Michaud censured by Council

Zoning Board member claims he won’t resign

WOONSOCKET — After lengthy debate, members of the City Council unanimously approved a watered-down version of a resolution calling for the resignation of Zoning Board member Roland Michaud in Harris Hall Monday in what began as a flap over a bumper sticker denigrating the city and his supposedly sexist comments about Mayor Lisa BaldelliHunt.

The vote came after some 90 minutes of debate and multiple revisions of a resolution proposed by Councilwoman Melissa Murray that originally called for Michaud to step down for his “reprehensible and repugnant” comments about women on WNRI talk radio host John Dionne's show recently. But after

opposition from Councilman James Cournoyer and other members of the reigning majority on the council, all members agreed to strike all references to sexism or chauvinistic behavior from the measure.

The resolution still says Michaud called Baldelli-Hunt an “insecure, crazy, nutty broad” on the radio show and asserts that he displayed “disdain” for the city. It makes no reference, however, to a windshield sticker on Michaud's car that says, “Welcome to Woonsocket – A Real Sh*thole.”

“He's a coarse individual, he's abrasive,” said Cournoyer, a friend and political ally of Michaud. “That's why he couldn't get elected dog-catcher.”

Cournoyer said Michaud “drives me crazy sometimes,” but he didn't think his remarks about the mayor were sexist or anti-woman.

Neither did Councilwoman Denise Sierra.

“This is a matter I care very much about,” said Sierra, telling Murray she was entitled to her opinion. “Mr. Michaud's comments were cruel, meanspirited and ineffective but not sexist.”

She and other members of the council dismissed Michaud's comments as political rhetoric and she accused BaldelliHunt of using the same radio station as a forum to attack her enemies.

“Sticks and stones, mayor,” Sierra said. “Soldier on.”

Michaud was not present for the meeting, but he made his position abundantly clear in an eight-page letter he delivered to the office of City Clerk Christina Duarte hours earlier.

“I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of resigning from the zoning board,” he wrote. “I make no apologies for my comments or behavior. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. When I speak about matters and issues concerning the city, it is not my goal to either please, or displease, those who are listening to me. I could care less what someone may think of me or my views. I'm also not interested in being politically correct, as arbitrarily defined by some elected political hack.”

Baldelli-Hunt squared off with the council – and won – when she demanded to have some 75 spectators in Harris Hall, as well as anyone watching on public access TV, listen to the 8-minute audiotape of Michaud's comments on the radio show.

“This is not a matter of free speech,” she said later. “This is about behavior that is totally unbecoming and unbefitting an official of Woonsocket. Calling someone a crazy, nutty broad in 2017 should not be acceptable or condoned by anyone who holds public office in the city.”

One councilman who disagreed was Vice President Jon Brien.

“Unfortunately this has had the air of a mini-campaign,” he said. “It appears to be somewhat manufactured. It's what they call political AstroTurf. What precedent are we setting as a legislative body that opinion and free speech are to be squelched?”

The vote came after a dozen city residents addressed the council about Murray's resolution – a process that took almost an hour before the council even started discussing the resolution. All but two spoke in support of Murray's resolution – and were applauded for doing so by many in the spectator section.

“His comments against Mayor Baldelli-Hunt are beneath dignity,” said Adam Brunetti. “I'm proud of my city. I don't go around with a sticker on the back of my car calling it a craphole.”

Brunetti and others warned the council that failing to take a stand against such behavior would likely carry a price at the polls. “Silence is consent and that speaks louder than anything,” he said. “And that will be remembered.”

Another resident, Dave Fisher, a onetime candidate for mayor who ran against Baldelli-Hunt in a primary, echoed Brunetti's concerns. He challenged the council to reclaim a “modicum of redemption” by voting to support Murray's resolution.

“If you don't support Councilwoman Murray's resolution tonight, that not only makes you bad councilors, it make you bad people,” Fisher said.

Despite having most of the language in her original version of the resolution linking Michaud to sexist remarks stricken, she voted with the majority on the final version of the resolution.

The discussion, she said, was not “wasted time.”

“This was a difficult discussion, but I think we needed to have it,” she said. “This sends a clear message... voting against this resolution condones this kind of behavior and empowers him to say even worse things. Don't be surprised when that happens.”