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PSPP020921PUBLIC SAFETY, PERSONNEL & PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING February 9, 2021 Elected Officials Participating Virtually Staff Participating Virtually Councilmember Kristiana Johnson (Chair) Jessica Neill Hoyson, HR Director Councilmember Adrienne Fraley-Monillas Patrick Doherty, Econ. Dev./Comm. Serv. Dir. Jeff Taraday, City Attorney Shannon Burley, Dep. Parks, Rec, & Cultural Serv. Dir. Guests Participating Virtually Robert Boruchowitz CALL TO ORDER The Edmonds City Council virtual online PSPP Committee meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Councilmember Fraley-Monillas. 2. COMMITTEE BUSINESS 1. Social Worker Job Description Review/Approval Mr. Doherty explained the Council approved $500,000 in the 2021 budget for a Human Services Program which includes funding for new social worker position. The PSPP Committee reviewed and provided input on the draft job description at last month's meeting. He reviewed revisions to the job description based on the committee's input related to Essential Functions and Responsibilities and Required Licenses and Certifications. Questions and discussion followed regarding the required licenses to refer into placement, Koenig's recommendation that the City's social worker have the necessary licensure to refer to programs, input HR sought on the job description from subject matter experts, the social worker operating in a network of partners, preference to hire a licensed clinical social worker, pay scale for the social worker position, preference that the candidate selected has the required licenses when hired, whether the position would be in-house or a contracted position, Lynnwood hiring Compass Health to provide social worker services, providing enough flexibility to look at all a candidate's qualifications, and requirement for a position to be in the budget in order to hire someone. Councilmember K. Johnson requested a list of what each of the four social worker levels can and cannot do be included when this is presented to Council, Action: Forward to full Council. 2. Conflict Counsel Compensation Review Ms. Neill Hoyson explained conflict counsel are individual attorneys that the City contracts with for public defense when there is a conflict with the Snohomish County Public Defender handling the public defense. Bob Boruchowitz is retained by the City to assess public defense services. He has completed an analysis of the compensation provided to the City's conflict counsel attorneys and is providing recommendations for changes in compensation. Mr. Boruchowitz reviewed: 0 Conflict Panel Counsel 02/09/21 PSPP Committee Minutes, Page 2 o Take cases when the primary contract defender, Snohomish County Public Defender, has a conflict of interest. o All of their clients are poor and face possible jail time as well as fines and fees. o Their clients often have significant mental illness. o Their clients are disproportionately of color. • Recommendation o Increase trial counsel payment from $50 per hour to $65 per hour for 2021, and $85 per hour o in 2022, and $125 per hour in 2023. o Increase appellate counsel payment from $55 per hour to $65 per hour, and $85 per hour in 2022, and $125 per hour in 2023. o Through 2022, these still would be at least $168 to $178 per hour lower than what the City pays its other lawyers. • Examples of private sector payments • Amounts the City pays for other lawyer work • Provisions in the prosecutor contract in addition to base monthly fees • Unfairness and disproportionality in the fees • RALJ appeals in 2019 and 2020 • Cost in 2021 if the hourly rate was increased to $65 • Likelihood Edmonds will have trouble attracting experienced and able lawyers if the compensation is not increased. Discussion followed regarding the percentage of clients who are persons of color, the percentage of each year's increase, how long the $55 rate has existed, justification for increasing the rate to $125/hour now, support for paying conflict counsel the same as public defense attorneys, and support for the proposed phased increase. Councilmember K. Johnson suggested eliminating the slide comparing the pay to the Recreation Coordinator in the presentation to Council. Action: Forward to full Council for presentation 3. ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned at 5:42 p.m.