Letter to the Editor: Hamilton Town Counsel Should Resign

Jack Lawrence of Hamilton, a former co-chairman of the Government Study Committee, writes to suggest that the Hamilton town counsel should resign.

To the Editor: Having been away from July 19 until Aug. 5, I returned to read The Chronicle’s Aug. 2 headline ”Brewer prevails, reappointed town counsel.” In the discussion that followed, it would seem that what was voted affirmatively was the principle that the Town Manager should be able to pick his team. That was a good thing. It is the actions of that team - the department heads and professional staff of the town government - which will determine how his job performance is rated. If he is subjected to the sort of micromanagement that brought about the demise of Raleigh Buchanan, how can he be held accountable? In setting this up, the Government Study Committee (GSC) consciously gave the position that authority with the countervailing …

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Brewer Reappointment as Town Counsel Gets Backing from Selectmen

Hamilton Town Counsel Donna Brewer's reappointment was been supported by the Board of Selectmen in a 3-2 vote on Monday night.

Town Manager Michael Lombardo narrowly received support from the Board of Selectmen on Monday for his decision to reappoint Town Counsel Donna Brewer. Brewer, who has served as the town's attorney since 1998, is reappointed each year. And two years ago, she actually told the town she did not want to be reappointed. But at that time, as Lombardo was coming on board as the town’s first town manager, she was asked to stay on board to help with the transition. Brewer’s reappointment became a hotly contested topic in recent weeks after the release of the so-called Urbelis report earlier this year. The report, by Boston attorney Thomas Urbelis, faulted Brewer’s handling of advice to the Board of Selectmen in 2007 as it went into several closed-…

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Jay Burnham

7:34 am on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

"MISTAKES WERE MADE"... was the argument used by those Selectmen who supported the reappointment of attorney Donna Brewer as town counsel for Hamilton. The word "mistake" implies that the actions taken were accidental…or not deliberate. To the contrary, any reasonable person who read the Urblelis Report would conclude that the actions taken by Ms. Brewer were carefully thought out and deliberate…   more ›

Patch Facts

Five Things to Know Today in Hamilton and Wenham: July 30

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Monday, July 30. Here are five things you need to know: 1. Top Pick: Weather forecasters are calling Monday the top pick of the week, weatherwise, with sunny skies and temperatures into the upper 70s. 2. Regional Dispatch: The Essex County Regional Communications Center’s Police Working Group meets on Monday afternoon to select a new chairman, since Wenham Police Chief Kenneth Walsh held the position until his retirement last week. Wenham plans to become part of the regional dispatch center in Middleton starting next year. Thomas Perkins has taken over as interim chief and Walsh will become director of safety at Endicott College. 3. Music Man: The Music Man does not take a summer vacation as long as the kids who come to his shows……

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Selectmen Chairman Says Town Counsel Decision Does Not Rest With Board

As town residents push the Board of Selectmen to address the issue of whether to reappoint town counsel Donna Brewer, the town manager and chairman of the Board of Selectmen says state law gives the town manager total control to name the town attorney.

The power to appoint the town counsel sits solely with Town Manager Michael Lombardo. And that’s why the Board of Selectmen, after hearing from residents two weeks in a row pushing for the board to address the issue, is not taking up the topic of whether Donna Brewer should continue as town counsel, according to Board Chairman David Neill. She is eligible for reappointment yearly on July 1 and Lombardo decided to keep her on board. Neill said typically he prefers to addresses issues head-on at Board of Selectmen meetings. “With this, we don’t have the authority to make the decision,” Neill said in comments following Monday night’s meeting. Neill, who was most recently elected in May and immediately named chairman, was also a selectman in …

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Residents Push to Have Hamilton Town Attorney Replaced

A letter signed by 20 Hamilton residents was brought to the Board of Selectmen on Monday night, asking that Town Counsel not be reappointed and that legal services be put out to bid.

A group of Hamilton residents asked the Board of Selectmen on Monday night to not reappoint the town’s attorney, Donna Brewer. North Street resident Jay Burnham read a two-page letter to the board – signed by a total of 20 residents – “and supported by many others,” Burnham said. “As a result of her actions, Attorney Brewer has forfeited the trust, respect and confidence of the community and appropriately, she should be terminated as Town Counsel,” the letter stated. A complete copy of the letter is attached to this story as a PDF. Burnham said that the so-called Urbelis report, prepared nearly three years ago to determine Brewer’s role in police department problems at the time – but publicly released last month – “determined that Ms. …

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Jay Burnham

8:18 am on Friday, July 6, 2012

Nancy...perhaps because Wallace's behavior was sanctioned by Ms. Brewer, acting as Town Counsel. The Hayes and Pomeroy Reports seem to support this conclusion.   more ›