What happened
The council approved adding $215,000 to the Meyers Nave law firm contract for the city's lawsuit against Mayor Butt. The mayor is being sued for posting confidential legal communications on his blog without council approval. The vote was 5-2, with Bates and Butt voting no.
The council acknowledged receipt of the proposed $235.5 million city budget for fiscal year 2022-23. The draft budget includes no major staffing changes across most departments. Residents made 1 public comment about the budget during the meeting.
The council unanimously approved increasing a law firm contract to $1 million for Point Molate development lawsuits. Downey Brand represents the city against two consolidated lawsuits challenging the housing project on environmental and planning grounds. The firm has worked on this case since 2020.
The council approved updating city service fees based on a cost analysis of staff time. Some fees will increase and others decrease based on the actual time required for services like fire inspections, code enforcement, and recreation programs. The city studied costs to better match fees with expenses.
The council received budget presentations from the Mayor's Office, City Council, and Public Works as part of the budget development process. These presentations happen over several weeks to allow detailed review of each department's spending plans and programs.
Auto-summarized from official minutes and vote records
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