Park City Mayor Andy Beerman announced that he and City Attorney Mark Harrington will be recommending that the city council approve a new hire to the city’s legal department.
Margaret Plane currently works as Salt Lake City’s head attorney and has previously served as the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. Beerman says Plane lives in Park City and would share some responsibilities with Harrington, freeing him up to focus more on land-use issues. If hired, Plane would receive the title of special counsel, meaning she would work for the City Council—not as an independent investigator, as is the case with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Beerman says one area of Plane’s expertise that he’s excited about is her experience with social equity.
“She has done quite a bit of work with the ACLU and served on a number of statewide committees that she’s going to bring a new level of expertise there," Beerman said. "But I think she will be fluent in all aspects of the issues facing the city, and we have a lot of needs right now, we have a lot across the department, and the beauty of someone like herself is she can plug in to wherever we need her.”
Beerman says Plane would fill a need in the department that has existed since former Assistant City Attorney Polly Samuels McLean left. McLean was placed on administrative leave after being arrested for theft and criminal mischief charges last fall. In November, she pled no contest to the criminal mischief charge and was sentenced to 12 months’ probation. Her resignation from the department became effective in early January.
The recommendation to hire Plane will be presented to the City Council this Thursday.
