LYNNWOOD — There has been a change in legal counsel for the city of Lynnwood.
City Council voted 5 to 2 Monday, April 25 at its regular meeting to not renew a legal services contract with Ogden Murphy Wallace but instead to acquire a proposed, short-term contract with the Inslee Murphy law firm.
This came after a vote to keep OMW, a recommendation by Mayor Mike McKinnon, failed with a 4 to 3 council vote.
Council members have expressed concerns in the past about the role the current legal counsel, OMW, has played in regards to its past advice to the administration. For example in August 2002, after placing now-retired Fire Chief Bob Meador on leave, McKinnon made himself acting fire chief, with the approval of city attorney Greg Rubstello (from OMW), and approved a fire-lane change.
Because McKinnon followed direction from Rubstello, the ethics board at the time found him to not be at fault, according to the board’s report from December 2002.
Council members have also stated concerns about past oversight of too many legal hours being used.
Council member Jim Smith said he thought the firm has overall served the city fairly and “Rubstello has worked very hard,” but said, “It is time for a change and new ideas.”
While Council president Loren Simmonds said he didn’t approve of some of the past ways of OMW, he did say that after going through the whole interview process with all three of the legal services applicants, OMW was the best choice. Simmonds also expressed he wanted any legal contract at this time to be short term, to run only until Dec. 31, 2006.
Other council concerns with OMW was that it was able to make changes to its proposal when the other applicants weren’t made aware of the updated wants and needs of the council, said Council member Don Gough.
McKinnon told the council April 25 that he would have a contract proposal to them from Inslee Murphy by May.
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