I-Team: Casino consulting contract

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The 22News I-Team obtained a copy of Springfield's contract with its casino consulting firm, Shefsky & Froehlich.  The contract is more than 100 pages.

The contract is worth $225,000.  The city is paying the consulting firm up to $125,000 this year, then $50,000 the next two years. 

The consultant's are charging an hourly rate. The city is being charged a blended $350 an hour for each attorney working on the project.  The consulting firm wants the city to have the potential casino developer re-pay the actual fees if a host agreement is signed.  Cezar Froelich, for example, charges $825 per hour.

The consultant will make every effort to maximize reimbursement costs from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and other sources like potential gaming developers.  Springfield is putting in any host agreement that the developer will have to cover all the cities costs of and expenses for this consultant, including the initial $125,000.  The consultant has agreed to defer any fees over that dollar amount.