Bethel Twp. supervisors mum at meeting on hiring of international law firm

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

Bethel Township supervisors hired an international law firm at their Thursday, Oct. 9, meeting to represent them in what their solicitor called a personnel matter. 

The motion to hire the Clark Hill law firm to “serve as the Township Labor & Employment Law attorney retroactive to Sept. 23” passed unanimously. 

Clark Hill is a Detroit, Michigan-based law firm with offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and other locations in a majority of states across the nation, including Alaska and Hawaii, and other places around the world, according to their website. It is also states that they are a “full service commercial law firm for whatever legal challenges your business faces.”

LebTown asked several questions after the vote: “What is the retainer amount,” “What is their hourly rate,” and “Why were they hired?” Township solicitor attorney Andrew Morrow responded to those questions – and others – with basically the same answer. 

“That’s a personnel matter and that’s not subject to discussion,” he said. 

LebTown asked a second time about the hourly rate and the retainer amount.

Many law firms require a deposit of a certain amount of money, commonly known as a retainer, to hire them. As they work on behalf of their client, usually at an hourly rate, money from the retainer is drawn down from the retainer account. If monies are left over after a case has settled, the retainer amount is returned to the client.

LebTown had asked about the financials tied to the personnel matter since Bethel Township taxpayer funds may be used to compensate the law firm representing them in the personnel matter. 

LebTown asked again about the financials, which were not listed on the agenda, adding that since the motion passed and should be part of the public record, what is the rate of pay to Clark Hill. Morrow expanded upon his previous answer. 

“If you want to challenge that, you can file a right-to-know (RTK) request, but there will be no discussion of that this evening,” he said.

LebTown also asked if township employees were looking to unionize, if it was a labor issue or another matter altogether. There is the possibility that the township is also being sued, meaning litigation is involved. 

“This is a personnel matter that is not subject to discussion at the meeting. I can keep on saying that if you like,” Morrow said. “We can sit here for an hour and stare at each other.”

LebTown’s final question was if the township believed the public has the right to know why the law firm was hired, with Morrow stating, “It’s a personnel matter and it’s not subject to discussion this evening.”

On Friday, LebTown filed a RTK request with the township “seeking all contracts and records with Clark Hill….” 

Fire Police special duty requests

As a follow-up to a discussion at the September meeting, supervisors revisited the issue of providing fire police for non-township events. 

Read More: Bethel Twp. questions insurance coverage for non-emergency events

At the September meeting, Mount Zion fire police made a special duty request for Oct. 17-18 as part of a company fundraiser at a private event. That motion was denied due to a lack of a second on the motion.

After the motion failed, supervisor chairman Richard Rudy asked that the item be placed on the October agenda so that the full board could discuss it, since supervisor Michael Saphore was absent from the September meeting.

On Thursday, Saphore said he favored the township finding some way to permit fire police to work at non-township sponsored events so that they can conduct fundraisers. 

“At some point, we’re going to need to basically address this,” Saphore said. “Personally, I think it is a great idea. Moving forward, whether it’s something in writing, bonding, as an ordinance of how the fire police get used, but I am not sure of how to go about that. But moving forward, I am in favor of this for when services can be used. It is our community.” 

He said this is priority No. 1 for him, adding everyone wants to do the right thing while also protecting local residents. 

Rudy said he didn’t want the township put on the financial hook if someone was injured at a private event. He added that insurance for first responders is only available through the commonwealth following implementation of the Cancer Presumption Act.

He noted that an issue is that the insurance firm that provides coverage to municipalities through the commonwealth randomly decides what they will/won’t cover when a claim has been filed.   

Supervisor Bruce Light, who made the motion that was tabled at the September meeting, said they’ve always approved these kinds of requests in the past, noting that he spoke with other fire company officials who believe it is legal to allow fire police to work at private events. 

Rudy disagreed, noting private events can be a “bugaboo” for townships and that his research has shown that the municipality would be liable if someone was injured at a private event. He also said while he favors passing this motion, he believes the township needs guidelines for when they are permitted to attend non-township events. 

Morrow noted that there is a push in the state Legislature to add language to the worker’s compensation law allowing first responders to conduct fundraisers, adding that there are court cases concerning this subject, too.

He said the debate would be over if supervisors added language that would cover fire police. It was decided that the board would revisit the issue in coming months and potentially seek an action to limit the township’s liability.  

A motion was made and unanimously passed to permit the fire police to attend the Oct. 17-18 event, where they will provide traffic control in exchange for putting out boots so attendees can donate funds. The event organizer said in September that he also cuts a check to the fire police for their services those two days.

Rudy agreed to the motion and voted for it with one caveat: “Just so that you’re clear, if the insurance wouldn’t pay, we’re on the hook for it.” 

Other township business

In other business, supervisors unanimously voted to: 

• Table a motion for a waiver request from Bell & Evans concerning a required sidewalk for their Cook Facility Plant. 
• Grant a time extension request for the Cook Facility Plant to April 9. 
• Provide a domestic sewage waiver as part of a sewage planning exemption for the Transportation Center for that Bell & Evans project.
• Agree to release the full $17,175 financial security for Arlin Zimmerman’s greenhouse on Church Hill Road with the stipulation of the funds being returned to him upon final payment of all outstanding township invoices.
• Pass a motion for the township solicitor to prepare a contract to hire Garcia Garman & Shea to perform the 2025 audit, pending the November township meeting. The past few years the township has advertised the pending firm’s hiring, as required by law. However, a change in the law means that as long as the township continues to hire the same accounting firm, they do not have to advertise which firm will perform the audit, so Morrow was authorized via this vote to prepare the contract and present it for final approval at the November meeting.
• Pay monthly invoices totaling $359,623.40 through the general fund; $41,209.67 through the parks/recreation fund; $5,429.67 through the special equipment account; and $3,500.65 to Met-Ed for street lighting. All bills paid are through Oct. 9.
• Accept the financial report.
• Reappoint Cliff Berger to be the township representative to the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030. 
• Retroactively act to provide the township’s baseball field to the Viking Baseball Club 9U for a one-day tryout from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 27.
• Accept the minutes of their Sept. 18 meeting.   

Bethel Township supervisors meet the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the township building at 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg.