward. A lot of my questions have sort of been answered already here, but how familiar are you with Little Compton? We're kind of like tucked away and we don't have a whole lot going on. So there's not a lot of reason for people to like come here and get to know us. So do you know Little Compton at all?

Unfortunately, I didn't know. Not at all.

Yeah, yeah.

No, I've heard about that. And I got initially interested in law enforcement because of a conversation I had with an officer from Little Compton. I was talking to Officer Joshua Rigo. Really, like, you know, sold the town, like, told me what a great job it is, what a great community it is. I mean, you guys are the reason I started applying on the first place.

So it's your intention to stay in Little Compton?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Paul? Hi.

Hi.

So let's set up a quick little scenario. The station gets a call, and you have to react, and it's a break-in and entry. What do you do when you approach the dwelling?

When I approach the door, I would want to observe the area carefully, try to determine if I or anybody else is in immediate danger. And then after that, enter carefully.

Do anything else you consider doing? I'm looking for an answer.

Give me an answer.

Not off the top of my head.

You go in the house without backup?

You know, it's a good question. No, I was all for that.

I'm good.

Andrew?

So it sounds like you have a party, and it sounds like you're a little familiar with Little Compton.

A little bit, yeah. I've got some like for Little Compton.

What draws you most to Little Compton?

Exciting in it. I can see that just from... You gotta care about your town, you care about your place. So the thing that I think is unfortunately rare in today's world, and it's really special. I think it seems like the department has a good, close relationship with the community as well. Stuff like church fair, church retreat, stuff like that. So getting the opportunity to actually be involved all day, not doing my job so much as just like peer enforcement as search.

Thank you.

I think we're done for here.

Treat that.

Victoria? Thanks.

Hi, thank you for putting yourself forward. So you seem very articulate. And as you said, you like to talk. And I think you're right. That's a hugely important piece of community policing in a little town like this. We are sort of a sleepy place. Not a whole lot of really super exciting things happen. We do have a church fair. It's true. But there's not a lot of excitement that happens. And I wonder, would that be something that you would miss having versus like another community that maybe had a little bit of, you know, bells and whistles going on?

Yeah, that's a good question. One factor here, honestly, is I talked to my girlfriend beforehand and she was like, can you please go somewhere safe? Yeah, yeah. I think, I mean, you know, from one perspective, you can maybe look at it as not as exciting, but like, I don't personally even really see it that way. I mean, it's a problem solving. So all these people with things that are important to them, right? Improving quality of life, serving others, you know, it's a noble calling. That's the case whether you're serving somewhere where there's a lot of crime or somewhere where there's not.

Great answer. Thank you.

Thank you, Aiden. On your background and your references, If we could keep it down in the back, please. Your references point out that you're morally upright, have strong integrity, and you're mature. And the short time you've been here, it looks like you will display those to me. So I'm going to wish you good luck. You've been a little competent. So thanks.

I scored the audience. You kind of like it, don't you? You feel a little jolt.

Good morning. Hi, Keenan.

How are you?

Good. Well, thank you.

Good. I'm going to start off with Councilor Mataranos. Hey, Keenan. How are you?

Doing well, thank you. How about yourself?

Good. So, reading on your education, you said you were studying biology. Mm-hmm. And then... You associate degree in automotive technology.

Yes.

And I see a part-time dispatcher for the town. So was that being a part-time dispatcher a way to become a police officer in Little Compton?

Yes, that was the way that I looked at it was a way to get my foot in the door as well as get to know the team over at the department as well.

And really kind of familiarize myself with operations.

All right, OK so. Have you applied anywhere else for a police officer position in the past, yes, but not with this process. So this is the only application of it right this right. And being a dispatcher in Little Compton, I'm assuming you're going to want to stay in Little Compton as an officer.

I really want to hear it.

Oh, okay.

It's a nice thing. All right.

Thank you. Paul?

Hi. Let's do a little scenario here. Get a call at the station. We have a first vehicle to react. It's a domestic dispute. A lot of yelling and screaming going on when we pull up the house. What are your first actions?

The couple was yelling and screaming at each other. My first reaction reaction would be to go in and make sure the situation is safe and good as it is there. And then at that point, once I've asked for change, there's no, nobody injured. I'll try to separate the two parties or power play parties and back up if there's any available, if there's nobody in town, I'll call them into a derivative and really try to just settle things down before I left the operation and discern what happened. It's pretty good.

And I see your wife's a paralegal.

Yes, she's a paralegal and she also works as a waitress.

Sorry, I didn't catch the second part.

She's a paralegal for a longer amount of Providence, but she also works as a waitress over at the Point Club on Thursdays and Fridays.

I'm good. Andrew? Thank you so much for putting your name forward. How long have you been a dispatcher in town? Since January. Okay. End of January. So not terrible. All right. So you've got a little bit of a flavor for how the department operates. What's your, what draws you most to wanting to continue on and become a police officer with our department?

I like the culture of Little Compton. It feels very close-knit, not only on top of the other department members, but the town itself. Any interactions that we have, whether somebody comes in, whether it's for things like VIN checks or it's nice. Everybody's amicable. It's attractive. Thank you.

Victoria.

Hi, thanks for coming forward. So the small town thing is an appealing factor for you as opposed to being more attracted to a busier community or a more lively city type situation?

Absolutely. For myself personally, I enjoy kind of face-to-face interactions. A massive appeal, again, for me personally, for people who know my name potentially and for myself to get to know the people that live in town.

And so you've been working now since the beginning of the year doing dispatch part-time and you've gotten to know the department. Have you explored beyond that? Have you gotten to know Little Compton beyond that at all? Or do you have familiarity from growing up just over the bridge?

I have a little bit of familiarity. I'm definitely not going to report this to the imagination, but I know like... My in-laws were in town a little while ago. We took them over to the town beach. We were both around the South Shore. My wife and I, we buy our earth, heck, it's greenhouse. So things like that. Like I said, I'm not going to make myself up.

Thank you. Of course.

Thanks. So Kenan, you're Brazilian. I was not going to help you as a police officer.

So Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling-focused martial art. And as a result, it prioritizes control of any potentially violent perpetrators, not only for them, but for myself and anybody else that might be involved in the situation. A big key point of it is position. So I could put myself or them in a position that not only maintains control over them and prevents them from committing any harm to myself or other present parties, but more importantly, to themselves. I know if Teerigan has utilized that for their police department, a massive success.

So your references to your community reputation, a couple is a common thread. It says you're well-suited for law enforcement, a strong candidate for law enforcement career. How do people say that about you?

I would believe that that recommendation comes because of my demeanor. I consider myself to be a pretty visual person. Natural state, I would say it's pretty calm, even under pressure. Inacceptable is a decent word, but not necessarily if I can remain relatable to somebody if they're having a really bad day, which people have bad days. And at that point, it's good to be compassionate and be able to lend your ear and your heart to them if they need it. But also not getting rivaled to escalate the situation into something that it doesn't need to be.

Well, I know Chief Range is impressed with you as a dispatcher here. I'm certainly impressed with talking with you for this short time. And I wish you all the luck here in Little Compton.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming.

Thank you.

Peace. Yeah, I don't see it on.

I don't see it on.

I did.

I was just looking for that.

I think so.

No. It just says .

All right, so we have a couple of minutes before the seven, so you folks can talk loud if you want now.

Yeah, that's for the 4th.

You're going to maintain that look for the entire summer.

And so how are you? I'm good.

All right. It's a formal thing.

Thanks. All right.

Thank you.

You want me to go to you or not? All you want to say? I'm myself. Okay.

Water my garden.

Okay, you know, if you're here, you could do that. That's why it's been creating everybody want your point because I'll be now the NBA.

Yep.

Thank you. I know, if you'd be nine less.

Oh, that's new. I wish I had socks.

Yeah.

We have any announcements? I have two.

Um, my first one is just to recognize, um, for those who don't already haven't already heard that our fire chief Petran recently, uh, marked his 50 years of service. So I just want to congratulate the chief and thank him for that service. It's amazing. And then my other one is quick, just a reminder for folks that we have the LC download, the newsletter that you can sign up to get a weekly email with everything happening in town, all boards and committee openings, meetings, agendas, things like that. You can just go right on the town. Oh, thank you, Jonathan. You're good. Right on the town homepage, scroll to the bottom. You can sign up here, put your information in, and you'll get the next one, or you can click just above it, and it will bring you to the sign-up place and previous issues, so you can see the last two issues. We just sent out the second thing. So it's meant to help people stay connected and know what's going on.

Thank you. Can you click that down to tell me? Yep. All right.

Do we have a motion to approve the minutes? Motion to approve the minutes. written unless anybody want to make comments on second. Thank you.

What would happen.

What's in the place of building and zoning department finance or the tax assessment of the fire department on file is written unless anybody would like to point in for discussion.

All there. All right. Well business. Well cameras discussion and action.

I'm going to make a motion that we table the proposal.

I have a motion to table. Do I have a second?

Second.

We have a second. We are under discussion.

Is there anybody in the audience who wants to table the proposal?

I have a motion to table the proposal. I have a second. We are under discussion. Any discussion from the councillors?

I have a question for Heather. which is, do you have the tally for how many letters we've received? Yes. I know we had at least one, maybe two petitions with signatures, also numbers. Sorry.

I'm expecting it later on.

Came up faster on the agenda than we thought.

You can listen to other people. There was six at this meeting. There was four on the agenda, and then two came in after the agenda that I passed out tonight in opposition. There was six previous opposition and the, oh, here it is. And on the two petitions that were on the previous council meeting, there was 31 signatures total for opposition. There was no one for opposition.

12 total letters opposed and 31 signatures opposed. Thank you.

Any other discussion on the council? Any other discussion? The audience, I have a hand.

It's out of time.

Good evening. My name is Jay Miller. I live on High Meadow Road in Little Compton. And I speak not just for myself, I speak for the 15 households that make up the Saganit Meadows Homeowners Association of which I serve as president. That's a state chartered nonprofit HOA. And every one of the homeowners is with this presentation. I've passed it by them. By the way, you may not know or you may know that Flock initially started selling cameras to HOAs. That was their first business model before they segued into police departments. I also speak to you as a former prosecutor, county attorney, and trial court judge and law professor. The overarching questions that I see for this council are, do the town residents want these cameras? Do the cameras make us safer? and at what cost? And I don't just mean monetary cost. And who are the people behind flock safety and what do we really know about them? I'm gonna just hit briefly, cause this is a short presentation, took me forever to shorten it down to something that you could tolerate. What is short? What is short? Four minutes. Go ahead, Judge. Thank you. The cameras capture images of passing cars and use AI to convert them into searchable data, which is then stored on a massive database owned by Flock Safety. It's then shared under Flock rules with hundreds of thousands of law enforcement agencies. Flock is proud to publicize on their website that the cameras take over 20 billion reads a month. If you calculate the number of people who are drivers in the United States, each of us hypothetically are photographed 83 times a month, block camera. Cameras, however, contrary to what a lot of people leave, do not just capture license plates. On their own website, Flock again describes the cameras as being designed to quote, identify vehicle details such as license plates, make, model, color, and other visible characteristics like bike racks, trailers, or toolboxes. Do you have a soccer mom who has a little thing on her bumper strip that says I'm a soccer mom? Do you have a child who's an A plus student and have a decal? Did you support the Spurs or the Knicks? Which was really a hard one for me because I live in San Antonio, but really wanted the Knicks to win. But the point is that it captures all of this personal information, not just license plates. There are concerns about privacy as all of you well know. Flock stated on their website that quote, our cameras are designed to support both safety and privacy in a way that is transparent and easy to explain. I've done a lot of research on this and the only, it is easy to explain. Flock is a private company. funded by three venture capital firms and does not have a transparent history. That's easy to explain. Yet on the other hand, even though it says in its website that it is equally concerned with privacy, it continues to define itself as a surveillance company. I think anyone who has been in law enforcement, public life or private life understands those are two completely incompatible statements. Regarding the company's view or attitude toward those who question its data privacy practices and very opaque procedures, the CEO of the company, Garrett Langley, who was the founder, said that an individual who mapped out locations of his cameras is involved in terroristic activity. Kind of sounds familiar. Recently, the CEO sent to his customers a message saying, quote, My company and law enforcement agencies are under a coordinated attack. Does that sound familiar to anyone? He also wrote that, quote, the attacks come from the same activist groups who want to defund the police, weaken public safety, and normalize lawlessness. If you're against his cameras, that's who you are? I don't think so. That's not who I am. And that's not who the 15 members of my HOA are by any, any shot. We don't know who's truly watching, who's looking at the database material. The technology is changing so rapidly and Flock is continually entering into new contracts with other companies such as Raven Products that provides comprehensive surveillance coverage. The fall of 2025 last year, Flock partnered with yet another company called Blue Eye that now will promote remote video of their cameras. It's moving fast and we have no safeguards, we have no statutes at state level, certainly not at federal level, and we have nothing locally that will protect the use of this data nor how the camera is used. The real cost to us is the unknown use of the data and the known facts of how it's used now. The real cost is the lack of safeguards to protect our rights. Even when a chief of police in Verona, Wisconsin, requested from FLAC that they not share data from his town, FLAC ignored the request and shared the data. The data, it actually says on their website, can be sold, rented, shared, Essentially, anything Flock wants to do with the data, they can do. Judge, are we getting to the four-minute mark? Am I at the four-minute mark? I have 30 seconds more? All right. So the cost is not the cost of $3,000 a year. It is a subscription service. That's not the cost. The cost is, is that what we want in our town? Is that what we need in our town? Do the residents want that? Is it going to make us safer? You know, we live on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, and that's a bloody good moat to stop bad guys. Just a little joke. Anyway, I think this is a very serious topic, and I, for one, in my HOA, are very strongly against surveillance cameras in Little Compton.

Fantastic.

Thank you. I will be much briefer. My name is Randall Rose. I spoke to you last time. I'm from Rhode Islanders for Personal Privacy, and I'm not a little Compton resident.

Is it Randall?

Randall, yes. I'm going to give you three minutes, a hard three minutes. Much less than that. I just want to say very briefly, I really appreciate the process that the town counselors and the town administrators and employees and the town residents have all done in really considering this issue thoughtfully. I think you've taken a really responsible approach and it should be a model that other places will follow. And I'm glad that the motion was introduced to table this contract with FLOC. Thank you very much.

Anyone else?

Contacts are not.

Hi, my name is V.A. Lopes. I'm actually a Tiverton resident.

That's three minutes then.

It'll be less than that. Ooh, I almost moved here guys. Um, but I, Oh, sorry. Am I close? I have a deep voice. Um, so I, I just wanted to share in our research with Tiverton, we found some challenges with our Tiverton flock contract. And so I know there's a lot of trust in this concept of flock and they're like this, you know, this great company, but if they can't, If they cannot execute a contract about such sensitive and private data correctly, that could potentially be upheld, that's a challenge. We're not in this slippery slope, as I just learned from Randall. We are at the end of the slope and we're ratcheting up. Our Fourth Amendment rights are at risk. It's not whether you're doing something wrong or not, because what you're doing wrong is subjective, right? We have laws, but that can change over time. And over time, that information is gonna sit on those servers. And at any point, they can sell that data. to somebody who is using it for bioinformatics or biometrics. And there's several case studies around this. Pokemon Go, I recommend everybody look that up. I've seen it in healthcare. I'm a healthcare strategist and a global behavioral scientist. So it's just, I appreciate you guys tabling it. I hope it would just die forever, but I just want to keep these things top of mind that this data lives forever and can be tagged. Thank you. Thank you.

I have one comment. Bonnie Finney in the back and then Vin Kennedy with his hand up. I don't have my contacts on so I can't really see too well up there. But I know Bonnie.

Bonnie Finney, 43 Old Main Road. I just want to make some statements. One, flock cameras are creating a database that tracks the movement of all Americans. And this database is accessible to any police department across the country. There's a list, I will be brief. There is a list that the ACLU has put out just things to know. The main feature of flock safety is the ALPR nationwide data sharing program. Police can search based on characteristics beyond a vehicle's license plate. These cameras capture more than just license plates as was explained before when Jay was speaking. Normalizing surveillance technology expands the use of more intrusive surveillance tactics. There are no meaningful constraints on flock safety's ability to change their own privacy policies here in the state of Rhode Island. Data obtained by an ALPR can be stored and shared, and in doing so, allows people to be tracked for as long as the data is retained. It is difficult to get a definitive number of flock safety ALPRs employed in Rhode Island because certain jurisdictions do not disclose the number of cameras they use or own. And lastly, the system can and has been misused. Thank you.

Kennedy, did you have your hand up?

My name is Vincent Kennedy. I'm a resident of Big Drum Road. I have a slightly different perspective. And my point of departure is that I believe that I do not have any reasonable expectation of privacy when I am transiting in public space or road. So for me, this moves the discussion from a constitutional setting to an economic or financial setting. And therefore, to me, that introduces concepts of cost benefit analysis, return on investment and payback or payback periods. Now, from all that I can gather, the economics of license plate readers appear to be very, user case specific. And there were two that I think are particularly relevant in Little Compton. One would be access control, whether that is for instance at the transfer station or the beach. And I think it's possible to think of license plate readers in those applications, simplifying our process, improving compliance or enforcement, and reducing costs. In a law enforcement setting, so far I have been unable to find specific instances of, and so I will characterize the benefits in a law enforcement setting as unspecified and unquantified. And so I struggle with the fact that there does not appear to be well-defined benefits to Little Compton in this application. And so I would ask that the town council defer this decision until there is a robust economic analysis clearly demonstrating benefit. Thank you for your time.

Anyone else like to speak in this room? I'm seeing any we have a motion and second table. All in favor aye any opposed.

But there is but you just just for the record that was taken and say that at a time. They believe means we just took no action. Doesn't mean that the chiefs on a way. Well by option if he wants to bring it back.

Well there want to use on us.

The term at the table comes from Robert tools of order. And that means that the motion is laid on the proposals laid on the table. No action can be if it is to be revived. It would need to start from square one.

business to request from town administrators to purchase a temporary ramp for accessibility to the Pikes Peak. Vanya, our town administrator, I have you written down for this one.

Thank you. Working? All right. So you've had this on your agenda a couple of times, the request from Juanita Goulart to explore the feasibility of being in a handicap accessible ramp, a ramp for people with disabilities to get on to Pikes Peak, particularly when there are major events. Mrs. Goulart and I went over there and scoped things out. And between that and some communications with the state's Department of Transportation, which actually owns the road on both sides of Pikes Peak, I came to the conclusion that we needed both a short-term and a long-term solution. And short-term involved some sort of temporary ramp. I... have heard back from the DOT in the last week, informing me that there are no restrictions on putting a temporary ramp in, which is one that we would put out, fold up when we're done, take it away. So we can do that without any state restriction. To do a permanent ramp, with a curb cut requires a lot more planning and potential expense. So what I am proposing at this juncture is that we potentially purchase A temporary ramp. What Mrs. Goulart has asked for is one that has rails on the sides. In discussing this with the department heads at our meeting on Tuesday, we actually discovered that at least one department head has in his garage a ramp that we could use It does not have rails on the sides, but it's number one, free. Number two, we can use it to sort of test the concept. And also Chief Raines and I went out there and explored how could we specify the parking when they do their restriping and redirection of the parking around the Commons and Pikes Peak so that it would make it possible to have a ramp and at least one, maybe two van accessible parking spots next to that. So what I'm proposing to you is that we test out with our free ramp, thank you, Jonathan, whether that's gonna work and I would request that you further authorize me to purchase a ramp up to a cost of $1,000. um because we may need to have a different kind of ramp we may need to have a ramp we may indeed need to have a ramp with else with handrails on it um but i do not anticipate that the the cost of the temporary solution would go beyond that um and we will fully flush it we will fully test it out before i make any kind of purchase so that's what i'm requesting at this point in time motion to allow the town administrator to keep going forward on the temporary ramp

Or Pikes Peak with a bus not to exceed $1000. Second.

For the discussion. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Not seeing any. Carries unanimously. Thank you, Anya.

Thank you.

Business 3. Merit pay recommendations for department heads for town administrator. Discussion and action. Anya, back to you.

So department heads are eligible for merit pay each year, according to their employment contracts. You have a sheet in front of you that provides my proposal for what you authorize this year. Unfortunately, this was a year in which you, at the beginning of the year, you had no town administrator. And so I'm here dealing with the end of the year. And normally, the way that this process would have worked is that you set out goals for town department heads at the beginning of the year. You would measure their performance against those goals and then decide what amount of merit pay was valid or recommended based on their performance during the year. I am recommending given that most department heads, all except one, the one sitting next to me, had no goals outlined at the beginning of the year that we, and that it's been a tough year for a lot of people, a lot of vacancies and a lot of hard work that we authorize the amount of 5% department heads, exception of chief veteran who is eligible under his contract for a 6% merit pay payout and with the further exception of John McNamee on whom you've already voted for a $5,000 merit pay. You'll see that in the yellow column on the sheet in front of you. You also see the budget for merit pay. We're slightly exceeding that, but John assures me that we can cover that through the contingency fund. and it's not a huge amount of overage. That is my recommendation. My further recommendation, which you probably didn't ask for, but I'm going to give you anyway, is that we, as part of the overall HR revamp, which you're going to talk about in a while, that we look at how we use merit pay and how we structure it so that it can be more meaningful because I don't feel like it's particularly meaningful at this point in time or measurable or objective. And so I'd like to work with the new HR administrator to figure out how could we make this more meaningful? Should we keep it? Should it be just something that's built into people's pay? Or should there be a piece of their pay that is based on performance during the year? And if so, how can we have actual objective measures of how they've done in their job during the year? Because at this point, I don't feel like that's what we have.

Okay, thank you. So let's see if you can stay with me here on this one, make sure I'm traveling. Do I have a motion on the table? So I'm going to make a motion to approve the merit pay. The town administrator has given us a say. That includes John McNamee, which I don't think we voted on. Thank you, Heather. So I'm going to conclude him in that. This is a support council vote on our draft. Are you okay with that? Yes. Am I still good? Yes. Okay. And so I make that motion and I'd like to include in that motion, including that motion to approve Anya Wallach's merit pay at 5%, which is $2,500. Second. No. I'm swimming in the water, I get out of the water? You want me to make a separate vote on that or you want me to wait for another meeting?

Well, I think you have to wait for another meeting because it says merit pay recommendations for department heads from town administrator. Got it. The town administrator is not a department head. It's the town administrator.

So I'll strike my addition to that. I will reaffirm my motion to approve the merit pay that has been given us by the town administrator. For department heads. For department heads. Thank you.

I'll second that amended motion.

And just so everyone knows us, Chief Petren, Chief Raines, Denise Cosgrove, Ted Boddington, Dean Simmons, Heather Cook, Jonathan Gabriel, and John McNamee. I have a motion and a second on the table. Is there any further discussion?

Yeah. So I have to agree with Anya that previously when we gave merit payout at the beginning of the season, we would ask the common head to give, um, goals that they were going to set for themselves. And if they completed all the goals, they got the full merit pay. If they completed two out of four, then they only got half the merit pay. So this is supposed to be an incentive. So I would like Anya to keep working on this. And when she said, That's been objective criteria objective measures I agree with that so she can keep working on that come up with something also talk to the department heads and get an idea what their goals are what their plan is for the departments in the future for this year will give merit pay next year.

Will do thank you Gary. The motion and a second any further discussion.

All there.

I post. Well, thank you. Well, there's a state building will be that one will have a new on record discussion and action. Those come to my attention. And the way to date the inspection has not been completed. The way to safety inspection triggers are you. I will say that we are like 99% ready to do this. Yeah, one second. And it's a good idea. We've covered just about every question I have had to boring and air conditioners.

to water softeners, to gutters. And life safety inspection. And it's my understanding that we haven't had that yet. No, we have had it. Okay, so speak about that, please. We had an inspection. I was called back again, and I was asked if they could go back into the building. And I said, definitely. I met the His name is De Silva there. And he gave me the news of what was needed. And I said, thank you. And I said, what's my next? He said, well, just fill out the paperwork. He said, you're all set, but just follow the paperwork in the portal. I said, okay. I didn't think I needed the paperwork in the portal. right away because we're not changing the use and we're not changing the owner. So I got called yesterday and told that I need to put the paperwork in the portal, so I did that this morning. So why do we have to have another inspection if it was done and the description of what was needed was handed to me at the place?

It's my understanding from Petrin that once that is filed in the portal, that triggers the fire department to go review that and make their recommendation on what to do.

Then why was I contacted? What triggered him to contact me and ask to do an inspection?

I can't answer that. I wasn't involved in any of that. All I was involved... This is... I do think, though, besides all of that, We're at the finish line here, and I don't think two more weeks is gonna kill anything.

I respectfully disagree. I've been through this over and over again. I've had many, many meetings with yourself and Victoria, and I've jumped through hoops to get everything that was needed, including this portal And for the town to do this to the town is disgraceful. I was told, me personally, not someone else, I was told that the inspection was all set. All I had to do is fill out the paperwork on the portal. The paperwork on the portal has been done. Anything else is a intentional delay.

I want to speak to this.

So. I mean I want to discuss the figures of a very want to do that this is a way when this town show. I'm sure that. By the public going there is back and said no you can't use the building and they would all right off the bat. So I mean looks like the solicitor wants to say something.

Yeah, I actually have a question. When the statement is made that there's an application in the portal, was that for a building permit?

It's for fire safety and not a building permit. Okay. The inspection was triggered by myself. I asked the inspector to come over and look at it the first time he looked at it. He said, I have to check on where this building sits in the rules. Then I got a call back from him. He said, what I told you in the beginning is not true. He said, you don't need a complete... Alarm system. I have good news for you. And he told me what was needed. And he said, you're all set. Just do this, this and this and fill out the papers in the portal. That was it. Interesting.

Solicitor, can I just maybe, and Dean is here, but we use a OpenGov program such as I use or the fire department uses for all the residents of the restaurants, businesses, blah, blah, blah. If you, when you need your fire inspection, you have to go on this portal and it's a request process basically. And then they respond back and it's something on OpenGov. I'm not sure if you're familiar with that, but that's the portal that Sal is speaking about.

I'm actually familiar with it because I hadn't. And that was done. As Dean knows, I have trouble accessing the thing. But I was just wondering what the specific request was for OpenGov. That was the purpose of the question. It's been answered. Thank you.

Okay. And as I said, it was done. I was contacted by them to get back into the building to do that inspection.

So I actually have a suggestion for you tonight on this. The item on the agenda is a state building located at 144 Willow Avenue contract, discussion and action. So my recommendation here is based on the conversations that you've had is that the contract be approved and signed subject to the completion of all necessary inspections. So if the inspections have been completed, you can go ahead and sign. If there's something else that needs to be done, it can be done and then it can be signed. And then perhaps Sal can get a Thursday evening off. I'll make that motion.

Seconded. For the discussion.

Yeah, I would just like to say that, first of all, Sal's done a tremendous amount of work. As we know, he's been up here many times filling us in and keeping us up to date. So thank you again, Sal, for all that you've done. It's much appreciated.

So have other people like yourself, Patrick, Gary, Bob Munchen. I mean, it's been an effort for everyone.

And I agree with Councilor Matarones. It's a great deal for the town. And this is really, it's a wonderful thing. So I'm very supportive of it, as you know. I will say that the application through the portal is not just ticking a box because in the sense that whatever results from that inspection will inform what the cost is for whatever fire detection we need to have. So that cost.

That cost was already in the spreadsheet.

So I'm just going to, if I could finish. So yes, and Sal has captured that in there at a low cost because I, as I understand it, they indicated we could get away with just sort of battery operated detectors. So I'm fine with approving this as it was just described pending the results of the inspection. I wonder if we should have something in that motion that says, you know, not to exceed the $10,000, you know,

Understood.

Hardwired system, because that would impact our costs. And I think we need to be sensitive to that and conservative.

I'll amend my motion to include that. I'll second. And I will ask.

Excuse me, what are you amending and saying?

I'm amending that cost does go over the 58,200. Is that what we're talking about?

So if you want to look at the spreadsheet, the three lines in the middle of the orange, that's the all-in estimate that includes the contingency items. The contingency items are the two columns on the right-hand side that may or may not become expenses. We don't know. It has a current cesspools. cesspool might last us many years and be fine and not cost anything sal had it pumped out and inspected and it's operating fine right now but it could happen that we have to put a new septic system in it so same with the well pump we don't know how old the well pump is how long it'll last so we tried to capture those as potential contingency. So that fully loaded number the 106 900 captures the the expected expenses that we would have to do in year one per the contract to get the building up to snuff. Also, the contingency items were they to become necessary. and the five-year rent that we are signing on to when we sign the contract. So that all-in number is 106,900. We broke that down to see what is the year one, because as I said, when we sign the contract, we have one year to complete the the improvements to the building. And so that improvement number is $59,750 with the rent for the first year of $2,000. So in the first year, we'd be spending $61,750. Below that, it itemizes the potential contingency items and the subsequent four years of rent for another $45,150. I think before we vote on it, we should also talk about where the money comes from. And I think that's something we need to consider. We know that we have a limited amount of capital funds. We have competing interest for those funds. We also have some contingency money that we can use potentially, but the capital funds that we have We really, I'm reluctant to commit capital until we see what the prices are for the RFPs when they come back on the road projects. So we have, Anya, you can speak to this maybe. We're waiting on some RFPs to go out for roads.

Yes, and I got some information from Beta yesterday suggesting that the cost of paving the roads that we had talked about in the past is going to far exceed what we have in our capital budget for this year. So we will probably have to scale back the paving. Did a ballpark figure come in? Yes.

What is it?

Do you really want to know?

I do.

800. Sorry. Okay.

So currently we have, after the town financial meeting, $450,000 in our capital fund, plus the 400 plus for Pickleball. Let's not forget about that. And in our contingency, after the town financial meeting, we have $185,000. Currently in our contingency, we have $153,000 in FY26, which we just took out $33,000 for merit pay. and we'll be using also for the overage on the fire department on and other things.

So I just to clarify that most of the merit pay is budgeted come out of the connect and sure so I appreciate.

Talking about finances is important about where they're coming from. So I am asked what the motion says when you're ready. And I will say to sell. I trust that everything you said is true and all those people met you. I have no doubt about that. I would just ask you to appreciate the climate we are in concerning our agenda. And I want to make sure it's correct as we move forward here. So if you can read me back the motion, I would appreciate it.

Motion, I was waiting.

We're going to need a motion to vote on. Did you want to think about it?

Didn't finish it yet.

Okay, go ahead.

Well, You know on the contingency. You've got a $45,000 OK. I don't think that's going to be needed as I said before. He is back when we came up with a $1,000,000 for this building or was it this bill was this building or is $2,000,000, $600,000 was possible for new building over in transfer station is the bomb. And because we had an overrun on the town all made his building pushed outside any boundaries that we could go forward with it. So now we're going to get a building that's going to be much bigger and I do I'll agree if you want to go with the contingency but you see you got a $10,000 five year rent is $10,000. Then down below, you got another 2,000. And then below that, four years, you got 8,000.

So- The below is breaking out. So the top three that you're referencing is the all-in, which was what Sal provided with his spreadsheet. So Sal put the spreadsheet together. I then further broke it down into those categories below to show what would it cost us in our first year? And then what would it, could it potentially cost us in the next four? So we know signing the contract is easy, but what are we signing up for? That's why I broke those sections down below. They're not additional, the breakdown.

What I'm saying is, I don't know how long you're going to push this forward and try to delay it because that seems what's happening. Before the state comes in and say, we've had it, you're not going to get the building, and then we're back to square one. We've got a maintenance department down there that's jammed up. You've got fire engines going out. You got trucks going out of there where the kids are walking back and forth. Pretty soon there's going to be an accident down there. And it's not going to be because of me, because I want to get this building before the state says no more. They're tired of fooling around with the town of Little Compton.

Is there a sense of that, Sal, that the state is saying we're fooling around with this?

No, right now, I have been asked, when are you going to take it? When are you going to take it? And I pushed them off two or three times saying, I needed, I used the excuse, I needed the, you know, it took too long getting the extra six months. So I used that excuse and moving forward with it. But They wanna know that we're going in there. I mean, and they're in, I guess they're in a situation too at DOT. I don't wanna take the chance that DOT changes their mind because if they change a DOT director, don't forget they already put a new guy in there, we could lose the building. And quite frankly, I'd like to get it done. I mean, I've got my own people in the town asking me what, you know, When are we going to move? When are we going to do this? We would like to get it done.

Mr. Solicitor, what we need here is a motion to approve the lease contingent on something.

Correct. I had thought the motion was to approve the lease subject to the necessary fire inspection taking place and further subject to the cost estimate being verified by the portal. And when those contingencies are set, the matter can be signed.

We have a motion and a second already on the table.

You had that portion of the motion without the dollar amounts. First, Gary, second, Andrew, and then Victoria had suggested that it be amended to include a dollar amount. That's what I'm waiting on the latter portion of that.

My suggestion was not to exceed the estimated total that we're looking at today.

not to exceed $106,900.

And 61, so it's the 61, 750 that we're agreeing to for year for year one, that would be number that would be to hold because that's where the fire given the fire department requires a more expensive system, we would be incurring that in year one. So I think we would agree to that first time I'm proposing we agreed that that first year one number not to exceed.

Okay, my men that 106 900 to 61,750 second.

Okay, thank you. And you read the motion that was approved the contract. In sign subject to the inspection being done and not to exceed 61,750 the first by Gary second, the life safety inspection.

I just want to make sure that our motions are correct here today. Can you read it one more time?

Prove the contract and sign subject to the life safety inspection being completed, done, and not to exceed $61,750.

Excuse me. Can I make a suggestion? Life safety inspection being verified because it was done. That's correct, yes.

Being verified?

Yes.

And I think for the record, not to exceed $61,750 in year one, because the overall project is likely going to cost more than that. So I think that's the number we're trying to hold to in this agreement.

Heather, I got to go one more time for you from the beginning.

Not 10. Contract to be approved and signed subject to the life safety inspection being verified and not to exceed $61,750. And Victoria stated for the record that is for year one, that amount $61,750.

Do we need that Victoria said something in the motion?

She said for the record, that means for the record. Sorry, I just meant, I guess I meant to.

Include it in the motion.

Include it in the motion. Okay. Yeah, I meant to include in the motion in year one. Okay, please.

You okay with that, Gary? Yep. I won't let you read, I won't have to read again. It's not for the record, it's in the motion, correct?

Thank you.

We have a motion and a second. All in favor? Any opposed? I'm seeing any, thank you. Thank you. Thank you all. Any discussion and action on appointments for the following positions? The following reaffirming appointment votes are pursuant to the Attorney General's opinion to be discussed in New Business 2. I'm going to make a motion reaffirming the appointment of Harbor Commission members, Fisherman Association, Recreation Boater, and Sakonik Yacht Club President, Representative, three-year-turners, Ian Parenti, Ben Gauthier, Margaret Panning. Do I have a second? Second. Further discussion? All in favor. Thank you. I'm going to make a motion reaffirming the appointment of planning board members for your terms. Some are asking David Sloan and call Freeman to have a second. Second. All in favor. Aye. Aye. Opposed?

Thank you.

It's going to make a motion reaffirming the appointment of recreation committee members 3 year terms. David McGregor and Andrew Marion to have a second. For the discussion. All in favor aye any opposed. I'm going to make a motion reaffirming the appointment of tree ward 1 year term Jason Burchard to have a second second.

Any discussion?

All in favor? Aye. I'm going to make a motion reaffirming the appointment of housing trust members, members, to Bonington, Sam Aronofsky. Do I have a second? Second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?

I'm not seeing any. Thank you.

I'm going to make a motion reaffirming the appointment of a Board of Canvassers member, six-year term, Karen Kelly. Do I have a second? Second. All in favor? Aye. Thank you. I'm going to make a motion reaffirming the appointment of historical preservation advisor creative members, three-year terms, Leslie Fox, Janice Williams.

Second.

All in favor? Aye. Thank you. New Business 2, discussion and action regarding solicitor's request that the Attorney General's opinion on the Rocha Open Meetings Complaint Appeal to Superior Court. Solicitor?

The Attorney General, when complaints are filed, issues opinions as to whether or not there has been a violation of the Open Meetings Act And in this instance, for this complaint, the attorney general issued an opinion on June 9th, 2026, in this matter. The first complaint was that the council had violated the ruling quorum provisions by having discussions outside of a public meeting. That complaint was deemed not appropriate not with merit and that there was no violation there. The second part, however, had to do with how the agenda for the January 22nd meeting was structured. And in that the Attorney General found in its opinion that the agenda was not sufficient under the Open Meetings Act because of the wording for the appointments of the positions that you just did now. Now, I have a lot of respect for the Department of the Attorney General, in particular, their open government section, but they're not infallible. That agenda clearly had in bold language that all of the items on the agenda would be voted on. And as a matter of fact, that has been a longstanding practice, not only in this town, but in other cities and towns in the state. On that basis, I am asking for authorization to appeal that section of the opinion to the Superior Court so we can get a determination on this. I do not think anyone involved in the drafting of that agenda made a mistake, and I'd like to see that affirmed, and I'm asking for your permission to do so.

I'll make a motion. regarding the solicitor's request to appeal the Attorney General's opinion on the Rocha meeting, meeting's complaint. Do I have a second?

I'll second it.

Discussion.

Yeah, Tony, is there an extra cost from your budget associated with this? I'm sorry, I can't. I'll turn it on, it works better. Is there an estimated cost this is gonna cost? Is this over your stipend or whatever we're calling your budget?

So this would be an administrative appeal. It'll be decided on briefs. So this is a relatively low cost lawsuit. And I wondered about that. So I took a look at the litigation budget and I see that I am under budget through this year. And in fact, there's $17,000 left in the budget. It wouldn't cost that. It's going to cost a couple of grand. I don't have an exact estimate, but it's just not a high cost.

I just asked for the public record because you're asking... to do something that costs money. So I figured it's on my obligation to ask the question.

No, you know, and I understand that that was an issue prior to me getting here, the solicitor budget. But fortunately, I'm under. There's enough money to do this, and it's not going to cost a lot.

Further discussion? Not seeing any of a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?

I'm abstaining. I'm going to abstain too, because I wasn't at that meeting.

All right. I have two abstentions. I had a yes, a yes. Did I have a yes? Okay. It carries. Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. New business three, receive letters of interest, discussion and action on appointments of the following positions. Clerk. Agricultural Conservancy trust do we have the letters of interest.

You have one Taylor Johnson Taylor Johnston's.

Motion to approve Taylor Johnson to little company of culture concerns the trust.

For the discussion.

Yeah, I just want to say that she was my competition when I was a boy. It was the first time I heard from the ag trust that she's doing a phenomenal job. Thank you go.

Yeah, I'd like to thank Taylor for being willing to stay on. I think she, as I've said before a couple of times, I think she brings a fresh perspective and an important voice to the Ag Trust. So thanks for your willingness to keep doing it.

All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Not seeing any. Thank you. Thank you, Taylor. Harbour Master and Commissioner of Rex. I did see Mike Massa, is that right?

Yes.

I'll make a motion for Mike Massa. Second. Any further discussion? All in favor? Aye.

Any opposed? I'm not seeing any.

Assistant Harbour Master, my guess is I saw another one in there for Chris Brady, is that right? I'll make that motion. Second. I have a second. All in favor? Aye. Zoning Board of Review, do we have letters of interest for that? You have one of the Charles Hall Charles Hall, I'm happy to make that motion also. I can all in favor. Thank you. Another zoning board review alternate member.

I see some stuff Steve Sousa motion to point Steve Sousa to the zoning board for you as an alternate second.

All there. I thank you. Consider for, consider Councilor Victoria Talbot for appointments and negotiating team with the County Community Center lease replacement for former Councilor Robert Mushin. Discussion and action. I'll make that motion of appointing Victoria Talbot. Do I have a second?

Second.

Further discussion?

Yeah, Victoria, and I'm sure you're going to do this before, Any contract or anything goes through, I think it's pertinent to show it to the rest of the council what the civil side is.

I'm sorry, sir.

Thank you.

All in favor? Aye.

Thank you.

Five, it says appoint Paul Golombeski, council liaison. Almost like we're going to do it, so we really should say consider Paul Golombeski, so we're going to consider you, Paul. I'll take it on a consideration. All right. Consider you. So it wasn't this wasn't done in a backroom deal here. I'll make that motion for Paul Galbeski.

Second.

Further discussion? I'm seeing any all in favor? Aye. Thank you. Aye. Receive email of interest from Molly McGlue to continue to serve as Little Townsend's representative on the Discover Newport board.

Motion to renew that appointment.

Second. All been. Received from planning what a proposed change to town code 2.2.4 or more housing in 5 what divisions. There's a planning board member out there. That wants to speak on this. I will say I will make that motion do I have a second. Yeah, let me.

I'll second it and go into discussion. I can give a brief nutshell summary on this and I'll look for the solicitor, Mark, Tony, to confirm if I get this right. But as liaison to the planning board, I've been in these meetings and I'm familiar with the conversation. It is what we're looking at is a proposed amendment to the inclusionary zoning ordinance 2.2.4. And this is the affordable housing provision that kicks in when you do a step when you are proposing a subdivision for five lots or more. The affordable housing requirement is that one of those five or 20% of your subdivision is an affordable unit. The Existing language gives three ways to achieve that. One, the applicant can build the affordable unit. Two, the applicant can deed the affordable unit. The Little Compton Housing Trust, or actually I think the existing language says to the town or a non- nonprofit housing provider. And then the third option is what's referred to as fee in lieu, where the developer pays the town a fee in lieu of building that affordable unit. The proposal that the planning board has proposed for us is to eliminate the fee in lieu provision. The state is the one that sets the rate, the dollar amount for what that fee should be. And the fee, I don't remember the number, I'm sorry, but I think it's low 200,000. It's a relatively low number that would not create a unit of affordable housing in Little Compton. It might in another community that's building a 75 unit development, it might do one unit, but it's not going to do a unit here. So the planning board felt that the fee in lieu was not helpful to advancing the cause of affordable housing and is proposing that we strike it. The other note that they had is on the alternative to where the unit can be deeded over to the town. They replaced that with the Little Compton Housing Trust. So it'll be deeded either to the Little Compton Housing Trust or a nonprofit affordable housing provider. So that's how I understand this. Right?

You're right. You did a very good job.

She's right again.

Stand up for a reason.

There was no need to. I think I made a motion. There is a second.

I don't know who seconded. Victoria seconded. In discussion, your discussion is over.

Well done.

Thank you.

I have a problem with the applicant to lead 20% of the lots to either a little competent housing trust or a non-profit housing provider at the planning board's discretion. Now is that?

That's existing language.

Right. But I still have a problem with it. Okay. That, uh, If that is a discretion which lots going to be given to the common housing trust or is it the housing trust or housing provider for the housing trust when they have the discretion. That would be part of the proposal in the planning board would prove that. I understand that but what is what is they had what do they have discretion over. The lot, 20% of the lots to either the little common housing trust or a nonprofit housing provider. Is that where they make the, it says at the planning board's discretion. What is their discretion? Is it the lot? If there's five lots there, they say, we want this lot or is it, It goes to the Little Compton Housing Trust or a housing provider.

Is it the who or the what, essentially, is what you're getting at? Which one is their discretion?

Right. They can choose the non-profit. Okay. Not the lots. If there's 5 lots, they can't choose a lot that they're going to, that they want. It's up to the developer. That's correct, yes. Okay. Subject to the approval of the Planning Board. And then this new language, 20 years from the quoting of the most recent subdivision, can you explain that to me? The Planning Board shall deem successive applications that result in 5 or more lots... 20 years from the recording of the most recent subdivision to be subject to this section.

Okay, before we get to that, I want to make sure that I was clear on your on your prior question, Gary. And that is the planning board also has the ability in its discretion to choose the lot that's going to be the affordable lot that would be part of the approval process.

Of this 5 lots in this. One of the spectacular. They have the choice to get that I mean that's not very fit to develop. I mean I don't have a problem with that whether to decide what housing provider because that's where I'm reading it.

I on the planning board I don't think that was our intention to that we select a lot only that a lot one of the lots.

And that's what's always my thought that they we have to help us to give up a lot that's a buildable lot for but they have to be of like value right, yes. If they crank, if there's five lots in one swampland, obviously that's not going to help.

It'll be a buildable lot, first of all, and it has to be of like value.

Well, if you keep going, Gary, it even still says with the approval of the planning board as to the choice and location of such lots. So it does clarify that the planning board does have choice of location, right? Is that correct? Correct. Yeah, that's the way I'm reading it.

Is that the way you interpreted that when you?

I interpreted that the builder submits the lot, but it has to be, if we didn't want the discretion of, you know, money, another lot somewhere else, or one of the parts in the subdivision.

So this is a change to ordinance, is that correct?

This is an ordinance change, yes. It's not a change to the zoning ordinance. So wouldn't this have to go to public hearing? It's not for the zoning ordinance, but I recommend that something like this, you do have a public hearing.

Right. So it would be pertinent to wait and include this into the new comp plan that's being prepared right now? Instead of picking certain things that, okay, the planning board wants this now, let's do that now. The planning board wants this now, let's do that now. Or should it be in the comp plan that's being rewritten right now by... by that lady that does it.

Alison Wren.

Alison Wren. Yes.

Something, as I understand it, is just setting goals for our community. It's not writing ordinances. So this is the place. I wouldn't be specific for that.

You guys are not doing that. You just have goals and what you're trying to obtain.

Here's the thing. To answer Gary's question, this isn't something that would be implicated in the comprehensive plan because you already have this in your code of ordinances. So that's the first thing. I don't think you have to wait for the planning board. That's the first. This essentially is amending what you already have. That said, I do recommend that you have a public hearing on the thing so that the public can discuss it. I agree with you on that. I have a motion and a second.

Hold on. Yes, you made a motion.

I will retract my motion.

Oh, okay.

Who made the second? Victoria.

I'll retract my second.

All right, so refresh.

Someone want to make another motion? Make a motion that we hold a public hearing on the proposed amendments to affordable housing in five lot subdivisions, chapter 2.2.4. I won't speak anymore.

You know, Gary had asked one other question. I didn't get a chance to answer. Okay. And this was your question on the language about that shall deem successive applications that result in five lots or more, 20 years from the recording of the most recent subdivision to be subject to this section. The reason that that language is in there, if I can remember what the planning board had discussed, was that what they didn't want to do was have somebody skirt the rules by doing successive subdivisions to beat out the five or more limits. In other words, subdivide three, then after that, then subdivide three, then subdivide three, instead of coming in with a nine lot subdivision.

Exactly right.

Yes. Okay. I just want to answer your question. That's good.

We have a motion that we'll get with the motion or do you want your motion to include a specific date for public hearing.

Well as soon as possible, I guess.

I'll second the motion.

I think it's 3 weeks is in heaven.

Did the solicitor say this wasn't zoning.

It's not zoning.

For the 3 weeks like we would be zoning anyway, but I think that's what 3 weeks anyways, isn't it July 9th.

Yeah, I'd recommend that you do with the second meeting in chair. You read that motion is.

You have a public hearing on the proposed change to 2.2 point for affordable housing in 5 lot subdivisions for the second meeting in July 2026.

Perfect and we have by Andrew all in favor. All right and a post. I'm not saying thank you. A human resources consolidation contract for town and the school discussion and action make a motion to approve the human resources consolidation contract.

Second, I'll second, I just have a question and discussion. The HR person's office is going to stay in the school building.

The HR doesn't have an office over there. She shares an office. And when she has to have privacy, she goes in the hall.

Well, that's efficient. Yeah.

So she is going to come over here. There's not much more privacy over here. She will be in the finance director's office. There's a desk there. So hopefully we can find some privacy for her when she needs it. But I will leave that up to the town administrator and Carolyn Sedgwick, who are both very competent people, want to figure it all.

This year is that the code calls for one week in the paper. So that was an additional thing that was put on me that we didn't do in the past historical precedent. So I mean, it can be done. Yes.

Okay.

I'm just trying to think of the calendar. That's all. I'm just, yes.

I think we were referencing to the code, isn't it? If I recall. So they put it in the newspaper.

Yes. That wasn't something that was ever done. So when I had come before the council, it was mentioned to me that I needed to follow that, which I did. But I'm just saying that that can be done no problem for the next meeting. And then the 10 days for the union. Yeah. I mean, we're not here tomorrow. So first thing Monday morning, I'll get that to the union.

Okay, so set it down for the next set it down for the next meeting with proper advertisement.

So sabotage the side the year you can somebody say, Well, I want Rebecca's job. And yes. But well, then I guess then it wouldn't be heard.

Well, it wouldn't be her job, it'd be her position, so to speak, because she'd still be the clerk. Someone wanted to be the deputy clerk that'd have to bump her out of her job.

The ordinance states that the town council appoints So this gives whatever union rules are in place an opportunity to be exercised, but notwithstanding that, it would be a council appointment on the recommendation of the tax assessor.

So she could stay the clerk and we could physically appoint somebody else to be the deputy? Is that what you're saying?

Well, to do that, Denise would actually have to recommend someone else. So here's the thing, what I'm trying to avoid getting a grievance, not because of who was appointed, but because there wasn't the advertisement that's called for in the ordinance in the contract. So to me, this is something that needs to be done to avoid that type of a grievance. But I think that what was contemplated for this thing, there's enough protections in the ordinance to make sure that that doesn't happen. It's kind of a replay of what happened with the deputy clerk.

Okay. So once we have the ability to point it, because I think everybody on the council, well, I'm not, I can't speak for everybody on the council, but as far as I'm concerned, if Rebecca has been a standing person in the finance direct office and I mean, the only reason we're doing this is so that when Denise is out on vacation or sick or something, we do have a deputy clerk in there that can take all the responsibilities of the tax assessor. That's correct, yes. All right, I guess it's okay. I just think it's putting her through some anxiety, but as long as the council has a final say, I mean, I would... Hopefully that we would all say more about rebecca's done a good job.

I know I don't have a motion I didn't make one you did not.

Motion to advertise for the position of a deputy town tax assessor and the in the union. And the paper so in the paper.

The second of all.

All there.

I was saying thank you. Okay, what would like to spread a little console rates to 50 committee for class at beverage license will get it if I saw the commons wrote on the following dates. This 14th and 15th 2020 so to approve with all local state.

But this is it to you a second. I was just adding on to the motion, but I will second it.

I got a motion and a second, and I have someone that wants to speak.

I'd like to make an amendment for the 14th. I had originally put down six to 830 for the beverage license. I'd like to amend that to five to nine. Is that the time of the event?

Yeah, 5 p.m. to 9. I don't even see a time on the agenda.

I think it's on the applications. Yeah, it's right here.

What day was that? August 14th. You want it the same as the August 15th, 5 to 9.

Yeah, August 14th, 5 to 9, as well as August 15th, 5 to 9. 5 to 9.

Thank you so much. Thank you. You're welcome. I have a motion and I have a second. Yes. All in favor. Thank you very much request will come to start a site for class at beverage license located 5.48 West main road on the following day slide 3rd and the 24th.

Motion to approve all necessary state and local audiences that could get 10,000 pounds motion to approve with all permitted it. So I can.

Whatever the process is we know what it is and thank you for doing carry on. We get you what we need to really for that you know. And then see. All there I any of those that's a nice application renewal will decide whether they need to go to be a need is ice cream or motion to approve.

With all licenses state and local licenses to 2nd all over.

I thank you application for a little more was that what you're going to be a seashore hot dogs, a mobile car.

Approved. Second. Well, you're the one that's supposed to say it.

You don't need to say it. They can't get approved without it.

He needs to say it.

It's pertinent that we say it. That's right. All right. It's procedure. I get it. All in favor? Aye.

One.

Letters received for the following concerning flock safety, automated license, state reader, ALPR, and little Compton. A, B, C, D. Again, all in favor? Aye. Thank you. Thank you, Leonard, for Wilberman students for the town's contribution to their Yale Global Leadership Camp. So I think we can acknowledge that, and that's really great.

Do you want to say anything about that, Victoria?

I know you're involved in that a little bit.

Six, application for the renewal of mobile food assembly license for BBQ White Moss, a mobile cart.

Motion to approve it all staying local.

I'll second that.

All in favor? I know, but it's pronounced E. Because mas is more in Spanish. Roberto Durant said no mas.

Remember no mas, but...

That's a why what I got going to win this one, I don't think 7 you should come from those of the party as a cemetery restoration update to anyone rides by there jumped out at a how clean they are and it really looks good. It's true all there are a little problem resolution support on Senate bill to for it.

Motion to place on file. Second, all in favor?

Aye.

So thank you for signing this Patrick, and I'm assuming it's been sent.

Oh, yeah.

Okay. Thank you. It was it was sent and received the building got through the Senate, but not the house.

No bill up there of that news you can let that go seem a little car.

But Peru with all state and local licenses it to like all there.

10 requests from the Simmons family for a single event entertainment license application of veterans field. August 29 2026, 10 a.m. to 2.

Motion to approve. My room is going to be a player in a sentence all there.

Request will call some rates to 50. single event entertainment license application to 85 South Thomas for the following days, you know, please. And then he said what the work to do up there.

That's where I duplicated it from earlier. I mean, just to see.

Yeah, it was 1415 and 16. I think that we can do a second. So again, all of it. I used to a letter from Larry Anderson May 19, 2026. annual financial town meeting. I would suggest that anyone read this. I want to thank Larry Anderson and put this on the file. Now we have a turnkey for a local crowd if we have one at the town financial meeting, and we'll have that template forever. So Larry was instrumental. Heather Cooke was instrumental. I don't know how much Anya did. And I know that the IT guy was pretty good too. So all your guys' hard work, now you have that. And you guys ran through it and it all worked. It was pretty impressive. I'll make a motion to put it on file. I have a second. Would you like to say anything about it, Larry?

I won't read this whole letter. I just wanted to emphasize a couple of points, including some of the ones you made. So... The meeting, I pressed hard, I know, at the beginning on the point of making sure that we see, and Jonathan Gabriel here, and we were lucky to have had this good contractor for years, the ATR Treehouse. They're the real pros. So that group was just... They didn't, once we framed what they had to do, no questions, they just did it. And it was, we didn't get to use it. I have mixed feelings about that because I was a little nervous about it, but it seemed very robust. And as you say, it demonstrated a way to address, and I put in a lot of numbers here, the concern that will fall on town moderators and town clerks and all of the town officials in the future about accommodating voters. So we found a way that there is, in the space we have and technologically, the technological resources we have, we can accommodate quite a few more in that school. It will take some doing, but I think, though we didn't get to use it, that got us to a next step. I gave you a lot of numbers, two points I would have made, and I have been on the scene of town meeting for, 30 years. I've served on the budget committee. I've served on the town council. I've been moderator for nine years over the course of 20 years. I've been active as a citizen with citizen strokes. So two things I think are worth keeping in mind. And this is my opinion. But we've had, first of all, I want to say, and I put the figures in here, We can debate the town meeting, but Little Compton, by comparison with the many other towns, not just in Rhode Island, but New England, has actually quite robust participation in town meeting, at least as voters and as absolute voters. That's true. Looking back, the state used to compile those numbers. We were always the second or third highest town of town meeting participation. in numbers and percentage, and we still are. By comparison, Tony makes the point of Lincoln, 130 people or something this year and 23,000. We have twice as many people and we have a fraction of that. So we have robust participation. We have seen that even in the last two or the last four years, we've had attendance that exceeds our fire code capacity of the gym. So two things that have happened over the last 25 years. One is that we've actually, Chief Petren is partly, we have really professional fire, we have set a fire code limit on that school that didn't used to exist or be enforced. But we have to keep that in mind going forward that we have been at or above in the last four years alone, that capacity. So this is not gonna go away, this issue about space. So we've learned something. The other thing that got a little complacent about, in my opinion, having lived through it, is that the effect of the tax cap and school budget cap laws, they took place in the early 2000s. When those took effect, The kinds of budget roller coasters we used to be on that created a lot of town meeting attendance. You saw the numbers, 500, 600, 700, we had a town meeting in that gym until the early 2000s. On multiple nights, people came back. The effect of the tax cap law meant that the town, until with a bump last year, routinely came in with compliant, budgets, 4%, which meant the tax rate was not really an issue for almost 20 years. So that is a big factor at town meeting burnout. So that's how we got into a situation where the combination of the stable attendance and our new fire code capacity surprised us last year, but it won't surprise us again. We're still gonna be under pressure. So the other, I just keep that in mind, we've shown some technological progress. The other thing I provided to you was information about systems that many other New England towns are using for vote counting. As far as I can tell, no Rhode Island towns are using it. Heather says it's come up at town clerk meetings. I've looked at systems, but certainly in Massachusetts, where there are still around 250 towns that have some form of town meeting, there's a wave of people adopting the system, which has an initial cost and some ongoing costs, but it would certainly be the answer to running a meeting in multiple rooms. And that's how it's being used in Massachusetts. Some of this developed during COVID. It would make voting anonymous, secure, and quick. It also employs video displays to display the voting quickly, and we've shown we can do that. So I know it's another cost factor. I provided the information from one contractor who seems to be the go-to contractor in Massachusetts. Jonathan Gabriel has said he's aware of other services and so forth, but I just plant that as a seed for further consideration. And I just want to say that... This job of being time moderator is a unique one. I've done it before, I did it again. I consider it an honor and a privilege to hold that job. But as I said last year, when I put my name in to fill the position, I said I wasn't going to run again, and I'm not. So I'm hoping that someone else comes forward, someone younger. I hope, not necessarily younger, if someone my age wants to do it, but I hope someone else comes along to tackle that job. Thank you.

Thank you, Larry. I think there's a motion to put this on file.

I have no motion.

I'll make a motion to put Larry Anderson's financial town meeting election letter on file. Second.

So I did have some comments from three or four seniors that are in their nineties. So they had a problem walking up the stairs into the old Wilbur school and then walking down the stairs into the gymnasium just to be noted. So yeah, I don't think it's the perfect setup. I don't know how you're going to change it, but they did say it was very trying for them to get up those stairs and get down the other stairs.

I would like to say something about that. I wish I had known that sooner because one of the plans, not to get off on a tangent on this, but was that there was greeters to bring them to the elevators to use to get to that second level from the main entrance. So I'm disappointed to hear that, which I mean, not everybody will always be happy, and I'm sorry that somebody was put out, but that was part of the plan to make sure that we would pass that hurdle without any problems.

Can I just add to Heather's comment that we we understood that issue from the get go. That was obvious. There's two sets of stairs, one from the outside is to get up to the end of the school, and then stairs to go forward. And I'm glad to hear that heard from that. But But one of the things that we also did this year was we added and had to recruit many more people This was the first time out. We knew there would, this is the kind of thing that might come up. I'm glad you've identified, but we added what? Another dozen people, 10 or so people. So remember the town meeting takes a lot of people. We have, I figured between 20 and 30 people who either tellers, poll workers, or what I'll call ushers, a whole new group, a dozen people or so, 10 or two people. But this was the first time we did it, but there is an elevator. And the hope was, the plan was, that the, and it's good you identified this, because it's something that can be worked on in a year's head, but the plan was, and the signage was there, I know it's a challenge, this is the first time people have done this, but the signage was there, and the plan was for those ushers to direct anybody who had an issue through the front of the school, through the front into the regular student, to the elevator, up to the voting, and then down by elevator. So it was anticipated, deal with that. We had more people to do it. And it's something that, because we knew it was a disability issue. We knew right from the get-go. So It was a hit. I think knowing that, I think more work can be done to make it work for people who need to get to those spaces.

I'll talk to these people and see whether they realize that or whether the greeters told them.

Whether they would be able to find out whether they got any help.

The first greeter I saw was Jack Heard. He was at the top of the stairs. So maybe I just missed him. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

You do you have a second yes and all over I thank you 30 thank you look for the best of us 2026 of the nation will come post-prop celebration. And then we can put them on. I can call never. And on payment of bills. Motion to be bill so that in the second all there. I will accept the motion to adjourn I will make a motion. I'm going to all over I thank you.

HAB-Jacques Juilland, No one ever read it back.