DATE: June 5, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Daniel C. Cederborg, County Counsel
SUBJECT: Specialized Legal Services Agreement for Bond Counsel for Special Projects
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize Chairman to execute a specialized legal services agreement with Hawkins Delafield & Wood, LLP (Hawkins) to act as bond counsel for special projects that may arise during FY 2018-19, effective July 1, 2018 (maximum compensation for services to be limited by amount appropriated by the Board in the FY 2018-19 budget)
REPORT
Approving the recommended action will engage Hawkins as the County's bond counsel as needed for special projects that may arise during FY 2018-19. County Counsel would be able to authorize Hawkins to work on special projects between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019. Because some special projects might arise toward the end of that period, bond counsel services may continue past June 30, 2019, for any work authorized during that period. The cost of all specialized legal services under the recommended agreement would be limited to Net County Cost appropriations as may be approved by the Board in the FY 2018-19 budget, plus reimbursements from outside funding sources, if any. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative to retaining bond counsel because that service must be provided by attorneys who have expertise in federal income tax and federal securities laws. The County Counsel's Office does not provide those specialized legal services.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
Under the County's policies for obtaining services, competitive bidding is not required to select specialized legal counsel. Instead, those policies require County Counsel to conduct a salary survey every two years.
In February of this year, County Counsel conducted a competitive selection process that included five major law firms that routinely provide bond counsel services to local governments i...
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