FALMOUTH — The Town Council tonight soundly rejected an attempt to undo its July 11 closed-door meeting with representatives of OceanView at Falmouth.

The council met with the retirement community’s operators two weeks ago to gauge their interest in buying all or part of the former Plummer-Motz and Lunt elementary school properties, which are next to OceanView.

The council voted 5-2 tonight against Councilor Bonny Rodden’s proposal to block future secret meetings with potential developers and to release any information from the executive session with OceanVIew representatives.

The closed-door meeting followed a workshop discussion in which the council agreed to advertise a request for proposals for redevelopment or reuse of the properties.

The town’s attorney said the executive session was legal as long as the council also met secretly with any other interested developers. Rodden was unable to attend the July 11 meeting.

“It was inappropriate,” Rodden told her colleagues, saying that the secret meeting gave the appearance that OceanView may have an “unfair competitive advantage” if it submits a proposal for the former school properties.

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Councilor Chris Orestis supported Rodden’s proposal. Councilors Fred Chase, Tony Payne, Faith Varney, Will Armitage and Chairwoman Teresa Pierce voted against it.

“I don’t think we did anything illegal,” Pierce said, noting that she didn’t want to violate OceanView’s trust in participating in an executive session.

Pierce said she would work to ensure future transparency in the process of finding a buyer or developer for the former school properties.

The council also reviewed a draft of a “call for offers” for the properties, to be administered by CBRE/The Boulos Co.


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