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Westerly council moves to advertise permanent housing committee ordinance after edits to representation and scope
Summary
The council voted to order advertised an ordinance establishing a permanent housing committee, amended to explicitly include senior housing, low- and moderate-income housing, and affordable housing and to allow the chairperson of the Westerly Housing Authority (or a board designee) to serve as an ex‑officio member.
The Westerly Town Council voted on March 17 to order advertised an ordinance creating a permanent housing committee, after amendments clarifying membership and the committee’s scope.
Councilors discussed changes to Section 2 of the draft ordinance to clarify how the Housing Authority should be represented. Several councilors requested replacing a reference to the authority’s executive director with the “chairperson of the Westerly Housing Authority or his or her designee” so that the board would be able to appoint a representative. The council adopted that change during debate.
Council members also asked for clearer language about the committee’s topics. The ordinance was amended so the committee’s charge will explicitly include: senior housing, low- and moderate-income housing, and affordable housing. Councilors said the separate listing would avoid conflating distinct categories of housing and help target future work for each area.
Town Attorney Mario Martone clarified that “low and moderate income housing” is the statutory phrasing used in state law and said the committee’s role would be advisory. After the edits the council voted to order the ordinance advertised for public hearing on April 7; the motion passed with the item set for a future public hearing as amended.
The council did not yet adopt the ordinance; ordering it advertised schedules it for public hearing and further deliberation.
