PUBLIC NOTICE: City of Salida Request for Qualifications for Professional Services- Municipal Prosecutor

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a Municipal Prosecutor to provide legal services for the City of Salida’s Municipal Court. This RFQ is intended to gather pertinent information concerning the ability of an individual attorney to meet the municipal court needs of the City, located in Chaffee County, Colorado.

The City of Salida is interested in establishing an ongoing relationship with an attorney to ensure high quality, necessary, responsive, timely and cost-efficient legal services for the City of Salida’s Municipal Court.  We expect that the attorney chosen will be experienced in the type of legal services required on an ongoing basis by statutory cities and will be familiar with the legal issues associated with such municipalities.

The specific nature of the scope of work for this project is outlined in this document. Proposals received in the timeline provided will be evaluated, and subsequent interviews may be coordinated with the top responding candidates. The schedule for Municipal Prosecutor selection and project completion is included below.  All proposals must be submitted to Christy Doon, Interim City Administrator, by 2:00pm MST on December 4, 2023.

SUMMARY OF SELECTION PROCESS

The City of Salida requests proposals from qualified attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of Colorado for Municipal Prosecutor services.

SCHEDULE FOR CONSULTANT SELECTION

November 3, 2023                                                          Distribute Request for Proposals

December 4, 2023                                                          2:00pm MST, Proposal Deadline

December 18, 2023                                                        Selected Consultant Interviews

December 19, 2023                                                        Anticipated City Council Award

January 20, 2024                                                             First Anticipated Attendance at Municipal Court

WHERE TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS

Digital copies of proposals in Adobe PDF format must be submitted by email to Christy Doon, Interim City Administrator, Christy.doon@cityofsalida.com, no later than 2:00 pm MST on the proposal deadline. The City has the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason.

PROJECT LOCATION

The City of Salida is located near the crossroads of Highway 50 and Highway 291 in Chaffee County, Colorado.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Salida will represent the City in the prosecution of violations of the Salida Municipal Code in the City’s Municipal Court and related prosecutorial functions (i.e. plea negotiations, sentencing recommendations, probation revocations and contempt hearings).  Legal services will include all necessary court appearances, legal research, investigation, correspondence, preparation of legal documents, trial preparation, appeals to Municipal and District Court and all related work required to properly represent the City in the following areas:

1. Prosecute violations of the Salida Municipal Code.
2. Prepare for and attend trials (once per month), hearings, and other criminal and civil case activities.
3. Review facts and law, conduct legal research, prepare pleadings, and conduct defense interviews.
4. Conduct pretrial conferences, including negotiation of plea agreement offers and terms of deferred prosecution.
5. Perform professional legal work (carrying the highest levels of volume, complexity, consequence, autonomy and responsibility), including regularly drafting subpoenas, motions, notices and proposed orders.
6. Collaborate and confer with the City Attorney, as needed, including consulting with the City Attorney on interpretations of the Salida Municipal Code and appeals.
7. Work with the City Attorney, City Administrator, Chief of Police, Municipal Court Clerk, and additional City Staff in preparing matters for Municipal Court prosecution and other duties as required by the Salida City Council.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED/PREFERRED

Qualified individuals or firms must be licensed to actively practice law in the State of Colorado and be in good standing with the Colorado Supreme Court.  Experience in other areas of municipal law is desirable, but not required.  Must have the ability to communicate effectively and diplomatically with co-workers, the Municipal Judge, Municipal Court Clerk, defendants and their attorneys, and the general public.  Applicants must possess a good working knowledge of the Salida Municipal Code, local court rules, Colorado Municipal Court Rules, and Colorado Rules of Evidence.  Interested prosecutors must have the ability to perform with integrity, demonstrate honesty and sensitivity to ethical issues, and avoid actual or apparent impropriety and/or conflicts of interest.  Qualified applicants must exercise appropriate judgment, consistent with the highest levels of volume, complexity, consequence, autonomy, and responsibility attending the position.

PROPOSALS

Proposals should focus on the qualifications and experience of the proposed individual or firm. A short list of individuals or firms may be developed based upon the proposals submitted. Those on the short list may be invited to interview.

Proposals should include the following and in the order given:

1. Background of your firm, including size, date established, and office location; or individual qualifications if not associated with a firm.
2. Information on your/the firm’s experience as it relates to the following areas:
   1. Prosecution in Municipal court, including familiarity with Court rules.
   2. Statutory cities, as identified in Colorado Revised Statutes.
   3. Code Enforcement.
   4. Colorado Municipal Traffic Code.
   5. Animal Control Laws.
3. List the Colorado municipalities you currently represent or have previously represented, if any, with the dates of representation for each.  Include a summary of your duties and responsibilities for each municipality.  Please include a comprehensive list of municipal clients over the past five years and name the attorney assigned to those clients.
4. Describe the primary focus of your/the firm’s representation not related to municipalities.
5. Identify the attorney who would be primarily responsible for work on behalf of the City and, if different from the responsible attorney, the attorney who would attend court dates.
6. Specify your availability to attend up to one, full day, regularly scheduled court dates, every month.
7. Provide information on your billing rates and practices, including:
   1. Billing rates for each attorney and any support personnel that would be involved in providing legal services to the City.
   2. A summary of your/the firm’s billing practices.
   3. Rates charged for travel time, and any incidentals such as copying, telephone rates, courier services, faxes, supplies, etc., if any.
8. If you are willing to enter a fixed fee agreement, flat rate retainer, or some combination thereof, please describe in your proposal.
9. Discuss any known or potential conflicts of interest you or your firm may have in representing the City of Salida.
10. Describe any formal disciplinary complaints or malpractice complaints that have been made against you, and their final disposition.
11. Provide three to five relevant references that the City may contact.

TERM

The term of the agreement which is the subject of this solicitation process shall be for one (1) year, commencing on the date the agreement is executed by the City, subject to extension as provided therein. All work to be performed under the agreement shall commence promptly after receipt of a fully executed copy of the agreement to the extent that the Municipal Financial Advisor has been authorized to proceed by the City.

The City, at its sole option and discretion, may offer to extend the agreement for additional one-year terms. The extension option may be exercised by the City, provided the Municipal Prosecutor has performed satisfactorily and all terms and conditions of the Agreement have been fulfilled. Each extension must be mutually agreed upon in writing, by and between the City and the Municipal Prosecutor, approved by the City of Salida City Council, and shall be subject to the annual appropriation of funds, therefore.  Successful proposer will be asked to enter in to a Professional Services Agreement with the City of Salida (A copy of which may be obtained from the City of Salida).

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. Demonstration of understanding of the City’s needs and objectives
2. Qualifications and ability to meet the needs of the City
3. Professional personnel assigned
4. Cost proposal
5. References

The City of Salida reserves the right to reject any and all proposals for any reason.

Questions should be directed to:

Christy Doon, Interim City Administrator – christy.doon@cityofsalida.com – 719.530.2624

Proposals for services are due by: 2:00 pm, MST December 4, 2023