Local attorney Mark Comley will be the interim city attorney for Jefferson City, after current City Attorney Drew Hilpert's last day on Aug. 2.
At the City Council meeting Monday, a bill to appoint Comley was both introduced and unanimously approved.
Comley has previously served as interim city attorney and has represented the city in the past, when the city has
contracted with Newman, Comley & Ruth P.C. Comley also serves on the City Counselor Selection Committee, which is in the process of evaluating and interviewing applicants for the city attorney position. The city had received 17 applications for the job.
According to Comley's contract, he will begin Aug. 3 and continue until a new hire is made or until Dec. 31, whichever comes first. Comley will be operating as an independent contractor, receiving $175 per hour with a monthly cap of $10,500. The contract also stipulates Comley will commit to 60 hours per month, though additional time may be approved in advance by the city administrator, with notice given to the mayor and City Council.
City Administrator Steve Crowell said previously that the current associate city attorney, Bryan Wolford, had been considered for the interim position, but an additional person seemed like a better idea with the existing workload.