City officials announced on June 23 that City Attorney Peter Watts died suddenly and unexpectedly while at work. Council staff said they will return to the council with options for interim legal coverage and launch a request for qualifications for a permanent city attorney.

The city manager (staff speaker) told the council that emergency responders were unable to revive Watts and described his death as unanticipated. "We are going to miss him a lot," the manager said, adding that Watts had advised the council on risk, land use, contracts and other city matters and was considered a key member of the municipal team.

Why it matters: The city manager told the council several pending items require legal support and that staff will present interim options at the council's next meeting on July 14. Staff said it would attempt to provide options including individual attorneys and law firms, note potential cost differences and later issue a request for qualifications to identify candidates for a permanent appointment.

Council and staff discussion

- Interim counsel: Staff said it will bring a few interim options to the July 14 meeting and noted that many jurisdictions use firms to provide continuity but that firms can be more expensive. The city manager said staff will consider both individual attorneys and firms and will ask the council whether it prefers a consistent representative from a firm rather than rotating attorneys.

- RFQ and longer‑term hire: Staff said the city will issue a request for qualifications in the coming months (target September) to solicit candidates for a new city attorney and will present recommended options for council consideration.

- Council comments: Several councilors expressed condolences and said they valued Watts' institutional knowledge; one councilor asked staff to prioritize continuity so the council would not see a different attorney at every meeting.

Ending: Staff said they will coordinate interim coverage and prepare a request for qualifications for council consideration later this year.