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Regular City Council Meeting <br />February 10, 2003 <br />Page 3 <br /> <br />Mayor Pfiester pointed out that the Municipal Judge is more of an appointed <br />position. The City Attorney was hired by the City Council and Municipal Judge <br />is appointed by the City Council and that typically is how it has been handled in <br />the past. Councilwoman Neeley said that was correct if she understands the City <br />Charter correctly. Councilman McCarthy pointed out that the Judge is appointed <br />by the City Council as a whole. Mayor Pfiester said when you go into an <br />employment contract you are changing past practices. City Attorney Schenk <br />advised that the Municipal Judge at one time did have an employment contract. <br />He advised that there are only three officials that are directly reportable to the <br />City Council, and the Judge is one of those three officials. Mayor Pfiester stated <br />he wanted everyone to know that this would be a change to what has been done <br />in the past. Councilman Bell objected to politicizing the appointment of the <br />Municipal Judge and felt that it should be a protected entity. He advised that the <br />whole point of this exercise, the way he understands it, was to bring the <br />evaluation process into play. <br /> <br />Mayor Pfiester requested that Councilwoman Neeley explain the process that <br />they used and the information used to create the contract. <br /> <br />Councilwoman Neeley explained that she and Councilman McCarthy sent out <br />inquiries to the Texas Municipal League, cities, and other governmental agencies <br />requesting contracts and evaluation instruments. She said they looked at <br />probably twenty different contracts. Those contracts were studied and they put <br />together what they thought was a very good evaluation instrument and contract. <br />They sent the evaluation instruments and contracts to Betty Lynn with the law <br />firm of Karger, Key, Barnes & Lynn in Ft. Worth, Texas, for her study and <br />recommendations. Councilwoman Neeley said this was done several times back <br />and forth for amendments and corrections before coming up with the finished <br />product. Councilwoman Neeley said even today the contracts were revised one <br />more time. <br /> <br />Councilwoman Neeley said they reviewed evaluation instruments and rating <br />scales from the Texas Municipal League, other cities, companies in Paris, as <br />well as one for teachers. She said they again cut, pasted, marked out, wrote in, <br /> <br /> <br />