While members of the Barrington School Committee (past and present) support the Victory Field renovation project, which will bring a new track and synthetic turf playing field to the high school, members of the Barrington Town Council do not. 

Some councilors were more outspoken than others while discussing the issue on Feb. 3. 

Liana Cassar, who also serves as the leader of the Barrington Democratic Town Committee, called the installation of a new turf field and the associated costs “an unfunded mandate” that the school committee has placed on the town.

Cassar said she was very concerned about the school committee’s decision.

Cassar and other councilors had asked the town solicitor if school officials had the right to encumber the community with the turf field expenses.

The solicitor’s office returned with two memos — one was made available to the public prior to the council meeting. It stated, in part: “absent the need for additional funding, the School Committee is free to move forward with the Victory Field proposal despite the sentiments of the Council, FTM/FTR, or the electors as expressed at the November 2024 referendum. The only recourse of the electors at that point would be in the regular election of members to the School Committee, where they can express their approval or disapproval of the School Committee’s actions when deciding whether to keep the School Committee members in office.”

At the Feb. 3 council meeting, some residents asked for town officials to pass an ordinance banning the construction of synthetic turf fields in Barrington. Others told council members to take whatever legal steps necessary to block the project. 

Barrington Town Council President Braxton Cloutier said any potential actions the council could take to stop the turf field project would result in more taxpayer money being spent and the town's residents growing even further divided on the issue. 

We are not interested in litigation, Cloutier said, adding that council members do not want to enter a legal battle with the Barrington School Committee. 

Cloutier said the decision to place the Victory Field project on the Feb. 3 council agenda was done to allow residents one more time to speak publicly on the issue. Cloutier said he was tired of talking about artificial turf fields and he did not believe the council was going to take up the issue again in the future. 

He then told audience members that their comments about the project should be directed to the school committee. Cloutier said the Barrington School Committee made the decision to approve a synthetic turf field for the high school campus, and that they have sole control over use of the school property. 

The council president also said he was not trying to throw the school committee under the bus. 

Cassar said the town council could not “solve” the synthetic turf field issue, but suggested residents could continue their efforts. She said she was not implying that residents should do anything nefarious. 

Last month, former town council member Kate Weymouth told the school committee that approximately 200 residents had signed a petition opposing the installation of synthetic turf at Victory Field and threatening a class action lawsuit against the committee.