SKELTON TAINTOR & ABBOTT’S MUNICIPAL LAW PRACTICE GROUP

The attorneys in our firm who handle most of the work for municipal and quasi municipal clients are Bryan M. Dench, Ronald P. Lebel, Peter M. Garcia, James E. Belleau, Norman J. Rattey, Marc N. Frenette, and Jennifer L. Thompson.

By way of illustration, municipalities and quasi municipal entities we currently represent or have recently provided services for include Sanford, Saco, Waldoboro, Monhegan Plantation, Millinocket, Lewiston, Auburn, Turner, Leeds, Greene, Wales, Sabattus, Hebron, Lisbon, Minot, and Poland. We also represent the Androscoggin County Commissioners, Auburn Water District and Sewerage District, Bethel Water District, Sabattus Sanitary District, Houlton, Phillips, Rangeley, Andover, and Mt. Blue Water Districts, the Lewiston Housing Authority, Auburn Housing Authority, Lake Auburn Watershed Protection Commission, Lewiston Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority, Maine SAD No. 52 and many other school districts state wide.

Bryan M. Dench has experience since 1975 representing and counseling municipalities, school districts, and other quasi municipal entities. He has experience in municipal finance, community and economic development projects, tax increment financing districts, planning and zoning matters, and in handling labor and employment matters.

As an example Mr. Dench is the Town Attorney for the Town of Sanford, advising and representing Sanford in all matters. Since January of 2005 we have settled several contentious labor negotiations for the town, have litigated major tax abatement cases, and have handled a wide variety of matters including complex negotiations over development at the airport, litigation with an airport FBO, grievances, code enforcement actions, planning and zoning matters, and a number of changes to the Town charter. Mr. Dench has acted as moderator for their town meetings without charge and has provided workshops to their Board of Appeals without charge.

Mr. Dench also has experience in taxation matters and has litigated personal and real property tax valuation and exemption cases for municipalities and counties. This includes working closely with the local assessors in valuation and exemption disputes. As an example, he briefed and argued to the Law Court the case involving the Marcotte Home in Lewiston, culminating in the City’s position being sustained by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in the landmark case of City of Lewiston V. Marcotte Congregate Housing, 673 A.2d 209 (Me. 1996).

Mr. Dench has represented the Androscoggin County Commissioners since 1981 and was hired at the time to assist them when collective bargaining for County employees first began. Since then, this firm has negotiated every collective bargaining agreement for Androscoggin County. It has handled all of their grievances, personnel actions, discipline and discharge cases, wage and hour cases, discrimination cases, and other employment related matters. The firm has also negotiated their medical services contract, represented them in the construction of the new jail, and other matters. He has also represented the Somerset County Commissioners.

Ronald P. Lebel is the former City Attorney for the City of Lewiston and has handled many municipal and quasi municipal matters, including trying property tax abatement cases in the courts and before the State Board of Property Tax Review. He has written and revised ordinances and charter provisions, and has litigated code enforcement actions. He has advised municipal and quasi municipal clients on labor and employment matters and has handled labor negotiations and grievances.

James Belleau is the Town Attorney for the Towns of Turner and Minot. He is also the attorney for the Lewiston Housing Authority and Auburn Housing Authority handling all of their litigation matters. He has given general legal advice to municipalities including Minot, Turner, Auburn, Sanford, Sabattus, Poland, and Leeds and provided them with litigation services in all matters, including personnel matters, land use actions and Rule 80K proceedings, discipline and discharge, and other employment related matters. He has extensive enforcement experience involving junkyards and auto graveyards, including the junkyard on the Nezinscot River in Turner. He has arbitrated collective bargaining disputes and advised School Boards throughout the State on how to conduct due process hearings in student expulsion and teacher non-renewal and dismissal cases. He has also worked with the Androscoggin County Commissioners on personnel matters and collective bargaining disputes.

Norman J. Rattey is an acknowledged expert in highway law, land use and zoning matters, worked as legal counsel to the Maine DOT, and has current experience handling DOT and highway issues. Mr. Rattey and Mr. Belleau are currently representing the Town of Minot in road abandonment litigation involving fifteen town roads.

Peter M. Garcia is an expert in public finance as well as having substantial experience advising the Town of Sabattus and the Sabattus Sanitary District in all matters. He also is counsel to the Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council, the Lewiston Development Corporation, and the Auburn Business Development Corporation, and has advised them on many development projects, including complicated free trade zone applications for the Auburn-Lewiston Airport and economic development and financing deals, including tax increment financing arrangements, for development projects in the Lewiston-Auburn area. He is an approved bond attorney with experience in many public financings, and is listed in the publication The Bond Buyer’s Municipal Marketplace.

Marc N. Frenette has concentrated a significant portion of his practice to advising and representing our municipal and governmental clients. He has significant experience in drafting, interpreting, and advising on town ordinances and charters, such as the recently enacted charters for the Town of Lisbon and the Town of Sabattus. He has also given advice and prepared charter amendments for the Town of Sanford. He also recently advised one of our clients on implementing a tax lien protocol to save on legal services, litigated and successfully concluding an environmental contamination suit involving the City of Lewiston, and litigated and successfully concluding a significant tax abatement dispute in the York County Superior Court titled the Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, & Wells Water District v. the Town of Sanford. He also has worked on establishing and terminating tax increment financing arrangements, commercial leases and agreements, and development projects in Sanford, Sabattus, and Poland.

Alan G. Stone is an expert in utility law and has represented a number of municipalities in utility matters, the most recent of which involved his representation of the City of Saco in a transmission line location dispute and the Town of Houlton in a transmission line development proposal.

Stephen B. Wade is one of the firm’s senior trial attorneys and his expertise, like every attorney in the firm will be available to the Town if required or requested. Mr. Wade is a recognized trial attorney who has handled municipal litigation and is also a recognized expert in insurance law and litigation. Mr. Wade has advised numerous municipalities throughout the State on insurance coverage disputes in various contexts.

Members of our firm have also served their communities in various capacities. Bryan Dench has served as chairman to the Board of Appeals for the City of Lewiston, and formerly served as chairman of the Auburn Board of Appeals when he resided in Auburn, and has served as moderator of town meetings and a budget committee member in Poland. Mr. Lebel is also a former chairman of the Board of Appeals for the City of Lewiston and a former Androscoggin County Commissioner. Mr. Rattey is past chairman of the Town of Brunswick Board of Appeals. Mr. Belleau is the past chairman of the Lewiston Board of Appeals. Another colleague, John B. Cole, is the past chairman of the Lewiston Planning Board. Mr. Garcia is past chairman of the Lewiston Board of Appeals and is now co-chair of a commission studying possible cooperation and unification of the cities of Lewiston and Auburn.