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Levy County hires interim legal firm and schedules special meeting on former county attorney's severance
Summary
The commission approved a short-term interim legal arrangement while directing staff to prepare long-term options; former county attorney Nicole Schelling addressed the board seeking accrued leave payout and COBRA assistance and the board scheduled a special meeting to consider her severance when all five commissioners can attend.
The Levy County Board of County Commissioners moved during Monday's meeting to engage an interim legal firm and to schedule a special meeting on a severance and general release request from former county attorney Nicole Schelling.
Staff presented two proposals for interim legal services. Commissioners discussed cost and scope; the packet contained an NGN proposal that described a $16,000 monthly retainer covering routine general representation and an hourly rate for larger projects. Commissioners debated the retainer and hourly rates before agreeing to a short-term interim arrangement while staff prepares an RFP and job descriptions for long-term options, including a possible in-house attorney supplemented by a paralegal.
"I think a paralegal can handle the wider issues for the board," one commissioner said, urging staff to advertise and evaluate firms and candidates. Staff said it would prepare RFP materials, job descriptions and contract revisions for the board to review.
Separately, former county attorney Nicole Schelling addressed the board seeking payment for accrued but unused sick and vacation leave (she cited 237.9 hours) and $2,500 to cover two months of COBRA after her termination. Schelling said she had sent substitute language for a severance agreement and asked the board to ratify a general release with her proposed page two that limited demands to leave payout and COBRA coverage. "I had accrued but unused sick leave and vacation leave that totaled 237.9 hours," she said.
Commissioners and several members of the public questioned the process used at the prior meeting when the termination and subsequent severance discussion occurred during commissioner comments, asking for transparency and a full-board session. The board voted to schedule a special meeting so all five commissioners can be present to consider the severance agreement and to allow staff to provide a transcription and fuller documentation of the events surrounding the termination.
Next steps: Staff will prepare RFP/job descriptions and a recommendation on legal-services structure and will publish details for the special meeting to consider the severance agreement. Any severance payout or agreement will require formal board ratification at a properly noticed meeting.
