Editorial December 15, 2003
	During the zoning change hearing for the Paradise Motel Home Park at the December 15 Town Council Meeting, President William Flynn told Attorney Joseph Palumbo that he "will lose this battle tonight", if a vote were to be taken. Consequently no vote was taken and Attorney Palumbo was directed to meet with the Town Solicitor to reach an acceptable compromise of restrictions. The questions become: (1) Why was a vote not taken? (2) Why did Attorney Palumbo accept the decree from President Flynn without an objection? (3) Why did not a single Council member ask that a vote be taken? (4) How did President Flynn know the result of a vote without calling for such a vote? The only reasonable conclusion to be reached is that the Council had previously met and discussed this issue at some time before the Council meeting. If this is the correct conclusion, then this Town Council is violating the letter and the spirit of the Open Meetings Law which require notice of Council meetings and agendas posted in advance. If this is what happened, then this Town Council is reverting to the cigar-filled backroom meetings that have been outlawed in Rhode Island for decades. The Middletown Newsletter hopes that it has reached an erroneous conclusion and that this Town Council is obeying the spirit and the letter of the Open Meetings Law or at least will do so in the future!