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Coventry council pauses votes, debates charter quorum and paths to obtain unredacted invoices
Summary
With one council member unexpectedly absent, the council postponed votes that require the charter quorum, voted to enter and seal executive session minutes, and heard public requests to obtain unredacted invoices in the Angel Law matter; the Acting Solicitor advised options including voting now with later ratification or waiting for the charter quorum.
The Coventry Town Council delayed votes on several docketed items Monday because an absence left the body below the charter-required four-member quorum for certain actions. Council President Verducci announced that votes requiring the higher charter quorum would be continued to the next meeting. Earlier the council voted 3–0 to enter executive session for three litigation matters and later voted 3–0 to seal the executive session minutes.
Several residents urged the council to pursue access to unredacted invoices tied to the town’s contract with Angel Law. Jason Nunes asked how a draft resolution would permit councilors to obtain unredacted bills; Acting Solicitor read contract provisions and relevant Rhode Island statutes and said the council could either take the action now and require ratification at the next meeting or postpone action until the charter quorum is present to avoid legal risk.
The public also debated whether state statute or the town charter governs quorum determination when the council size changes; members of the public argued state law allows a majority of sitting councilors to act, while the Acting Solicitor advised the council to follow the charter’s higher quorum requirement. The solicitor cited statutory language pointing to the charter’s controlling effect for city and town governance.
Actions taken: council voted 3–0 to enter executive session (reasons recited on the record), voted 3–0 to exit the session, and voted 3–0 to seal the executive-session minutes. The council voted to open public comment on docketed items by a 3–0 vote. No substantive votes on resolutions that require the higher quorum were taken; those items were continued to the next meeting.
