Braintree council unanimously confirms Kenneth J. Rossetti as town solicitor

The Braintree Town Council unanimously approved the appointment of Kenneth J. Rossetti as town solicitor at its April 7 meeting, following a favorable recommendation from the committee on ways and means.

Rossetti, who spoke to the council before the vote, said he brings "over 16 years of experience collectively as an in house municipal lawyer" and that he has advised officials at multiple levels of municipal government. Mayor Joyce told the council the town intends to transition legal work previously handled by KP Law back to an in-house solicitor.

The appointment matters because it will shift day-to-day legal advice from outside counsel to an attorney who, the mayor said, will be "very aware of our ongoing challenges, issues and just sort of keeping us all on track." The mayor and committee members said the move is intended to improve responsiveness and institutional knowledge while retaining outside counsel for specialized matters.

During a question-and-answer period, Vice President Rangis pressed Rossetti on how he would balance daily relationships with executive-branch staff and still offer independent legal advice. Rossetti said the solicitor's role is akin to that of a general counsel and said he would "interpret the law correctly," adding, "I'm not the mayor's solicitor. I represent the entire city." He also said he is "accustomed to having my feet to the fire" on high-profile matters and to addressing urgent legal issues.

Councilor Bridal, chairwoman of the ways and means committee, told the full council the committee met earlier and was sending the nomination forward with a "unanimous favorable recommendation," and she praised Rossetti's preparation and familiarity with the town charter.

The formal motion to approve Rossetti cited sections 2-10 and 3-3 of the town charter. After a motion and second, the council approved the appointment by unanimous voice vote. Rossetti said after the vote, "I look forward to starting."