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General News: No Deal Yet on Village Legal Bills

Trustee Barbara Gosda showed charts of the time spent with the attorney by each trustee.
Trustee Barbara Gosda showed charts of the time spent with the attorney by each trustee.
November 17, 2010

After at least a half hour of discussion at Monday’s village board meeting, the trustees failed to resolve the mounting legal bills, which mayor Joseph Gross predicted could run as high as $172,000 by the end of the fiscal year in March. The mayor proposed that a two-member committee be appointed to review each item on legal bills, including those contained in a $44,000 bill that has not been paid. That proposal was not pursued by any of the board members present at Monday’s village meeting.

Mayor Gross said that the important matter was whether each consultation had been properly authorized by the board and reported that he has asked the village treasurer to research the issue with him.

Most the discussion focused on trading charges about who was responsible for asking for the legal advice. Trustee Edsall reviewed a list of issues included in the bills, from sewer repairs to personnel matters, that he said “were not frivolous.” Trustee Barbara Gosda brought out charts she had created that she said showed the amount of time each trustee spoke with the law firm since it was hired in June. She also criticized the lack of a retainer agreement with the firm, Tarshis, Catania,Liberth, Mahon, and Milligram.

The attorney for the village whose bills are in dispute sat quietly through the discussion until asked by Mark Edsall if he is willing to discuss a retainer. “I am willing to discuss whatever options are necessary for continuing to work with the village,” Joseph McKay said.

In response, trustee Jim Kane proposed a motion to hold a special meeting in the next two weeks where everyone could air their concerns about the bills. The motion failed on a vote of 2 to 2, with trustee Doug Vatter absent from the meeting.



Comments:

Here are the video links.
it was a lengthy "discussion" so I had to split it into 3 clips.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlVZ0lLHmoM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M67rIUoY6lU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1nazJXvDfI

sorry youtube wont let you post over 15 min. clips.
As allways all of the video I have up from this meeting and other meeting's is on my youtube channel at ArgenioAndrew on youtube.
Watch and inform youre selves!


posted by Andrew Argenio on 11/17/10 at 2:57 PM

Mr. Argenio's told me that he prepared the charts presented by Ms. Gosda at the Village 11/15 Board meeting. He took them home with himself. Also, why is the Village attorney charging fees to the village for work performed in behalf of Mr. Chase, which Mayor Gross apparently does not know about.Were these people elected to run Village affairs.


posted by Edward Flynn on 11/17/10 at 4:52 PM

Mr. Flynn, I explained to you after the meeting -- and offered to explain to your wife -- that the notations of time spent by Mr. McKay on communications with me were in connection with the dispute then before the Attorney General concerning the Board's hiring of Mr. McKay's firm over the Mayor's objection.

Not only did I never receive any personal services from Mr. McKay or his firm, the facts are to the contrary: I have not received any payment whatsoever for the many hours I have spent assisting the Mayor in defending the right of this or any other Mayor under Village Law to nominate the Village Attorney, subject to Board approval. That right has never been contested in over 50 years by the Trustees in this Village -- until the Board did so this year. Yet we all are being asked to pay Mr. McKay's bills for his work for the Board majority, some of it directly against the Mayor.

So please do not continue your false and slanderous suggestions that I have received any illegal benefit from the Mayor or the "Attorney for the Village Board." Nothing could be further from the truth.


posted by Jon Chase on 11/18/10 at 1:01 AM

Good thing those trustees hired that new firm.

Nice work, guys.

(face_palm)


posted by Ted Warren on 11/18/10 at 9:28 AM

Gross 15 calls 5.8 hours
Vatter 20 calls 8.65 hours
Kane 21 calls 10.15 hours
Edsall 10 calls 3.09 hours
Gosda 1 call .4 hours
That is what the bills say this is for individual phone calls.


posted by Andrew Argenio on 11/18/10 at 11:08 AM

Hello Andrew,

Question. Where is the above information posted?

I'd also like the board to inform us if any of these calls had anything to do with the counseling the Mayor has received from Jon Chase.


posted by P W on 11/19/10 at 9:20 AM

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