Warsaw City Council spent twice as long Monday talking about a contract for its own attorney than discussing the city’s five-year comprehensive financial plan.
By the end of the meeting the full council couldn’t come to an agreement on the contract with Wabash attorney Doug Lehman. The council’s three-member task force on the contract will meet with city attorney Scott Reust and review the contract, rewriting it where necessary, as well as possible protocols as to when the council’s attorney can be used.
The contract will then be presented to the council at its Nov. 18 meeting for further council discussion.
Councilman Ron Shoemaker pushed for the contract to be presented to the Board of Public Works and Safety at its Nov. 15 meeting, but Councilman Jeff Grose – who sits on the Board of Works and has had reservations about the council having its own legal counsel since the start – brought up a number of issues with the contract.
Councilman Mike Klondaris wanted any councilman to be able to contact the council attorney without having to consult with other council members, but other councilmen suggested two council members should agree that the council attorney was needed and then let the council president know of their desire to consult the council attorney.
Under the contract, Lehman would be paid $220 per hour and that couldn’t exceed $12,000 per year.
Warsaw is a Class 3 city, based on population, and no other Class 3 city in the state has its own attorney separate from the city’s.
