MONUMENT • The Town of Monument, at least for the next six months, once again has legal representation.

Town manager Mike Foreman recommended the law firm of Collins Cole Flynn Win & Ulmer PLLC of Lakewood to the Town Council as a viable candidate to hire as interim town attorney for a trial period of six months. The recommendation came after interviews between firm representatives Bob Cole and Allison Ulmer and town staff. It was presented to the council during its regular meeting Jan. 17 at Monument Town Hall.

Mayor Mitch LaKind also interviewed those with the firm earlier that day.

Collins Cole FLynn Win & Ulmer specialize in local municipal law and have represented multiple cities and towns including Grand Junction, Crested Butte, Silt and Gypsum, and aided the incorporation of ihe City of Centennial, serving as its first town attorney.

“After interviewing them and talking to them last week, bringing them to staff, we feel like they would be a great representative for the Town of Monument as our interim town attorney and someone for you to look at in the future based on their performance as we go into 2023,” Foreman said.

Laura Kronick, who sits on the Monument Sanitation District board, took the podium to vouch for Ulmer, who was enlisted as that board’s attorney last year, as well as Ulmer’s paralegal. Foreman noted it was part of discussions with Cole to ensure there would not be an opportunity for conflicts of interest to have the same attorney serving the special district and

the town concurrently.

The firm has experience with writing home rule charters, reviewing planning documents and codes for more than 30 years, Foreman said.

The interim period would be for six months, after which the town council could hire the firm as the permanent town representation or to move in a different direction. The town could also send out requests for proposals for another firm at that time, should it decide the hired firm is not a good fit for the town.

Foreman said 17 firms were interviewed in two weeks for the interim town attorney role, most of which turned the Town of Monument down because of “bandwidth,” a term used by almost all of them. This means the firms felt they did not have the appropriate time period during the day when all employees may work, record and accrue credit for time worked.

The firm will be providing training for the new town council after two additional council members are appointed to empty seats, Foreman said.

Councilman Steve King said he felt the firm seemed qualified, “especially since they were the town attorney for Centennial and they had a big battle with Greenwood Village over that whole thing. That in itself is impressive.”

“Staff is going to make them very busy,” LaKind said.

Council gave direction to Foreman to hire the firm for a six-month interim period.