Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legal Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School committee approves attorney retainer, superintendent praises flat-fee arrangement
Summary
The Coventry School Committee approved a retainer agreement for the district’s attorney after the superintendent described the value of a flat-fee arrangement that allows staff to consult counsel without per-call billing. The motion passed at the March 12 meeting.
The Coventry School Committee voted to approve an attorney retainer agreement during its March 12 meeting, after the superintendent described the practical benefits of a flat-fee arrangement for district legal services.
The superintendent told the committee that having an attorney ‘‘who charges a flat fee which allows us to call him … anytime and we’re not being nickeled and dimed for every one of those calls is a relief,’’ and said that arrangement makes staff work easier. The agreement was discussed in public session with questions from members about the scope of representation and why the agreement was brought forward in March despite a January start date.
Committee members sought clarification about whether the attorney’s retained work covered only the school department; the superintendent replied that the attorney represents the school department on district matters and would not take on conflicting clients. Following discussion, a motion to approve the retainer was moved, seconded and approved by the committee.
The meeting record does not list a named mover or seconder for the motion on the public transcript. The chair thanked ‘‘John’’ after the vote. No contract amount or monthly fee was specified on the public record.
