The City Council voted to create a new assistant city attorney II position and authorize filling two assistant city attorney II roles, a step the city attorney said will help clarify the office hierarchy and prevent issues that arose earlier this winter.

City Attorney Mimi explained the measure would allow her to fill her former job plus the position previously held by an individual named Graham. Mimi said the two new assistant city attorney II positions would be equal in pay grade and that, over the next few months, the council and she would consider moving one of those positions into a deputy city attorney role.

Mimi said the assistant attorney II position is at a slightly higher pay grade than the current deputy assistant attorney position and that the change is budgeted. She asked the council to approve creating and filling the two positions “as soon as possible.” Mimi also said she would not fill Graham’s old position while the council evaluates restructuring; she added that abolishing an existing position would require proper notice and was not before the council that night.

A council member suggested abolishing the older position now and bringing it back later if needed; Mimi and other council members said there had not been proper notice to abolish a position at that meeting, and she instead gave her assurance she would not fill the old post and would bring future structural changes back to the council.

The council approved the resolution (Resolution 25‑1‑168) creating the assistant city attorney II position by voice vote. Council members who spoke noted the intent is to resolve prior confusion about titles and pay grades and to examine the deputy city attorney title after the new hires are in place.