The Birmingham Water Works Board has hired another law firm as it continues to fight legislation at the State House to expand its membership and cut board pay.

The authority this afternoon voted to hire the Adams and Reese firm at the suggestion of board member George Munchus.

There was little discussion before the vote, no mention of the firm's name and no utterance of the attorneys involved.

Other routine details, such as the amount of firm's contract, its scope of service and length of duration, were also left on the table without discussion.

Munchus only said there were "real sensitive legal issues" and "troubling issues," that need to be addressed.

He never referenced the legislation or the used the word 'lobbyist.' The motion received a second from board member Kevin McKie.

Board member Ann Florie was the sole no vote.

The board's move comes just days after the Senate passed a bill from Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, that would set term limits, cap board member pay and expand the authority to include representatives from other parts of Jefferson, Blount and Shelby counties.

A majority of the current board, along with the city of Birmingham, oppose the legislation.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Munchus said more details about the new firm would be provided later, declining Florie's request to go into executive session.

"I know it's a matter of trust, and I don't want to say a whole lot in this public meeting," he said. "This is a good firm. This is a national firm."

The move appeared to surprise the Water Works' staff and its regular lawyers with Waldrep, Stewart & Kendrick. Munchus told them not to worry, that the legal matter has nothing to do with them.

Today makes the fifth.

"It was clear that the staff didn't know it, it was clear that the other attorneys didn't know, and it was clear to me based on the lack of discussion that the other board members who were present at the meeting already knew about it and had already discussed it," Florie told AL.com when contacted this afternoon. "I don't make business decisions or spend public money without an explanation."

Adams and Reese's local governmental relations division includes Mark Gaines, a former Jefferson County probate judge and four-term state legislator.

"He lobbies at the local, state and federal level and assists corporate clients with regulatory, legislative and executive challenges," according to his biography on the Adams and Reese website.

No representative of Adams and Reese was present at the meeting. Gaines, when contacted by AL.com this afternoon, declined to give specifics on his firm's engagement by the Water Works. He referred questions to board chairman Jackie Robinson.

Similar Water Works legislation passed the Senate in 2014 but died in the House on the last day of the session.

Waggoner continues to decry the spending of public money to fight a bill that he says is designed to bring more public accountability to the authority.

"I think it's another abuse of using ratepayers' money to hire another lobbyist to defend what they're doing," he said this afternoon.

Waggoner blamed maneuvering by expensive lobbyists for the defeat last year, and has pledged a tougher push for passage this session.

Reed's bill, which passed the Senate and now heads to the House, would require all appeals of decisions by the Alabama Surface Mining Commission to be heard in Walker County.

Water Works officials said the legislation unfairly limits the ability to fairly challenge mining permits by requiring that they be heard exclusively in Walker County court.

The Water Works for years has opposed some proposed mining operations in Walker County, which they say could affect their watershed along Black Warrior River.