To: The Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County
Department or Agency Name(s): County Counsel
Staff Name and Phone Number: Rhonda Coffman, 707-565-7542
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Amended Legal Services Agreement with Burke, Williams and Sorensen, LLP for real estate and loan transaction related services.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize County Counsel to sign an Amended Legal Services Agreement with Burke, Williams and Sorensen, LLP, for a contract amount not to exceed $150,000.
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Executive Summary:
This item requests authority for County Counsel to enter into an amended legal services agreement on behalf of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission with Burke, Williams and Sorensen, LLP, for an amount not to exceed $150,000, for real estate and loan transaction related services.
Discussion:
County Counsel provides legal representation, advice and counsel to the County, its governing Board of Supervisors, County Departments, special districts, and other public agencies, as mandated and authorized by California statutes and local ordinances. From time to time, the County has retained various outside law firms to represent the County and affiliated agencies in a variety of legal matters. Outside law firms are retained only when County Counsel either does not have the capacity, lacks the expertise to handle litigation in-house, or has an ethical conflict. These law firms are assigned cases based upon their proven legal ability and specific experience with public entity representation.
Pursuant to his delegated authority, County Counsel executed a legal services agreement on behalf of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission (Commission) with Burke, Williams and Sorensen, LLP, on September 12, 2023, for an amount not to exceed $50,000 per twelve-month period, up to a maximum of $150,000 over a 3-year contract term, terminating on September 11, 2026. Burke, Williams and Sorensen, LLP, provide real estate and loan transaction legal services to the Commission.
Due to the Commission’s high volume of real estate and loan closing transaction legal support necessary through June 30, 2025, this item requests Board authority to amend the legal services agreement to allow for payment of these services in excess of $50,000 per 12-month period. The total not to exceed amount of $150,000 in total payments remains unchanged.
This firm is part of the competitively selected pool of outside law firms already in use by the County pursuant to a competitive process. No budgetary changes are required by this action, as the funds necessary have been allocated in the FY 2024-2025 budget. To the extent services will be performed under the contract after the end of FY 2024-2025, such expenditures will be budgeted in the appropriate fiscal year.
Based on the forgoing, this item requests the Board of Supervisors authorize and direct County Counsel to amend a legal services agreement with Burke, Williams and Sorensen, LLP for real estate and loan closing transaction related services.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$50,000 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$50,000 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$50,000 |
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$50,000 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no new fiscal impacts to the approval of this requested action, as appropriations were included in the adopted FY24-25 budget. Federal funding will be the source for these services.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
1. Agreement
2. Amendment #1 to Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A