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Commission schedules city attorney interviews and outlines selection, FOIA and contract steps
Summary
Commissioners set interviews for city attorney candidates on June 11–12, agreed department heads will provide written input, and discussed interview timing, FOIA‑accessible notes, retainer negotiation and the need for policies on staff access to outside counsel and invoice oversight.
The commission agreed a two‑day special meeting format for city attorney interviews and discussed logistics, deliberation and follow‑up.
The clerk confirmed two special interview sessions are scheduled for Thursday and Friday starting at 9:00 a.m.; department heads will interview candidates as part of the process and their notes will be provided to commissioners. Staff counsel (Christine) will vet and moderate written questions submitted in advance; commissioners were asked to submit preferred or "claimed" questions before the deadline so the question set can be organized and fairly asked of each candidate.
Commissioners emphasized several procedural points: interview notes and comments are subject to public records law and will be accessible if requested; interviews will follow an equal‑question approach where the same core questions are asked of each candidate and follow‑ups allowed for clarification. Commissioners also discussed retainer negotiation logistics should the commission select a firm, including a small commission team (for example: mayor, city manager and one commissioner) negotiating the final retainer and bringing the contract back for public approval. Staff said an initial retainer draft could potentially be ready immediately after selection, but a special meeting could be scheduled if more time is needed.
Several commissioners urged early establishment of policies for controlling legal costs and for defining staff access to outside counsel. One commissioner recommended a gatekeeper model for staff requests and periodic invoice review during the first year to track trends; others said the commission itself should define a protocol for commissioner requests to counsel. Commissioners also discussed practical aspects of the interview day such as providing interview packets to commissioners in advance, scheduling time to collect evaluation notes and ensuring fairness in question assignment (each commissioner may claim a small number of questions to ask directly). The clerk said standard practice is 45–60 minutes per interview with Q&A and the option for brief staff interactions and public observation during candidate introductions.
The commission closed the item by confirming the schedule, asking staff to circulate a vetted question list and requesting a small set of negotiation points that the commission could consider immediately after candidate selection.
