AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: March 18, 2024
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Cynthia Owens, Municipal Affairs Program Manager
Subject: APPROVAL OF A FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 CHANGE
PURCHASE ORDER FOR RICHARDS, WATSON, &
GERSHON IN THE AMOUNT OF $120,000 FOR A TOTAL NOT
TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $3,223,629
Attachments: None
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve a Fiscal Year 2023-2024 (FY 23-24) change purchase order for Richards, Watson, & Gershon in the amount of $120,000 for a total not to exceed amount of $3,223,629.
INTRODUCTION
Richards Watson & Gershon (“RWG”) provides general legal counsel services to the City of Beverly Hills. This item requests the City Council approve a change purchase order for RWG in the amount of $120,000 for a total not to exceed amount of $3,223,629 for legal services.
DISCUSSION
On January 11, 2024, the City Clerk provided a written and verbal report to the City Council regarding a proposal to reorganize the City Clerk’s Office based on an organizational assessment conducted by Baker Tilly. The assessment reviewed the structure of the City Clerk's Office as well as examined the office systems and staffing to identify opportunities for improvement.
Baker Tilly, along with the City Clerk, made recommendations for improving the City’s response to public records requests under the California Public Records Act (CPRA).
The CPRA requires government records be disclosed to the public unless there are privacy and/or public safety exemptions which would prevent doing so.
Meeting Date: March 18, 2024
Due to the numerous requests received by the City under the CPRA, the report identified that the City Clerk’s labor hours have increased substantially. It also noted that there has been a significant increase in the need for support from the City Attorney’s Office due to the complexity of some of the public records requests. The recommendation made in the report was to create an Assistant City Clerk/Records Management Director position and to appropriate funding in FY 23-24 in the amount of $120,000 for City Attorney services related to reviewing public records requests. Both recommendations were approved on by the City Council on January 11, 2024.
This report requests the City Council approve a FY 23-24 change purchase order to encumber the approved $120,000 for public records request services conducted by RWG related to the appropriation from January 11.
FISCAL IMPACT
No additional funding is required for this FY 23-24 change purchase order as the City Council approved an appropriation of $120,000 on January 11, 2024.
Keith Sterling
Deputy City Manager
Approved By