IRVINE : City to Reconsider Plan to Hire Counsel

Although hiring a full-time city attorney seemed like a good idea last July, the worsening economy now has prompted some City Council members to question the idea.

Last summer, the council voted to hire an in-house city attorney beginning this July to replace the Costa Mesa law firm of Rutan & Tucker, which provides legal services to Irvine and several other Orange County cities.

But with the economic downturn, some council members have proposed that they reconsider, City Manager Paul O. Brady Jr. said. The council will consider the matter Tuesday.

The cost of hiring a city attorney and contracting out for extra legal work would cost the city about $581,000 a year, about $1,000 more than the cost of Rutan & Tucker’s services, according to a report. Irvine is the only Orange County city with 100,000 or more people that lacks a full-time city attorney, the report said.

Although hiring an in-house attorney would cost slightly more, Rutan & Tucker attorneys are not as accessible as a full-time city attorney would be, Brady said.

Besides access to attorneys, response time has been slower than desired, he said. A five-month study of attorney services last year showed that of 68 written requests for legal advice, more than half of the responses came two or more days later than requested.