Title
Adopt Joint City Council/Improvement District Board/Redevelopment Successor Agency Resolution Approving a Second Amendment to the Agreement Between the City of Fort Bragg and Jones & Mayer for the Provision of Legal Services and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Same
Summary
The City of Fort Bragg originally entered into a contract with Jones & Mayer for legal services in October of 2017. The contract provided for up to 45 hours per month and travel time, lodging and meal expenses and mileage reimbursement for 2 meetings at the City per month for a monthly fee of $10,960. Legal services in excess of 45 hours would be billed at $205 per hour and specialized legal services at $225 per hour. In July, 2019 a revised contract was executed that reduced the hours billed to 35 per month at a rate of $205 per hour or $7,175 per month, including travel for 1 meeting at the City a month. The revised contract was the result of a request by the City for an adjustment because of issues with gaps in services. One of the issues was the lack of access to the firm's specialist in the various practice areas. The City Attorney assigned to Fort Bragg was also replaced. City staff is satisfied with the current service levels provided by Jones & Mayer.
The current amendment to the July 2019 contract provides for 45 hours of service per month at a cost of $9,900 or $220 per hour, including travel for 1 meeting at the City a month. All hours exceeding 45 cumulative hours will be billed at $220 per month. The increase in hourly rate equates to a 7.3% increase over the four year period or a 1.8% annual cost of living increase. The monthly cost is $1,060 less than the 2017 contract and includes one less in-person meeting. With COVID and the changes in how public meetings are managed, this is certainly adequate. The City Attorney tracks the trips to Fort Bragg for in-person meetings and, like unused monthly legal hours, these accrue for future use.
The increas...
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