City attorney seeks authorization for Summit Law Group engagement up to $205,000

City Attorney Dina Burke told the Finance and Administration Committee on June 2 that agenda bill AB26-018 would authorize an engagement agreement with Summit Law Group with a not-to-exceed amount of $205,000 for the remainder of 2026. "The engagement letter would be for the remainder of 2026 with the not to exceed amount of 205,000," Burke said, noting the city faces active negotiations this year with three unions: fire, police and the Teamsters.

Burke said the proposed amount is higher than recent years because of anticipated negotiation workload. She summarized recent annual spending on Summit Law Group at roughly $78,000 in 2023, $75,000 in 2024 and $84,000 in 2025, and reported about $19,000 spent so far in 2026.

Finance Director Bouty and council members asked whether the amount represented a sharp increase from historical averages and how the figure fits within the biennial budgets. Bouty explained the administrative services classification includes city attorney services and that additional services of roughly $261,000 were included for the remainder of the biennium in the materials before the committee.

After discussion, committee members agreed not to place AB26-018 on the consent agenda and to forward the item to the full council for consideration. No formal vote on the engagement agreement was taken at the committee meeting; the council-level action will determine approval and any final amount.

The committee also requested that staff provide context on anticipated workload and any budgetary implications when the item is presented to the full council.