ORDER-2017-60 : An Appropriation in the amount of $15,000 from Available Free Cash to the City Solicitor Professional Services account.

Transcript (~3 min @ 9:05)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 8:52 Peter D. Mortimer: Second. We have a motion to suspend the rules so we can hear from the city solicitor, but what we're waiting for is the director of public works and have you a location

▶ 9:09 Peter D. Mortimer: on him mr. city solicitor all right he should he should be here momentarily we'll just stand by for a second mr. chairman alderman's work oh you up the

▶ 9:16 Michael P. Zwirko: floor please thank you mr. chairman since we have the city solicitor here I do believe that there's an order order two zero one seven dash six zero which has directly to do with his being here this evening his presence I was wondering if I make a motion to take that order up now Alderman Zwirko has

▶ 9:31 Peter D. Mortimer: made a motion to change the order of business and it is duly seconded by Alderman Medeiros all in favor please say aye any opposed hearing none that order is an appropriation the amount of $15,000 from available free cash to the city solicitor professional services account is there a motion to suspend the

▶ 9:57 Peter D. Mortimer: rules, please. So moved, Mr. Chairman. Second. Alderman Forbes has made a motion to suspend the rules that we might hear from the city solicitor. Duly seconded by Alderman Boycelle. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, we are under suspension and we are being joined now by our city solicitor,

▶ 10:16 Speaker 4: Attorney Robert Van Camper. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. This expenditure is connected to the services that my office received from an economics expert who was retained to assist in our recently concluded fire JLMC proceeding so the gentleman spent considerable amount of time conducting an analysis of our contract in relation to other contracts and the expense in front of you is for the services he rendered to the community he was also scheduled to serve as an expert witness as part of that proceeding but as you all know we were able to come to agreement just short of that proceeding so this is an invoice that i currently owe this individual

▶ 11:02 Peter D. Mortimer: thank you mr van campen are there any aldermen with comments or questions at this time we have alderman wright first in queue and also please let the record reflect that he has joined

▶ 11:21 Speaker 4: us thank you thank you mr chairman um did you let us who exactly was the expert so the gentleman's name is Ethan Zimmer and he conducts a number of these types of analyses for cities and towns for state agencies that are dealing with interest arbitration so he came highly recommended from some of my former colleagues okay what is his background professional economics he's got the PhD in economics many years of experience in the field. Do you know what his hourly rate was? I believe it was $165 an hour. That sounds reasonable. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Alderman Wright.

▶ 12:00 Peter D. Mortimer: I'm seeing no further Alderman wishing to be heard. Is there a motion? Motion to recommend. Second. We have a motion to recommend for passage from Alderman Forbes, duly seconded by Alderman Boycelle. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, this order will be recommended for passage at our full board on the 19th. Thank you. You're going to stay