City Attorney David Smith will retire after 37 years of reading ordinances at Durango City Council meetings and giving legal advice on everything from medical marijuana to annexations to trees in the public right of way.

His last day with the city will be April 1.

“This is going to be a difficult impact on the organization,” City Manager Ron LeBlanc said Monday. “He does so many things well that we have taken him for granted. He does just an outstanding job.”

The city is advertising for his replacement, wanting to hire by March, according to the job advertisement.

The city could either hire an individual lawyer as a full-time employee with benefits or the services of a legal firm as an independent contractor. Smith worked as an independent contractor.

Former City Councilor Doug Lyon has said Smith was so productive that he shouldered the workload worthy of several attorneys.

The city began preparations for Smith’s retirement this year by hiring a paralegal who could learn about the history of the city’s legal issues and act as a reference for Smith’s successor, a “keeper of knowledge.”

jhaug@durangoherald.com