DATE: November 17, 2004
TO: Mayor Hornaday, Homer City Council
FROM: Walt Wrede
SUBJECT: Contract Extension / Perkins Coie
Your packet contains Resolution 04-97 which if adopted, would extend the contract for legal services with Perkins Coie for another year. Gordon has proposed that there be no changes to the fixed amount charged for general government legal services ($7,650 per month). This amount includes 45 hours of work per month and six trips to Homer per year.
Gordon has requested that his hourly rate be increased from $175 per hour to $185 per hour for work on matters outside of general legal services. This rate would apply to his work on lawsuits and other court related actions. Raising Gordon’s fee to $185 would bring him closer to the rate charged by other attorneys in the firm but still maintain the significant discount that Perkins Coie has offered the City over the years.
In my experience, Perkins Coie has done an excellent job for the City and the increase requested on the hourly rate is very reasonable. I do not anticipate that the City’s overall expenditures for legal services will increase next year because we are gradually resolving some of the big legal issues that have been lingering for the past few years.
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of Resolution 04-97