Justice asks for details on Garver consulting arrangement; staff offers to follow up

During announcements and the transition to public comment, Justice Blackwood asked for clarity about an arrangement with consulting firm Garver and whether the firm was assisting the planning department; she asked who was being paid and when the arrangement began. A staff member responded that Garver, specifically Beth Skito, was assisting with planning applications following a recent resignation in staff, but the staff member did not have contract dates or compensation details on hand and offered to gather the information and distribute it by email to the justices.

Justice Blackwood asked that any answers be shared with all justices. The staff member said she would include everyone on the follow-up email and requested that justices submit specific questions to expedite the response. The meeting record does not include the contract text, payment amounts, or an exact start date; the staff offer to follow up put the item into an administrative follow-up queue rather than resolving it on the floor.

This request for contract details came amid broader discussion about planning board capacity and whether the court's emergency action had effectively assumed responsibilities the planning board had been assigned.