Monte Sereno has voted to appoint Kirsten Powell, Scotts Valley’s top legal official, as its new city attorney.
The new post in Silicon Valley, however, doesn’t mean she’s quitting her gig with the Santa Cruz County municipality.
On June 6, Monte Sereno City Council voted unanimously (with Councilmember Burton Craig absent) to engage Logan & Powell, LLP, as part of passing its consent calendar, which is for items that are not expected to raise controversy and can be passed all at once.
Powell previously served in the job from April 2004 to September 2019. She’s been Scotts Valley’s city attorney since 2004, during which she helped shepherd the community through the pandemic, as it dealt with significant staff turnover.
Powell says she’s looking forward to balancing the duties that come with representing both communities again. She started working for the two smaller jurisdictions—in a more junior position—in 1996.
Powell grew up in Saratoga and moved to Los Gatos in 2001, where she now lives and works.
Monte Sereno Mayor Bryan Mekechuk touted Powell’s legal knowledge and experience.
“Bringing Kirsten back as the city attorney for Monte Sereno is a huge win for our community,” Mekechuk said in a press release. “Monte Sereno prides itself on exceptional customer service. Customer service requires a team effort, and Ms. Powell will have office hours at City Hall to enable our staff to help our residents with building plans, zoning and our municipal code.”
She was set to reprise her role on June 10—the date Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, resigned.
Monte Sereno will look to Powell to help it work on its municipal codes, housing regulations and its Accessory Dwelling Unit policy. She’ll also be called upon to represent the City in legal proceedings and will be paid a $7,500 per month retainer.
“I am honored to return as the city attorney for Monte Sereno,” said Powell, in a release. “I’m looking forward to working with the City Council and staff to provide responsive legal services to the City and its residents.”
Monte Sereno is still on the hunt for a full-time city engineer to replace Interim City Engineer Don Wimberly.
Mekechuk said the new opportunity for Powell came because their outgoing attorneys, who are based in Oakland, wanted to start charging 10 hours a month of travel time to attend in-person meetings.
“I was like, ‘That’s a hard no,’” he said. “Fortunately, Kirsten was agreeable to coming back.”
Powell says she stepped away to focus on raising her family. But now that two of her children are off to college, she can devote time to Monte Sereno once more.
