PR 99-09 (1999).

• Case Date: June 01, 1999
• Court: Rhode Island

Rhode Island Attorney General Opinions 1999. PR 99-09 (1999). State of Rhode IslandDepartment of the Attorney GeneralPR 99-09 (1999)PR 99-09 Raymond v. Glendale Board of Fire WardensUnofficial Finding PR 99-09Unofficial Finding OM 99-10June 1, 1999Ms. Meredith RaymondGlendale, Rhode Island 02826Re: Raymond v. Glendale Board of Fire WardensOur File No.: PR 98-0624 Dear Ms. Raymond: The investigation into your Access to Public Records Act and Open Meetings Act complaint against the Glendale Board of Fire Wardens (Board) is complete. You allege that the Board violated the Access to Public Records Act (APRA) by failing to respond to your request for documents within ten (10) days. In addition, you relate that the Board violated the Open Meetings Act (OMA) by failing to present a schedule of meetings since January 1998, and meeting "sporadic[ally] with only a few days notice." Moreover, you contend that there has not been an annual meeting to elect new members of the Board. In response to your complaint this Department received a substantive response from legal counsel for the Board, Anne-Marie Krollman, Esq. Ms. Krollman acknowledges that the requested documents were not provided to you within ten (10) days, however, according to Ms. Krollman, "all documents have since been sent to Mrs. Raymond." The APRA mandates that any denial of a request for documents must be made "in writing giving the specific reasons for the denial within ten (10) business days of the request." R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-7. If the Board needs additional time to respond to this request, the APRA provides that a public body, "for good cause," may extend the response time to thirty (30) days. R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-7(b). We find no record that the Board requested additional time. Consequently, the Board violated the APRA and is hereby advised to respond timely to future requests for public documents in accordance with the provisions of the APRA. Ms. Meredith Raymond June 1, 1999 Page 2 of 3 We next address your OMA complaint that the Board has not presented a schedule of meetings since January 1998, that meetings are held sporadically with only a few days notice, and that no annual meeting has been held to elect new Board members. Pursuant to the OMA, all public bodies are required to give written notice of their regularly scheduled meetings at the beginning of each...