Residents pressed the Village of Barrington board to reconsider a recent amendment to the community garden rules that, as read at the meeting, would limit plot use to "24 to 36 month periods." Lauren, a longtime gardener who addressed the board during the public-comment period, said the limit is "impractical and probably not fair" and urged the village to allow experienced gardeners to keep plots so long as they pay dues and maintain them.

The garden began in 2014 with 24 plots (residents paid $50; nonresidents $75), Lauren said, and after early turnover the site dwindled to about nine active plots before gardeners revived it. She described years of volunteer work, compost and soil amendments brought in by participants, and said the 24–36 month limit would discourage serious gardeners and risk losing long-term nonresident plot holders who have contributed substantial work.

Board members and gardeners discussed several mitigation ideas, including offering half plots to inexperienced gardeners, encouraging raised beds to reduce weed pressure, and prioritizing the next resident on the waiting list for any newly opened plot. Speaker 6 also reported five empty plots on the north end that have been mulched to control weeds.

Speaker 2 (the chair) said staff member Sharon would be asked to review the guidelines and that the board did not intend to micromanage gardeners but wanted to ensure an equitable process. The transcript indicates the original garden rules date to October 2013 and that an amendment dated January 22 introduced the 24–36 month language; residents asked the board to consider reverting or altering that change.

No formal action or vote on the garden rules was recorded in the provided segments. The board took the comments under advisement and asked staff to review the guidelines for potential revision.

Next steps: the board asked staff to examine the rules and report back; no timetable for that review was recorded in the transcript.