Town officials on Tuesday approved payment of a legal bill that includes an item listed as “Finance Department Complaint/Investigation.”
The town attorney’s firm has charged $4,335, at an hourly rate of $170, for more than 25 hours of work on the matter since July 1, according to a legal bill approved unanimously by the Board of Selectmen during its regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.
It wasn’t immediately clear what the investigation involves, who’s at the center of it or who lodged a complaint. Asked about it after the meeting, First Selectman Dionna Carlson declined to comment because it’s an active matter involving town personnel.
The work done by the town attorney’s firm includes communications with a union representative, “fact-finding,” conducting “witness” interviews and researching “paid medical leave,” according to line items listed in the bill (available here in full, see final pages) from Berchem Moses PC, as follows:
- “Update question outline for employee-respondent based on interviews conducted: draft investigatory interview summaries and notes; teleconference with union representative re: fact-finding changes; update fact-finding schedule and draft email to witnesses re: schedule change.” (July 1)
- “Draft, update and revise interview summaries to date; revise and distribute updated fact-finding notices.” (July 3)
- “Review and respond to various email correspondence with employee witnesses re: fact-finding interviews.” (July 9)
- “Draft, review and respond to various email correspondence with union representatives and employee witnesses re: fact finding interviews; teleconference with union representative re: fact finding interviews; revise interview questions and outline.” (July 10)
- “Review and revise questions for forthcoming investigation interviews on 7-18; prepare for investigation interviews.” (July 17)
- “Prepare for and attend investigatory interviews; update interview notes.” (July 17)
- “Review and update question outlines for forthcoming witness interviews; review and respond to email correspondence with union representative re: witness interviews.” (July 30)
- “Prepare for and attend investigation interviews; organize interview notes.” (July 31)
- “Conduct legal research re: paid medical leave.” (July 31)
- “Prepare for and attend investigation interviews; organize interview notes.” (July 31)
The attorney handling the work for the law firm is listed as ‘CRH’ in the bill, an apparent reference to Christopher R. Henderson. According to the Berchem Moses website, he “is an Associate Attorney in the firm’s Labor and Employment Department.”
Other than the firm’s $8,500 monthly retainer, the complaint and investigation represent the second most-expensive single item in the overall $29,257 July bill (the highest being a five-year-old zoning appeal regarding Grace Farms, at $4,488.50).
Members of the Board—Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll—made no comment on the bill in approving it at the meeting.