WESTFIELD — A closed-door session of the Westfield City Council April 25 will feature a discussion with Kevin Madonna, an attorney who will address some of the legal concerns regarding the city’s water supply.
Madonna is a partner of the Hurley, New York-based law firm Kennedy and Madonna LLC, which is one of the firms representing the city’s lawsuit against 3M, Chemguard Inc. and Tyco Fire Protection Products, makers of firefighting foam linked to contamination of several wells on the north side of Westfield.
The city is also pursuing a claim against the U.S. Department of Defense.
The meeting with Madonna will take place ahead of the council’s May 3 second reading of a $13 million bond request that includes measures to address the contaminated wells.
City Councilors Dan Allie, Matt Emmershy, Andrew K. Surprise and Dave Flaherty are against the bond and have argued there are other ways to pay for clean water that don’t include passing the cost to ratepayers.
Bean said having Madonna speak to the group will help them make a more informed decision when it comes to the May 3 vote.
"I think it’s important that we, as councilors, better understand the city’s legal strategy as it relates to holding the polluters accountable," said Bean.
"An executive session allows for more detailed discussion of that strategy."
Under the state’s Open Meeting Law, public bodies are allowed to hold such sessions when discussing legal strategy, among other exemptions.
He also worked with the University of Chicago National Opinion Research Center, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, United Nations Environment Programme, United States Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Office of the Environmental Prosecutor.