The Complainant alleged that the North Kingstown Interview Committee was a public body under the OMA and was failing to comply with open meetings requirements. The undisputed evidence indicated that the Interview Committee was established by the Superintendent to assist with the selection of a new...
The Complainant alleged that the Commission violated the OMA when it held a site visit where members of the public were separated from the Commission members. The undisputed evidence revealed that during the site visit, a quorum of the Commission engaged in a "collective discussion" outside the...
The Complainant alleged that School Committee members discussed School Committee matters outside the public purview at some time prior to a public meeting. The School Committee submitted uncontroverted evidence in affidavit form that after being elected, the School Committee members did not...
The Complainant alleged that the Fishermen's Advisory Board ("FAB") violated the OMA by meeting outside the public purview and by failing to post timely notice for a meeting. Guided by Rhode Island Supreme Court precedent, we concluded based on the totality of the evidence that the FAB is not a...
The Complainant alleged that the Town Council violated the OMA when the Town Council President made statements during a public meeting that appeared to indicate the existence of conversations outside the public purview concerning the reappointment of municipal and probate judges. After requesting...
The Complainant alleged that members of the South Kingstown School Committee engaged in electronic and non-verbal communications outside the public purview during its April 9, 2019 meeting. Based on the undisputed evidence, we concluded that the evidence did not show that a quorum of the School...
The Complainant alleged that the Police Department violated the APRA when it failed to respond to her September 18, 2018 APRA request. The Police Department represented that it inadvertently failed to request an extension pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-3(e) and conceded that it failed to...
The Complainant alleged that the School violated the OMA when it failed to post notice of a March 29, 2019 meeting on the Secretary of State's website. The School submitted undisputed evidence that the March 29, 2019 event was a public hearing for public comment pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19....
The Complainant alleged that the Department of Public Safety ("DPS") and the Division of Motor Vehicles violated the Access to Public Records Act ("APRA") in responding to his APRA requests. The undisputed evidence indicated that the DPS withheld certain documents because disclosure could...
The Complainant alleged the Scituate Plan Commission ("Commission") failed to post meeting minutes for several meetings on the Secretary of State's website. The Commission acknowledged its failure to post meeting minutes for its December 18, 2018, January 15, 2019, February 19, 2019, March 19, 2019,
