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Eustis commissioners agree to evaluate city attorney arrangements and seek comparisons
Summary
Commissioners directed staff to collect the city attorney retainer contract, invoices and comparative data and to implement a commissioner evaluation process for the current legal services provider; they also authorized exploring in‑house or alternate outside counsel options.
On March 5 the City of Eustis commission discussed its contract for legal services with Bowen & Shroff (current retainer effective Feb. 1, 2023). HR Director Karen Crouch and staff summarized outreach to peer cities and the current retainer terms: a $3,500 monthly retainer covering specified services, hourly billing ($250/hour for attorneys) for out‑of‑scope work and separate billing for litigation costs.
Commissioners debated whether the city should retain outside counsel, hire in‑house attorneys, or solicit proposals for both in‑house and outside models. Commissioners asked for the following from staff: a copy of the current retainer and the itemized invoices from the past 12 months, a comparison of services and costs with similarly sized jurisdictions, and a timeline for an evaluation process. Several commissioners stressed the value of institutional knowledge from the current firm; others said a competitive review was prudent given upcoming land‑use work and potential budget constraints.
Sasha, representing Bowen & Shroff, offered to meet individually with commissioners and to cooperate with any transition; she also volunteered to assist with a smooth handoff if the commission chose a new provider. The commission agreed to implement immediate performance evaluations (one‑on‑one meetings with Sasha and a staff representative) and to reconvene on the issue in approximately six months after collecting comparative proposals.
