HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 08 City Attorney Contract Reduction AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 4/16/2012
Meeting Type:Regular Meeting
Staff Contact/Dept.: Finance
Staff Phone No: Bob Duey 541.726.3740
Estimated Time: Consent Calendar
S P R I N G F I E L D
C I T Y C O U N C I L
Council Goals: Financially Responsible
and Stable Government
Services
ITEM TITLE: CITY ATTORNEY CONTRACT REDUCTION
ACTION
REQUESTED:
Authorize the City Manager to sign First and Third Amendment(s) with the firm of
Leahy, Van Vactor, Cox & Melendy LLC for general counsel services.
ISSUE
STATEMENT:
Driving to meet budget reductions for FY13 The City Manager’s Office asked the
City Attorney Office (CAO) to assist the City by reducing their annual retainer
effective July 1, 2012 at a scale comparable to what City departments and other
outside contractors were being asked to participate.
In response the CAO has identified 192 hours currently scheduled within their
anticipated retainer work that the firm will attempt to reduce in total hours billable
as retained hours. A cooperative effort between the CAO and City staff and elected
officials is vital as many such requests for assistance can be initiated by the City.
The anticipated savings in the retainer amount will assist the City in helping to meet
budget targets.
Separate contracts are signed by each partner who works simultaneously to fulfill
the obligations of the firm.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: First Amendment: Mary Bridget Smith
Attachment 2: First Amendment: Patrick Melendy
Attachment 3: First Amendment: Kay Patton Hyde
Attachment 4: Third Amendment: Matthew J. Cox
DISCUSSION/
FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
The reduction comes in the form of the number of hours under the agreement be
reduced annually from 2316 to 2124 hours (8.3% decrease) while maintaining their
hourly rate of $152.57. An example of planned savings in attorney time will be in
contract review where the CAO and City staff has jointly identified different types
of contracts and dollar ranges that will no longer require a City Attorney’s review
and stamp. These contracts will still be reviewed and stamped by the Senior
Management Analyst for purchasing within the Finance Department.
The change in hours decreases the retainer cost from $353,352.12 to $324,058.68
annually.