To the editor:
The most vexing issue rests at the Warren Town Council's feet since it bears the responsibility to ensure the town is managed properly. It stands to reason that the Charter empowers the council to investigate the affairs of the town, any department or division thereof and finally to hear complaints in relation to matters concerning the administration of the government in order to ensure that it acts expertly, openly and good faith.
Throughout my current term I exercised those powers judiciously and frequently expressed my displeasure at meetings when information was not forthcoming. One example that stands out is the fact that majority of the council voted twice to approve a contract wherein the town leases a parking lot off of Child Street, even though the contract / lease was never included in this council’s agenda packet.
Nevertheless, Mr. Heckert , having previously served on the council, should understand that concerns such as these are first brought to the council's attention through the Solicitor and council president given their nature. The town generally does not debate personnel issues in public. However, when questions go unanswered, false claims are publicly asserted and repeated requests for basic financial documents go unanswered then such policy matters as these must be debated in the public arena. 
Last week’s letter to the Warren-Time Gazette follows a series of e-mails and public comments wherein I raised serious concerns about the types of financial documents that the council receives. While my letter does not address a new concern it certainly highlights my frustrations. For example, when first re-elected to the council questions arose relative to items  not included in the town's budget, over spending and the lack of transparency. In fact, my worries were first reduced to writing on Dec. 21, 2016. At that time I thought it prudent to obtain an update from the manager that included a detailed list of ongoing and proposed projects throughout the Town of Warren. My request included that the administration provide the entire council a report that outlined the purpose of the project, cost, estimated timeline and the specific budget line items that were to be used to pay for the work.
Prior to the January 2017 council meeting I formally requested that the council president hold a personnel hearing based on a number of concerns outlined in an email that was also copied to the Solicitor. As a result, the following item appeared on that month’s council agenda, “request a motion for executive session (closed session) pursuant to RIGL 42-46-5(a)(1) personnel (Town Manager evaluation).” This issues were taken up and discusses in executive session.  On June 24, 2017 an email was sent to the Town Manager detailing a few concerns relative to the town’s finance department and this inquiry was also meet with some resistance.
Over the past few council meetings I have also specifically requested that the manager include the revenue and expenditures report in the council’s monthly packet. Unfortunately, the report did not appear until the matter was finally placed on August’s agenda, at my behest. During that meeting that the manager asserted that it was not required by the Charter but he would try to include it anyway. It was the statements made at the August meeting that caused me to address that matter factually, forcibly and publicly.
Mr. Heckert is right to assert that residents should find nothing curious about the timing of last week's letter since I am the person responsible for requesting that it occur in the first place. Section 4.10 of the Town Charter states that “annually, the Town Council shall prepare and deliver to the Town Manager a written evaluation of the Town Manager’s performance.”
I submitted my request to initiate the evaluation process in writing on July 26, 2017 not only because it is mandated by Warren's Charter but to also hold all of us accountable for the level of service the town provides to our community.   
Chris Stanley
402 Market St.