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Record of Proceedings

Cranston City Council Special Meeting – September 25, 2025: Litigation Counsel Hiring Approved

City Council — Thursday, September 25, 2025
BodyCranston, Rhode Island
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, September 25, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
8:35

And welcome to this special city council meeting on September the twenty fifth, two thousand twenty-five.

8:42

At this time, I'm going to call this meeting to order.

8:44

I asked the clerk to please call a role.

8:49

Present.

8:50

Councilman Anduhar President.

8:52

Councilman Ritz.

8:53

Present.

8:53

Councilwoman Viziri, present.

8:55

Councilman Campion.

8:57

Present.

8:58

Councilman Banana.

9:00

President.

9:00

Councilman Trafficante.

9:02

Council Vice President Orion.

9:04

Present.

9:04

Council President Wall.

9:06

Here.

9:07

Thank you.

9:08

Uh, first item of business would be um I'm going to entertain a motion for us to go into the executive session.

9:16

Um for the purpose of discussing a letter of engagement for litigation counsel to represent the city council.

9:24

Um follow litigation, Drake Pattern and uh Rhode Island Attorney General versus Cranston City Council.

9:41

Um, we're gonna I'm gonna look for a motion to go into executive session.

9:55

Councilman Graziano, yes, Councilman Andor.

9:58

Yes, Councilman Ritz.

9:59

Yes.

33:39

This time I'm going to entertain a motion to return from the executive session.

33:43

So moved, Mr.

33:44

President.

33:45

Second.

33:46

Any discussion?

33:47

There being none, Clerk, please call a roll.

33:50

Councilman Graziana.

33:52

Yes.

33:52

Councilman Duhar.

33:53

Yes.

33:53

Councilman Rentz.

33:54

Yes.

33:55

Councilman Vazier.

33:57

Yes.

33:57

Councilman Campo Piano.

33:59

Yes.

33:59

Councilman Banana.

34:00

Yes.

34:01

Council Vice President Horyan.

34:03

Yes.

34:03

Council President Wall.

34:05

Yes.

34:07

Okay.

34:08

This time I'm going to entertain an option to seal the executive session minutes.

34:11

So moved.

34:14

Any discussion?

34:16

There being none.

34:17

Clerk, please call a roll.

34:18

Councilwoman Granziano.

34:20

Yes.

34:20

Councilman.

34:21

Yes.

34:22

Councilman Rentz.

34:23

Yes.

34:23

Councilman Vizier.

34:24

Yes.

34:25

Councilman Campobiano.

34:27

Councilman Banana.

34:29

Yes.

34:29

Council Vice President Moryan?

34:31

Yes.

34:31

Council President Wall.

34:33

Yes.

34:35

And let me just please report for the record that there were motions made during the executive session.

34:41

The following motion was made.

34:43

The motion was to hire Lewis Brisboy's Bogard and Smith LLP as litigation counsel to represent the Cranston City Council in the matter of Drake Pattern, Rhode Island Attorney General versus Cranston City Council, OMA complaint dated August twenty first, two thousand twenty-five.

35:00

The motion was to hire Lewis Brisbois, Bogard, and Smith LLP as litigation counsel to represent the Cranston City Council in the matter of Drake Pattern, Rhode Island Attorney General versus the Cranston City Council OMA complaint dated August 21st, 2025, relative to the special uh special council meeting of August 20th, 2025 to approve of the letter of engagement dated September 19th, 2025, between the two parties to authorize the city council president to sign the letter of engagement and to enter the letter of engagement into the record.

35:24

Is there a motion?

35:26

So moved.

35:27

Sir a second.

35:28

Second.

35:30

All right.

35:30

Any discussion?

35:32

There being none, clerk, please call a roll.

35:36

Actually, I don't believe I have to do that.

35:37

I'm just restating it.

35:39

I apologize.

35:39

I apologize.

35:40

A little overkill.

35:41

So that that was passed unanimously in executive session.

35:46

Okay.

35:46

And if I look at my agenda, it would appear that there's no further business before the council this evening.

35:51

So at this time, I'm going to entertain a motion to adjourn.

35:55

So move, Mr.

35:56

President.

35:56

Is there a second?

35:58

All right.

35:58

All in favor signify by saying aye.

36:00

Aye.

36:01

Opposed signify by saying nay.

36:03

Thank you very much and good night.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████98%
Pending Litigation█2%
Summary of Proceedings

Cranston City Council Special Meeting – September 25, 2025

The Cranston City Council held a special meeting on September 25, 2025, to consider hiring litigation counsel in response to an Open Meetings Act (OMA) complaint filed by the Rhode Island Attorney General and Drake Pattern. The council unanimously entered executive session to discuss the engagement, subsequently returned, voted to seal the session minutes, and reported that a motion to hire Lewis Brisbois, Bogard, and Smith LLP as litigation counsel had passed unanimously during executive session.

Discussion Items

  • Executive Session: The council voted unanimously to enter executive session to discuss a letter of engagement for litigation counsel related to the matter Drake Pattern, Rhode Island Attorney General versus Cranston City Council (OMA complaint dated August 21, 2025, regarding a special council meeting on August 20, 2025).

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimous vote (8-0) to enter executive session.
  • Unanimous vote (8-0) to return from executive session.
  • Unanimous vote (8-0) to seal the executive session minutes.
  • Executive session motion passed unanimously: The council voted to hire Lewis Brisbois, Bogard, and Smith LLP as litigation counsel to represent the Cranston City Council in the aforementioned OMA matter. The motion also approved the letter of engagement dated September 19, 2025, authorized the city council president to sign the letter, and directed that the letter be entered into the record.

Meeting Transcript

And welcome to this special city council meeting on September the twenty fifth, two thousand twenty-five. At this time, I'm going to call this meeting to order. I asked the clerk to please call a role. Present. Councilman Anduhar President. Councilman Ritz. Present. Councilwoman Viziri, present. Councilman Campion. Present. Councilman Banana. President. Councilman Trafficante. Council Vice President Orion. Present. Council President Wall. Here. Thank you. Uh, first item of business would be um I'm going to entertain a motion for us to go into the executive session. Um for the purpose of discussing a letter of engagement for litigation counsel to represent the city council. Um follow litigation, Drake Pattern and uh Rhode Island Attorney General versus Cranston City Council. Um, we're gonna I'm gonna look for a motion to go into executive session. Councilman Graziano, yes, Councilman Andor. Yes, Councilman Ritz. Yes. This time I'm going to entertain a motion to return from the executive session. So moved, Mr. President. Second. Any discussion? There being none, Clerk, please call a roll. Councilman Graziana. Yes. Councilman Duhar. Yes. Councilman Rentz. Yes. Councilman Vazier. Yes. Councilman Campo Piano. Yes. Councilman Banana. Yes. Council Vice President Horyan. Yes. Council President Wall. Yes. Okay. This time I'm going to entertain an option to seal the executive session minutes. So moved.

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