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48 <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 <br />in the past. Councilwoman Neeley said that was correct if she understands the <br />City Charter correctly. Councilman McCarthy pointed out that the Judge is <br />appointed by the City Council as a whole. Mayor Pfiester said when you go into <br />an employment contract you are changing past practices. City Attorney Schenk <br />advisedthat 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 <br />the whole point of this exercise, the way he understands it, was to bring the <br />evaluation process into play. <br />Mayor Pfiester requested that Councilwoman Neeley explain the process that <br />they used and the information used to create the contract. <br />Councilwoman Neeley explained that she and Councilman McCarthy sent out <br />inquiries to the Texas Municipal League, cities, and other governmental <br />agencies requesting contracts and evaluation instruments. She said they looked <br />at probably twenty different contracts. Those contracts were studied and they <br />put together what they thought was a very good evaluation instrument and <br />contract. They sent the evaluation instruments and contracts to Betty Lynn with <br />the law firm of Karger, Key, Barnes & Lynn in Ft. Worth, Texas, for her study <br />and recommendations. Councilwoman Neeley said this was done several times <br />back and forth for amendments and corrections before coming up with the <br />finished product. Councilwoman Neeley said even today the contracts were <br />revised one more time. <br />Councilwoman Neeley said they reviewed evaluation instruments and rating <br />scales from the Texas Municipal League, other cities, companies in Paris, as <br />