Over the past few budget sessions, the 10-year relationship between the City of Brooksville and the Hogan Law Firm has become strained. Statements from various council members and discussions during Brooksville City Council budget meetings have addressed the retainer cost and a $200,000 legal services budget item, as well as an idea for an in-house counsel.
Council members decided only on a Request For Proposal (RFP), a process by which an entity seeks candidates to fill a position or complete tasks.
On 08/01/17, Mayor Robert Battista announced that the City was in receipt of a letter dated 07/25/17 in which the Hogan Law Firm announced its resignation as the legal firm representing the City of Brooksville, with an effective date of 09/25/17.
The City does need to have legal counsel, and on 08/01/17, Jennifer Rey listed ways in which the firm invested the fees paid to them and some of the litigation actions where the Hogan Law Firm represented the City.
The 08/10/17 Brooksville City Council Special Meeting set aside some time to review samples of a Request For Proposal (RFP) in which they will advertise for candidate law firms. The RFP sets out guidelines or specific items that the prospective candidate agency will need to fulfill. It is essentially a bid process, similar to those for construction work or other services.
The Dade City RFP had a format that the Council preferred, with some minor changes (removed the word “training”, changed “preferred experience” to “required”, etc.). Council member Natalie Kahler requested the addition of what services the attorney or firm would provide in the retainer. Other suggestions were for periodic evaluations of the attorney/firm.
Battista stated he would write the RFP for Brooksville over the weekend and review it with the City Manager by 8/14/17. Once prepared, the RFP will be submitted to the Florida League of Cities and to the Florida Bar News. It will also be advertised on the websites for the City of Brooksville and Hernando County.
The City Council has a busy schedule over the next 45 days, as William Kemmerer reminded them. Not only will the City hire a new attorney, but they must also finalize and hold two public hearings for the budget, and hire a City Manager. Battista suggested 09/20/17 as the final submission date for the RFPs.
With that date so close to the effective date of the Hogan Law Firm’s resignation, Rey stated that there have been discussions whereby the Firm would continue to represent the City in open litigation until a new attorney or firm were selected. As for having a presence during council meetings, that would need to be negotiated.
The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled for 08/21/17 at 7:00 pm. The published agenda packet includes a proposed agreement relating to legal services.