Guilty! Grebien Administration Charter Review Minions Found In Violation of Multiple Open Meeting Laws

Repudiation is the watchword in Pawtucket City Hall as the Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General found the Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien-led Charter Review Commission … Most say founded as an act of political retribution against an independent Pawtucket School Committee …  guilty of two outright violations of the Rhode Island Open Meetings Act, and, in the absence of jurisdiction, spiritually guilty in virtually every outright facet of the Charter Commissions actions.

The OMA complaint, originally filed by Pawtucket Activist/School Committee Candidate, David Fargnoli in August of 2023, was the target of a series of tortured intercessions by Pawtucket City Solicitor Frank Milos. The City finally responded September 26. Mr. Fargnoli responded to the City’s specious claims September 28. The decision was released this week. Multiple delays were accorded Mr. Milos, and the City of Pawtucket. (The Coalition is not surprised: The “Legal Strategy” employed by Attorney Milos consists solely of delays & obfuscation)

Both the Agenda & Notice were found in violation of Rhode Island Law.

From The Decision

“Here, the Commission’s posted agendas for both the August 1, 2023 and August 2, 2023 meetings
informed the public only that the Commission would be discussing “ideas and/or modifications
to the Pawtucket City Charter.” This agenda item is facially broad and vague. The agenda item is
especially broad given the fact that it is for a meeting of the Charter Review Commission, which
presumably discusses “ideas and/or modifications to the Pawtucket City Charter” at almost all of
its meetings. The minutes from the August 1, 2023 meeting reveal that at that meeting the
Commission discussed changes to the City Charter pertaining to purchasing and unspecified
suggested amendments from department heads. The minutes from the August 2, 2023 meeting
reveal that at that meeting the Commission discussed potential alternatives to the method for
selection of school committee members. The agenda item used for both meetings was too vague
to inform the public that these Charter-related topics would be discussed and to differentiate
between what business would be discussed at each of the two meetings.”

The OMA requires that all public bodies “give supplemental written public notice of any meeting
within a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours, excluding weekends and state holidays in the count
of hours, before the date.” RI Gen. Laws § 42-46-6(b) (emphasis added). Here, the Commission
posted the supplemental notice (meeting agenda) for the August 8, 2023 meeting on August 6
2023.
Because August 6, 2023 was a Sunday, the Commission failed to post the supplemental notice of
its August 8, 2023 meeting within forty-eight hours, excluding weekends. See R.I. Gen. Laws §
42-46-6(b). The Commission concedes that “per the strict language of the statute, [it] should have
filed said notice on or before August 4, 2023.” Accordingly, we find the Commission violated the
OMA

While the Attorney General’s Office recommended no formal sanction? Readers of the decision can infer that the ruling begins to build the foundation of a case against what Pawtucket Citizens have long known:  that the Administration of Mayor Donald Grebien routinely ignores the civil rights of its citizens.