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Council presses state on costs of placing unhoused families at Zamperano campus; requests stronger response and joint resolution
Summary
Burrillville officials said the state's placement of unhoused families at the Zamperano campus is creating unbudgeted transportation costs the town is bearing, and council members asked staff to draft a forceful resolution and coordinate with the school committee and League of Cities.
Councilors raised strong objections Jan. 8 to the state's placement of unhoused families at the Zamperano campus, saying the town has been left to cover daily student transportation costs that are not budgeted and that initial requests for answers from the Rhode Island Department of Housing have gone unanswered.
Councilors said the town has been paying transportation costs they described as "upwards of $40,000 a month" to transport children placed at the site to their schools of choice. "This is costing the town of Burrillville, near on, well, the memo says a little bit less, but it's been upwards of $40,000 a month, which is unbudgeted. It's unsustainable," a councilor said. The council indicated it has sent a letter signed by Chairwoman Roberta Lacey, the town manager and the superintendent to the Department of Housing and reported limited or no response from the agency.
Councilors said the state placed families from throughout Rhode Island at the Zamperano cottages and that the town has been responsible for daily transportation. One councilor reiterated the town's request that placements be limited to Burrillville residents; another councilor said officials requested confirmation that residents placed at the campus were not undocumented, but that the state would not confirm that information.
Councilors asked staff to draft a stronger resolution, ideally one the school committee could also sign, and to coordinate with the League of Cities and Towns and with the town's state representatives who are raising the issue on transportation committees. The council said it will bring a draft resolution back for consideration at a future meeting and encouraged outreach to other affected towns.
The council did not make a binding decision at the meeting but instructed staff to prepare a forceful resolution and to pursue intermunicipal coordination and legislative channels to seek relief or reimbursement.
