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Sunnyside council tables selection of municipal legal services after budget questions
Summary
Council delayed choosing a new city attorney firm, requesting cost details and budget alignment before approving a contract for Ogden Murphy & Wallace.
The Sunnyside City Council on May 27 voted to table a decision on awarding municipal legal services after members asked staff for clearer cost estimates and whether the work fits the current budget.
Councilors raised concerns that the packet omitted a clear dollar amount tied to the recommended firm, Ogden Murphy & Wallace, and asked staff to provide fee comparisons and the budget line where legal services expenses are tracked. City Manager Mike Gonzalez told the council the city had issued a request for proposals and recommended Ogden Murphy & Wallace because of the firm's municipal experience and regional presence; he said the other RFP came from Smith Malik in Boise.
Councilor Claire Hancock said she was uncomfortable approving the selection without seeing expected expenditures and whether the item requires a budget amendment. Hancock noted the packet listed zeroes for “amount of expenditure” and “amount budgeted.” Gonzalez acknowledged that those numbers were not summarized on the cover memo and offered to provide them.
Gonzalez said Ogden Murphy & Wallace offered a “hybrid” arrangement of Zoom and in-person work and that the firm has experience with the city’s insurance provider (WCIA) and associations (AWC). He described the market for municipal attorneys as expensive and said an in-house city attorney would likely cost more.
Councilor Maria Vasquez moved to table the item until the next regular meeting; Hancock seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Gonzalez said staff will try to deliver the requested cost and budget information by the end of the workday Thursday to allow the council to act at a June study session.
The council did not replace the city’s interim legal support during the delay; Gonzalez said the city continues to have temporary legal coverage in the interim, and that a previously available attorney notified staff he could not continue due to volume.
Council members said they wanted a fee summary (including travel or in-person fees) and confirmation of whether the recommended firm’s rate fits the existing legal-services line in the budget before approving a contract.
The council’s motion to table was recorded as: motion by Councilor Vasquez, second by Councilor Hancock; outcome: tabled to the next regular meeting.
