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Councilmember Howell stated Mr. Anderson from Kennedy Graven seemed very inexperienced. <br />She added she was not impressed with Ms. Whitmore who did not give direct answers. She noted <br />Mr. Knaak was in the top two for her, along with Ms. Schwarzhoff. <br /> <br />Councilmember Woestehoff stated Ms. Schwarzhoff was his number one, with Mr. Langel at <br />number 2, Eckberg Lammers at number 3, Mr. Knaak at number 4, and Kennedy Graven in last <br />place. He added he liked Ms. Whitmore’s willingness to participate in public comment, and her <br />experience with education. He added he would support a lawyer who knows a little about <br />everything, which seems to be Ms. Schwarzhoff from Hoff Barry. <br /> <br />Councilmember Musgrove stated she scored Eckberg Lammers as the lowest. She added she is <br />looking for more legal answers. She noted she ended up with a 3-way tie between Mr. Langel, <br />Mr. Anderson and Mr. Knaak, although she does have concerns with Mr. Anderson’s lack of <br />experience. She noted she gave highest points to Mr. Knaak, even though he has a smaller law <br />firm, because he gave supportive legal answers. <br /> <br />Councilmember Heineman stated, in his opinion, experience is important, but the size of the <br />organization is even more important than experience. He added he scored Kennedy Graven the <br />lowest due to the size of the law firm, but also because the attorney was inexperienced and seemed <br />concerned about billing. <br /> <br />Councilmember Heineman stated his next choice would be Mr. Langel and his firm, as they do an <br />adequate job, although there seems to be a sense of entitlement about why the City is looking for <br />outside counsel. He added Ms. Whitmore indicated that she is open to new perspectives, and wants <br />to get entrenched with the City, and he liked that. He noted his last choice was Kennedy Graven, <br />but he supports Eckberg Lammers and Mr. Knaak. He noted the flat rate makes sense <br />economically. <br /> <br />Councilmember Heineman stated Ms. Whitmore and Mr. Knaak both put a lot of emphasis on <br />working closely with the city, being on site and having a relationship with city staff and the City <br />Council. He added he believes that attitude can help stop problems before they happen. <br /> <br />Mayor Kuzma stated he liked Ms. Schwarzhoff’s comment about reviewing City Council meeting <br />agendas before they go out. He added he thought that was the smartest answer of the whole night. <br /> <br />Councilmember Specht asked for City Staff’s feedback and comment. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich stated he thought Kennedy Graven could do the job, but it comes down <br />to what type of relationship the City Council wants to have with the attorney, as their primary legal <br />advisor. He added he tends to shy away from large firms, and Kennedy Graven’s attorneys are not <br />experienced. He noted he likes that Hoff Barry has 4 attorneys with ample coverage, and her <br />answers were very direct. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich stated Mr. Knaak seems to be a solo practitioner, and he is concerned <br />about backup. He added he liked Ms. Whitmore as she is experienced in open meeting law, <br />advising other Councils, data practices, and it is not a big firm. <br />City Council Special Work Session / August 23, 2021 <br />Page 18 of 22 <br /> <br />