For Committee Members: Access to Town Counsel

Access to Town Counsel by Permission of Town Administrator

When you feel it is necessary to contact Town Counsel to discuss a matter affecting your department or matters before your board, we ask that you first contact the Town Administrator to:

• Discuss briefly what the matter is
• To consider if there are other alternatives (some of them free, such as the Department of Revenue and Massachusetts Municipal Association) to calling Town Counsel
• To obtain permission to make the call.

Reason for Getting Permission of Town Administrator

This is not meant to be a burdensome process but is implemented to hold down skyrocketing legal costs and to keep the Selectboard aware of legal matters affecting the Town.

After Contacting Town Counsel

After you have contacted Town Counsel, please briefly let the Town Administrator know what the matter is and what you learned.  If these issues are sensitive, they may not be discussed in open session.