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Oroville council authorizes outside counsel to help respond to grand jury report after city attorney recuses
Summary
Facing findings in a grand jury report and a potential conflict for the city attorney, the Oroville City Council authorized its ad hoc committee to hire outside counsel as needed (staff estimated up to $7,500) to prepare the required response, after a prolonged debate over cost and independence.
The Oroville City Council on Wednesday directed its ad hoc committee to secure outside legal help to draft the city's response to a recent grand jury report, citing a conflict that affected the regular city attorney.
Council discussion centered on whether the city should rely solely on internal staff or contract outside counsel for at least the more complex items. City attorney David told the council he was conflicted on parts of the report because the findings implicated the prior city attorney's performance and that it would be prudent to seek independent review. "I would never recommend that you go without counsel," he said.
Supporters of hiring external counsel argued the cost was modest relative to the legal risk. Councilman Weber moved to approve outside counsel for the ad hoc committee's needs; he and others said the firm would be used sparingly and primarily for the items that require legal analysis. Opponents urged the committee to try to answer the more routine findings internally to limit expense, and several councilmembers asked that the ad hoc process prioritize "low-hanging fruit" first.
Public commenters urged the council to obtain outside counsel rather than risk an inadequate response. Brian Wong, who spoke during public comment, told the council: "I don't think it should be an issue here because we're talking about contracts and legal matters." The council's motion — to allow the ad hoc committee to use outside counsel as needed, with staff guidance and a not-to-exceed estimate discussed in the staff report — passed on a roll call.
Next steps: the ad hoc committee will draft the response, route draft material for review, and engage outside counsel only for items it deems legally necessary. Councilmembers said they will try to limit hours and focus external work on the most legally sensitive findings.
