Westerly council votes to invite AG, reopen negotiations in Watch Hill Fire District rights dispute

Westerly town council members voted on Nov. 17 to invite the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office into a future executive session on the Watch Hill Fire District lawsuit and to authorize the town solicitor to resume negotiations with the fire district over a longstanding right‑of‑way dispute.

Chair's report and votes: After a closed executive session, the council chair reported two sealed votes: a 7–0 vote to invite the state Attorney General’s office to consult on the litigation and a 5–2 vote authorizing the town solicitor to reopen negotiations with the Watch Hill Fire District. The minutes from the executive session were sealed.

Public concern and council response: The votes followed extended public comment from Ben Weber, chair of the Harbor Management Commission, who criticized the council for what he called an absence of clear direction to the town’s legal team and urged more aggressive legal steps, including motions for summary judgment and subpoenas for records. “To me, that’s concerning,” Weber said, asserting he had received no clear answers before a recent hearing.

Members defended ongoing work: Councilors and town officials pushed back on public criticisms while noting the limits imposed by litigation and executive‑session confidentiality. Councilors said the town solicitor has acted at the direction of the council and that some recent court outcomes favored the town. One councilor emphasized that executive session constrains what can be said publicly while litigation is active.

Records and discovery concerns: After Weber’s remarks, an intervenor’s attorney, Michael Rubin, addressed public records in a related Spring Avenue right‑of‑way matter and said he had circulated a WPA project map and compiled discovery to rebut assertions that relevant documents were withheld. Anthony Palazolo, a North Stonington resident who has filed multiple records requests, later told the council that the town initially replied to several APA requests claiming it had no Highway Commission records — a response he said was inaccurate given extensive cataloged files at the town DPW engineering library.

What the council decided: The formal invitations and authorization reported out from executive session place the attorney general’s office in line to review the town’s position and give the solicitor authority to pursue renewed discussions with the opposing party. No settlement terms were announced publicly and minutes remain sealed.

Next steps: The council’s chair said the issues would continue to be handled by the solicitor’s office with possible participation by the Attorney General. Public records concerns heard at the meeting may be addressed separately through the town’s records process or through procedural discovery in the litigation.