Burrillville resident urges council to remove land records from third‑party vendor, raises privacy concerns about new business‑license process

Mary Ryan of Mapleville used the public‑comment period at the Burrillville Town Council's Oct. 23 meeting to press officials on new business‑license procedures and on the town's use of a third‑party website for land records.

"The town of Burrillville has absolutely no right to collect or maintain any personal information of citizens," Ryan said, alleging the town's vendor, OpenGov, "collects and shares personal information" and that the new process requires business owners to create accounts and upload sensitive documents. She also said the town now requires business owners to submit to background checks (BCI checks) annually, a change she said raises privacy and constitutional concerns.

Ryan said she had requested to be placed on the meeting agenda but was removed by "Mr. Fox," and she urged the council to review what she described as improper practices by the town clerk and town manager. She asked the council to "remove all land records from the third‑party website," saying online land records have been targeted in identity‑theft schemes.

The presiding official repeatedly interrupted to offer to place Ryan's matter on the council's first November meeting instead of allowing a full reading of her prepared statement at length; Ryan said she would return in November if necessary. No formal vote or staff response to Ryan's specific requests was recorded during the meeting.

The concerns Ryan raised touch on several municipal decisions that the council may need to clarify before the next meeting: which vendor contract provisions authorize collection or display of records, what the town's data‑retention policies are, and the circumstances under which the town requires background checks for business licenses. Ryan named OpenGov in her comments as the vendor; the council did not provide an on‑the‑record answer during the session.