Council schedules interviews after two bids for prosecutor, considers single respondent for city attorney

Council members reviewed results of requests for proposals for the city prosecutor and city attorney at the Aug. 26 work session and directed staff to schedule interviews for the two prosecutor applicants and to bring a draft contract for the single city‑attorney respondent back to the council for review. Staff reported two bids for the prosecutor position, including the incumbent, and recommended holding interviews rather than trying to narrow candidates further. “Staff is recommending that council looks to set a date to do interviews since there were just 2,” a staff speaker said. The council agreed to hold interviews as soon as practical; members discussed holding them around the next regular meeting on Sept. 9 and asked staff to set a start time (5:30 or 6:00 p.m. was suggested) so interviews could be held before or after the regular session. For the city attorney role, staff said only a single respondent submitted a bid this cycle. Councilmembers asked that the draft contract be shared with the council for review before the city executes any agreement. “I would like to see the contract before it's signed,” one councilmember said; staff confirmed the next step would be draft review and negotiation if the council approves. Why it matters: the city prosecutor and city attorney provide legal services that affect municipal operations, prosecutions and contract reviews. Councilmembers expressed a desire to expedite the prosecutor contract because the city is operating beyond the prior contract term. No hiring decisions were made at the work session; staff will schedule interviews and return proposed contract language for council review. Actions/directions: staff to set interview dates for the two prosecutor respondents (target: Sept. 9 meeting timeframe) and to prepare a draft city‑attorney contract for council review. Council discussed interviewing the primary representative each firm designates (similar to how engineering firms are handled) and clarified interviews do not require executive session; only the candidates’ designated primary attorney will be interviewed for each firm. No formal vote or contract award occurred during the work session.