The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council heard presentations July 28 from two law-firm teams and one local attorney seeking the town-attorney position and agreed to resume the selection process at a special meeting Aug. 5. Staff will prepare a comparison matrix of each firm's proposal and a fill-in-the-blank professional-services contract so the council can make a decision and sign a contract at the Aug. 5 meeting, the council said.

Presentations: The first firm to present identified Matt Ramenda and David Tolsis as the lead attorneys and described a multi-practice municipal firm with experience in litigation, code enforcement, labor and land use. Ramenda said the firm has nearly 100 attorneys and multiple South Florida offices and listed supporting attorneys in the proposed team for land use and labor matters.

A second firm, represented by John Fumero with colleagues including Alicia Lewis, described a midsize Palm Beach County-based practice that emphasizes governmental law, land use, zoning and code enforcement. That team offered either an hourly blended rate or a tailored flat-fee model, and proposed a 90-day period of hourly work to allow the firm to size a flat fee appropriate to the town's needs.

A third candidate, Jeff Kurtz (a town project coordinator who said he would serve as a solo practitioner), proposed an alternative in-house-style arrangement. Kurtz said he would be the primary attorney if hired and quoted a lower hourly rate in his presentation; he said he would supply initial coverage for the town and could transition into the role once insurance and other logistics were completed.

Council discussion covered three main themes: (1) contract term length (several council members said they favored a term that ends in a January after the first year so that annual election cycles do not coincide with contract renewal), (2) how to prevent inconsistent legal advice when multiple attorneys from a firm work for the town (both firms described internal review processes and assigning a primary point of contact), and (3) budget/fee structure (one firm described a flat-fee arrangement for another client of roughly $9,000 per month as an example; another offered a blended hourly approach with a 90-day assessment period). A council member asked staff to provide the council's historical yearly legal-hours and billing totals for the past three years to aid comparison.

Decisions and next steps: The council instructed staff to produce a matrix comparing hourly rates, flat-fee options, paralegal rates, included/excluded services, and proposed contract terms; staff was also asked to draft a fill-in-the-blank professional-services contract that would allow the chosen firm or attorney to begin work promptly if selected. The council set Aug. 5 as the meeting to make the selection and expected the selected attorney or firm to be ready to begin work on the date specified in the contract.

Why it matters: The town's legal counsel advises on land use, code enforcement, procurement and litigation risk. Council members repeatedly said they want consistent, timely legal advice that fits the town's budget and operational needs.

Ending: Council members and several residents said they want to see the comparison matrix and sample contract at the Aug. 5 meeting before finalizing the hire.