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Council renews Sender/Dalton contract; resident asks for transparency on lobbyist role and costs
Summary
The council approved a renewal of the Sender/Dalton contract for 2026. Remote commenter Mary O'Neil asked for clearer information on what the lobbyist does and how much taxpayers pay for the retainer and monthly fees.
The Long Beach Town Council approved renewal of the Sender/Dalton contract during new-business votes at its Jan. 12 meeting. The contract renewal was added to the agenda earlier in the meeting and was approved by voice vote after a motion and a second.
During remote public comment, Mary O'Neil asked the council to explain the lobbyist's role and to make contract details public. "What does this lobbyist do, and what is the town? What are the taxpayers paying? Maybe that's something that should be on the website," O'Neil said from Zoom, asking for more transparency on fees and deliverables.
O'Neil also expressed concern that outside accounting and legal fees are high relative to expectations and asked whether documentation from state audit results and related town follow-up items were plainly available online. Council members acknowledged the request; staff said they would place documents and larger agenda materials on the town website and that the Sender/Dalton contract would be on the public record as part of the meeting packet.
The renewal clears the contract for 2026; the council did not discuss contract monetary terms or the monthly retainer in detail on the public record during this meeting.
