What was Uncle Fluffy up to?

Odd little fight at the close of April 23 Town Council meeting

By Will Collette

One thing you don’t see very often is a heated debate and sharply split vote over whether to accept the minutes of a previous meeting. But in Charlestown these days, the bizarre has become commonplace.

You could have seen this coming when Town Council Boss Tom Gentz pulled an odd maneuver at the first half of the Town Council’s bifurcated April meeting on April 9. At the end of that meeting, as the Council was about to approve all of the noncontroversial “consent agenda” items, Gentz asked that instead of routinely approving the March 12 Town Council minutes, they be set aside “for further research.”

Near the end of the Town Council’s April 23^rd meeting, after the CCA-controlled Town Council majority – and particularly Council Vice President Deputy Dan Slattery – took a beating from citizens for their ill-conceived attack on the town’s stewardship of Ninigret Park, Boss Gentz asked that the minutes of the March 12 Council meeting be changed.

What did he have in mind, asked his Council colleagues?

Town Council meeting – color commentary

A very bad night for Deputy Dan and the town council majority

Deputy Dan plays "Three Resolution Monte"

By Will Collette

Last night, my colleague Tom Ferrio, in keeping with Progressive Charlestown’s proud tradition, gave you a rundown of the Town Council’s second “regular” meeting for April. While Tom gave you the who, what and when, I get to give you the “why,” plus my own snarky commentary.

The main event of the evening was Deputy Dan and his posse having to saddle up and high-tail it out of town with their proposal for Charlestown to give up its rights to use Ninigret Park.

But before getting into that, let me begin by congratulating Patricia “Pat” Anderson on her appointment as acting Town Administrator. She is stepping into a hard job in the wake of Town Administrator William DiLibero’s resignation triggered by the CCA’s “Kill Bill” campaign of character assassination.

Council Meeting, April 23, play-by-play

by Tom Ferrio

The way I count it, this is the third round of this month's Town Council action. The first meeting night was April 9 and then we had the special Kill Bill session on April 19.

Monday night's continuation of the April 9 session focused on Dan Slattery's motions to take control of Ninigret Park away from the organization that has run it since it became part of the town.

Will gave you a preview here and all of our coverage of this month's TC meetings can be seen here.

There were other items left on the agenda, but they were primarily cool-down events.

The Ninigret Park Giveaway

Why would anyone give away their rights to use property they own?

By Deborah Carney

Why would anyone give away their rights to use property they own? That very scenario could come to pass in Charlestown.

The March 12, 2012, Town Council meeting agenda, and two subsequent agendas, included three resolutions from Councilor Dan Slattery, each involving Ninigret Park. Councilor Slattery proposed that Charlestown create agreements with various entities that would require the Town to get permission from non-Ninigret Park owners. 

The premise behind these agreements is that somehow the Federal Government will take back Ninigret Park from Charlestown unless the town gives up its rights to the land.  Land that Charlestown owns.

Town Council serves up garbage soup on April 23

CCA’s War on Ninigret Park tops the bill for second “Regular” Council meeting for April

By Will Collette

Charlestown’s Town Council majority hasn’t quite finished its April apocalypse – they will meet once more to see if they can do more damage to the town before wrapping up the month of April.

This will be their second “regular” meeting. They held a “special Executive Meeting” on Thursday where they pushed Town Administrator Bill DiLibero to resign. One new item on their Monday agenda that is not a carryover from the April 9 meeting is discussion about who the Town Council majority (Boss Gentz, Deputy Dan Slattery and Lisa DiBello) will pick as an “acting” Town Administrator. Anyone want to make any guesses?

What now?

Readers ask what they can do now that the CCA has “Killed Bill”

By Will Collette

The vicious character assassination by the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) that led to Thursday night’s resignation by Town Administrator William DiLibero is still sending shock waves through Charlestown.

Town staff don’t know whether the CCA attack on town workers will stop at DiLibero or whether other town employees will also be pushed out.

Fortunately for town staff, they are all protected by some form of collective bargaining agreement.

That includes town department heads, who have organized themselves into a professionals’ association.

The Verdict

Town Administrator DiLibero resigns

By Will Collette

In the climax of one of the most disgusting, twisted campaigns of misinformation Charlestown has seen in many years, embattled Town Administrator William DiLibero tendered his resignation which will become effective on June 18.

This action was conducted in closed 90 minute Executive Session meeting of the Council on Thursday, April 9.

Talk about foregone conclusions...

Check out this agenda item for next Monday's regular Town Council meeting

By Will Collette

Town Administrator Bill DiLibero is scheduled to have his fair trial, followed by his execution, at today's Town Council "Executive Session" at 5:30 PM at Town Hall.

We have covered the issues surrounding the CCA's relentless – and unjust – "Kill Bill" campaign to fire DiLibero. Even though this campaign has been fueled by lies, misinformation, selective release of documents, and character assassination, I had at least expected the CCA-controlled Town Council majority to go through the motions of due process.

Lest there be any doubt about the likely outcome of DiLibero's fair and impartial hearing before the Town Council, check out this agenda item from Monday's Town Council Meeting:

8.         NEW BUSINESS....

h.   Discussion and possible appointment of an Acting Town Administrator

An alternative "Kill Bill" narrative

One that I think is better supported by the facts

Target of trumped-up charges?

by Tom Ferrio

The CCA has now trumpeted Maureen Areglado's comments at the April 9 Town Council meeting (here), making it clear this is part of a CCA-driven campaign to oust Town Administrator Bill DiLibero. Will dissected Ms. Areglado's "facts" here, but facts no longer seem to be relevant. It's all about hammering home a narrative despite the facts.

Ms. Areglado's talk April 9 made it clear to me that this campaign would not let up no matter how much scorched earth results. That got me looking back over the timeline and documents to come to my conclusion about the leading issue in this campaign: the suggested wind turbines at Ninigret Park.

Now that CCA has three "fire" votes it hardly seems to matter, but I feel obligated to show how far from the truth their narrative seems to be.

The Fateful Fifty-six Days

Kill Bill, Part Seven: when not even hindsight is 20/20

By Will Collette

Deputy Dan is stocking up on the charcoal as Town Administrator William DiLibero is due for yet another grilling by the Town Council majority today, Thursday, April 19, at the Council’s special agenda-setting meeting. The meeting starts at 5:30 PM.

The Charlestown Citizens Alliance wants DiLibero fired, even though they once loved and praised him, because he no longer fits their agenda. Indeed, it helps the CCA to use DiLibero as a target because it distracts public attention away from the major foul-ups by the CCA’s Town Council majority and Planning Commission. Nothing captures the attention of the masses more than a public execution.

AGENDA

TOWN OF CHARLESTOWN

TOWN COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING

April 19, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.

Charlestown Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown

The Town Council will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on April 19, 2012 at the Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown.  The agenda is as follows:

1.   Call to Order and Roll Call

2.   The Town Council may vote to move into Executive Session pursuant to RIGL §42-46-4&5(a) (1) Personnel (Town Administrator-Performance Evaluation)

3.   Potential action, announcement and/or vote(s) from Executive Session concerning Town Administrator’s performance evaluation which may involve discipline, resignation and/or termination

4.   Adjournment

Exhibits A and B in the CCA attack on DiLibero are both, coincidentally, letters from Elyse LaForest, an official in the Interior Department’s Boston Regional office who runs this region’s federal Lands to Parks Program.

Westerly Sun reports DiBello can vote to “Kill Bill”

Ethics Commission issues ruling allowing DiBello to vote on personnel action against her former boss

By Will Collette

Cassidy Swanson at the Westerly Sun has just reported that the RI Ethics Commission has issued a ruling that clears the way for all five Charlestown Town Council members to vote on the fate of embattled Town Administrator William DiLibero by allowing Councilor Lisa DiBello to vote despite her litigation that names DiLibero as a defendant. My sources confirm Ms. Cassidy’s report.

The Town Council will meet in a special Executive Session at 5:30 PM tomorrow, Thursday, April 19.

AGENDA

TOWN OF CHARLESTOWN

TOWN COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING

April 19, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.

Charlestown Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown

The Town Council will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on April 19, 2012 at the Town Hall, 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown.  The agenda is as follows:

1.   Call to Order and Roll Call

2.   The Town Council may vote to move into Executive Session pursuant to RIGL §42-46-4&5(a) (1) Personnel (Town Administrator-Performance Evaluation)

3.   Potential action, announcement and/or vote(s) from Executive Session concerning Town Administrator’s performance evaluation which may involve discipline, resignation and/or termination

4.   Adjournment

What’s next for the CCA?

Y-Gate…”Kill Bill”…the Battle for Ninigret…RHOTAP and the CCA War on Families

By Will Collette

Charlestown’s shadow government, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA), has taken a big roll of the dice. At Monday night’s Town Council meeting, the CCA got a chance to see how well its major initiatives play out when put to the test.

Let’s take a deep breath and review some of their major policy initiatives and think about what might come next after a pretty bad night for the CCA agenda and their two champions on the Town Council, Boss Tom Gentz and his henchman, Deputy Dan Slattery.

Cheryl Dowdell comments at Council meeting

Cheryl P. Dowdell

by Cheryl P. Dowdell, Vice Chair, 

Parks and Recreation Commission

Good evening to you all and thank you for this time on the agenda.

I serve as Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Paula Anderson, unfortunately, could not be here and I am happy to speak.


Read the rest of her speech past the break or listen here.

Parsing a recusal

Revenge or Recusal?
by Tom Ferrio

Your reporter was confused by part of Lisa DiBello's speech at the beginning of Monday's Town Council Executive Session and so spent some time researching the background.

Here is a report.

Who owns Ninigret Park?

Testimony presented by Deborah Carney before the Charlestown Town Council, April 9, 2012

[With links to documents, you can watch here]

Good Evening.  I’m Deborah Carney. I’ve been actively involved in our community for over 12 years.  I previously served as Chair of the Chariho Exit Committee, I served 4 years as President of the Charlestown Town Council, I was a member of the Charlestown Ad Hoc Withdrawal Update Committee, I am a former Chair of the Charter Revision Committee and I am a current member of the Chariho School Committee. 

I mention all this because I have a history that involves knowledge of past events, past agreements and past meetings.

Town Council Meeting - the April Play-by-Play

by Will Collette and Tom Ferrio

The published agenda was daunting but your intrepid reporters were there, in person and online, to get you the earliest summary of Monday's Town Council meeting.

Preview of totally insane Town Council meeting on Monday, April 9

Council has incredible number of controversial subjects

By Will Collette

The supporting documents for the Town Council’s April 9 (Monday) meeting just went up on Clerkbase this morning for an agenda that is loaded with an extraordinary number of complex and controversial issues.

Charlestown voters are just not going to have much time to look at these documents and digest them, especially on a holiday weekend. Fortunately, your trusty Progressive Charlestown crew have been tracking these issues and will provide you with a tip sheet (and over the weekend, we’ll give you our analysis and opinion of key documents).

The Council will begin its evening on Monday night with a closed-door Executive session. In that session, they will discuss the various lawsuits, contracts and other sensitive matters that are exempt from immediate public disclosure.

They will also have a “Personnel” discussion with and about Town Administrator William DiLibero, the target of the CCA’s “Kill Bill”campaign, and his implacable enemies, Councilors Deputy Dan Slattery and Lisa DiBello.