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TOWN SOLICITOR
Mission Statement
The law firm of Ursillo, Teitz & Ritch, Ltd. provides legal representation to the Town in the form of legal assistance and advice to the Town Council, Town Manager, Town staff, and Town boards and commissions, exclusive of the School Department* and police prosecutions*; and advocacy on behalf of the Town. The Town Solicitor is proactive, meeting with Town Officials to anticipate and avoid potential problems before they arise and tracking state policy affecting the municipality.
Responses are provided to all requests for legal advice from Town Departments, through either the department heads directly or the Town Manager. The Town Solicitor accepts service of process on behalf of the Town and defends the Town in all lawsuits not handled by the Town's insurance carrier. The Town’s legal staff also files actions on behalf of the Town where necessary for civil remedies, including enforcement actions against public nuisances and violations of all Town Ordinances.
Attorneys from the Town Solicitor’s office attend all meetings of the Town Council, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Review, as well as other Town board meetings from time to time, on an as-needed basis. The Solicitor and Special Legal Counsel also attend office hours with Town officials.
* The School Department retains legal representation independent of the Town. Attorney Terrence Simpson serves as Special Legal Counsel and represents the Town in handling criminal misdemeanor prosecutions and wayward petitions in the District and Family Courts.
Accomplishments 2005 - 2006 return to top
Ursillo, Teitz & Ritch, Ltd. has provided all general municipal legal services to the Town since 1995. Michael A. Ursillo serves as the Town Solicitor and Andrew M. Teitz and Nancy E. Letendre serve as Special Legal Counsel for Zoning and Planning. Scott Ritch assists with review of all contractual matters.
The number of land use-related court actions brought against the Town has increased in the last year, as several new actions appealing land use decisions have been filed in Superior Court. Recent focus on land use on the state mandates relative to affordable housing and changes to land use legislation have had minimal impact on the Town's litigation calendar to date. No new "Comprehensive Permit" applications have been received in the last year.
The Town Solicitor also continues to address a number of tax assessment appeals and liability claims with the Town's insurer. During the past year, the Solicitor's office has either represented the Town or assisted the Town’s insurance carrier in the following categories of lawsuits:
| Category |
Number
of Cases |
| Zoning
Appeals |
8 |
| Zoning
Enforcement Actions |
5 |
| Tax
Appeals |
13 |
| Minimum
Housing Enforcement |
2 |
| Claims
for which suit has not been instituted |
29 |
| Total |
57 |
Additionally, the Town Solicitor and Special Legal Counsel have attended an average of six to seven evening meetings per month, representing the Town Council and various Town boards. This is in addition to daytime meetings with Town staff and state agencies and numerous court appearances on behalf of the Town.
The Town of South Kingstown continues to be a fast-growing community, which has led to a continued high volume of work for both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Review, with a commensurate increase in work for the Town Solicitor’s Office.
Goals 2006 - 2007 return to top
- Provide high quality legal services to the Town in a timely fashion and at an affordable rate.
- Successfully defend the numerous suits brought against the Town.
- Provide proactive representation through the review of various ordinances, contracts, memoranda and policies prior to implementation and by keeping abreast of continued state law and regulatory changes.
- Provide non-partisan legal advice, based on the combined experience of legal counsel, set forth in a comprehensible and straightforward manner.
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