Council directs clerk to circulate goals and request boards review ahead of workshop

The Burrillville Town Council instructed the town clerk to distribute its goals and objectives and the town's comprehensive plan to volunteer boards and commissions and asked those bodies to place the items on their next meeting agendas for review.

Councilors said the step is intended to align the boards and commissions with council policy priorities and to prepare for a future joint workshop or charrette that would bring multiple boards together to discuss land use, recreation, and other town objectives. The motion was made and carried by voice vote.

Speakers discussed the balance between the council's role in setting ordinances and the legal independence of certain boards, such as planning and zoning. Several councilors cautioned that while boards should align with the council's goals, the council must avoid directing boards on specific votes or actions in ways that would exceed the boards' statutory independence. One councilor recalled a past instance where board action that exceeded authority was vacated.

Councilors also discussed specific boards that could be affected, including the conservation commission, planning board, recreation commission and the housing authority. The housing authority representative said the authority operates under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rules, hires its own executive director, and does not use town legal services; the speaker recommended reviewing whether the housing authority should be included in any code-of-conduct requirements the council circulated.

Councilors asked the administration, including the town manager and town solicitor, to review the housing authority's situation and report back with recommendations. The council asked the clerk to distribute documents and to schedule a future workshop format to be determined.