The Department of Law shall consist of the City Attorney and such assistants as he or she shall appoint pursuant to § 6.3 of the City Charter.
A. 
Advice. The City Attorney shall, within the general powers and duties given him or her under the City Charter, advise the Council or its committees or any City commission or City officer, when thereto required, upon all legal questions arising in the conduct of City business, and any such opinion or advice shall be considered advisory only.
B. 
Council meetings. The City Attorney or the Assistant City Attorney or the paralegal assistant in the Law Department shall attend all council meetings for the purpose of giving the Council any legal advice requested by its members, except that the attendance required herein may be excused by the Council President.
[Amended 1-7-2008]
C. 
Preparation, revision of ordinances. The City Attorney shall prepare or revise ordinances when so requested by the Council or any committee thereof, and submit the same at the next following Council or committee meeting.
D. 
Legal instruments. It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to prepare for execution whether the same be awarded by ordinance, resolution or motion of the Council, all contracts and instruments to which the City is a party and he or she shall have the same completed and ready for execution within 15 days from the date of his or her being directed or authorized to act by the Council. The City Attorney must include in any contract or other instrument of the City so authorized or directed by the Council the terms or conditions agreed upon by the Council as set forth in its ordinances, resolutions, or motions and as forwarded to the City Attorney.
E. 
Advice as to form, sufficiency of local laws, ordinances, etc. The City Attorney may when requested by the Council advise it as to the form and sufficiency of local laws, ordinances and bond resolutions. In no event can the City Attorney by way of any opinion relative to this Subsection determine any action to be taken by the Council.
F. 
Content of local laws or ordinances. The City Attorney shall be bound by the action of the Council as to the contents of any local law or ordinance of the City.
G. 
Written opinions. It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to compile a complete and separate record of all written opinions furnished by him or her to the City, or any department or official thereof. Each written opinion of the City Attorney must cite the appropriate laws, statutes or authorities upon which he or she relies.
H. 
Abstracts of titles. It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to keep a complete record of all certificates or abstracts of titles furnished by him or her to the City, or any department or official thereof.
I. 
Hearing on article violation. The City Attorney shall be subject to appear at a hearing duly called pursuant to a resolution of the Council to inquire into and examine any act or acts committed by him or her in violation of this article.
It shall be the duty of the City Attorney to prepare, when authorized by the Council, charges and complaints against any person charged with violation of a City ordinance or any regulation adopted under authority of the City Charter, or any person charged with the commission of a violation or misdemeanor as declared by the Charter or by virtue of its authority. It shall further be the duty of the City Attorney to appear in the appropriate court in the prosecution of any charge or complaint so issued by him or her.
The Council may in its discretion by motion, resolution or otherwise retain private legal counsel and provide for the payment of the same from City funds in any case wherein it determines that the City Attorney may be disqualified because of a conflict of interest or due to the subject matter of any controversy which may arise between the Council and the executive department of the City government.