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Charter Revision Commission weighs independent counsel, FOIA constraints and consultant use; budget memo to be revised
Summary
Commissioners discussed whether to retain the town attorney or seek independent counsel for contentious matters, legal limits on confidential interviews under FOIA, and whether to add a modest consultant line in the commission budget; they asked staff to revise the budget memo and return in two weeks.
At its Dec. 2 special meeting the New Canaan Charter Revision Commission debated legal representation, public‑records obligations and the potential role of an independent charter consultant as it organized interviews and prepared a budget for its work.
Former commission chair Dave Hunt recommended the commission consider independent legal counsel where the town attorney could have a perceived conflict, saying an outside attorney had been necessary in the prior charter cycle to defend the commission in a FOIA matter. "You have an instant conflict when you do anything that runs... against the people that hire or fire those people," Hunt said, arguing the commission should plan how to secure outside counsel when…
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