HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Selectmen Minutes November 9, 2010_201402061620241712BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Minutes of the Meeting of 9 November 2010. The meeting took place in the Town Building Conference
Room, 16 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA 02554. Members of the Board present were Rick Atherton,
Brian Chadwick, Michael Kopko, Patricia Roggeveen, and Whiting Willauer. Chairman Roggeveen
called the meeting to order at 9:03 AM.
LEGAL SERVICES REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) REVIEW OF RESPONSES. Chairman
Roggeveen asked the board how it wishes to proceed with the RFQ review process. Mr. Kopko
suggested going down the list of respondents. Mr. Willauer asked what the objective of the process is.
Mr. Kopko said it is to eliminate firms which don’t meet the RFQ requirements. The Board agreed to
review the list of respondents and to decide whether they meet the requirements and should be
included or not. After some discussion, the Board eliminated Morgan, Brown and Joy; Lawrence P.
Mayo; John G. Donnelly; Galvin and Clifford; Nutter McClennen and Fish; Miyares and Harrington;
James S. Timmins; and Murphy, Hess, Toomey and Lehane. The Board was left with Deutsch Williams,
the Town of Barnstable, and Kopelman and Paige to consider.
At 9:32 AM Mr. Kopko left the meeting. He returned at 9:33 AM.
Mr. Atherton discussed Town Counsel’s relationship with the Board and the Town Manager, and
wondered if the two activities should be separated in terms of who Town Counsel represents and
reports to. Town Manager C. Elizabeth Gibson noted that she has discussed the issue with other town
managers over the last few months and most say they deal with their town counsel, and that most of
their boards do not habitually speak with their town counsel directly unless specific issues come up like
an ethics question or something similar. Mr. Atherton said it is important to see how information flows
between Town Counsel and the Town Manager, and added that who Town Counsel represents is
“philosophical” and said he feels Town Counsel can represent the Administration and the Board. Ms.
Gibson stated that the Town made a Charter change to more centralize items through the Town
Manager position, and that this model lends itself more to the Town Manager dealing most with Town
Counsel, adding that doesn’t mean that Board members cannot speak to Town Counsel. Mr. Kopko
said he assumes that is the current situation, and that Ms. Gibson deals most with Town Counsel. A
discussion followed. Chairman Roggeveen said there is a difference between policy and practice. Mr.
Kopko noted that in response to a comment Ms. Gibson made about Town Counsel contacting Board
members while he is “pretty good friends with Paul DeRensis” he is never contacted by Mr. DeRensis.
Mr. Kopko suggested that as the list has been narrowed to three respondents that the Board leave the
balance of the conversation to tomorrow night’s Board meeting. Mr. Willauer said he would like to
spend some time discussing criteria and qualities, noting that he feels the business of the Town is
growing and the Town needs a firm with a broad set of capabilities. Mr. Chadwick said he is ready to
make a decision and doesn’t need to wait for another meeting. Chairman Roggeveen suggested that
the public discussion occur after the Board interviews the respondents. A discussion followed among
Board members on how to proceed with the respondents in terms of a public discussion and scheduling
interviews. Mr. Kopko suggested that the interviews be conducted in public on camera, possibly on a
Monday night. It was agreed that a one hour interview would be allotted to each respondent and they
would occur back to back. Mr. Willauer moved to schedule interviews with the three finalists: Deutsch
Williams, the Town of Barnstable, and Kopelman and Paige; Mr. Kopko seconded. So voted, 4-1. Mr.
Chadwick was opposed.
The meeting was unanimously adjourned at 10:01 AM.
Approved the 1st day of December, 2010.
1
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
9 NOVEMBER 2010 – 9:00 PM
CONFERENCE ROOM, TOWN & COUNTY BUILDING
16 BROAD STREET
NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTS
List of documents used at the meeting:
Memo from Town Manager, re: legal services RFW review; spreadsheet listing respondents and
breakdown of information provided in responses