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Residents and select board members press to rebid town attorney amid repeated nonresponse
Summary
Multiple board members and residents told the Select Board April 6 the town's contracted attorney has repeatedly failed to respond to email and phone outreach; several urged putting the attorney position out to bid and setting response expectations (SLAs). The chair said he would take the matter under consideration.
During discussion of the July 2023 flood follow-up, several board members and residents raised concerns about the town’s attorney’s responsiveness. A resident (speaker 9) and multiple select board members said the lawyer had not returned calls or responded to emails and that the delays have impeded town work on matters including the short-term rental ordinance and a land-subdivision question known as the Mulrath issue.
One resident urged the board to put the town-attorney position out to bid, noting the position should be held to service standards and be responsive to the town’s needs. Another board member suggested establishing a service-level agreement (SLA) specifying response times so the town could expect timely replies from outside counsel.
The chair (speaker 1) acknowledged the complaints and said he would take the concerns into consideration and follow up. Board members framed the discussion as a procurement and performance issue rather than a personal attack; they emphasized that residents pay for these services and that responsiveness affects town operations.
No formal decision to rebid the contract or to solicit proposals was recorded in the April 6 public transcript; the chair said he would pursue next steps. The transcript shows the board discussed whether a contract or written expectations exists that would specify response times, and a suggestion to ask for alternatives if the current attorney cannot meet timely response expectations.
