City Attorney's Office_Future Staffing Copyright 2014
City of Dubuque Action Items # 10.
ITEM TITLE: City Attorney's Office
SUMMARY: City Attorney submitting a proposal for future staffing in the City Attorney's
Office.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Council
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
ā Staff Memo Staff Memo
Barry A.Lindahl,Esq. Dubuque THE CTTY OF
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City Attorney
Suite 330,Harbor View Place DUB
r300 Main Street Oftedcd1ftD
Dubuque,Iowa 52001-6944
(563)583-4113 office Masterpiece on the Mississippi
(563)583-1040 fax
balesgCcityofdubuque.org 2007.2012ā¢2013
November 10, 2015
Mayor Roy D. Buol and
Members of the City Council
City Hall ā City Clerk's Office
50 West 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
RE: City Attorney's Office
Dear Mayor Buol and City Council Members:
August 5, 2015 was my fortieth anniversary with the City of Dubuque City Attorney's
Office. When I was appointed Assistant City Attorney in 1975, 1 had no idea I would be
making municipal law a career. And although I am still just as challenged and excited
about this work as I was when I was 29 years old, I find that I need a little more time to
recharge than I did back then.
As a result, I am requesting your consent to reduce my time commitment beginning in
September 2016 to three or four days a week instead of full time. I am very interested in
continuing my work for the City and I believe I still can make a valuable contribution to
the City.
My proposal, however, will require that you appoint someone to take my place as the
full-time City Attorney. Although you are not required to do so, you could advertise the
position for the appointment. If you choose to do so, that process should begin in the
very near future since it may take some time to complete. In the event that you do
advertise the position and select a full-time City Attorney to replace me, it would mean
that I would not be able to continue serving on a part-time basis.
I would suggest you first consider inviting an application for the position from your two
very talented, experienced, qualified Assistant City Attorneys who may be interested in
the position. If an appointment is made effective September 2016, we can begin
transitioning to the new City Attorney's Office arrangement.
If you approve this proposal and appoint one of the Assistant City Attorneys as the City
Attorney, allowing me to reduce my time commitment, that would require that the new
City Attorney and the Assistant City Attorney absorb some additional time and effort, for
an appropriate adjustment of compensation, which they have told me they are quite
willing to do. We believe this proposal can be implemented without any budget increase
and in fact may result in a savings to the City. I would be the first to tell you if this
arrangement was not working out for the best interests of the City.
Please let me know how you would like to proceed.
Very si ely,
arty A. Lindahl
ity Attorney
BAL/tls
cc: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Crenna M. Brumwell, Assistant City Attorney
Maureen A. Quann, Assistant City Attorney
F:\USERS\tsteckle\Lindahl\Letters\MayorCouncil_CityAttorneysOffice_111015.doc
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