Winlock City Attorney Erin Hillier discusses the city’s options in selecting a newspaper of record on Monday evening in Winlock.
The city of Winlock once again has legal counsel, which will operate under the same contract after a less than one-month hiatus.
“On behalf of the City Council and myself, we are offering you with deepest respect and sincere apologies for the recent event we took in discontinuing your services,” wrote Winlock Mayor Don Bradshaw in a letter dated Dec. 28, 2018. “Our city and your firm have had close to fifty years of working successfully together, and we’ve weathered many a storm.”
Winlock City Attorney Erin Hillier was present at Winlock City Council’s regular meeting on Monday evening — the first meeting since the council voted to reinstate its contract with law firm Hillier, Scheibmeir & Kelly, P.S. Both the city of Winlock’s letter of apology and the law firm’s response were included in the correspondence on the meeting agenda.
After the Winlock City Council voted to terminate its contract with law firm Hillier, Scheibmeir & Kelly, P.S. on Dec. 4, 2018, the council voted to reinstate the contract less than a month later. At a special meeting on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, Winlock City Council members Jodie Curtis, Barbara Pedersen and Connie Sneed voted to reinstate the contract, while Anne Randt opposed. Winlock City Council member Andrew Maloney was not present.
The law firm responded to the city’s letter the same day in a letter signed by Erin L. Hillier and William T. Hillier.
“This letter of understanding serves to memorialize the December 27, 2018 City Council decision to reinstate our existing contract as City Attorneys,” the letter from the law firm reads. “... We will continue to operate under the same terms and retainer cost as existed before December 4, 2018, with Erin Hillier serving as City Attorney and Sam Satterfield serving as City Prosecutor and counsel as concerns the City of Toledo. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the City of Winlock and the new year ahead!”
After the Winlock City Council voted to terminate its contract with Hillier, Scheibmeir & Kelly, P.S., the city was subsequently served with a lawsuit on behalf of Toledo Police Sergeant Sam Patrick less than a week later. The following week, on Dec. 17, the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it was investigating the city of Winlock. The prosecutor’s office declined at the time to specify what it is investigating the city of Winlock for, until it completes its investigation.
“Since the unexpected decision to terminate your services, we have been able to improve communications, and the council has a broader understanding of their role and the operations of the city, and the guidance of legal counsel,” Bradshaw wrote in part. “At the council meeting on December 27, 2018 the council voted to rescind their decision to terminate the agreement between Hillier, Scheibmeir, and Kelly, P.S. and the City of Winlock. It is our hope that you will consider this letter of apology and continue representing our city in the dedicated and professional manner as you have all these years. We sincerely hope that our recent decisions have not caused you unduly hardship or tainted your reputation in any manner.”
