Maple Valley City Manager David Johnston will recommend a one month extension of the city’s contract for short term legal services with the Lighthouse Law Group when the City Council meets March 25.

Johnston cited the city’s involvement in supporting Senate Bill 5417 and its companion bill, House Bill 1539, as taking away time from the process of hiring long term legal services.

“I haven’t been able to give it (the search for legal representation) the attention I’ve wanted to,” Johnston said in a phone interview March 18. “We’re going to be recommending a month long extension to the extension to the contract with Lighthouse Law Group through the end of April.”

The current three month contract with Lighthouse expires March 31. Maple Valley is searching for new legal services after the city parted ways with its attorney in December in an effort to close a gap in the 2013 budget.

The city received 11 responses to the request for qualifications for legal services when it was advertised.

“That kind of pleasantly surprised us,” Johnston said in a phone interview March 1. “All of them were in King County or Pierce County.”

Johnston will make the first cut and decide which firms to interview, then a team of department heads and council members will interview the candidates and make a recommendation to the council.

Johnston said that he hopes they will be able to make a recommendation to the City Council by its meeting set for April 22.

Reach Katherine Smith ksmith@maplevalleyreporter.com or 425-432-1209 ext. 5052.