Nelsonville council confirms city manager’s pick for city attorney under emergency ordinance

The Nelsonville City Council moved at its meeting to add Ordinance 63-26 to the agenda and, after suspending the rules, voted to confirm the city manager’s appointment of the named law firm to serve as city attorney and to authorize a contract for compensation.

The ordinance, read aloud by Clerk Carey Caldwell, states the appointment is made pursuant to provisions of the Nelsonville City Charter and that the council’s approval is required for confirmation. The text declares the measure an emergency and asserts it is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, morals or welfare of the city.

Council members voted on a motion to dispense with the two readings and to enact the ordinance on first reading; the clerk recorded affirmative roll-call responses, and the ordinance was carried under the declared emergency. The ordinance text also directs the city manager to enter into a contract with the law firm for compensation as set out in an attached exhibit.

The clerk identified the firm in the ordinance text as O'Connor, Haisley, and Wilhelm (as read into the record) and cited the Nelsonville City Charter and state statute authority. The council did not record dissent on the motion in the transcript.