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Mayor Kuzma stated he has worked with Mr. Langel since he became the City Attorney. He added <br />he has had a good working relationship with Mr. Langel and the firm, and they represent the City <br />well. He noted he is very happy with the service they provide. <br /> <br />Councilmember Riley stated what he is looking for in a City Attorney is flexibility and availability, <br />to be able to provide what the City wants from the City Attorney. He added he would like to have <br />a City Attorney that would attend Council meetings and get the right fit and provide sound advice. <br /> <br />Councilmember Musgrove stated the RFP says Timothy Sullivan will also serve on the team. She <br />requested background on Mr. Sullivan. <br /> <br />Mr. Langel stated Timothy Sullivan currently does labor and employment work as well as general <br />counsel for the City of Isanti. He added Mr. Sullivan provides back-up for him on a number of <br />cities as well as being a City Attorney in his own right. <br /> <br />ECKBERG LAMMERS, P.C. <br /> <br />Please describe the backgrounds of attorney(s) from your firm who will be assigned to Ramsey. <br /> <br />Pam Whitmore, Eckberg Lammers, stated she will serve as City Attorney with back-up from Chris <br />Nelson and Lida Bannink. She added Ms. Bannink is the firm’s employment law specialist. <br /> <br />Ms. Whitmore stated she began her career in litigation 30 years ago defending municipalities in <br />all types of civil litigation matters. She added she worked for the League of Minnesota Cities, first <br />as General Counsel and then transitioned to Insurance Trust. She noted she handled cases from <br />member cities who were experiencing conflict between the City Council and City Staff or the <br />public and spent five years working with cities all across Minnesota. She noted she brought that <br />spirit of collaboration when she moved to a law firm. <br /> <br />Ms. Whitmore stated Chris Nelson works for several different cities, and Blaine currently takes up <br />most of his time. She added he has expertise in development. <br /> <br />How will your law firm make Ramsey a priority and meet the terms outlined in the RFP for meeting <br />attendance, response time for council/staff inquiries, document review turn-around, and office <br />hours? <br /> <br />Ms. Whitmore stated she will be the lead contact, dedicated to the City of Ramsey, mindful of City <br />Staff and City Council’s schedules. She added she is very relationship-based and collaborative in <br />her approach. She stressed the importance of responsiveness and spending time in the community. <br /> <br />If your firm is not located locally, how do you intend to manage drive time and attending meetings <br />in the city? <br /> <br />Ms. Whitmore stated she lives in Plymouth, although the firm is in Stillwater. She added she is <br />focused on western and southwestern cities based on her home location. She noted many people <br />City Council Special Work Session / August 23, 2021 <br />Page 6 of 22 <br /> <br />