Bettendorf council hires retired city attorney for $10,000 to help negotiate union contracts

Retired city attorney Greg Jager has been re-hired by the city of Bettendorf as a consultant to help negotiate a new contract with city workers.

The no-bid professional services contract – apparently discussed at an executive council session Aug. 20 and then approved after an executive city council session Sept. 3 – calls for payment of $10,000 to Jager for consulting services.

The council went into closed session Aug. 20 stating it was exempt from the open meetings law because the council was to discuss "union negotiating strategies." After reconvening in open session, the council approved a motion "to have staff proceed as outlined in the executive session relative to our negotiating strategies."

Then, after another executive session Sept. 3 citing similar "union negotiating strategies," the council reconvened in open session and approved the $10,000 contract with Jager. There was no public notification of the contract prior to council approval and the resolution for hiring him was not included in the council packet distributed to the public and news media prior to meeting.

The city is in the final year of a 4-year contract covering city unions representing police, fire, public works and library employees.

Jager retired this spring after 26 years as city attorney. City Attorney Kristine Stone was hired to replace Jager at a salary of $90,000 in March. The city also has a part-time assistant city attorney primarily responsible for prosecuting municipal code violations.