Judge Found Redevelopment Counsel's Advice "Misleading"

Flicking through the channels last night, I happened on a broadcast of the November 10th Roselle Council meeting. Roselle Council meetings are curious to me for a number of reasons, but it's good to know what's going on in neighboring communities. Neighboring communities should do likewise.

From watching the meeting, it appears Roselle is getting ready to enter into the redevelopment business. A resolution was passed to hire McManimon & Scotland as redevelopment counsel at a cost not to exceed $70,000.

McManimon & Scotland was the Special Redevelopment Counsel in Union a few years back. Daniel McCarthy, who's on Linden's payroll, was the Planning Board attorney. Union was seeking to take private properties by eminent domain. Some property owners fought back and won.

Besides citing conflicts of interest during Planning Board hearings, some of the other findings by the Judge:

• "The advice offered by the Special Redevelopment Council, in any event, I find was misleading."
  

• "The standard in the report relied on by the Board in making their determination, as well as the advice given to the Board by its own Counsel and Township's redevelopment Counsel were inconsistent with the requirements of the LRHL, the holding in Gallenthin

• "... taken together the with reliance by the Board members on the improper advice of Counsel as to the statutory and constitutional requirements of LRHL."

• "... I find the neutrality, impartiality and validity of the Board hearing are seriously in question."

See Judge's entire opinion here.

Apparently Roselle is comfortable hiring this law firm despite these scathing findings by the Judge. Where do they find these law firms, or rather, who recommends them?