DATE:
October 10, 2023
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Community Development
TITLE: Additional Expenditures for Legal
Services by Burke, Williams & Sorensen,
LLP
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize expenditures by the Community Development Department in an amount not to exceed $225,000 for outside legal services performed by Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, related to review of the Building Code, land use, planning project review, and prepa ration of related agreements.
BACKGROUND
The City has an existing agreement with Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, to provide professional legal services related to planning and land use, including review of development projects and preparation of agreeme nts; housing law and policy; affordable housing projects; real estate transactions; and economic development activities. The legal services under this agreement are utilized to support several City departments : Community Development, Housing, and Public Works. This fiscal year (2023-24), the Community Development Department expects to spend approximately $225,000 for legal services with this firm for projects related to the Planning and Building Divisions. Of t hese costs, $180,000 will be paid by developers with the remaining amount being paid out of the Community Development budget.
ANALYSIS
City Council Policy A-10 requires City Council authorization when compensation for services will exceed $100,000. As noted above, legal services for the Community Development Department under the Burke, Williams & Sorenson , LLP agreement are estimated to be $225,000 for Fiscal Year 2023 -24. Therefore, staff is requesting Council authorization to exceed the $100,000 amount for the contract with Burke, Williams & Sorenson, LLP.
FISCAL IMPACT
As noted above, $180,000 of these costs will be paid by developers with the remaining amount already appropriated and available in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Community Development budget.
Additional Expenditures for Legal Services by Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP October 10, 2023
Therefore, no additional funds are being requested at this time. The $225,000 estimated for the contract are anticipated to be used in the following manner:
• $205,000 will be used by the Planning Division for land use, project review , and related agreements; and
• $20,000 will be used by the Building Division for Building Code review.
Prepared by:
Grace Montgomery
Analyst II
Approved by:
Aarti Shrivastava
Assistant City Manager/
Community Development Director
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager
GM/1/CAM
851-10-10-23CR
203311