DATE: June 30, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Douglas T. Sloan, County Counsel
SUBJECT: Legal Services Agreement for Bond Counsel and Disclosure Counsel
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34, for competitive bids or requests for proposals (AP 34), determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement under AP 34 is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted to obtain the services of special legal counsel to assist the County, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP to act as bond counsel and disclosure counsel to the County, effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, total not to exceed $250,000.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action would allow the County Counsel to utilize legal services provided by Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP (Hawkins) pertaining to public finance matters. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative to retaining bond counsel and disclosure counsel because such services must be provided by attorneys who have specialized expertise in federal income tax and federal securities laws. The County Counsel's office does not provide those specialized services.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
Under AP 34, competitive bidding is not required to engage specialized legal counsel. That is because the policy deems a contract to obtain the services of special legal counsel to assist the County a circumstance that constitutes a suspension of competition.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues will be included in Interest and Miscellaneous Expenditures Org 2540 FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget request and subsequent Recommended Budget requests fo...
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