Attorney Anthony Savastano has worked as town counsel for Dartmouth for the past 12 years, but his reappointment had less to do with his tenure and more to do with his quality.

"It's not just a job. Dartmouth is not just a client," said Savastano, addressing the Select Board on June 5.

Savastano is best known for his work on the Cecil Smith Landfill, through which he stopped landfill owner Mary Robinson and the Brockton-based Boston Environmental Corp. from piling 65 feet of contaminated soil over the landfill to cap it. If the town had lost the case, arsenic, lead, and the carcinogen chromium-6 would have leached into both Dartmouth and Westport drinking water, and the surrounding wetlands, explained Savastano in a former interview.

Currently, Savastano is tackling the process of updating communication technology bylaws, specifically those relevant to Verizon's proposal to input more structures that would improve cell phone coverage.

"I think you've been fantastic. Part of that is the inside knowledge you have of our community," said Select Board Chair Frank Gracie to Savastano, a 25-year Dartmouth resident.

The board added that for the past six years, Savastano has not increased his rate for the town.

Savastano also represents Fire District No. 1 and No. 2.