Adams Finance Committee Approves $35,000 For Legal Fees
 The Finance Committee on Thursday approved transferring $35,000 from reserves to pay legal bills. |
ADAMS, Mass. — The Finance Committee hesitatingly approved the transfer of $35,000 from the reserve account to pay for past legal bills and present litigation.
The Finance Committee met Thursday with interim Town Administrator Donna Cesan and Selectmen Chairman Arthur "Skip" Harrington to discuss the transfer that was approved by the Selectmen in November.
Cesan said the town has been working with special labor counsel to complete two union contracts. She said most of the negotiation were done under the past town administrator
She said she has also been working on a new drug and alcohol policies with special town counsel for each union and a state-mandated zero tolerance policy for the Council on Aging van drivers. She said without the policy the town could lose its vans.
Cesan said these legal fees also include another $8,000 for final work on the Greylock Glen master lease and comes to near $17,000. She said they are bills that have to be paid.
In addition to this amount, she asked for another $18,000 for anticipated litigation with a former town employee.
"A former employee has legal representation so the town has to minimize its exposure by getting counsel," Cesan said. "We don't know at this point where it's going to pin. This is the best guess … obviously if we are not going to use it all it will be returned."
Some committee members felt uncomfortable transferring the money without knowing the details of the litigation.
"It's only fair," committee member Sandra Kleiner said. "How can you ask us to vote on something when we don't have a clue about what it's for?"
Harrington said the litigation has not become a case yet so the information cannot be public knowledge yet.
Committee member John Lawson said he felt the money should not be taken from the reserve account because it is only for unforeseen costs not in the budget. Funds for legal counsel were written into the budget but they have been exhausted.
Finance Chairman Timothy Burdick said he did not disagree but the town has to pay the money and transferring the money in a large sum just prevents the committee from having to meet every time more money is needed for legal fees.
"We have to pay it one way or the other; you fight it and pay it or you give up and end up settling at some point," Burdick said. "The town has to pay so is it paying from our reserve fund or is it raise and appropriate?"
He said it is the committee's job to decide if the amount needed should have to go to town meeting.
"Thirty-five thousand dollars, in my mind, I think is an acceptable figure," he said. "If it was over $50,000 I think I would be sitting here thinking it might be something to present to the town voters."
Out of the eight members present five were in favor and two opposed.
Tags: Finance Committee, legal, reserves,
