With a legal battle looming between City Hall and OccupyMaine, city officials are admitting for the first time that the anti-Wall Street group is starting to cost some serious money.
The city estimates taxpayers will pay between $10,000 and $15,000 for outside legal counsel in response to the lawsuit filed by protesters. The dollar amount, which is only an estimate and will ultimately be determined by the length of the legal battle, marks the first significant expenses the city incurred as result of OccupyMaine, officials said.
"That's what we're estimating," said Nicole Clegg, a city spokeswoman, referring to the initial cost estimate.
"But there's only so much predictability," she said, explaining the the final cost could be higher or lower than the estimate.
OccupyMaine filed a lawsuit against the city in Cumberland County Superior Court on Dec. 19 claiming that city officials are infringing on their First Amendment rights by ordering them to leave Lincoln Park. The lawsuit asks a judge to decide the fate of the encampment.
Unlike other cities, the Portland Police Department has largely avoided overtime expenditures in response to the local Occupy movement, according to officials.,uhrenwatchesstore fittedcaps newyorkyankees ladodgers buffalonewyork.
Police overtime has been a significant cost incurred by other U.S. cities, which have reportedly spent upwards of $13 million in response to Occupy protests around the country, according to a November poll taken by the Associated Press.
However, the first costs incurred by the city of Portland came from police patrols after the group's first protest at Monument Square, officials said.
The Portland Police Department spent about $350 to pay officers because police were "completely unaware of the scope of the event," said Michael Sauschuck,, bestvalentinohandbags offer a wide selection of Replica Watches of all popular Replica Watches brands including Replica Bell & Ross Watches, Portland's acting police chief.
"But since then,Essential-Watches.com sells only 100% laptopbagfactory , all of the walk throughs (at Lincoln Park) have been during regular duty tours," he added.
Clegg says in response to the lawsuit, the city has already started using the services of outside counsel. They hired Mark Dunlap, of the firm Norman Hanson & DeTroy, she said.
Dunlap will work with city attorneys already assigned to the lawsuit, including Portland's corporation counsel and the Portland Police Department's legal representatives, Clegg said.
Dunlap has been hired by the city for outside counsel in other legal matters, though Clegg said she could not immediately recall the specific cases.
Dunlap specializes in civil rights matters, according to his firm's website.
Clegg says the only other expenses expected to emerge as result of the protesters is maintenance work to Lincoln Park if the protesters leave.
However, Clegg noted, OccupyMaine has promised to pay any expenses related to upkeep at the site of the group's encampment.
John Branson, an attorney representing OccupyMaine, confirmed Tuesday the group intends to be good stewards of the park.
"We have always insured them that we would do that," Branson said, adding, "That doesn't depend on the outcome of the litigation. Win or lose, we're going to restore the park."
Outside counsel is paid for by money from Portland's general fund and the cost varies from year to year.We need the Department of monclerouterwear green to decorate our line of sight.
"It depends on the year," she said. "It depends on what we're facing."
The city budgeted $15,000 for outside counsel in its current fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.,cosmeticbagfactory full lines of this brand you can find at our store, During the last FY budget, the city spent $40,000 on outside counsel. The costs were largely related to legal fees related to Portland's charter commission, Clegg said.
"We always have some amount budgeted because, by and large, they'll be needed," she said, adding the base amount budgeted — unless the city knows ahead of time of any pending litigation — is $15,000.
In the current budget, the city officials budgeted $428,000 for Portland's corporation counsel, Clegg said, with about $385,000 going toward salaries for the four city attorneys and two administrative staff and one part-time employee.
The next step in the legal battle over use of Lincoln Park will be the city's response to the group's initial filing of the lawsuit.
The city has less than a week to submit a response to the lawsuit, and then Branson will have seven days to respond before any date in court is set by a judge.
The city estimates taxpayers will pay between $10,000 and $15,000 for outside legal counsel in response to the lawsuit filed by protesters. The dollar amount, which is only an estimate and will ultimately be determined by the length of the legal battle, marks the first significant expenses the city incurred as result of OccupyMaine, officials said.
"That's what we're estimating," said Nicole Clegg, a city spokeswoman, referring to the initial cost estimate.
"But there's only so much predictability," she said, explaining the the final cost could be higher or lower than the estimate.
OccupyMaine filed a lawsuit against the city in Cumberland County Superior Court on Dec. 19 claiming that city officials are infringing on their First Amendment rights by ordering them to leave Lincoln Park. The lawsuit asks a judge to decide the fate of the encampment.
Unlike other cities, the Portland Police Department has largely avoided overtime expenditures in response to the local Occupy movement, according to officials.,uhrenwatchesstore fittedcaps newyorkyankees ladodgers buffalonewyork.
Police overtime has been a significant cost incurred by other U.S. cities, which have reportedly spent upwards of $13 million in response to Occupy protests around the country, according to a November poll taken by the Associated Press.
However, the first costs incurred by the city of Portland came from police patrols after the group's first protest at Monument Square, officials said.
The Portland Police Department spent about $350 to pay officers because police were "completely unaware of the scope of the event," said Michael Sauschuck,, bestvalentinohandbags offer a wide selection of Replica Watches of all popular Replica Watches brands including Replica Bell & Ross Watches, Portland's acting police chief.
"But since then,Essential-Watches.com sells only 100% laptopbagfactory , all of the walk throughs (at Lincoln Park) have been during regular duty tours," he added.
Clegg says in response to the lawsuit, the city has already started using the services of outside counsel. They hired Mark Dunlap, of the firm Norman Hanson & DeTroy, she said.
Dunlap will work with city attorneys already assigned to the lawsuit, including Portland's corporation counsel and the Portland Police Department's legal representatives, Clegg said.
Dunlap has been hired by the city for outside counsel in other legal matters, though Clegg said she could not immediately recall the specific cases.
Dunlap specializes in civil rights matters, according to his firm's website.
Clegg says the only other expenses expected to emerge as result of the protesters is maintenance work to Lincoln Park if the protesters leave.
However, Clegg noted, OccupyMaine has promised to pay any expenses related to upkeep at the site of the group's encampment.
John Branson, an attorney representing OccupyMaine, confirmed Tuesday the group intends to be good stewards of the park.
"We have always insured them that we would do that," Branson said, adding, "That doesn't depend on the outcome of the litigation. Win or lose, we're going to restore the park."
Outside counsel is paid for by money from Portland's general fund and the cost varies from year to year.We need the Department of monclerouterwear green to decorate our line of sight.
"It depends on the year," she said. "It depends on what we're facing."
The city budgeted $15,000 for outside counsel in its current fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.,cosmeticbagfactory full lines of this brand you can find at our store, During the last FY budget, the city spent $40,000 on outside counsel. The costs were largely related to legal fees related to Portland's charter commission, Clegg said.
"We always have some amount budgeted because, by and large, they'll be needed," she said, adding the base amount budgeted — unless the city knows ahead of time of any pending litigation — is $15,000.
In the current budget, the city officials budgeted $428,000 for Portland's corporation counsel, Clegg said, with about $385,000 going toward salaries for the four city attorneys and two administrative staff and one part-time employee.
The next step in the legal battle over use of Lincoln Park will be the city's response to the group's initial filing of the lawsuit.
The city has less than a week to submit a response to the lawsuit, and then Branson will have seven days to respond before any date in court is set by a judge.
没有评论:
发表评论