CITY ATTORNEY
THE COMMUNITY Weatherford, Texas, is a strong, progressive community of 38,000 citizens located approximately 30 miles west of the City of Fort Worth and approximately 60 miles west of the City of Dallas. This safe, family-focused city with a high quality of life and a healthy economy is quickly becoming one of the premier places to live in the North Texas area. The City’s small-town feel and convenient access to big city amenities make it one of the most livable communities in the area. We have also received a “Film Friendly” certification. Weatherford was founded in 1858 and values its historic traditions while strategically planning for its future. Its rich historical heritage combined with modern-day growth have made Weatherford one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. The City takes pride in its strong sense of place and fosters a collaborative environment that will create a future that honors and preserves its heritage, while encouraging continued sustainable growth. The City provides a wide array of family-friendly recreational, cultural, and entertainment opportunities. For outdoor enthusiasts, Weatherford offers a mountain bike trail, disc golf, an all-inclusive park for kids, a lake, access to over nineteen parks, and a hike and bike trail system that is over twenty miles. Amazing outdoor concerts and popular annual events, including its unsurpassed Fourth of July celebration and parades, provide entertainment for all ages. Weatherford has a commitment and pride in its strong community philosophy and recognizes the importance of working with citizens and local partners such as the college, businesses, and realtors and homeowners’ associations on economic development projects. With an Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) of 180 square miles, the City is expanding in many areas and is expected to reach a population of 160,000 by 2070. The downtown area is currently experiencing various renovations and provides additional entertainment opportunities for the community. Visitors to Weatherford enjoy the City’s many unique treasures, including a historic shopping district full of antique, boutique, and specialty stores, as well as quality restaurants. The City-owned and operated Chandor Gardens and the love-story to be discovered within its walls provide a place for residents and visitors to escape the hectic pace of modern society. The old-time Farmers’ Market, First Monday Trade Days, and a bounty of Victorian-era homes draw visitors from throughout the region to the City. Weatherford ISD provides an exceptional education experience for the City’s students. The system offers a variety of youth sports and programs to meet the needs of all its students. For those seeking higher education, Weatherford College provides superior opportunities in a convenient location.
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Our Vision Weatherford is a family-focused community known for valuing historic traditions while planning for the future. It is a safe, livable city with a healthy economy that recognizes the importance of working with citizens and local partners.
We Believe “Government is a trust, and the officers of government are trustees, and both the trust and the trustees are created for the benefit of the people.” -Henry Clay
GOVERNANCE & ORGANIZATION Weatherford operates under the council-manager form of government. The City Council consists of four members and the Mayor. The Mayor and Council members are elected at-large and serve staggered terms of three years. It is the responsibility of the City administration to dutifully coordinate and oversee the efficiency of all City departments under the direction of the City Council and implement policies, procedures, and programs as set forth by the City Council. The Council hires a professional City Manager to manage the day-to-day operations of the City.
IDEAL CANDIDATE The City of Weatherford seeks a professional who is a strong, well-qualified, experienced, and progressive leader. The City Attorney must possess certain traits that will be essential to success: •
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Juris Doctor Degree from an American Bar Association Accredited school of law and licensed to practice law in the State of Texas (in good standing) and a minimum of four years of municipal legal practice and courtroom experience. Performs duties consistent with the City’s mission statement and core values. Demonstrates management and administrative skills as well as the ability to work collaboratively with appointed officials, staff, and members of boards and commissions. A solution-oriented critical thinker who leads by example and creates a culture of excellence and professionalism. Exhibits exceptional communication and listening skills. Is reliable and accessible. Understands politics and expectations.
The City of Weatherford’s City Attorney should have a deep understanding of city government and proven municipal law experience, possess highly advanced interpersonal skills, and utilize a collaborative management style to promote teamwork with the City Staff. This person should also exhibit maturity, integrity, character, a calm and confident demeanor, and be politically astute.
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Essential Duties: •
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Serve as the chief legal consultant and advisor to the City Council, City Manager, boards and commissions, city departments, and City Staff in their official capacity, including, but not limited to, providing legal advice and legal counsel, and providing legal representation in litigations and legal proceedings. Provide legal counsel, directly or indirectly through staff, which includes researching federal, State, and local laws and regulations, and issuing legal opinions to the elected and appointed officials of the City and to various City boards and commissions. Attend all City Council and committee meetings as appropriate and required by charter to provide legal guidance to elected officials in carrying out their responsibilities within the law. Draft legal documents on behalf of the City, including ordinances, resolutions, minute orders, code provisions, contracts, council materials, and a variety of other legal instruments for legislative enactments, including but not limited to deeds, releases, and other instruments binding the City with regard to real property. Negotiate and/or review contracts and other legal documents involving the City of Weatherford, and approve all City legal documents prior to execution by the Mayor or other approving authority. Prosecute violations in Municipal Court and the preparation and submission of cases to Building and Standards Commission.
Meetings: Ensure compliance with Open Meetings law and attend the following meetings: City Council (regular, special, work sessions, retreats) Utility Board Planning and Zoning Weekly Incident Review Weekly Management Staff Weatherford Economic Development Board Building and Standards Commission Zoning Board of Adjustment Other meetings as called upon Meetings currently average 10-12 hours per month, however, that time can vary significantly depending upon the agendas for each meeting. Document Review: Review contracts for city departments as requested. Currently, the bulk of this contract review pertains to utilities construction, developer agreements, construction documents for transportation department projects, capital improvement projects, agreements and contracts for the library, and other departments on request. In particular, this office reviews insurance and bonding documents for compliance with contract requirements, state law, and internal requirements. Other regular document review is associated with the City’s Master Plan documents and impact fee documents and ordinances. Estimated average time monthly for document review varies but generally 6 to 8 hours. Document Drafting: Draft contracts for purchase and sale of real estate, and, as requested, Interlocal Agreements and ordinances. Drafting of other contracts and agreements is provided, as requested. Drafting assistance notice is
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GROWING WITH TRADITION also provided, on request, to departments for the drafting of legally required notice documents and/or other notices required by local ordinance. Legal research: Conduct legal research as required for drafting documents and ordinances and in response to other inquiries. Currently, the City absorbs a subscription cost for the Thomson-Reuters Westlaw to provide ready access to cases, statutes and other necessary resources. Litigation: Review litigation matters handled by outside counsel; communicate and coordinate with outside counsel on those matters; handle other litigation matters not assigned to outside counsel. Travel to and attend mediations concerning ongoing litigation. Other travel as required. Client Communications: Review City policies, procedures, and ordinance requirements with City Staff. Be available to receive and return telephone calls and emails from City Staff, Council Members, and Utility Board Members. Be available to citizens to provide information or to assist in resolving problems or other issues. Municipal Court: Attend pro se pre-trial dockets; prepare plea recommendations and attend attorney pre-trial dockets; review case files for dispositions; respond to discovery requests as required for Municipal Court cases; prepare pleadings and orders and prosecute dangerous dog proceedings in Municipal Court; draft requested complaint language; appear for and prosecute bench and jury trials on cases; be available to Court Staff for questions. Municipal Court has indicated that it may be requesting appearance and participation by the City Attorney at its juvenile pretrial dockets in light of the increased number of those cases and the number of Municipal Court juvenile cases now implicating higher level charges for the juveniles. Building and Standards Commission: As the Commission is a quasi-judicial body, the City Attorney’s Office works in coordination with the City Code Officers in the preparation and submission of cases to the Commission. City Attorney responsibilities currently include: assistance to the City Code Officers in accurate determination of property ownership and lienholders required to be notified; availability by phone to review status of cases and procedures; preparation of Applications for Order of Repair or Demolition for filing with the Commission; review of required notices to property owners and lienholders; attendance at meetings of the Building and Standards Commission; (if requested) assistance to the City Code Officers in preparation of evidence and records to be submitted to the Commission; preparation of proposed Orders of Repair or Demolition; review of post-order required notices and procedures. The Building and Standards Commission meets monthly (or, at called meetings as may be required). Depending upon the number of cases scheduled on the Commission agenda, attorney time will vary for consultation, document preparation, and attendance at the Commission meetings. Public Information Requests: Be available to public information officers to discuss responses and procedures for requests; for all requests assigned to the City Attorney’s Office – review the requests; request clarification and/ or additional identification as appropriate; consider applicable law and exceptions to disclosure; draft requests for Attorney General rulings as required and prepare document packages for the Attorney General and requestor; review Attorney General rulings and provide information to requestors in accord with the AG rulings. The average number of public information requests being assigned to the City Attorney’s Office has increased significantly in 2021-2022 to date. Our estimate of the current average number of those requests assigned to the City Attorney’s Office weekly is 5-7 per week.
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EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE • • • • • •
Knowledge of general Texas Municipal Laws, to include Texas Public Information Act, Open Meetings Act, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Texas Penal Code and procurement laws, other applicable state and federal laws. Knowledge of City Codes and Charter. Knowledge of legal principles and practices, established precedents and sources of legal references applicable to City activities, and methods of legal research. Skill in drafting, negotiating, and interpreting contracts. Skill in oral and written communication for explaining legal issues and options, as well as complex legal principals and regulations. Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS The salary for the position is dependent on qualifications and experience. The City of Weatherford values its employees and strives to provide a highly competitive benefits package. The City participates in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) with a 7% employee contribution and a municipal matching of 2:1 and also participates in the Social Security program. Other benefits include a very low out-of-pocket medical insurance coverage and no-cost dental insurance for the employee, a personal time off leave plan, longevity pay, and an optional deferred compensation plan.
APPLICATION PROCESS For more information on this position contact: Diana Allen, Director of Human Resources City of Weatherford P.O. Box 255 Weatherford, TX 76086 Email - dallen@weatherfordtx.gov Phone - (817) 598-4208
This position is open until filled. To view the status of this position, please visit: http://weatherfordtx.gov/Jobs The City of Weatherford supports inclusiveness and diversity by not discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, national origin, race, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, or any protected class. We are a supporter of a drug and smoke-free workplace.
RESOURCES City of Weatherford weatherfordtx.gov Chamber of Commerce weatherford-chamber.com Experience Weatherford experienceweatherford.com Choose Weatherford chooseweatherford.com Weatherford ISD weatherfordisd.com Heritage Square Weatherford heritagesquareweatherford.com