On the heels of announcing three open government settlements in the past two weeks, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today announced that the Office had reached settlements with the Albion Fire District for violations of the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the City of Woonsocket for a violation of...

The complainant alleged the Warwick Board of Canvassers ("Board") violated the APRA when he made an oral request for a site map and the Board required him to complete a form. The APRA provides that "[e]ach public body shall establish written procedures regarding access to public records but shall...

Complainant alleged that the Town violated the APRA when it failed to provide a sufficient explanation for extending the time to respond to his APRA request, as required by R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-3(e). Complainant's request sought any documents maintained by the Town "in any way relating to the...

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today announced that the Office of Attorney General has entered into separate agreements with the Nasonville Fire District and the Department of Business Regulation (DBR) to settle claims each had violated the Access to Public Records Act (APRA) for failing to...

Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today announced that the Office of Attorney General and Town of Warren entered into a joint settlement agreement in which the Town agreed to pay a $1,500 fine for violating the state's Access to Public Records Act (APRA). The Office of Attorney General filed...

The Complainant alleged that the Harrisville Fire District ("Fire District") violated the OMA when its Fire Subcommittee held a meeting in March 2014 without notice to the public. In order for the OMA to apply, a "quorum" of a "public body" must convene for a "meeting" as these terms are defined...

Based upon the totality of the evidence, we cannot conclude that the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority ("RITBA") willfully or knowingly violated the OMA. The facts establish that the RITBA failed to file "official and/or approved" minutes on the Secretary of State's website for its July 9,

In Gorman v. Central Coventry Fire District, Board of Directors and Fay v. Central Coventry Fire District, Board of Directors, OM14-09, this Department concluded that five (5) matters/violations warranted further investigation. Specifically, these matters included the Board's: (1) failure to...

The Complainant sought minutes for executive sessions convened on July 23, 2013, November 5, 2013, and November 19, 2013. Because the July 23, 2013 executive session minutes were not sealed, these executive session minutes were public records. Conversely, because the November 2013 executive...

The Office of Attorney General today filed a complaint in Rhode Island Superior Court citing the Nasonville Fire District for violations of the Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act (APRA) for failure to respond to an APRA request within the time as prescribed by law. On January 15, 2014,...