Request for Proposals (RFP) For Services as General Counsel San Gabriel River Discovery Center Authority 1. PURPOSE The Board (Board) of the San Gabriel River Discovery Center Authority (the Authority ) is soliciting proposals to select a firm to act as General Counsel. Applicants may submit a proposal for the position. The selected firm(s) will be awarded a Professional Services Contract(s) for a 24-month period with the possibility of further extensions. 2. SCOPE OF WORK The firm(s) selected must be prepared to perform any and all services that are commonly performed for governmental entities, including but not limited to the following: A. GENERAL COUNSEL SERVICES 1. Attend all Board meetings and advise on matters arising from same. 2. Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for the Authority. 3. Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuits. 4. Act as agent of the Authority in various transactions. 5. Represent the Authority in litigation including administrative and legal proceedings regarding any matter of the Authority. 6. Advise the Board concerning transactions of business involving internal affairs, directors, officers and relations with the general public. 7. Advise on, approve and/or prepare contracts for the Authority. 8. Administer other personnel, labor and legal matters. 9. Serve as the Authority s ethics officer 3. QUALIFICATIONS The firm(s) selected must have depth and specialists on the variety of issues confronting the Authority. Relevant expertise should include but not be limited to the following: A. GENERAL COUNSEL SERVICES 1. Public Contract Code and other laws applicable to public construction work contracts. 2. Knowledge and experience with Federal and State budgeting process whereby various funds and projects are authorized and appropriated. 3. Ralph M. Brown Act compliance.
4. Land purchase contracts. 5. The Public Records Act. 6. Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance. 7. Conflict of interest code. 8. Debt issuance and bond law 9. Employee labor laws 10. The attorney must be a member in good standing of the State Bar of California and able to represent the Authority in court. 11. Knowledge of the California Water Code and have expertise in the area of water law. 12. The California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. 13. Environmental laws and regulations applicable to public water agencies. 14. Statewide water issues and water-related legislation. 15. Conjunctive use and groundwater storage agreements. 16. Water transfer agreements and their requisite approvals 17. Federal and State project grant agreements 18. Remediation and cleanup of contaminated groundwater sites. 4. ACCESSIBILITY Accessibility is very important to the Authority Board. In addition to the General Counsel firm attending all Board meetings, it is the Board s desire that the selected firm be able to have an attorney available by telephone anytime to provide legal assistance to the Authority or its staff on a twenty-four (24) hour basis. A fundamentally sound working relationship with the staff of the Authority and the Executive Officer is required and mandated. 5. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The Authority is involved in numerous activities and does not want to hire a law firm that frequently has to recuse itself from issues due to conflict of interest or concerns. Please address this issue in your proposal. Also, provide a statement identifying any potential conflicts of interest with other clients or interests of the firm. The firm(s) should identify and disclose any business relationship, direct or indirect, with any of the 17 cities and various water agencies and purveyors within the boundaries of the Authority or the following entities (past, present or pending): i. Central Basin Municipal Water District ii. San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District iii. San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy iv. Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation v. Any other entity or individual that the firm believes warrants disclosure.
This list of six (6) entities is not intended to be exhaustive nor intended to satisfy a conflicts check requirement. 6. REQUESTED INFORMATION 1. Please provide the name, address, phone number and fax number of your firm s contact person for this Request for Proposal. 2. Describe the expertise and relevant experience of the attorney(s)-in-charge who will conduct this work. 3. Provide a description of your firm, including the size (number of attorneys) and areas of specialization. Include specific information on your offices in the Southern California area. 4. Provide the names and experience of each individual who would be assigned to work on this account. 5. Provide three (3) professional and appropriate references. 7. COMPENSATION 7.1 Describe how your firm proposes to be compensated for its services on the basis of a retainer and/or time and expenses schedule. This portion of the information must be completed, as specified, or the entire informational package will be considered nonresponsive. 7.1.1 Retainer: If a retainer based compensation schedule is desired, please provide a list of services and the respective retainer fee. 7.1.2 Time and expense: If time and expense compensation schedule is desired, please indicate the hourly rate by type of service. 7.1.3 If a combination of a retainer and time and expense based compensation form is proposed, please provide as detailed an explanation as possible of what you propose. 7.1.4 If another creative form of compensation is desired, please provide as detailed an explanation as possible of what you propose. 7.2 All billings for legal services may be subject to audit by the Authority and/or independent auditors. 8. SELECTION PROCEDURE 8.1 Informational Package: Each firm must submit a written information package, which must include the items requested below. Each section should be clearly defined and separated from the others.
8.1.1 Your firm s general approach to accomplishing the tasks described in SCOPE OF WORK. If your firm cannot perform one or more of the tasks indicated, describe how your firm will accommodate such a deviation successfully. 8.1.2 Your firm s qualifications as described in QUALIFICATIONS. 8.1.3 Information requested in REQUESTED INFORMATION. 8.1.4 Information requested under CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. 8.1.5. Your firm s proposed fee plan as requested in COMPENSATION. 8.1.6. Any additional comments or statements, which will assist in the evaluation of your firm s information. 8.2 Format: It is preferred that the basic information be submitted in standard 8 1/2 by 11-inch page format. 8.3 Form: All informational packages must be in writing. The original transmittal document must be signed by someone authorized to execute legal documents on behalf of your firm. Also please provide six (6) copies of the completed package, i.e., original plus six (6) copies. 8.4 Submit Proposals to: Jane Beesley, Interim Executive Officer San Gabriel River Discovery Center Authority 100 N. Old San Gabriel Canyon Road Azusa, CA 91702 Direct Phone: (626) 815-1019 ext.109 Fax: (626) 815-1269 E-mail: jbeesley@wca.ca.gov 8.5 Top candidates may be invited for an oral interview. The successful candidate will be notified by telephone. 8.6 Deadline: All proposals must be delivered at the address stated above no later than 3:00 PM, JUNE 29, 2011. Late proposals will not be accepted. 8.7 Award: The award will be in the form of a Professional Services Contract(s) between the Authority and the selected firm(s) and may incorporate portions of the proposal. 8.8 Contract Administrator: The Contract Administrator for this Agreement will be the Executive Officer of the Authority or other as may be designated. 8.9 Insurance Requirements: After selection the firm will be required to furnish evidence of the following insurance requirements: 8.9.1 Commercial General Liability Insurance (contractual, products, and completed operations coverages included) with a combined single limit of no less than $1,000,000 and a general aggregate limit of no less than $2,000,000 with an additional $4,000,000 umbrella policy.
8.9.2. Business or Comprehensive Automobile Liability Insurance for owned, scheduled, non-owned, or hired automobiles, with a combined single limit of no less than $1,000,000 per accident. 8.9.3 Professional Liability Insurance with limits of $3,000,000 per claim and $3,000,000 in the aggregate. 8.9.4 Employers' Liability Insurance with limits of $1,000,000 per claim and $1,000,000 in the aggregate. 8.9.5 Workers' Compensation Insurance as required under the Workers' Compensation Insurance and Safety Act of the State of California. 9.0 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND CHANGES 9.1 All requests for additional information should be made to the undersigned, in writing (fax and e-mail are acceptable). No oral modifications of this RFP are valid. Any modifications must be written and signed by the Contract Administrator/Executive Officer of the Authority.