Projo — Lawmakers target CRMC for overhaul after 'slap in the face' decision by coastal council

April 21, 2023

By Alex Kuffner — PROVIDENCE — Nearly two years ago, with criticism swirling around the Coastal Resources Management Council’s closed-door agreement to allow a contentious marina expansion on Block Island, state legislators had had enough.

After one too many questionable moves by the council of appointees, the General Assembly decided to study whether the agency needed to be reformed once and for all. 

A special House commission came back last spring with recommendations that included creating a position for a hearing officer to review contested cases, such as the Champlin’s Marina proposal, the subject of the agreement that was later overturned by the Supreme Court. Despite the General Assembly approving funding for the position, it has yet to be filled by the McKee administration. 

“Here we are almost a year later and it still hasn’t happened,” Deborah Ruggiero, the former state representative who headed the commission, complained to a Senate committee Wednesday. 

More: 'It's a relic': How a slate of new laws would overhaul the controversial CRMC

And in the meantime, the council has once again stirred controversy, this time by ignoring the recommendation of its professional staff on a decision related to a wind farm planned in ocean waters off the Rhode Island coast. In December, the council voted not to refer a lease for Revolution Wind’s transmission cables to the General Assembly even though staff advised members that state law requires legislative approval. 

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