Middletown council recesses open meeting to discuss land purchases, personnel and litigation

The Town of Middletown council recessed its open meeting and moved into an executive session to discuss land-acquisition plans, personnel matters and potential litigation, the chair announced.

The chair told the room, "We're gonna get started with the executive session," and asked attendees who were not part of the session to leave. The clerk then read the statutory basis for the closed session aloud as "Rhode Island general law sections 42 46 2, 42 46 4, and 42 46 5 a," and listed the topics the council intended to consider: land acquisition on West Main Road and East Main Road; personnel matters involving the town administrator, the fire chief, the deputy finance director and the health services coordinator; and two items of potential litigation.

Before the executive session motion, the chair asked the clerk to call the roll; the clerk read the roster and reported that a quorum was present. After the chair moved "Motion to recess open session, reconvene in executive session," another member seconded the motion and a voice vote produced "Aye" responses. The chair thanked attendees and the public portion of the meeting recessed.

No substantive details about the land parcels, personnel matters or litigation were discussed on the public record; the council placed those matters on the executive session agenda under the cited Rhode Island statutes.