Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute a First Amendment to Agreement No. 33765 with the firm of Rutan & Tucker, LLP for legal services related to labor negotiations.
Item three is a report from City to City recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute a First Amendment to agreement with the firm of Rocktenn and Tucker LLP for legal services related to labor negotiations. There's been a motion and a second. Is there any member of the public that wishes to address this item? Councilmember Austin. Yes. Thank you. And before we proceed forward, I pulled this item because I a little bit of concern with the the contract. This is a contract with the attorneys who are negotiating a labor agreement with the IAM. And the original contract was for $200,000. That's correct. And the request here is for an additional $200,000. Is that correct? That is correct for a total of 400. So when do we begin our negotiations? When did we retain the attorney? We began the negotiation, I believe, eight or nine months ago. And we retained their attorneys. Approximately at the time we began negotiation October 14. And I know for for a lot of reasons, there are no there's no way of really knowing when the negotiations will end. However, I think we should incentivize our legal counsel to to to motivate them to get something done. And so I'd like to amend this, if possible, to the 75,000 as opposed to $200,000. That would be fine. We would just if the concludes if the 200,000 were to be approved, obviously we would only spend what we need to conclude negotiations. If we need to come back, we will certainly come back and put another item on the agenda for counsel's consideration. And if we spend less than $75,000. That's correct. To is and that's my motion. I believe I have a second on that. What was that? So I repeat this. What? What's before us is to extend the contract for the legal services for an additional $200,000. There's no time certain. And what I'm saying is that I'd like to to motivate our legal team and send a message that we want to see our negotiations wrapped up sooner than later and lower that amount to $75,000. And by all means, if you know it goes longer than necessary, the city attorney can come back and get more authorization for more money. Thank you, ma'am. Councilmember Urunga, would you like to address the motion? I. I agree with my colleague, Councilmember Austin. I think that these negotiations have gone on for far too long. We need to get something going. If it's a matter of money, let's not make money. The issue with in terms of our of our contract with the negotiators. I think we need to. House could say something inappropriate. But let me let me just say that there needs to be and they need to be incentivized to get going. Let's get a contract and let's get it now. Councilmember Richardson. Thank you. I would say this is yeah, this is a welcome motion, a welcome alternative if if I just heard it correctly. How many months? Seven, eight months. Nine months. Since October of. 14. So if it were nine months for $200,000, we send the signal that we want this to go on. We're okay with this going on for another nine months and I personally am not so. Thank you, Councilmember Austin, for his motion. I'll be in support of it. Councilmember Andrews. I was just in agreement to second that motion. Yeah. Okay. Councilwoman Pryce. I have a couple questions for the city attorney on this. First of all, we're. This motion. And the second is being made with the, I guess, implication that if we approve a shorter dollar amount, that somehow the attorneys will be motivated to resolve any ongoing discussions. That's what I'm hearing, is the implication. But my question to you, really, you don't have to comment on that. But my question to you really is, do you have any concerns with shortening or reducing the amount that's approved? Is that any concern in terms of our contract or our agreement or understanding with the firm? Vice Mayor, members of the Council? No, I think that we would just may come back to you again if this doesn't ramp up. We obviously have no way of knowing when this will conclude and the process it will take and how long that will take. So the thought was we would renew it for an additional 200,000 at the same as the original amount. But we would certainly if council would like us to come back more often, we will do so. Councilmember Mongo. I guess my concern is that. I don't want there to be any delay in the continuing negotiations necessary to reach a resolution. And I don't want there to be a point where money is stopping us from being at the table, where we would not be able to provide the feedback that our negotiating partner is requesting, provide additional information. And if coming back here is a delay, I mean, I don't know how long how much takes to be absorbed. I know that at points during this negotiation, we have been meeting several times a week for up to ten hour days. So I'm just not clear on. How quickly we could go through this and then leave our partners at the table with no one. Councilmember rego will be ensured that we would not let that happen and we would come back in in a timely manner. Okay. Councilmember Austin. Yes. And just finally, I'd just like to say that this is I brought this forward in and in an effort to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars and to be sure that we're sending the right message not only to the attorneys, but to the bargaining unit here, that we want to see this this whole process come to an end. Thanks. Okay. There's been a motion and a second. Is there any member of the public that wish to address Council on item three? Can we? Okay. Thank you. Very good. You can see if this is the same group that is responsible for giving the middle finger to the members of the the idea. I think the easy side. I agree action needs to be taken. And what needs to be taken is it immediately? Tonight and the current contract. Go out and find somebody new. Give them strict marching orders and have them come back within 60 days with a a solution that is in keeping with the marching orders that you've given them, period. This has dragged on too long, and the information that was imparted from it here, I think is shocking. I certainly didn't realize how how much how big a shift you were giving the people, period. It just doesn't make any sense. So. You the motion. Having to end the contract tonight. Enter into a new one with a credible. Dynamic that is well-trained and well-seasoned in doing this. Thank you. And that isn't it hasn't contributed to any of your campaigns. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Goodyear. Mr. City Attorney, I have a question. What do you have remaining in the contract? Do you have anything remaining in the existing contract? Currently, we do not have the last couple of months invoices, but we've expended $155,000 of the 200,000. Okay. All right, members, there's been a motion in a second. Please cast your vote. Why spill over, though? Thank you. The motion carried nine zero. Sorry. I'm signed. Incorrect. Okay. Thank you. So that is the consent. By default, that is the concert calendar we are item 12. Epic title 12. Oh, of course we filled both item 12.