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Buckfield committee to engage outside counsel and consultant; members discuss splitting fees
Summary
Committee discussed hiring outside counsel and a consultant (Christine Collins' firm), asking whether costs can be split among partner towns; members agreed to collect questions and confirm billing arrangements before approving expenditures.
At the same meeting, Buckfield committee members reviewed progress on hiring legal counsel and a consulting firm to advise on next steps and possible reorganization.
Speaker 5 said the committee has awarded a consulting engagement to Christine Collins and is awaiting her advice on milestones, deliverables and whether work will be remote or in person. Collins asked for the committee’s expected budget for advisory work; members discussed a range and asked that the scope be clarified so advice is not duplicative of work they already completed.
Separately, members discussed retaining outside counsel. The group said a prior decision had approved hiring a lawyer and that the next practical question is how to handle billing. Several participants favored splitting the lawyer’s fee three ways among partner towns so each municipality receives an itemized portion for its records. Speaker 1 noted that if Buckfield pays an invoice centrally, the town could re‑bill partners for their shares to simplify administration.
Why it matters: engaging counsel and an external consultant can shape how the district proceeds with budget reorganization and legal assurances; the committee wants clear scope and billing mechanics before committing public funds.
Quotes: “I emailed Christine Collins, basically letting her know that we've awarded her firm,” Speaker 5 said, summarizing outreach and the consultant’s follow‑up questions. On counsel billing, Speaker 1 said, “Then that way, the lawyer would pay the card for the next trip,” discussing administrative simplicity.
Next steps: Kristen and Speaker 1 will finalize a set of targeted questions for the consultant and counsel, confirm whether Collins will work by Zoom or in person, and ask counsel about splitting fees and invoicing. No formal payment was approved during the meeting.
