Former Cedar Grove BOE President Challenges Selection of New Consulting Law Firm for School Board - TAPinto.net
CEDAR GROVE, NJ -- The Cedar Grove Board of Education has awarded a contract to the Weiner Law Group of Parsippany for board counsel services.
Weiner Law Group's rates are $160 an hour for attorneys and $75 for paralegals.
The Cedar Grove school board selected the law firm without competitive bidding.
"It seems odd that the entire board didn't have the chance to interview in help deciding the next counsel, given that the entire board works with the attorney," board member Christine Dye said. "Can you please advise why the entire board wasn't given the opportunity to participate in the process? The last time we approved a law firm was in May 2012, and the entire board participated."
Dye is the former president of the Cedar Grove BOE.
"Unfortunately, we were on significant time restraints, so made the decision that we would move forward with a committee and interview that way," Board President Dawn Daura responded. "In the future, if we need to reconsider this new attorney, we will certainly make sure we plan to have ample time to do it the way you spoke."
When Dye asked Daura how many law firms were intrerviewed, Daura responded that two were.
"Individuals reviewed all the proposals, and we came to a meeting, and we decided on the two that we thought would best meet our needs, and we interviewed them," Daura said.
"The lead person who would be our attorney is former counsel for the Cedar Grove Board of Education," Dye said. "They were terminated approximately 10 years ago. Was this discussed during the interview process?"
Daura replied, "No, it was not."
Dye said that a member of the law firm "was in the news recently for illegal campaign contributions. Is there any concern that they're not gonna act ethically on our behalf?"
"We asked the appropriate questions that we thought we needed to ask," Daura answered, "and we were satisfied with the responses."
Before joining the Weiner Law Firm, attorney Stephen Edelstein was fined $50,000 by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission for making campaign contributions in the names of three associates at their law firm. Edelstein is a former counsel to the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.
"How is this in the best interests of the community where we are potentially hiring a firm that we fired years ago that has been in the news for billing irregularities, and that there's other things going on with this firm?" Dye said. "And I feel like some kind of deal is being made that we're not aware of. Why would we choose a firm like this?"
Dye added, "I am not satisfied, and I am worried that we are putting the district at risk, and that there's going to be problems."
Daura, Michele Mega and Lou Marzullo voted to approve the hiring of the Weiner Law Group. Dye and David Schoner voted against approval.
source: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/verona-slash-cedar-grove/sections/education/articles/former-cedar-grove-boe-president-challenges-selection-of-new-consulting-law-firm-for-school-board
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