May 26, 2008
Legal review committee close to completing mission
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by Patricia Gay
The Select Committee on Legal Review is nearing the end of its run.
According to Dennis Tracey, chairman, the committee is on schedule to meeting a target date of Monday, June 30, for completion of its mission — reviewing the performance of the town’s appointed legal counsel.
The ad hoc, temporary committee was appointed in January by First Selectman Woody Bliss and Selectman Gayle Weinstein, with Selectman Glenn Major recusing himself.
The committee was asked to review the performance of the town’s legal counsel, Cohen and Wolf, and its attorneys Kenneth Bernhard and Patricia Sullivan. The committee was also asked to make a recommendation as to whether the town should solicit proposals from other law firms.
The committee has held regular meetings since its inception, mostly in private executive session, invoking attorney-client privilege. Among those interviewed in executive session were all three selectmen, town counsel, town employees, and members of town boards and commissions.
The committee also reviewed closed and settled legal cases from 2000 through 2007 that involved the town of Weston, as well as contracts entered into by the town during the same period of time.
In March, the committee held a public hearing to solicit input from residents. The committee has also received and reviewed written submissions from the public.
The committee has three regular meetings left on its schedule, one for tonight, Thursday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m. in town hall, another for Thursday, June 5, and a final one on Thursday, June 19. The committee will report back to the selectmen with its findings.
The seven member committee includes Lincoln Briggs, Elayne Robertson Demby, Steven Ezzes, David Fleming, Douglas Olin, Mr. Tracey and Keith Watanabe.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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