GARDEN GROVE : Council Tentatively Chooses Law Firm

Officials have tentatively tapped the law firm of Rourke & Woodruff to direct the city’s legal affairs, reportedly making Garden Grove the largest city in Orange County to contract for legal services rather than have its own in-house city attorney.

The Orange law firm emerged as first choice after City Council members conducted closed-door meetings with representatives of four firms last week.

Officials are expected to authorize final negotiations at Tuesday night’s council meeting. They plan to give the concept of the contract attorney a trial run of about a year.

Officials decided to look outside the city for legal help after the resignation of City Atty. Stuart B. Scudder, which takes effect at the end of the month. Scudder, who turns 60 in June, is on vacation and does not intend to return to his job. He became city attorney in 1988 and was paid $78,375 a year.

City Councilman Mark Leyes said Wednesday that he has advocated a city shift to contract attorneys because legal work has become specialized and outside law firms “have a number of specialists under one roof.”

Leyes said he believes the city, which would pay the law firm $130 an hour for legal services, should save money over a year’s time.

Rourke & Woodruff reportedly has appointed John Shaw to be city attorney for Garden Grove. Shaw has served previously as an assistant city attorney for San Juan Capistrano, officials said.

The city will keep the services of Assistant City Atty. Gary Baum, who will report to Shaw.

Meanwhile, the city also learned this week that it will have to find a new police chief because John R. Robertson was hired by the city of Orange and will assume his new job in mid-June.

Assistant City Manager Michael Fenderson said an interim chief probably will be appointed while officials start the recruitment of a permanent chief.