HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-10-12 ad Hoc Town Counsel Review Committee MinutesLegal Services Review Committee Meeting
October 12, 2000
The meeting convened at 8:00 p.m. in the Conference Room, 16 Lowell Street, Reading,
Massachusetts. Present were Chairman Camille Anthony, School Committee member Tim
Twomey, Conservation Commission member Mark Gillis, CPDC member Jonathan Barnes,
Board of Selectmen member Matthew Nestor, Town Meeting member Stephen Crook, Town
Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, resident Kendra Cooper.
Camille Anthony suggested that we should meet in two sessions, tonight to establish the
parameters for the evaluation of six firms and next week to finalize the recommendation to the
Board of Selectmen.
The committee brainstormed evaluation criteria and noted that the following should be included:
cost, level of service, experience in municipal law with equivalent legal issues to the Town of
Reading, relationship with the principal who would be doing work for the Town,
responsiveness/access, and depth. The Town Manager reviewed a cost sheet with the committee
comparing the relative costs. The committee discussed the issue of whether or not some of the
work could be done by a paralegal, and the Town Manager noted that all of the respondents
indicated that they use paralegal services so he did not try to factor that into the cost sheet.
The committee discussed each of the firms, and the consensus was as follows: the committee
was interested in passing Keegan, Werlin, and Pabian; and Brackett and Lucas along to the
Board of Selectmen for further review. The committee is interested in Murphy, Hess, Toomey
and LeHane but only if the cost can be brought in considerably lower than their proposal.
Assuming that can't happen, then three members were interested in making Deutsch Williams
their third proposal to bring before the Board of Selectmen and one was in favor of Kopelman
and Paige. Two of the members abstained from the selection process because they did not attend
the interviews.
The Town Manager will check with Murphy, Hess, Toomey and LeHane and see if they can
come in at the lower cost. He will check references on Brackett and Lucas; and Keegan, Werlin
and Pabian. He will focus on references for Deutsch, Williams, but also check a couple with
Kopelman and Paige. The committee will meet again on the 18th at 8:00 p.m.
On motion by Gillis seconded by Nestor the committee voted to adjourn at 10:00 p.m. by a vote
of 6-0-0.
R ctfull s mitted,
Secretary
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