Based upon the totality of the evidence, we cannot conclude that the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority ("RITBA") willfully or knowingly violated the OMA. The facts establish that the RITBA failed to file "official and/or approved" minutes on the Secretary of State's website for its July 9,
In Gorman v. Central Coventry Fire District, Board of Directors and Fay v. Central Coventry Fire District, Board of Directors, OM14-09, this Department concluded that five (5) matters/violations warranted further investigation. Specifically, these matters included the Board's: (1) failure to...
The Complainant sought minutes for executive sessions convened on July 23, 2013, November 5, 2013, and November 19, 2013. Because the July 23, 2013 executive session minutes were not sealed, these executive session minutes were public records. Conversely, because the November 2013 executive...
The Office of Attorney General today filed a complaint in Rhode Island Superior Court citing the Nasonville Fire District for violations of the Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act (APRA) for failure to respond to an APRA request within the time as prescribed by law.
On January 15, 2014,...
On September 15, 2014, the Complainant requested data and images extracted from an individual's cell phone during a search warrant. On September 26, 2014, the City denied the APRA request, citing, among other provisions, R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(D)(c), which exempts from public disclosure...
The Complainant alleged various APRA violations against the Fire District and while many of these allegation were found to be non-meritorious, this Department did find that the Fire District failed to provide the specific reasons for the denial, see R.I. Gen. Laws 38-2-7(a), and failed to provide...
The Complainant alleged the RITBA violated the APRA when it improperly withheld records responsive to her August 9, 2013 APRA request. The APRA request sought amendments made to a contract and this request was denied by letter dated August 13, 2013 when RITBA represented that the requested...
The Complaint alleged that the Fire District committed numerous OMA violations ranging from 2004 to 2013, typically relating to maintaining open session minutes and the failure to articulate and record an open call. See R.I. Gen. Laws 42-46-7(a); 42-46-4. This Department determined that the Fire...
The Town denied Complainant's request for the resumes of the top five (5) individuals who applied for the position of Finance Director and the resume of the individual selected for that position, and the resumes of the top five (5) individuals who applied for the position of Director of Public...
Complainant filed an APRA request seeking "all debts paid and owed due to negotiations with the Portsmouth Police Union to include legal fees, witnesses, actuary costs, etc." The Town responded by providing Complainant with numerical information and/or a narrative response and asserted that...
