Description

The City of Westbrook, Maine, hereby solicits proposals from individual attorneys and/or law firms to represent the City as City Solicitor in the following areas: land use, real estate, elections, Maine Freedom of Access Act, ordinance drafting and review, contract drafting and review, property tax and assessing matters, litigation, and other general municipal legal services. The City currently has legal counsel for environmental, labor and employment, tax increment financing and bond matters, and does not anticipate a need for those services at this time. Qualified attorneys or firms must have experience in representing municipalities similar in size and organization to the City of Westbrook and have the capacity to serve the legal needs of the City as outlined herein. The selected attorney or firm will be subject to appointment by the Mayor, with the bid to be awarded by City Council, and shall serve on an ongoing basis at the discretion of the Mayor. 

CITY OF WESTBROOK
The City of Westbrook services approximately 20,400 residents utilizing a strong Mayor form of government and includes seven (7) City Councilors. The executive powers of the City are vested with the Mayor. The daily operations are overseen by a City Administrator. There are currently 192 full-time staff, 140 part-time staff & per diem staff, and with an annual operating budget of $36,709,036.

The selected legal services provider shall be appointed City Solicitor by the Mayor and shall perform the duties of that position as outlined in § 68-13 of the Westbrook Code of Ordinances. The City’s legal services provider shall advise and represent the Mayor, City Council, Administrative Officers and all appointed boards and commissions of the City. 

Additional details may be found on the City's Website 

Requirements

All attorneys or law firms responding to this request for proposals must be attorneys licensed to practice in the State of Maine. 

The proposal shall include the following services: land use, real estate, elections, Maine Freedom of Access Act, ordinance drafting and review, contract drafting and review, property tax and assessing matters, litigation, and other general municipal legal services. 

The attorney or law firm selected to represent the City in the foregoing areas shall be required to demonstrate substantial training, experience and expertise in providing counsel and representation to municipal officials and municipal officers in the specific areas of practice within the scope of this request for proposals.  

The services to be provided may also include attendance at City Council meetings and other meetings as needed in connection with the attorney or law firm’s counsel to the City. 

The City currently has legal counsel for environmental, labor and employment, tax increment financing and bond matters, and does not anticipate a need for those services at this time. Proposals may identify these areas to the extent the bidder is qualified and willing to provide such services, but the City reserves the right to continue working with its current counsel on these matters at its discretion.