From: Philip Hervey, Town Manager
To: Barrington Town Council
Subj: Town Manager Memo for July 24, 2023, Council Meeting
Date: July 24, 2023
AGENDA ITEM #4: Announcements (Town Manager)
· Sunday, August 6, 2023, VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Police Dispatch, 100 Federal Road, 8:30am to 4:00pm for the Congressional District 1 Primary on September 5, 2023.
· Monday, August 7, 2023, DISAFFILIATION DEADLINE by 4:00pm at the Town Clerk’s Office. Please check view voter status www.sos.ri.gov
· Tuesday, August 15, 2023, Mail Ballot Application Deadline by 4:00pm at the Town Clerks Office.
· Wednesday, August 16, 2023, Early Voting through September 5th Usual Business hours (Closed September 4th Labor Day)
· Monday, September 4, 2023, Closed for Labor Day all Town Hall offices. Please check schedule for Recycle www.barrington.ri.gov
· Tuesday, September 5, 2023, Primary Day (7 a.m. - 8 p.m.): Polls are combined:
o Barrington High School: Precincts 101 and 106
o Barrington Middle School: Precincts 102 and 103
o Hampden Meadows School: Precinct 104 and 105
· Monday, October 30, 2023, Town Golf Tournament. Registration begins September 1st with Recreation.
· Tree Planting & Removal: July 1, 2022- June 30, 2023– 97 trees removed/ 103 planted.
AGENDA ITEMS #5 - #15: Consent Agenda
Motion: To accept the Consent Agenda, Items #5 – #15, as presented.
AGENDA ITEM #16: Discuss and Act: Interviews and Appointments
o Assessing Board of Review: (1 vacancy: 1st alternate with an expiration date of March 31, 2026). Interview: James Berenback
Motion: To appoint ____________ to the Assessing Board of Review to serve as the 1st Alternate, with a term expiring March 31, 2026.
o Building Board of Review: (1 vacancy: 1 full member with an expiration date of May 31, 2028). Interview: Ladd Meyer
Motion: To appoint ____________ to the Building Board of Review as a full member, with a term expiring May 31, 2028
o Cemetery Commission: (1 vacancy 1 full member with an expiration date of November 30, 2025). Interview: Michael Sayka
o Motion: To appoint ____________ to the Cemetery Commission as a full member, with a term expiring November 30, 2025.
o Charter Review Commission: (9-12 vacancies: 9-12 full members with an expiration date of December 31, 2024)
Interviews: Lawrence Bacher, Kenneth Block, Jeff Brenner, Thomas Cregan, Lisa Daft, Bill DeWitt, Geoff Grove, Joy Hearn, Allan Klepper, Dan O’Mahony, Sarah O’Brien, William Priccerey, Steve Primiano, TR Rimoshytus, Cynthia Rosengard, John Taylor, Magnus Thorsson, Janine Wolf
o Motion: To appoint the following to the Charter Review Commission, with terms expiring on December 31, 2024:
1. ___________________
2. ___________________
3. ___________________
4. ___________________
5. ___________________
6. ___________________
7. ___________________
8. ___________________
9. ___________________
10. ___________________
11. ___________________
12. ___________________
o Housing Board of Trustees: (1 vacancy: 3rd alternate with an expiration date of October 31, 2024). Interview: Claudia Duran Maiorana
Motion: To appoint ____________ to the Housing Board of Trustees to serve as the Third Alternate, with a term expiring October 31, 2024.
AGENDA ITEM #17: Discuss and Act on Resolutions:
o A225 Fee and Fine Schedule: Harbor Waiting List
TM Comment: On June 5, 2023, the Council approved the Harbor Commission’s recommended revisions to the Fee & Fine Schedule establishing fees for submitting new waiting list applications, as well as maintaining pending applications from year to year. The new fees are below.
The Ordinance stated that the effective date is January 1, 2024. However, the Harbor Commission is requesting the Council amend the approval such that the effective date is July 1, 2023.
Motion: To establish July 1, 2023, as the effective date of the Resolution adopted by the Council on June 5, 2023, amending the Fee and Fine Schedule establishing Harbor Waiting List fees for new and pending waiting list applications.
AGENDA ITEM #18: Discuss and Act on Ordinances
INTRODUCTION: (No ordinance introductions)
PUBLIC HEARING:
o 2023-8 An Ordinance Amendment to Chapter 45 Salaries and Compensation §Pay scale by occupational titles.
TM Comment: Ordinance would amend the Salaries and Compensation table based on the salaries to go into effect for FY2024. The amounts in the table were increased by 8% to provide an additional cushion above the actual salaries, whereby the next amendment might not be needed for a few years.
Motion: To approve Ordinance 2023-08 amending Chapter 45 Salaries and Compensation §Pay scale by occupational titles, as presented.
AGENDA ITEM #19: Discuss and Act on Bid(s):
· Department of Public Works:
o Resurfacing and filling depressions of the asphalt and hockey rink markings and award the bid to J.G. Coffey Co LLC with a contingency fee of 40 percent. Total cost: $36,772.40.
TM Comment: The Park and Recreation Commission included repairing and striping the Legion Way Rink on its 2022 “priority funding list.” On September 12, 2022, the Council approved $60,000 in American Rescue Plan funds for this project. The Town recently advertised for bids, receiving two responses. The recommendation of the Department of Public Works is incorporated in the motion below.
Motion: To award the bid to repair the Legion Way Link surface and add striping for a hockey rink to J.G. Coffey Co., LLC, in the amount of $26,266, to include an additional contingency of 40 percent for a maximum total cost of $36,772.40.
· Fire Department:
o Communication Equipment Upgrade: Purchase and Installation be awarded to Motorola Solutions Inc., 1303 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, IL 60196. Total cost: $98,038.69
TM Comment: Fire Chief Gerald Bessette is proposing upgrades to the radio equipment at Public Safety “to accommodate the Rhode Island Statewide communications Network,” while citing the “need to upgrade the present VHF radio equipment now in use by both departments that will become the back-up communication network for both departments soon.” He notes the station is still using radio equipment transferred from the old Police Station at Police Cove in 2001.
Motion: To approve the bid to upgrade radio equipment to Motorola Solutions Inc., 1303 E. Algonquin Rd., Schaumburg, IL, in the amount of $98,038.69.
o Dispatch Center Equipment Upgrade: Purchase and Installation be awarded to Motorola Solutions Inc., 1303 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, IL. Total cost: $87,750.
TM Comment: Fire Chief Gerald Bessette is requesting approval of a bid from Motorola to add a console in the Dispatch Center to improve efficiency of the operation. He notes the equipment “will complete the installation for the Rhode Island Communication Network” – a significant milestone for the Town.
Motion: To approve the bid to upgrade dispatch Center equipment to Motorola Solutions Inc., 1303 E. Algonquin Rd., Schaumburg, IL, in the amount of $87,750.
o Dispatch Center Equipment Upgrade: Purchase and Installation be awarded to Motorola Solutions Inc., 1303 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, IL. Total cost: $87,750.
· Police Department
o Police Ford Interceptor Hybrid Utility: Purchase and Installation of Equipment
TM Comment: The Police Department has advertised for bids for the purchase of and installation of equipment on a 2023 Police Ford Interceptor Hybrid Utility Vehicle that was recently acquired to serve as a patrol vehicle. The recommendation will be emailed to the Council prior to the meeting, as the invitation to bid closes on Friday, July 21st (after the agenda items are posted on ClerkBase). Funding source: Capital Auto Replacement Account.
Motion: To approve the bid for the purchase of and installation of equipment on a 2023 police Ford Interceptor Hybrid Utility Vehicle to _____________ [insert name of vendor and address] in the amount of $_________ [fill in amount].
· Department of Planning Building & Resilience
TM Comment: The Town Council previously authorized $60,000 from the Climate Mitigation Capital Reserve account to hire a resilience planning consultant. The Town issued a Request for Qualifications and received one response, from Karlo Berger, who has been serving as Resilience Intern for the Town. The rate is $45 per hour. Director Crean recommends approval.
Motion: To authorize the Town to contract with consultant Karlo Berger to serve as Resilience Planner.
AGENDA ITEM #20: Discuss and Act: Amended Electricity Aggregation Agreement
TM Comment: Good Energy, which the Town has engaged to perform consulting services in relation to its community electricity aggregation plan, recommends approval of an amendment to the agreement with the aggregation program’s electricity supplier, NextEra. According to Jamie Rhodes of Good Energy, the “intention of the contract amendment would be to give the program an option to do either 6-month or 12-month rate, and then it adjusts the procurement schedule and amounts to match.” According to Mr. Rhodes, the amendment in effect would allow NextEra to mirror RI Energy’s electricity supply procurement schedule and provide more flexibility in obtaining competitive pricing.
Motion: To approve the amendment to the Electricity Aggregation Supply Energy contract providing the option to procure electricity at either a 6-month or 12-month rate.
AGENDA ITEM #21: Discuss and Act: Town Council Approval for a Ballot Question for Placement on the Special Election November 7, 2023, Regarding the Construction, Improvement, Renovation. Alteration, of public schools and school facilities in Barrington
TM Comment: The School Committee is meeting on Thursday, July 20th, to vote on a final “not to exceed” amount for the ballot question to be placed before voters for the November 7th Special Election. The Council on May 8th approved the School Committee’s request to submit to state legislators a resolution in support of enabling legislation for the bond referendum in the amount of $250 million. The enabling legislation was subsequently approved by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor.
According to Assistant Solicitor Amy Goins, “the Council can approve a ballot question with a lower threshold than the $250 million specified in the enabling legislation and can approve a threshold lower than what the School Committee sets on Thursday evening. The Council has the ultimate authority to approve the amount that is presented to the voters for approval, provided that the amount does not exceed what the General Assembly has allowed.”
Motion: To approve placement of a bond question on the November 7, 2023, Special Election ballot regarding the construction, improvement, renovation, and alteration of public schools and school facilities in Barrington, in the amount of $____________.
AGENDA ITEM #22. Discuss and Act: 25 Watson Avenue / Carmelite Monastery Frequently Asked Questions and Next Steps
TM Comment: For the June 5, 2023, meeting the Town prepared a “FAQ” in consultation with the Town Solicitor, as requested by the Council. The Council briefly discussed the FAQ before continuing the item to the July 24th meeting. Since the June meeting the Town engaged Peter A. Scotti & Associates to complete an appraisal of the property based on the Planning Board-recommended plan (summarized below), a modified version of that plan, and several other options developed by Union Studio and presented to the Planning Board.
Planning Board Recommendation: On May 1, 2023, the Planning Board’s motion approved on April 26th on the redevelopment of the former Carmelite Monastery property at 25 Watson Avenue was presented to the Town Council. The motion was as follows:
Member Rua, seconded by Vice Chair Lucini, made a motion to recommend Concept Plan 2 for redevelopment at 25 Watson Avenue, that includes the following characteristics:
· The three lots to the south remain open space and are not developed.
· The pocket neighborhood is individually owned, via a condo association or single-family lots.
· The thru-road becomes a path, not a cut-through.
· There be a maximum of 10-12 units in the pocket neighborhood.
· There be two separate RFPs – one for the individual lots, one for the pocket neighborhood.
· Maintain Town control, such as deed restrictions or phased development.
· One of the lots and 25 percent of the pocket neighborhood be dedicated to low-to-moderate income (LMI) housing.
· Revise the lot lines for the lots on the south side, where the connecting road will not have vehicle access.
Motion carried unanimously.
The Council has taken no action on the Planning Board recommendation.
More information:
· Union Studio’s presentation on the revised concepts, presented April 26th: https://www.barrington.ri.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1117/23_0426-CMC-PB-Presentation?bidId=
· Appraisal by Peter A. Scotti & Associates
· Additional materials on 25 Watson: https://www.barrington.ri.gov/361/25-Watson-Avenue.
Motion: No motion provided.
AGENDA ITEM #23: Discuss and Act: Request $30,000 to fund a consultant to assist with housing initiatives. Funding support is requested from the $500,000 authorized for housing-related programs at the 2021 FTM.
TM Comment: Requesting approval of $30,000 for a consultant to assist the Town in developing new programs and strengthening existing ones, such as the First-Time Homebuyers Incentive Program. The funding would come from the $500,000 voters approved at the 2021 Financial Town Meeting for affordable housing initiatives.
If approved, the Town will issue a Request for Qualifications for consultant services. The consultant would assist the Town on housing-related projects, including updating the affordable housing production plan, reviewing the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan, identifying opportunities for outside funding such as Community Development Block Grant program, and working with Housing Board on the Down Payment Assistance Program.
Motion: To approve $30,000 to fund a consultant to assist the Town with housing initiatives, with funding from the $500,000 authorized for affordable housing approved at the 2021 FTM.
AGENDA ITEM #24: Discuss and Act: Town’s Installation of Wayfinding Signs
TM Comment: The Town Council on June 5th voted to have the two “landmark” signs installed recently on County Road removed. These signs were part of a larger wayfinding signage program, which has been paused at the request of the Council.
After the June 5th meeting the Town launched an online comment webpage, along with images of the signs and the locations. The opportunity to comment via the webpage was mentioned on the Town’s homepage, social media, and in the Town’s newsletter. The Town received 13 comments (through July 18th) – attached.
While there were few comments in clear support of the remaining signs, there hasn’t been a strong backlash against the signs – which was clearly the reaction to the first two landmark signs that were installed.
Viewpoint Signs and Awning in Northborough, MA, has completed the wayfinding sign depicted in the photo illustration below. This sign is proposed to be installed at the northeast corner of Waseca Avenue and West Street (facing east).
The Town has a $58,400 grant from CommerceRI for the wayfinding signage program. The directional wayfinding signs were originally presented to the public as part of the 2014 Village Center Connectivity Study, and funding was included in the budget that was the basis for a $1.6 million Village Center streetscape bond approved in 2014. The landmark signs were added to the program later and included in the plan reviewed by the Economic Development Commission. Not proceeding with the signs would require returning the $58,400 grant.
Wayfinding signage has been a Main Street revitalization strategy throughout the country. According to Main Street America:
Wayfinding is an important component of a successful destination. It moves people through an environment and into desired locations within it using signage and other visual cues. Wayfinding guides people to places they seek but it also brings awareness to places they may have otherwise missed.
It can guide people away from areas you don’t want them to see. Wayfinding helps people find parking areas sooner. The less time spent in cars means more time “spent” in your stores. When visitors see well maintained wayfinding signs, they are reassured that they are on the right path and that they are in a safe area. Wayfinding connects people to places.
I strongly recommend proceeding with the remaining wayfinding signs, as they are consistent with the original vision from the 2014 Village Center plan. These signs also would bring more attention to the local commercial areas of town – including the Town Center as well as Tyler Point.
o See also: Signage Plan Package (PDF), Signage Location Plan (PDF).
Motion: To approve continuing with the installation of the remaining wayfinding signs.
AGENDA ITEM #25: Discuss and Act: Amending the Town’s Commercial Sign Ordinance
TM Comment: On June 5, 2023, the Council passed a motion “to refer the question whether Barrington would like to see a unified design aesthetic to their signage with a manual with photos for our business partners in Town” to the Planning Board, Technical Review Committee and Economic Development Commission.
Comments received:
o Planning Board (7/11/23 meeting): The Board voted unanimously “to recommend that the signage discussion fold into the Comprehensive Plan rewrite process, engaging a graphic consultant for technical assistance to work out guidelines for signage in business district and technical language that would be appropriate for signage ordinance.”
o Technical Review Committee (5/11/23 and 6/8/23 meetings): The TRC on June 8th unanimously passed a motion “to recommend to Town Council that Barrington should have a vision and design guidelines booklet for commercial signage that includes visuals, and this work should be done with a qualified consultant. ‘Unified’ design guidelines are a not necessary outcome.”
o Economic Development Commission (5/25/23 meeting): The EDC discussed signs at the May meeting but took no formal motion. The discussion is summarized in the meeting minutes.
Background
The Town’s sign regulations were overhauled completely in the mid-1990s, based on the Barrington Village Center Design Study and Design Guidelines document published in 1995. After implementing the zoning amendments, the Town provided businesses with time to comply with the new regulations and included a financial incentive to help cover the cost.
Here are examples of signs before and after the new sign regulations were adopted in the 1990s (after images from 2006).
Since the original sign ordinance was enacted, the Town has made several revisions to the regulations and the sign standards. These include:
o Streamlining the approval process to allow administrative sign-off on most signs, provided they comply with the Zoning Ordinance.
o Assigning approval authority to the Technical Review Committee (TRC) in cases where multiple signs are proposed, followed by the Zoning Board if zoning relief is required. Originally all sign applications had to be reviewed by the TRC, followed by the Planning Board and possibly the Zoning Board.
o Allowing “back-lit” signs where individual opaque letters and logos are illuminated from behind. This was in response to concerns from businesses about poor visibility of signs due to the exterior lighting requirement.
o Allowing A-frame signs on sidewalks. Unfortunately, few businesses take advantage of this, likely because of the stringent requirements in the regulations (including insurance, time limits, and the requirement that these are chalkboard signs). Most businesses want more visible A-frame signs and often put these out without Town approval, creating an enforcement issue.
I agree with the Planning Board recommendation to evaluate our commercial signage as part of the next Comprehensive Plan update, which will start later in 2023 or in early 2024. The development of visuals, similar to those in the 1995 study, as a part of the comp plan process would help inform revisions to the Zoning Ordinance.
The motion below includes review of building and site standards in addition to signs as a topic for the next Comprehensive Plan update.
Motion: To develop a vision for the Town’s commercial and mixed-use districts, to include an evaluation of the sign ordinance and development standards, as part of the upcoming update to the Comprehensive Community Plan.
AGENDA ITEM #26: Discuss and Act: Development of Carry In/Carry Out Paper Bag Policy, Including a Potential Motion for Referral (K. Berard)
TM Comment: At the May meeting the Council referred “the development of a Carry In/Carry Out Paper Bag Policy to the Town Administration and Park and Recreation Commission for recommendations for the Council to consider at the July 24, 2023, meeting.”
Photo of a “Carry-In/Carry-Out” paper bag system (photo courtesy of Councilor Berard)
o Park and Recreation Commission (6/22/23 meeting): The Commission passed a motion “against the proposal because the picture of the bag holder doesn’t look like it will keep the bags dry, because Michele anticipates going through multitudes of bags at the beach, and how will that be financed, and because of the potential that the bags full of trash will just be left at the parks/beach for DPW to pick up.”
o Town Manager: If the Council wishes to pursue this initiative, the Town could try out the program through a pilot project at a park (suggest either Police Cove Park (Lion’s Club has adopted this spot), Town Beach or Latham Park). The wood storage structure could be designed to better protect the bags from the weather. I checked online for a source of handle paper bags with customized messaging. One vendor priced the bags with lettering and a logo at $343 for 500 bags; smaller bags could be purchased for less.
Motion: To approve a pilot project at Latham Park to test the paper bag carry-in/carry-out program, and $400 from Council Contingency to pay for materials.
AGENDA ITEM #27: Discuss and Act: Financial Town Meeting
TM Comment: On October 3, 2022, the Council adopted a motion to request the Town Manager to research alternatives to the Financial Town Meeting and deliver a report to the Town Council at the July 24, 2023, meeting. Here is a summary of information we have compiled on budget approval procedures, including statistics from recent Town of Barrington FTMs.
o Use of the FTM in RI: The Town Clerk’s Office has polled other cities and towns in Rhode Island to document the budget approval process followed in other municipalities.
Cities and towns that use the FTM (with estimated population):
