A new township solicitor was chosen at a recent Medford Township Council meeting.
Christopher Norman is of the law firm Raymond, Coleman and Heinold, which currently serves Moorestown, Shamong and Delanco.
Norman represented Mount Laurel for three years.
“I grew up in Medford and it’s near and dear to my heart,” Norman said, noting he was educated in the township as well. “It feels good to come back.”
He said he has had his office in Medford since the early ’80s and that “Medford was the little small town that no one knew about — (and was) becoming this town that everyone wanted to move to.”
Richard Hunt, a partner in the law firm of Parker McCay, was the previous solicitor.
“I’m not going to say anything about my predecessor,” Norman said. “I’m going to bill for my time.
“This council’s indicated that they’re going to put controls on legal expenses because, quite frankly, they’ve got a $5 million deficit. I completely understand that.”
He said the days of when a town had options to litigate are over.
“Not in this economy,” Norman said. “You have to look at other options.”
Deputy Mayor Frank Czekay was on the subcommittee that came up with three candidates for the position. He said he knows most about Norman because he is already the solicitor for the Medford Zoning Board of Adjustment.
“It came down to quality of service — and service delivery and success,” Czekay said of the choice. “First and foremost, we’re going to keep our fees down. In terms of quality of service, I feel that I’m going to get better service because I feel he will have our interest as a governing body and the interest of the township more at heart than our previous attorney, who I think that, while they did the work that was required to do … I think they did a lot to create work to bill the township for. I’m hoping and I’m fairly confident that that’s not going to occur.”
The previous solicitor had an $8,000 per month retainer and billed for other work.
Norman will have no retainer and will bill at $150 an hour, same as the previous solicitor.
Other actions taken by the council include:
• The appointment of Hardenbergh Insurance Group, of Voorhees, as risk management consultants (RMC) for the Burlington County Municipal Joint Insurance Fund;
• The appointment of Apruzzese, McDermott, Mastro and Murphy, of Warren, as township labor/human-resources attorneys;
• The appointment of Michael L. Zumpino Jr., of Triad Associates of Vineland, as affordable housing administrative agents.
Actions to appoint a township engineer and bond counsel were tabled.
Also, there are two alternate posts on the planning board for a one year term to expire Dec. 31, that have not yet been filled.
And, there is one alternate position on the zoning board with a balance of a two-year term to expire Dec. 31, that is still unfilled.
