Council president seeks outside counsel
LANCASTER - Lancaster City Council President Bob Hedges is still unsatisfied with the council's decision to circumvent his authority to appoint committees and is seeking outside counsel to look into the matter.
Late last week, Hedges retained local attorney Ray Michalski, who spoke out against the council and its decision to bypass Hedges' appointments and make their own Jan. 25. Both Hedges and Michalski think council members broke the law when the majority voted in favor of at-large council member Gina Bentle's prepared list of appointments.
Bentle and other opposing council members acted after Lancaster Law Director Randall Ullom sent his opinion to council members, stating the council had the authority to set its own appointments after the voting gridlock that occurred earlier in January.
While the committees were set, Hedges still disagrees and is asking Ullom to seek outside counsel for guidance to determine whether the law was broken when the council acted on its own to appoint committees.
After Monday's council meeting, Ullom said he will decide whether outside counsel is necessary but has yet to make a determination. He hopes to have an answer for Hedges soon.
"I've got to determine if conflict exists," Ullom said, referring to a possible conflict of interest, which Hedges has alleged.
In an email, Hedges told Ullom he doesn't believe Ullom was remaining "neutral" on the issue.
Ullom's decision will determine whether the city or Hedges will foot the bill for outside counsel, which Hedges has already retained.
Ullom said there are no allocated funds for outside counsel in the budget. Any decision to fund the outside attorney would require a council vote — a vote from the same people who rejected Hedges' appointment requests originally.
The last time Ullom recalls outside counsel was granted involved the Pearl House.
Without the authority to appoint the nine standing committees and make appointments to the Lancaster Historic Commission and Special Improvement District, Hedges said he is nothing more than a figurehead of the council. Initially, Hedges said he intended to shake up the former committee appointments to diversify the members' knowledge of the city and its functions, but only Randy Groff (3rd Ward), Becky Tener (6th Ward) and Jon Hale (at large) voted for all or most of Hedges' appointments.
The opposing council members thought Hedges' appointments were not in a "spirit of cooperation" as they had requested other committees in areas that they have knowledge and excel in already.
The next council meeting is at 7 p.m. Feb. 22.
sremoquill@lancastereaglegazette.com
740-681-4342
Twitter: @SpencerRemo
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