Middletown council recesses to executive session to discuss personnel and collective bargaining

The Town of Middletown Town Council voted to recess its open session and convene an executive session to discuss personnel and multiple collective bargaining matters, including the town's police chief.

Council President Paul M. Roderick read the statutory basis for the executive session and listed the topics to be discussed, then a motion was made to recess the open meeting and reconvene in executive session. The motion passed with all members saying "Aye." Chief Jason Ryan was noted as having been notified in writing pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws 42-46-5(a)(1).

The council identified the subjects for closed discussion as personnel (police chief) and collective bargaining involving town hall staff, teachers, teacher aides, library staff, Council 94, firefighters, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and the Teamsters. The council president cited provisions of Rhode Island law as the legal basis for moving into executive session.

The action was procedural: the council recessed the public meeting and entered executive session for confidential deliberations. No substantive negotiated agreements or other final outcomes were announced in the open session that preceded the recess.

The meeting record shows a full complement of council members present for the vote; the council proceeded into the closed session after the unanimous vote.