There will soon be some new faces in Mount Clemens City Hall as the calendar for 2023 winds down.
The City Commission recently approved the hiring of a new fire chief and a new firm to serve as city attorney.
The commission selected the Clinton Township-based firm of Kirk, Huth, Lange, and Badalamenti, to replace Kramer & Murray, which has represented Mount Clemens for about two decades.
Current City Attorney Michael Murray is retiring and ending the firm’s practice next month.
“It’s just time,” Murray, 76, said earlier this week.
“I’ve enjoyed my time here. I grew up here and graduated from the high school and have had some interesting cases over our 50 years, but I decided that’s enough for me.”
Murray’s legal team replaced the former firm of Freeman, McKenzie & Stepek.
The commission in August sent out a request for proposals for firms interested in providing general counsel, prosecutorial, labor, and assessing services to Mount Clemens.
In addition to Kirk’s firm, the city received proposals from the legal teams of Garan, Lucow & Miller of Detroit; Bloomfield Hills-based Hallahan & Associates; Giomarco, Mullins & Horton in Troy; York, Dolan & Tomlinson of Clinton Township; The Kelly Firm of Auburn Hills; Shifman Fournier of Bingham Farms; and Maddin, Hauser, Roth & Heller of Southfield.
After reviewing their rate schedules and areas of expertise, the commission voted for Kirk, Huth, Lange, and Badalamenti.
The firm charges a $9,000 monthly retainer, $130 an hour for non-labor items not covered by retainer and $150 per hour for labor items.
“Our firm is looking forward to joining the Mount Clemens team,” attorney Rob Huth said in a statement. “There are many exciting things brewing in the city and we will help bring them to the finish line.”
The commission also appointed former Armada Fire Chief Daniel Reynolds as the leader of the Mount Clemens Fire Department.
According to City Manager Gregg Shipman, Reynolds has 27 years of previous fire department experience, including six in the capacity of fire chief. He also served as the Macomb Community College Fire Academy program manager and worked as a training coordinator for the State of Michigan Bureau of Fire Services.
“Mr. Reynolds is administration’s preferred candidate for this important role because of his background, knowledge, skills, and experience in the fire service,” Shipman wrote in his recommendation to the commission.
The new chief will earn a $75,000 annual salary, according to his contract.
Shipman, a former 26-year veteran of the fire department, was named chief in 2020 after working in that role as the department’s de-facto leader in recent years. In 2022, he held a dual role as city manager and fire chief under a memorandum of understanding with the fire union.