Board agrees to explore options for a part‑time in‑house town attorney to improve response times

Several board members raised concerns about delay and responsiveness from outside counsel and proposed exploring a part‑time in‑house town attorney to provide faster review and day‑to‑day legal support for department heads.

One member summarized that using a town attorney could allow staff and board members to "walk into someone's office" and get quick legal guidance rather than waiting days for emailed responses. Supporters argued an in‑house position could address labor and personnel questions more efficiently and reduce cumulative attorney hours spent on routine items. Others cautioned about historical knowledge transfer, startup costs, and whether the town would retain sufficient legal expertise for complex litigation.

Members agreed to research the costs and a possible hybrid model (part‑time in‑house attorney for routine matters plus outside counsel for litigation), to gather estimates for salary/benefits, and to invite an experienced town attorney for a lunch‑time briefing to discuss pros and cons.

Next steps: staff to gather cost estimates and return with options, and members to reach out to peer municipalities to compare models.