City Attorney Performance Evaluation Committee

City Attorney Evaluation Committee Department of Public Works Room 204 150 S. Kendall Street Tuesday, August 7, 2007 5:00 P.M. Commissioners Present: Comm. Baldwin and Comm. Behnke Commissioners Absent: Comm. Hersha Others Present: Susan Bedsole and Clyde Robinson Call to Order: The meeting commenced at 5:10 P.M. Approval of Minutes: Comm. Behnke noted a correction to the July 19, 2007, meeting minutes by removing “he” and replacing it with “Attorney Robinson” in the second paragraph under discussion. A motion was made by Comm. Behnke, supported by Comm. Baldwin, to approve the July 19, 2007, minutes as corrected. All yes. Motion carried. Discussion: The City Clerk presented the City Attorney Evaluation Results to the Committee. Based on a satisfactory evaluation, Comm. Behnke suggested offering the City Attorney a three-year contract. Comm. Baldwin indicated that she was pleased with the City Attorney’s performance and recommended that a monthly informal meeting be scheduled with the City Attorney regarding current issues or updates from Michigan Municipal League meetings. Comm. Behnke added that he would like to see the City Attorney more connected with City Hall issues referencing the Battle Creek Enquirer FOIA issue as an example. He appreciated receiving the newsletter, Letter of the Law, which helps commissioners perform their jobs. Comm. Behnke also shared his concern regarding funds spent on outside counsel. In regards to the Battle Creek Enquirer matter, Attorney Robinson stated he was not brought into the issue initially. Secondly, he stated the need for outside counsel is often related to conflict of interest and not his workload. Comm. Behnke suggested receiving a City Attorney activity report. 1 Comm. Baldwin noted that other cities in the state hold a pre-meeting before a City Commission meeting and suggested utilizing that time for a City Attorney update. Comm. Behnke concurred with scheduling a public forum even on a quarterly basis conducted by City Attorney staff. Comm. Baldwin volunteered to look into options. Comm. Baldwin reviewed the scores on the City Attorney evaluation and noted that most of the commissioners recommended a pay increase. Based on the responses, Comm. Baldwin suggested a 2% pay increase for Attorney Robinson. Attorney Robinson provided a City Attorney Salary Survey of other municipalities and felt the 2% increase was consistent with other city employee raises. Comm. Behnke remarked that it was important to look at decreasing prescription drug costs. Attorney Robinson commented that changing the drug coverage for one employee does not make much sense. Since this time last year, the City Commission has approved 7 collective bargaining agreements covering 450 employees. None of those employees had a cap placed on their drug coverage and a change for one employee would not substantially change the premium amount. However, he agreed that the rising costs of health insurance should be continually examined. Comm. Baldwin was not in favor of singling out the City Attorney and felt the health care issue should be addressed city-wide. A motion was made by Comm. Baldwin, supported by Comm. Behnke, to renew the City Attorney’s contract for three years with a 2% salary increase each year. All yes. Motion carried. Attorney Robinson summarized his role as the City Attorney. Comm. Behnke asked Mr. Robinson to draft a new contract for the committee in preparation of a resolution on the next City Commission agenda. Public Comment: None. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 6:05 P.M. SEB/dal 2