Counsel Legal Services

The vendor is required to provide from qualified firms to provide general counsel legal services covering a wide range of legal matters related to district operations, governance, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations
- The legal counsel will be responsible for providing the following services for the contract term:
A. general legal advice and governance
• Advise the board of directors, general manager, and staff on legal matters related to district services, including wastewater and water law, recycled water, water rights, reclamation district law, land use and real estate law, contracts, and labor law.
• Provide guidance on compliance with the brown act, parliamentary procedures for meetings, and public official conflict requirements.
• Research and submit legal opinions on various topics as requested by the board and general manager.
• Provide legal alerts on changes in laws impacting district.
• Maintain an inventory of legal opinions to ensure consistency and avoid redundancy. B. Contracts and agreements
• Prepare and review ordinances, resolutions, contracts, joint powers agreements, and other agreements as requested.
• Conduct legal review of agenda items in accordance with established schedules.
C. litigation and risk management
• Advise the board and general manager on the commencement or defense of litigation and litigate matters as directed.
• Enforce district ordinances and regulations through administrative and judicial actions as required.
• Confer with the general manager and board of directors to recommend the approval of special counsel when specialized legal expertise is needed. D. Legislative and regulatory updates
• Prepare timely reports on legal matters, including updates from the casa attorneys’ group, state legislature, or other relevant sources.
• Provide a quarterly legislative report and additional updates as needed to keep district informed of emerging legal issues.
E. Board and staff support
• Attend all regular and special meetings of the board of directors, standing committees, and other meetings as requested.
• Promptly respond to communications from the board, general manager, and staff.
F. Employment related matters
• Provide advice on matters relating the employment labor law and represented employee matters.
• Assist with coordinating and or selecting outside firms to conduct personnel investigations.
G. Reporting and billing
• An annual report to facilitate the annual evaluation of general counsel services, which will include discussions with the general manager.
• Provide monthly billing statements detailing year-to-date charges for legal matters, including agenda review, legislative activities, and special projects.
- Contract Period/Term: 2 years
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: April 02, 2025