Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Appointments And Commissions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council declines to reappoint conservation commissioner Adam Schatz; residents call move retaliatory
Summary
The Burrillville Town Council accepted a screening subcommittee recommendation not to reappoint Adam Schatz to the Conservation Commission and declared the seat vacant; multiple residents said the decision looked like retaliation tied to the artificial turf debate.
Burrillville — The Burrillville Town Council on March 26 voted to accept the screening subcommittee’s recommendation not to reappoint Adam Schatz to the Conservation Commission, creating a vacancy on that volunteer board.
The motion to accept the subcommittee recommendation passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition. The council did not record the name of the member who made the motion in the transcript; the vice president provided the second. After the vote the council president clarified that Mr. Ross was appointed to a different vacancy and that Schatz’s seat was not yet vacant until the vote was taken.
During the public comment period several residents protested the screening subcommittee’s recommendation. One speaker identifying her address as 183 Nancy Lane said she had known Mr. Schatz for years and described him as “only looking out for the best interests of the athletes involved” and concerned about contamination risks tied to the town’s artificial turf field. Frances de Vigilia of 484 Carlisle Road said she was “very disappointed” and characterized the non-reappointment as retaliation for Schatz’s opposition to the turf project. Multiple other residents urged the council to explain how the screening process was conducted and said Schatz had not been interviewed by the screening panel.
At the meeting the council chair stated that Mr. Schatz had been offered the opportunity to attend the screening committee meeting but “chose not to,” and confirmed the screening subcommittee’s recommendation was before the council for action. The council then voted to approve the recommendation and declare the position vacant.
The council did not provide public minutes or documentation of the screening committee’s deliberations during the meeting; residents requested the town post the screening minutes and the conservation commission minutes (January and February) that some said were missing from online records. The council referred the matter only to record action; no further internal investigation or reversal was made at the meeting.
