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Board debates access to district attorney; moves to table policy revisions
Summary
Board members debated whether all members should have direct access to the board attorney versus retaining a single designee (board president). The board moved and voted to table proposed revisions to Policy P0174 for further review.
Board member Sinead Rendell urged the Glen Rock board to allow all trustees equitable access to the board attorney and proposed a process that would require the attorney to provide a comprehensive summary within 48 hours of any correspondence between a board member and counsel. Rendell said limited email updates following extended attorney work left other board members without necessary information and framed broader access as part of shared governance.
Other trustees, including members who spoke as S11 and others during the Jan. 7 discussion, argued that designating the board president as the point of contact preserves control over legal spending and maintains attorney‑client privilege. Several members said the district’s existing practice—where the president serves as liaison and the board receives summaries on bills—has worked and warned that allowing every trustee to contact counsel directly could create inefficiencies and increased legal costs.
Board members discussed compromise options including routine summaries (monthly or periodic) rather than immediate disclosure of privileged communications. The administration noted that some attorney conversations occur because of matters raised by individual trustees and that much of the work remains subject to closed‑session privilege.
After discussion, a trustee moved to table Policy P0174 for additional review; the motion was seconded and passed by roll-call vote. The board did not adopt new language at the Jan. 7 meeting and directed further review of the proposed changes.
