Board probes $400,000 in outside‑counsel costs and seeks clearer accounting

Board members asked staff for clearer accounting of roughly $400,000 in outside‑counsel fees tied to an ethics matter and other cases. A staff member summarized the history of resolutions authorizing legal work and said the $400,000 figure refers to cumulative spending across nearly three years, not a single fiscal year.

The board exchanged details about which resolutions and dates should be counted toward the total and asked for packet language and resolution headings to better reflect the multi‑year nature of the spending. One member urged tighter rules on use of outside counsel and suggested adding explanatory notes to agenda headings so that the public sees this is a multi‑year total rather than an annual expense. Staff said the town now has part‑time in‑house counsel and will attempt further cost savings in future contract negotiations.

No formal policy change was adopted during the work session; members asked staff to revise agenda language and provide a clearer historical ledger of outside‑counsel costs.