In what appears to be a play to elect an incoming member as Chair of the Committee, Republicans held a possibly illegal vote.
This is Steve's video of the meeting:
Thursday Tuesday evening, the Chariho School Committee held its first meeting under a new 7-5 Republican majority. Chariho is a regionalized school District with representatives from Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton. The School Committee is made up of four persons from each town. The unexpected resignation of Richmond Republican Kathryn Colasante has complicated the current lineup of the Committee.
Under
the law, the next highest vote-getter in the most recent election is offered a
spot on the Committee. That person is conservative Republican Louise
Dinsmore, co-founder of the Forgotten Taxpayers PAC,
former Chair of the Richmond Republican Town Committee, and a Chariho
Rotary Club board member.
“Who am I really?” asked Dinsmore at
a fundraiser for Chariho Forgotten Taxpayers PAC featuring South
Kingstown mother and anti-trans
activist Nicole Solas, “I’m a vocal taxpayer and Richmond resident
concerned about how my tax dollars are being spent by the town and the school
District.” Dinsmore also signed onto the Moms for Liberty Pledge while
running for office. Dinsmore joins Hopkinton Republican and Moms for
Liberty member Dianne Tefft, who was also elected to the
Committee last election. I
wrote about the pledge ahead of the election here.
A new committee chair must be elected per the State Chariho Regional School District Act, which governs the Chariho Regional School District. Instead of electing a new chair, the seven Republicans blocked the vote for reasons unknown but easily guessed. They are saving the Chair for Dinsmore, who was not sworn in as a member of the Committee as of last night’s meeting.
As Chariho Superintendent Gina Picard noted, not
electing a chair at the first meeting is breaking State law, and “if you choose
to break the State law, you would no longer be indemnified as school committee
members and have to get your own attorneys.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: Westerly Sun reporter Jason Vallee also covered the meeting. His article HERE largely confirms Steve Ahlquist's account. - Will Collette
All seven Republican members seemed to think it was worth the risk of a lawsuit. Here’s the transcript of the relevant parts, edited for clarity. In the cases of two or three of the speakers, I could not say definitively who was speaking, but in the context below, it matters little, as you will see:
Superintendent Picard: The Chariho Act, -
section 10, item two, states, “Within 10 days after the election and
certification of the members of the Regional School District Committee, said
Regional School District Committee shall meet and organize by selecting one of
their number to be chairperson of said Committee. At the first meeting of the
said Committee, following the election and qualification of new members, the
Committee shall elect a chairperson and elect other officers as are herein or
hereafter authorized. Every two years thereafter, at such first meeting
following a general election at which school committee members are elected, the
Regional School District Committee shall organize and elect or appoint such
officers.”
The school committee chairperson will be a Richmond
representative, and the vice chair will be a Charleston representative, per the
usual rotation. Vice Chair Reynolds will ask for the nominations for Chair at
this time.
Linda Lyall [Charlestown—I]: I’d like to
[nominate] Karen Reynolds as Chair. I have a couple of reasons
why… Karen has served as the vice chair with professionalism and grace for two
years, taking the role of vice chair and taking the role of Chair in Kathryn’s
absence. Karen has an excellent working knowledge of Robert’s Rules and
has shown she can lead an efficient but collaborative meeting. Also, in my
observations of Karen’s interactions with fellow school committee members… she
was always very positive and inclusive and willing to listen to all sides.
Therefore, I would like to put forth her name as Chair.
Jessica Purcell [Richmond—D]: I also nominate Karen
Reynolds as our Chair. She’s the longest-serving member of the Committee.
Serving as vice chair primed [her] nicely to be the Chair. I think it’s a
common sense and logical decision.
Polly Hopkins [Hopkinton—R]: I motion to table
this until the next school committee meeting, with the recognition that this is
Kathryn Colasante’s last school committee meeting and somebody else will be
taking her place. I don’t want to see the Richmond voters disenfranchised, with
that person not having the opportunity to take some of the subcommittee seats
and not having their votes included.
Superintendent Picard: I want to be clear that
the Chariho Act is law. At this point, as school committee members, if you
choose to break State law, you would no longer be indemnified and would have to
get your own attorneys if someone should move forward to file a lawsuit. I need
to make it clear that violating the Chariho Act is a violation of law. Again,
you’ll not be indemnified as school committee members.
Polly Hopkins [Hopkinton—R]: I made a motion.
Kathryn Colasante [Richmond—R]: I second.
Larry Phelps [Hopkinton—R]: I’ll second.
Karen Reynolds [Richmond—D]: Okay, discussion.
Superintendent Picard: Okay, so let me
understand there are people at this table willing to break the law and wait for
the next meeting.
Polly Hopkins [Hopkinton—R]: Please read that
again?
Superintendent Picard: [Rereads the pertinent section of
the Chariho Act.] Right now, the rotation is Richmond. Those who have
been elected are seated here. Appointments are not elections. The Chaiho Act is
very specific. I want to reiterate [that] I’m sharing the law with you, and if
it’s broken, you will no longer be indemnified as a school committee member.
You have to retain your own personal lawyers…
I can go back to the lawyer, but this is what it says in the
end.
Unknown Republican Committee Member: So, if
Louise gets certified this evening…
Superintendent Picard: We received all the
certifications of the elected members. [The law] does not talk about
appointments. [That]’s a different section. Kathryn Colasantee is sitting here
tonight and is the official elected member in the seat.
Kathryn Colasante [Richmond—R]: Yes. I have
spoken to an attorney about this and believe we can do it. I would like to see
if this Committee would move to vote on this right now.
Craig Louzon [Charlestown—I]: I have a question.
Was there discussion, by greater than a majority of the school committee, to do
what was just done?
Donna Chambers [Charlestown—I]: I am very
concerned, especially with the votes, that there is an Open Meetings Act
violation - telephone chats, whatever. It’s obvious to me [and] it has been
evident in the past that there are discussions [happening] outside of this
Committee. I’d put money on it.
But anyway, I have another question. I’m not quite sure I
understand the concern of tabling this vote. I don’t get it. I know what you
just said, Polly, but is tabling it going to make a difference? Karen was voted
in as vice chair. She served for two years as vice chair. The Richmond voters
reelected Karen. I don’t understand what the objection is to her serving as
Chair. I’m very concerned about this. I think there are a lot of Open Meetings
Act violations going on. There’s no question about it in my mind. We need to
proceed. I’m not ready to break the law on this.
Kathryn Colasante [Richmond—R]: Donna, you’re
making an allegation without proof. I know you think it looks a certain way. We
can all believe that things look a certain way. It’s simply an allegation at
this point. You are free to file whatever you think you need to file. That’s not
pertinent to what’s going on at the moment.
As I said, I spoke to an attorney about this prior. I
intended that we have a seamless transition… I believe we do not have the
entire Committee to sit here for the next two years to choose from for a chair.
That is not fair to the full membership of this Committee. I got legal counsel
on this, so I would like to move forward with simply voting to table this.
Craig Louzon [Charlestown—I]: Could this be a
roll call vote, please? So, those who vote in favor of this will be
acknowledged as being liable for themselves.
Superintendent Picard: I [had] hoped we had all
learned from what happened the last time when people said they had lawyers they
consulted, and then the Town of Richmond ended up paying $25,000. We do not
have that kind of money to put in recklessly. You have an entire committee.
We’re here to do the business of the students. I’m unclear why I have 12 school
committee members seated here right now, and we’re not moving forward with the
State law. I’m putting that on record because I am not okay with breaking the
law at any point in time.
Linda Lyall [Charlestown—I]: A couple of
comments. Number one, it was pre-planning if you had to consult an attorney so
you knew there would be an issue. Number two, you are representing Richmond
right now, officially and legally. So Richmond does have the four officials
that they need. I don’t understand what the argument is…
Jessica Purcell [Richmond—D]: As someone
disenfranchised from my seat for six months, I see nothing wrong with moving
forward with a vote on a chair when we’re all sitting here. You said you wanted
a seamless transition. That’s why you’re here to vote on this pertinent issue
of electing a chair. It’s eight days till Christmas. The new year is coming up.
I don’t want to go into the new year and a new budget season without a chair.
Karen has shown herself to be respected and respectful of everyone and is ready
to step into the position.
Kathryn Colasante [Richmond—R]: You said that
Richmond has representation with me for this meeting, but going forward, we are
not choosing from all the representatives for Richmond. I believe the legally
appointed person will be sworn in tomorrow night. It’s egregious to have this
agenda item, which will bar her from being considered for Chair. Because I
could anticipate this happening, I consulted with a lawyer. However, some
people seem to feel like they have a crystal ball, and they can figure out
what’s going on in my life. I did not plan, after the last election, to resign
from this position. However, we all have lives, and [though the] school
committee is important to me, it is not the priority. Things came up that
caused me to realize, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that this was something I
had to do.
However, looking at the political landscape, we can’t be
ignorant and pretend that we live in a world without thinking it could happen
if this goes this way. Looking at the political landscape, I said, “You know
what? I do not want this Committee to lose a Richmond representative because we
had an interim where we had a seat that was left vacated for a little while. I
also did not want the new member to be in a position where she did not get full
consideration. For that reason, I consulted an attorney.
Donna Chambers [Charlestown—I]: I’m very
confused because I understand Louise Dinsmore will replace you. Is she
[Dinsmore] saying that she would like to be Chair of this Committee?
Kathryn Colasante [Richmond—R]: I don’t want to
preclude her from being considered. I have no clue how the vote would go.
However, I know that she would be precluded if we voted tonight... Voting for
subcommittees is also on the table, and my replacement is not here. I think
that is egregious.
Superintendent Picard: The subcommittees can
wait. That’s not in the Chariho Act.
Kathryn Colasante [Richmond—R]: I think we can
also wait on this.
Superintendent Picard: But Kathryn, you’re here.
You’re here.
Kathryn Colasante [Richmond—R]: I will not be
here after this meeting. To say that I’m here tonight has any implications
going forward - it does not. We do not have the full Committee sitting here for
the next two years.
And I won’t be redundant in repeating myself. This is the
last time I will say it because we will not have the full Committee of Richmond
candidates tonight to vote. It is egregious to force the vote tonight, and
that’s my position. With that said, I did consult an attorney, and that is my
position.
Craig Louzon [Charlestown—I]: I move the motion.
Karen Reynolds [Richmond—D]: Okay, move the
motion. We’ll hold a roll call vote, so if you’re voting in favor, you are
voting to break the State law of the Chariho Act.
The Committee voted 7-5 to choose a new chair at the next
meeting.
Donna Chambers [Charlestown—I]: Oh my God.
Karen Reynolds [Richmond—D]: Okay.
Donna Chambers [Charlestown—I]: Is it tabled?
Unbelievable.
The Committee then voted to discuss all subcommittee
assignments at the next meeting.
40 minutes later, at the end of the meeting.
Karen Reynolds [Richmond—D]: Any requests for
future agenda items?
Larry Phelps [Hopkinton—R]: I’d like to see if
we can schedule a special meeting within 10 days to elect a chair.
Superintendent Picard: You already passed the 10
days.
Unknown speaker: Are you kidding me?
Superintendent Picard: The election was held on
November 7th, and based on the clerks’ certification, it has already passed.
Larry Phelps [Hopkinton— R]: Okay.
A motion to adjourn was made and seconded.
Karen Reynolds [Richmond—D]: All those in favor?
All hands go up.
Karen Reynolds [Richmond—D]: Look, it’s unanimous
