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Resident urges Land Trust to meet with town over housing policies, criticizes meeting conduct
Summary
Chris Warfield, a Block Island resident and member of the housing board, told the council the Block Island Land Trust refused a request to meet with town planning and the housing board and criticized the Land Trust's meeting conduct and lack of public transparency.
Chris Warfield of Ebbits Hollow addressed the council during public comment to report on a recent Block Island Land Trust meeting in which he said his requests for discussion and collaboration on island housing were refused.
"I had asked for a variety of things that, they could consider to help with our housing issue out here and was turned down repeatedly," Warfield said. He said the Land Trust's attorney, Joe Priestley, spoke at the meeting in a way Warfield described as "highly irregular" and that the Land Trust declined a motion to meet with town planning and the housing board.
Warfield said the Land Trust's meetings are not streamed or recorded and contrasted that with more recent transparency from the housing board and Block Island Power Company. "We have a problem with a part of Block Island with such influence on our housing situation and our economy that they appear to operate singular, separately from the rest of the town," he said, urging the council to invite the Land Trust, planning and the housing board to a joint meeting to discuss housing concerns.
The council did not take action during the public comment period; Warfield said he hoped a council request would prompt the Land Trust to meet with town officials and boards.
