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City appears to be seeking new attorney
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August 30, 2012 |
While there's little yet to go on, it appears
that the City of Bonners Ferry and the city
attorney, Tim Wilson, are parting ways, and the
city appears to be looking for a replacement, not
only to serve as city attorney, but also to
carry the title "assistant city administrator."
But they're looking in a rather unusual way.
On the agenda of the August 21 city council
meeting, item nine under new business was
"accept termination of Attorney Wilson's
contract."
Minutes for that meeting are not yet approved,
though it's doubtful they'll shed much light;
because the matter involves personnel, any
discussion would have been conducted in
executive session, closed to the public. In
addition, because it involves city personnel,
the mayor and city council are prohibited from
discussing it.
Attorney Tim Wilson, who maintains a private
practice in offices in the old Creamery
Building, 6430 Kootenai Street, where his
father, the late Peter B. Wilson, practiced,
could not be reached for comment.
Tom Bushnell, who has worked at the Wilson Law
Firm while readying to take the state bar exam,
said, "as for any interview, when dismissing a
client there is not much if anything Mr. Wilson
can legally say. He remains the Attorney for the
City through the last day of September, 2012."
While the mayor and city council have the right
as well as the responsibility for hiring and
firing personnel, including the city attorney,
what makes this case interesting is the venue
being used to attract a replacement, as well as
the qualifications sought in a successful
candidate.
At 10:34 a.m. Wednesday, August 29, an ad appeared on
Craigslist, a nationwide classified advertising
website that is a clearinghouse for just about
anything, under the jobs classification for
legal/paralegal jobs in the Spokane region,
apparently placed by the City of Bonners Ferry,
seeking a "city attorney/asst. city
administrator."
The ad, available while it lasts by
clicking here, is unusual not only
for where it was placed, but for the credentials
it sets out.
"Applicant must have excellent interpersonal
skills, communications skills, both verbal and
written, and organizational skills," the ad
reads. "The applicant must also have or be able
to obtain an Idaho drivers license, must pass a
job-related pre-employment physical examination
and drug-screening test."
Perhaps the city's listing with Job Service is a
little more specific, but one of the typical
minimum credentials sought when hiring an
attorney, whether you're a municipality or an
irate spouse seeking a divorce, is someone with the right to
practice law in the state in which legal services are
to be rendered. And that typically requires, in
this day and age, education sufficient to earn a juris doctorate, a PhD in law requiring years of
study. And then there's the minor matter of
passing the state bar exam, a grueling test of
an aspiring attorney's knowledge of the law
sufficient to prove that he or she is qualified
to practice in that jurisdiction.
The functions of the job are written thus in the
ad, "The City desires to find an applicant with
an interest in combining two City functions, the
City Attorney position (estimated at 1/3 time)
and City Administrative functions (estimated at
2/3 to full time). The City Attorney provides
the Criminal and Civil legal services for the
City. The City Administrator's office is
involved in a wide range of functions ... The
administrators office is involved in General
Government operations, planning and zoning, and
utility operations."
Those seem like rather staggering duties to
entrust to someone who can get an Idaho drivers
license and pass a drug test. But there is a
caveat, "wages are dependent upon
qualifications," and "the functions assigned to
the person hired for this position will be
dependent on their skills." That should assuage the
citizens of Bonners Ferry. The city also
stipulates, "recruiters, please don't contact
this job poster.
Phone calls about this job are ok."
Those interested in this position "must apply
with The Idaho Department of Labor Job Service,
Bonners Ferry, and must submit the standard
application. The applicant is also welcome to
also submit a letter of application, resume, and
references." Those eager to showcase their
talents might even consider adding their
curriculum vitae just to impress the
folks at city hall.
Applications will be accepted until 21 September,
2012, and you can call the Bonners Ferry Job
service, (208) 267-5581, to find out more ...
such as whether there might just be additional
qualifications required, something that might
weed out a few talented prodigies who may have
just graduated high school last spring.
Specific questions about the positions can be
directed, the Craigslist ad says, to city
administrator Stephen Boorman at (208) 267-0357.
I looked it up ... the number is legitimate. |
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