There is hereby created and established for the town the Department of Law, which shall consist of the Town Attorney.
(A) The Town Attorney shall be a person holding an unlimited license to practice law within the state, and the residence of such attorney shall not be a condition of employment.
(B) The Town Attorney shall be employed by the Council by virtue of a contract of employment, either oral or written, but in no event shall such contract of employment be for a term longer than a calendar year, but shall be renewable from year to year unless terminated by action of the Council, with reasonable notice of termination communicated to the Town Attorney.
(C) Compensation of the Town Attorney shall be determined annually as are the salaries of other town officials, as hereinafter set out.
(D) In the event of the termination of employment of the Town Attorney, whether voluntary or involuntary, he or she shall be deemed to be paid on a semi-annual basis and compensation to the Town Attorney shall be pro-rated to the end of the payment period in which such employment is terminated.
(E) The annual compensation of the Town Attorney shall be in such amount and for the sole purpose of the general retaining of the services of the Town Attorney, his or her attendance at and participation in Council meetings for general town purposes as may be requested by the Council, his or her services in preparation of general town ordinances and resolutions, and the rendering of routine legal advice, whether in person or by telephone. The Town Attorney shall be entitled to additional payment, over and above such annual compensation, for actual expenses advanced on behalf of the town, postage, photocopy, long-distance telephone or other unusual office expenses advanced or assumed by the attorney’s private law office. The services of the attorney in performance of functions on behalf of the town utilities, conduct of litigation, negotiation of disputes and the like shall be the subject of separate compensation agreements.
(Prior Code, § 22.30)