Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ethics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Putney resident questions town legal counsel arrangement and role of attorney on Selectboard
Summary
Resident Howard Fairman read a lengthy statement questioning whether a Selectboard member who is also an attorney should draft ordinances or serve in roles related to town legal representation, noting Act 84 (2020) and Vermont statute 17 V.S.A. § 2647 on incompatible offices. The town retains Attorney Lawrence Slason as town counsel; no formal board action recorded in response.
During public comment, Howard Fairman read a prepared statement attached to the minutes raising questions about the town's legal-counsel arrangements and the legacy of the 'town agent' office. Fairman cited the 2020 repeal of the town-agent office in Act 84 and quoted Vermont statute 17 V.S.A. § 2647 regarding incompatible offices, asking whether a Selectboard member who is also an attorney should draft ordinances or serve as the town's attorney-of-record.
Fairman noted the Town retains Attorney Lawrence Slason as town counsel while Selectboard member Fletcher Proctor is an elected member of the Selectboard and an attorney who practices in other areas, and he asked, "Who should prosecute and defend suits in which the Town of Putney is interested?" The minutes record the statement as public comment; no Selectboard response or formal action on the questions appears in the Aug. 6 minutes.
