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Committee backs $100,000 outside counsel contract to maintain city legal capacity
Summary
The FNA committee agreed to forward to council a contract allowing the mayor to execute an outside legal services agreement with Ogden Murphy Wallace not to exceed $100,000, intended to provide temporary capacity while the legal team refills a vacant position.
The Finance and Administration committee on June 16 forwarded to council an agenda bill authorizing the mayor to execute a contract for outside legal services with Ogden Murphy Wallace.
City Attorney Dina Burke explained the legal department will be down one staff member starting June 22 and the firm has a municipal practice that can provide capacity. "The contract amount would be for $100,000 and this would be an amount that would be covered in the budget via the budget amendment," Burke said. She added the contract will have a not-to-exceed amount and cannot be increased without council approval.
Council members asked whether the expense could be offset by not refilling the vacant FTE; staff said the contract is part of a prior budget amendment and that any short-term vacancy will likely increase use of the contract rather than produce a net saving. After discussion about whether to place the item on consent, the committee decided it should not be on consent and agreed to forward it to full council for consideration.
