Last modified: Monday, March 24, 2008 1:05 AM EDT Warning sounded on Seekonk dam BY JOSEPH S. SIEGEL / FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE SEEKONK - The failure of the Old Grist Mill Pond Dam would result in a major catastrophe for nearby residents, according to planning board Chairman Neil Abelson. Abelson told the board of selectmen last week that a report filed with the town by the Pare Corp. cited the breakdown of the dam as creating "high potential" for loss of life and serious damage to property at the Grist Mill tavern. The owners of the Grist Mill commissioned the report from the Lincoln, R.I.-based company. The dam was last inspected in 2006 and is supposed to be inspected every two years. Abelson said the dam was in "fair" condition due to aging stone masonry and a long spillway. An emergency action plan has been drafted and approved by Fire Chief Alan Jack, who serves as the town's emergency management director. Abelson said the town needs to work with the owners of the Grist Mill to address the problem before it's too late. "Eventually, if it's just left to sit, something could happen," Abelson warned. Separately, selectmen plan to appoint between five and seven residents to a charter study committee that will review, evaluate, and make comparisons between the town charter and the charters of other communities. The board is crafting a mission statement of goals and objectives. Selectwoman Carol Bragg said Seekonk has "structural impediments," noting that there is "a problem with adversarial relationships with boards and commissions." Bragg hopes the charter commission will look at different forms of government to make Seekonk "a better community."