Seward board votes 3-2 to hire Bond, Schoeneck & King for PERB response, sets retainer cap

The Town of Seward Board voted 3-2 on Sept. 7, 2026 to retain law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King to help respond to a letter from the Public Employees Relations Board (PERB) and to participate in a conference call set for Sept. 29, 2026. The motion — made by Councilwoman Wendy Adams-Rosa and seconded by Councilwoman MaryAnn Nelson — passed after the board adopted an amendment specifying a $5,000 retainer and a $2,000 cap on fees without prior board approval.

Supervisor Mark Fletcher requested and the board granted an extension to Sept. 15, 2026 to file the town’s response to the PERB letter. The vote on the amendment was taken by voice (Yes: Councilwoman Rosa, Councilwoman Nelson and Councilman Willima Harlow; No: Councilman James Seresky and Supervisor Mark Fletcher). A roll call on the original motion recorded the same 3-2 result: Rosa, Harlow and Nelson voted yes; Seresky and Fletcher voted no.

Councilman James Seresky argued the town did not need outside representation to respond to PERB and said he would not oppose hiring an attorney in the future; Supervisor Mark Fletcher agreed with that assessment during discussion but voted against the final motion. Councilman Willima Harlow said he would have preferred a secret ballot on the matter. Despite those objections, the board approved the firm’s retention with the financial limits the amendment imposed.

The board’s action authorizes Bond, Schoeneck & King to assist specifically with the PERB letter response, the Sept. 29 conference call and potential future representation tied to this matter, subject to the $5,000 retainer and the $2,000 spending cap without additional board approval. No other budget or funding source was specified in the meeting record.

With the PERB matter set and no further business, the board adjourned at 6:54 p.m.; the adjournment motion passed 4-1 (Supervisor Fletcher voted no).