Personnel committee forwards City Attorney Tim Hooten’s two-year contract renewal to full council

The Lawrence City Personnel Committee voted to forward City Attorney Tim Hooten’s proposed two-year contract renewal to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation.

City Attorney Tim Hooten told the committee his current contract ends March 21 and asked for a two-year extension with annual 3% increases. Hooten noted a discrepancy in the contract paperwork — a typed figure that reads "150" and a handwritten line that reads "$1.65" — and said the handwritten $1.65 is the correct figure. He said benefits and other terms would remain the same.

Hooten described long stretches when he has been the only attorney in the office (about 13–14 months), and said his office currently lists 42 active cases. "We were supposed to start a trial today that would have taken two weeks," he said, adding that the trial settled last week. He argued that hiring two additional attorneys would reduce the city’s reliance on outside counsel and provide continuity when he is unavailable.

"My job is to basically point out that there might be a fire there. Please don't touch it," Hooten told the committee when explaining the advisory nature of his legal role and how he frames risks for the council.

Committee members questioned how the contract would work if the mayor declined to sign. Hooten said he has already run the renewal past the mayor and noted that, although employed by the council, he is paid through the mayor’s office and would remain in his role until a replacement is appointed if a contract lapsed.

Hooten reviewed a recent open meeting law matter involving council deliberations on a public statement. He said the city was informed by the state, then arranged for members to restate what they had previously discussed in a public meeting to cure the violation and later made additional written material public to complete the record.

Hooten also described a pending settlement in a dispute over the Museum Square parking garage, saying the city had withheld roughly "a million and a half" from the contractor and that a settlement has been reached; he said he will provide the settlement details once the paperwork is finalized.

After discussion, Councilor Franklin Miguel moved to send the renewal to the full council with a favorable recommendation; Councilor Anna Levy seconded. The committee voted aye and the motion carried.

The Personnel Committee’s action sends the proposed two-year contract extension for City Attorney Tim Hooten to the full City Council for final approval. The committee did not take final action on salary beyond the recommendation; the full council will review the contract and the mayor must sign for the agreement to take effect.