By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

BURRILLVILLE — Town Manager Michael C. Wood Thursday addressed the vitriolic atmosphere at recent Town Council meetings, saying it’s time Town Councilman Kevin Blais be held accountable for what he says and does at council meetings — sessions many residents are now calling a twice-monthly circus.

Wood also warned that if Blais continues his assault of “frivolous” actions and statments, legal action could result.
“Quite frankly, it is Mr. Blais that needs the scrutiny and he is the one who needs to be held accountable for his public statements and conduct,” Wood said. “Mr. Blais has filed many ‘complaints’ to multiple state and local entities, including the state and local police. Notwithstanding that this administration and the Town Council individually and as a whole have usually been the target of Mr. Blais, no one has yet to be ‘indicted’ resulting from any of his complaints.”
“I contend these types of frivolous or questionable actions are potentially going to result in litigation against Mr. Blais and or the town before this is through,” he said.
Wood was speaking a couple of weeks after one of the most contentious Town Council meetings since Blais’ election to the panel a year ago.
At that meeting on Sept. 10, two town residents, including the cameraman who videotapes the council’s monthly meetings, slammed Councilwoman Margaret “Peggy” Dudley for nearly causing an ear injury to Blais.
David Rossi of 105 Nichols Road, Harrisville, who operates the video camera, stepped to the podium and speaking as a resident, criticized Dudley for intentionally “rapping” her microphone at a previous council meeting in attempt to irritate Blais and keep him from hearing certain parts of conversations with other council members. Dudley’s actions, Rossi said, were not only discourteous, but could have resulted in a major injury to Blais’ hearing.
Blais, who is hearing impaired, wears an assisted listening device, which is provided by the town to help him hear better at meetings. Blais sits at the opposite end of the council table, away from Dudley. Rossi described it as a “physical attack,” saying Blais should have considered filing a police report and possible a civil action against Dudley unless she formally apologized.
At the council’s most recent meeting, Blais said he attempted to file an official complaint with the Burrillville Police Department, but said the department refused his request to investigate.
Wood said that night it wasn’t true and that Blais was told he could file the complaint with State Police, which he never did.
At the Sept. 10 meeting, resident Michele Badessa of Glendale also criticized Dudley and then launched into an attack against Wood for “using the Lord’s name in vain” at a previous meeting. She called Wood’s choice of language a “black spot” on the town.
See BLAIS, Page A-2
“David Rossi and Michelle Badessa are supporters of Mr. Blais,” Wood said. “I believe they and Mr. Blais are using the cable TV medium to promote their agenda. Most of what they say is hearsay and/or unsubstantiated, but it makes for great TV.” 
Said Wood: “Mrs. Badessa did not actually hear what I said at the previous meeting. She was apparently reacting to Mr. Blais who, using his assisted listening device, overheard my comment and blew it out of proportion publically. What I said was barely audible and under my breath. My comment, to myself, was nothing more than my frustration over Mr. Blais’ conduct at the meeting. Her statement that my choice of language was a ‘black spot on the town is a ridiculous and untrue allegation.”
At the Sept. 10 meeting, Blais said he had no idea the two residents were planning to bring the matter of Dudley’s actions up at the meeting, but Wood disagrees.
“As it relates to not knowing that his two supporters were going to bring these matters up publically, I believe the town is starting to see through this charade,” he said.
Blais was elected to the council last year, two years after he was defeated at the polls as an independent write in candidate for council. Blais says he ran for council to return accountability to local town government and end “wasteful spending and backroom deals.” Long before he was elected, Blais had butted heads with the town manager and council over a controversial junk car ordinance. In turn, Blais has been described by his critics as a malcontent who is trying to undermine the work of the council.
Since his election, it’s been one controversy after another.
Last year, Blais accused Councilman Wallace F. Lees of making threats against his life. Lees denied the accusations, calling them ridiculous.  Before that Town Manager Wood and a majority of the council notified the attorney general’s office that a possible compromise of an executive session may have occurred when Blais left his assisted-listening device on the seat of his car during an executive session after becoming ill.
Earlier this year, Blais came under fire for violating protocols after he allegedly breached confidentiality and jeopardized a Burrillville police investigation by talking with television news reporters about the discovery of a body in the woods off Spring Lake Road.
And this past spring, the council stripped Blais of his title as council liaison to the Zoning Board of Review after Zoning Board Chairman Raymond Cloutier and other members of the board complained that Blais was becoming noisy and disruptive at their meetings and had asserted himself in zoning proceedings which was beyond the scope of his duties as council liaison.
Blais has also filed a slew of open meeting complaints with the Attorney General’s office against the town, and was recently held in contempt in a court case involving the town and his girlfriend’s property on Tarkiln Road in Harrisville.
When contacted, Blais has repeatedly declined to comment on issues.
“Mr. Blais is a publicity hound,” Wood said. “He will apparently do or say almost anything to get his name in the news. Publicly accusing Councilman Lees of making threats was ridiculous and juvenile.”
As for the incident regarding the assisted listening device, Wood said that was a controversy generated by Blais.
“The town administration is responsible to coordinate and manage the record keeping and logistics for council meetings, including the care of the assisted listening device,” Wood explained. “Following up on Mr. Blais’ conduct and an issue he raised at a council meeting, I wrote the council a memorandum on these matters. The memo included an explanation of my concerns and an assessment of the potential ramifications.  Mr. Blais chose to discuss the contents of my memorandum during the so called “good and welfare” section of a council meeting agenda. What I said in the memorandum was my responsibility to convey to the council and I stand by my assessment of both matters. The public ‘controversy’, if any, was of Mr. Blais’ making.”