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Council defers outside-special-counsel engagement after insurance attorney review recommended; outside attorney offers educational workshop
Summary
Council deferred formal engagement of outside special counsel (item 25-021) after the city attorney recommended first meeting in executive session with the city's insurance-provided attorney. Attorney Sarah Turing presented a nonbinding overview of potential legal-education and planning-legal services and the council agreed to defer with a plan to hold the recommended closed-session discussion.
Item 25-021 proposed engaging special legal counsel for the city. City Attorney Rick Lindsey advised caution, recommending the council first meet in executive session with the city's insurance-provided attorney so privileged discussion would not jeopardize ongoing litigation. Council moved to defer consideration until that step could be completed.
Before the deferral vote, attorney Sarah Turing was invited to speak to describe the educational and technical-assistance services she could provide. Turing characterized her work as training and policy review (including Georgia land-bank and land-use practice) and offered a public workshop and a review of the city's practices and policies. Council members expressed interest in outside review and education but followed the city attorney's recommendation to complete the privileged meeting first.
The council voted to defer the formal engagement to the next meeting after completing the recommended executive-session discussion; staff and counsel will coordinate the next steps.
