Town staff reviews legal services, drafts RFP and lists outside counsel

Town staff told the board they have researched outside counsel options and are preparing a draft request for proposals for legal services. The speaker said they had identified roughly six prospects and reviewed current firms and their hourly rates.

The transcript records the names of outside firms the town currently uses or has used: Harmony & Torrance; Cohen & Wolf; Howard & Sage; Secor & Cassidy. Some hourly rates were stated clearly for several firms (for example, Secor & Cassidy and litigation for planning and zoning were mentioned at $225 per hour and Howard & Sage at $200 per hour). Other dollar figures in the transcript are unclear or garbled; the meeting record shows staff intends to include WPCA work in the scope of the town attorney to avoid paying duplicate outside counsel when conflicts no longer exist.

The board did not take final action on a contract at the meeting; staff said the RFP draft cannot be finalized until a staff member returns from vacation and will bring a formal recommendation later.