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Item No: 09B <br />Meeting Date: July 14, 2003 <br />Type of Business: Council Business <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br />To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: James Ericson, Acting City Administrator <br />Item Title/Subject: Consideration of Resolution 6059 Approving the <br />Legal Services Agreement with Kennedy & Graven <br /> <br />Introduction: <br /> <br />At the worksession on July 7, 2003, the Council met with Scott Riggs and Bob Vose to <br />discuss the proposed legal services agreement with Kennedy & Graven. Staff had <br />suggested that the agreement be modified to include training and regular communications as <br />well as requesting that the attorney clarify response time and what staff could expect in the <br />future. The agreement has been so modified and is attached for the Council’s review. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />The City Council asked Mr. Riggs to suggest ways in which legal fees could be minimized. <br />One suggestion offered related to the number of meetings the City Attorney attends on a <br />monthly basis. If the City Attorney only attends one of the Council meetings instead of two, <br />substantial retainer savings could be realized over the course of a year. If the Council would <br />like to pursue this option, the legal services agreement would need to be modified and the <br />monthly retainer amount adjusted accordingly. <br /> <br />Mr. Riggs also suggested that the City review the agreement after three months and <br />continue to assess its satisfaction with the legal services received on a quarterly basis. <br /> <br />Last, while not explicitly stated in the agreement, there should be an agreement as to the <br />timeliness of response from the City Attorney. At the worksession, staff indicated a desire <br />for same-day responses for all inquiries, or next day responses if a question is posed in the <br />afternoon. Also important is to know the City Attorney’s schedule so staff may better <br />anticipate the City Attorney’s availability. <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br /> <br />Discuss the agreement for Legal services with the firm of Kennedy & Graven. If no changes <br />to the agreement are necessary, staff would recommend approval of Resolution 6059, a <br />resolution authorizing the execution of the legal services agreement with the firm of Kennedy <br />& Graven for a period of two years. <br /> <br /> <br />_____________________________________ <br />James Ericson <br />Interim City Clerk/Administrator