Get caught littering at a town park or the beach and it will cost you.

On Monday night, June 6, members of the Barrington Town Council voted unanimously to adopt a new ordinance that creates a series of fines for people caught littering. 

A first offense for littering at a public park or beach in Barrington includes a $50 fine. A second offense is $100. And any subsequent fine in the same one-year period includes a $200 fine.

The Barrington Park and Recreation Commission proposed the ordinance after littering forced town officials to lock up the new basketball courts at the middle school. Workers from the Barrington Department of Public Works said they found all sorts of garbage regularly thrown about the courts — empty water bottles, pizza boxes, sweatshirts, candy wrappers, empty alcohol containers and even hypodermic needles. 

Mike Seward, the chairman of the Barrington Park and Recreation Commission, said during Monday’s meeting that the new fines give the littering laws some “teeth.” 

The law will be put on signs posted at the courts. 

Barrington Town Council member Rob Humm opened the discussion about the littering ordinance during the meeting, adding that police have the discretion to issue warnings also. 

An Upland Way resident challenged council members to do more about the littering issue. He said trash is regularly strewn about the athletic fields in town. He suggested the DPW should not cut the grass on athletic fields where there is trash left behind, the assumption being that youth sports leagues were responsible for the litter and needed to be penalized.

The resident also spoke about litter left in Veterans Park. He said he walks the trails in that park and has seen all sorts of trash left there — a wooden pallet and boxes, mattresses and box springs, even an entire basketball hoop with a backboard and rim. He said the town should prohibit vehicles from entering the park, except for maintenance workers. 

Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll spoke about the ordinance and said warnings can be issued. “Teenagers can be knuckleheads,” he said.

Barrington Town Council member Jacob Brier supported the ordinance and said he would like the town to investigate further ways to combat littering. 

Humm then made the motion to adopt the ordinance — it carried by a 5-0 vote.