Wanted: New city attorney
Nancy Diamond seeks to limit work after 20 years with city
After roughly 20 years representing Arcata, Nancy Diamond will no longer be the city’s contracted attorney.
The city of Arcata put out a request for proposal for a new city attorney, and is accepting bids until 4 p.m. on April 27. There is no estimated date when Diamond, who began representing Arcata in 2003, will hand the reigns to a new attorney, and she will continue representing the city until a replacement is found.
“I am looking to cut back a little bit in my practice, not to retire fully,” Diamond told the TimesStandard this week. “Arcata is in a very good place right now for this transition to occur and similarly, I’m also in a position where I can be here to help with the transition.”
The city attorney is not technically a city employee and is a contracted worker who signs an agreement with the city to provide their services.
The city wants applicants to have a minimum of five years of municipal law experience representing general law cities and should be able to provide legal help in general municipal law. Arcata needs legal advice on several key issues, including city planning, since the Gateway Area Plan aims to rezone 138 acres of the city to allow denser construction for more housing.
Diamond added that ideally, the next city attorney would also understand the local community, public engagement and have an eye for helping facilitate decisionmaking.
“What I can say is special to Arcata is the passion and the dedication and the loyalty of the city staff, the city councils that I’ve worked with across the years,” Diamond said. “Additionally, I would say what is special to Arcata are the enormous resources, environmental resources that it has. The marsh, the forest lands and the vision that that Arcata has brought to preserve those areas.”
Diamond said she recently filed the complaint to get a declaratory judgment on the “Blue Marble” Earth flag currently flying on
city-owned flagpoles. It was approved by voters in the most recent election, but Diamond noted in her impartial report that flying it above the United States' flag likely runs afoul of state law. A declaratory judgment would offer judicial clarity on the legal questions surrounding flying the flag at the top of city-owned poles.
Diamond said she hasn't had time to reflect on her 20 years of serving as Arcata's city attorney.
“I will say there has never been a day that I haven't enjoyed the challenge of this job,” Diamond said. “Some of the challenges have been more difficult than other
challenges, but it has always been very intellectually satisfying and the city staff has always been just enormously easy, wonderful to work with.”
The city plans to name a new city attorney during the council's meeting on or after
June 7, the request for proposals states.
More information about the position can be found at https://www.cityofarcata. org/Bids.aspx?BidID=115.