REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the Appointment of the City Attorney and Approve the Employment Agreement
Report
BACKGROUND
The City Council started the recruitment and selection process in December 2023 to seek a new City Attorney to replace outgoing City Attorney, John Nagel. The process has now concluded, and the City Council is asked: 1) to appoint a specific City Attorney candidate, and 2) to approve an employment agreement for services which outlines the compensation and terms of employment.
EXISTING POLICY
City of Sunnyvale City Charter Section 900 provides that the City Attorney shall be appointed by the City Council. Entering into a contract is consistent with City of Sunnyvale Charter Section 900.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Appointment of a City Attorney is not a "project" with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
DISCUSSION
The City Council retained Peckham & McKenney to manage the recruitment and selection process for the City Attorney position. The application deadline was March 17, 2024 and interviews with the most qualified candidates were conducted on April 18, 2024. From this interview process the City Council determined to move forward with the background check for a current City employee and the current Interim City Attorney, Rebecca Moon.
Discussions regarding terms and conditions of employment were completed with the final candidate resulting in the attached employment agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
The current funding budgeted for the City Attorney position will cover the compensation costs detailed in the employment agreement.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of P...
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