Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Columbus City Attorney’s Office faces an ongoing conflict of interest pertaining to the need to conduct probable cause evaluations, and represent the City in the prosecution of City employees of the Columbus Division of Police for criminal wrongdoing associated with the police response to George Floyd protests occurring in the City beginning in late May 2020. The City Attorney deemed it in the best interest of the City to assign a Special Prosecutor to such matters so as to avoid the conflict of interest, and to assure the independence of the review and litigation process. The City Attorney engaged Kathleen Garber, Attorney at Law, on August 10, 2020 and in exchange for said services, the City agreed to pay Ms. Garber up to $15,000 which was subsequently modified on January 13, 2021 to up to $30,000 to account for the expansion of the scope of Ms. Garber’s services which had occurred on October 7, 2020; modified again on April 12, 2021 per Ordinance No. 0860-2021 passed on April 5, 2021, to allow for continued representation; modified again on November 8, 2021 per Ordinance No. 2536-2021 passed on October 25, 2021, and modified June 7, 2022 per Ordinance 1190-2022 passed on May 26, 2022. Through the contract period Ms. Garber also moved from being an independent contractor to an established LLC, see Ordinance No. 1190-2022. Therefore this additional modification is needed to finalize the balance on PO299486 ($297.18) set up for Ms. Garber as an independent contractor to pay invoice for Kathleen Garber Law LLC; increase contract amount for final payment; and to declare an emergency.
FISCAL IMPACT: The amount of the contract modification is $6,907.82 plus the $297.18 balance on PO299486 will be finalized for a total of $7,205.00, and the total amount of this contract, as modified, is $144,907.82. This contract modification is funded by the City Attorney’s Office.
COMPANY: Kathleen Garber Law, LLC. FID: 862064640, CC041604, expires 4...
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