Committee to Resolve Tensions Between Attleboro Farmers Market, Library

The Attleboro City Council is hoping for a resolution to the conflict between the Attleboro Farmers Market and the by the end of this April.

During its meeting Monday, the council created a special committee and appointed Councilmen Jay DiLisio, Jeremy Denlea, and Mark Cooper.

The committee is charged with the specific task of thoroughly investigating the requested use of the parking lot by the Attleboro’s Farmers Lot as well as addressing the concerns of the Attleboro Public Library, to prevent a repeat of the 2011 situation and clearly identify the specific dates of operation.

The conflict between the Farmers Market and the Attleboro Public Library is over the use of the parking lot on 74 North Main St., which the Farmers Market believes it needs for its patrons on the Saturdays during the summer when it is open, while the library maintains that the Farmers Market occupies the majority of the lot and discourages people from coming to the library.

The committee is supposed to present solution to the full council by the end of April.

The issues between the Farmers Market and the Library may have led to some council members' opposition to the reappointment of three members of the library’s board of trustees.

Linda Binns, Eileen Struminski, and Cheryl Nimiroski were all up for reappointment and have all been long time members of the board of trustees.

Richard Conti described the three reappointments as “rubber stamps.”

“There are people in the City of Attleboro who are saying no, give the board of trustees new voices,” said Conti on why he opposed the reappointments.

“I think it’s a real disservice to criticize these people,” said Frank Cook. “It’s wrong to be saying a person is too old to serve because they’ve served 20 years.”

Councilman Jeremy Denlea said the process was “unprofessional.”

The reappointments will be voted on by the full committee next week.