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3 <br /> City Attorney as part of their due diligence when forming their own opinions and developing <br /> their courses of action on issues. The Council recognizes that staff time is a limited resource <br /> and that in some cases complying with Council direction may require substantial staff time. In <br /> such cases staff will inform Council if their direction cannot be absorbed and that <br /> reprioritization of other tasks may be necessary. Before requesting an item under Matters <br /> Initiated, a City Council member is expected to ask the City Manager if there is adequate staff <br /> resource capacity needed to address the requested item. <br /> Staff Responsibility <br /> It is the responsibility of staff, under the direction of the City Manager, to support the City <br /> Council and implement policies created by the Council. The City Manager is critical in helping to <br /> translate the policy direction for staff, and to ensure that there is sufficient clarity and context. <br /> The City Manager and staff shall not take any action requested by an individual Council <br /> Member even when that action is consistent with Council priorities. <br /> To effectively support Council,staff will provide timely and complete information needed to <br /> make sound policy decisions. Reports and recommendations will be comprehensive and <br /> contain explicit and clear information including all facts. Staff will include options or <br /> alternatives when appropriate.Additionally, staff is expected to provide guidance and advice to <br /> Council, ensuring that they are complying with rules and procedures, and adhering to norms <br /> and values. <br /> r., <br /> City Attorney Responsibility <br /> It is the responsibility of the City Attorney, as the chief legal advisor of and attorney for the <br /> City and all its departments and office,to provide legal oversight of the City's governance, <br /> operation and public policy.The City Attorney provides legal advice and counseling to the City <br /> Council as a body and takes direction from a majority of the City Council.The City Attorney <br /> shall not take any action requested by an individual Council Member contrary to the desires of <br /> the City that have been expressed by a majority of the City Council.The City Attorney counsels <br /> and advises the City Council, City Manager, and staff of policy matters to help them make well <br /> informed decisions but does not create policy other than through the Risk Management <br /> Division's functions. <br /> The City Attorney advocates for the City and upholds the integrity of the City's ordinances, <br /> regulations, and policies. <br /> As the advisor and advocate for the City, the City Attorney owes two duties directly to the <br /> public:to act as a check on governmental action in certain limited circumstances, and to <br /> accurately advise the public when called upon to do so. In addition,the City Attorney is a <br /> constitutional officer that has direct authority to take certain actions independent of direction <br /> from the City Council and must also fulfill the rules of professional responsibility as an <br /> attorney and as a government attorney. <br /> Revised March 2023 <br />