Richmond council, in closed session, authorizes mediator settlement and tentative union contract

The Richmond Town Council voted unanimously in executive session to authorize a proposed mediator settlement and to approve a tentative collective-bargaining agreement, the council said after it reconvened.

Council President Ed Wilcox announced the outcomes after the council returned from closed session and held roll-call votes. Council documents and the meeting record show the council made two formal motions during the closed session: one authorizing the town solicitor (Attorney Ruzak) to proceed with the proposed mediator settlement and present necessary documents to the court, and a second approving a tentative contract for the town’s bargaining unit (identified in the meeting as the IBPO agreement). Both motions were seconded and passed unanimously, Wilcox said.

The council also voted to seal the executive-session minutes. Wilcox said two votes were taken in the executive session and that both passed unanimously. The council did not discuss settlement terms or contract details in public after the vote.

Why this matters: Votes taken in executive session often resolve pending litigation or bargaining matters that can affect the town’s budget and legal exposure. In this case, the council authorized town attorneys to move forward with a mediated settlement and approved a tentative labor contract, but did not disclose terms at the meeting.

The council’s procedural steps: After entering executive session under the Rhode Island open-meetings statute cited at the meeting — RIGL 42-46-5 — the council took the two motions, recorded unanimous approvals on return to open session, and subsequently voted to seal the executive-session minutes. The council did not provide additional public details about either the settlement or the tentative contract during the meeting. The council president said staff would follow up with any further public actions as required.