Westerly council approves Bradford School restroom and playground purchases after ADA and timing debate

The Westerly Town Council approved two procurement resolutions on Jan. 12 to secure long‑lead items for the Bradford School phase‑one recreation project: a prebuilt restroom from ROMtech and playground equipment with poured‑in‑place surfacing from Ben Schaefer Recreation.

Councilors said they supported completing the project but pressed staff for explicit contract language guaranteeing ADA accessibility. "I don't see anywhere on these things that we're looking to make the structures ADA compliant," Councilor Shalaba said during debate and asked that the requirement be put in writing. The town manager and recreation staff responded that the proposals and the project’s funding already require ADA‑compliant design; the council requested schematics and 3‑D renderings be circulated to members.

Time sensitivity and vote: Staff and vendors said price increases for both restroom modules and playground components had created urgency to lock in 2025 pricing (managers cited 20–28% estimated increases into 2026). To secure price protection, the council voted to authorize both contracts. The restroom resolution authorizing the town manager to contract with ROMtech was approved (vote recorded as 6–1). After a period of additional review and distribution of equipment images to councilors, the playground equipment purchase from Ben Schaefer Recreation was approved (vote recorded as 6–1 with one abstention noted earlier in the discussion sequence).

What the approvals mean: The votes allow procurement staff to place orders and hold current pricing; invoices will be paid upon delivery and acceptance, and the manager said inspections and building‑department permitting will ensure ADA compliance at installation. Councilors requested written assurances and circulation of final equipment schematics to the full council prior to manufacturing.