City begins process of replacing long-time attorney

PLYMOUTH — The city is starting the process of filling a position that hasn’t been vacant for more than three decades.

The Personnel Committee met Thursday to discuss the process of replacing City Attorney Ronald Damp, who will be retiring at the end of his term next April after having served as the city’s legal counsel for more than 30 years.

Mayor Donald Pohlman told the committee that Damp is in the process of putting together a list of his duties and responsibilities for the city to use in preparing a request for proposals for legal services.

“There are only two city attorneys like Ron Damp in the state who are basically employed by the city,” Pohlman observed.

“I’ve talked with other mayors to see what has worked for them,” Pohlman continued.

He said the city would solicit proposals from individual attorneys and law firms to provide legal services to the city on a contract basis. “I think we’d be better off cost-wise, insurance and pension-wise, for this to be on a contract basis.”

Pohlman said Damp would have his report to the city before the end of the month so the city can begin advertising for proposals.

He told the committee he has also asked Damp to prepare an ordinance to alter the term of office for the city attorney.

Currently, the city attorney is appointed to a two-year term that coincides with the two-year term for the mayor.

Pohlman explained he wants to see that changed to one year beginning next April, then returning to two years in 2011.

“I think that would take any politics out of a potential (attorney appointment,” he explained.

Committee member Donn Davis agreed with Pohlman.

“I think that’s good for both sides,” the alderman commented. “If you have a new mayor come in, the city attorney knows he still has one year left on his term.”

The committee also discussed a proposal to combine the city’s Municipal Court with the combined city of Sheboygan/village of Kohler Municipal Court.

“I think we could save dollars in our municipal court and city dollars by sharing,” Pohlman explained.

He added that there had been discussion of combing the two courts in the past, but those talks petered out.W

ith the Sheboygan/Kohler Municipal Court now housed in new quarters in the city’s new police headquarters on the west side of Sheboygan, it might be the right time to restart those talks, Pohlman said.

The Sheboygan/Kohler Municipal Court has space and staff available to handle Plymouth’s court as well. Plymouth would pay a share of those costs commensurate with the number of cases from the city, but it would still cost the city less than what it is paying now to run a separate court, according to Pohlman.

“If need be, we could hold municipal court out here, but it (the Sheboygan/Kohler court) is more accessible in their new location,” compared to their former quarters in City Hall in downtown Sheboygan, Pohlman said.

“We’ve already toured the municipal court chambers in the new Sheboygan Police Department (headquarters) and their staff wouldn’t have to be increased to handle our load,” he continued.

Davis noted that there would still be a drop box at the Plymouth Police Department where fines could be paid and that the only defendants who would have to go to court in Sheboygan would be those who choose to contest their tickets.

Pohlman said if the two courts are combined, voters in Sheboygan, Kohler and Plymouth would elect one municipal judge.

He said Damp is drawing up documents for a possible court merger with legal officials from Sheboygan and Kohler.