When the Newton City Council decided to terminate former city attorney Darrin Hamilton’s contract, its members knew there was going to be some major changes. They hired the Brick Gentry P.C. law firm to assume Hamilton’s role. Matt Brick was assigned to Newton.

He was to be paid hourly, and this prompted the council to consider changing the format of their meetings by possibly introducing a workshop style council session during Monday night’s city council meeting.

City Administrator Robert Knabel has been conducting research by contacting other cities who had gone through the same issue, and said the following: