The Select Board shall annually appoint an Attorney-at-Law to
act as Town Counsel, and said Board shall have full authority to employ
special or additional counsel whenever in its judgment necessity therefor
arises.
The Select Board shall have full authority, as agents of the
Town, to institute, prosecute, and compromise suits in the name of
the Town and to appear, defend and compromise suits brought against
it, and to appear in proceedings before any tribunal, unless it is
otherwise specially voted by the Town.
Whenever it shall be necessary to execute any deed conveying
land or any other instrument required to carry into effect any vote
of the Town, the same shall be executed by the Treasurer in behalf
of the Town, unless the Town shall otherwise vote in any special case.
The Town Clerk shall have the custody of the Town Seal, and
shall keep a true copy in a book for such purpose alone of all deeds
or conveyances executed in behalf of the Town by any Town officer.
It shall be the duty of the Town Clerk to see that every conveyance
to the Town of any interest in real estate is properly recorded in
the Registry of Deeds.
[Added 11-4-2019 STM by Art. 3]
A. The Town Administrator, subject to approval by the Select Board,
is hereby authorized to solicit, award and enter into lease or license
agreements for the use of land owned by the Town and under the care,
custody, management and control of the Select Board, which is declared
to be surplus and no longer needed for its current purpose, for a
period of up to 30 years, inclusive of any renewal, extension or option
provision, without the necessity for further authorization by Town
Meeting.
B. Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the Town's, the Town
Administrator's or the Select Board's authority to solicit,
award and enter into such a lease or license agreement for a longer
term pursuant to any applicable law, including, without limitation,
(1) MGL c. 40, § 3, authorizing the Select Board to enter
into leases for the use of municipal buildings for a period of up
to 30 years; and (2) any action by Town Meeting authorizing the Town
Administrator or the Select Board to enter into a specific lease or
license, or category of leases or licenses.