To the Editor: 07.10.2025

The Town Council should fire Attorney Paul Jessell and hire new legal counsel. 

Attorney Jessell presided over the June 20, 2018 Water and Sewer Authority executive session which likely started the calamity the Town now faces.  It appears that during that closed door meeting, the decision was made to ignore Waterbury’s new rates effective July 1, 2018 and continue to pay the expired rates.   Attorney Jessell did not advise the Town to inform the residents that the Town would shortchange Waterbury’s bills and that 18% interest would accrue on the unpaid balance. 

Six months later, Waterbury sued Watertown.  Attorney Jessell did not advise the WSA to raise rates and begin paying at least a portion of the new billed rate while the lawsuit was pending to avoid excessive interest. 

Four and a half years later, Waterbury won an $18.8m judgment against Watertown.  The Court said Watertown’s experts’ information was unreliable and led to ridiculous results, and Attorney Jessell’s testimony was substantially biased and not forthcoming.  None was credited.  Knowing that (1) the Appellate Court would not dispute those observations, (2) a trial court decision is rarely overturned on appeal, and (3) interest would continue to accrue through the appeal process, Attorney Jessell did not advise the Town to settle with Waterbury.  Instead, he encouraged an appeal.

Knowing we already owed millions in interest, he did not advise the WSA to pay even a portion of what was due to reduce the accruing interest.  He did not advise the Town to have a plan in place to stop the accrual of interest should the appeal be lost.

Now Attorney Jessell has encouraged a petition to the Supreme Court.  More interest.  More legal fees.

Seven years of bad advice from Attorney Jessell. It’s time for a new Town Attorney.

Katherine Camara

Katherine Camara, 31 Cottage Place, Oakville, CT 06779 – 203-592-2043