AgdaPkt 2011-02-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.1E For lead special counsel on Stanford's proposed project, Jerry Ramiza and Tom Burke Williams & Sorensen are recommended. Mr. Ramiza specializes in land use entitlement processes in negotiating development agreements. Mr. Jex specializes in local zoning and land use issues, the Subdivision Map Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City Council is requested to ratify a legal services agreement and to approve a budget in the amount of one hundred and fifty - thousand dollars ($150,000). These services are developer reimbursed. Finally, Nicole Granquist of Downey Brand is recommended for the City's on -going work on regulatory issues arising from the City's August 2010 sewer spill and related issues. Ms. Grandquist's practice is devoted entirely to water quality regulatory compliance and litigation. Accordingly, the Council is requested to ratify a legal services agreement with Downey Brand and authorize a budget of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000), which is drawn from the sewer fund. In addition, the City Council is requested to authorize the City Attorney to determine whether it is in the best interests of the City to keep a matter with a particular attorney when and if that attorney changes firms, which happens on occasion. In such a case and by this motion, the City Attorney would be empowered to terminate the contract with the existing firm and engage the new firm so that the work would continue uninterrupted. ALTERNATIVES 1. Do not ratify these legal agreements and discontinue special legal services on these agreements and do not authorize the budget amounts requested. 2. Ratify some of the agreements. 3. Authorize different budget amounts. FISCAL IMPACT No fiscal impact for the developer reimbursed projects (Saltworks and Stanford); $150,000 fiscal impact to sewer fund. Pamela Thompson City Attorney ATTACHMENTS NONE RELATED DOCUMENTS IN CITY CLERK'S OFFICE None 2