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Councilmember Tossey stated he had more concerns with Mr. Couri going into this, than now. <br />Councilmember Tossey stated Anoka County is odd and there have been a lot of issues. He <br />noted that Mr. Couri practices in Anoka County but Mr. Langel is from Hennepin County. <br />Councilmember Tossey stated he wants an attorney who is outside of Anoka County. <br />Mayor Strommen noted Mr. Langel's firm also represents Lino Lakes, which is in Anoka <br />County. <br />Councilmember Tossey stated Red Wing does have a lot of problems with sand mining and <br />windmills so he understands why it consumes a lot of legal services. He stated he could "flip a <br />coin" because both are good firms. <br />Councilmember Backous stated if you look at the Couri & Ruppe retainer, it is 60% of that <br />amount so he would ask, what is the difference. He stated before tonight he supported Mr. Couri <br />who presented his case very well, which says a lot about who to hire. Councilmember Backous <br />stated Mr. Couri did a good job of pulling him to the very center but the tie breaker is the shear <br />size and resources that RRM has, the number of attorney and that the firm will have experience <br />in everything Ramsey faces, more so than a two - attorney firm. RRM also has more support staff <br />and since all have lives and vacation and families, the more resources the better. <br />Councilmember Backous stated he does not know if the retainer is the right amount as Ramsey <br />has used the same firm for decades, so it will be trial and error. He stated he appreciates the <br />honesty of both saying they do not know if their retainer is the right amount and all need to be <br />flexible. Councilmember Backous stated these are the most important contractors that the City <br />has available and the City needs competent attorneys that are not afraid to "go to bat," be tough, <br />and even be tough with the Council, when needed. He stated he supports RRM because of the <br />size of the firm and available resources. <br />Mayor Strommen stated this is the first time in a long time the City has made a decision on <br />attorneys so it should not be an easy one. It is a big decision, which is part of the struggle. She <br />stated she feels good that either firm would serve the City very well and she sees pros and cons <br />on both sides. Mayor Strommen noted the higher retainer has the lower hourly rate and it came <br />to a difference of approach in using the current retainer and adjusting in a couple years compared <br />to thinking there were not enough hours presently, starting higher, and then seeing if it needed to <br />be adjusted downward. Mayor Strommen agreed with Councilmember Backous that having a <br />bigger firm with extra support is beneficial; however, there would still be only several attorneys <br />that would be familiar with the issues in Ramsey. She noted that was the case made by Mr. <br />Couri, that only one to two attorneys would be familiar. Mayor Strommen stated she was <br />impressed with Mr. Couri's attention in dissecting the billings and reviewing the meeting <br />minutes and explaining how he determined the retainer, showing service orientation already. <br />Councilmember Kuzma stated he likes Mr. Couri's demeanor but also thinks that RRM will do a <br />good job. But he would ask, "Who do you want to go into battle with, if needed. <br />Councilmember Kuzma stated he thinks Mr. Couri had a stronger demeanor do go into a fight. <br />Councilmember Backous noted RRM said the City does not need the attorney at Council <br />meetings and he would agree with that, which may have been factored into that firm's retainer <br />City Council Work Session / June 4, 2013 <br />Page 9 of 22 <br />