Burnet council moves closer to hiring new city attorney
The City Council pondered the matter Tuesday following an executive session.
Out of eight possible candidates, the council placed three firms on a short list, officials said.
The trio of finalists include Bovey and Bojorquez of northwest Austin; Denton, Navarro, Arocha & Bernal of San Antonio; and Sheets & Crossfield of Round Rock. According to city officials, the firms will be asked to attend a formal interview with the council and staff early next month.
“What resulted in this series of events was the (former city attorney), with whom the city staff worked with the most, left the current firm,” City Manager Mike Steele said. “Now the three firms chosen will need to meet face-to-face with the council and staff for an interview.”
The council also voted to enter into an agreement with Ray & Associates, a firm that will provide department supervisors the necessary training to support the city’s employee performance evaluation system.
“Following the recent salary survey to get everybody into the range they need to be, now is the time to fine-tune and train department supervisors to properly evaluate the employees and put them into the best positions with regard to the salary ranges,” Steele said.
The city budgeted $15,000 for the supervisor training, and Assistant City Manager David Vaughn told the council the firm’s fee will only be $14,700.
“What’s going to happen is a half- to one full-day training with department heads to create a document that works with the city’s needs,” Vaughn said. “The main thing is to work on making changes in the next two to three years to make sure we are conducting proper performance evaluations and are taking the steps we need toward salary continuity.”
He added: “Employee performance requires supervisor training to educate and teach people how to evaluate the performance of others.”
The council also voted to approve changes to the lease-purchase agreements for golf course equipment at Delaware Springs.
“The city attorney has reached almost near-completion with Wells Fargo Bank for the purchase of golf-course equipment, but we need to ask the council to approve any changes to the lease-purchase plan,” Vaughn said.
According to golf course director Doug Fipps, the council budgeted about $143,000 to buy new maintenance equipment for Delaware Springs.
“Basically, they have to have an attorney’s signature on a lease-purchase program,” Fipps said. “This true lease agreement with John Deere for the use of their equipment is a three-year contract and will save us manpower and the cost of replacement parts so we’re not out any additional money. It should save the city about $11,000.”
byoung@thepicayune.com