Waynesburg names Belletti as solicitor
Waynesburg has its next solicitor in place.
The borough council voted to formalize the hire of Adam Belletti, an attorney with Waynesburg law firm Pollock Morris Belletti & Simms, Monday after approving the hire in principle in November.
Belletti is replacing the attorney directly after him in the name — Chris Simms, who was elected as Greene County Court of Common Pleas judge in November.
Hiring a lawyer from the same firm has benefits, Simms said. Belletti’s experienced, having practiced law in the area since 2009. And it allows him to more easily offload his cases and transition over the next two months as the borough addresses outstanding issues, he said.
“…If you get an attorney from outside of the law firm, I will still do what I need to do to transfer that over,” he told the council. “But obviously there is more limitation with regard to communications, enrollment or issues.”
The position does not have a formal contract, but is paid on an hourly rate, Simms said. Belletti will be paid $175 per hour.
While the position can be advertised under Pennsylvania’s Procurement Code, it is not required, Simms said.
Council members supported choosing the new solicitor without going out for bid.
“If it can be one continuous thing, it’s a whole lot simpler,” Council member Lynne Snyder said at the November meeting.
Belletti said he’s excited to continue the firm’s service to the borough and community.
“One of the things we put first is making sure that our local municipalities we represent get competent and cost-effective representation,” he said. “We always keep in mind that taxes are at the forefront of people’s minds and that we want to keep our services cost-effective so that they can spend money on things that actually benefit and improve the community in a concrete way, without having to waste too much on professional services.”