Karben was retained by the village nearly a year ago as "special counsel" for legal issues related to the proposed project on Orange Avenue and has been paid with taxpayer dollars since the builder pulled out of the project in October. 
Ginsburg Development Companies, then the prospective builder, established a $10,000 account with the village to pay Karben, who is also a former county legislator.
The company, though, pulled out of the project, citing the slumping real estate market. Suffern returned to Ginsburg $3,942 that was left in the account for Karben, then continued to pay Karben from the village's General Fund.
Karben has been paid $3,178 by Suffern, Village Treasurer Thomas Zordan said.
Trustee Jack Meehan was surprised that Karben was being paid by the village.
"There's been no vote by the village board to pay him," Meehan said. "My understanding, and I may have misunderstood, but my understanding was that he would not be paid with village funds, but strictly with funds from Ginsburg."
The continuation of Karben's employment has been unaffected by his Jan. 30 arrest on charges of driving while intoxicated.
(JN)
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