The Hiram City Council last week entered into a one-year contract with law firm Henderson & Hundley of Decatur to serve as its chief counsel.

The firm replaces Paulding attorney Glen Stinson, who also serves as city attorney of Dallas.

“The mayor and members of the city council have chosen to move in a different direction as the city grows,” stated Mayor Doris Devey in a press release.

Attorneys Laurel Henderson and Kelly Hundley were present at the Aug. 9 work session where they spoke to the council about the role they will serve.

“We’re looking forward to working with the city,” said Henderson. “We’ve found it’s helpful if we work with the staff face-to-face at least once or twice a month, because it’s easier and less expensive to solve something on the front end. Our job isn’t to tell you what to do — it’s to advise you, but the decision is yours as a group.”

The city also entered into a two-year contract with Certified Public Accountant James L. Whitaker of Snellville, who will conduct the required annual audit of the city’s 2011-2012 fiscal year budget.

In other action, the council released the names of six finalists for the new position of city manager.

Interviews have been scheduled for Aug. 13, 16 and 17, and if one of the candidates is selected for the position, appointment will be made on or shortly after Aug. 24.

The candidates are Karen Degges, Raymon Gibson, Richard D. Hampton, Jack E. Miller, Angela D. Montgomery and Robert T. Rokovitz.

Also last week, the council received a proposal for playground equipment replacement at Ben Hill Strickland Sr. Memorial Park.

The proposal is from the same company that constructed the playground at Burnt Hickory Park.

“It’s a very good proposal from what I’ve seen,” said city operations manager Jody Palmer. “The proposal includes removal of the old structure, grading the lot of each location, cost of the structure and assembly.”

Palmer said the proposal also includes removal of the current slate and pea gravel on the ground and installation of foam, mulch-like ground cover.

The proposal does not include swings, however.

“A lot of municipal playgrounds have opted to pull swings out of playgrounds,” Palmer said. “There’s a maintenance issue, but they feel it’s more of a liability issue. You tend to have more injuries from swings than a slide.”

Palmer said if the council decided to accept the proposal, work on the new playground would begin within 30 to 45 days.