Council meets mayor's pick for city attorney, Christina; appointment slated for July 7

The Franklin City Common Council held a special meet-and-greet on Thursday, July 2 to hear from Christina, the mayor's appointee for city attorney, and asked about her approach to conflicts of interest, closed sessions and daily responsibilities. The council did not vote at the session; Christina’s nomination is scheduled for council consideration on July 7.

Christina told the council she would ‘‘read and reread’’ the law to provide precise answers and called herself ‘‘doors wide open’’ on communication, saying she wants to be available to council members and staff. She described her legal background as centered on contract negotiation and consensus-building, noting prior civic service on a parks commission and a citizens advisory committee that rewrote unsuccessful school referendums.

Her stated priorities included bringing more legal work in-house to allow the city to be proactive rather than reactive, creating continuity in city documents, and providing training and resources for elected officials. Christina said she is comfortable using legal research tools (she referenced Westlaw) and affirmed she would handle the role’s time demands, including off-hours availability when urgent matters arise.

Council members pressed her on concrete examples: they said members have abstained in the past for clear financial conflicts (one cited votes involving Costco and other employer-related bids) and asked how she would advise the body about abstentions and community communications. Christina agreed she would dig into relevant statutes and provide the council with firm guidance once in the role.

Closed-session practice came up as well; speakers cited statutory ‘‘bright lines’’ for closed sessions—negotiations, litigation and confidential proprietary or personnel matters—and emphasized that confidentiality must be maintained, noting prior instances where closed-session material leaked to social media.

Council members reviewing the hiring process confirmed those who participated in Christina’s interview included HR administrator Blake Weeding, Police Chief Craig Lerman and Economic Development Director John Regetts; the mayor made a brief appearance during the interview process. Jesse, the city’s long-serving municipal attorney, was discussed as a transition resource: council members noted his 37 years in the position and said the transition period is an opportunity to capture institutional knowledge.

Christina provided a contact on her resume (phone listed as 4142556248) and asked members to reach out with further questions before the July 7 council meeting. No formal action was taken at the July 2 session; the council adjourned at 10:52 a.m.