CITY ATTORNEY
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
The City of Point Arena (City) is seeking a law firm or individual attorney to provide City Attorney services on a contract basis. Law firms and attorneys are invited to submit qualifications and proposals for the provision of these services. In order to be considered, proposals must address each of the concerns requested in this document, including rates and fees.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION
All proposals must be received no later than 4:00 pm on Thursday June 21, 2023
INTRODUCTION
The City of Point Arena is a small coastal community of 460 located in Mendocino County. It is home to Point Arena Cove and Pier and the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands of the California Coastal National Monument. The City of Point Arena, a general law city incorporated in 1908, is located entirely in the Coastal Zone and is subject to the regulations of the Coastal Act of 1976. Point Arena has a council/manager form of government, with five Councilmembers who are elected as the City’s legislative and policymaking body. Under their direction, the City Manager is responsible for the daily administration of the city.
SCOPE OF SERVICES/ DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The City Attorney will be required to provide general municipal counsel, basic legal services, and advice on special projects. The City requests one attorney be designated as the point of contact or lead attorney. Accessibility to and a timely response from the attorney is essential to the position.
Minimum qualifications include a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school, a license to practice law in the State of California, and be a member in good standing of the California Bar. Experience with California municipalities and knowledge of Municipal and State Law, Labor Law , and Contract Law is preferable.
General municipal counsel of the City Attorney duties include but are not limited to: (1) having charge of all litigation in which the City is a party; (2) representing the City in all legal matters and proceedings in which the City is a party or interested, or in which any of its officers are parties in their official capacity; (3) advising the City Council or any committee or member thereof, and the heads of all departments, and all other officers and agencies of the City as to all legal questions affecting the City’s interest; (4) approving as to form all ordinances, contracts, deeds, bonds and any other documents to be signed in the name of, or made to or with, the City; and (5) advising the City concerning all land use issues, including CEQA compliance, planning and zoning issues, and Coastal Act requirements.
Basic legal services include: (1) reviewing or drafting ordinances, resolutions, contracts, agreements, deeds, easements; (2) providing advice regarding government operations, elections, open meetings, open records, City ordinances, State law, routine matters, personnel matters, and property matters including real estate acquisition and sale, annexation, zoning, condemnation and public finance; (3) reviewing agendas and materials for Council meetings, anticipating and preparing legal advice on items to be addressed at the Council meeting, and attending at minimum the regular City Council meeting which are generally held on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month; and (4) providing legal opinions upon request.
Generally, the City Attorney may anticipate the job requiring 12 to 20 hours per month. City staff may work in-house to produce initial drafts, such as of City ordinances and resolutions, prior to the attorney’s review. The City may also seek outside specialized counsel as necessary.
The City Attorney will be required to provide a detailed, itemized billing on a monthly basis, in order to avoid misunderstanding. A standing request exists for legal review of contracts, ordinances and resolutions presented to Council for consideration at its regular meeting in addition to anticipating and preparing legal advice on issues up for consideration, as well as attendance at the regular Council meetings. The City Attorney is required to provide legal services upon request of the City Manager, the Mayor, or by direction of the Council as a whole. For all other requests, including citizen’s inquiries, approval by the City Manager or the Mayor prior to commencement of service is required.
REQUESTED INFORMATION
If you or your firm is interested in the opportunity to work with the City, please provide the following information:
• Firm or individual name and contact information, including e-mail and website addresses and year organized.
• Summary of qualifications, specializations, experience (including municipal), professional affiliation, special training, availability, California Bar license numbers, and contact information for key personnel and proposed lead and back-up attorneys for the City.
• Information on any previous experience or services provided, including municipal experience, such as general City Attorney services, city-related court cases, condemnation, eminent domain, zoning, litigation experience, list of past or present municipal clients, etc.
• List of clients you currently represent that could cause a conflict of interest with your responsibilities as City Attorney. Describe how you would be willing to resolve these or any future conflicts of interest.
• If your firm or you have filed any litigation in the past five years in which the City or one of its employees was named as a party, please describe the case(s).
• Other factors or special considerations you feel would influence your selection.
• List of references and contact information.
• Proposed hourly rates for each attorney assigned to the City or any alternative fee structure you propose.
OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
The City reserves the right to reject any or all responses. The City reserves the right to waive any variances from original RFQ specifications in cases where the variances are considered to be, in the sole discretion of the City, in the best interests of the City.
All proposals submitted in response to this RFQ shall become the property of the City. The City retains the right to use any or all information presented in any proposal to the RFQ, whether amended or not. Selection or rejection of the proposal does not affect this right.
Contracts shall be awarded to the applicant determined to be best qualified to meet the City’s needs, with a mutually agreeable start date.
EVALUATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA
• General qualifications of the candidate for the position and key support personnel
• Quality and extent of services available
• Experience
• References
• Costs
• Compliance with this Request for Qualifications
• Other criteria which pertain to providing effective and efficient legal services such as availability for questions and contact, timeliness, responsiveness and follow-through
SUBMITTAL
Please provide one unbound copy of the proposal with the signature of an authorized individual on a typed letter of submittal. Proposals may also be emailed but will not be considered without a hard copy proposal.
Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed envelope, clearly marked on the outside of the envelope, “City Attorney Services” and addressed to:
City of Point Arena
Attn: Paul Andersen, City Manager
PO Box 67
Point Arena, CA, 95468
Any questions regarding this submittal may be addressed to the Clerk at (707) 882-2122 or cm@pointarena.ca.gov. City Hall, located at 451 School Street, Point Arena, is open to the public Mon-Thurs 9am-4pm.
