Rehoboth Moderator Bans Children from Town Meeting

Residents who attend the December 1 town meeting will not be allowed to bring their children, according to Town Moderator Bill Cute. The meeting, to be held at 7 pm at the Ramada Inn in Seekonk, is being held for the purpose of setting the tax rate for the next fiscal year. Usually held in June, the event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cute said in the past he had been sympathetic to anyone who wished to have their families with them for the meeting, but the rising rates of Covid infections required stricter guidelines. “I’m willing to be the bad guy on it,” Cute said at Monday’s selectmen meeting. “I don’t think in the age of Covid, the children belong anywhere near that meeting hall. If somebody shows up with children, they’re going to be turned away.”

Everyone who attends will be required to wear a mask for the duration of the meeting, with no exceptions. “I know sometimes people have some personal attitudes about mask wearing,” Cute said. “I’m not going to have any patience with that this year.” Cute explained if someone becomes “argumentative”, they will be escorted off the premises by a police officer. Cute hopes the meeting will be conducted in a cut and dried fashion.

“Some of the hot button issues which could have been on the warrant aren’t going to be on the warrant this time,” Cute said, referring to a citizens petition for a warrant article calling for the de-regionalization of the Dighton-Rehoboth school district.

Selectmen met with the petitioners recently and agreed to hold off on their article until the pandemic has abated.