Charlestown Chutzpah

The Land Trust wants to do another dishonest appraisal – and guess whose advice they want?

By Will Collette

At the February 13 Town Council meeting, the Charlestown Land Trust (CLT) pulled off a $475,000 heist of Charlestown taxpayers, selling the town a worthless easement on a piece of grossly overpriced land. The land price was based on an appraisal that used, in the words of the appraiser himself, assumptions known to be false.

However, before the state of Rhode Island releases its $367,000 grant for the purchase of the trashed-out YMCA Camp on Watchaug Pond, they at least have the good sense to demand an honest appraisal, one that is based on the real-world zoning and condition of the land.

Now the Charlestown Land Trust needs a new appraisal for the state, one that will pass the laugh test. The state demands it and, if the Charlestown Land Trust wants to regain trust and credibility here in Charlestown, they need to make sure they get an honest appraisal to justify the town’s $475,000 as well.

But it doesn't look like that's what will happen, if the Land Trust follows through on their March 12th letter to the Charlestown Planning Commission, their partner in pushing this bad land deal on the town. See the CLT letter to the Planning Commission at the end of this article. 

Guess they were too busy....

Charlestown Land Trust caught in embarrassing gaffe

By Will Collette

One of the most enjoyable moments in last night's otherwise awful Town Council meeting was a discovery about the Charlestown Land Trust uncovered by the leaders of the Charlestown Conservation Commission.

They revealed the Rhode Island Secretary of State had notified the Trust that they would lose their corporate charter in Rhode Island for failing to file their annual report and charter renewal.

The letter from the Secretary of State is shown at the end of the article in its entirety.

This caught the crowd by surprise. Here we were in the middle of the debate over whether the Town would give the Land Trust $475,000 so the Trust could buy the YMCA's busted out camp ground, and a serious question came up about the Trust's status as a good corporate citizen.

Happy Valentine's Day for the YMCA

Chariho School kids, Charlestown working families - DROP DEAD!

By Will Collette

As my colleague Tom Ferrio reported in the after-action account published last night, the fix WAS indeed in. The Council voted to take $475,000 of Charlestown taxpayers' money and give it to the Westerly YMCA and Charlestown Land Trust for the abandoned Y Camp on Watchaug Pond.

Though I clung to the hope that the measure might die on a 2-2 tie vote, the Town Council passed the measure by a 3-1 vote (Councilor Dan Slattery recused himself).

Sometime today, the Charlestown Land Trust will hand a check for $9,999 to the Westerly Y as the deal-sealer and will march on toward their planned April 16 closing.

Town Council Meeting - Play-by-Play

Council Approves funding for YMCA land purchase
Updated - including ClerkBase video links

Monday night's Town Council meeting was exhausting work for Council members and the audience. Even after deferring the new lighting ordinance to next month, the agenda was jaw-droppingly long with item after item that could prompt extensive citizen comments.

Here is our quick report on topics discussed and decisions made at the meeting. We will be publishing in-depth articles on several of the topics over the next few days.

Is the fix in on the YMCA Camp deal?

The Charlestown Citizens Alliance calls Town Council meeting a "CCA Event"

By Will Collette

In one of its increasingly rare e-mails to its list, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance sent a message Sunday morning to invite people to attend a "Charlestown Citizens Alliance Event." 

And what is that event? Why, none other than tonight's Charlestown Town Council meeting where the CCA hopes its controlling majority - Council President Tom Gentz, Vice-President Dan Slattery and their ally Lisa DiBello - will do their bidding.

Is the YMCA Camp rip-off a done deal?

The Y, the Charlestown Land Trust and the Planning Commission think it is

By Will Collette

If you review the documents attached to the agenda for tonight’s Town Council meeting (that’s Monday, February 13 at 7 PM), you would think that it’s now just a formality for the Council to rubber-stamp the heist of $475,000 of Charlestown taxpayers’ money to buy a trashed-out campground from the YMCA.

If you haven’t been paying attention, this is a moment of climax in the long-running saga of what to do with the 27.5 acres of campground on Watchaug Pond that was abandoned by the Westerly YMCA four years ago.

Town Council Preview – come early if you want to get a seat

Council members expect a large and rowdy crowd

By Will Collette

Background documents for the long, long agenda for the Town Council February 13 meeting were posted on Clerkbase on Friday afternoon.

Council member Lisa DiBello will be back in her seat, despite her recent lawsuit against the town (DiBello v.. Town of Charlestown). Conflicts of interest be damned – nothing will stop her from nominating another Hometown Hero or trying to take credit for Economic Improvement Commission ideas for the old Cross Mills Fire Station, or launching her new initiative to ban smoking at the Town beaches.