Local Video
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| Swanson’s letter to city isn’t swaying mayor’s opinion |
By: SUZANNE ROOK, Managing Editor
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Posted: Friday, October 30, 2009 10:56 pm
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NORTHFIELD — Mayor Mary Rossing has called it one of the hardest decisions she has ever made.
But despite a letter to her and the City Council from city attorney Maren Swanson, Rossing is sticking with her recommendation to drop Swanson and her law partner, the city’s prosecutor, Tim Morisette, in favor of two metro-based attorneys.
“The letter doesn’t change anything,” said Rossing.
Public cries from Northfielders and area attorneys have been loud as of late, including at a Chamber of Commerce forum last week. But Rossing said privately she’s getting messages of support for her stand.
Swanson on Wednesday said she initially planned to encourage the city to retain Morisette. But as she began writing, she decided to also make a case for keeping herself on. Both attorneys have served the city since 1998.
In the Oct. 21 letter, Swanson writes that the city has been “extremely well-served by having Tim Morisette as its prosecutor,” saying Morisette is available to Northfield police around the clock and knows when to be lenient and when to try a case.
Swanson later goes on to say that if the city wants to retain Morisette, but not her, her firm, Lampe Law Group, is willing to negotiate its $185/hour rate.
Earlier this month, City Administrator Joel Walinski said staff would recommend the council hire two separate attorneys to represent the city in civil matters and as its prosecutor. That recommendation came from a committee of city staff, Walinski and the mayor, which reviewed all submitted proposals.
Swanson said she also wanted her letter to address what she assumes are issues the city may have with her: the Target annexation of 1998 and the rental ordinance of 2007. Both were contentious issues that caused friction between opposing sides and the council.
Rossing said it isn’t about issues, old or new. The reasons are documented in information sent Thursday to the council, and include lower costs, the large number of attorneys at the recommended firms and the breadth of skill sets available at those firms. Lampe Law Group has three attorneys in its firm.
And while Northfield attorneys’ costs have jumped in recent years, Swanson blames “truly unprecedented interpersonal conflicts” for the rise, adding that much of her work during that time was spent managing a bad situation and trying to keep it from getting worse.
“I am quite sure if the attorneys who assisted the city through that time had not done what we did, things would have been a lot worse and a lot more expensive for the city,” she wrote.
The council is expected to vote on the committee’s recommendation Monday.
While Lampe Law would charge $185/hour, the recommended civil attorney, Chris Hood, would charge $110/hour, according to a packet distributed to the City Council. Fees would increase by $5/hour annually over the life of the three-year contract.
Elliott Knetsch, the recommended prosecutor, offered his services at $115/hour. Fees would rise by $4 each year of the three-year-contract.
If selected, the attorneys will establish local office hours for at least six months, according to City Administrator Joel Walinski.
To view a copy of city attorney Maren Swanson's letter to Mayor Mary Rossing and the City Council, click here.
— Suzanne Rook is the managing editor. She can be reached at srook@northfieldnews.com or 645-1113. |
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Mayor Rossing has become a big disappointment. Before she became Mayor she was a loud voice for shop local, and now she is nothing but a hypocrite. I will never shop at her store again, and I hope other people will stop as well.
Hypocrite is correct; 'shopping local' will have lost it's meaning beginning if this decision stands. Yeh, the hourly rate is lower with these out-of-town attorneys, but what are we getting from the out-of-town attorney's versus Swanson & Morisette? Will these out-of-towners look out for city matters in the same way Swanson & Morisette have? I see much compromise for Northfielders on the horizon, if this moves forward and am still not entirely clear on the reason. Maren Swanson has had to make some tough decisions no-doubtedly not making her popular by some, but this is no doubt part of the deal for any attorney. Why this particular firm? Is someone ketting an under-the table benefit by choosing these guys? Shop local? Bah humbug; not me, now.
With Judge Johnson resigning in January, maybe Tim can become a district judge.
He would be very fair and impartial.
Tim, maybe this works out for you. I hope so, you've always been approachable and I enjoyed working with you and Maren. Northfield is making a terrible mistake by not retaining your office. This will cost the city a large amount of money in the long run.
Yeah their hourly rate might be lower but do they charge mileage to come to Northfield? Mileage to go to Faribault for court? Will they be available and accessible to council, various boards and staff during meetings, special meetings, other times other than by email or telephone. In the end depending on the contract it could cost a lot more depending on how things are worded in the contract.
There is no doubt that these things should be put out to bid but it is not just the lowest price that makes a contract and anybody that does any type of commodity or service bidding knows that.