Ruth Platner, “Yes I really was elected in 2018”
On January 20, Bonnie Van Slyke reported that the current Town Council ignored over 30 years of precedent in how to fill a vacancy on the elected Planning Commission when it appointed an individual who had not been elected, rather than advancing Carol Mossa who had been elected and who was already serving admirably as first alternate. In case you missed it, you can read that story on the CCA website.
Since Bonnie published her post, apologists for the current Town Council have cherry picked a series of events that they claim show that the majority CCA Town Council had previously ignored long-standing precedent regarding an elected board and did something similar in 2019. This claim is not true, but because their lies are interspersed with just enough bits of truth, some will think them true.
These apologists falsely claim that I was not elected in 2018 and that I was appointed Chair of the Planning Commission in 2019 by jumping over several elected members. I hope to explain, with real data, that their claims are false.
In 2018, there were four positions open on the Planning Commission. The 2018 general election voter tallies from the Rhode Island Board of Elections website were as follows:
- Sarah St. Laurent received 2412 votes and a six-year term as a voting member of the Planning Commission
- Denise Rhodes received 2409 votes and a six-year term as a voting member of the Planning Commission
- Frances Topping received 2395 votes and was elected to a two-year term as First Alternate
- Ruth Platner (me) received 2390 votes and was elected to a two-year term as Second Alternate
I was elected with just 22 fewer votes than the highest vote getter, Sarah St. Laurent, but still came in last out of these four.
Already serving on the Commission in 2018 were Lew Johnson and Sherry Krupka, both of whom had been elected to six-year terms in 2016, and Barbara Heavers, who had been elected to a six-year term in 2014. At their annual reorganization in December 2018, the voting members of the commission elected Lew Johnson as Chairman and Sherry Krupka as Vice Chair.
In May 2019, Lew Johnson resigned from the Commission for personal reasons. Frances Topping was moved from First Alternate to a voting position, I was moved from Second Alternate to First Alternate, and Gordon Foer was appointed to Second Alternate. Sherry Krupka chaired the meetings.
In October 2019, Barbara Heavers had to resign when she experienced health problems and moved out of state to be closer to family members. I was then moved from First Alternate to a voting position, Gordon Foer was moved from Second Alternate to First Alternate, and Lisa St. Godard was appointed Second Alternate. At the December 2019 annual reorganization, I was elected Chair and Frances Topping was elected Vice Chair.
I ran again in the 2020 election, receiving the highest number of votes, with 2,701 votes, and was elected to a six-year term.
The data show that I was elected to the Planning Commission in both 2018 and 2020 and that, when vacancies occurred on the Planning Commission in 2019, the Town Council did, as Town Councils before them had always done—they respected the will of the voters and advanced elected members in their voting order.
You can learn more about the author, Ruth Platner, on her profile page.
February 9, 2025 @ 4:00 pm
Thank you for mapping this out.
February 9, 2025 @ 12:48 pm
Despite the assertion that the town Council once put a non-elected person in place, it was because the elected person was too sick to serve, but every other time, the Council has appointed the next highest vote getter. Same is true for the Planning Commission. In 2024 four people were elected in order – they were Sarah St Laurent as a full member, and Lisa St. Goddard, Carol Mossa, Colleen Yaroshenko for alternates and the fifth not elected person was Laura Rom. Why did the town council choose to appoint the non-elected person to the first alternate position instead of following tradition and moving the second alternate Carol Mossa up into first place when Lisa St. Goddard had to resign? Ask yourself was there an ulterior motive? The Planning Commission deals with a number of things, not just subdivisions, but the comprehensive plan, subdivision regulations, uses, the future land use map known as the FLUM, advisories to counsel, (although counsel does not have to take their advice, but is wise to do so), and recently have chosen not to in regards to the ADU zoning ordinance and New Commercial Design Standards and several others. CCA elected full Planning Commission people are Ruth Platner, Sarah St Laurent, Frances Topping, and Carol Mossa as alternate. The CRU elected members are Patty Stamps and Glenn Babcock. If one of the CCA members is absent now CRU member Laura Rom becomes the person to fill that place for that occasion and can vote. Times are going to be difficult. Jane Weidman, our excellent planner, is retiring. The town administrator and council will be the ones to hire a new planner who may not be as familiar with Charlestown and its needs. The State has also made tremendous changes to subdivision regulations, the ability of an Accessory dwelling unit up to 1200 sq ft, or ADU, to be on any lot over 20,000 ft.² and blown by a lot of our regulations and zoning, made comprehensive permits for low, moderate income dwellings to be far in excess of a normal yield plan numbers, potentially affecting our groundwater i.e. drinking water. Who is on the Planning Commission and Town Council may make a significant difference. We need those who will strongly support open space, reasonable, densities, protection of groundwater , and design standards , to keep Charlestown having the character that people choose to live here for. I hope all the Commission will promote these goals. Time will tell.
February 9, 2025 @ 3:06 pm
To clarify, in 2018, a member of the Town Council suddenly resigned, leaving only 4 members on the 5-person Town Council. The statement that the Town Council in 2018 did not appoint an “elected” person is not accurate because there was no such person. Only 5 people were elected in 2018, and one resigned. Regarding the Planning Commission, Ruth was elected to the Planning Commission in 2018 and was advanced in accordance with the intent of the Charter and over 30 years of precedent; that is, in accordance with the will of the voters.
February 10, 2025 @ 3:49 pm
Can you tell me who on the planning commission and town council wants to blow by the regulations and build low income dwellings? We need to vote these types out now!
February 9, 2025 @ 11:59 am
Thanks Ruth for explaining all this for those that are not conversant with such bureaucratic intricacies, including new residents in town … and for all your many years of volunteer services to the town.