Clark fills vacant Rogers city attorney position

ROGERS -- The City Council approved James Clark as its new city attorney during its meeting Tuesday.

Clark was the lone candidate for the position. He was the city's deputy city attorney from 1997 to 2003 and again between 2008 t0 2014.

"We have one very qualified applicant" Clay Kendall, council member, said before voting to recommend Clark to the council during an Internal Affairs Committee meeting also held Tuesday.

Clark said he has experience working with Mayor Greg Hines and Chris Griffin, the city's staff attorney.

"I think we can make this relationship work," Clark said.

The council changed the definition of the city and staff attorney positions in a decision in June.

The duties of the elected city attorney position were limited to attending meetings and offering advice or answering council members' legal questions. The staff attorney position was redefined as being the top legal adviser to all city officials.

The council also reduced the annual salary for the city attorney from $127,187 to $12,000. The staff attorney salary stayed the same at $87,132.

Ben Lipscomb resigned from the city attorney position in January after receiving a $390,000 settlement from the city.

Lipscomb filed a federal complaint saying his rights were violated by the council's decision to give a majority of his duties to a new staff attorney position last year.

Tensions between the former city attorney and council built up over several years.

Bentonville started using a part-time city attorney in 2000. The attorney in the position receives $1,200 a month, according to city ordinance. Duties outlined in the ordinance include ensuring meetings are done in a legal manner and ordinances and resolutions are drafted correctly.

"I think Bentonville has made this work very well," Clark said during the internal affairs committee. "I think this system could work too."

Clark also worked as the interim prosecutor for Benton County from April to December last year. He was the deputy prosecutor for Benton and Carroll County from 1990 to 1992 and worked in private practice off and on since 1984. He has been retired since December.

Marge Wolf, council member, thanked Clark for applying to the position before voting during the internal affairs committee.

The position was posted by the city July 16 and remained open for about a month, Thomas Dunlap, Rogers human resources director, said. He said the job was posted on the city's website. He said it also was the focus of an article published in the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette July 16.

Dunlap said Clark will start the position Sept. 1.

Justin Eichmann, a private attorney contracted by the city, previously said the position will be up for re-election in 2016 and again in 2018 when it will become a four-year term.

NW News on 08/26/2015

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