Longmeadow Select Board agrees to maintain current legal counsel

July 28, 2016 | Chris Goudreau
cgoudreau@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW – The Select Board renewed its contract for another year with its law firm Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy after contemplating going out to bid town counsel.  

Town Manager Stephen Crane said during the board’s July 18 meeting the town pays the law firm a flat annual fee, noting he was more concerned Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury & Murphy would drop Longmeadow as a client than of the town renewing the contract, prior to the vote.

“It’s not a bid that you go out for qualifications and then you get a price. I am highly skeptical that we’d get as good a service at $96 an hour from another firm,” he added.

Crane said the town’s budget for the law firm was more than it expected and he would seek to review the expenses and find ways to “handle that a little better.”

The board also renewed its contract for its labor firm, Sullivan, Hayes, & Quinn.

Prior to the vote, Select Board Chair Marie Angelides asked the board whether they would entertain renewing the contract for another year and putting it out to bid after that time.

Selectman Mark Gold said he believes the town should negotiate the hourly rate of its labor lawyer considering this year was “particularly busy” for the town.

Crane said he we would ask the law firm to increase its flex hours for labor counsel by at least 25 percent under the town’s retainer.

In other business, the Select Board discussed its plans to evaluate Crane for his annual performance review.

Angelides said the review would be completed by Aug. 10.

Crane received low scores from the selectmen during his one-year review and lukewarm reviews during his second year. However, in August 2015 the Select Board voted to increase his salary from $109,500 to $125,000.

Share this: