PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Portage City Council is doing something they have never done before – look for a new city attorney.
Currently their attorney, Catherine Kaufman, is on a contract that is set to run out late this summer. Apparently, the city has always worked with her firm, which dates back to when Portage was just a township.
This time around, the council asked staff to open the job, and three law firms have submitted qualified bids.
City Manager Pat McGinnis asked if they wanted a subcommittee to interview the candidates, or with the full council and reminded them they need to do it in an open meeting under the Open Meetings Act.
Councilmember Terry Urban says it’s too important for a subcommittee.
“This is much more analogous to hiring the city manager than it is to doing a neighborhood outreach or something where we do subcommittees and things,” said Urban.
Other councilmembers agreed.
Urban also asked McGinnis to break down the three proposed contracts so they can have an apples-to-apples comparison of their compensation proposals.
The council will consider setting a date for the interviews at their next meeting.
Under the charter, the city manager and the city attorney are the only two positions filled by the council.
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