To the editor:

At the beginning of our term, the Town Council and administration faced several challenges, including high inflation, flood risk, police retention, crumbling infrastructure, abysmal athletic fields, and uncertainty regarding the 25 Watson property. We responded well.

The biggest long-term threat to Barrington’s future is flooding, exacerbated by climate change, and heightened by an estimated 10 inches of sea level rise over 30 years. After an extensive public process and detailed expert analysis, we adopted the Ready & Resilient Barrington Climate Action Plan, the state’s first climate action plan. The plan is a blueprint that prioritizes actions to mitigate flooding, improve resilience to storms, and reduce our carbon footprint. Every dollar wisely invested in climate resilience pays for itself many times over.

We funded a major culvert project, invested in a major sewer repair, added two charging stations, increased tree maintenance to reduce power outages, and implemented the Community Electricity Aggregation Plan. We are electrifying our police fleet, added a resilience planner, and installed two fast chargers.

In July of 2022, Barrington Police pay and longevity had slipped compared to other municipalities. Our police perform exceptionally well, but we were down to 20 officers on a 27- officer force, with four nearing retirements.

In an unprecedented move, we increased pay and longevity with bipartisan COA support. We now have 25 officers plus two in the Academy. We have also filled vacant dispatch positions. Inflation and competition increased department costs by 10 percent, but we have no higher priority than public safety.

After extensive community engagement, we kept the town’s promise to deliver senior housing, some affordable, plus single-family lots and two acres of green space to the 25 Watson neighborhood. Passed by the FTM on a voice vote with a strong majority, the plan will replace carrying costs with tax revenue and covers safe demolition.

With bipartisan support, we’re making the most significant improvement in our abysmal athletic fields in history with broad support. We corrected chronic DPW understaffing.

New siding, air conditioning and the removal of dangerous playground equipment allow us to host camps and many community events the Bay Spring Community Center. We have secured over $800,000 in state funding for a full renovation.

We invested federal funds to fix crumbling sidewalks, renovate sport courts and improve our roadways. We’ve made progress on minority outreach, properly honoring veterans, and cybersecurity. Regrettably, I have not found the time to write more LTEs. However, we livestream and post recordings of all Council meetings, we started the town newsletter, and we ensure all voices are welcomed at our meetings.

The town has an excellent bond rating, demand for homes in Barrington is strong, and we have remained under the 4 percent maximum tax levy increase, despite inflation (which is cooling) and necessary investments. If we execute on our climate plan, Barrington’s future will be bright. After discussing the issues, I believe Council candidates Jordan Jancosek and Kerry O’Neill have the sound fiscal judgment, commitment to climate resilience and dedication to affordability necessary to secure that future.

Carl Kustell

Barrington

Carl Kustell is Barrington Town Council President.