Deputy CityAttorney

Deputy City Attorney

SALARY:                 $4,964.77 - $5,996.04 Biweekly

                                $129,084.00 - $155,897.00 Annually

OPENING DATE:   09/05/17

CLOSING DATE:   10/10/17 11:59 PM

DESCRIPTION:

The City of Napa seeks to hire a Deputy City Attorney whose primary responsibilities will be to provide advisory and transactional legal services for a wide range of municipal issues, including land use and planning, affordable housing, public works construction, general municipal contracting, parks and recreation services, municipal enterprises for water service and solid waste services, municipal financing, and general municipal law such as the Brown Act, the Political Reform Act, and the Public Records Act. The Deputy City Attorney will be required to have strong written and oral communication skills, including preparing legal documents (contracts, ordinances, resolutions, administrative regulations and procedures, and related legal memoranda and reports), advising legislative bodies during public meetings (particularly the Planning Commission and the Cultural Heritage Commission), and negotiating with third parties to resolve complex legal challenges.

The City of Napa is a charter city with approximately 80,000 residents, with a vibrant local economy, located approximately 50 miles north of San Francisco and 60 miles southwest of Sacramento. The City operates under a Council/Manager form of government, with a five-member City Council including a directly elected Mayor, and approximately 530 full-time equivalent employees. The City Council directly appoints the City Manager, the City Clerk, and the City Attorney.

The City Attorney's Office includes the City Attorney, an Assistant City Attorney, the Deputy City Attorney (that is the subject of this recruitment), and a Legal Secretary. The primary responsibilities of the City Attorney's Office include:

• Providing legal advice to the City Council, the boards of all related City entities (including the Housing Authority of the City of Napa), appointed boards and commissions (such as the Planning Commission and the Civil Service Commission), and City staff related to the establishment, implementation, and enforcement of City laws, policies, and procedures.
• Preparing legal documents to implement and enforce City laws and policies, including ordinances, resolutions, regulations, and contracts.
• Representing and defending the City's interests in civil litigation and administrative proceedings, including code enforcement, collections, Government Code claims, enforcement of contracts, and management of human resources.

TYPICAL TASKS:

Under general direction, the Deputy City Attorney performs professional level legal services, working directly with City officers and employees to research and advise on legal issues that are presented; and performing related services as required.

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Exercises professional judgment in evaluating legal issues presented on a wide range of municipal law topics, and establishes and implements plans of action to provide appropriate legal services.
• Performs legal research and provides oral and written opinions and advice on various legal issues for City employees, officers, and legislative bodies.
• Prepares legal documents, such as ordinances, resolutions, administrative policies, contracts, and real property documents such as deeds or leases; negotiates the terms of such documents with third parties, as necessary; and reviews the terms of such documents prepared by others for approval as to form before signed on behalf of the City.
• Provides legal services and advice at public meetings of various legislative bodies, particularly including the Planning Commission and the Cultural Heritage Commission; and, as directed by the City Attorney, other City boards and commissions, including the City Council.
• Evaluates potential and actual claims and complaints by or against the City, as well as legal risks and opportunities facing the City, including Government Code liability claims, personnel
• disputes, enforcement of municipal code violations, and collections of debts owed; recommends actions to be taken, and works with City employees and consultants to implement the recommended actions.
• May be required to plan, direct, manage, and evaluate services provided by the Legal Secretary, consulting lawyers, experts, and claims managers, in providing legal services for component operations of the City Attorney's Office, as directed by the City Attorney.
• May be required to represent the City in legal matters brought by or against the City in administrative proceedings, mediations, arbitrations, state court, or federal court.
• Provides other related duties as may be required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Any combination of education and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: At least three years of progressively responsible experience as an attorney in the practice of law for a governmental jurisdiction, preferably a municipality, or three years of experience in related areas of municipal law.

Education: A Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.

Certification: Active membership in the State Bar of California.

Knowledge of:

• Principles of law regarding the obligations and authority of California cities, particularly California
• charter cities, relative to the federal government, the state government, and other local agencies.
• The operational functions of city government (legislative, quasi-judicial, and administrative) through its various legislative bodies, officers, employees, departments, agents, and related agencies (such as housing authorities and joint powers authorities).
• Principles of general municipal law including the Brown Act, conflicts of interest, public records, municipal contracting, and Government Code liability claims.
• Principles of municipal law for a range of particular functional areas, as assigned, such as land use and planning, CEQA, affordable housing, public works construction, real property, franchises, municipal finances, and free speech limitations (e.g., regulations of signs and demonstrations).
• Principles, practices, and procedures of representing the City before administrative bodies and in civil court.

Ability to:

• Analyze difficult legal problems, exercise judgment in determining the amount of time and resources warranted for each problem, and provide appropriate legal services through legal advice, representation, or advocacy.
• Perform legal research using current techniques, which results in an accurate and well-reasoned analysis, and an identification of alternative legal and practical approaches to resolve the problem presented, including corresponding risks and benefits of competing alternatives.
• Work collaboratively and effectively with other City officers, employees, and consultants to achieve the City's goals, as set by the City Council.
• Effectively communicate, both orally and in writing.

• Provide legal advice to City employees and officers that clearly and concisely describes complex issues at a level of detail appropriate to the decision to be made. This includes advice in confidential settings, as well as public written opinions, and advice provided during public meetings of legislative bodies.
• Effectively represent the City in a variety of settings including negotiations to reach consensus or resolve disputes in other public forums, including meetings with other entities or agencies, community meetings, or mediations.
• Plan, organize, supervise, direct, and evaluate the work of assigned staff and consultants (legal, technical, and clerical) in a manner that maximizes the effective use of limited resources.

Special Requirements: Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License. Attendance at evening meetings and travel out of town to job- related meetings is required. This position is exempt from Civil Service and at-will.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

Please read all mandatory supplemental questions. Type "N/A" if the question does not apply.

Applicants are required to complete an online application and supplemental questionnaire with the City of Napa by the final filing date. Applicants are also encouraged to submit a cover letter and resume, but those are in addition to the requirement to complete an online application and supplemental questionnaire.

Please list all employers held within the last 7 years in the work history section of your application. You may include history beyond 7 years if related to the position you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, please list each position separately. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in disqualification.

SELECTION PROCESS:

1. Application Review (Pass/Fail) – Each candidate application will be reviewed for minimum qualifications, educational work, training, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as related to the position.
2. Applicant Evaluation – Dependent on the number of candidates, methods of evaluation may include a combination of a written examination, job related exercise, and/or web based testing. Phone Screen – Candidates who successfully pass the Application Reviews and/or Applicant Evaluation may be asked to participate in an interview conducted via phone.
3. Panel Interview – Candidates who successfully pass the Phone Screen (if conducted) will be asked to participate in an in-person panel interview.

Reasonable Accommodations: The City of Napa Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate qualified disabled applicants. Individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation in the testing process must inform the HR Department in writing by the final filing date. A Reasonable Accommodation Request Form is available from HR and may be obtained by emailing [email protected], calling 707-257-9505, or dial 7-1-1 for the California Relay Service, offering free text-to-speech, speech-to-speech, and Spanish-language services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The City of Napa is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

APPLICATIONS MAY BE FILED ONLINE AT:

http://www.cityofnapajobs.org 

1541 Second Street

Napa, CA 94559

707-257-9505

Position #17-60340-CA DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY SK

[email protected] 

Deputy City Attorney Supplemental Questionnaire 

Supplemental Question Instructions: Read the following questions and type your responses to each question thoroughly, and accurately, in the space provided. This supplemental application is part of the selection process and may be used as part of a training and experience evaluation. This supplemental application gives you the opportunity to fully explain your background and qualifications as they pertain to the position of Deputy City Attorney. Only the most qualified applicants as determined by the evaluation of this supplemental application will be invited to partake in the testing process. Your answers to the following Supplemental Questions are required for your application to be considered complete. The information that you provide will be evaluated "as-is," and you will not have a second chance to revise or clarify the information provided. Therefore, it is very important to provide concise, organized, and easy to read answers to each question. Please note: If you do not have experience, type "none." Be sure to respond honestly and truthfully to all questions. Overstating your skill level is considered false and/or misleading information. Applicants found to have provided false or misleading information or overstating their skills will be disqualified from further consideration or, if hired, may be terminated from employment. If you do not have experience in a specific area, please indicate "None." I have read and understand this statement.

 Yes              No

1. Provide your State of California Bar number.
2. Identify three projects that best illustrate your experience in providing transactional or advisory legal advice on matters related to one or more of the following topics: municipal land use and planning, the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), affordable housing, public works construction, or general municipal contracting. For each project, concisely summarize the scope of your role on the project and your interactions with other representatives of the governmental agency.
3. Identify three projects that best illustrate your experience in preparing legal documents to establish legislation, policies, or procedures for local governmental agencies (e.g., ordinances, resolutions, or administrative procedures or policies). For each, concisely summarize the scope of your role and your interactions with other representatives of the governmental agency.
4. Identify the local legislative bodies to which you have provided legal counsel during public meetings over the past seven years. For each, estimate the total number of meetings and concisely summarize the scope of your role and your interactions with other representatives of the local legislative body.