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Bill Blum Memorial Resolution Copyrighted J une 7, 2021 City of Dubuque Consent Items # 15. City Council Meeting ITEM TITLE: Bill Blum Memorial Resolution SUM MARY: Senior Counsel requesting the City Council receive and file a Memorial Resolution forthe Dubuque County BarAssociation Memorial Service for Bill Blum, who served in the CityAttorneys Office forthirty-three years and passed away May 31, 2021. SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File DISPOSITION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Type Memo Staff Memo Resolution Resolutions Dubuque THE CITY OF � All•Ameriea City Du B E ��w���K�,��� ' � II ��' Maste iece on the Mississi i Z°°'`z°lZ=Z°13 �p pp Zoi�*Zoi9 BARRY A. LINDAHL, ESQ. SENIOR COUNSEL MEMO To: Mayor Roy D. Boul And City Council Members DATE: June 3, 2021 RE: Bill Blum Bill Blum, who served in the City Attorneys Office for thirty-three years from 1973 until his retirement in 2006, passed away May 31, 2021. Attached is a Memorial Resolution for the Dubuque County Bar Association Memorial Service for Bill prepared by City Attorney Crenna Brumwell and me. The service will be in the Dubuque County Courthouse on June 4, 4:00 p.m. Crenna and I would request that the Mayor and City County receive and file this Memorial Resolution at the June 7, 2021 City Council Meeting. BAL:JLM Attachments cc: Mike C. Van Milligen, City Manager Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY DUBUQUE, IOWA SUITE 330, HARBOR VIEW PLACE, 300 MAIN STREET DUBUQUE, IA 52001-6944 TE�EPHONE (563)583-4113/FAx (563)583-1040/Ennai� balesq@cityofdubuque.org Dubuque County Bar Association Memorial Resolution WILLIAM G. BLUM Let the record reflect that the Dubuque County Bar Association on this 4th day of June, 2021, meets in this special session to mark with sadness and grief the passing of one of our members, William G. Blum. Bill was born on March 26, 1943 in Dubuque, lowa, son of Bill and Dorothy Blum. Bill graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1961 and from the University of Dubuque in 1965. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of lowa College of Law in 1968. He also married Judy in 1968. Bill served in the United States Army and was commissioned as an officer in 1969. He served as legal advisor to the Commander of the Pacific Area Installation Command (Panama) from 1969 to 1971 and as senior contracting officer for U.S. Army and U.S. Navy in Saigon, Viet Nam from 1971 to 1972. He served as a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserves. Bill practiced in Dubuque, from 1971 lowa until his retirement in 2006. Judy was his office manager until his retirement. Judy predeceased Bill in 2012. In addition to his private practice, Bill was an Assistant City Attorney from 1973 until his retirement in 2006. Bill was also admitted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of lowa. Bill also taught Business Law and Aviation Law at the University of Dubuque for many years. Bill had a passion for travelling to Mexico, caring for the woodland animals living in his neighborhood, his many cats, supporting Dubuque's gaming establishments, amassing collectibles of many types, and the Rockdale United Methodist Church. Bill also devoted much of his life to the pursuit of protecting civil rights for all. Prior to his retirement, as well as post retirement from the City, Bill served as an Administrative Law Judge in civil rights matters. Among his other activities in civil rights law were the following: • Counsel for Dubuque Human Rights Commission from 1973 until 2006 • Mediator for lowa Civil Rights Commission (2006) • Mediator for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission • Drafted the first substantially equivalent fair housing ordinance for Dubuque, • Drafted ADA ordinance for Dubuque, the first city in lowa • Represented the City of Dubuque in over 50 federal civil rights cases • Appeared on behalf of the City of Dubuque in state court on civil rights matters in over 75 cases In his role as Assistant City Attorney, he also mentored many staff and interns who came through the doors of the City of Dubuque Human Rights Office on effectively using the law to advance the principles we hold dear. One of his interns from the University of lowa College of Law was current City Attorney Crenna Brumwell. Another of his interns was Tom Wickham who recently retired as the Parliamentarian for the United States House of Representatives, Bill was also the City Attorney for Balltown, Bernard, Cascade, Dundee, Earlville, Edgewood, Epworth, Farley, Greeley, Hopkinton, Luxemburg, Ryan, Worthington, and Zwingle. Bill served as a member and officer in many community organizations including, Boy Scouts, Summit Church, United Way, Dubuque Fighting Saints Association, Municipal Lawyers Association, and the Dubuque County Democratic Party. Bill was kind, intelligent, funny, and a smart-ass. He loved to tell stories and entertain. He was happy to talk to anyone who walked through the door. A few of Bill's favorite quotes: "Anybody can sue. The question is, can they win?" "The difference between a bartender and a lawyer is the bartender knows the answer and the lawyer looks it up." Bill is survived by his sister, Deborah Walsh of Dubuque, her daughter, Amy Mozena, of Dubuque, his brother, James Blum in Pennsylvania, and one nephew in Arizona and one in Pennsylvania and one in San Diego, and three great nieces in Dubuque. He is also survived by many friends in Dubuque and in Mexico. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED on the 4th day of June, 2021, the members of the Dubuque County Bar Association, while gathered in this Memorial Service, do by this writing mark the passage of one of our members, William G. Blum, and we do hereby convey our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Bill's family. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be spread upon the records of the offices of the Clerk of the District Court of lowa in and for Dubuque County, as a permanent record, marking a way of life of a worthy and honorable lawyer; that a copy of this Resolution be presented to the family of William G. Blum, and that a copy also be placed in the Dubuque County Bar Association archives at Loras College BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Dubuque County Bar Association directs the transmission to the lowa State Bar Foundation of its usual and customary memorial tribute to the memory of William G. Blum. Respectfully submitted, Resolutions Committee Dubuque County Bar Association: Todd Stevenson, President Crenna Brumwell Barry Lindahl At this time, we will open up the floor for anyone to come up, on the record, and share memories or comments about the life of Bill Blum.