City appears to be seeking new attorney
August 30, 2012
While there's little yet to go on, it appears that the City of Bonners Ferry and the city attorney, Tim Wilson, are parting ways, and the city appears to be looking for a replacement, not only to serve as city attorney, but also to carry the title "assistant city administrator." But they're looking in a rather unusual way.

On the agenda of the August 21 city council meeting, item nine under new business was "accept termination of Attorney Wilson's contract."

Minutes for that meeting are not yet approved, though it's doubtful they'll shed much light; because the matter involves personnel, any discussion would have been conducted in executive session, closed to the public. In addition, because it involves city personnel, the mayor and city council are prohibited from discussing it.

Attorney Tim Wilson, who maintains a private practice in offices in the old Creamery Building, 6430 Kootenai Street, where his father, the late Peter B. Wilson, practiced, could not be reached for comment.

Tom Bushnell, who has worked at the Wilson Law Firm while readying to take the state bar exam, said, "as for any interview, when dismissing a client there is not much if anything Mr. Wilson can legally say. He remains the Attorney for the City through the last day of September, 2012."

While the mayor and city council have the right as well as the responsibility for hiring and firing personnel, including the city attorney, what makes this case interesting is the venue being used to attract a replacement, as well as the qualifications sought in a successful candidate.

At 10:34 a.m. Wednesday, August 29, an ad appeared on Craigslist, a nationwide classified advertising website that is a clearinghouse for just about anything, under the jobs classification for legal/paralegal jobs in the Spokane region, apparently placed by the City of Bonners Ferry, seeking a "city attorney/asst. city administrator."

The ad, available while it lasts by clicking here, is unusual not only for where it was placed, but for the credentials it sets out.

"Applicant must have excellent interpersonal skills, communications skills, both verbal and written, and organizational skills," the ad reads. "The applicant must also have or be able to obtain an Idaho drivers license, must pass a job-related pre-employment physical examination and drug-screening test."

Perhaps the city's listing with Job Service is a little more specific, but one of the typical minimum credentials sought when hiring an attorney, whether you're a municipality or an irate spouse seeking a divorce, is someone with the right to practice law in the state in which legal services are to be rendered. And that typically requires, in this day and age, education sufficient to earn a juris doctorate, a PhD in law requiring years of study. And then there's the minor matter of passing the state bar exam, a grueling test of an aspiring attorney's knowledge of the law sufficient to prove that he or she is qualified to practice in that jurisdiction.

The functions of the job are written thus in the ad, "The City desires to find an applicant with an interest in combining two City functions, the City Attorney position (estimated at 1/3 time) and City Administrative functions (estimated at 2/3 to full time). The City Attorney provides the Criminal and Civil legal services for the City. The City Administrator's office is involved in a wide range of functions. The functions assigned to the person hired for this position will be dependent on their skills. The administrators office is involved in General Government operations, planning and zoning, and utility operations."

Those seem like rather staggering duties to entrust to someone who can get an Idaho drivers license and pass a drug test. But there is a caveat, "wages are dependent upon qualifications," and "the functions assigned to the person hired for this position will be dependent on their skills." That should assuage the citizens of Bonners Ferry. The city  also stipulates, "recruiters, please don't contact this job poster. Phone calls about this job are ok."

Those interested in this position "must apply with The Idaho Department of Labor Job Service, Bonners Ferry, and must submit the standard application. The applicant is also welcome to also submit a letter of application, resume, and references." Those eager to showcase their talents might even consider adding their curriculum vitae just to impress the folks at city hall.

Applications will be accepted until 21 September, 2012, and you can call the Bonners Ferry Job service, (208) 267-5581, to find out more ... such as whether there might just be additional qualifications required, something that might weed out a few talented prodigies who may have just graduated high school last spring.

Specific questions about the positions can be directed, the Craigslist ad says, to city administrator Stephen Boorman at (208) 267-0357. I looked it up ... the number is legitimate.