42°F
weather icon Mostly Cloudy

Hiring of city attorney could spur change

Boulder City Mayor Rod Woodbury hopes to eliminate an assistant city attorney position should contract negotiations with the current city attorney go through.

In a 3-2 vote at its meeting on Sept. 26, the City Council gave acting City Attorney Steve Morris a conditional job offer, pending an employee agreement, physical and background check.

During KLAS-TV, Channel 8’s Mondays with the Mayors segment on Nov. 6, Woodbury was asked why Morris was the “right choice” for the job.

“Steve Morris has been our assistant city attorney for some time, and he’s also a lifetime Boulder City resident, so he understands the dynamics out there,” Woodbury said. “He understands all the different aspects of being a city attorney in Boulder City. We have the luxury, too, because he had that position before that we can get rid of that assistant position, at least for the time being, and see how that works out.”

After the interview, Woodbury said that he was anticipating eliminating the position, but he was unsure if it would happen.

“As I said in my Channel 8 interview … my hope is that we can do away with the assistant city attorney position on the civil side, at least in the short term, so that we can reassess whether or to what extent it’s still needed at this time,” he said. “I can’t yet say whether that will actually happen, since my understanding is that Mr. Morris’ contract negotiations are still a work in progress. But that’s my hope.”

Bob Murray &Associates is handling the contract negotiations with Morris, and should they go through, Woodbury said that all the duties Morris has been performing as the assistant city attorney on the civil side will then come under his full-time job description for the immediate future.

“I think that’s a luxury that is great for us, and also he’s very knowledgeable,” he said on Monday. “He’s a great litigator, and so we think he’s going to be a great fit for Boulder City.”

This possible elimination would not affect the other assistant city attorney position, held by attorney Gary Booker, according to Woodbury.

“Regardless, the city will continue to need an assistant city attorney on the criminal side, and I have no reason to doubt that Gary Booker will continue his able service in that capacity,” he said.

City manager hiring search

Woodbury also gave an update about the city manager search during the news segment on Nov. 6. He said that the city hopes to interview the final candidates for that position “pretty soon.”

The city hired Bob Murray &Associates to handle the recruitment for the position, which drew 35 applicants. The list was then narrowed to 15.

Currently, the recruitment firm is reviewing those resumes as well as talking with members of the City Council, according to Woodbury. “The goal is to get it down to a more manageable group, so we can interview them — four, five, maybe six at the most,” he said. “That’s well underway. … I’m impressed with all the people that have come forward. I think timing wise, if we’re lucky, we’ll get interviews before the end of the year, and then the new hire at the beginning of the year.”

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Ready for the holiday

Photos by Ron Eland/Boulder City Review

Council still mulling STR bill

The contentious issue of short-term rentals in Boulder City took another detour this week as a set of bills introduced previously were pulled from the agenda for the meeting scheduled for Nov. 28.

JFK assassination: 60 years later

It’s one of those moments in time that those who were around can tell you exactly where they were and the thoughts that raced through their head when they heard the news.

Yapp: ‘Nothing more green than restoring’

Boulder City has a large core of historic buildings and homes, many built close to a century ago and, as owners have set out to restore some of these structures, some of the challenges have been unexpected.

Directing public to BC parking

A popular tourist destination seven days a week, Boulder City can get especially crowded on weekends.

Bridging the gap between police, students

When Boulder City police officer Eric Prunty accepted the job of school resource officer, in a way he had to take a step back in time more than 30 years to when he was in school.

New Mitchell principal excited with what she has seen so far

As a CCSD educator, parent, and resident in Boulder City, I am proud to serve as the principal of Mitchell ES. I have long been aware that we are a great school in a fantastic community, but seeing the daily evidence of it is still inspiring.

Fall family fun

Near-perfect weather greeted those who attended Saturday’s inaugural Family Fall Festival at Bicentennial Park and Wilbur Square.

Eyesore for sale … again

Boulder City residents hoping to see a long-abandoned property on Nevada Way brought back to life were dealt a blow last week when a contract for the sale of the Flamingo Inn Motel fell through just 24 hours before the sale was due to close.