Milford council approves $18,000 retainer cap for former city manager Mark Whitfield

The Milford City Council voted to approve a retainer agreement for Mark Whitfield, the city’s most recent city manager, with a not-to-exceed dollar cap of $18,000 and billing measured in tenths of an hour.

The council’s action followed public comment urging limits on the contract and a lengthy council discussion about oversight, reporting and insurance. Councilmember Laurie moved the amendment that added the $18,000 cap and the ten‑minute (0.1 hour) billing increment; the amendment was seconded and the motion passed on a roll-call vote, 6-1 with one member absent.

Why it matters: Council members and public commenters said they wanted transparency and fiscal limits during the transition to a new city manager. Several speakers said the retainer should be structured so Whitfield is available for transition and questions but that staff and council remain the primary daily decisionmakers.

Council discussion and staff clarifications: During public comment, Trish Marvel, 6525 Shawnee Road, Milford, urged that any ongoing consulting arrangement include a cap and clear invoice descriptions. Kim Wills of Tucson Sunset Lane recommended documenting Whitfield’s role and adding oversight such as requiring department‑head or council sign‑off on invoices.

Councilmember Laurie (first reference as Councilmember Laurie) moved to add the $18,000 cap after stating she had confirmed that $18,000 had been set aside in the budget for the contract. Councilmember Jason illustrated the math for the cap, saying, “If Mr. Whitfield were not to exceed 12 hours per week at $150, that would be $1,800 a week … at $18,000 that would give 10 weeks.” Several council members asked for a reporting mechanism so council would be aware of when department heads requested Whitfield’s assistance; Katrina (city staff) was identified as a possible point of contact to help log requests and notify council.

Whitfield’s status, insurance and contracting questions: The council discussed whether Whitfield would be treated as a contractor needing a Milford business license and whether liability coverage should be provided. Whitfield said he could be covered as a rider under the city’s insurance when acting under city authority but that when acting only as a consultant he could carry his own liability cover. Council members clarified that acts amounting to official decision‑making or signing would be covered under the city’s insurance if the city designated him to perform those duties.

Outcome and next steps: The approved retainer includes the $18,000 cap and billing in tenths of an hour; council also directed that invoices list hours and specific tasks and that department heads limit use of the consultant to preserve the budget for transition work needed once the incoming city manager begins. The contract will be updated to reflect these terms before it is executed.