May 19, 2026
City Attorney's Office
Human Resources
DATE: May 19, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Shannon Moore, Interim City Attorney
Nickie Mastay, Deputy City Manager- Internal Services
Sharrone Taylor, Director of Human Resources
Subject:
Legal Services Agreement with Ellis Investigations for
Confidential Personnel Investigations
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed three-year legal services agreement, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, is included within the
approved fiscal year 2026-2027 Human Resources and
Risk Management budgets and will be budgeted
accordingly in subsequent fiscal year budgets. These
services are considered program administration costs
(Account Strings: 01181016-400206, 50182316-400206).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City Council’s approval is needed to approve legal
services agreements for employment attorneys to
conduct confidential personnel investigations.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a legal services agreement with Ellis
Investigations to conduct confidential personnel
investigations for a term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, for a total amount not to exceed $150,000 – City
Attorney’s Office/Human Resources Department
(Shannon Moore/Nickie Mastay/Sharrone Taylor 510-
620-6509).
AGENDA
REPORT
May 19, 2026
DISCUSSION:
The City is responsible for addressing complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by promptly conducting thorough and unbiased personnel investigations.
Additionally, the City investigates other workplace issues, including employee complaints, when necessary. When an external personnel investigation is required, the City enlists the services of specialized firms which have highly skilled employment law attorneys to conduct personnel investigations, such as the Ellis Investigations.
The City Attorney’s Office and Human Resources Department had a legal services agreement (LSA) with Ellis Investigations from 2021-2026. During this period, Ellis Investigations has successfully handled multiple confidential investigations to the City's satisfaction. The City now seeks a new three-year LSA to continue utilizing Ellis Investigations. Continuing the working relationship with this firm will ensure ongoing critical investigations are conducted timely and provide stability and consistency in the investigations process.
The City Attorney's Office and the Human Resources Department are requesting approval of an LSA with Ellis Investigations with a term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, for a total payment limit not to exceed $150,000.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Legal Services Agreement with Ellis Investigations