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.