Charlestown Council Studies Standing in Portsmouth Suit, Advances Bikeway Review
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The Charlestown Town Council voted 5-0 at Tuesday night's
meeting to have the town planner and the planning solicitor research whether
Charlestown has legal standing to join Portsmouth's Superior Court lawsuit over
state development laws, before any town money is committed. That is according
to the Charlestown Town Council's published
meeting recording.
The council also voted to set up a field meeting with state
transportation officials about bicycle markings on Old Post Road. It ordered
the beverage license applications, which the clerk said are all renewals,
advertised for a Nov. 9 public hearing and announced three openings on a
regional school building committee.
Portsmouth lawsuit: research first, money later
Councilor Van Slyke said that, from her understanding,
Charlestown's share would be a flat fee of $4,106.95, which would get the group
through the briefing at the preliminary injunction hearing.
Town Administrator Jeffrey Allen said he contacted Joe
Larisa, an attorney involved in the case, and received an email from him. Allen
relayed that Larisa said the effort seeks one flat fee based on population,
that no town is obligated for more without a vote, and that Portsmouth has
already obligated $20,000. Allen said Hopkinton is currently the only town that
has joined, and that other towns have the matter on their dockets.
EDITOR's NOTE: Attorney Joe Larisa is a controversial figure known for representing rightwing anti-government causes. He is Charlestown's lawyer for "Indian Affairs" and his constant attacks against the Narragansett Indian Tribe have drawn accusations of racism from tribal leaders. - Will Collette
Councilor Van Slyke said the planner and Planning Commission
have proposed specific changes in the past without result. "Hope is not a
plan," she said, adding that working with legislators and joining the suit
is not an either-or.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Councilor Van Slyke is the only council member aligned with the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA). Nearly everything she says is scripted for her by de facto CCA leader Ruth Platner. Van Slyke is well known for her untrue statements and nonsense speech. For examples, read my series of "Slyke of Hand" columns. One that is tightly related to this article covers Van Slyke's defense of the botched Charlestown Comprehensive Plan written by Van Slyke's master, Ruth Platner.- Will Collette
Other members favored waiting. One council member said the
better course was to have the town planner propose changes to the laws and
bring them to Charlestown's senators and representatives in the new legislative
session. Councilor Peter Slom asked what would happen if too few towns
contributed. A council member noted that Portsmouth also has an election next
month. Slom said he would like to hear directly from the attorneys before
committing money.
Councilor Stephen Stokes said that while in principle he supported supporting Portsmouth, not committing to the lawsuit was prudent. Stokes said the town lacked information on which towns would join and lacked concrete financials. He also asked whether Charlestown has grievances specific to the town, which would be needed to have standing in the case.
Town Solicitor Peter Ruggiero said a party must be aggrieved
to have standing. Ruggiero said the town would have to show how the challenged
provisions negatively affected it.
Councilor Craig Marr then moved that the town planner and
planning solicitor gather the information needed to decide whether the town has
standing and whether to move forward, before outside funds are allocated. The
motion passed 5-0.
Old Post Road bicycle markings
A member of the Block Island Sound Bikeway Ad Hoc Committee
said state transportation officials have already installed signs on Old Post
Road indicating bicycles may use the full lane. The committee member said the
next step discussed with the state is "sharrows," which are bicycle
symbols with chevrons painted on the pavement.
According to the committee member, the state said it would
place sharrows at 500-foot intervals. The state's current suggestion is to add
more signs first and evaluate sharrows later. The committee member said the
state asked whether sharrows would affect the historic character along the
road.
Council members said the final decision should come back to
the council rather than rest with the committee. A council member said that is
where they ride their bike all the time and that their wife had been hit on
that road by a truck.
The council voted 5-0 to authorize the town administrator to
arrange a meeting with state transportation officials. The meeting would
include two council members, the bikeway committee, the town planner and the
public works director. A council member said the two council members would be
picked once a date is set.
Licenses and appointments
Sitting as the Beverage Licensing Board, the council voted
4-0 to advertise the beverage license applications on the agenda for a public
hearing on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Charlestown Town Hall, Council Chambers. One
council member recused. The town clerk said all of the applications are
renewals.
In a separate 4-0 vote, the council ordered general
entertainment license applications advertised for the same hearing. The
addresses for The Breachway Grill and one other applicant will be added to the
notice.
The council voted 5-0 to announce three openings for
residents on the regional school district's unified elementary campus building
committee. The openings follow a request from Superintendent Gina Picard. A
council member said any vacancies have to be announced a month before any
appointments could be made.
Other business
The council pulled the town administrator's September report
from the
consent agenda, the bundle of routine items approved in a single vote, for
discussion. The report noted that Allen is the only Rhode Island town official
on an Amtrak Public Advisory Committee. Allen said the committee's kickoff
meeting, set for the following day, is not a public meeting. During public
comment, resident Frances Topping suggested the administrator highlight items
from the monthly report at meetings.
What's next
The council's next meetings are Monday, Oct. 26, and Monday,
Nov. 9, both at 7 p.m. at Charlestown Town Hall, Council Chambers. Early
in-person voting runs 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through the Monday before Election
Day. On Election Day, polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A 250th anniversary time
capsule burial is planned at Town Hall on Dec. 14.
This story was sourced from the complete transcript of
the meeting and carefully summarized with an LLM. While we make every effort to
ensure accuracy, the possibility of transcription errors could lead to
inaccuracies. How
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