The Springfield Public Schools Legislative & Contract Subcommittee voted Oct. 29 to recommend that the full school committee amend its legal-services contract with Norris Murray & Pellegrino LLC, increasing the contracts maximum liability and reimbursable-expense cap to $150,000.

Chief Roach introduced the item as a carryover from a prior subcommittee meeting and said the subcommittee needed to vote to forward the increase to the full committee. Members debated the extent of outside counsel use, whether the district's in-house counsel should handle day-to-day matters, and the need for independent external counsel in matters that could present conflicts of interest.

"I don't see why we're paying 2 attorneys to sit at our meetings when we have an in-house attorney that could answer any law questions," one committee member said, adding concern that outside counsel costs appeared high and that the district should control legal spending. Other members said independent counsel provided necessary separation and transparency for matters with potential conflicts or past issues that required outside review. "My trust has grown in this body with the two of you present, with being able to have independent counsel," one member said, supporting outside counsel while urging a review of past expenditures.

A motion to recommend the contract amendment was made and seconded. The clerk called a roll: "Mister Collins? Yes. Miss Hurst? Yes. Miss Brownie Naylor? Yes." The motion passed on a roll-call vote; the subcommittee will forward the recommendation to the full school committee for final approval and contract amendment.

Ending: Members also requested staff provide a breakdown of legal spending over the past several years (in-house counsel, outside counsel firms and litigation-related legal fees) to inform future decisions about the district's mix of in-house and outside legal services.