From Staff Reports
In Summary:
Mayor Nick Nesta plans to seek proposals for legal services, potentially combining an outside firm’s expertise with scheduled attorney hours at City Hall. Vice Mayor Diane Velazquez supported the hybrid approach, while Commissioner Sam Ruth stressed the need for accessible legal advice, and Commissioner Nadia Anderson urged officials to fill leadership vacancies first. Nesta said the current attorneys could submit a proposal, and the City Commission would make the final decision.
*****
For Apopka officials, getting legal advice could become as simple as walking down the hall. But a proposal to bring an attorney into City Hall sparked disagreement over whether the city should first fill vacant leadership positions.
During a City Commission workshop, Mayor Nick Nesta outlined plans to seek proposals for legal representation, including a hybrid arrangement combining an outside firm’s expertise with scheduled attorney hours at City Hall. He said staff members want easier access to counsel for questions that otherwise require calls and emails.
“We haven’t gotten down any specifics on that front at all, but I want to be able to put an RFP out there just to see what’s out there and if we’re happy where we’re at,” Nesta said.
Related: City Commission rejects $30,000 settlement for longstanding code violations on apartment complex
Vice Mayor Diane Velazquez supported the hybrid approach, saying it would provide regular access to an attorney while retaining a law firm’s broader expertise.
“I like the hybrid where the attorney would have some time in City Hall that would allow not just staff, but the commissioners to come in if there are any questions,” she said.
Velazquez said the current reliance on emails and phone calls takes time, particularly when multiple employees seek advice separately. Scheduled office hours could create dedicated time for those discussions.
Commissioner Nadia Anderson questioned the timing and defended the current attorneys, saying their value includes litigation avoided through legal advice.
“I think that we have great representation. They served us well. They kept us out of a lot of lawsuits,” Anderson said.
She urged the city to prioritize national searches for a city administrator and finance director. With those positions vacant, Anderson said she has questions that should not require contacting an attorney.
“I think right now we should not be looking to hire a new attorney firm right now,” she said. “I think what’s more important is how do we staff essential roles and positions now.”
Nesta responded that filling vacancies and reviewing legal services could proceed together. He emphasized that requesting proposals would not require replacing the current attorneys, who could also apply.
“And these don’t have to be mutually exclusive either,” he said. “I think actually both can happen at the same time.”
Commissioner Sam Ruth said the city’s staffing gaps and ongoing responsibilities make accessible legal advice especially important. He pointed to development, code enforcement, infrastructure agreements, and public safety as areas that need regular attention.
“And we spend $100,000 a year just for legal counsel for the police department,” Ruth said. “It’d be nice to have somebody on staff to whom you could bounce some of these ideas off of.”
Ruth urged the city to move quickly, whether it retains its current counsel or selects another arrangement. Anderson asked that any request for proposals include board certification and government experience among the qualifications.
The discussion did not establish a cost or schedule for an attorney’s presence at City Hall. Nesta said proposals would return to the commission for a final decision.
“And again, it’ll be brought back to the commission for final discussion and approval one way or the other,” he said.
Five key points:
- Nesta plans to seek proposals covering options for the city’s legal representation.
- A hybrid arrangement could provide scheduled attorney hours at City Hall and access to a firm’s specialists.
- Velazquez supported the hybrid approach, and Ruth emphasized the city’s ongoing need for timely legal advice.
- Anderson defended the current attorneys and called for prioritizing a city administrator and finance director.
- Seeking proposals would not commit the city to changing attorneys; commissioners would make the final decision.
