Columbia County board approves law firm retainer, reappoints fair board member and names new invoice contact

The Columbia County Board approved a retainer agreement with law firm Wood Smith Henning and Berman LLP and authorized Sarah Hansen to sign on the county’s behalf, the board said during a routine meeting. The board also approved a reappointment to the Columbia County Fair Board with the term set to expire Jan. 1, 2029, and approved a letter designating Susie Dahl as the representative to receive invoices from Robert Cromwell.

The motions came in quick succession. A committee member opened the agenda item by saying, “Mister chairman, I move approval of retainer agreement C-14-2026 with Wood Smith Henning and Berman LLP and authorize Sarah Hansen to sign,” and the chair seconded the motion. The chair then called for a voice vote; members responded in the affirmative and the motion passed.

The board next addressed a previously pulled item concerning a fair board appointment. A staff member described the request, saying the item had been pulled earlier and that the speaker was “coming back to you, for that discussion to request that let you guys be reappointed to the public community fair award, with the term to expire 01/01/2029.” A committee member moved to approve the appointment, the chair seconded, and the board approved it by voice vote.

Board members then approved a letter to Robert Cromwell that, according to a staff member, designates Susie Dahl as the representative going forward for the dissolved economic team and directs Cromwell to contact her about invoices. The staff member summarized the letter, saying, “this letter just states that they just need to contact her. It’s invoices.” A committee member moved approval of the letter, the chair seconded, and the motion carried.

Separately, a staff member provided administrative updates about office coverage in late February and noted that meetings scheduled for next week had been canceled. The staff member said phone and email coverage would remain available but office presence would be limited. The chair closed the meeting after indicating there was no further business.

The items recorded in the meeting were procedural and administrative in nature: a contract retainer, an appointment to the Columbia County Fair Board, and designation of an invoice contact following an internal reorganization. The board took formal votes on each motion and approved them by voice vote. No public testimony or contested debate on these items was recorded.