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COVER LETTER As to the approach to providing legal services, the proposal herein submitted is for general counsel services, in a contractual relationship between the City and Greenspoon Marder. In providing legal services, it is important to recognize that a City Attorney has many functions. The City Commission selects the City Attorney, and the City Attorney is primarily responsible to the City Commission and its members to assist them in properly performing their duties and responsibilities to the citizens. At the same time, on a day-to- day basis, the City Attorney also represents the City Administration, headed of course by the City Manager. It is important that employees of the City, from the City Manager through to line service personnel, are provided with timely and accurate information as to their legal duties and responsibilities, so that those duties and responsibilities can be performed in an efficient and effective manner. The City Attorney must be available to all of the officials and staff of the City to enable them to assist the citizens of the City of Sunny Isles Beach in having government meet their needs. The City Attorney and the City Manager must have a collaborative relationship where both parties can rely upon each other to help the Mayor and City Commission achieve their goals for the City. Regular communication, consultation and trust are essential to this relationship. It is important to remember that the role of the City Attorney, both in relationship to the Manager and staff, and even more so in relationship to the Mayor and City Commission, is that of advisor and facilitator. While the Manager is a decision-maker, in matters of administration, and the Mayor and City Commission are decision-makers, in deciding the policies which the City will follow and the goals it will seek to achieve on behalf of the citizens, the City Attorney is principally a counselor to the decision-makers, notwithstanding his direct responsibility in the areas of his own authority. It may be said that, while the decision-makers, the elected officials and Manager (within his authority), decide what is to be done, the role of the City Attorney is to advise them how to do what they want to do, both as to the dictates of the law and as to practical methods of achieving their goals. It is not enough to identify potential problems; the City Attorney must be a proactive problem solver, identifying not just challenges, but specific methods of overcoming those problems to achieve the results that will allow the City to move forward. The City Attorney must always be mindful that it is the Mayor and City Commission who have been selected by their neighbors to improve the quality of life of the citizens of the City. It is the Mayor and City Commission who have knocked on the doors and attended the citizen's forums and neighborhood meetings to learn what is on the minds of their fellow citizens. It is the Mayor and City Commission who have been entrusted by their neighbors with the responsibility of making decisions on difficult and complex issues which are vital to the future of Sunny Isles Beach. As someone who has sat on both sides of the dais, as attorney and as Mayor, the proposed lead counsel, Joseph S. Geller, is keenly aware of this division of authority, and of the responsibility of the City Attorney to assist the Mayor and City Commission in keeping their commitments to their fellow citizens, and in achieving their goals to make Sunny Isles Beach an even greater place to live, work and play. It is contemplated that Joseph S. Geller would attend all meetings of the City Commission, other meetings requested by the Mayor, Commissioners and the City Manager, and otherwise attend at such meetings and events as would normally be attended by a City Attorney for the good of the City. In addition, as set forth above, the lead attorney would be available by mobile phone and email on a 24/7 basis in the event of an emergency, or if the need should arise. Additionally, we would contemplate meeting with current legal staff to discuss all pending matters. The Firm is open to reaching an agreement with current legal staff to help provide coverage to the City on a weekly basis, and for continuity in ongoing legal work. PROJECT APPROACH AND UNDERSTANDING gmlaw.com 8