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Public speakers accuse council of rule‑breaking as debates over rights‑of‑way litigation and ethics surface
Summary
Speakers at the Westerly council meeting accused fellow councilors of procedural violations and withholding correspondence related to ongoing rights‑of‑way litigation; the town solicitor agreed to prepare a written memorandum on whether using the dais to promote a candidate violates Rhode Island ethics law.
Public comment at the Oct. 21 Westerly Town Council meeting turned pointed as speakers and some councilors traded accusations about procedure, withheld correspondence and ongoing litigation over shoreline rights of way.
Council Lombardo, speaking during the citizen comment period, criticized fellow councilors for what he called repeated violations of meeting procedure and said the pattern of lapses had contributed to a "crisis" that had led to several lawsuits. "When you don't follow a rule, then you start violating other rules," Lombardo said, calling the situation "very disappointing."
Ben Weber, who identified himself as residing at 3 Blossom Court, told the council correspondence about court filings had not been shared on the public docket and questioned whether the council had instructed the solicitor to file motions related to a Watch Hill Fire District lawsuit. Weber said the public had a right to know when the fire district filed a motion for summary judgment and urged the town to protect longstanding rights of way along barrier beaches.
Council members responded at length. Several said they had received legal materials from outside counsel (Hinckley Allen) and defended the role of the judiciary in resolving property‑law questions. Councilors cautioned that a town resolution alone does not supersede judicial process when private property and eminent‑domain questions are involved; one councilor described the issue as "not a slam dunk case" and urged staying the course with the town's lawyers.
Separately, a councilor asked whether using an elected platform to promote a political candidate violated Rhode Island ethics law after an invocation earlier in the meeting included an explicit prayer for a presidential candidate. Town Solicitor Connolly said he would prepare a written memorandum for the council citing the relevant sections of the state ethics code and related decisions.
The council also recorded several procedural votes and abstentions on the minutes and tabled certain executive‑session minutes pending solicitor review. The meeting closed after routine adjournment votes; the presiding officer reminded members to make recorded votes audible for the public record.
The meeting transcript contains typographical variations in the town name (appearing as "Wesley" in some lines); the town and officials are identified here using the correct local name, "Westerly," where the context makes clear the jurisdiction being discussed.
