Council questions recent bills

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Several bills the Cloverdale Town Council received recently came into question Tuesday at the board's monthly meeting.

On Tuesday, the board discussed bills from three lawyers and the town's insurance company, voting in favor of paying one and not paying the others.

Board member Judy Whitaker expressed concern regarding a bill from current town attorney Allen Yackey.

The bill was received by the town on March 5, but had not been paid it yet. On Tuesday, Whitaker disputed the bill, saying she believed Yackey had signed on to be the town attorney for a flat fee.

Yackey, however, said he had signed on to be the town attorney for a flat fee when it pertained to the council only.

He said the bill in question was for litigation that came up during a Safety Board meeting.

During the meeting, Yackey asked town clerk/treasurer Patti Truax if he had not been paid because of a letter of communication from Whitaker to Truax.

But Whitaker disputed that as well.

"No, that's not true," Whitaker said. "I wrote her a letter saying I would address this (at the monthly meeting)."

Whitaker said she wanted to know the purpose of listed phone calls between Yackey and others that appeared on the bill meant and again said she believed that Yackey's offer as town attorney was a flat fee of $7,000.

As bickering continued over the issue, Council President Don Sublett chimed in by hammering his gavel.

"It sounds like we're bogged down in a dispute," Sublett said.

He then called for a motion to hire a separate attorney to settle the dispute, with Council Vice President Dennis Padgett making the second.

The council voted 5-0 in favor of the measure.

Whitaker then said she could contact the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns' attorney Jodie Woods to possibly help settle the dispute.

The board then voted to pay $583.33 and $135 to Yackey for attorney fees regarding the matter.

But the Yackey attorney bill was only one of four bills that came into question Tuesday.

The board also voted 5-0 to not pay a $600 bill from Mindy Jackman.

Sublett said he was not aware of a contract with Jackman for the bill.

"I can't see where we need to pay her $600," Sublett said.

The board also agreed to pay $3,000 to its insurance company, EMC, regarding a lawsuit from 2003, because the amount met the town's deductible.

In addition, the board also voted 3-2 in favor of turning over litigation involving another lawsuit the town is facing to its insurance company.

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