[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of
the Town of Plainville 6-6-2011 ATM by Art. 26. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Officers, elected and appointed — See Ch. 128.
The Board of Selectmen shall annually, after
the annual business meeting and whenever a vacancy shall exist, choose
and appoint some competent lawyer to act as Town Counsel. He shall
be paid such compensation as the Selectmen, from time to time, shall
determine. The Selectmen may remove him at pleasure. His term of office
shall be effective as of July 1 each year and shall continue until
the appointment and acceptance of his successor.
The Town Counsel shall, when required by the
several Town officers, boards and committees, furnish a written opinion
on any question that may be submitted to him in regard to any matter
that concerns the Town or them as Town officers, and he shall at all
times furnish legal advice to any officer of the Town who may require
his opinion upon any subject with reference to the duties incumbent
upon such officer by virtue of his office.
The Town Counsel shall, unless otherwise directed
by the Selectmen, prosecute all suits ordered to be brought by the
Town, or defend suits brought against the Town or its officers in
their official capacity. He shall, when requested by the Selectmen,
appear before any tribunal, whether in law, equity or otherwise, or
before any board, referee, committee, commissioners, arbitrators or
any tribunal in matters in which the Town may be a party or in which
the Town may be interested. For such service he shall receive suitable
compensation as determined by the Board of Selectmen.
The Town Counsel shall prosecute in behalf of
the Town, in the local district court, all cases for the violation
of the statutes or of these bylaws when requested in writing by any
board or officer of the Town to do so. For such service he shall receive
suitable compensation as determined by the Board of Selectmen.
The Town Counsel shall draw all bonds, deeds,
leases, obligations, conveyances and other legal instruments or approve
the same.
The Town Counsel shall annually make a written
report to the Board of Selectman, to be printed in the Annual Town
Report, concerning the professional services rendered by him during
the preceding year. Said report shall contain a statement of each
case or claim which has been tried, settled or otherwise disposed
of by him during the year, and also a statement of each case which
is still pending and the status of the same insofar as the facts may
be properly published, together with such other information and recommendations
as he may deem advisable.
