Special meeting set Friday to select law firm

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

The San Benito CISD Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on Friday, March 22, in which the board will discuss and consider possible action to terminate the interim law firm of O’Hanlon, McCollom and Demerath.

Also on the agenda is the discussion and consideration of possible action to select a law firm to provide general counsel legal services, as well as the consideration and possible action to select a law firm to provide special education legal services for the San Benito CISD.

The Austin-based law firm of O’Hanlon, McCollom and Demerath served as the district’s attorneys since June 2012 before its services were terminated on Tuesday, February 12, during a special meeting of the Board of Trustees, in which Board Secretary June Aguilera accused Leslie McCollom of O’Hanlon, McCollom and Demerath of being “unprofessional” during previous engagements concerning services rendered on a grievance.

As previously reported in the February 13 edition of the San Benito News, Board President Yliana G. Rodriguez and board members Julian Huerta and Fatima Huerta voted to terminate the O’Hanlon law firm’s legal services while Aguilera and Hector Leal opted against as much – a 3-2 vote that did not include Vice President Anna Cruz and board member Oscar Medrano as they were absent from the meeting. It should be noted, however, that Cruz was out of town while Medrano was recovering from a mini-stroke brought on by vasculitis.

It was also decided that O’Hanlon, McCollom and Demerath would remain the interim law firm while the school board sought requests for qualifications (RFQs).

Also on the agenda for Friday’s meeting is the discussion and possible action of approval of purchase orders, including fuel for buses for the transportation department from Arguindegui Oil Co. II LTD, as well as weekly RFQs for Cano Produce Co. Inc. and Nicho Produce Company.

The meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. inside the John F. Barron Administration Building Board Room, located at 240 N. Crockett St. in San Benito.

Read this story int he March 20 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.