Jeffersonville City Council attorney committee declines public meeting

Clark County

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July 31, 2009

Will not do face-to-face interviews with attorney candidates

By DAVID A. MANN The News and Tribune Fri Jul 31, 2009, 01:43 PM EDT

A Jeffersonville City Council committee tasked with making a recommendation on hiring a new attorney will not hold a public meeting to do so.

Instead, the three-member council committee will make a recommendation to the full council based on past experience and resumes of the lawyers, according to Keith Fetz, a committee member. The committee was formed June 29, the same day that the council accepted the resignation of its former attorney, Larry Wilder.

Wilder resigned after police found him asleep in a trash can near his home following a night of drinking and resulting media coverage. He’s still serving the council and city in some capacities.

The attorney-search committee had planned to interview attorneys in a closed-door session today. However, the meeting was canceled after The Evening News raised questions about its legality.

Indiana’s open-door law allows governing bodies to meet in private executive session to hire new employees. However, the attorney would not have been an employee, rather he would be paid as a contractor.

Fetz said committee members decided not to have an open meeting to conduct interviews out of respect for the comfort levels of those applying for the job.

Instead, the committee will make its decision based off resumes and personal experience with the attorneys in the past, he said. If members have any questions for the applicants they can call them, he said.

Six attorneys — John Grannan, Greg Park, Lonnie Cooper, David Mosley, David Lewis and Amber Shaw — have applied for the position.

“Our paths cross with these individuals regularly,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough decision.”

Councilwoman Barbara Wilson and council president Connie Sellers are on the committee with Fetz.

It will make a recommendation, and the full council will have the final say on who’s hired.

Initially, it was supposed to make a recommendation by July 29. However, Sellers said in an interview Wednesday that the council likely will have a special session next month to address the issue.

SO YOU KNOW

• Two Jeffersonville City Council meetings are scheduled for Monday evening. The first is a special meeting at 6 p.m. A regular session takes place at 7:30 p.m. Both are at Jeffersonville City Hall, 500 Quartermaster Court. The attorney issue noted in this article is not expected to be discussed.

SO YOU KNOW

Six attorneys have applied for the Jeffersonville City Council attorney position. They are:

• John Grannan

• Greg Park

• Lonnie Cooper

• David Mosley

• David Lewis

• Amber Shaw