Rehoboth Selectmen Consider New Regulations for Vendors

The Board of Selectmen is considering implementing new regulations for vendors on private property. Any business which wants to sell their products and services may need to provide proof of insurance.

“There’s a liability there,” Selectman Lenny Mills said Monday. “Not only if the food could be bad, there could be an accident. Somebody could trip over an electrical cord. If someone trips and hits their head on a trailer hitch, they’re going to sue everybody.”

Chairman Skip Vadnais noted permitting of an event is required to ensure public safety.

“If we license the event, this is a legal question,” Vadnais said. “Who’s responsible for whoever is there? If you’re (allowing) the farm to have this event, who’s responsible? What insurance does that farm carry to protect the Town of Rehoboth?”

Should an accident which results in injury were to occur, the town, specifically the Board of Selectmen, would be the subject of a lawsuit.

Vadnais directed Town Administrator Deborah Arruda to consult with town legal counsel before the Board can vote on the matter.